Fide Master (FM) with 10+ years of experience teaching chess to kids and adults!

Find out more about Sergio

• When did you start practicing? How did this passion find you?

  I started playing chess when I was 4 years old. My parents signed me up for many sports including football and music, but when I started playing chess, I had so much fun, I knew it was my sport. There is something special and magical when you win your first game. I have always been very competitive so I joined my local club and wanted to learn more and be stronger.

• Which artists or works affect you the most?

  When I was barely 15 years old, I was quite skilled for my age and I had the opportunity to play against Magnus Carlsen in an event organised in my home town, Madrid. Ever since, I have followed him closely and I am fascinated by his way of playing this sport. By using modern computers and a more practical approach, not relying in theory, his style has revolutionised the sport. Apart from him I really admire Garry Kasparov, known as the Ogre of Bakú, with a very aggressive but complete way of playing. He has always played very interesting and dynamic games.

• What are the qualities and skill required to succeed in this area?

  I believe that part of the success in being a good chess player comes from talent. That inherent ability of understanding chess positions and playing at a high level. However, I think that hard work and dedication in chess is more important. I have seen so many cases during my chess career, where the lack of work has trunkated a brilliant potential. From the scientific point of view, as I am a scientist, there is a relationship between logical thinking, mathematics, music and chess. Being creative, for example as an artist, can also contribute to introducing new ideas to your position.

• What is the most valuable advice you can give to help someone stay focused on creative projects?

  I think that there are two different aspects to that question when it comes to play chess, to concentrate and to be creative. My most valuable advice to maintain the concentration in chess is to go position by position. Think of every position after you and your opponent move as an entirely different position. By doing this you can concentrate, play your move and then relax to have rest. For being creative in a chess game, I think my most valuable advice would be to think out of the box. Start calculating the most obvious combination of moves and then when that's done, think of less possible sacrifices and ways of coordinating your pieces.

• How would you describe your passion; how does it make you feel?

  First of all I would say that chess is a difficult sport. There are many things that can go wrong, even after they go well. All the advantage that you gather during the opening or middle game could evaporate or worse in the endgame. But underneath that tough and difficult skin, chess is a really beautiful sport. With almost endless possibilities of being played, every time I see a game I learn something new, I understand better a position I couldn't before. And me personally, I find that difficulty of chess as an added bonus a challenge to compete, progress and do better.

• What creative achievements are you particularly proud of?

  I have two proudest moments when playing chess. The first one would be winning my first chess championship in Madrid, when I was 14 years old. That moment made completed my transformation from an amateur player to a serious competition player, being able to play internationally recognised tournaments and represent my town. I have already mentioned my second proudest moment, playing against Magnus Carlsen (the current world chess champion). After preparing thst game for a long time I was able to make a draw, still objectively, my best result to date.

• Have you ever been surprised by a student; by their ability or quick progression?

  I always get surprised by the students. I get amazed about how quickly they learn and enjoy playing chess. In particular I have had 3 students that were very talented and with just a few classes they got to a level, other players take months to get to. I firmly believe that with the right study plan, dedication and a good guidance, anybody could get much better at playing, and enjoy chess even more.

• Being a Superprof is an art! What is your secret?

  I think my secret may be related to my personality. I am very passionate about everything I care for, in particular science and chess. When I am in a chess class, I try to transmit my passion and enthusiasm to my students. I want to show them the beauty of chess and how knowing more and improving would change their way of enjoying the sport. With my long experience in teaching both science and chess, more than 10 years, I believe I can provide personalised classes to my students and extract all the potential they got inside them. I am very methodic and I always try to rationalise the mistakes, learn from them and try to avoid them in the future. With my vast experience in competing in tournaments all over the world I have a global perspective about how chess is perceived and played, and I think that is also attractive to the students.