International Master Irina Krush

Irina is the 2007 U.S. Women’s Chess Champion, a title that she first won in 1998, at the age of 14. Since 1998, Irina has been one of the top female players in the country, representing the U.S. Women’s team in four Olympiads and helping them capture an unprecedented silver medal in 2004. As of October 2007, Irina is the 13^th ranked female chess player in the world.

In addition to being the youngest ever winner of the U.S. Women’s Championship (a record she still holds), Irina was also the first (at age 16) American woman to earn the International Master title, the second highest title in chess. She has one grandmaster norm, and since graduating summa cum laude from New YorkUniversity in May 2006 with a degree in International Relations, she has been pursuing the other two norms needed for that title.

In 1999, Irina was the most prominent analyst for the World team in the historic “Kasparov versus the World” game on MSN. She has been profiled in publications ranging from Teen People to The Village Voice, and just this year has graced the cover of Chess Life twice.

Irina enjoys sharing her passion for chess. From 2002 to 2007, she taught part-time at Chess-in-the-Schools, a nonprofit organization that brings chess to inner city public school children. She was a coach at I.S. 318, which won the 2007 National Junior High School Championship. Irina has also taught at many summer chess camps around the country, from Wisconsin to Florida.

This will be Irina’s first year teaching for Dean Ippolito, LLC. She is also available for private lessons with highly motivated students seeking to take their game to the next level.

Some of Irina’s interests outside of chess include writing, reading, traveling, and playing tennis. She is a frequent contributor to Chess Life magazine and its online counterpart, uschess.org.

Irina can be reached at irina@deanofchess.com .

National Expert Richard Napoli

National Expert Richard Napoli has been a member of our team since February 2004. Richard is a former elementary and middle school teacher with many years of teaching experience. Richard has been among the top 2% of adult tournament competitors in the United States for the past 30 years.

His career has included several executive assignments in the retirement services industry, and independent consultation providing management training for Fortune 500 companies. In addition to teaching for Dean Ippolito, LLC, Richard is currently Chairman of the National Integrated Group Pension Plan Board of Trustees. Students will greatly benefit from Richard’s strength as a National Expert and his vast experience.

Nationally Ranked Lily Faerman

Lily Faerman started playing chess in Moscow, Russia at the age of 4.  She emigrated to the US at the age of 8 and soon after became one of the top junior female players in the country. At age 13 she represented the US at the Female World Championship (under 14 years of age) in Paris, France.  In 1997, at the age of 15, she finished 3^rd in the NYS Women’s Championship.  During her sophomore year in high school, Lily earned the title of  NYS high school champion and became an official expert later that year.  While pursuing a degree in business at BrooklynCollege, she helped establish the first collegiate girl’s team in history, which competed at the 2002-2003 Pan-American Games.

During her sophomore year in college she became an instructor for Chess in the Schools Org. and coached top teams of elementary and junior high schools.  In 2006 her team at IS 228 finished 8^th at the National JHS championships.  She has also taught for The Great Knights Org. in Long Island and USA Chess Inc., which organizes camps all across North America.

Ms. Faerman has been working for Dean Ippolito, LLC for the last two years.  She has taught in several schools and has many private students all over the state of New Jersey.

Lily also enjoys singing, dancing, tennis and rollerblading.  Lily can be reached at lily@deanofchess.com . 

USCF Volunteer of the Month Ken Thomas

For those of you who know Ken Thomas, it is not difficult to imagine why he was chosen the US Chess Federation Volunteer of the Month for April 2007.  After his retirement in 2004, he was CFO of USCF. He gave up his time at a very low rate because the USCF was in financial trouble.

Ken is passionate about chess and chess teaching.  Ken is imaginative and pushes his advanced students to excel.

                                     Paul Baumann

Paul Baumann was born and raised in Newark, NJ, learned to play chess at the age of eleven, and entered his first rated tournament at thirteen. He was a member of the Seton Hall Prep chess team that won the State High School Championship

in 1968.

Paul has participated in chess both as a hobby and competitively throughout his adult life, and has been a member of numerous clubs across northern NJ

(Irvington, South Orange, Rutherford, Wayne, Morristown). Paul plays annually in the U.S. Amateur Team Championship.  Paul has been taught with Dean Ippolito LLC since 2005.