It is with great pleasure that I announce another ten week session of quality lessons and rated tournament play at Achiever Institute in Fremont, California. Our chess club will meet every Saturday from 1:00 until 3:00 starting Saturday May 11, 2013. The Fremont Achiever Chess Club is open to all children who aspire to improveContinueContinue reading “Chess in Fremont on Saturdays”
Author Archives: chessmusings
MSJE Wins The National Elementary Chess Championship Again!
The kids from the Mission San Jose Elementary School chess team have won the national championship title for grades k-6 at the 2013 USCF Super Nationals. Headed by coach Joe Lonsdale, the MSJE chess team became the first school in California history to win the National k-6 chess championship in 2009. Four years later, stillContinueContinue reading “MSJE Wins The National Elementary Chess Championship Again!”
On the Eve of Greatness: Part Three
It has now been several years since I first reported on the three California chess prodigies that I had the pleasure of coaching during the 2010 school year. My first article, “On The Eve of Greatness: Three California Chess Prodiogies Competing in their First National Chess Championship” shined the national spotlight onto Milind Maiti, Chenyi ZhaoContinueContinue reading “On the Eve of Greatness: Part Three”
USCF SuperNationals 2013
The time has come for the most exhilarating scholastic chess tournament of the year to commence. Over 5000 children from all over the United States have descended upon Nashville, Tennessee to decide who the best chess players in the country are. All of them have dreams and most of their dreams will be crushed. But somewhereContinueContinue reading “USCF SuperNationals 2013”
Calchess Scholastic Winter Chess Report
Below is an excerpt from the Calchess Scholastic Coordinator’s Winter Chess Report: In January, Ray Orwig once again did a stellar job running the Calchess Girls’ State Championship in San Rafael. This was Ray’s seventh year running this event and, as always, it proved to be an ideal showcase for California’s girls to demonstrate theirContinueContinue reading “Calchess Scholastic Winter Chess Report”
Chris Torres’ Chess Lessons for Children
I have a new blog with free chess lessons. Please take a look at Chess Lessons for Children by Chris Torres to play through the game Alekhine vs Supico.
Torres Chess and Music Academy All Star Team
Congratulations to Amir Dhami, Daniel Mendelevitch, Iddo Zohar, Adrian (Adi) Kisieu and Amar Dhami for being selected onto the 2013 Torres Chess and Music Academy’s All Star Team. The Torres Chess and Music Academy has many talented young chess players and the process of picking five All Stars was very difficult. These players will receiveContinueContinue reading “Torres Chess and Music Academy All Star Team”
California Chess Coach has the Blues
And it’s not what you think. My students are doing fine. Instead, I have the blues because I like it that way. For several years I have tried to come to terms with why my favorite styles of guitar are the polar opposites of classical and blues. Could it be that they relate to chess more than other genresContinueContinue reading “California Chess Coach has the Blues”
Chess Homework 2
The chess homework in section two is all about king and pawn endgames. I selected some of my favorite instructional problems of this kind and placed them in order of ascending difficulty. If your child is stumped by any of these problems he/she should seek out a Torres Chess and Music Academy teacher for an explanation. Remember to “like” the TorresContinueContinue reading “Chess Homework 2”
Chess Homework: 1
Below is the Torres Chess and Music Academy’s chess homework section 1. Find the best line for white in all the problems.
Russia vs USA Chess Match
Forty years after the greatest American chess player, Bobby Fischer, slayed Boris Spassky and the Russians to win the World Chess Championship, another classic chess battle between East and West will taking place. Officially starting on February first, 2013, Russia and the United States will do battle in a correspondence chess match for honor and pride. The last time a matchContinueContinue reading “Russia vs USA Chess Match”
Useful Junk: The Jerome Gambit
Below is another interesting game where I played the Jerome Gambit against my student, Iddo Zohar. The Jerome Gambit is an unsound specialty of mine which I like to categorize as “useful junk.” Iddo Zohar is a very talented junior chess player who you will definitely here more about in future posts. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.ContinueContinue reading “Useful Junk: The Jerome Gambit”
Eight Year Old Wins Big in Las Vegas
Torres Chess & Music Academy, Inc. 16691 Colonial TrailLathrop, CAPhone (661) 699-8348 Chesslessons@aol.com Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 31, 2012 Eight Year Old Wins Big in Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada, December 26-30, 2012)When Ben Rood walks through a casino in Las Vegas it isn’t to win money on the Craps Tables but insteadContinueContinue reading “Eight Year Old Wins Big in Las Vegas”
Paul Morphy’s Christmas Miracle
When Adolf Anderssen arrived in Paris on December 15, 1858, Paul Morphy was gravely ill. Doctors were treating his influenza with leeches and blood-letting. Despite Morphy being too weak to stand from his bed, the two strongest chess players in the world decided to play a chess match as this encounter would likely be their last. No moneyContinueContinue reading “Paul Morphy’s Christmas Miracle”
Perfect Hanukkah Gifts for Young Chess Players
With Hanukkah right around the corner, a few Jewish chess parents have inquired about chess related gifts for their little tournament players. After answering their questions directly, I thought it might be useful to post my suggestions for everyone to see. Perfect Hanukkah Gifts for Young Chess Players: Today’s young chess players are able toContinueContinue reading “Perfect Hanukkah Gifts for Young Chess Players”
Bay Area Winter Chess Camp
A special winter chess camp located in the San Francisco Bay Area is being run by nationally acclaimed chess teacher Chris Torres. The Fremont Winter Chess Camp will feature California’s best chess teachers useing their decades of chess experience to create a winter camp that is fun, competitive and educational. Camp highlights will include incredible lessons,ContinueContinue reading “Bay Area Winter Chess Camp”
Anna Ushenina is the New Women’s World Chess Champion
Congratulations to my friend Anna Ushenina on becoming the World Women’s Chess Champion. Anna, who lives in the Ukraine played forceful yet beautiful chess throughout the long event. In the end it was her uncompromising attitude at the board that allowed her to defeat the other players and become the fourteenth Women’s World Chess Champion. Below is my favorite game that Anna UsheninaContinueContinue reading “Anna Ushenina is the New Women’s World Chess Champion”
Philidor Counter Gambit: Torres Variation
Below is my contribution to the theory of the Philidor Counter-Gambit(1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5.) According to my databases, I am the first and only player to employ exd4 after white plays 4 d3. I feel that the “Torres Variation” gives black a fine game with interesting play for both sides.ContinueContinue reading “Philidor Counter Gambit: Torres Variation”
How to Beat Houdini at Chess
Below is a game I played against Houdini 3 on FICS. This version of Houdini is 64 bit running on a Intel Quad Core 2.93Ghz with 6Gigs of Ram. This was my first attempt against this program and I think I did pretty well. In fact, I believe that with an improvement or two I could haveContinueContinue reading “How to Beat Houdini at Chess”
USCF Ban on Music
On November 16, 2012 the United States Chess Federation announced updated scholastic regulations that prohibit the use of personal music players and headphones. This move was made in order to defend against perceived threats to the integrity of over-the -board chess caused by electronic devices being used as a tool for cheating. In a bold contradiction of logic,ContinueContinue reading “USCF Ban on Music”