My Quora Answer to: What are some great one-move chess puzzles?

A lot of chess enthusiasts have the unfortunate belief that Mate in 1 puzzles are too simple to bother with. However, some truly great chess composers such as Gustavus Reichhelm have been up to the seemingly impossible task of creating puzzles that are as simple as they are brilliant. Reichhelm managed to create a chessContinue reading "My Quora Answer to: What are some great one-move chess puzzles?"

So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 55

Napoleon Crossing the Alps By Jacques-Louis David. The Napoleon Opening (aka Napoleon Atrack: 1.e4 e5 2.Qf3) is considered to be a rather dubious line because white is often playing for a Scholar’s Mate in a more benign form than the more popular, but still bad, 2. Qh5. Add to the fact that white’s queen isContinue reading "So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 55"

Winning Chess Moves: Chithambaram vs Herman, 2011

Achieving a FIDE chess rating of 2700 is a significant achievement as it places a player among the elite Grandmasters of the world. A 2700 rating is a testament to exceptional skill, strategic depth, and consistency in performance. Of course, chess players who reach 2700 must overcome many setbacks in order to reach the highestContinue reading "Winning Chess Moves: Chithambaram vs Herman, 2011"

Betcha Can Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 2

Sometimes a relatively simple chess composition can be pleasing if it has a unique structure. This was the case with today’s mate in two composed by Idon Bruno Hovedskou Anderson. Enjoy… White to move and mate in 2 (by: Idon Bruno Hovedskou Anderson, source: Skakbladet, date: January, 1941).

Chess Classes vs Private Tutoring

As a professional chess coach for last 25 years, I have taught thousands of talented students in both weekly classes and private lessons. Certainly, some of my longevity as a chess professional can be attributed to being based in Silicon Valley - a region renowned for chess excellence. However, the Silicon Valley mindset is alsoContinue reading "Chess Classes vs Private Tutoring"

Winning Chess Moves: Erigaisi vs Kunin, 2024

So far in 2024, Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi has made winning on the chessboard look easy. Erigaisi’s latest accomplishment was taking clear first in the French Team Championship strong Pool A group with a whopping 2900 performance rating! Now as the highest rated player in India and ranked within the top 5 in the world,Continue reading "Winning Chess Moves: Erigaisi vs Kunin, 2024"

So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 54

I have so many fond memories from the years I ran the Fremont Summer Chess Camps at Mission San Jose Elementary School. Connecting hundreds of talented kids with the best chess teachers was an incredible experience for everyone involved. These camps helped take scholastic chess to new heights in Fremont, California and helped me developContinue reading "So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 54"

Winning Chess Moves: Magnus Carlsen vs Ding Liren, 12th Norway Chess, 2024

Two World Champions were paired against each other in the eleventh round of the 2024 edition of Norway Chess. The reigning World Champion GM Ding Liren had the black pieces against his predecessor GM Magnus Carlsen. Sometimes, when players of this caliber meet, it is helpful to have a grandmaster chess commentator explain why oneContinue reading "Winning Chess Moves: Magnus Carlsen vs Ding Liren, 12th Norway Chess, 2024"

Chess Position Worth Sharing! 156

In classical music, “variation” is a technique composers use to present material in an altered form. Oftentimes, this altered material is a variation on a theme. Similarly, chess composers use variation on a theme to create a companion piece by slightly altering the position to create a secondary puzzle. In Chess Positions Worth Sharing 155,Continue reading "Chess Position Worth Sharing! 156"

Mokele-Mbembe Sighting in San Francisco

Greetings, fellow chess adventurers! Recently I embarked on an exciting expedition to uncover the mysteries in the Mokele-Mbembe variation of Alekhine’s Defense. In this report, I will recount my firsthand experience with this rare variation. In the near future, I may reveal more of its secrets so be sure to follow along as we unravelContinue reading "Mokele-Mbembe Sighting in San Francisco"

Chess Position Worth Sharing! 155

Of course, all levels of chess players are familiar with the iconic power of the Queen to combine the attacking abilities of a rook and bishop into a single piece. However, I can not think of a better demonstration of the Queen’s abilities than is contained Gustavus Reichhelm’s puzzle entitled “The Amazon.” In this mate-in-64,Continue reading "Chess Position Worth Sharing! 155"

Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle 76

It is perfectly natural to get a little frustrated when you can’t solve a chess puzzle. So, it’s important to remember that not all chess puzzles are meant to be solved. Some chess compositions are intended to be appreciated as art. Gustavus Charles Reichhelm Most chess enthusiasts are not familiar with the name Gustavus ReichhelmContinue reading "Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle 76"

Chess Parenting: Encouraging High Expectations While Avoiding the Pitfalls of Unrealistic Goals

Recently, I revisited a blog post entitled “The Importance of Setting Lofty Goals in Chess.” While previously, I stressed the importance of setting lofty goals, I now want to speak of the dangers of having unrealistic goals. As a coach I like to separate expectations from goals. Every great chess player I have coached hadContinue reading "Chess Parenting: Encouraging High Expectations While Avoiding the Pitfalls of Unrealistic Goals"

Musings From a First-Time Tournament Organizer

Josh Wilson April 17, 2024 There is a line from the 1998 film Six Days Seven Nights where Harrison Ford retorts to Anne Heche, “It’s an island, babe. If you don’t bring it here, you won’t find it here.” While Ford was responding to Heche’s optimism about finding the magic of romance on a faraway island, theContinue reading "Musings From a First-Time Tournament Organizer"

Attack and Defend: The Ponziani Opening

The Ponziani Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3) exists just off the beaten path of the more popular Italian Game. Instead of playing 3. Bc4 and then 4. c3 (such as in the Italian Game), the Ponziani player makes an immediate grab for central space by playing 3. c3 with the ideaContinue reading "Attack and Defend: The Ponziani Opening"

So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 53

Sometimes I can almost hear C-3PO telling me that the odds of winning a chess game against a second year player when starting down ten points in material is approximately 3,720 to 1. Winning against all odds is a common theme in Star Wars and my chess classes. Playing against students with a handicap makesContinue reading "So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 53"

Why I Keep Coming to the CalChess Super States Championships

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 toContinue reading "Why I Keep Coming to the CalChess Super States Championships"

Winning Chess Moves: Euwe vs. Bernard van Mindeno, 1927

Imagine how awesome it would be to have your favorite high school math teacher become the World Chess Champion! The girls attending a Dutch Lyceum in 1935 had this happen when Machgielis “Max” Euwe defeated Alexander Alekhine in their World Championship Match. After winning the title, Max Euwe returned to the all girls Lyceum inContinue reading "Winning Chess Moves: Euwe vs. Bernard van Mindeno, 1927"

Winning Chess Moves: Koltanowski vs Diller, San Francisco, 1960

Today’s winning chess move involves a way to collect your opponent’s queen on just the fifth move! Unfortunately, you are not likely to find an opponent falling for this famous trap in the Damiano Variation of Petrov’s Defense. Still, as the great California chess ambassador George Koltanowski shows us, it’s an opening trap worth knowing.Continue reading "Winning Chess Moves: Koltanowski vs Diller, San Francisco, 1960"