Instructors

Listed below are all of the current instructors.

Bill Nash 

Senior Tournament Director with the US Chess Federation, FIDE National Arbiter, and President of the Madison City Chess League. During his tenure as head Competition Chess Coach for Rainbow Elementary School for four years, Rainbow won three State chess championships in the K-6 Elementary section and in 2016 also won the State chess championship in the K-3 Primary section. In 2015, Rainbow Elementary won the National Chess Championship, for U-1000 K-6. Mr. Nash accepts private students by referral, through Ranae Bartlett, Executive Director of the MCCL. In 2016-17 school year, Mr. Nash will be the head coach for Bob Jones High School and Discovery Middle School. "I believe that chess has many benefits for our young people and our school systems. Chess helps our children to build confidence in their ability to solve problems. In addition, it helps them with discipline, focus, concentration, and developing critical thinking skills."

Bradley Denton 

FM Bradley Denton is the highest rated chess player in Alabama. We are pleased to welcome Bradley as coach for Discovery and Liberty Middle School chess teams in Madison City Schools.

Ed Mullin 

Ed began playing chess at the age of five. He played in a school sponsored chess club for two years while in the 4th and 5th grades. He remained a chess enthusiast through college. After retirement he returned to the study of chess theory and has played in over 250 ranked games online, and has begun to play competitive chess in USCF tournament events monthly. Ed graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1982. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Defense Artillery and served on active duty in the Army for over 26 years retiring as a Colonel in 2008. He graduated from Alabama with an MBA in 1993 and received a Masters in Strategic studies from Air University in 2003. Ed is a volunteer coach for Madison and West Madison elementary chess clubs and supports MCCL. He also is head coach of the All Star West Chess Club for 2nd and 3rd graders.

Joshua McClellan 

Joshua McClellan currently serves as assistant coach for the Bob Jones and James Clemens High School chess teams. Josh learned how to play chess shortly after graduating high school and broke the 2000 barrier around his 28th birthday. This refutes the notion that players have to pick up the pieces during childhood to become a decent tournament player. Notable achievements include privately coaching 1/2 members of the Discovery Middle School team who happened to bring home a state team championship in 2015. He has also won 3 Huntsville City Championships and 1 State Blitz championship. Private lessons are available at $40.00/hr. This can be negotiated, based on location and frequency of the lessons. He can be reached at josh@houseofstaunton.com.

Luis Morenilla 

Retired engineer (MSEE from Penn State), married, two children. MCCL welcomes Luis as chess coach. Luis stays busy trading stocks and tutoring students and adults in math and Spanish. His main hobbies are tennis, chess, and travel. "Chess has always been an important part of my life, and I believe it has helped me in my work as an engineer. I learned to play from my father, and I remember playing with my grandfather when I was five." Coach Luis will be head coach for Mill Creek Elementary in the 2016-17 school year. He is available for private coaching at a rate of $30 per hour. He can be reached at luismorenilla@yahoo.com.

Paul Mulqueen 

Ph.D. biochemistry, coaches the chess teams at James Clemens High school and Liberty Middle school. "I believe that we play chess for two reasons. One, it is a lifetime of fun. After a student has mastered the basics, approximate chess rating of 800, they have a competitive skill that will provide decades of enjoyment. Two, "Chess is Training for Life". Chess emphasizes creating a vision for what success looks like, creating a plan to bring that vision to reality, and executing that plan. Chess teaches the student how to execute their plans while dealing with external forces. As in life your opponent has plans of their own. Chess provides all the life lessons of competitive sports without the physical injuries." Paul is a Certified Local Tournament Director with the USCF. Coach Paul is available for private chess lessons. He charges $40 per hour and can be contacted at pmulqueen@exede.net.

Will Stevenson 

"I have been playing chess casually since I was about 17, but did not begin competing in tournaments until around 2006 (about age 26). I joined the Huntsville Chess Club around 2001, which gave me good training and a good place to test my skills against strong competition. Since entering competitive tournament play, I have been able to finish strongly and even win several tournaments. Among the victories have been two state championships, two Huntsville City Championships, a win in a Grand Prix tournament in Tennessee in 2010, and a victory in an individual game against Grandmaster Anatoly Lein at the Kings Island Open in 2009. I also have some experience as a personal chess instructor, having mentored several kids between the ages of 7 and 15. I am a general chess enthusiast and chess addict who enjoys playing with and teaching the game to people of all ages and levels." Will currently coaches at Rainbow Elementary. Coach Will is available for private chess lessons. He charges $40 per hour and can be contacted at will.t.stevenson@hotmail.com.