About Dalton

I started playing competitive chess at 10 years old in central Florida, cutting my teeth at the Orlando Chess and Games Center and the Central Florida Chess Club. The game captivated me immediately, and I spent years studying, competing, and improving, eventually earning the USCF National Master title in 2011 and the FIDE Master title in 2014.

I began coaching chess professionally at 21 years old and have been working with students full-time online since March 2014. That's over 12 years of helping players at every level improve their game. Hundreds of students have taken thousands of lessons with me, and many have gone on to win tournaments and gain hundreds of rating points. One student even won $10,000 at the Millionaire Chess Open.

My highest USCF rating is 2362 and my highest FIDE rating is 2374. I've defeated multiple Grandmasters over the board and have over 23 years of competitive tournament experience. In 2025, I won the Ohio State Championship. I'm also a Chessable author with multiple published courses, and I was shortlisted for Chessable's Best Author Support award in 2023.

At the start of 2020, I decided to double down on my playing career and actively pursue the International Master title. That journey, along with practical lessons, psychological insights, and strategies, is something I share regularly through my Substack newsletter, Chess Chatter , and my YouTube channel .

As a player, I'm known as a specialist in the Reti Nimzo Larsen Attack, the Benko Gambit, and the French Defense and have made Chessable courses on these openings. As a coach, I'm known for deeply personalized lessons that meet each student exactly where they are. Outside of chess, I enjoy traveling, listening to music, rock climbing, and playing sports.