Greetings Chess Players. My name is Chris Torres and this is my daily chess musing for Wednesday, June 8, 2021.
For many, the road to chess excellence is elusive. Perhaps a superbly talented chess player lacks the motivation necessary to succeed. Others may have motivation but lack focus. The final ingredient is commitment and it is perhaps the hardest to master.
Over the years, I have taught more than my fair share of National Champions and it’s largely because I use a training formula that basically guarantees success. Like any other top chess coach, I employ time tested chess training techniques. But, beyond the chessboard, I also train students to be self motivated, intensely focused and committed to excellence. Richard Teichmann famously stated that, “Chess is 99% tactics” and many chess trainers use the “Tactics, tactics, tactics” method to good effect. Early in my coaching career I did as well but my greatest success as a coach occurred when I developed a more holistic approach. Just as daily tactical training in chess is necessary to improve at chess, so is practicing motivation, focus and commitment in order to develop your chess students into champions.
To emphasize these qualities in The Daily Chess Musings community, I organized a correspondence chess tournament for all of the 2020 Free Online Summer Camp attendees at a time control of 1 move per day. After over ten months of play and 3230, the Daily Chess Musings Summer Camp Daily Chess tournament just concluded. So today, it is my pleasure to congratulate all of those who participated and recognize the top finishers for their motivation, focus and commitment.
My plan is to continue this tradition with another Daily Chess Musings Summer Camp Daily Chess tournament for this years Free Online Summer Chess Camp attendees. So don’t forget to sign up for my free online summer chess camps! It is at these special camps that students get motivated, focus and those who remain committed become champions.
