"Les coached me for the better part of 10 years. He helped me to improve in many aspects of the game (openings, middlegame, endgame, planning, calculation, tactics, and more). I started out as an enthusiastic kid and through his tutelage went up the ranks to place several times in state and national tournaments. Les is thorough in his preparation and communicates complex strategy simply and clearly. His passion for the game is infectious and he opened up avenues for me to discover and enjoy the exquisite art and beauty of chess, for which I will always be grateful."

"I played chess from a young age with my father but my game went to another level due to what I was able to learn from Les. With Les we explored all aspects of how I played and the game itself focusing on areas where I need work. We went move by move though many of my games focusing on the ones that I lost so that I could learn. I played competitively for several years and while I don’t play competitively anymore, I still believe that exploring chess in detail helped me greatly especially at an early age. Chess is a great game to improve logical reasoning, memory, concentration and patience (I really needed this). More importantly, I still play socially and enjoy it greatly."