Happy

Hello John!
I want to take your 🥳birthday as an opportunity to let the world know about your huge contribution to Chess in Education.
I met you first at the London Chess Conference in 2018 but we didn’t speak then. Half a year later you interviewed me for a training assistant position for ChessPlus and since then we have been working together day in and out organising training courses, the London Chess Conference, Discussion Group Meetings, participating in Games and Maths Exhibitions, presenting in various educational conferences and working on different projects to promote Chess in Education. We have had countless hours of conversations in the last six years, almost on a daily basis 😃about “everything” and I’m ever grateful for your calm philosophical insights and questions, showing me critical thinking in practice. I’ve been witnessing how sharing your knowledge supports so many people on so many levels. Your generosity toward people, connecting and helping them with ideas and opportunities is remarkable in the field of Chess in Education.
You are my best boss ever😃 and much more, a mentor a colleague and a friend. Thank you John, 🙏
Brigitta

Take a look at John’s journey, a creative map he created years ago:

Johns Cv

CURRENTLY

  • Councillor (ex Secretary), Education Commission of the European Chess Union
  • Director, ChessPlus Limited 2016 –
  • Director, London Chess Conference 2012 –
  • President, Kingston Chess Club 2015 –
  • Director, Kingston Chess Academy 2024 –

EDUCATION

  • MSc Operational Research, Lancaster University
  • MA Politics, Philosophy & Economics, Oxford University
  • Diploma Cognitive Psychology, London University
  • Diploma Law, Kingston University
  • Certificate to Teach Adults Lifelong Learning, Kingston College

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

  • Decision Modelling PwC Management Consultants
  • Barrister Ministry of Justice, UK

CHESS

  • London Junior and Oxford University Chess Champion
  • Captain Kingston ChessPlus in 4NCL 1st Division (UK)

CHESS PEDAGOGY

  • Training Director I Chess in Schools and Communities 2010-2016
  • ECU School Chess Teacher Trainer
  • FIDE Instructor

ERASMUS+ PROJECTS ON CHESS

  • CHAMPS Project – Project Manager
  • 8by8 Project – Project Manager

PUBLICATIONS

  • Checkmate! The Wonderful World of Chess (2023) Published in USA, UK, Spain, Italy.
  • 21 Strategy Games for the Classroom (Co-Author)
  • 50 Chess and Mathematics Exercises for Schools (Co-Author)
  • Primary Chess Manual and Pupil’s Workbook (Chess in Schools and Communities UK)

RESEARCH ENGAGEMENTS

  • Quoted advisor: Literature Review of Chess Studies, Anna Nicotera & David Stuit, Basis Policy Research, Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) 2014 (Article number 14)​
  • CSC analyst: ​Chess in Schools: Evaluation report and executive summary, John Jerrim et al, Educational Endowment Foundation, Institute of Education, London 2017 (Article number 21)​
  • Co-author:​ with Fernand Gobet and Giovanni Sala, The Effects of Chess Instruction on Pupils’ Cognitive and Academic Skills: State of the Art and Theoretical Challenges 2017​ (Article number 24)