Meet Our Staff

Daniel (USCF 2029) has been playing chess for as long as he can remember and achieved the title of Expert in 2009. After working for Silver Knights as a teacher for a year near Philadelphia, Daniel moved to Northern Virginia in the summer of 2009 to be the Program Director for the new branch of the company. He has overseen Silver Knights' growth from from 10 locations and 200 students to more than 350 schools and 15,000+ students each year, plus the Academy program serving students from all of the world! He's taught a few state and national champions, a bunch of players in the top 100 in the country for their age group, and thousands of kids who love playing chess! He lives in Annandale, Virginia, with his wife, children, and 23 toed cat.

 Favorite opening: Daniel has an eternal unquenchable love for the Smith-Morra Gambit. He'll always say he's quit it, and it's always a lie. 

Deb started as a chess parent when her oldest daughter took chess at school with Silver Knights years ago! First working for a sister company to help manage after school programs for a few years, Deb joined the Academy as the Program Director of in-person programs at the start of 2022 . She's still a chess parent and loves seeing a whole bunch of kids grow to love the game.

Favorite non-chess hobby: Photography and running

Megan Campbell has enjoyed tabletop gaming from a young age. She graduated from Purdue University with degrees in Psychology and in Fine Arts. Megan is passionate about helping children develop their cognitive skills through activities such as chess. She began working with Adam and Daniel at a sister company and joined Silver Knights Chess Academy in the spring of 2022. She lives in Indiana with her husband and two children.Favorite non-chess hobby: Discovering new tabletop board games

Luke (USCF 1894) was taught how to play chess when he was six years old. Learning about pins and forks from an Australian neighbor created an enduring fascination for the game. Unfortunately, "real life" interfered with Luke's chess ambition for decades and he only started playing in tournaments after immigrating to the USA in 1996. Luke joined Silver Knights after seeing how much his daughter enjoyed the after-school programs and tournament training clubs.

 Favorite opening: I'm working on a secret opening called the hyper-accelerated wombat attack. 

Katie started with Silver Knights in 2021 and she loves helping families and students from all around the world become passionate about chess! She lives in Washington state, and in her free time she likes to hike, kayak, and ski.

 Favorite chess piece: The Knight!

Andrew has been a chess, strategy game, and tabletop fiend since he was a kid. When he’s not playing/designing games or reading genre fiction, he spends much of his time in nature with his dog, Beren. 

Christina found her way to Silver Knights through her love of working with kids and making a positive impact in their lives. In her free time she enjoys nature walks, crafting and relaxing on the coach with her cat, Sesame.

Cherie began working as an instructor in after-school programs in the DMV area in 2023, where she discovered a passion for working with kids and helping them learn new skills. She started playing chess after watchingThe Queen’s Gambitand quickly fell in love with the strategy and challenge of the game. Now, as a program manager at Silver Knights, she’s excited to support and mentor chess coaches while helping create a fun and educational experience for every student

Hannah graduated from The College of William and Mary with a degree in Biology, and tried out a couple different things before stumbling upon the position of chess coach with Silver Knights Chess Academy. She loved it! Soon after, she transitioned into the role of HR Assistant which is where she's been ever since.

Favorite chess opening: As I'm still a beginner chess player, I often find myself falling back into the trusty Italian game. 

Bijal has always loved to teach and learn. She's been a math and social studies teacher for 10 years. She learned chess as a kid and teaching it to her daughter inspired her to join Silver Knights Chess Academy as a chess coach in 2017. Since 2022, her responsibilities have grown to include being a trainer for new coaches and our tournament manager. She's grown a lot with the Academy. She is passionate about both in-person and virtual chess coaching.

 Favorite chess opening: The Italian opening 

Xuni was born and raised in Mexico City and she's been in the US for 7 years! She learned to play chess when she was 8 years old. Her dad taught her and believe it or not, it is addictive! Her favorite color is blue and she love puzzles, movies and playing outside.

Superpower you wish you had: I'd love to fly! So I can visit different countries without having to pay for airplane tickets!

From a young age he has always enjoyed strategic games, and chess was no exception. While he never became a grandmaster, he's always enjoyed the strategy and tactics of the game.

Favorite chess piece: The pawns... small but deadly!