Meet the school custodian who has coached the chess team to the championships

Meet the coach champ!

Dave Bishop

Queen’s Gambit? More like Bishop’s Gambit! (That joke will make sense when you learn his name is Dave Bishop.)

Who is he? A generally cool dude, and lifelong chess lover.

• Dave Bishop is a part-time chess coach at George B. Weatherbee School in Hampton, Me. as well as their custodian. He also coaches the nearby Reeds Brook Middle School team as well.
• Earlier this year, his teams were both victors at the Maine Scholastic Chess Championships.
• He picked the custodian job up in early retirement after spending his career working in telecommunications. And he spends hours with students every week, without receiving a dime.

What’s the big deal? Aside from the fact that we’re witnessing a Netflix original series manifesting itself in real time?

• Dave is a great coach! He shares his love for the game, teaches the students perseverance, and has the star players to prove it.
• This weekend, his team is headed to Baltimore, Md. for the 2023 National Elementary Championships.
• One of Dave’s mentees is 11-year-old Avery Zhang, who was crowned the state champion for grades K through 5 this year.

The scene is set at the National Elementary Championships in Baltimore, Md.

Dave Bishop

Want more on people making a difference in kids’ lives? Listen to Consider This talk to Dolly Parton about her new book that tackles bullying.

Here’s what Dave and Avery had to say.

On what drew Dave into coaching chess:

Well, it’s the next…