So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 42

This evening’s position is from a training game I played with a student earlier today. My young opponent just blocked my rook’s check with Bd3 so as to avoid losing his queen on d1. Does this work? What is black’s best move? Sign up for a private chess lesson with Chris Torres and maybe aContinue reading "So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 42"

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 137

In round 4 of the 2003 Corus Chess Tournament, Michal Vladimirovich Krasenkow fought admirably for 79 moves before allowing Vladimir Kramnik to end the game with a cute one-two combination. Can you spot Kramnik’s mating maneuver? White to move and mate in 2 (Kramnik vs. Krasenkow, 2003 Corus Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Ned.).

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 136

Great chess players have a way of making it look easy. However, making it look easy requires a lot of work. For instance, just to get to the feature position in today’s puzzle, Boris Spassky had to spend hours grinding out a winning position. (Not to mention the years of hard work to become anContinue reading "#Chess Position Worth Sharing 136"

Facilitative Ball Sharing in Chess

Basketball fans throw around terms like “ball hogs” and “facilitators”. A poor point guard, for example, will “hog the ball” attempting to be the star to the detriment of the team. A good point guard is a facilitator for the entire team setting the plays and passing the ball to a teammate with the bestContinue reading "Facilitative Ball Sharing in Chess"

Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 59

Considering that the black king is utterly alone in a forest of white pieces, this mate in two puzzle is rather tricky. Can you find the only two move checkmating line for white? White to move and mate in 2 (composed by Nils Adrian Bakke, 2006).

Winning Chess Moves: Mieses vs Von Bardeleben, 1905

Curt Carl Alfred von Bardeleben Curt von Bardeleben was a most interesting chess personality and managed to lose in some of the most beautiful ways possible. Of course, many students of chess are quite familiar with the triumph Wilhelm Steinitz played over Curt Carl Alfred von Bardeleben at Hastings in 1895, but also of noteContinue reading "Winning Chess Moves: Mieses vs Von Bardeleben, 1905"

A California Chess Tradition Returns: The People’s Tournament

Chess players in California are flocking to Santa Clara, California to play in the upcoming People’s Tournament, Young People’s Championship and People’s Blitz. The People’s Tournament is a prestigious annual chess tournament with a storied history. This year’s event continues an important 45 year California chess tradition. Don’t miss out on your chance to competeContinue reading "A California Chess Tradition Returns: The People’s Tournament"

Available Now: Private Lessons with Chess Coach Chris Torres

Dramatic checkmating combinations and vast tactical complications, a thick forest of opening trees and the esoteric plans of the ancient masters – the chessboard is a place of stunning creativity and eternal curiosity. Through it we can escape into a world of untamed gambits, beautiful sacrifices and fascinating storylines. Sign up for a customized oneContinue reading "Available Now: Private Lessons with Chess Coach Chris Torres"

Chess Chat: Q&A With Michael Buss, America’s Preeminent Correspondence Chess Master

Michael Buss is currently the number one ranked correspondence chess player in the United States and further separates himself from the pack by having won the prestigious Golden Knights championship on multiple occasions. Some of his success in correspondence chess can be attributed to his “press on” attitude which he developed in his distinguished careerContinue reading "Chess Chat: Q&A With Michael Buss, America’s Preeminent Correspondence Chess Master"

MOURNING EVGENY SVESHNIKOV

https://youtu.be/e8Y39jjPdKA Greetings Chess Players. My name is Chris Torres and this is my daily chess musing for Sunday, August 22, 2021. The chess world is mourning the loss of Grandmaster Evgeny Sveshnikov who passed away on August 18th at the age of 71. Chess players have probably heard his name in relation to the popularContinue reading "MOURNING EVGENY SVESHNIKOV"

Summer Games Winners!

https://youtu.be/LEL5McKQj3g Greetings Chess Players. My name is Chris Torres and this is my daily chess musing for Saturday, August 21, 2021. The Daily Chess Musings Summer Games took place on chess.com from August 2 - 6. Over the five days, scores of chess players who are members of the Daily Chess Musings chess club competedContinue reading "Summer Games Winners!"

Emotional Weakness in Chess

As compared to emotionless computers, human chess is inconsistent. Computers may lose at chess but they don’t have “bad days” where their performance is inexplicably poor. Emotional thinking, therefore, appears to present a weakness for decision making in humans. Chess Scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Obviously, we are biological creatures and emotions have byContinue reading "Emotional Weakness in Chess"

July Camp Points & Prizes

Hello Chess Players! First place shirt + private lesson with Coach Torres + entry to pyramid  Second place shirt + entry to pyramid  Third place shirt Fourth & Fifth place button 6-10 sticker Absolute Beginners 1Isaiah Ndukubazaythundersmash81792Luca AeberhardLucaSwiss13813Mia Mooredot2021564Srini KaSrini_Ka255Samuel Huangmehuman1216Chris HuangFalconyChris3 Beginners 1Jayden Ndukubajayndukuba2102Philip TullisPhilipTullis773Ben BrennanLunaateacookie494Kaitlyn PhamCookieKiki465Jason YuanJyxz575436Heidi Brennanleafwinggoddess397Becky Brennanmaplewolf24378Eayon HsuEa2181229Eadburt HsuEa200451810Solomon BreimhorstMakingMovesA111111Menna MohamedLavender_blu512KatherineContinue reading "July Camp Points & Prizes"

Correspondence Chess is Making News!

The Associated Press has a piece about the Daily Chess Musings Rated Correspondence Chess Pyramid. The article entitled, “Taking Time for Correspondence Chess in a Fast-Paced World” details the history of correspondence chess leading up to our US Chess rated correspondence chess tournament on chess.com. Here is a screenshot of the feature article. If youContinue reading "Correspondence Chess is Making News!"

Lots of Chess Fun in August

Summer Vacation may be coming to a close, but we have a lot of fun activities in store for the final days of break. Coming up in just the next couple of weeks, we have the inaugural Daily Chess Musings Summer Games and our Free Online Summer Chess Camp for the month of August! TheContinue reading "Lots of Chess Fun in August"

All Chess Masters Are Stoic

Not all stoics are chess players, but all chess masters are stoic. Knights who sacrifice themselves, contemplating truth, baring their brains among the scholars of war. Burning neurons like Tal’s cigarettes. Quiet! Listen to the whispering eyes in the room evaluate them. Their positions busting along with their hearts. Watch them! Staring with disillusion atContinue reading "All Chess Masters Are Stoic"

Winning Chess Moves: Bronstein vs Geller, 1961

There have been many great chess players over the years, but only a small percentage of them manage to captivate the public imagination and receive considerable mainstream attention at any given time. David Bronstein never became a world champion, but there's no denying that at the height of his career, he frequently captivated imaginations whileContinue reading "Winning Chess Moves: Bronstein vs Geller, 1961"

My Quora Answer to: Is there a shortcut for becoming really good in chess?

Under the best of circumstances, becoming really good in chess is a serious endeavor that takes a considerable amount of time. Millions of individuals like playing chess, but only a few can master the game. What is the reason for this? Chess is, simply said, one of the most complicated games ever devised. Despite theContinue reading "My Quora Answer to: Is there a shortcut for becoming really good in chess?"