Learn to Play Chess With Two-Time Olympian Ivona Jezierska at Chess4SuccessLA

Welcome! I am Ivona, the teacher at Chess4SuccessLA

I teach chess to children and adults, privately and in small groups. I organize and direct chess tournaments, summer camps, afterschool programs, chess birthday parties, and courses for women entrepreneurs. My classes strengthen critical thinking. Additionally, I teach critical thinking as part of math classes for kindergarten and first grade students.

The Joy of Playing Chess

Meet the Director/Teacher at Chess4SuccessLA

Ivona Jezierska, Women’s FIDE Master, teacher, and an active player for more than 30 years, started playing chess at age eleven in her small native town, Cieszyn, in southern Poland. By the age of fourteen she was a professional competitor and was brought to Warsaw, the capital, to represent a prestigious Polish chess club, “Polonia Warszawa.”

In 1980, Ivona immigrated to the United States and became a member of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team. She played in Greece and in Dubai in 1984 and 1986, respectively. She was a top contender in several U.S. Women’s Chess Championships.

In the late 1990’s, Ivona developed “Chess4SuccessLA,” a comprehensive chess-learning program that improves academic skills and self-esteem, and has since been teaching it in elementary schools in the Los Angeles area.

Ivona’s warmth and natural rapport with her students makes learning and playing in tournaments an experience that while challenging, is great fun for all. The classes stimulate the mind, as students learn problem solving techniques, strategy, and tactics that are as important in life as on the chessboard.

Each summer, Ivona holds a chess camp with intensive playing and practice tournaments. Beginners learn the basics, and everyone moves to the next level.

As a tournament director and organizer, Ivona brings excitement to the events she directs, offering special themes for children and their families, and of course, refreshments.

SERVICES

Children Programs

My mission is to teach children the joy of focus and the passion for strategy; and to support parents in preparing their children to work creatively, develop self-motivation, self-confidence, and perseverance.

Private Lessons

I teach at my home in Venice, California, or I come to your place. Each session is 1 to 1.5 hours. Sessions are offered individually or as a series of four, paid in advance.

Chess for Adults & Seniors

I invite you to play chess as a family, it is a wonderful bonding and creative experience. Contact me for details.

PROJECTS

I consult producers, directors, and actors on chess scenes in films. Projects I consulted on include Mira Nair’s Queen of Katwe and CSI’s Las Vegas.

Additionally, I lead corporate chess groups and retreats. My book and course empowering women through mastering the game of chess are being launched soon.

Play chess as a family. Bond with your children. Teach them how to think about the future—use the theory, strategy, and tactics of chess to give them a head start in life.

OR CALL ME AT

310.740.0063

What People Say

Ivona has been a great resource for our son and our family. He has been able to practice thinking through consequences of his choices and we have a game we can play together! It is a great

I have watched Ivona teach chess for years; volunteering at preschool and chess camp so I could enjoy her uniquely patient and uplifting way of teaching children. It’s one thing to be a female chess champion (a huge fete) and another to have the passion to teach in a way that empowers. I’m thrilled Ivona is combining her skills and passion to create her lifelong dream— a program for girls and women.

"We can't say enough about Ivona and her chess program. Every summer at Chess Camp, our son was improving his focus, problem-solving, and social skills--all while he was having the time of his life! There was never any summertime brain drain while he was at Chess4SuccessLA. The best part, of course, is that Ivona is the kind of wonderful teacher every parent hopes for -- deeply knowledgeable, infinitely patient, and a genius at knowing exactly how to balance all the parts of the program that make it such a positive learning experience.

I first met Ivona at my son's elementary school as he participated in the after-school chess program that Ivona taught. I sat in on most of those chess sessions myself and was lucky enough to have Ivona teach me some chess during her moments of free time in between helping the kids. Her passion about chess in infectious, and her style of teaching makes it simple for anyone to learn chess. I never had an interest nor thought I would ever learn chess, but I found myself growing more and more interested the more time I spent with Ivona. We later had her come to our home for private lessons with our entire family. She is very patient and an excellent teacher, and I would highly recommend her for anyone wanting to learn how to play!

Ms. Ivona has taught my son chess in school and in private lessons for the past 5 years, since he was in kindergarten. In that time, he has certainly learned a lot about chess: I'm especially impressed that he seems to have developed a sense for how the board will look, 2-3 moves in the future. But more importantly for me, Ms. Ivona has taught him patience, focus, sportsmanship, and self-confidence. When he first started to play chess, he hated to lose and would avoid playing opponents who were better than him. Over time, Ms. Ivona worked with him to increase his confidence, and to teach him to see playing those opponents as opportunities to learn and improve. She was supportive, encouraging, positive, and affirming.