Impact Coaching Network
3.6K posts
@icnnyc
A Unique Team-First Training Approach Dedicated to Building Vibrant Chess Communities & Delivering Measurable Chess Success.
The first Nigerian man through @GiftOfChess to help setup a waste to plastic chess sets manufacturing factory in the slums of Kibera Kenya 🇰🇪. That employs people and produces chess boards to promote chess education in underserved communities across Kenya.
This kid from Lesotho walked up to me during an event in Malawi and mentioned that his dream is to someday become a chess grandmaster. Told him to get his rating up to 1800 in the next one year, and I’ll sponsor him to New York for the ICN chess camp. Rooting for him to succeed.
Watch as we transform plastic waste into custom made @thegiftofchess recycled chess sets. These chess sets will reach schools, prisons, and refugee communities across Africa. Jobs + Education + Environment!
Watch as we transform plastic waste into custom made @thegiftofchess recycled chess sets. These chess sets will reach schools, prisons, and refugee communities across Africa. Jobs + Education + Environment!
Susan Namangale, who recently received a full page profile in The New York Times, travels across NYC, sharing her story of how a single @PeaceCorps chess set recieved in her fishing village in Malawi, set her up for a lifetime of opportunity. @Susan_GOC is now paying it forward.
Week 2 Recap: Summer Chess Camp with ICN & The Gift of Chess ♟️ If Week 1 was about momentum, Week 2 was a test of mental resilience. This week hit different. This week reminded me of something every chess player, and every human, eventually must face: Talent is not enough!!. I’ve always believed I had a gift for this game. I still do. But this week, talent alone wasn’t enough to win. I lost a lot of games, and I won’t pretend it didn’t hurt. But after reflecting… I realised: These losses were necessary. I also gained clarity, structure, and a deeper understanding of what true mastery demands. They humbled me. They reminded me that hard work is the great equaliser. That talent gets you started, but discipline, training, and effort are what sustain progress, especially when things get tough. The goal is still clear: USCF Master. But now I know more than ever that I’ll have to earn every step of that title with hard work, not just potential. This week, I doubled down: Studied my losses Identified my weak points Committed to longer hours of practice Embraced every mistake as a lesson Every loss became a lesson. Every position, a mirror showing me where to improve. I’m learning not just how to win, but how to lose with insight and bounce back with purpose. And I’m grateful for that. Losing doesn’t mean I’m failing. It means I’m learning. Like coach @TIGRAN_SPINOZA would say, Openings take you more than halfway to mastery. This week hurt. But I grew. And through every painful loss and insightful lesson, I reminded myself: The goal is not just to become a USCF Master. The goal is to become a better player on and off the chessboard. Thank you once again to @thegiftofchess, @impactcoachingnetwork, and @chessinslums for providing the space to grow, and to @Tunde_OD and all my mentors for encouraging me not to settle for talent alone, but to match it with hard work. And thanks to Coach @TIGRAN_SPINOZA for the wisdom, the training, and the environment that helps me become more than just talented, but to become disciplined. Week 3, I’m getting stronger. 💪 Eyes still on the goal: USCF Master.
Week 2 Recap: Summer Chess Camp with ICN & The Gift of Chess ♟️ If Week 1 was about momentum, Week 2 was a test of mental resilience. This week hit different. This week reminded me of something every chess player, and every human, eventually must face: Talent is not enough!!. I’ve always believed I had a gift for this game. I still do. But this week, talent alone wasn’t enough to win. I lost a lot of games, and I won’t pretend it didn’t hurt. But after reflecting… I realised: These losses were necessary. I also gained clarity, structure, and a deeper understanding of what true mastery demands. They humbled me. They reminded me that hard work is the great equaliser. That talent gets you started, but discipline, training, and effort are what sustain progress, especially when things get tough. The goal is still clear: USCF Master. But now I know more than ever that I’ll have to earn every step of that title with hard work, not just potential. This week, I doubled down: Studied my losses Identified my weak points Committed to longer hours of practice Embraced every mistake as a lesson Every loss became a lesson. Every position, a mirror showing me where to improve. I’m learning not just how to win, but how to lose with insight and bounce back with purpose. And I’m grateful for that. Losing doesn’t mean I’m failing. It means I’m learning. Like coach @TIGRAN_SPINOZA would say, Openings take you more than halfway to mastery. This week hurt. But I grew. And through every painful loss and insightful lesson, I reminded myself: The goal is not just to become a USCF Master. The goal is to become a better player on and off the chessboard. Thank you once again to @thegiftofchess, @impactcoachingnetwork, and @chessinslums for providing the space to grow, and to @Tunde_OD and all my mentors for encouraging me not to settle for talent alone, but to match it with hard work. And thanks to Coach @TIGRAN_SPINOZA for the wisdom, the training, and the environment that helps me become more than just talented, but to become disciplined. Week 3, I’m getting stronger. 💪 Eyes still on the goal: USCF Master.
I recently designed 50 exclusive chess sets using Adire patterns, and I’m selling each one for 1 million naira(600 dollars) If you buy a set, I’d personally deliver it to you + a free chess lesson/game. Will put half the profit into a fund for building a free school in Nigeria.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who sent me books while I was in New York! Your kindness means so much to me. Special thanks to Miss Stacia, my amazing coach from Cleveland, for always believing in me; Bob, the incredible founder of the Greater Cleveland Chess Club in Ohio, for his constant support; Alex, the visionary behind @OpeningMaster, who sent his gift all the way from Slovakia; and the big boss, Rus from @thegiftofchess, whose encouragement continues to inspire me every day. Your thoughtful gifts are helping me grow both on and off the chessboard. Thank you for being part of my journey! @ibrahimvivian51 @promotingqueens @Tunde_OD @chessinslums @Mreniola1 @iamainembabazi @NajeebahNoodle
