Our Instructors
Every member of our team is committed to helping our students flourish, as chess players and in life.
John Hanni
Specialty: Beginner/Intermediate
John has spent most of his life teaching. He began running classes at his martial arts studio while still in high school. During college he began teaching chess at schools across Western New York, and eventually went on to found Buffalo Chess Association with his co-owner, Mark Johnson. He has roughly fifteen years of teaching experience, and is the lead designer for the program’s lessons.
Rebekah White
Specialty: Intro/Beginner
Rebekah has been teaching for 16 years, getting her start as an instructor at her martial arts school in 2010. A co-owner of the association, Rebekah has six years of experience teaching group chess classes and private chess lessons at BCA, and is the head of the Intro and Beginner curriculum. She also has experience working with students on the neurodivergent spectrum, providing an inclusive, accessible, and compassionate approach to teaching and learning chess. She looks to combine her passion for chess with her experience working with students of all ages and walks of life.
Mark Johnson
Specialty: Advanced
Mark has been dedicated to the study and practice of chess since the age of 4, having a natural feel for the game. He has achieved a peak online rating of 2650. On the competitive stage he has also competed in numerous major tournaments, including winning the 2024 National Open U1900 Section Chess Tournament & Top 5 in the 2024 U2000 World Open.
He began his teaching career as a volunteer instructor at his local high school, where he discovered a strong passion for mentorship and player development. Building on this experience, Mark co-founded the Buffalo Chess Association alongside John Hanni, with the mission of delivering high-quality chess instruction to students in their community.
With over two decades of teaching experience, Mark plays a central role in designing and structuring the organization’s curriculum, ensuring a comprehensive and effective learning experience for players of all levels.
Kutay Karatas
Specialty: Intermediate/Advanced
Kutay has been playing chess since he was six, and has been competing for nearly as long. His peak USCF rating was 2250, and his peak bullet rating online was 2750. He has experience helping players of all levels, from teaching new students to helping Grandmasters prep for tournament games. Kutay is sharing his extensive knowledge with students, and helping them learn just how much can be done with chess.
GM Ankit Rajpara
Specialty: Advanced+
GM Ankit is India's 36th chess Grandmaster and a chess prodigy from Gujarat. He started playing chess at the age of 8 and achieved great successes at National Junior chess tournaments. He has been teaching chess for several years now and currently has approximately 50 students. He is working with us to help enhance our curriculum and to teach our GM Classes.