Our Team
Expert coaches who love teaching kids
20+ coaches from diverse backgrounds, all experienced in working with children from beginners to advanced competitors.
Meet the Team
The people behind Happy Pawn
Each coach brings their own style, but we all share one goal: making chess joyful and enriching for every student.
Lichess
FIDE
Paul (FM Poompong) Wiwatanadate
FIDE Master · Chess Coach
Thai 🇹🇭 · English 🇬🇧 · Laotian 🇱🇦
Chess achievements: • Awarded the FIDE Master (FM) title in 2014 • Thailand Junior Champions 2006–2008 & 2010 • Thailand Team Champions 2009 & 2015 • Gold medalist Thailand University Games 2011, 2015 & 2017 • Thailand Bughouse Champion 2020 • Drew with GM Nigel Short and GM Jan Gustafsson Training achievements: • Trained the national junior team for World Youth 2010 • Trained several World Chess Olympiad representatives 2012–2018 • Team captain of the Asian Online Nations Cup 2020
Palm Buranasing
Chess Coach
Thai 🇹🇭 · English 🇬🇧
A Thai chess teacher who teaches in both Thai and English. Member of the Siam Dragon chess team. • Champion, KMITL Board Game Championship 2017 • 2nd Runner-up, RMUTT Games (Thailand University Game 45th) • 1st Runner-Up Double Bishop October Rapid 2019 (Open) • 1st Runner-Up Big Rook – Back to Chess 2020 (U1600)
Arran McKendrick
Chess & Coding Coach
English 🇬🇧
Arran is a qualified English teacher from the UK with experience teaching in England, South Korea and Thailand. As a self-taught chess player and game developer, he understands how to build an effective improvement plan in a fun, engaging way.
Chess.com
Win Nicrothanon
Chess Coach
Thai 🇹🇭 · English 🇬🇧
Win is a Data Scientist and Thai part-time chess teacher, capable of teaching in both English and Thai. • Silver medalist Thailand University Games 2017 & 2018 • Bronze medalist Thailand University Games 2016 • Silver medalist Thammasat Freshy Games 2015 (Chess)
Kong Janset
Chess Coach
Thai 🇹🇭 · English 🇬🇧
Kong is one of Thailand's most decorated university chess players, having represented the national junior team on multiple occasions and earned gold medals at the Thailand University Games. He brings a competitive mindset to his coaching while keeping lessons approachable and encouraging for all levels. Chess achievements: • Gold medalist Thailand University Games 2019, 2020 & 2023 • MVP Thailand University Games 2019 • Bronze medalist 17th Asean+ Age Group Championships 2016 (Rapid & Blitz) • Thailand National Junior Chess Team 2007, 2009 & 2016 • Certificate in 1st Thailand Coaching Seminar by Thailand Chess Association
Amm Meesomsakdi
Chess Coach
Thai 🇹🇭 · English 🇬🇧 · Mandarin 🇨🇳
Amm is a teacher with a Thai teaching license specializing in Early Childhood Education. She started playing chess in 2016 and has been active in social chess events.
Tao Srisawang
Chess Coach & Journalist
Thai 🇹🇭 · English 🇬🇧
Network and security engineer who teaches chess part-time. He is also a chess journalist and organizer promoting chess in Thailand. Competed as a national player in the 1st Ly Hout Chess Championship 2022. Also an active 1-dan go player.
O
Chess Coach
Thai 🇹🇭 · English 🇬🇧
O is a teacher who plays chess for fun and wants bright young kids to enjoy chess too! • 2nd Runner-up Thailand 48th University Games (solo) • 2nd Runner-up Thailand 50th University Games (2-player)
Paul Batchis
Chess & Coding Coach
English 🇬🇧
Paul looks at each student individually and teaches according to their personal needs, emphasising practical exercises. His goals for students are to become strong chess players and learn how to analyze their own games independently.
Bank
Chess Coach
Thai 🇹🇭 · English 🇬🇧
T.Bank is a warm-hearted and highly experienced chess tutor. His method focuses on making the chess journey enjoyable and memorable, where motivation and fun experiences drive performance.
Muri
Chess Coach
Portuguese 🇧🇷 · English 🇬🇧
Muri is a Brazilian chess enthusiast who first picked up the pieces and never put them down. His lessons are about having fun, embracing mistakes, and turning them into learning moments — curiosity and creativity over computer perfection.
Avy
Chess Coach
Thai 🇹🇭 · English 🇬🇧
Avy is a passionate teacher who crafts tailor-made content for each of her students.
Ryan Dungca
Chess Coach
Filipino 🇵🇭 · English 🇬🇧
Ryan is a 2200 FIDE-rated National Instructor with teaching experience across multiple countries. • Champion, Professional Chess Association of the Philippines All Filipino Cup 2024 • Champion, Asian Indoor Games 2009 • Champion, Thailand Chess Team Championship 2017 • Champion, Bangkok Chess Club Championship 2014 • Champion, Tal Memorial Open, Los Angeles 2015
Jacob Hirata
Chess Coach
English 🇬🇧 · Thai 🇹🇭
From Maui, Hawaii. Jacob is a professional skateboarder with a lifelong passion for chess, drawn to the masters of the past and the era of romantic chess. An experienced educator working with kids since 2019 through outdoor education, skateboarding, and chess.