Reece Thompson

$70/hour

estimated price

Zip code

Student age

Responds within a day

Introduction: I've been a chess coach for over 10 years in an afterschool/summer camp program in Atlanta called Kidchess which teaches children chess while keeping it fun and entertaining. I'm one of the highest rated chess players in the state of Georgia. I'm passionate about teaching chess. I love helping beginners and love seeing them improve at the game. Experience: Two time Georgia Highschool State Champion. Official "Candidate Chess Master". Won a $56,000 chess scholarship to Webster University. Georgia Tech Graduate, B.S in Business Administration concentration in Finance.

Overview

Hired 15 times

Serves Marietta, GA

Background checked

12 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via PayPal and Venmo.

Featured Projects

8 photos

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and responsiveness.

Exceptional 5.0

9 reviews

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Read reviews that mention:

Justin L.

1 month ago

Reece is an amazing chess coach. I used to play a lot more chess games online, but would struggle to improve my rating. It's honestly been somewhat surreal and magical - just from taking weekly lessons with Reece, I've been able to improve my rating from ~1400 to ~1800 in just a handful of months, playing the same amount of casual chess that I've always played on Chess.com. For most lessons, Reece typically walks me through recent games I've played online and talks me through areas of improvement and certain positions of what I should be thinking about. I've always used the Chess.com game review and paid for a membership there to review all my games, but learning from a computer is a lot harder at my level since the computer seems to think that all my dubious moves are still playable since Stockfish finds ways to play every position. I pretty much only learned to blunder less (although I still do), but I didn't understand which positions were better or worse, and more importantly, why they were better or worse. Working with Reece every week to walk through my chess games and ask him questions about what he thinks about in certain positions has helped improve my chess dramatically. Outside of chess, Reece is just an awesome nice guy who I look forward to catching up with every week. I'd highly recommend him to anyone who is looking to get better at chess!

Adam S.

Aug 23, 2023

Reece worked as a chess tutor with my son, who was 8 when they started, for around 1.5 years. They worked primarily in an in-person setting, but also a handful of times in a virtual setting. Our experience was really great. I think Reece has the right stuff when it comes to interacting with kids and making lessons interesting and fun every week. He always showed up prepared, and my son was always excited to spend some time with him each week. He both improved a lot as a player and really enjoyed the lessons. We also had our younger son, who was basically a total beginner, do a few lessons as well, and he also had a great time and improved. We were lucky to find Reece, and we'd recommend him to anyone who has a kid who wants to improve at chess!

Cheryll C.

Apr 14, 2023

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Hired on Thumbtack

My young son just started working with Reece recently, so I’ll have to update our review in the future as we progress, but, so far, Reece is very knowledgeable in his craft. It is one thing to be great at chess, but another to be able to be able to teach it to young children while being interesting and engaging. Reece is very responsive, professional and timely. My son is learning a lot and having fun. We are more than happy with the service Reece provides!

Details: 10 - 13 years old • Beginner • I don't have an Elo rating • Once a week • 60 minutes • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)

Chess Lessons

Jessika G.

Aug 8, 2023

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Hired on Thumbtack

Reece was awesome. He made learning chess accessible, even as an adult. Would highly recommend!

Details: 26 - 44 years old • No experience • I don't have an Elo rating • Once a week • 60 minutes • At the pro’s location • My home, venue, etc.

Chess Lessons

Kevin T.

Mar 15, 2024

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Hired on Thumbtack

Our first coaching session was a success. Reece was very responsive throughout the whole process.

Details: 6 - 9 years old • Intermediate • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet) • At the pro’s location

Chess Lessons

Credentials

Background Check

Reece Thompson

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I charge a price per session and almost all of my students do weekly lessons. I recommend this as it holds the student accountable and most of my weekly students see much faster improvement. I charge a travel fee for in-person sessions. Typically in-person lessons are minimum $110/session. Prices vary depending on distance.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I play my students or view their games to get a better sense of their knowledge and understanding. I then create an individualized plan for the student to follow.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have taught chess for over 10+ years in an afterschool and summer camp program called "Kidchess". The program is designed to make chess educational, fun, and exciting. I've also played over 225 competitive chess tournaments. I'm a candidate master ranked player and one of the highest ranked chess players in Georgia.