Sometimes I can almost hear C-3PO telling me that the odds of winning a chess game against a second year player when starting down ten points in material is approximately 3,720 to 1. Winning against all odds is a common theme in Star Wars and my chess classes. Playing against students with a handicap makesContinueContinue reading “So I was just playing a game of #chess and then this happened! 53”
Tag Archives: Chris Torres chess
A Friendly Game of Chess
Chess journalist Julius du Mont (12/15/1881 – 4/7/1956) wrote of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) that it “is unsound, but has the saving grace of leading to a lively game and is therefore suitable for an occasional friendly game.” Du Mont was the Editor of British Chess Magazine and authoredContinueContinue reading “A Friendly Game of Chess”
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 “
2024 US Amateur Team West Tournament
https://youtu.be/yuYr4RbLTCs Greetings chess players! My name is Chris Torres and this is my Daily Chess Musing for February 13, 2024. It’s almost time for the 54th annual US Amateur Team West chess tournament. A President’s Day Weekend tradition, the USATW is a fun chess event open to teams of four players plus an optional alternate.ContinueContinue reading “2024 US Amateur Team West Tournament “
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”
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. BeingContinueContinue 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. My old copy of 107 Great Chess Battles, 1939-1945 by Alexander Alekhine. Back in 2013, I recall regularly experimenting with Grob’sContinueContinue 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 forContinueContinue 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: https://youtu.be/egBLSeCjNDs
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. https://youtu.be/VFGc3kOB95E
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 eventContinueContinue 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. Kneeling next to Andrew Peng on my birthday in 2012. I turned 35 on DecemberContinueContinue 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, GMContinueContinue 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! https://youtu.be/r1V6BLJEl9Q October 30, 2022 – Night two of the Extravaganza! https://youtu.be/-Xu6WzjOXAA Winners We will message you on Chess.com for your address so you can receive your prize! MahatAr113Tylman119chuppecat125Sophiafeifei0190ThunderingKavin204 Participants Tylman100KrishMathimaran101luckylol3102Sophiafeifei0103Kowarenai104AshwinMathimaran105SmartField106NeevSuperChess107KrishMathimaran108Sophiafeifei0109chuppecat110KrishMathimaran111Sophiafeifei0112MahatAr113luckylol3114MahatAr115chuppecat116luckylol3117KrishMathimaran118Tylman119np2015120chuppecat121luckylol3122np2015123lohithpa124chuppecat125EiffelTower8894126crosserbishop127Sophiafeifei0128AshwinMathimaran129NeevSuperChess130Kowarenai131Kowarenai132Sophiafeifei0133lohithpa134Kowarenai135np2015136Kowarenai137AshwinMathimaran138Kowarenai139SmartField140luckylol3141EiffelTower8894142Kowarenai143Tylman144MahatAr145chuppecat146KrishMathimaran147KrishMathimaran148SmartField149AshwinMathimaran150SmartField151Tylman152crosserbishop153SmartField154Poochi1155jrs_ns156Kunj_1157Poochi1158batelab159SmartField160stesan60161Kunj_1162Sophiafeifei0163RohanFeb164Poochi1165DarkSoul200166luckylol3167luckylol3168B_BABY_YODA_A169batelab170ChessMasterGS171B_BABY_YODA_A172Kowarenai173Sophiafeifei0174ChessMasterGS175SmartField176RohanFeb177justelliott61970178batelab179ChessMasterGS180Kunj_1181EiffelTower8894182ThunderingKavin183SmartField184ThunderingKavin185justelliott61970186B_BABY_YODA_A187Sophiafeifei0188Poochi1189Sophiafeifei0190AFX2012191DarkSoul200192RohanFeb193Kowarenai194Kowarenai195SmartField196ThunderingKavin197stesan60198Kunj_1199Kunj_1200Kowarenai201jrs_ns202B_BABY_YODA_A203ThunderingKavin204EiffelTower8894205B_BABY_YODA_A206ChessMasterGS207DarkSoul200208ChessMasterGS209AFX2012210SmartField211DarkSoul200212RohanFeb213Poochi1214ChessMasterGS215justelliott61970216Kunj_1217DarkSoul200218Kowarenai219luckylol3220
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 excitingContinueContinue 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,ContinueContinue 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 aContinueContinue 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.ContinueContinue 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? What is black’s best move?