Francisco Anchondo is a noteworthy chess player and an important figure in Northern California chess history. As a tournament player, he had many successful results including winning the Club Championship at the esteemed Hayward Chess Club in 1994 and 1996. Additionally, he is was part of a very elite club of Fremont chess coaches who taught chess at both Weibel Elementary School and Mission San Jose Elementary School during the heyday (early 2000’s) of scholastic chess in the area when both teams won National Championships. The only other coaches to have taught at both schools were the legendary Richard Shorman and myself.
In recent years, Francisco Anchondo has moved out of the East Bay and is enjoying the retired life in the quiet community of Clearlake Oaks, California. Occasionally though, Francisco returns to the tournament scene where his play is reminiscent of his hero, Mikhail Tal. It was at the recent North American Open in Las Vegas that Francisco was paired against his old partner at Weibel, chess coach Jason Cruz.
Jason Cruz began his chess journey at age 8 when his mother taught him the game. His passion grew in early adulthood as he studied and competed in local and national tournaments. Over the past 20 years, he has coached hundreds of children through after-school programs and schools, including the Weibel Elementary School Chess Team.
It was an ironinic twist of fate that these two chess coaches who had worked together on friendly terms for the Weibel Chess Club were paired against one another at a major chess tournament in Las Vegas. Friendship aside, when forced to confront each other across the chessboard in Round 2 of the 2024 North American Open, Francisco Anchondo did not hold back.
[Event “North American Open”]
[Site “Las Vegas “]
[Date “2024.12.27”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Jason Cruz”]
[Black “Francisco Anchondo “]
[Result “0-1”]
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 f5 3.e3 Nf6 4.d4 e4 5.g3 c6 6.Bg2 d5 7.Qb3 Bd6 8.Bd2 Bc7 9.Nge2
O-O 10.Nf4 Bxf4 11.gxf4 b6 12.O-O-O Kh8 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Kb1 Bb7 15.Ne2 Ng4
16.Rdf1 Ba6 17.Qd1 Bd3+ 18.Ka1 a5 19.f3 Nf6 20.Rfg1 Nc6 21.fxe4 fxe4 22.h3 Qe7
23.Nc3 Nb4 24.b3 a4 25.Nxa4 Nc2+ 26.Kb2 Rxa4
0-1
Below are my favorite key moments from this game:
12… Kh8: Francisco calls this a “typical Tal move” and he would know as he played several blitz games against Mikhail Tal.
13.Kb1? Ng4 14.Rdf1 dxc4 15.Qxc4 Ba6!
18…. a5: Preparing Nc6 and then Nb4. Even if White advances a pawn to a3, it won’t stop Francisco from playing Nb4!
The complete chess game as an animated gif:
As you can see from this game, Francisco Anchondo’s aggressive style is uncompromising. A great deal of attacking ideas can be discovered by playing through his games. Several more games of his have been featured on this blog so that readers can easily view more of Francisco Anchondo’s attacking chess.
Hi:
I’m a friend of Frank’s since he was first stationed aboard the U.S.S. Carl Vinson. I met him on his ship, where he was serving as Acting Captain (even though he was an enlisted man, not an officer!), while the other captain was ashore. He bunked immediately below the other captain, and was his ‘right hand man’. Back then (circa December 1983) we played speed chess one deck below the bridge (where he bunked, high up in the tower). He’d come to the attention of the other captain due to his chess expertise. He’d been entering tournaments all around the globe, and winning, while on other ships. The Vinson was newly home-ported in Alameda at that time, still loading planes, etc. Frank had sent a Chess Challenge to the Bay Area via an advertisement in the S.F. Chronicle, and I responded, apparently the only one. He was, by far, the strongest chess player I ever met. Apparently I took him by surprise, as I won our first speed-chess (5-minute) game. He then proceeded to trounce me for about 8 speed-chess games (though I did develop a few won-positions, which I could not win due to time constraints – he was highly practiced at rapid speed moves under time pressure). His officer friends, in his room with him, began claiming I’d probably not be leaving the ship if I couldn’t win. I buckled down, won another game, and announced I was taking my leave. Frank wanted to play some more, but I wanted to get off the ship while the getting was good! He was single then, but I had wife waiting at home! He’d been kind enough to have me eat dinner with the crew, and sit me in the Captains seat overlooking the deck far below. We kept in touch for several more years, while he was stationed on other ships, etc. Greatest military man I ever met!
Anyway, I contacted with Frank again about a decade ago, but I don’t have his current contact information. I drive through California a lot (I’m still in Utah where Frank came to visit once), and I’d enjoy getting back in touch. If you have contact information, please provide Frank mine, or he can email or text or call.
Many thanks,
Walter L. Wagner
808-443-6344
retlawdad@hotmail.com