The Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Koetsier

Senior Coach and Founding Member of Chesslife

David has been a chess coach for over 30 years. Born and raised in the Netherlands, he started playing chess as an 8 year old and immediately fell in love with the game. He found his passion in teaching others the skills of the game while he was still competing in tournaments around the world. David is passionate about the many benefits chess can provide to students – helping them increase their forward, creative and logical thinking, developing their mathematical skills and providing a tool to communicate in autistic students. Since moving to Australia, he established Chess Life Academy and works as a Certified Senior Junior Chess Coach. David is also a registered FIDE instructor and past President of the Morialta Rotary club. David represented Australia at the 2016 World Youth and the 2019 U16 World Olympiad as the Australian Coach. David is well known for his lively delivery, wide chess knowledge and incredible enthusiasm. 

 

Sab

 

 

 

 

Sabrina Koetsier

Operational manager

Sabrina was taught how to play chess by her father as a child. She is now an assistant chess coach who helps beginners with the basics of the game and encourages parents to teach the skills to their children. She helps organise and run local Chess Life Academy tournaments and activities.  Her main role lies in liaising with schools, parents and students regarding upcoming events and classes. She also maintains the website, social media and newsletter, ensuring everyone is updated on the achievements and upcoming events.

 

Harmeet Devariya

Chess Coach

Harmeet is a passionate chess enthusiast whose journey with chess began at the age of 5 when his father introduced him with this game. What started as a simple hobby quickly turned into a deep-rooted love for chess, as he recognized the profound impact it could have on one’s life. With the support of his parents, both teachers themselves, he was encouraged to explore chess further and develop his understanding of the game. When Harmeet came to SA, he met David through ChessLife, an organization that provided him with the opportunity to combine his two passions: chess and teaching. Under David’s guidance, he not only sharpened his chess skills but also learned invaluable techniques and strategies for teaching and understanding students. Embracing his role as a chess coach at ChessLife, Harmeet feels privileged to share his knowledge and passion with students. He wants to grow and foster the chess culture wherever he goes.

Max Pritchard

Chess Coach

Max was taught chess at 6 by his Dad, falling in love with the game’s strategic nuances. Going to a local primary school, chess remained a hobby to play with friends and online until 2021, where he was encouraged to play in tournaments, meeting David and joining Chess Life Academy. His interest in chess then exponentially grew, coming back in 2022 to win the SA Junior State Championships. Since then, he has played interstate and won some tournaments in SA. Max believes chess is a great way to meet similarly-minded people and train yourself to think critically, a great skill to have throughout life. Max wants to help others achieve their goals and improve their skills, playing the game he’s loved since childhood.

Nikola Britvic 

Chess Coach

Nikola first came into contact with the game of chess around the age of 10. Whilst Nikola enjoyed his brief stint with chess as a junior, it wouldn’t be until 2020 when Nikola properly delved into the world of chess. Since then his love for chess has skyrocketed and he has dedicated countless hours to improve as a player. Nikola is also a co-ordinator at the University of Adelaide Chess Club and he loves teaching chess to others. He believes chess is a fantastic mechanism for improving memory, concentration and problem solving skills.

 

 

Mitchell Parrington

Chess Coach

Mitchell has been playing chess recreationally since a young age. He enjoys the nuance of the game, where a small set of seemingly simple rules unveils vast and complex gameplay and strategies. Helping to teach children the fundamentals of the game and enhance their problem-solving skills excites him, as he knows this is paramount to future success.

 

 

 

 

Sree Hilangkovan

Chess Coach

Sree has been playing chess since he was 8 and was quickly interested in the game. He started playing for the Campbelltown chess club the next year and later moved on to play for the East Marden Chess team for three years in a row. He also had a chance to represent South Australia in the National School Chess competition in Year 7. He is now in Glenunga playing for their school chess team.He has participated in several tournaments over the past few years and enjoys teaching chess to others.

 

Yutian Yu

Junior Chess Coach

 

 

 

 

 

Chess Coach Wanted!

Do you enjoy a game of chess? Would you like to teach others? Chess Life Academy is looking for an enthusiastic coach to join the team. Never taught before? No problem – full training provided. Send your resume and cover letter stating your experience and availability to chesslife@bigpond.com

Contact us

Phone: 0424 593 737

Email: chesslife@bigpond.com

ABN: 32495878027