About me
Born in Amstelveen, The Netherlands (1988), being taught the rules of chess by my father at the age of 7 and ever since then I have been captivated by the game! Both the competitive part as well as the intellectual challenge are the main elements for my passion for this game. At my 18th I became an International Master (IM) and currently have a peak FIDE-rating of 2464 (April 2020). I'm naturally still very motivated reaching my goal to become a grandmaster, though sharing my experiences with my students is at least as enjoyable and rewarding. At the age of 15 I started teaching in schools, chess clubs, private classes and online. Since then I have extended my activities, launched the Amsterdam Chess Academy in 2014 and thus changed my hobby for life into my profession. On this website I will keep you informed about everything what is coming on my way, particularly with my training and coaching services.
Online Chess Training
International Master, certified Schaaktrainer 3 and FIDE-Trainer with 15 years of experience teaching/coaching at different levels, students from more than 15 countries!
For about 15 years I have been active as a trainer, offering professional guidance to chess players at all levels at different stages in their life. Online trainings are easy, fun and knowledge can easily be transmitted and saved! Do you have a specific weakness you would like to improve, simply don’t have a clue why you are stuck at a certain level or just a chess lover who is looking for some entertainment? You have found the right coach who can meet your wishes! Curious about the training options?
Coaching
During various events I have supported many chess players, either on location or from home. The last couple years I have helped several talents in both national (e.g. Youth championships, Wijk aan Zee, Hoogeveen, Groningen etc.) and international competitions including the European Youth in Riga 2018 and Bratislava 2019 and the World Youth in Mumbai 2019. Apart from giving technical instructions to my students, the emphasis is on a creating a positive mindset, in which everyone feels comfortable and enjoys the process of playing the tournament. After all, progress can only be made as long as you enjoy what you are doing!
Organizer
Back in 2008 the mind sports event BRAINWAVE in Amstelveen had been founded and in 2010 I stepped in as tournament director of the annual Brainwave Rapid event. In 2015 I decided to expand the activities by creating a chessweek with several activities and tournaments for youth-, amateur- and professional chessplayers. The Dutch Rapid (2015-2019) & Blitz (2019) were well attended and followed online via the site of the Amstelveen Chess Masters. Hopefully the event can be resumed in 2021. Check out the highlights of the previous editions!
Commentator
Various prestigious events like Tata Steel Chess, Hoogeveen and Dutch National Championship have made use of my services as an official commentator. A good mix of knowledge, sense of humour and skill to make grandmaster moves understandable for the amateur player ensures you'll get your portion of chess edutainment!
Simuls
A couple of times per year I'm doing a simultaneous exhibition. In the past I have been part of such events in common places like a chess club, school or library, as well as in exotic spots like Crete, Aruba and Curacao. A great opportunity to test your skills against a strong player in a relaxed setting!
Get in touch
Interested in taking online lessons, feel free to send me a message to info@robertris.com or by filling in the form on the right and I will try to get back to you asap. I look forward to meeting you!