Our Instructors

Aaron was born and raised in Nashville and has lived there most of his life. He graduated from Hume-Fogg High School in 2013 and Western Governor's University in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and a minor in Economics. Aaron spent the first 9 years of his career in management roles with The Sherwin-Williams Co. before joining the NCC as Assistant Director in 2023.

Aaron began playing chess in 2014 while in college. He was the 2016 Tennessee Amateur State Champion and tied for 1st in the u/1800 section at the World Open in 2018.

In his free time, Aaron enjoys spending time with his wife Madison and their kids Colbie & Beckham, watching the Titans and the Gators, and competing in chess.

Availability

Lessons available to adult learners and some scholastic players. Email for pricing.

Epiphany has been playing chess since she was four years old and is currently a USCF Expert and active tournament player. She began coaching at the Nashville Chess Center in 2013, and teaching has become one of the greatest joys of her life.

Her school teams have won the 2020 and 2025 Region III Primary Team Championships, and her private students have earned top finishes at events like the Nashville Scholastic & Girls City Championship and the Tennessee All-Girls Championship.

Epiphany grew up in Metro Detroit before moving to Nashville in 2012, and graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2020. In her free time she loves reading, playing piano, studying Japanese, and streaming chess on Twitch.

Find Epiphany Online

Twitch stream: twitch.tv/marichess

Hemi is a National Master from Nashville who fell in love with chess at age 6 and has been competing for 12 years. He earned his master title in 2024 and holds 8 Tennessee state championships and 10 Nashville City championships, while also serving as the Barber and Denker representative for middle school and high school.

Specialties

Middle game strategy, positional play, attacking chess, and tactical puzzles.

Best Student Match

Experienced tournament players who have clear rating goals and a strong desire to improve. The more motivated the student, the better the results.

Playing Highlights

• 8-Time TN State Scholastic Champion
• 10-Time Nashville City Scholastic Champion & 1-Time City Open Champion
• Nationals — 7th Place (Grade Nationals ×2, 4th & 5th Grade)
• Nationals — 4th Place (K-12, 9th Grade)
• Nationals — 2nd Place in Blitz (7th Grade)

Teaching Method

Hemi uses model games to illustrate attacking and positional patterns, then reinforces them with targeted exercises. He also plays training games against students, explaining his thought process move-by-move to help them understand the position from a master's perspective.

A retired Metro Schools violin teacher, Mr. Prosser has been coaching chess for over 30 years. Over that time he has helped countless students compete in local, regional, state, and national tournaments. He has also facilitated chess camps for the Nashville Chess Center, the Tennessee Chess Association, Nashville Community Education, MTSU, and Western Kentucky University.

Mr. Prosser is an active tournament coordinator and director at the local, state, and national level. For the past 20 years he has served as a volunteer on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Chess Association, serving as Middle Tennessee Scholastic Chess Coordinator and Secretary.

Born in Australia and raised in Nashville, Josh learned chess at age 5 and played his first tournament at 8. He became one of the most consistent scholastic players in Nashville's chess scene, winning the City Championship 5 years straight across junior high and high school. As Team Captain for Campbell Homeschool, his team won multiple State Championships and had many top-5 finishes at Nationals.

Outside of chess, Josh enjoys reading, piano, researching financial markets, and adventures.

A Nashville native, Matthew has been passionate about chess since age seven. He has placed in the top 10 twice at the Scholastic Tennessee State Championship and competed in the Nashville City Championship. Matthew has taught chess through the NCC at several Nashville schools and is working toward his National Master title by end of 2026.

Matthew is currently studying Electrical Engineering Technology at Nashville State (graduating May 2025). Outside of chess, he enjoys the gym, the Tennessee Titans, and has strong interests in business and finance.

Suneil is a dedicated chess coach and Vanderbilt University student. He began playing at 13 and because the game didn't come naturally to him at first, he had to build his understanding from the ground up — an experience that directly shapes how he teaches today.

His coaching emphasizes strong fundamentals, breaking down complex ideas into clear and simple concepts so students understand why moves work rather than just memorizing them. Lessons are structured around game analysis and practical decision-making.

Suneil works with scholastic players, adult learners, and groups. He particularly enjoys students who are motivated to improve and willing to think deeply about their games.

Sabrina is a competitive chess player from Nashville who has been passionate about the game since her first tournament at age 9. She has built a strong track record in local and state competition across multiple years.

Outside of chess, Sabrina loves reading, studying biology, listening to music, traveling, and playing the viola.

Note

Sabrina is currently offering online lessons only at $30/hour.

Coach Catlin has long been fascinated by the art and science of chess — especially how it parallels life through strategic planning and tactical execution. After graduating from Stratford High School, he joined the U.S. Army and gained extensive experience across a wide range of specialties during the post-9/11 global war on terrorism.

His military service taught him that "combat is a team sport" — understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each teammate is critical to achieving the mission. He brings that same mindset to chess coaching, with a focus on mentoring young minds and helping guide their futures through chess and character development.

Coach Catlin and his wife Kimberly have been married for 34 years. They are proud parents to Alexandra and Robert Jr., and are blessed with a grandson, Jonathan.

Kayla grew up in East Tennessee before moving to Nashville about 15 years ago. She and her two younger siblings (Luke and Rachel Weishaar) were homeschooled through high school and played chess competitively in tournaments for about five years, with Kayla reaching a peak USCF rating of 1650. She also helped run a homeschool chess club in Crossville, TN for several years.

Kayla currently plays chess for fun and especially enjoys teaching kids who are new to the game. Outside of chess, she enjoys ping pong and hiking. Kayla has an associate degree in business and works for Southeast Financial specializing in recreational lending.

Rory was born in Houston, Texas and moved to Nashville after graduate school. He began playing competitive chess in middle school and went on to play for the Duke University chess team, reaching the final four collegiate tournament twice. He earned his National Master title while studying statistical genetics at UCLA.

Rory began teaching chess in his junior year of high school and has recently resumed doing so through the NCC.

Availability

Private lessons available for students of all levels.