The Founder’s Story

“I first came across the game of chess when I was 8 years old, in a play corner of my primary school in Toronto, Canada. I witnessed two other kids sitting across each other. They were staring intensively over pieces with varying shapes and sizes that were deliberately positioned over a board with 64 squares. It soon became clear to me that they were engaged in a battle of the minds - each player commands his/her pieces and the player who better manages those forces would win. The strategic element of chess has intrigued me immensely since then and my chess journey began. By the age of 12, I became the champion of the Scarborough Inter-school Chess Tournament where I competed against more than 40 other participating schools. Winning the tournament was worth celebrating, but I later realised that it was the deeper lessons I learned through playing chess competitively that truly benefited me later in life.

My chess journey continued after I came back to Hong Kong. By the age of 15, I was the youngest chess champion in Hong Kong at the time and I started giving private and group chess lessons. In the years that followed, I won a couple more open and junior tournaments in Hong Kong. 2006 was a particularly memorable year as I played for the Hong Kong team in the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy and achieved an undefeated score of 7 out of 9 (5 wins and 4 draws), winning the silver medal individual board prize (Board 2) and I was awarded the FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) Master title by the World Chess Federation.

Chess remained my companion during my teenage years alongside my studies and my time at law school. After graduating from law school, I was offered a training contract with a Magic Circle law firm, where I received invaluable legal training and qualified as a corporate lawyer. That would, however, also mean that chess was forced to take a back seat for a couple of years. Nevertheless, the principles and qualities I learned as a chess player, for example, the habit of thinking ahead, constantly getting myself prepared, being patient and persistent, and taking responsibility for my own actions, have continued to guide me.

After a while I moved in-house and work for multinational corporations to get closer to the business world. With my interest in strategies, I have also studied and passed all three levels of the CFA exams in my spare time.

As the years go by, I have come to appreciate the beauty of chess even more. I have been applying many chess principles in life. This realisation has nudged me into chess once again, to devote more time to the game and to pass on my discovery as an educator.

There is a reason why chess has always been associated with strategy, intellect and sophistication. You don’t need to be a chess master to benefit from the principles that chess teaches us. This is what has led to the beginning of MindMaster Institute. Chess has become a life coach for me, and the same can hold true for you.”

Brian Dew
Founder and CEO
MindMaster Institute

Our Mission

“We believe that the constant education of ourselves is the key to unleashing our full potential.”

Everyone can benefit from learning and playing chess, whether you are a novice or master. Discover what you are capable of through chess, and let chess be your coach in life.

More About Our Founder

Brian Dew

• Hong Kong qualified lawyer with experience working at a Magic Circle law firm and multinational corporations

• Chess FIDE Master (FM)

• Accredited FIDE Instructor

• Three-time Hong Kong Chess Champion

• Represented Hong Kong and won silver medal (Board 2) in the 37th Chess Olympiad (Turin, Italy)

• Active player in international chess tournaments

• Over 10 years of chess teaching experience

• Fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese