Spenser Kearns is a founding member of RVA Pieces, serving on the board since the club incorporated in 2021. Spenser has served as RVA Pieces President since 2023. He’s been a regular member of the Richmond chess scene for over 10 years, both as a player and a coach, and was an active tournament player in his youth.

Spenser studied saxophone performance and music education at VCU from 2013–2016 and currently teaches chess privately from his home in Randolph.

Jared Thomson has been in Richmond for about 3 years and part of RVA Pieces for about half that. He serves as our Treasurer and has been on the board since 2024. Jared is always down to chat Vienna opening traps, music production, cooking and fiction novels.

Hannah has been a part of RVA Pieces since the end of 2021, which is also around the time she first learned to play chess. She has been on the board of directors as Secretary since the spring of 2022. Outside of chess, she loves playing Catan with her friends, cooking, karaoke, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Will has been a member of RVA Pieces since 2016 and a member of the board since 2022. He serves as the Club Tournament Director. Will enjoys chess books and history, and outside of chess, audiobooks, movies, Anime/Manga and television.

Matt learned chess when he was young and has gotten more involved in the last few years. Matt discovered RVA Pieces during a walk through Monroe Park. Today, Matt is one of RVA Pieces’ Tournament Directors. Matt enjoys other board games, including Go and shogi, and loves to spend time along the James.

Jaclyn is RVA Pieces’ photographer. She has been a Richmond resident since 2010 and a professional photographer since 2009. She is a photography professor at VCU. As a newbie to chess, she is loving learning the game and has been a part of the club for a year.

Dan grew up in Richmond and reconnected with chess after the pandemic. He is a software engineer and has helped build and maintain the website since 2025.

Gea is a Richmond native and recently returned to the city after graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. An adult learner, she joined our board in March 2025!