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’sContinue reading “A Very Sunny Chess Tournament”
Tag Archives: Chris Torres chess
The CalChess Journal: Winter 2022-23
Perhaps you’ve heard that the chess scene in Northern California is amazing! See what makes our region special by checking out the Winter 2022-23 Edition of The CalChess Journal. https://www.flipsnack.com/calchessjournal/calchess-journal-winter-2023.html
Photos from the 2023 CalChess K-5 Scholastic State Championship
This past weekend I was in attendance for the historic 2022-23 CalChess Scholastic State Championship and there was no place I rather be! Bay Area Chess put on a great tournament and as the CalChess Scholastic Coordinator I had the pleasure to review dozens of chess games and saying “hi” to hundreds of friends. BeingContinue reading “Photos from the 2023 CalChess K-5 Scholastic State Championship”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 50
What’s better than finding money in an old jacket that you haven’t worn in years? Perhaps discovering a notation sheet to a nice game you forgot you played stuffed inside an old chess book. Back in 2013, I recall regularly experimenting with Grob’s Attack. Occasionally I did so while running my now legendary Fremont ChessContinue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 50”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 49
Inspired by the Tarrasch vs Romberg game I previously posted, my own game against a student in Foster City, California is one of my best efforts in recent times. After a long time thinking about how best to respond to 10… Ba6, I am proud to have planned a most effective and epic journey forContinue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 49”
Playing Against Mittens
I reached an interesting endgame against Mittens by playing the Brooklyn Variation of Alekhine’s Defense (1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8). Check out my game vs @chesscom diabolical cat bot here:
Playing Chess with a Student 1/5/2023
In tonight’s live chess stream, California chess coach Chris Torres uses the infamous “center fork trick” in a training game against a talented student. The chess game takes on a surprisingly tactical flavor and both players are forced to avoid threats of checkmate while in time trouble.
Birthday Simul 2022 + Special Emory Tate Chess Lesson
As is my annual tradition, I took an opportunity to play several young chess players in a simultaneous exhibition to celebrate my birthday. This year’s Birthday Simul took place on December 20th (not December 18th) so as not to conflict with The Calchess Grade Level Championships which took place on my actual birthday. The eventContinue reading “Birthday Simul 2022 + Special Emory Tate Chess Lesson”
Chess Memories of Birthdays Past
When I was a younger man, I didn’t need to take a day off to rest on my birthday (December 18th). I much preferred going to work, which for most of my adult life, means playing chess with young people. I turned 35 on December 18th 2012 and went to my after school chess classContinue reading “Chess Memories of Birthdays Past”
Highlights from the 2022 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Finals in San Francisco
Chess fans around the globe were excited to watch some of our game’s biggest stars competing in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Finals in San Francisco. The prestigious event took place on November 14-20, 2022. The format was a round-robin featuring eight elite chess competitors (GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda, GM Arjun Erigaisi, GMContinue reading “Highlights from the 2022 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Finals in San Francisco “
Halloween Blitz Chess Extravaganza 2022
October 29, 2022 – The first night of the Extravaganza! October 30, 2022 – Night two of the Extravaganza! Winners We will message you on Chess.com for your address so you can receive your prize! MahatAr 113 Tylman 119 chuppecat 125 Sophiafeifei0 190 ThunderingKavin 204 Participants Tylman 100 KrishMathimaran 101 luckylol3 102 Sophiafeifei0 103 KowarenaiContinue reading “Halloween Blitz Chess Extravaganza 2022”
Plenty of Real Chess Drama at the Real Bay Area Championship
Chess players from around the San Francisco Bay Area showed up to battle for a share of the $10,000 prize fund at The Real Bay Area Championship this weekend in Milpitas, California. I took a break from analyzing games to capture photographs of the over-the-board chess drama. Look for a full report on this excitingContinue reading “Plenty of Real Chess Drama at the Real Bay Area Championship “
The CalChess Journal Spring/Summer 2022
The CalChess Journal is the official news magazine for Northern California chess. In the Spring/Summer issue you can read about the most important California chess events of the last several months and see the games of Norcal chess’ top players. Special thanks to Bay Area Chess, The Berkeley Chess School, The Eade Foundation, Mission 360,Continue reading “The CalChess Journal Spring/Summer 2022”
Best Educational Chess Lesson
Awarded by Chess Journalist of America I am deeply honored and humbled to have been selected to receive the Chess Journalists of America’s Best Educational Lesson award. It was especially meaningful to receive this award for A Night at the Opera. The very first time I showed this game to a class, I put aContinue reading “Best Educational Chess Lesson”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 47
A mate in 7 can seem daunting but they aren’t always difficult to solve. Technically the position below is indeed a mate in 7 for white, but that’s only because black can throw pieces away blocking the first check to extend the game unnecessarily. So, in the actual game, I checkmated in just five moves.Continue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 47”
So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 46
My student (white) has just played Nbd2. What is the simple yet beautiful game winning response I played as black?
Better Notate Your Chess Games
Because, once the game is over, the King and the pawn go back in the same box. The queen, and the bishops who serve her, will experience the same fate. Don’t worry about the horses, they’re going away too. Even the castles will disappear. Better notate your game. So when your own time at theContinue reading “Better Notate Your Chess Games”
Chess Position Worth Sharing 142
Tonight I showed Werner Springe vs Hans Gebhardt, Munich 1927 to my chess students at Gomes Elementary School in Fremont, California. This game, played by relatively unknown players, is a delightful choice for a chess lesson. In the position below, black has just played pawn to h6 threatening white’s bishop. What is white’s best move?
Some Coffee and a Danish Gambit
I felt as though I was following in the footsteps of Dr. Hans Anton Westesson Lindehn by playing the Danish Gambit at Rook-odds. However, Lindehn played without his queen’s rook while I did without my king’s. Additionally, instead of playing at the Café de la Régence, I was playing at Peet’s Coffee. Still it makesContinue reading “Some Coffee and a Danish Gambit”
Don’t Miss Out on These Exciting FIDE Events from Mission 360 and Bay Area Chess!
Organizing a successful IM or GM norm chess tournament is no easy feat. During the planning and lead up there are lots of things that organizers need to pay attention to and keep track of. Whether it’s sending invitations to foreign titled chess players, meeting all of FIDE’s technical requirements, calculating the requisiteContinue reading “Don’t Miss Out on These Exciting FIDE Events from Mission 360 and Bay Area Chess!”