Playing Against Chess Students 

One of my favorite traditions is playing chess against my summer chess camp students. Beyond just being fun, these occasions allows me to demonstrate strategic concepts in action, providing practical examples that go beyond theory. Moreover, playing against students fosters a supportive and collaborative environment, encourages dialogue, mutual respect, and a shared passion for chess.Continue reading "Playing Against Chess Students "

June Summer Camp Friday 6/28/2024

Thank you for joining us today. Please remember to click on both the links for “JOIN TOURNAMENT” in your group assignments every day to join the tournaments. If you do not join them in advance then you cannot play. Be sure to pay attention after you finish your first game because the next round begins rightContinue reading "June Summer Camp Friday 6/28/2024"

Live Chess Lesson with FM James Eade: Bobby Fischer vs Mikhail Tal, Leipzig, 1960

Bobby Fischer and Mikhail Tal had a great chess rivalry that produced many memorable moments. In today’s live lesson, I was joined by FM James Eade and we looked at the exciting Fischer vs Tal game from the 1960 Chess Olympiad in Leipzig. The two legendary chess players played an absolutely fascinating and hard foughtContinue reading "Live Chess Lesson with FM James Eade: Bobby Fischer vs Mikhail Tal, Leipzig, 1960"

June Summer Camp Thursday 6/27/2024

Thank you for joining us today. Please remember to click on both the links for “JOIN TOURNAMENT” in your group assignments every day to join the tournaments. If you do not join them in advance then you cannot play. Be sure to pay attention after you finish your first game because the next round begins rightContinue reading "June Summer Camp Thursday 6/27/2024"

Emory Tate Plays The Danish Gambit

This video is a live lesson from the 2024 Free Online Summer Chess Camp featuring a game played by the late International Master Emory Tate. Our feature game took place during Emory’s simultaneous exhibition given at the 2015 Fremont Summer Chess Camp. I recommended watching the video lesson with my notes from this game thatContinue reading "Emory Tate Plays The Danish Gambit"

June Summer Camp Wednesday 6/26/2024

Thank you for joining us today. Please remember to click on both the links for “JOIN TOURNAMENT” in your group assignments every day to join the tournaments. If you do not join them in advance then you cannot play. Be sure to pay attention after you finish your first game because the next round begins rightContinue reading "June Summer Camp Wednesday 6/26/2024"

June Summer Camp Tuesday 6/25/2024

Thank you for joining us today. Please remember to click on both the links for “JOIN TOURNAMENT” in your group assignments every day to join the tournaments. If you do not join them in advance then you cannot play. Be sure to pay attention after you finish your first game because the next round begins rightContinue reading "June Summer Camp Tuesday 6/25/2024"

How to Play the Danish Gambit

Today during the Free Online Summer Chess Camp, I taught a live lesson for chess players seeking to inject more aggression into your opening repertoire! Together we explored the dynamic and bold Danish Gambit. Students learned how, by sacrificing a little material early on for rapid development and attacking chances, the Danish Gambit can leadContinue reading "How to Play the Danish Gambit"

June Summer Camp Monday 6/24/2024

Thank you for joining us today. Please remember to click on both the links for “JOIN TOURNAMENT” in your group assignments every day to join the tournaments. If you do not join them in advance then you cannot play. Be sure to pay attention after you finish your first game because the next round begins rightContinue reading "June Summer Camp Monday 6/24/2024"

Father’s Day Chess Memories

This photo from July, 1966 shows my Grandfather (with spoon in hand) playing chess with my Great Grandfather. Their game took place at my Grandpa’s kitchen table, the same location as many of my games with my grandfather. He passed away in 2005. Today, on Father’s Day, I played a game of chess with allContinue reading "Father’s Day Chess Memories"

Mokele-Mbembe Case Files: Part 1

On November 14, 2020, there was a rare sighting of the Mokele-Mbembe in the wild. Those who saw the Alekhine’s Defense: Mokele Mbembe Variation used on that occasion described an aggressive sacrifice to expose the enemy king. Black undoubtedly had less than adequate compensation for the lost knight but, as is usually the case inContinue reading "Mokele-Mbembe Case Files: Part 1"

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"