Chess players regularly differentiate between effective outcomes and efficient results; the former means “having the desired effect,” while the latter means “having a desired effect in the fewest moves or timeframe.” Chess puzzles often require us to be more efficient in moves than effectively necessary while performance ratings only measure the effectiveness of our movesContinue reading “Balancing Effective Outcomes With Efficient Results”
Tag Archives: chess players
Do strong chess players today possess different qualities than their predecessors in the 1800’s?
Question: Given the increase in chess theory, are different kinds of people likely to be strong chess players now than in the 1800s or earlier (e.g., people with greater memory)? Answer: It’s also important to realize that brute memorization is not a very important factor in chess success. The important factors that the 19th centuryContinue reading “Do strong chess players today possess different qualities than their predecessors in the 1800’s?”
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Mission San Jose Elementary Takes Chess to a New Level
Mission San Jose Elementary School in Fremont, California has, for decades, fielded the most successful chess teams the Golden State has ever produced. Year after year, the relatively small public school’s chess club trains hundreds of students in the art of aggressive chess play. Those who excel at the club are invited to participate in the more exclusive MondayContinue reading “Mission San Jose Elementary Takes Chess to a New Level”
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens penned “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” as his opening line in his masterpiece A Tale of Two Cities. I found myself pondering Dickens work and applying the opening line to the plight of the poor chess players in two Bay Area cities. As many of my readerContinue reading “A Tale of Two Cities”
San Francisco’s Chess Blunder Continues to Receive Negative Press
I was very pleased to find that NBC Bay Area has run a story on San Francisco’s decision to close down the famous chess games on Market Street. Here is the link to the article entitled “Chess Games a Pawn in San Francisco Redevelopment. Perhaps with more attention being focused on this issue from main stream newsContinue reading “San Francisco’s Chess Blunder Continues to Receive Negative Press”
An Open Letter to Gavin Newsom
Mayor Newsom, San Francisco has lost one of its more charming attractions. It used to be that pedestrians strolling down Market Street near the Powell BART station would be treated to lively blitz games played by eclectic groups of chess enthusiasts. When in the area, I would frequently find myself battling wits with investment bankers, street merchants, tourists,Continue reading “An Open Letter to Gavin Newsom”