José Raúl Capablanca‘s chess delivered and still creates an irresistable masterful impact. In his games an inclination towards straightforwardness prevailed, and in his seemingly effortlessness brilliance there was a one of a kind delight of veritable simplicity. Indeed, his style, one of the most perfect, most completely clear in the whole history of chess, still dumbfounds chess engines with his rationale. Perhaps the greatest natural talent in chess history, I find Capablanca’s recorded games, even a century later, nearly sufficient for building a modern curriculum on chess.
Archive for the ‘Chris Torres’ Category
My Quora Answer to: Which chess player’s games have you found the most instructive?
December 3, 2019Message for a Friend
October 26, 2019Regardless of your efforts, stress and losses are an inescapable part of life and chess. Because of this, chess helps us effectively train to deal with the challenges we face in life. However, sometimes all that can be done is to seek to learn from mistakes and try to find meaning in disappointing experiences. For the most painful experiences, try to learn about personal limitations/capabilities as well as gain compassion for others who are suffering in similar or more extreme situations. You are not alone in your experience and unlike chess, overthinking your position will cause more harm than good.
FremontChess.com Saturday Quads
October 11, 2019October 19, November 16, & December 21
The Torres Chess and Music Academy and the Learning Bee Learning Center Present:
FremontChess.com Saturday Quads
Where: Learning Bee Learning Center, 39977 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94539
When: 10/19, 11/16, & 12/21 R1 @ 1:00 pm
What: Scholastic (K-12) 3 Round Quad – G/30 d5
Cost: $30/quad or all 3 for $75.00 A $10 late fee will be added if you register after 5pm the day before the quad
USCF Rated QUAD Format: All players must be USCF members. All players must understand USCF tournament rules. USCF Membership fee is $17, per year. QUAD Format – The players in each quad play a round robin, one game against each of the players in their section, for a total of three games each. Quads are created by rating, grade and experience. All quads will be Game in 30 min +5 second delay (each player). Sets and boards provided. Clocks will be provided, but players are encouraged to bring their own. Trophies are awarded to top player in each quad. All other players will receive a prize for participating and free game analysis.
*Round Times: R 1 @ 1:00pm R 2 @ 2:00pm R 3 @ 3:00pm Trophies awarded at the conclusion of each quad.
APPLY ONLINE at www.FremontChess.com Information:
Contact Chris Torres at chesslessons@aol.com or (209)323-0197
Learning Bee Learning Center, 39977 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94539
The tuition for this program is $30/quad or all 3 for $75.00. No refund will be given for unscheduled player absences.
Sign Up online at FremontChess.com
Please call 209.323.0197 or email chesslessons@aol.com if you have questions.
ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST BE MEMBERS OF THE USCF TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TOURNAMENT.
Hundreds Celebrate ‘Rosie the Riveter’ at Richmond Waterfront Festival – CBS San Francisco
August 16, 2019Former World War II shipyard worker Mary Torres, 96, jumped to her feet and waved as hundreds of people cheered at the Rosie Rally Home Front Festival in Richmond Saturday.
— Read on sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/08/10/rosie-rally-2019-richmond/

My grandmother “Rosie the Riveter” is still going strong at 96.
Summer Chess Camps Return to Fremont
June 10, 2019Summer Chess Programs in Fremont
Sign up for any 1 week camp for ONLY $200 and your child will also receive:
** A 1 year gold membership to ChessKid.com (a $50 value)
** A copy of Learn Chess the Right Way by Susan Polgar (a $20 value)
** And two online private lessons with Chris Torres (an $80 value) at no extra charge.
That’s an additional $150 worth of educational chess products for no extra charge!
Visit www.fremontchess.com to register online
Each weekly chess camp is custom designed to give your child:
* The Valuable tools and skills needed to excel as a chess player.
* An extraordinary chess camp experience with a top-tier chess instructor.
* The confidence and motivation necessary to surpass their chess goals and fast track improvement.
In addition, as part of the camp experience, every child will receive a complimentary copy of Susan Polgar’s book “Learning Chess the Right Way” (a $20 value) as well as a gold membership to ChessKid.com (valued at $50.) In addition, we will also offer two free online lessons (valued at $40/hour) to every registered camp attendee in order to follow up with each child individually and ensure that they are still on track for rapid chess improvement.
For nearly a quarter century, Chris Torres has been teaming up with the biggest names in chess and education to bring top-tier chess instruction to the Bay Area at an incredible value. His meticulous approach has paved the way for the success of his students regardless of their entry skill level. A true leader in California chess, Chris Torres creates unique a curriculum perfectly suited for each and every class he teaches.
View his resume here: https://chessmusings.wordpress.com
Program | Dates | Times | Address | |||
P1 $200 | Jun 17-21 | 1:00-4:00 | 36496 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA | |||
P2 $190 | Jun 24-28 | 1:00-4:00 | Warm Springs Community Park @ Crafts Room | 47300 Fernald St, Fremont, CA | ||
P3 $200 | Jul 8-12 | 1:00-4:00 | 36496 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA | |||
P4 $200 | Jul 15-17 | 1:00-4:00 | 36496 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA | |||
P5 $190 | Jul 22-26 | 8:30-11:30 | Teen Center @ Office | 39770 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont, CA | ||
P6 $200 | Jul 29- Aug 2 | 1:00-4:00 | 36496 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA | |||
P7 $200 | Aug 5-9 | 1:00-4:00 | 36496 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA | |||
P8 $200 | Aug 12-16 | 1:00-4:00 | 36496 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA | |||
P9 $190 | Aug 19-23 | 9:00-12:00 | Warm Springs Community Park @ Crafts Room | 47300 Fernald St, Fremont, CA |
Please contact Chris Torres at chesslessons@aol.com if you have any questions. Checks should be made payable to the TCAMA 16691 Colonial Trail, Lathrop, CA, 95330, OR visit http://www.fremontchess.com/ to register online.
Chris Torres Raises the Bar for Fremont Summer Chess Camps in 19 | Fremont, CA Patch
June 7, 2019Chris Torres Raises the Bar for Fremont Summer Chess Camps in 19 | Fremont, CA Patch
Get $150 worth of free chess extras from FremontChess.com when you sign your child up for a weeklong camp for only $200!
Playing Blindfold Chess
May 19, 2019Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a photographic memory to be proficient at blindfold chess. The basic visualization required is really not all that different from the kind of mental exercise chess players commonly experience while calculating long endgame variations. In fact, if you’ve ever had a vivid chess dream while sleeping (quite common among my friends), you have already played blindfold chess!
Playing a chess game blindfolded (or at least facing opposite the chess board) against a class of young chess players is a sure fire way to raise the excitement level of the classroom or camp. Generally, I save such exhibitions for midway through a long camp or series of difficult lessons to add a little spice to the curriculum. In addition to adding energy to the room, a blindfold chess performance might just inspire a student to pick up the skill for his/herself which will greatly benefit their chess in the long run.
Below is my best ever such game played during the Fremont Summer Chess Camp in 2016. Enjoy…
[Event “Blindfold Game”]
[Site “Fremont, California (USA)”]
[Date “2016.7.13”]
[Round “”]
[White “Chris Torres”]
[Black “Intermediate Students”]
[Result “1-0”]
[Eco “C50”]
[Annotator “Chris Torres”]
[Source “”]
{[ ITALIAN GAME & HUNGARIAN def.,C50] [ ITALIAN GAME & HUNGARIAN def.,C50]}
1.e4 {I practice what I preach: “Open With a Center Pawn.”} e5
2.Nf3 {Knights Before Bishops.} Nc6 3.Bc4 {For a blindfold game, I chose my most comfortable structure (The Italian.)}
Qe7 {Perhaps my opponents were trying to confuse me by choosing the rare Qe7 sideline.}
4.Nc3 Nd4 {
My students have already broken two opening rules. They brought their queen out
early and now they have moved the same piece twice. Normally punishing these
mistakes wouldn’t be too difficult. But playing foreign positions with no view of the board is stressful.}
( 4…Nf6 5.Ng5 d5 6.exd5 Na5 7.d6 cxd6 8.Bxf7+ Kd8 9.Bb3 Nxb3
10.axb3 d5 11.O-O h6 12.Nf3 Bg4 13.d3 a6 14.Re1 Rc8 15.Bf4 Nd7
16.h3 Bh5 17.g4 Bf7 18.Nxe5 Nxe5 19.Bxe5 Qh4 20.Qf3 Bg8 21.Qxf8+
{1-0, Zhotev Jasen (BUL) 2086 – Ivanov Oleg (RUS) 2425 , Sofia 8/ 8/2009 It “Hemus Open” (3)}
) 5.Nd5 {In order to punish mistakes you must attack. Here, I know that their queen must
retreat to d8 in order to stop the knight from capturing on c7 with a fork.}
Qc5 {?!} {Honestly, I did not anticipate this move at all and was forced to repeat all the moves to myself outloud and calculate.}
6.Nxe5 {!} {“Whenever you’re aggressive, you’re at the edge of mistakes.”-Mario Andretti}
d6 {I hear excited chatter from my students about “winning a piece.”}
7.b4 {!} {Even when blindfolded, it’s hard to miss this obvious threat!}
Nxc2+ {Black had no choice that did not involve losing a piece or more.}
8.Qxc2 {I gain a knight without losing the initiative.} Qd4 {The queen may look threatening, but, really, she is all alone against an army.}
9.Bb5+ {At this point I couldn’t quite see the forced mate in 4 but this check seemed very promising.}
c6 10.Bxc6+ {!} {Looks impressive but really it is just the result of analyzing checks, captures and threats.}
bxc6 11.Qxc6+ {Forcing black’s king to d8 and a nice finish.}
Kd8 12.Nxf7# 1-0
2019 Lathrop Mayor’s Cup Chess Tournament
May 1, 2019Dear Parents,
It is my great pleasure to invite your children to participate in the 2019 Lathrop Mayor’s Cup chess tournament at River Islands Technology Academy. Many of your children enjoy chess and will be excited to compete against other young chess players from around our region.
The date of this tournament is May 11 and round 1 will begin at 9:30am. All participants will play four rounds and Lathrop’s Mayor, Sonny Dhaliwal, will arrive at 2:00pm to hand out awards. Because of a generous donation from the River Islands Development Team and our tournament staff donating their time, there is no cost to register for this exciting event. Additionally, we will be selling lots of tasty treats and pizza slices to raise funds for the Torres Chess and Music Academy’s other projects in the area.
Sincerely,
Chris Torres
President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy
Register online at
Chris Torres Offers Online Chess Lessons
April 23, 2019and would love to help your child play better chess now!
Reasons to try an Online Lesson with Chris:
1. Follow up to in-person chess lessons to check on your child’s understanding.
2. Live too far away to come often for private instruction.
3. Preparing for a major tournament with a coach who has taught numerous national champions!
4. Very cost effective. For $40 per online lesson, you can have your child learn chess from one of California’s most sought after chess coaches.
How it Works
1. Chris Torres harnesses the power of Chess.com and Wyzant to create the ultimate 21st century chess classroom.
2. After each lesson, Chris Torres will provide you with customized feedback and a study plan to take your child’s game to the next level!
3. All of Chris’ students are welcome to play slow paced (1 move per day) games with him during the week at no extra charge.
Sign up today
Or by emailing Chris Torres (chesslessons@aol.com)