Hello! I am Joshua Ruiz, a GM from Colombia. I have been living in the US for 7 years already. Thanks to my performances in chess, I was offered a scholarship for my Bachelor's Degree if I represented the university's chess team. I graduated in Computer Science from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and I am about to graduate with my Master's in Software Engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD).
I speak English and Spanish fluently, so I am open to chess lessons in any of those languages.
About me
Playing experience
Some of my most highlighted chess achievements are:
World Champion U14 (Blitz and Classic)
Multiple times PanAmerican Champion in different categories
Youngest Colombian GM ever
3 times national champion,
Played World Cup 2017 against Wesley So (lost 1.5-0.5)
1st place in the team blitz national collegiate championship 2021
Tied in 1st place in the blitz national collegiate championship 2021.
World Champion U14 (Blitz and Classic)
Multiple times PanAmerican Champion in different categories
Youngest Colombian GM ever
3 times national champion,
Played World Cup 2017 against Wesley So (lost 1.5-0.5)
1st place in the team blitz national collegiate championship 2021
Tied in 1st place in the blitz national collegiate championship 2021.
Teaching experience
I have been coaching for 5 years already. I have given private lessons as well as coaching schools in Colombia and the US. I moved to online coaching in 2019 because usually, all my lessons were in person. We are privileged that our beloved sport can be played through a computer, unlike other sports, so why not take full advantage of that.
Other experiences
During the Covid-19 pandemic, I started to stream from time to time. With some of the best Colombian chess players, we created a company called Elite Colombian Chess and we deliver Seminars, provide lessons, and we stream at least once a week if there aren't important tournaments being played. Otherwise, we also like to comment on those.
Best skills
I consider myself a very creative and aggressive player. So of course I like dynamic positions more than positional ones. Of course, being a GM you need a level of understanding and I am currently working on that aspect to go to the next level (2600).
For teaching, I have no preferences, I can prepare any type of topic. So if you want me to coach you on a specific topic, I guarantee you I will deliver you very well prepared content.
For teaching, I have no preferences, I can prepare any type of topic. So if you want me to coach you on a specific topic, I guarantee you I will deliver you very well prepared content.