Jersey Chess

When our 9 year old son M. met Marty for chess instruction, he was an intelligent 7 year old kid with an ADHD diagnosis, and it was really frustrating to see his learning opportunities so often squandered, because he was so easily distracted and because any focus he could muster was so fleeting. He was ricochet rabbit, yet chess is the calmest, most intellectually intense pursuit M. has taken up thus far. So I am still a little shocked that Marty has made a legitimate chess player out of him. Indeed, Marty was his first instructor in ANY subject to make a real breakthrough for M. (over the course of private and group lessons, which we scheduled sporadically over a couple of years with Marty, when our schedules allowed). While I wanted to sternly conference with M. after every session, in order to point out and correct his every misstep, Martys plan was longer term, and wiser. Hes a kid, let him have fun! he would growl at me, giving me an incredulous look when I suggested I might cancel dessert as a consequence. And under Martys easy-going but firm-when-needed-tutelage, Marty built M.s fundamental chess skills bit by bit while keeping him interested in coming back for the next session. Marty definitely has a way to keep the kids engaged, and challenges them at the right pace. When I felt that M.s chess skills could now be checked off as adequate for any educated person (at 8 years he could handily defeat the average rusty adult), I suggested to M. that he might want to drop further instruction (he was scrimmaging weekly with Martys other kids). As a basically lazy kid, we were sure he would choose to drop it even though he had developed into an attentive student. His mother and I were flabbergasted when he instead asked that we sign him up for another round of group sessions.

Whether teaching a kid - either earnest grandmaster material or just a flippant, suburban brat - or an adult, Marty has our heartfelt endorsement - he has just the right touch to teach this ancient game that he also clearly loves.