At the March 12, 2006 Virginia Scholastic Chess Championship awards ceremony in Roanoke, Brian Sumner was named Virginia Chess Coach of the Year for K-3 schools.  Springfield Park Elementary School, which he coaches, won the first place trophy during the 2006 state chess championship.  Brian had previously received Coach of the Year trophies in 2004 and 2005.

Brian is a full-time chess instructor and operates Richmond Chess.  He is also a U.S. Chess Federation Certified Chess Coach and Tournament Director.  Over the course of the 2002-2003, 2003-2004, and 2004-2005 seasons, his students won thirty-nine individual first place trophies and fifty-one team first place trophies in nationally rated primary (K-3) school, elementary (K-5) school, and middle (K-8) school competitions.

Brian studies with Grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov of Lexington, Kentucky and International Master Valery Tsaturian of Moscow, Russia.  He competes regularly in correspondence chess through the (ICCF) International Correspondence Chess Federation.  Through Richmond Chess, Brian offers group and private chess lessons for children and adults in the greater Richmond area, as well as K-8 chess camps during the summer and winter.