NM Marcus Chan – Chess Coach Malaysia

When did you start to become a chess coach?
I started coaching during my second working year in Penang. My first customers were two teenage boys from Chung Ling High School. I knew them through tournaments in KL. When I came to Penang, I offered chess coaching to both boys. It started off as a mini project with two hours per week coaching. My goal then was to make them Penang champions. When one of the boys, Gavin became Under 18 champion back in 2009, I began to take my coaching to the next level.

What is your mission being a chess coach?
It is simply training my students to beat me in chess. If I can get 5-10 students to beat me then they make a very strong Penang team and I can confidently put them into every tournament category.

Do you see yourself as a national level coach in the near future?

Yes. From the day I started chess coaching and as I went along in it, I have set up goals that I want to achieve. Up till today, I have a number of Penang champions in almost every category. I also have MSSM champions, and winning teams. My current goal is to train up more champions, champions that can win against me.

What have you gained from chess coaching? What kept you going?
I have always believed that we learn better when we teach others. Whenever I teach a topic that I truly understand my understanding of it deepens. The thing that kept me going in chess coaching is the love of seeing my students’ and their parents’ joy when they win championships. The happiness and satisfaction written on their faces is just priceless to see. Championship titles are precious but definitely cannot be bought with money. So, witnessing their hard-work and determination turn to fruition is enough to keep me going.

What is your proudest moment so far being a coach?
I would say that the proudest moment was this year 2013 MSSM which was held in Taiping, Malaysia. This was our biggest win so far. Most of our students who joined the team category won either the first prize (gold medal) or the second prize (silver medal). It is very satisfactory to know that all my hard work and contributions pay off. This elation keeps me motivated to continue developing team Penang.

For MSSM wins, do you get any recognition from the government? 
I do not, but my students do! MSSM is a national level school sports event. Students who win will not only get medals. Most importantly their achievements and participations bring them extra co-curricular points. For being a champion, they will get the maximum points! These are important points in their future higher education pursuits.

Were there other Penang players as well for MSSM 2013?
Yes, there were other players as well. 4 players make a team. In some teams, 2-3 of them were my students. While in other teams, there was just one of my students. Majority of my students have won medals.

How would you describe your coaching methods?
I like to use fun element in my coaching, because if my students were to just study chess books it would be pretty dry and boring. I will quote some real life examples or stories for them to relate to and remember better. Most importantly, my students will understand the concepts of chess and be able to apply them during their games and tournaments. During my coaching sessions, I will replicate tournament atmospheres so that they can adapt better during real tournaments. My focus is to get them mentally prepared to face the challenging moments during tournaments. During tournaments, especially when scores of audience are watching, it is utterly important to be calm. I will teach them how to appropriately act and react to their opponent because even body and facial expressions help in laying game traps and may even give away the game! Another significant matter to learn is time management. For example, when there is 3 minutes left on the clock, it is crucial to be composed in handling the mounting pressure.

What is your motto?
My motto is for every of my lessons to have fun elements. My goal is not only to see my students learn, but for them to enjoy each lesson and wanting to be back for more. On top of that, each lesson will offer something new which they can take back and ponder. Not to mention that it is my intention for every student to improve from each lesson. If I can make them improve say 1% per lesson, then we can do wonders if we have 1 yr of coaching.