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 the 2011 United States Chess Federation National Elementary Chess Championships held in Dallas, Texas on May 6-8. Despite competing in a section with 294 of the best young chess players in the country, Milind won six games and had one draw which was good enough for a third place finish.  

   Milind Maiti’s path to becoming the top kindergarten chess player began at the age of four when his parent’s noticed his talents at solving jigsaw puzzles. A couple months later Milind’s interest moved towards building with Legos.  It was at this point that Milind’s father Chandan slowly introduced him to the game of chess which he enjoyed immediately.  For one so young, Milind’s desire to improve was immense. His parents began signing him up for tournaments very regularly. When he entered school, Milind started attending chess classes run by the Torres Chess and Music Academy. In spite of being a kindergartener, Milind quickly was promoted to the “advanced” class at the Collins Elementary School Chess Team. It was in this Class that Milind met chess coach Chris Torres, president of the Torres Chess & Music Academy. Chris has taught several national chess champions and he immediately recognized Milind Maiti’s remarkable talent and began training Milind to use tactics with greater effect.

In December of 2010, Milind Maiti traveled to Stockton for the Calchess Grade-level Championship. Milind won all his games easily and became the Kindergarten State Chess Champion. Over the next several months, Milind’s chess continued to improve at an incredible rate. In the first week of April, Milind Maiti competed in the Calchess Scholastic State Championships Kindergarten division, held in Santa Clara. During this tournament, Milind once again achieved a perfect score. For his remarkable performance, Milind Maiti became a State Chess Champion for a second time.

   According to his coach Chris Torres, Milind is the only kindergartener in California history to be undefeated at the State Grade Level Chess Championship, the State K-3 Chess Championship and the National Chess Championship in the same school year. Chris attributes Milind’s successes to his remarkable talent, love for the game, incredible work ethic and to the support that his parents Chandan and Smitha Maiti  provide.           

Chris Torres had other Torres Chess & Music Academy students to make him proud in the K-1 section. Chris’ other students included Ben Rood, from Walnut Creek, who tied for first in the individual competition. Five members of the Mission San Jose Elementary School team, Rishith Susarla, Chenyi Zhao, Soorya Kuppam, Jeffrey Liu, and Amulya Harish also placed third in the school competition.

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Ben Rood Becomes National Chess Champion

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

FIRST GRADER BEN ROOD BECOMES NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPION

WALNUT CREEK, CA, May 6-8, 2011: Walnut Creek seven year old Ben Rood was awarded the title of K-1 National Chess Champion at the 2011 United States Chess Federation National Elementary Chess Championships held in Dallas, Texas on May 6-8. Ben’s presence attracted interest in the section for kindergarten to first graders because he had the highest chess rating of all 294 contestants. Despite the tough competition, Ben won all seven of his games against the very best chess players his age in the country. The most challenging game for Ben came in round 5 when he was paired against last year’s K-1 champion, Praveer Sharan. It took Ben Rood 3 hours and 81 moves to finally defeat Praveer. He then had to continue his perfect record for two more rounds in order to be crowned a National Chess Champion.

   Ben Rood’s path to becoming a National Chess Champion began at the age of three when he decided that 300 piece jigsaw puzzles were too easy and his mother decided to introduce him to the game of chess. When he entered school, Ben started attending chess classes run by the Berkeley Chess School. For one so young,  Ben’s desire to improve was immense. His parents began signing him up for tournaments very regularly and taking him to the Friday Night Chess program run by the Berkeley Chess School. In spite of winning first place in the Kindergarten section at the 2010 Calchess Scholastic State Championships, Ben had reached the point of needing personal attention to draw out his natural talent. During the summer of 2010 Ben met chess coach Chris Torres, president of the Torres Chess & Music Academy, at a chess tournament. The two started training together a short while later. Chris has taught several other national chess champions. He immediately recognized Ben Rood’s remarkable talent. Chris then devised a plan to get Ben calculating more accurately while playing more aggressive openings that would better suit his personality and amazing tactical vision.

In December of 2010, Ben Rood traveled to Stockton for the Calchess Grade-level Chess Championships and used his newly found chess style very effectively. Ben won all his games easily and became the Grade One State Chess Champion. Over the next several months, Ben’s chess improved at a rate never before seen from a six year old chess player. By February of 2011, Ben was beating very strong chess players of all ages while taking care to record his games accurately for later review with his coach. In the first week of April, Ben Rood competed in the Calchess Scholastic State Championships K-3 division, held in Santa Clara. During this tournament, Ben once again achieved a perfect score and even defeated the reining second grade National Chess Champion, Josiah Stearman. For his remarkable performance, Ben Rood became a State Chess Champion for a third time.

   According to his coach Chris Torres, Ben Rood is the only first grader in California history to win the State Grade Level Chess Championship, the State K-3 Chess Championship and the National Chess Championship in the same school year. Chris attributes Ben’s successes to his remarkable talent, love for the game, incredible work ethic and to the support that his parents Robin Hultgren and Lisa Rood provide.           

Chris Torres had other Torres Chess & Music Academy students to make him proud in the K-1 section. Chris’ other students included Milind Maiti, from Cupertino, who placed third in the individual competition. Five members of the Mission San Jose Elementary School team, Rishith Susarla, Chenyi Zhao, Soorya Kuppam, Jeffrey Liu, and Amulya Harish also placed third in the school competition.

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Fremont Summer Chess Camp 2011: Preview 1

The 2011 Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School offers students from around the Bay Area an opportunity to train with the players and coaches of the Mission San Jose Elementary School chess team. Our chess team has had unrivaled success at State Championship events and in 2009 became the first California school to ever win the National Elementary Chess Championship. At the 2010 Calchess Grade Level Chess Championship the team from Mission San Jose Elementary School won first place in five out of the six grades that we were eligible to compete in. The Mission San Jose Elementary Chess Team also dominated at the 2011 Calchess Scholastic Chess Championships by placing first in two of the three sections we participated in. Make the right move by signing your child up for the 2011 Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School.

Don’t be fooled by imposters. There is only one summer chess camp managed by the chess coaches from Mission San Jose Elementary School. Visit ChessAndMusic.com to reserve a spot for your child.

National K-12 Championship: Day 3

Congratulations are in order for three Torres Chess and Music Academy students from Northern California who attended the 2010 USCF National K-12 Chess Championship in Florida from December 10-12. Milind Maiti, Chenyi Zhao and Ben Rood traveled across the country to this tournament less than one week after competing in the Calchess Grade Level Chess Championship in Stockton, California.
   All three of these amazing kids played admirably and finished the National K-12 Championship with more wins than losses. Milind Maiti tied for third in the Kindergarten section with a score of 5.5/7.  Chenyi Zhao tied for 26th in the first grade section with a score of 4/7. Also in the first grade section, Ben Rood tied for 9th with a score of 5/7.

National K-12 Championship: Day One Update

Two talented young chess players from Northern California achieved perfect results on the first day of the 2010 USCF National Grade Level Championship in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Despite playing the best competition the United States has to offer, kindergartener Milind Maiti and first grader Ben Rood outplayed their opposition with the ease one would expect from  seasoned professionals. This accomplishment is even more impressive given the fact that six days earlier both Milind Maiti and Ben Rood played five hard games to become California Grade Level Chess Champions.

For more information on Milind Maiti and Ben Rood see: On The Eve of Greatness

Calchess State Grade Level Chess Championship: Justin Shen Creates A Beautiful Example of the Evans Gambit

Justin Shen is sixth grader who resides in Albany, California. Like many of my students he enjoys playing the white side of the Evans Gambit. On December 5, 2010, Justin Shen played a instructive example of this powerful opening at the Calchess State Grade Level Chess Championship.

[Event “Calchess State Grade Level Chess Championship”]
[Site “Stockton, California”]
[Date “2010.12.05”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Shen, Justin”]
[Black “Kassil, Alex”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. O-O Nf6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb4 9. Bd2 Bxd2 10. Qxd2 O-O 11. d5 Ne7 12. Qd3 c6 13. d6 Ng6 14. e5 Nh5 15. Qf5 Ngf4 16. g3 g6 17. Qc2 Ne6 18. Qd2 b5 19. Bb3 a5 20. Qh6 Nhg7 21. Bxe6 Nxe6 22. Nbd2 f6 23. Ne4 Rf7 24. exf6 Rxf6 25. Neg5 Nxg5 26. Nxg5 Rf8 27. Qxh7# 1-0

Calchess Grade Level Championship: Chess Miniature From Round 5

Here is a fun miniature from round 5.
[Event “Calchess State Grade Level Championship”]
[Site “Stockton”]
[Date “2010.12.05”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Khalife, Florence”]
[Black “Young, Christian”]
[Result “0-1”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bc5 4. d4 exd4 5. Ne2 Nf6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3
Nxe4 9. Rc1 d3 10. cxd3 Bb4+ 11. Nd2 Nxg3 12. hxg3 Ne5 13. a3 Nxd3# *

Calchess State Grade Level Championship: Steven Li’s Lesson on Destroying The French

Below is Steven Li’s wonderful win from round 2 at
the 2010 Calchess State Grade Level Championship.

[Event “Calchess State Grade Level Championship”]
[Site “Stockton”]
[Date “2010.12.04”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Li, Steven”]
[Black “Yuan, Steven”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Be3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. g3 Be6 7. Bg2 O-O 8. Bg5 c6 9. Nge2 Nbd7 10. Qd2 Qb6 11. Rb1 Rac8 12. Na4 Qc7 13. c4 Rfe8 14. b3 Nb6
15. c5 Nbd7 16. Bf4 Qd8 17. b4 b5 18. Nac3 a6 19. a4 Nf8 20. a5 Ng6 21. O-O Qd7 22. Rbd1 Bh3 23. f3 Bxg2 24. Kxg2 h5 25. h4 Bd8 26. Rde1 Bc7 27. Bg5 Qf5 28. Nd1 Nh7 29. Ne3 Qe6 30. Nc2 Qf5 31. Ne3 Qd7 32. Nc2 Nhf8 33. Nf4 Qf5 34. Nxh5 Ne6 35. Ne3 Nef4+ 36. gxf4 Nxf4+ 37. Nxf4 Bxf4 38. Nxf5 Bxd2 39. Bxd2 Rxe1 40. Rxe1 Kf8 41. Nd6 Rd8 42. Kg3 f6 43. Kg4 g6 44. h5 gxh5+ 45. Kxh5 Rd7 46. Bh6+ Kg8 47. Re8+ Kh7 48. Nf5 Rf7 49. Bg7 Rxg7 50. Nxg7 Kxg7 51. Re7+ Kf8 52. Rc7 Ke8 53. Rxc6 Ke7 54. Rxa6 Kd7 55. Rb6 Kc7 56. a6 Kc8 57. a7 Kd8 58. a8=Q+ Ke7 59. Qa7+ Ke8 60. Rb8# *

Steven Li plays for Mission San Jose Elementary School and placed fourth in the grade five section.

Calchess State Grade Level Championship: Day Two Report

The Mission San Jose Elementary School Chess Team continued its dominance of the 2010 Calchess State Grade Level Championship in Stockton, California. By days end,  MSJE had achieved first place finishes in grades 1,2,3,5 and 6. Mission San Jose Elementary’s fourth graders also played well and finished in second place. The MSJE Chess Team is coached by Joe Lonsdale, Richard Shorman and Chris Torres.

Stay tuned for more exciting games from the 2010 Calchess State Grade Level Championship.

For more information on the Torres Chess and Music Academy please visit www.ChessAndMusic.com

Calchess State Grade Level Championship: Eric Zhu Remains Undefeated

Fifth grader Eric Zhu remains undefeated after nearly conquering Kevin Moy and reaching a draw by agreement. Eric Zhu attends Mission San Jose Elementary and with this draw brings our team ever closer to another championship.

[Event “Calchess State Grade Level Championship”]
[Site “Stockton”]
[Date “2010.12.05“]
[Round “3”]
[White “Zhu, Eric”]
[Black “Moy, Kevin”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]

1. e4 c5 2. b4 cxb4 3. d4 d5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. Be3 e6 6. c3 bxc3 7. Nxc3 Bb4 8. Qc2 Qa5 9. Rc1 Nge7 10. Ne2 Bxc3+ 11. Nxc3 a6 12. O-O Nb4 13. Qd2 Nxd3 14. Qxd3 O-O 15. e5 b5 16. f4 Nf5 17. Rf3 Bb7 18. Rcf1 Rac8 19. Bd2 Rc4 20. Ne2 Qxa2 21. g4 Ne7 22. Rh3 g6 23. Qe3 Qc2 24. f5 Qe4 25. Qh6 Qxg4+ 26. Ng3 Qxd4+ 27. Kh1 Rfc8 28. Qxh7+ Kf8 *