Chris Callahan started playing chess at the age of 5, and he competed in various tournaments including the National Elementry Championship held in Charlotte in 1993. He began to play again and coach chess in his twenties, and competed in various tournaments including representing the CMSCA team at the USCF National Team Tournament in 2008. He then spent three years living in Mexico and teaching English before returning to teach for CMSCA. In his spare time he enjoys playing basketball and reading.