6:15PM Wednesday Advanced Class

Learn from one of South Carolina’s most accomplished players! National Master Mike Sailer is a 21-time State Champion with decades of competitive experience. In this class, he goes beyond rote opening memorization to teach what really matters: understanding transitions between the opening, middlegame, and endgame. With a strong emphasis on practical endgames and building positional awareness, Mike helps students develop the thought processes that lead to consistent, lasting improvement. Whether you’re sharpening your tournament skills or simply looking to deepen your understanding of the game, this class offers the chance to learn directly from one of the best.

All aspiring adult chess players with some competitive chess experience, whether online or in person, who are ready to take their chess to the next level.

K-12 competitive tournament players rated >1000 USCF

National Master Mike Sailer (USCF 2248 Peak) is a 17-time State Champion of North Dakota and 4-time State Champion of South Carolina. He is a three-time Denker High School Tournament of State Champions representative (1988-1990) and an Irwin Tournament of Senior State Champions representative (2023). Mike was inducted into the ND Chess Hall of Fame in 2007, and he continues to be a very active over-the-board and online player. He has nearly 40 years of playing and coaching experience and specializes in teaching students how to expand their positional understanding and simplifying the decision-making process of finding strong moves.

Non-Member rate for Adults-only classes is $80/mo. If you are a Paid Columbia Chess Club Member, your rate is $60/mo. Information about becoming a Paid Member is located here: https://columbiachess.org/membership

Our chess classes meet once per week on a flat monthly subscription fee, billed at the beginning of each month for the upcoming month, to avoid variable billing. If you join in the middle of a month, you first charge will be pro-rated based on the number of classes remaining in that month. Classes are sometimes not held due to major holidays or in rare emergencies like severe weather or instructor issues, so months may have 3-5 sessions depending on the calendar. There are no refunds, credits, or prorations for holidays or cancellations. You may cancel your subscription at any time before the next billing cycle, but please note that no refunds will be issued for any classes or months already paid for.