Our Members

Kylan is the Co-Founder of Aspiring Pawns Foundation. First year student at Baylor College of Medicine.

Kylan began playing chess at the age of five with the T.H. Rogers Chess Club, quickly advancing in skill and achieving an impressive 1800 rating. In middle school at Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan, he founded the school’s chess club and helped lead the team to state titles.

In high school, Kylan further expanded his impact within the chess community by organizing the first-ever chess tournament at DeBakey High School.

As a registered tournament director, Kylan demonstrates leadership, responsibility, and integrity. His passion for chess continued  in college, and now at Baylor where he actively teaches students and coaches at Chess Masters of Houston using the game to build communities and inspire the next generation of players.

 Kavin have been playing chess since 2nd grade and competed in multiple local, regional, and state tournaments consistently ranking in the top 10, achieving a peak rating of 1576. He had experience both as a player and as a coach having coached multiple kids in both private and group lessons. Kavin has a strong passion for chess and am committed to sharing it to others and allowing them to experience the joy and fun this game brings to the table. 

 As a Senior at DeBakey High School for Health Professions, Nethul Perera has achieved great success as a competitive chess player and teacher. Nethul started playing chess when he was five years old and has won numerous grade level state championship titles and reached his highest rating of 1812. In addition to competing, Nethul has taught students of different ages and ability levels through Throgers, HOT Chess, and various online chess platforms, focusing on solid fundamentals, strategic thinking, and good sportsmanship. Nethul still competes in tournaments around Houston while also giving back to his community by mentoring young chess players and supporting the promotion of chess education through Aspiring Pawns. 

 As a current sophomore at DeBakey high school for Health Professions, Christian Tan has been coaching, learning, and playing chess since he was 9 years old. He has taught chess at Mandarin Immersion magnet school for the past 2 years, inspiring new players to learn to enjoy the game of chess. Christian also actively plays in local tournaments around Houston, continuing to grow his skills personally. He hopes to be able to give back more to his community and inspire many people through Aspiring Pawns. 

Ronan Do is currently a sophomore at DeBakey High School for Health Professions and has been playing chess since kindergarten at TH Rogers Elementary and Middle School. He is passionate about helping others to enjoy chess and to have the same opportunities to grow that he had. Through Aspiring Pawns, Ronan hopes to be able to make an impact on the community by making chess more accessible for all people and supporting young players.

 Walter Wozniak is a 13-year-old student in Houston, Texas, currently attending Hogg Middle School and preparing to attend Heights High School. He has been involved in chess since first grade and has competed in numerous tournaments across Houston, steadily developing his strategic thinking and mental discipline. I have learned that chess has helped me think several moves ahead, stay composed, and recognize patterns—skills that also strengthen my performance in squash and other areas of life. Walter is passionate about learning, competition, and using strategy to continually improve both on and off the board. 

 Walter has been playing squash since sixth grade, when he joined the Hogg Middle School squash team. He plans to continue playing through high school with Mission Success and hopes to compete at the collegiate level in the future. He recently attended the SEA Tournament in Philadelphia with his Mission Success team, where they placed second in the middle school division. The experience allowed him to compete against peers from schools across the country and connect with talented players nationwide. 

Jordan is a North Shore athlete and is in his third year as a North Shore Mustang.

Jordan began playing chess at the age of 10 with the Hester House Chess Club, achieving a 1250 chess rating in rapid and 1400 in both bullet and blitz.

Jordan is also and an aspiring photographer for his school and outside of school.

 As an Outreach Chair, Jordan will work to connect communities, schools, and families by creating inclusive opportunities and expanding access to chess programs that support learning and growth. His goal is to ensure every student feels welcomed and supported.