Meet the Chess Instructor
Kyle Jones is the founder and head coach of Jones Chess Academy, bringing over 20 years of experience coaching chess across more than 20 schools. A graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Psychology, he has completed all required coursework toward a Master’s in Early Childhood Education, with just one student teaching experience remaining to finalize the degree.
He holds the title of Candidate Master in classical chess and a National Master rating in blitz, as recognized by the U.S. Chess Federation, and ranks in the top 0.1% of online chess players worldwide. He also achieved a Chess.com puzzle rating of 6200, placing him among the highest-rated tactical solvers on the platform.
Above all, Kyle is passionate about helping children grow through chess—teaching not just strategy and critical thinking, but also resilience, patience, and confidence.
Over his coaching career, Kyle has led teams to 40+ state championship titles and 15 national titles. In a landmark achievement, he became the first high school chess coach in U.S. history to field the top two teams in the highest national division in the same year. He is also a three-time Ohio Speed Chess Champion, most recently winning the title in the 2015–16 season.
Kyle’s contributions to chess have been recognized by Fox Sports Ohio, The Columbus Dispatch, 10TV, the Governor of Ohio, the Mayor of Columbus, the State Board of Education, the Ohio Senate, and the House of Representatives. He is certified in Protecting God’s Children and serves as a trusted mentor to families of Olympic gold medalists, professional athletes (NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS), and a nationally known actor.
