Playing against students is a crucial aspect of a chess coach’s role, particularly in preparing them for significant tournaments. In today’s lesson video, I play a final practice with a student before the US Junior Chess Congress. This prestigious tournament, which will occur this weekend in Northern California, has longer time controls so practicing howContinueContinue reading “Helping My Chess Student Prepare for the US Junior Congress National Championship”
Tag Archives: california chess coach
Exciting News: Winter Chess Camp Featured in the Fremont Patch!
I am thrilled to share some exciting news with our readers! Daily Chess Musings has been featured in an article by the Fremont Patch, highlighting our Winter Chess Camp in celebration of Gukesh Dommaraju and the impact it’s making in the Fremont chess community. The article, titled “Free Online Chess Camp in Celebration of GukeshContinueContinue reading “Exciting News: Winter Chess Camp Featured in the Fremont Patch!”
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 leadContinueContinue reading “How to Play the Danish Gambit”
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 toContinueContinue reading “Why I Keep Coming to the CalChess Super States Championships”
Chess Tournament at the Mechanics’ Institute in San Francisco
https://youtu.be/Q4oyWkA47tI Greetings Chess Players! My name is Chris Torres and this is my Daily Chess Musing for Friday, February 16th, 2024. A good coach is said to put players in positions where they can succeed. As the CalChess Scholastic Coordinator, I use Daily Chess Musings as a platform to coach all of our youth chessContinueContinue reading “Chess Tournament at the Mechanics’ Institute in San Francisco “
A Very Sunny Chess Tournament
Daily Chess Musings wrapped up its 2022-23 school year in style with a free chess tournament on Saturday, June 3. My students took this opportunity to show off their chess skills at A Very Sunny Academy in Foster City, California. Titled “A Very Sunny Chess Tournament” this event was was the culmination of another year’sContinueContinue reading “A Very Sunny Chess Tournament”
DCM Spring Invitational Chess Tournament in Los Altos Hills
On Saturday, April 22, I hosted the Daily Chess Musings Spring Invitational Chess Tournament at the Fremont Hills Country Club in Los Altos Hills, California. This was a very special event for me as it was the first invitational chess tournament I have organized since the onset of the pandemic. As is my tradition, thereContinueContinue reading “DCM Spring Invitational Chess Tournament in Los Altos Hills”
Why Young Chess Players Should Focus on Pawn Endgames
Opening courses and books get all the love from consumers. However, it is of much greater practical importance for young chess players wishing to get better at chess to spend time mastering basic endgame techniques instead of investing hours of time memorizing lines of openings made fashionable by popular chess streamers. My advice on thisContinueContinue reading “Why Young Chess Players Should Focus on Pawn Endgames”
Photos from the 2023 US Amateur Team West Championship Scholastic Chess Tournament
The US Amateur Team West Championship is one of the most enjoyable California chess traditions. A team event, the US Amateur Team West attracts all the usual faces and their friends to compete in a weekend long celebration of chess. Each year there is also a USATW Scholastic Tournament. As a chess coach, Editor forContinueContinue reading “Photos from the 2023 US Amateur Team West Championship Scholastic Chess Tournament “
Viewer Requests: Position of the Week 2
1k3r2/p1n4b/1p3r1p/6p1/8/2P2N2/1P1QN1PP/1K6 w – – 0 1 This week’s submission comes from a student in Fremont California and deals with the age old question of which is better, a queen or two rooks. Generally a queen is stronger against uncoordinated rooks and especially so with pawns on both sides of the board. However, in our featureContinueContinue reading “Viewer Requests: Position of the Week 2”
Viewer Requests: Position of the Week 1
8/8/k7/4PP1p/3pK2P/2b5/8/8 w – – 0 1 Chess Dad & Coach Arun from Fremont California asked me to break this complex endgame down for his students. Watch below to see how this position plays out. https://youtu.be/qkYlNjVWD1o
Francisco Friday for 6/10/2022
When it comes to attacking in chess, the stronger, the faster and the more difficult to deal with, the better. In today’s game, attacking maestro Francisco Anchondo uses a well conducted early pawn storm to penetrate his opponent’s defenses with brute force. [Event “Casual Blitz game”] [Date “2022.03.12”] [White “Anonymous”] [Black “Francisco Anchondo”] [Result “0-1”]ContinueContinue reading “Francisco Friday for 6/10/2022”
Francisco Friday for 6/3/2022
Popular with beginners who strictly follow the time honored opening principles they have been taught, The Four Knights Opening has a reputation of leading to a rather dull positional game. However, Francisco Anchondo makes a habit of taking an opening with a dull reputation and running it through a metaphoric knife sharpener until it canContinueContinue reading “Francisco Friday for 6/3/2022”
Francisco Friday for 4/22/22
There’s not a lot of crossover between groups of chess and boxing aficionados despite the two activities sharing many similarities. For example, watching white’s queen movement at the end of this game brings to mind the famous Muhammad Ali quote, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Also, perhaps the best way to describeContinueContinue reading “Francisco Friday for 4/22/22”
Yes, I Teach Private Chess Lessons
At the Calchess Super States, a few chess parents inquired if I teach private chess lessons. I do coach chess privately and there are two main benefits to taking private chess lessons with me: 1. Your child’s lessons will be customized to accelerate their learning process. 2. Your child will get my one-on-one attention whenContinueContinue reading “Yes, I Teach Private Chess Lessons”
Brilliancy Prize for the 2022 K-5 CalChess Super State Championship
https://youtu.be/jV8nx3Hl9I0 Greetings Northern California chess players. My name is Chris Torres and I am excited to tell you about the Brilliancy Prizes for the K-5 CalChess Super State Championship. This year, in collaboration with The Eade Foundation, we will be awarding a couple of signed copies of the top selling chess book “Chess for Dummies”ContinueContinue reading “Brilliancy Prize for the 2022 K-5 CalChess Super State Championship “
Preparing Youth Chess Players for the State Scholastic Championships
March and April are traditionally the months that State Chess Organizations hold their Scholastic State Championships sometimes referred to as “Super States.” So it is, every year around this time, I receive lots of questions about the best way to prepare a young chess player for the Scholastic State Championships. Most of my students whoContinueContinue reading “Preparing Youth Chess Players for the State Scholastic Championships”
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 theContinueContinue reading “My Quora Answer to: Is there a shortcut for becoming really good in chess?”
News About Our Summer Chess Camp
Did you see the feature story on our Free Online Chess Camp published in the Associated Press? The AP article entitled “Top California Chess Coach Teaches Free Online Chess Camps” details how Daily Chess Musings offers free online summer chess camps for players all ages and skill levels. Please share information about these camps withContinueContinue reading “News About Our Summer Chess Camp”
Chris Torres Offers Online Chess Lessons
and would love to help your child play better chess now! Reasons to try an Online Lesson with Chris: 1. Follow up to in-person chess lessons to check on your child’s understanding. 2. Live too far away to come often for private instruction. 3. Preparing for a major tournament with a coach who has taughtContinueContinue reading “Chris Torres Offers Online Chess Lessons”