IM Emil Tihomirov Stefanov

Originally from Bulgaria, in 2018 I came to the US to study Economics at the University of Texas at Dallas. I was also on the UTD Collegiate chess team and competed at many national tournaments. I graduated in 2022 with a B.S. in Economics and a minor in Psychology. I am currently fully submerged into teaching people the joy of chess!

I have been playing chess professionally for more than a decade. I am a 5-time Chess Youth National Champion of Bulgaria. My 3 best games so far in my life have been all against Grandmasters! My best result against a higher-rated player is a draw against GM Abhimanyu Mishra, which happened at the 2024 US Masters. My other two best games so far were both victories with the black pieces against GM Hedinn Steingrimsson and one of my favorite chess people - GM and Coach Julio Sadorra

I have been helping people grow in their chess journey for the last 3 years.

I will help you become a better positional chess player!

I prefer to teach concepts rather than to focus on memorization.

One of my most favorite quotes that I try to live by and apply to my chess teaching is "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime"