"Jim has been teaching our son since he was 8. The following year, our son became the 4th grade state champion, a feat he repeated in 5th grade too. Our son has improved over 500 rating points since he began lessons with Jim. Also, Jim is remarkable with kids. He has a keen ability to relate to them and engage their attention. Whether you have a child that wants to learn the game or a more intermediate student that wants to make strides in chess, Jim is an outstanding coach."

"Jim's teaching style is great for kids and I highly recommend him as a chess coach. He brings out the fun of the game by focusing on the process (i.e., strategic moves) rather than the result (win or lose) and gives a lot of positive feedback throughout the lessons. Also as a dad with 3 young kids himself, he is used to explaining complicated concepts at their level, being creative to make it entertaining for them, and even understands my daughter's Disney princess references. Since my 7-year old daughter started taking lessons with Jim, I've been amazed at how quickly she has improved over just a few months."

"Our family had a true privilege to know Jim Freerksen, who opened a door to the joys of chess for our 6-year-old son Ethan. Jim knows how to interact with young kids and teach them chess in a very fun and stimulating way. I never expected that a 6-year-old would sit and play chess for more than 30 minutes, but each session he had went more than one hour. In addition, Ethan often asked when the next session was and very much looked forward to it. Always told us how much he loved playing chess and being friends with Jim, who made the little shy boy talk, think and laugh! I would highly recommend Jim to any parent who is looking for someone to develop interest for a chess beginner!"