Hristo Arabadjiev


Hristo is a lead chess coach for the Bellevue Center. He started coaching for Chess4Life in 2007, and usually teaches Bishop level to Queen level. He is considered one of the most successful coaches for advanced students because of his strong ability to deeply analyze games and find creative solutions.

Originally from Bulgaria, Hristo started playing chess when he was 5 years old. At age 19, he competed successfully against numerous national masters, resulting in an offer to represent Bulgaria in several international tournaments. However, his equivalent level of passion for music at that time led to him making the difficult decision to pursue a musical degree. Hristo eventually became a conductor, and established one of the most renowned professional chamber choirs for orthodox music: PHILIPPOPOLIS. For eighteen years, the choir performed in concerts around the world including in Chicago, Tennessee, and New York City. In Germany, the group recorded five different CDs.

Despite being so devoted to his musical career, Hristo remained an active chess player. He participated in two open tournaments in his native town and won first place both times. In 2002, Hristo moved to Denver, Colorado. He stayed until the spring of 2007, in which he moved to Seattle, and currently resides.

Hristo holds a B.A. and M.A. in Music from The Academy of Music, Dance, and Fine Arts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

In his spare time, Hristo enjoys piano, ping pong, and swimming.