NM Erik Tkachenko

I am an extremely passionate lifelong chess player and instructor. I learned chess when I was just 7 years old and became a member of the Saint Louis Chess Club by the age of 8. During my childhood, I found myself immersed in the game, spending hours each week at lectures, private lessons, or tournaments. These experiences not only shaped me as a chess player but shaped the person I am today.

As a kid, I trained with several Grandmaster coaches, including GM Babakuli Annakov, GM Ben Finegold, and GM Predrag Trajkovic. However, between the ratings of 1800–2200, I have been completely self-taught. My former coaches gave me the basic concepts and tools I needed to grow, but what I really needed to improve was to conquer my own drive and discipline.

I recently graduated from Emory University with a Computer Science degree, and now I am excited to dedicate more of my time to playing, studying, and teaching chess.

Tactical, aggressive, uncompromising play, with a focus on practical understanding of moves and ideas.

Passionate players who are serious about improving — young players or adults. I am confident that anyone with the motivation to learn will greatly improve their chess understanding through working with me.
Accepting students of all levels from advanced beginner to Class A players (1000–1950 USCF).

I have about 14 years of tournament experience both as a junior and an adult. As one of the strongest junior players in Missouri, I won the Missouri Scholastic State Chess Championships three times. While focusing on college, I achieved the USCF National Master title in 2024. Alongside continuing to pursue classical chess, I have also scored significant upset wins against strong players online in Chess.com’s weekly Titled Tuesday tournament, including a win against the former World Champion GM Vladimir Kramnik.

Because chess is played by humans, pressure is inevitable and players will make mistakes. My goal is to help students capitalize on these opportunities by sharpening both their attacking instincts and psychological resilience. While it is true that tactics decide most chess games, I also emphasize important positional concepts and decision-making techniques.