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The C&O Family Chess Center "When the student is ready... the teacher will appear!" 
Coach Pancoast teaching at Peaberrys Coffee House October, 2000 by anon.
C&O Family Chess Center
Omar Pancoast III, Director
Certified USCF Chess Coach
Carolyn B. Pancoast, Program Director
217 West Diamond Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2106
Phone 301-963-9122
FAX-301-963-0734
Director@chesscenter.net
Programs@chesscenter.net
Who We Are!
The C&O Family Chess Center is a U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) Scholastic Affiliate.The USCF is the official sanctioning body for "over the board" tournament play in the U.S. With over 80,000 members, the USCF offers something for every player, from beginner to Grandmaster! In addition to rating tournaments, the USCF supports and promotes chess activities throughout the U.S. and publishes Chess Life, the monthly national magazine for members. ...and much more. For more details link to their official website (on the left).
The C&O Family Chess Center began in 1990 as part of the C&O Family Learning Center, a Gaithersburg based, family run business which provided early childhood and pre-school education, tutoring, and chess instruction to area families for nearly 30 years. In addition to individual and group chess instruction for all ages, we currently offer scholastic and summer chess programs to public and private schools, as well as home-school families. C&O Family Chess Center is also the principal sponsor of The Chess & Go Club at Lakeforest Mall (see the "LFM Club" page), which provides a meeting place for players of chess, and the Asian game of "Go" (also known as "Weiqui," and "Baduk"), seven-days-a-week. For more information about "Go" visit the official AGA website (on the left).
Coach Omar C&O-FCC
Omar Pancoast, Director
Director@chesscenter.net
Coach Pancoast is a USCF Life Member, Certified USCF Chess Coach and full-time, professional, chess teacher with more than 30 years of experience. He is currently a vice-president of the Maryland Chess Association (MCA, web site link at left) where he is responsible for club development, and the Chess Director and Co-Founder (with John Goon) of the Montgomery Chess & Go Assn. (MCGA) which promotes both chess and "go." He specializes in teaching chess to beginners and intermediate players regardless of age. He also coaches adults who "used to play" and want to get back into it ( "It's never too late to have a happy childhood!" ). He provides challenging and fun instruction to individuals and groups in schools, libraries and other locations, and by E-mail. He also conducts chess camps every summer.
Currently he coaches scholastic chess clubs at many local schools, both public and private. Recently these have included St. Jane De Chantel, St. Bartholomew and Sidwell Friends Schools in Bethesda , St.Catherine Labouré School in Wheaton, and Mary of Nazareth School in Darnestown, Fields Road E. S. and Goshen E.S. in Gaithersburg and many more. For a list of current scholastic programs see our "Scholastic" page
In past years he helped sponsor clubs at Montgomery College and Peaberrys Coffee House in Rockville . During the summers of 2000 and 2001 he took time from his own programs to assist National Master Noureddine Ziane's Chess Camp Tour, including the largest chess camp (at that time) ever held in the U.S. (at the Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas) and other chess camps (including one at the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C.).
Carolyn Pancoast C&O-FCC
Carolyn B. Pancoast, Program Director
Programs@chesscenter.net
Mrs. Pancoast is a thirty year veteran of early childhood development and education. She is the founder and director of C&O Family Learning Center and program director for the C&O Family Chess Center. In this capacity she coordinates scholastic and summer chess programs as well as scheduling lessons for individual students and teaching beginner players. She also assists at center sponsored chess tournaments and other events. She is often the first contact that new players have with the center. 
Coach Ross C&O-FCC
Ross Pancoast, Chess Instructor
Ross@chesscenter.net
Ross has had many years experience working with children. He has a degree in psychology and worked for the Montgomery Child Care Association for five years. He began playing chess in the 3rd grade. He is a USCF member and joined us in 2004 teaching beginners in our summer chess camps. Since then he has been the chess coach in a number of schools, including Beall, Beverly Farms, Fields Road, Rachel Carson, St. Catherine Laboure, Ronald McNair, Sequoyah, Strathmore, and Stonegate Elementary Schools. He became a father for the first time in August 2004. As a professional level Disc Golfer, and avid outdoorsman Ross also directs the afternoon (outdoor adventure) portion of our summer programs.
Coach Amy C&O-FCC
Amy T. Duncan, Associate Instructor
Programs@chesscenter.net
Coach Amy has had years of experience as a camp counselor and water safety instructor. She has a degree in English & German and came to us soon after graduating from Vassar College. She began playing chess afew years ago but only became serious after joining our staff as a trainee. She is now a USCF member and level 8 club player. She has been the coach, or assistant coach, in a number of schools, including Beall, Cedar Grove, Farquahar MS, Mary of Nazareth, Ronald McNair, Sidwell Friends, Spark Matsunaga, and Thurgood Marshall Elementary Schools, and helps in our larger chess camps. She is married to Coach Drew Duncan, another of our associate coaches.
Coach Drew C&O-FCC
Andrew Duncan, Associate Instructor
Programs@chesscenter.net
Coach "Drew" has been an assistant coach at Rachel Carson E.S. for two years and is active in our afternoon program for the summer sessions. During the school year he is a full time math teacher at Gaithersburg High School having graduated from Vassar College. He learned chess as a child from his uncle, Coach Omar Pancoast. He is the assistant coach at Rachel Carson E.S. He also assists in our tournaments and summer camp programs. He is married to Coach Amy, another of our associates.
John W. Farrar, Associate Instructor
john.farrar@gmail.com
Coach John has years of chess experience. He has been involved as a player in in the USCF and assists in several of the center's clubs. He has also assisted at tournaments and arranged for two simultaneous exhibitions for club members, one with former U.S. Women's Champion, WGM Jennifer Shahade, and one with WGM Katerina Rohonyan.
Coach Francis C&O-FCC
Francis L. Fowler, Aide
beststars2000@yahoo.com Coach Francis came to us from the "Bar-T" before and aftercare program and has years of experience working with children. He has been involved as a player in several of the center's clubs. He has been an assistant coach at Cedar Grove, Goshen, Great Seneca Creek and Spark Matsunaga Elementary Schools, and assisted at tournaments. Last Update 12/31/08
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