Columbia Lessons Coaches

Coach Malcolm Nesbit- Chess Rating – 1,297 (Beginners & Intermediate)

I’ve been passionate about chess for many years, and since January 2024 I’ve had the privilege of working with Think Move Chess. Alongside coaching, I’ve served as an Assistant Tournament Director for SCISA tournaments and have United States Chess Federation credentials, gaining meaningful experience in organizing events, supporting fair play, and helping tournaments run smoothly.

Teaching youth is the most rewarding part of my chess journey. I love helping students grow as players and as thinkers, showing them how focus, patience, creativity, and strong decision-making on the board translate into real-life skills.

At Think Move Chess, I strive to create a positive and supportive learning environment where each student feels confident to learn, improve, and enjoy the game. I believe that when children learn chess, they gain tools that prepare them for success far beyond the board—and helping them develop those strengths is a meaningful way to contribute to a better future.

Sean Miller wears many hats in the chess community. He is a tournament director, an afterschool instructor, a coach for both children and adults, and an active player with a peak rating of 1715 USCF. Sean has worked with students from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels, ranging from complete beginners to tournament players. His students have placed highly in several tournaments in the state, including first place wins in the Palmetto State Chess League, and multiple first place performances in the U1000 and U1600 sections of Tunnelvision tournament series. Sean's teaching style relies heavily on game review to find specific areas of improvement for each student.

Coach Valerie Heaton- Chess Rating- 960 (Beginners & Intermediate)

How I learned to play chess: I learned how to play chess from my dad when I was 8 years old, and have been playing online and with my university friends ever since. I'd say I have about 16 years of experience with it, most of it in-person, not digital. I have been working at Think Move for a year now and have developed good textbook knowledge of chess for teaching younger students.

Rating: I have no chess.com official rating, but I am familiar with the website. I mainly like to do the puzzles when I'm able and have a 1151 rating for them. In class I'm good at catching up beginners and solidifying intermediate players, especially when it comes to avoiding common traps. I believe I could be good for creating a solid foundation for a student to work with before going on to more advanced topics.

Favorite game/strategy: I like the London system as far as strategy, since it's adaptable. It's a simple but effective start for white with the Queen's pawn that I enjoy using.

Favorite chess piece: I like the rook because it can make a nice, straightforward checkmate strategy when paired with a queen or another rook.

Anecdote: I'm a highly defensive player, which forces my students to be more brave and to take more risks against me. In my experience teaching, some of the best moments have been seeing my students pull off attack patterns like forks, pins, skewers, batteries, etc. against me, demonstrating their learning directly to the board.

Coach Mike Sailer- 6 X’s National Grand Master- Chess Rating -2,210  (Advanced Level(

National Master Mike Sailer to our coaching team here at the Columbia Chess Club. Mike is a National Master with nearly 40 years of playing and coaching experience. With a peak rating of 2248, he has won 21 state championships during that time and is a three-time Denker High School representative (1988-1990) and a Irwin 50+ representative (2023). Mike was elected to the ND Chess Hall of Fame in 2007. He continues to be a very active OTB and online player to this day. Mike specializes in teaching students how to expand their positional understanding and simplifying the decision-making process of finding strong moves.