Bingo Education

Our Experienced Coaches

Founder Of Bingo Education

Lillian Lu

Lillian Lu is the founder of Bingo Education and holds the title of Woman International Master (WIM). A national-level chess arbiter with extensive teaching and competitive experience, she has built her career across the highest levels of the game.

Her competitive highlights include winning the CICA World Junior Chess Championship (Open Section) and finishing as the top female player at the Lidums Australian Masters Invitational (Open Section). She has been a multiple-time Australian Women’s Chess Champion across consecutive years, a two-time consecutive winner of the Australian Queen’s Cup Chess Championship, and a multiple-time Victorian Women’s Masters Champion. She also placed runner-up in the youth section of the 16th Bangkok Open Chess Championship.

Chess Coaches

• Founder of Bingo Education
• Woman International Master (WIM)
• National-Level Chess Arbiter
• Champion, CICA World Junior Chess Championship (Open Section)
• Top female player, Lidums Australian Masters Invitational (Open Section)
• Multiple-time Australian Women's Chess Champion (consecutive years)
• Australian Queen's Cup Chess Champion (two consecutive years)
• Multiple-time Victorian Women's Masters Champion
• Runner-up (Youth Section), 16th Bangkok Open Chess Championship
• Extensive teaching and competition experience

Lillian Lu

• 2018 Australian Junior Champion (Classical, Problem Solving, and Blitz)
• 2018 National Youth Chess Champion (All Categories)
• 2019 Oceanic Junior Champion
• 2019 Oceanic International Youth Chess Champion
• 2024 Victorian Chess Champion
• 2024 Victoria International Chess Tournament Champion

David Cannon

• Current (2023-2024) Victorian Chess Champion
• 2019 & 2022 Victorian Chess Champion
• FIDE Master Title (2011)
• Highest career FIDE rating of 2399 (July 2017 rating list)
• Coaching at the Australian Junior Chess Championships each year from 2013-2019
• Coaching Deepdene Primary School’s chess team to victory at the ACF National Championship in Perth, 2010.

Chris has coached many age-category winners, including an Under 18 Open Champion and an Under 18 Girls Champion.

Christopher Wallis

• 25 years of teaching chess and almost 45 years of competitive chess
• Box Hill Chess Club Championship Champion
• Box Hill Open Championship Champion
• Box Hill Lightning Championship Champion
• 2nd Place in the 2019 Victorian Seniors Chess Championship
• 2nd Place in the 2020 Melbourne Chess Club Championship
• Peak FIDE rating of 2212 and Australian Federation rating of 2060.
• Eligible for the Candidate Master (CM) title since the early 2000s

Marcus Raine

• Pioneer of international chess education in Gujarat, India
• First chess columnist for D.N.A. newspaper in India
• Founder of an international chess academy in India
• Extensive teaching experience across various age groups
• Has trained numerous national champions across Asia
• Frequently participates in major international tournaments with award-winning results
• Rich experience in competitive play and practical coaching
• Former British Chess Champion (U13)
• Gujarat State Seniors Chess Champion
• Gujarat U25 Chess Champion

Manthan Chokshi

- National Arbiter (2023)
- Candidate Master (2023)
- Highest FIDE rating of 2076 classical and 2119 blitz
- Chess.com rating peaks of 2870 bullet and 2550 blitz
- Eq. 1st in 2019 u14 Victorian Championship
- 2nd in 2022 and 2023 u18 Victorian Championship
- Winner of 2022 and 2023 Victorian u18 Rapid Championship
- Extensive coaching experience, having coached at Noble Park Chess Club, Box Hill Chess Club, Korowa Anglican Girls' School, Alphington Grammar School, and Hartwell Primary School, as well as privately coaching numerous junior players.

Jesse Zafirakos

• Peak FIDE rating of 2146
• Peak ACF rating of 2244
• Extensive coaching experience
• International Master
• 2020 Australian Junior U16 Open Champion
• 2021 & 2022 Victorian Junior U18 Open Champion
• 2024 Australia Day Weekender Open Champion
• 2022 Australian Doeberl Cup Champion

Ryder Testolin

• FIDE Master
• Australian Under 14 Champion
• Represented Australia in the Under 14 World Youth Championship
• Victorian Under 16 Champion
• 2nd in Victorian Championship
• Peak FIDE 2106 and ACF 2225

Nicholas Ilic

• Title of FM (Fide Master) at age 14
• Represented Australia for U16 Youth Olympiad in Slovakia, 2017
• Represented Australia for Open Olympiad team (online, 2021)
• U20 Oceania Blitz Champion 2019
• 6+ years of teaching experience to players of all levels

Luis Chan

• 2rd Place in 2023 Box Hill Grade
• 2rd Place in Edwin Malitis Memorial Minor
• 3rd Place in Box Hill Friday weekly tournament
• First Rank chess player of Chinese Chess Association since 2014
• Coached in Nanjing Jinling High School Hexi Campus
• Coached in Jiangsu Chess club for introductory classes

Ziruo Cao

• Chess.com peak rating of 2000+
• Many years of rich teaching experience
• Helps students develop strategic thinking
• Patient and meticulous in nurturing students
• Passionate about chess
• Started playing chess at age 5; runner-up in the Li Chengzhi Cup (Age 8 group)
• Certified National Second-Class Athlete (China)
• Champion, 2008 World School Chess Championship
• Represented China at the 2010 and 2012 World School Chess Championships, among other events

Stephen Zhou

• Certified National Second-Class Athlete (China)
• Graduated from a teachers' (normal) university
• 20 years of chess study
• Extensive teaching experience
• Head of the Chess Teaching & Research Group
• Fujian Province Women's Champion
• Trained at the Xiamen Morning Eagle Chess Club
• Represented Fujian Province in national-level competitions such as the Li Chengzhi Cup
• Rich experience working with children
• Patiently guides children through learning chess
• Also experienced in teaching adults

Lily Qiu

• Ranked among the Top 10 Chess Players in Australia
• FIDE Peak Rating: 2136
• FIDE Master (FM) Title Achieved in 2025
• Victorian Junior Chess Championship U12 Runner-up
• Victorian Junior Chess Championship U16 Runner-up
• Victorian Masters Tournament U16 Champion
• Australian National Junior Chess Championship U18 – 4th Place
• Singapore Open Rating Group Runner-up

Jackie Li

• Champion, 2013 Heilongjiang Provincial Mind Games (Team Event)
• Runner-up, 2013 Heilongjiang Provincial Mind Games (Individual Event)
• Former coach at Wuxi International Chess Training Base
• 12 years of experience in international chess coaching
• Senior coach at Bai Xue Chess Academy
• Dedicated to cultivating winning habits through chess
• Believes chess teaches children resilience through both wins and losses
• Emphasises the role of parental support in a child’s chess journey
• Passionate about helping students gain confidence and a global perspective through chess

Shangwei Guo

• Candidate Master
• FIDE rating of 2170
• Extensive coaching experience
• Australian Under-14 Champion (2023)
• Represented Australia at the Under-16 World Youth Championships and Asian Championships (2023)
• Equal 1st, Greg Hjorth Open (2024)
• Melbourne Chess Club Junior Champion (2025)

Leo Kanila

• International Master (IM), awarded 1999
• Peak FIDE rating of 2441
• FIDE Trainer (2016)
• Nearly 30 years of coaching experience
• President of the Melbourne Chess Club since 2021
• Assistant coach of the Russian National Junior Team (1990), working with future world-class players including Vladimir Kramnik
• Former national chess coach of Qatar and head coach of the Qatar Junior Boys' Team
• Coached Polina Shuvalova for five years, guiding her to multiple European and World junior championship medals
• Has coached many of Australia's leading juniors, including Leo Kalina, Arthur Gao, and Lucas Ni

Alexei Khamagaleev

• Peak FIDE rating of 2070
• Qualified for the Candidate Master (CM) title
• Registered FIDE Arbiter
• 2nd place, 2017 Greg Hjorth Open
• Tournament Organiser at the Melbourne Chess Club (MCC)
• MCC Committee member since 2014
• 12 months of private 1-on-1 chess coaching for students aged 12–14 (~1400–1500 FIDE)
• Over 2.5 years of tutoring experience in English, Mathematics, and Law at VCE and university level

Thai Ly

• Licensed FIDE Arbiter
• FIDE rating close to 2000
• Experienced in coaching both junior and adult players
• Coach at the Melbourne Chess Club and various school chess programs
• Has competed in major Australian chess tournaments
• Specialises in game analysis, tactics, and tournament preparation

Daniel Poberezovsky

• FIDE Candidate Master (CM), awarded 2023
• Represented Australia at the U18 World Youth Chess Championship
• Winner, 2024 Melbourne International Open (Major)
• President of the Swinburne University Chess Club
• Coach at Box Hill Chess Club
• Organiser of interschool chess events for secondary schools
• School chess coach at Camberwell Grammar School, Trinity Grammar School, Scotch College and Bialik College

James Hartley

Cognitive Training Expert

Catherine Lee is an esteemed cognitive training specialist at Bingo Education, where she applies her extensive experience to foster the mental agility and critical thinking skills of her students. With a rich background in cognitive-behavioural techniques, inspired by the work of Aaron T. Beck, Catherine skilfully integrates theory with practice. Her courses are renowned for their depth and effectiveness, aiming to equip students with robust cognitive tools that enhance both their academic performance and personal growth.

Catherine Lee

Visual Art Teacher

Yoyo has been immersed in the arts since age ten, progressing from traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy at Hubei Institute of Fine Arts to specialising in meticulous flower and bird painting at Guangxi Arts University under prominent painter Yu Yongjian. Now based in Melbourne, she blends traditional techniques with digital art, creating illustrations for various media. As a freelance illustrator, Yoyo licenses designs and accepts custom commissions. She also teaches art to children aged 8-12, covering everything from sketching to creative painting, fostering artistic skills in the next generation.

Yoyo Lin

• Specialises in visual arts education
• Passionate about teaching and mentoring
• Extensive teaching experience
• Holds a Master’s degree in the Arts
• Currently pursuing a Media degree at the University of Melbourne
• Studied three years of professional sketching and six months of oil painting at a prestigious fine arts academy
• Self-taught in watercolour and printmaking
• Passionate about art creation, having participated in various art competitions and received multiple awards
• Skilled in various painting styles and techniques, offering comprehensive art guidance to students

Emily

Public Speaking Teacher

Liew Kai Wei

More Than Just A Joyful Place

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