CM Koosha Jaferian

My name is Koosha Jaferian, a 26-year-old FIDE Candidate Master and Canadian National Master. With a current FIDE rating of 2238 and a CFC rating of 2361 (CFC Peak 2507), I have a solid standing in the chess community. Originally from Iran, I now reside in Toronto, Canada.

I hold an MSc in Computer Science from the University of Toronto and have experience working as a Software Engineer at Intel Corporation. My passion for mathematics has been a significant part of my academic journey; I am a Bronze Medalist in the International Mathematics Competition (IMC) and the Iranian National Math Olympiad. Additionally, I achieved 3rd place out of over 184,000 participants in the Iranian Nationwide University Entrance exam.

My chess journey began at the age of 5. By 12, I had already won numerous national and provincial Youth Chess Championships, often competing against future Grandmasters. Although I focused more on my education in subsequent years, I reignited my passion for chess at the beginning of 2021.

In my free time, I enjoy playing Blitz and Bullet chess online, engaging in Ping Pong, and watching football (I’m a Chelsea fan).

From ages 7 to 12, I dedicated myself to chess, achieving significant success. I won the Fajr International Chess Tournament twice in the U10 age group, competing against top Iranian players and participants from Azerbaijan. I also secured 2nd place in the U8 Iranian Youth Chess Championship and competed in the Asian Youth Chess Championships, finishing 10th and 9th.

While in Iran, I participated in numerous top-level open tournaments and the Iranian Super League. I have played against all the top Iranian chess players, achieving wins or draws in at least one of the three time controls (Classical, Rapid, Blitz) against notable players such as Firouzja, Maghsoodloo, Tabatabaei, and Ghaem Maghami.

After moving to Canada, I won my first open tournament with a 4.5/5 score, outperforming a GM and an IM (www.chess.ca/en/ratings/t/?id=202109033&p=174318). I surpassed the 2200 rating mark and earned the CM title at the Sunway Sitges tournament, gaining 44 rating points with a 2350+ performance (chess-results.com/tnr577676.aspx?lan=1&art=9&fed=IRI&turdet=YES&flag=30&snr=159)

Some of my other notable performances include Canadian Transnational with 2384 FIDE Performance (chess-results.com/tnr777508.aspx?lan=1&art=9&fed=IRI&flag=30&snr=45) and Sunway Sitges Open 2023 with approximately 2500 Performance in the last 6 games (chess-results.com/tnr830639.aspx?lan=1&art=9&fed=IRI&turdet=YES&flag=30&snr=131)

In the past three years, I have defeated many strong titled players, including IMs and GMs, in Classical OTB games. Some of these games are annotated in this Lichess Study: lichess.org/study/EKTP3HnN

I have been teaching chess both online and in-person for 8 years. Since moving to Canada in 2021, I have coached over 20 students, ranging from absolute beginners to National Master level players. Nearly all of my students have significantly increased their ratings, with some attaining FIDE or national titles.

In addition to working with individual students, I have assisted several titled players with their opening preparation for tournaments and have played training games with them, followed by detailed game analysis.

Beyond private lessons, I have experience teaching group classes. I also create instructive chess content for my Twitch and YouTube channels, reaching a broader audience and sharing my passion for chess.

I have been streaming on Twitch for over two years at twitch.tv/mrkooshachess, amassing more than 3,000 followers. On my YouTube channel, I upload highlights from my streams along with instructive content. (www.youtube.com/@KooshaJaferian)

In addition to my own channel, I have made appearances on prominent YouTube channels such as GM Hikaru Nakamura and GM Daniel Naroditsky, where I played competitive and exciting games against them. Notably, I managed to draw GM Hikaru Nakamura. (Links to these videos can be found at the end of this page.)

Beyond chess, I have extensive teaching experience in other domains. I have been a Teaching Assistant for over 10 college courses and have helped many students succeed in the Iranian University Entrance Exam and the TOEFL test. I also actively teach computer programming, mathematics, and physics.

As a chess player, I excel in solid and positional play. My main skill lies in capitalizing on my opponents' small strategic mistakes and gradually converting them into a winning advantage. I am particularly proficient in the following openings:

With Black: Caro-Kann, 1...e5 against 1.e4, Nimzo/Queen's Indian, Semi-Tarrasch, and Symmetrical English.
With White: Complete repertoires starting with 1.e4, 1.d4, and 1.Nf3.

In addition to my playing skills, I have access to a wealth of new chess books, databases, and video courses, which I leverage to assist my students.

I am deeply passionate about my students' success and am committed to providing them with the best resources and support, both before and during their tournaments. My goal is to help each student reach their full potential and achieve their chess aspirations.

I strongly believe that identifying a student's main areas for improvement is crucial for their development in chess. To achieve this, I begin by analyzing my students' games to pinpoint recurring patterns in their mistakes. Once these areas are identified, I create a personalized improvement plan that covers all aspects of chess, including openings, tactics, positional understanding, and endgames, with a special focus on their specific weaknesses. (For an example of in-depth game analysis, see this study: lichess.org/study/2wqepeEL)

I use Zoom or Discord for communication during sessions and leverage Lichess studies to analyze lines and positions. After each session, I assign homework tailored to reinforce the concepts covered.

Additionally, I am readily available to answer my students' questions between sessions and provide support during their tournaments, ensuring continuous progress and development.