The CalChess Super States (a.k.a. the CalChess Scholastic State Championship) is the annual chess tournament where a large number of Northern California’s youth chess players compete for the title of State Champion. As a chess coach, I have been attending this Northern California tournament every year for well over a quarter century. My commitment to attend lies mainly in my to desire to help children learn from their losses and grow as chess players.
My coaching philosophy is centered around the idea that winning is not the only measure of success. I believe that losing can be just as valuable, if not more so, in teaching important lessons about strategy, resilience, and sportsmanship. I make it a point to sit with my students after each match, discussing what went well and what could have been improved upon. I encourage them to see their losses as opportunities for growth and development.
Since I took over the dual roles of CalChess Scholastic Coordinator and Editor for the CalChess Journal, my duties at our Northern California Scholastic State Championships has expanded beyond coaching. I am now also the resident photographer, capturing the emotions and experiences of the young players as they navigate the challenges of the tournament. Through my articles and photos, I aim to capture the spirit of the championship and the valuable lessons learned both on and off the chessboard.
I started attend the CalChess Scholastic State Championships to work as a tournament liaison my first year in college. In 1997, I didn’t know that many people in the Northern California scholastic chess community. Over the years I have gained many friends through chess and feel very fortunate to have become a familiar figure at the CalChess Super States. Children from all corners of Northern California seek out my guidance. Many of their parents have told me how much they appreciate not only my help in improving their child’s chess skills but also the life lessons I impart about good decision making, hard work, sportsmanship, and resilience.
So year after year, I continue to attend the CalChess Super States, watching as new generations of young chess players walk to their boards while stepping into the history of Northern California chess. My passion for the game and my commitment to helping children grow rarely wavers. And I hope that my legacy as a chess mentor in California will live on in the hearts of all those whose lives I have touched just as I fondly remember all of those special people who mentored me.
While there will be lots of photos from the award ceremony, in my opinion, nothing captures the spirit of this California chess tradition than the faces of our youth chess players at the chessboards. Please flip through the photo album below and see for yourself that the future of California chess is bright.
