The 2018 US Championship was an action packed event. The San Francisco Bay Area’s own Grandmaster Sam Shankland stole the spotlight by taking first place over such pre-tournament favorites such as Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So and Hikaru Nakamura. Norcal chess enthusiasts weren’t exactly shocked by GM Shankland’s championship run as we have long since grownContinueContinue reading “Winning Chess Moves: Caruana vs. Lenderman, 2018”
Tag Archives: chess 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”
Check This Out!
White just played Qe3. What should GM Ruifeng Li have played instead? How does FM Annie Wang punish his mistake?
World Chess Championship 2013: Preview 1 of the Anand-Carlsen Match
With the Anand-Carlsen World Championship Match just days away, I have decided to start posting some of my favorite games played by either Viswanathan Anand or Magnus Carlsen. Our first game is taken from the 2003 World Youth Chess Championships. In the gem below, a fourteen-year-old Magnus Carlsen drops the “hammer” on his fellow Norwegian.ContinueContinue reading “World Chess Championship 2013: Preview 1 of the Anand-Carlsen Match”
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 Two
Tomorrow two of my favorite young chess players will begin play at the World Youth Chess Championship in Maribor, Slovenia. As the President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy, I have had the distinct pleasure of coaching many of the top ranking scholastic chess players from California and can comfortably state that the two players describedContinueContinue reading “On the Eve of Greatness: Part Two”
Anand-Gelfand 2012: Game 10
Before the start of the 2012 World Chess Championship, many notable experts on chess considered Boris Gelfand to be a weak contender and a huge underdog against Viswanathan Anand. Now that ten hard games have been fought, the underdog has proven himself to be the equal of the world champion. Perhaps Boris Gelfand will surprise the world again by demonstrating hisContinueContinue reading “Anand-Gelfand 2012: Game 10”
Anand-Gelfand 2012: Round 6
Game six of the 2012 World Chess Championship between Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand began in exactly the same manner as games two and four. By move six, Boris Gelfand decided to try a different line against Anand’s Semi-Slav. The real fun began when Anand decided to gambit a pawn on move 14. Unfazed by his opponent’s ingenuity, GelfandContinueContinue reading “Anand-Gelfand 2012: Round 6”
Anand-Gelfand 2012: Round 5
Game 5 of the 2012 World Chess Championship between Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand began with 1 e4. Gelfand, as was expected, opted for a Sicilian Defence. This game, like its four predecessors, was incredibly well-played and ended in a draw. Anyone who was hoping this match would be a blood sport must be disappointed. Chess purists, onContinueContinue reading “Anand-Gelfand 2012: Round 5”
Anand-Gelfand 2012: Round 2
Another Day and another draw. This time round it was Anand who showed no difficulty moving the black pieces in a precisely played Semi-Slav. This, of course was not do to Gelfand playing for a draw. The line he chose to use against Anand’s defense he has used twice and won twice with. It isContinueContinue reading “Anand-Gelfand 2012: Round 2”
2012 USCF National Elementary (K-6) Chess Championship : Day 1
Day one of the 2012 USCF National Elementary (K-6) Chess Championship is in the books. Several of California’s top chess players still remain undefeated. In the K-1 Section Stephen He and Rishith Susarla scored 2/2. In the K-3 Section Mihir Bhuptani, Tommy Koh, and Ben Rood also have perfect scores. In the K-5 Section Amit SantContinueContinue reading “2012 USCF National Elementary (K-6) Chess Championship : Day 1”
Anand-Gelfand 2012: Round 1
Round 1 of the 2012 World Chess Championship between Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand was a spectacular contest. My only disappointment with the game is that it did not last longer. Anand, as I had predicted, played 1. d4 to kick things off. It was Boris Gelfand’s choice of the Grunfeld Defense which surprised chess enthusiasts the world over. Gelfand,ContinueContinue reading “Anand-Gelfand 2012: Round 1”
2012 U.S.C.F. National Elementary (K-6) Chess Championship
Beginning May 11, Nashville Tennessee will host the 2012 U.S.C.F National Elementary Chess Championship. This is the paramount annual chess event for children ages 4-12. Below is a highly biased preview for this year’s event. The competitors listed in this article are all kids I have the pleasure of playing chess with on a weeklyContinueContinue reading “2012 U.S.C.F. National Elementary (K-6) Chess Championship”
World Chess Championship 2012: Anand-Gelfand
In a few days, Boris Gelfand of Israel will attempt to strip the crown off of reigning world chess champion Viswanathan Anand in a highly publicized match to determine the new king of chess. The Israeli challenger’s task of defeating Anand will be the most difficult of his long career and likely the last chanceContinueContinue reading “World Chess Championship 2012: Anand-Gelfand”
Mission San Jose Elementary Dominates the Calchess Scholastic State Championship
The Mission San Jose Elementary School chess dynasty was extended another year at the 2012 Calchess State Scholastic Championship. MSJE, again, swept all the championship sections for elementary school aged children. Several of the Mission San Jose Elementary players also won individual State Championship titles or finished in the top ten of their section. TheContinueContinue reading “Mission San Jose Elementary Dominates the Calchess Scholastic State Championship”
Eight Year Old Wins Grade 4-5 Chess Championship in California
Chess history was made on April 22, 2012. Ben Rood, while still only eight years old, won first place in the grade 4-5 section at the Calchess Scholastic State Chess Championship. California has been home to many youthful chess prodigies since I started attending the Calchess Scholastic State Chess Championship. A few that comeContinueContinue reading “Eight Year Old Wins Grade 4-5 Chess Championship in California”
National K-12 Chess Championship 2011, Day 1
The first day of the National K-12 Chess Championship is in the books and more than half the field of players can no longer contend for a National Championship. Two California six-year-olds are still in contention to bring home the ultimate prize. Both Rishith Susarla and Milind Maiti scored a perfect two wins out ofContinueContinue reading “National K-12 Chess Championship 2011, Day 1”
National K-12 Chess Championship 2011
Dallas, Texas is being bombarded by young chess players with dreams of national championships. Texans should not be alarmed by children armed with weighted chess pieces because November 18 – 20 is the 2011 United States Chess Federation’s National K-12 Chess Championships. The USCF National K-12 Chess Championship is the premier grade-level chess tournamentContinueContinue reading “National K-12 Chess Championship 2011”
Women’s World Chess Championship 2011: Round 1
Game one of the 2011 Women’s World Chess Championship concluded in a draw. Koneru Humpy played the Catalan with the white pieces and demonstrated a great understanding of a Catalan middle game. Hou Yifan blunted Humpy’s attack by sacrificing a pawn at the perfect moment to reach an endgame she could play into a draw.ContinueContinue reading “Women’s World Chess Championship 2011: Round 1”
World Youth Chess Championship 2011
This November the world’s most talented players who are eighteen years and younger will converge upon Caldas Novas, Brazil in order to compete in the 2011 World Youth Chess Championship. These extraordinary chess talents will do battle for nine rounds in hopes of placing in the top three for their age group. Those fortunate enoughContinueContinue reading “World Youth Chess Championship 2011”