IM Sam Schmakel

Hi there! I'm a 27 year-old international master from the USA. I live in New York City, and used to live in Chicago as well as Lubbock, Texas.

I have been playing chess since I was 5 years old. I won the national championship for my age group once in grade school and three times in high school. I achieved the international master title in 2018, and recently achieved my first GM norm in the 2023 Philadelphia International. I am currently at my peak rating of 2457.

I have found that people attempting to improve in chess often don't know what they should be focusing on. Having been around the game my whole life, I have seen what it takes to go from 1400 to 1600, from 1800 to 2000, and so on. Everyone has their own strengths in chess, and it is my job to identify and target the weaknesses in the games of my students to get them to the next level they desire to reach!