Meet the Team
Gabriel Barr
CO-FOUNDER
My chess story: My mum bought me a chess set at 5, my dad taught me the rules, and my local club did the rest. Over 25 years of chessing on, I’m doing more coaching than playing but still reckon I’ve got a shot at Grandmaster (the kids disagree).
A chess moment I’ll never forget: Giving chess lessons to comedian Phil Wang. Turns out it’s possible to make chess even more fun!
Off the board: I can be found on 5-a-side pitches across South London.
Sam Walker
CO-FOUNDER, NATIONAL MASTERMy chess story: From learning the moves from Mum and Dad, to trying to play the best moves I could in World Junior Olympiads... chess has played a huge role in my life! I love trying to bring this joy to others.
A chess moment I’ll never forget: Being British U14 Chess Champion way back in 2008 — and I have no shame in bringing it up in conversation.
Off the board: Anything history — from reading historical fiction to listening to a podcast on a long walk.
Rishab Shah
COACH, CANDIDATE MASTER My chess story: My sister once came home with a trophy from a chess tournament, and I was so inspired that I decided to start playing too! Little did I know where that first step would take me.
A chess moment I’ll never forget: Winning the National Team Championships in India in 2015. It was a fantastic feeling to win at national level as part of a team.
Off the board: I love exploring coffee shops and overdosing on pizza.
Joaquin Paiva
COACH, ECF: 2240Joaquín has been playing competitive chess for 14 years, having started as a child in Peru. Over his career he has won district, regional and national titles, and he finished 15th at a South American Championship. He has also reached the podium many times at international FIDE-rated tournaments in Peru, with first, second, third and fourth place finishes.
He currently holds an ECF rating of 2240 and is rated around 2000 in blitz. Although he no longer competes as often as he used to, his years of tournament experience give him a deep understanding of the game.
Gesneria Cepoi
Coach, ECF: 1800My chess story: I started playing competitive chess at 8 years old, but took a break when I moved from Romania to England. I restarted playing competitively at 15, and since then I’ve had the opportunity to meet players from all walks of life. Chess has introduced me to a wonderful community!
A chess moment I’ll never forget: Helping my team win the U2000 section at the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship 2025.
Off the board: I’m still at uni, studying Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience.
Aarav Gupta
COACH, ECF: 2200My chess story: I learned the rules from my grandma when I was six, became truly hooked at school, and qualified for the England Junior squad when I was ten. As an adult I’ve been a member of chess clubs in Cambridge, Oxford, Montreal, and now back home in Battersea.
A chess moment I’ll never forget: Representing England at the World Youth Chess Championships in Vung Tàu, Vietnam. I still can’t believe chess took me to the other side of the world!
Off the board: I have a PhD in philosophy, and enjoy cooking vegan food and watching French films.
Dara Pirouznia
COACH, BLITZ: 2000
Nick Clanchy
JUNIOR COACH, ECF: 1600Archi Agrawal
Daniel Simons
COACH, BLITZ: 1800My chess story: This only really started when the pandemic hit, and my dad started challenging me to near-daily games. Determined to beat him, I got hooked, and over the years that obsession with online chess grew. It followed me to KCL, where I still play at the weekly chess club as a dental student.
A chess moment I'll never forget: a spontaneous South Bank trip turned into an outdoor chess tournament, where I won 7 blitz games in a row against strong locals. I can still picture some of the sacrifices!
Off the board: I can usually be found at the gym or on a tennis court, enjoying sports with my family and friends.
Aarav is an aspiring coach and a member of the National Chess Junior Squad (under 16). He has a real passion for mentoring young players and helping them develop confidence, patience and enjoyment of the game.
My chess story: My love of chess started in primary school, thanks to an inspiring headteacher, and has never gone away. I now run my own chess club (Peckham Chess Club) and teach chess in prisons, schools, and with refugees.
A chess moment I'll never forget: My first loss while teaching at Brixton Prison. Picture the scene: a blunder, the prisoners ecstatic, me gutted, and my reputation in tatters.
Off the board: I have a PhD in philosophy, write poetry, read as much as I can, and am a keen bike tourer.
My chess story: My dad taught me how to play when I was 5, then I went on to playing international tournaments in my teens and eventually stopping because of covid and uni. Rediscovered my love for chess in London — and now I’m here!
A chess moment I’ll never forget: People being scared of playing me as a child because I was “too strong to be unrated” at the time.
Off the board: You can find me reading a book or enjoying a riverside walk.
COACH, ECF: 1800Ambassadors
Marcus Harvey
INTERNATIONAL MASTER
One of the UK's top 20 players and an International Master closing in on the Grandmaster title, with a GM norm and the 2500 rating already in hand, all while working full-time as a data scientist within Digital Advertising.
Marcus was runner-up at the 2021 British Championships, English Online Blitz Champion in 2020, and a three-time British Junior Champion (U14, U15 and U18). In over 23 years of competitive play he's represented England across international tournaments and European championships, and recently held Magnus Carlsen to a draw in Titled Tuesday. He is largely self-taught.
Stephen Moss
Stephen has been playing chess since he was 11, albeit with more enthusiasm than success. He took a long break from the game after university, where he seems to recall beating John Nunn in a simul (in very poor light), but came back in his forties and started playing "serious" club chess.
He is captain of Kingston Chess Club, helps to run the CSC/Kingston team in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL), and is the author of The Rookie: An Odyssey through Chess (and Life), which chronicles his efforts, largely fruitless, to become a better chess player.
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