Grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn (peak 2555 FIDE) was a former chess prodigy born in Zhytomir, Ukraine.
A seven-year-old Eugene picked up the game from his dad, Senior Master Mike Perelshteyn. The rock-solid foundation he gained from his father's training helped him finish 4th in the U14 Russian Junior Championship.
By the time he came to the United States in 1994, he was already a strong 2100-rated player. And in 1995, he won the expert section of the World Open... which is only one of the many tournament successes in his career.
Perelshteyn was lucky enough to meet former top 10 player, Grandmaster Roman Dzindzichashvilli. And their work together eventually led to the IM and GM titles.
Nowadays, Perelshteyn spends most of his time coaching students, and gracing online chess sites with his instruction.
However, his career as a player is nothing short of impressive. He won the 2000 US Junior Championship... the first ever SPICE CUP Invitational... the 2006 Foxwoods Open... and other strong open tournaments. He also captained the chess team of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) to five national titles.
Sound positional understanding and strong opening preparation are Perelshteyn's greatest strengths. And if you let him, he'll share his "tricks of the trade" with you.