Hi, I’m Jeffrey Xu. I’m a National Master of Canada (since 2018), and dental student. My ratings are ~2120 FIDE, ~2280 Canadian, ~2250 Australian, and ~2500 chess.com.

My passion for chess started when I was six. Like many kids, I enrolled in chess lessons to beat my grandpa, but then I got a little carried away. Everyone says I spend too much time on the game, and they’re 100% right. I’ve met a lot of good people and friends, and chess is a very fun game.

I’m not someone who believes that chess is a serious sport. You need muscle for that claim (if I ever give you gym advice, do the opposite). Instead, chess is something you’re meant to enjoy with the community and hopefully develop some logic and calculation skills.

Chess has also let me see a lot. I’ve traveled to many countries for international tournaments. I’ve played some pretty well-known opponents: Hikaru Nakamura, GothamChess, BotezLive, and more. I’ve also been acquainted with the infamous Hans Niemann Moke - Magnus Carlsen’s #1 enemy nowadays. I know him as the kid who randomly challenged my friend and I to a ping pong match at the 2015 World Youths in Greece. We stayed in contact after. It’s already been 11 years, but those are unforgettable memories I made from chess.

2014 Canadian Chess Challenge in Manitoba. I’m back row, far left. I was part of the winning Team Ontario, can you recognize who my teammate on the right is? (hint: famous fish).

What I’m up to now

As I get older, weaker and mentally slower, I’ve transitioned from competitions to teaching. I’ve coached a few hundred students over the last 10 years cumulatively.

I’m currently studying dentistry at the University of Sydney, Australia. On the side, I’m contracted to teach chess at a lot of schools across Sydney’s West and Inner West. When I wait in the afterschool assembly area for the students to sort themselves, I often find that the chess kids ends up being the largest group. It wasn’t always like that. The support I’ve received from parents, staff, kids, and competitive players has been awesome. I’m proud to be a member of the Toronto and Sydney chess communities.

It’s more than just a game, it’s our DNA.

I created this website to serve as a career-oriented repository. If you’re a parent with a kid who loves chess, contact me for chess classes @ jeffreyxu2345@gmail.com. I’m also qualified to tutor Essay Writing and Biology for elementary and high school students (I took AP Lang, AP Lit, AP biology, AP chemistry, and have gone through the USA common app process myself).