Columbus Chess Lessons

above (Alan Casden is working with CCL student Abhi Ramaswamy at the 2009 Super Nationals))

Alan is the program director and a coach at CCL. Presently in his late 50’s, he has been playing tournament chess since he was a teenager. When in high school, he was ranked amongst the top 25 high school players in the country. While in college, he became a published chess author. Since coming to Ohio, he has won won many of the major city championships. Most of his adult life he has had a chess Masters rating. He has over 20 years experience running chess clubs and he has been giving chess lessons for over 22 years. His current focus with chess is directed toward improving the skills of the next generation of chess players. In addition to giving a limited number of private lessons, he teaches chess at Granville Schools, and at the Ohio Contemporary Chinese School.

John is the most recent addition to the coaching team at Columbus Chess Lessons. John has been at the center of the chess scene in Columbus for over 30 years. Some of John's achievements include:

National Master 1987 (highest rating 2229)
Life Master 1993
Member of winning team, US Amateur Team Championship-Midwest 1987, 1988
Tie 1st, Pennsylvania State Championship, 1998
Tie 1st, Cincinnati Open 1996, 1998
5-0 on 1st board at MOTCF 2002
Played in Columbus Invitational 20 times, including longest active streak of 14 consecutive years
Has played over 1800 USCF-rated games.

With great pride I would like to report that IM Goran Vojinovic has joined the staff at CCL. Goran's honesty, sense of personal integrity, and high level of coaching experience make him a welcome addition. All private students will have Alan Casden or John Bath as their primary instructor, while Internet lessons with IM Goran will be used to supplement these lessons. While visiting Ohio, Goran has won every major Ohio tournament that he has competed in, which includes: Columubus Open, Cardinal Open and Gem City Open. The addition of Goran to our group helps to assure the development of our students to the very highest level. Please read the description of Groan, taken from Infinia Chess.

Infinia Chess has this to say about IM Goran Vojinovic:

International Master, Goran Vojinovic has fifteen years of chess coaching. In addition to a successful career in coaching, he plays professional chess in tournaments in many countries around the world and has realized 2 grandmaster norms. He gives chess lectures, has written for chess magazines, and is an online chess commentator for live relays of International Chess Tournaments and Captain of his local chess team.

Goran resides in Serbia and plays professional chess. He has two daughters, Jovana Vojinovic and Darja Vojinovic. Jovana became interested in chess at the early age of seven. At age fourteen, she became a Women International Master. Jovana is a student and plays professional chess. Darja is eight years old, a student and has a great appreciation of the arts.

Goran tells us, “My daughters come first in my life, and I am equally proud of both. Chess is my passion. I love teaching others to play chess. Chess enables you to meet interesting people from all over the world. There is no language barrier in a game of chess. Chess is a universal language spoken over the board.”
Goran has taught students from all over the world to realize their potential in Chess. His current Fide Rating is 2463.