Morden Chess Club

Coach Simone

Coach Simone is a soon to be seventh grader at the Salk School of Science. She is a certified club tournament director and was invited to represent the U.S.A. three times for the Chess World Cadets – a highly selective tournament for the best players of their age group across the world. She started playing chess at PS116 as early as Kindergarten. Later she joined PS33 (one of the top elementary schools for chess in the state) and continued to be featured in a documentary of the PS33’s girl’s chess team called Her Move Next.

Simone has participated in Her Move Next tournaments (based on the documentary to help promote girl’s in chess) and has coached there and watched over the games as a tournament director. She has experience leading chess teams as well as coaching the players in the tournaments. She started teaching her cousins, Mairead and Siobhan chess, before creating the Morden Chess Club program.

Simone’s other hobbies include cooking, martial arts, writing, and astronomy. She is a first degree black belt in Taekwondo and has competed in tournaments with her demo team. Simone loves to cook with her family, and is always trying to put as much creativity as she can in her cooking. She also likes to spend time outside, and stay active by playing soccer or baseball with her sisters. In her free time she enjoys writing creative stories and learning about space with her father.

Coach Rose

Coach Rose is a soon to be 6th grader in the Salk School of Science. She is also a certified tournament director. Rose has lots of experience working as a TD in Her Move Next tournaments along with her sisters. She started chess one year before Simone, in pre-k and is now both a good player and coach. Rose has even traveled to Canada with her family and won the title of Women Candidate Master. She also won the K-6 Championship with a perfect 6-0 score. She was invited to China to represent the U.S. with her sister Simone but it was unfortunately cancelled. Rose began her chess career at PS116. Later she joined PS33 with her sister, Simone, and both continued to grow as chess players and were featured in a documentary of the PS33’s girl’s chess team.

Rose has also participated in the Her Move Next tournaments as both a player, TD, and a coach. She enjoys both playing with her fellow team mates as well as coach them. Rose has the most experience being a TD and has dealt with a variety of situations. She started teaching her cousins, Mairead and Siobhan chess, before co-creating the Morden Chess Club program.

Rose not only is a women candidate master but its a first degree black belt in taekwondo. Rose’s hobbies include baking as well. She has a major sweet tooth along with the rest of the Morden family and likes baking cheesecakes, brownies, and cookies. She is also athletic and likes taking long bike rides with her family, playing soccer with Estelle, and basketball with Simone. Rose also likes doing arts and crafts with her sisters in her free time.

Coach Estelle

Coach Estelle, a rising junior at Brooklyn Technical High School pursuing a major in engineering, is a coach and club assistant TD for Her Move Next as well as the Morden Chess Club. She began her chess career in 2nd grade on PS 116’s nationally renown chess team. Estelle is currently on the Brooklyn Tech chess team where she helped the team on board 3 to place 4th at the 2018 Grade Nationals in the 9th Grade section.

Estelle has coached consecutive summers at ICN’s Manhattan chess camp. She especially enjoys coaching beginner chess students; Estelle’s students adore her because she really connects with them by making chess fun. Estelle has been a private tutor too, coaching chess to beginners throughout the academic year. She is part of an active chess family with both her sisters, Simone and Rose, regularly playing in competitive over-the-board tournaments together.

Estelle’s has other interests including soccer, music, and Taekwondo. She was the starting goalie for the Brooklyn Technical High School Girl’s JV Soccer 2019 NYC PSAL championship winning team. This was a historic first championship title for the Brooklyn Tech girl’s team. She also plays alto saxophone for her high school band and previously with her middle schools, that included Wagner SP and United Nations International School (UNIS). A martial arts instructor as well, Estelle is a 3rd degree black belt instructor in Taekwondo studying to become a 4th degree master.