Forty years after the greatest American chess player, Bobby Fischer, slayed Boris Spassky and the Russians to win the World Chess Championship, another classic chess battle between East and West will taking place. Officially starting on February first, 2013, Russia and the United States will do battle in a correspondence chess match for honor and pride. The last time a matchContinueContinue reading “Russia vs USA Chess Match”
Tag Archives: Chris Torres
Useful Junk: The Jerome Gambit
Below is another interesting game where I played the Jerome Gambit against my student, Iddo Zohar. The Jerome Gambit is an unsound specialty of mine which I like to categorize as “useful junk.” Iddo Zohar is a very talented junior chess player who you will definitely here more about in future posts. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.ContinueContinue reading “Useful Junk: The Jerome Gambit”
Eight Year Old Wins Big in Las Vegas
Torres Chess & Music Academy, Inc. 16691 Colonial TrailLathrop, CAPhone (661) 699-8348 Chesslessons@aol.com Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 31, 2012 Eight Year Old Wins Big in Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada, December 26-30, 2012)When Ben Rood walks through a casino in Las Vegas it isn’t to win money on the Craps Tables but insteadContinueContinue reading “Eight Year Old Wins Big in Las Vegas”
Chess Wisdom and Philosophy from Twitter
Here is a collection of my chess wisdom from @TorresChess. If you are not following me on Twitter, then you are missing out on some interesting discussions. 11/5 Chris Torres@TorresChess It is beyond coincidence that chess and music produce child prodigies with a much greater frequency than that of other intellectual pursuits. -Chris Torres 11/7ContinueContinue reading “Chess Wisdom and Philosophy from Twitter”
Bay Area Kids Dominate at the World Youth Chess Championship
Young chess players from the San Francisco Bay Area took Maribor, Slovenia by storm this November. Their dominating performance at the World Youth Chess Championships once again proved that the best scholastic chess in the country takes place in Northern, California. Cameron Wheeler’s silver medal performance at the 2012 World Youth Chess Championship is theContinueContinue reading “Bay Area Kids Dominate at the World Youth Chess Championship”
Press Release for Fremont Achiever Chess Team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Mrs. Feliza Hsu, Program Director for Achiever Institute 43475 Ellsworth Street Fremont, CA 94539 510-226-6161, hello@achieverinstitute.org http://achieverinstitute.org/ <America’s Top Chess Teacher Returns to Fremont> <11/5/2012> – The Fremont Achiever Chess Team has a very special chess program designed and taught by America’s top chess instructor, Chris Torres. This class will provide experienced tournament players with instructionContinueContinue reading “Press Release for Fremont Achiever Chess Team”
Fan Mail
My friend, James S. Welborn, likes to play the Englund Gambit. Here is a game he submitted to me for review where he tried to go “Englund” on his opponent but the game ended up transposing into an English or even a Slav. The Englund Gambit starts with 1 d4 e5. Play normally continues dxe5 Nc6 and the fun begins. InContinueContinue reading “Fan Mail”
Its Deja Vu Mr. Petroff
In French the phrase Deja Vu means “already seen.” Not only have I already posted an article on my clever new system against the Nimzowitsch Attack in the Petroff Defense, I did so in my last post. However, the real reason for a sense of Deja Vu is that I played this game following a chess lessonContinueContinue reading “Its Deja Vu Mr. Petroff”
Help Send Ben Rood to Slovenia
To the Supporters of Northern California Chess, On November 2, 2012 California chess super-star Ben Rood will leave for Maribor, Slovenia in order to compete in the FIDE World Youth Chess Championships. Ben Rood asked his family to attend for support as he battles the best eight-year-olds from around the globe. A family trip toContinueContinue reading “Help Send Ben Rood to Slovenia”
A Variation on a Theme by Morphy
Todays lesson examines the Morphy Variation of the Two Knights Defense (Fried Liver Attack.) Adi Kisieu is a talented young chess player from Oakland, California who, in this game, invented an interesting theoretical novelty on move 15 of a very frequently played opening. Unfortunately for his novelty, Adi used unfocused aggression and ended up giving his teacher a niceContinueContinue reading “A Variation on a Theme by Morphy”
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”
An Absolute Pleasure
The 2012 USCF Absolute Chess Championship is in full swing. Founded in 1976, this annual tournament’s stated purpose is to determine who is the “absolute” best correspondence chess player in the United States. The USCF Absolute Chess Championship is only open to the strongest thirteen correspondence chess masters who respond to USCF Correspondence Chess DirectorContinueContinue reading “An Absolute Pleasure”
MSJE Chess Team Wins Big At State Championships (By Coach Joe)
MSJE Chess Team Wins Big At State Championships Over 1,000 Northern California students competed in the Scholastic Chess Championships at the Santa Clara Convention Center the weekend of April 22nd and 23rd. Mission San Jose Elementary School (MSJE) was the big winner in the Elementary School Section. MSJE teams won all of the elementary schoolContinueContinue reading “MSJE Chess Team Wins Big At State Championships (By Coach Joe)”
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”
2006 Golden Knights Chess Championship: The Finals
Its been a while since I have posted about my correspondence chess exploits. So far, my most notable achievement is making the Finals for the 2006 Golden Knights Chess Tournament. The Golden Knights Chess Tournament is the USCF’s open correspondence chess championship. During the preliminary round, contestants are broken into seven player sections. Those who score 4.5/6 orContinueContinue reading “2006 Golden Knights Chess Championship: The Finals”
Fremont Summer Chess Camp 2011: Day 1
Today was the opening day for the 2011 Fremont Summer Chess Camp. Our summer chess camp features instruction by the Bay Area’s most successful chess coaches and is hosted at the home of the 2009 National Elementary Chess Champions from Mission San Jose Elementary School. Today’s chess lessons were conducted by such esteemed chess instructorsContinueContinue reading “Fremont Summer Chess Camp 2011: Day 1”
Milind Maiti was Undefeated at the National Chess Championship
Torres Chess & Music Academy, Inc. 16691 Colonial Trail Lathrop, CA 95330 Phone (661) 699-8348 Chesslessons@aol.com Press Release Contact: Chris Torres Phone: (661) 699-8348 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 13, 2011 Kindergartener Milind Maiti Was Undefeated at the NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONship Cupertino, CA, May 6-8, 2011: Cupertino five year old Milind Maiti was unbeatable at theContinueContinue reading “Milind Maiti was Undefeated at the National Chess Championship”
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 MondayContinueContinue reading “Mission San Jose Elementary Takes Chess to a New Level”
California’s Top Chess Children Make a Splash at the 2011 USCF National Elementary Chess Championship
The United States Chess Federation ran a very nice article featuring many of the top kindergarten and first graders who are competing in the 2011 National Elementary Chess Championships in Dallas, Texas. As is always the case, California is very well represented by several super talented chess kids. Below is an exerpt from the articleContinueContinue reading “California’s Top Chess Children Make a Splash at the 2011 USCF National Elementary Chess Championship”
Fremont Summer Chess Camp
Mission San Jose Elementary School Summer Chess Camp Home of the 2009 NATIONAL ELEMENTARY CHESS CHAMPIONS! This camp will feature chess instruction by: Joe Lonsdale (Head Coach of Mission San Jose Elementary School) Francisco Anchondo (Team Coach for Weibel Elementary School) Tans Hylkema (Team Coach for Collins Elementary School) Chris Torres (President of the TorresContinueContinue reading “Fremont Summer Chess Camp”