About Kevin

Kevin Gibson is a National Master from near London, Ontario, Canada. He has been playing chess for over 25 years and is passionate about sharing the game with others!

 

Kevin’s own chess journey began simply. At the age of 8, he taught himself to play using a dollar-store chess book and a chess set that he made from paper and markers. He quickly fell in love with the game! After earning a perfect score in his first tournament, he was hooked and eager to learn more. 

 

Throughout his junior career, Kevin competed at the highest levels of Canadian youth chess, represented Team Canada at the World Youth Chess Championships at the age of 10, and earned the title of National Master at the age of 17. Between the years of 2010-2019, Kevin won the London City Chess Championship eight times, and also won the London Active Chess Championship in 2023. While parenthood and the demands of running a business have limited his participation in tournaments in recent years, he continues to play regularly online on both Lichess and Chess.com. 

 

Kevin offers group instruction and individual coaching sessions for beginner and advanced students. He has taught classes for the Canada Chess Youth Club, hosted annual summer chess camps, and instructed beginners at the local library. He also enjoys providing tailored instruction and in-depth analysis during individual and partner lessons. He loves teaching students at all stages of their chess journey, with a goal of helping them foster a love for the game. 

 

Outside of chess, Kevin is a professional musician and composer. Along with his wife, he owns Gibson Music Studios where he teaches piano and theory, and regularly publishes new music featured by Canadian conservatories. He believes that chess and music have a lot in common, both rewarding creativity, practice, and analytical thinking.

 

Kevin’s other interests include staying active through swimming and tennis, playing classic board and card games such as backgammon and euchre, and getting out for walks and trying new food with his little family. He loves hockey and is a diehard Leafs fan!