Greenville Coaches

Coach Christian Carver- Chess Rating 1,860-  All Levels)

Hi, my name is Christian. I started playing Chess at 8 years. My parents taught their children the rules of the game and then my Grandpa helped my two brothers and I go from beginner to intermediate. Since then I have played in multiple tournaments and avidly play the game today.

Coach Alexander Moreno- Chess Rating- 1,800 - (All Levels)

My name is Alexander Moreno, and I have been playing chess since I was

eleven years old. I became fascinated with chess when I checked out a book from my

school library that showed me the moves. I remember being especially intrigued by the

idea that you could get another queen by moving a pawn all the way to the eighth rank.

Soon after, I began playing with my father every day. When I started regularly beating

him, my parents entered me into my first scholastic chess tournament. I won first place,

and I was absolutely hooked. After playing for many years after my first tournament, I

have obtained a peak rating (so far!) of 1807. The highlight of my chess career has

been getting to be the high school representative for the state of South Carolina at the

Denker Tournament of High School Champions in 2018.

I have many years of experience with teaching chess, particularly with teaching

children. I have a love for the games of the great players from the past, and I want to

introduce these players and their games to the next generation. Not only will they grow

to appreciate more about chess history, but they will also grow stronger at the game

itself.  Please reach out if you are interested. I would love to work with your child!

Coach Daniel  Flatten- Chess Rating 1864- (All Levels)

I learned the basic rules of chess at a young age, but it wasn't until my parents bought me a small book about chess strategy that my love for chess really took hold. I read all the chess books at my local library and tried out what I learned on some of my friends, but I didn't get the chance to play in chess tournaments until I was out of high school. The chess opportunities available right now — clubs, coaching, online resources, and local scholastic tournaments — make it a great time to be a kid learning chess, and I'm happy to be a part of it. There's nothing like seeing a student's eyes light up when a chess concept "clicks" for the first time.

Coach Roger Johnson- Chess Rating-1,920 (All levels)

I was taught by my Dad when I was 7 or 8 years old on how to move the pieces. It wasn’t until in high school and college when I started to be a student of the game. The best part about teaching children in the Think Move Chess Academy is when I see the kids showing that they understand the lessons and start playing better games. 

My chess career spans over 40 years and my rating started out at 1300 and hit its peak at 2130. Have had some good results in a number of tournaments over the years. The best year was in 2022 when I finished tied for first place at the South Carolina State Championship and later that year finished clear first at the South Carolina Open. Here is a list of my best results over the years.

Tied for first at the 2022 South Carolina State Championship.

Won the 2022 South Carolina Open.

Tied for 2-4 place in the 2021 13th Annual SC Senior Open.

Won the 2014 Martin Luther King Classic Open Championship in Alabama.

Finished in 1st place class A at the 2010 Annual Queen of Hearts Open in Alabama.

Placed clear 2nd in the 1996 South Carolina State Championship.

Tied for first place in the 1989 Dallas, Texas City Chess Championship.

Finished in 1st place class B at the 1978 Southwest Open in Texas.

Finished in 1st place class C in the 1974 Southwest Open in Texas.

As you can see victories are hard to come by and there were a lot of won and lost games between each of them. Hope this gives you a better insight into Coach Roger’s experience with the game of chess.