Free Private Chess Lessons!

Your child can study 1-on-1 with Chris Torres to bust through their current rating level and enjoy chess more. Chris Torres is a 20+ year chess professional and one of California’s most popular chess coaches. Take advantage of summer discount rates of 35/hr. (Instead of $50) for online private students on the educational platform Wyzant.

Get a free chess lesson when you work with Chris Torres on Wyzant. Claim your free lesson today to schedule a lesson at any time. Just use my link: https://is.gd/u5bIVd

Free online lessons and summer discount rates are limited to available time slots. Please contact Chris Torres via chesslessons@aol.com with any questions regarding how his lesson material will rapidly improve your child’s love and understanding of chess.

March’s Chess Combination of the Month

“Chess is 99% tactics” – Richard Teichmann

 

Richard Teichmann

Richard Teichmann (24 December 1868 – 15 June 1925) was an excellent chess teacher and a powerful chess player from Germany. This month tactical shot is dedicated to him.

 

White to move and win!

 

Below is the entire game. The answer to the puzzle is in bold font.

[Event “Training Game”]
[Date “2014.03.16”]
[White “Torres, Chris”]
[Black “Student”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “C54”]
[Opening “Giuoco Piano”]
[Variation “Möller (Therkatz) Attack”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3
Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. d5 Bf6 10. Re1 Ne7 11. Rxe4 O-O 12. Bg5 Ng6 13. Bxf6
Qxf6 14. Qc2 d6 15. Rae1 Bf5 16. Nd4 Bxe4 17. Qxe4 Rfe8 18. Qxe8+ Rxe8 19.
Rxe8+ Nf8 20. Ne6 fxe6 21. dxe6 h6 22. e7+ Kh7 23. exf8=Q Qg5 24. Bd3+ g6
25. Qh8# {Black checkmated} 1-0

 

Students Achievements

Congratulations to Luke Zhao on defeating his coach, Chris Torres, during our class at Achiever Institute in Fremont California. Luke has been playing extremely good chess lately and will definitely be a leader in Mission San Jose Elementary School’s charge to win another National Chess Championship. For his win, Luke received a trophy as well as the praise of all his classmates.

 

Luke Zhao won a trophy for beating Coach Torres.

 

Congratulations are also in order for Milind Maiti. Milind, who will be entering the third grade this fall, just completed a fantastic tournament performance in which he won over one thousand dollars and raised his rating to 1885! It’s hard to believe, but I still think he is a little underrated. Way to go Milind!

Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School. Our chess camp is the best chess camp in the Fremont area year after year.

 

Fremont Summer Chess Camp 2013: Preview 3

 

Francisco Anchondo once brought his beloved service dog to meet World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov.

Every year Francisco Anchondo returns to Mission San Jose Elementary School to put on another exciting show full of opening traps and tactical brilliances for our students at the Fremont Summer Chess Camp. Francisco Anchondo has been teaching chess for decades and regularly coaches many of the top players from around Northern California. A recent article on our chess camp included a nice description of Mr. Anchondo’s contributions to chess and society:

Francisco Anchondo returns for his third year of teaching at the Fremont Summer
Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School. Francisco regularly competes
in chess tournaments in several western states as well as in Mexico. Francisco
Anchondo is feared for his tactical bravado at the chess board while loved for
his generosity in providing chess lessons to economically disadvantaged children
and schools. Outside of chess, Francisco is an advocate for veterans of war and
a role model for other Gulf War Vets.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/business/prweb/article/All-Star-Chess-Coaches-Gear-Up-for-Fremont-Chess-4545418.php#ixzz2UjRAjmAi

 

Fremont Summer Chess Camp 2013: Preview 2

Eric Schiller is a fantastic chess coach and respected author.

The Torres Chess and Music Academy is pleased to announce that Eric Schiller is joining the team of coaches for the 2013 Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School. Eric is a great coach and respected chess author of more than 100 books! Below is a recent article describing Eric joining the Fremont Summer Chess Camp:

 

The Torres Chess and Music Academy is pleased to have Eric Schiller as a coach
for the 2013 Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School.
Eric Schiller, Ph.D. is the author of over 100 chess books and the personal
chess coach to many talented young players. When he is not playing in major
chess tournaments, Eric is a sought after International Arbiter who has
organized and directed an impressive list of chess tournaments and matches. Eric
Schiller has stated that he looks forward to making the “best chess camp even
better in 2013.”

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/business/prweb/article/All-Star-Chess-Coaches-Gear-Up-for-Fremont-Chess-4545418.php#ixzz2UMkzOlZ8

Top 10 Reasons Your Child Should Attend the Fremont Summer Chess Camp

Your child should attend the Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School because:

10. He/she wants to train with the current National Elementary Chess Champions

9. Mission San Jose Elementary School has a beautiful campus and is conveniently located in Fremont, California.

8. The price is only $185.00/week and we offer multi-week discounts.

7. Our coaching staff will include Joe Lonsdale, Eric Schiller, Francisco Anchondo, Tans Hylkema and Chris Torres.

6. Our curriculum will be customized for each group at camp. (Your child will be taught what he needs to know.)

5. Our camp has a USCF rated tournament with prizes every week.

4. At the end of camp your child will receive a customized study plan so that his/her progress continues.

3. Our instructors average over 15 years of chess experience each.

2. For several years running our camp has had 60 kids attend each week.

1. Chess is fun and has been proven to improve standardized test scores.

 

Sing up for the 2013 Mission San Jose Chess Camp online today!

Mission San Jose Elementary Chess Team

Children playing chess over the summer.

 

 

Perfect Hanukkah Gifts for Young Chess Players

With Hanukkah right around the corner, a few Jewish chess parents have inquired about chess related gifts for their little tournament players. After answering their questions directly, I thought it might be useful to post my suggestions for everyone to see.

Perfect Hanukkah Gifts for Young Chess Players:

Today’s young chess players are able to access a wealth of information quickly through the use of computers. Far and away the most popular chess title for kids is Chessmaster: The Art of Learning. This program by Ubisoft is available for most video game systems as well as the pc and mac. In Chessmaster: The Art of Learning students will be able to access lessons, practice puzzles, analyze their games and play chess. This program has been on the market for a few years so a used copy can be found relatively cheap (under $30) for all systems.

Apple fans will be pleased to know that there are several very good apps available for young chess players who have an Ipad at home.  The Shredder app hass one thousand tactical puzzles make it worth having and a great chess engine for playing and analyzing for under $8. If your child is more of a beginner you might consider buying them the Chess Camp app. Chess Camp is broken into several volumes which contain puzzles geared toward quick learning of important concepts. Chess Camp is the only chess learning app officially endorsed by the United States Chess Federation. Each volume is a bargain at $3.

Advanced chess players can still find books very helpful. Noted chess Author Eric Schiller has recently revised several of his top selling books. Some recommended titles include, The Encyclopedia of Chess Wisdom, Learn From Bobby Fischer’s Greatest Games and 639 Essential Endgame positions. All of these books are priced under $20 and will captivate young tournament players.

Finally, what can be better than giving your child the gift of training from the country’s best chess coaches. The San Francisco Bay Area features a Winter Chess Camp run by the Torres Chess and Music Academy. TCAMA teachers have instructed several National Champions in the last few years and have turned the Silicon Valley into a chess powerhouse. Information on our winter chess camp can be found here: http://chessandmusic.com/ .

Parents who buy their children the gift of chess for Hanukkah can smile knowing that their children will have fun learning while helping to preserve the Jewish traditions of Hanukkah and great chess.

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 Sant is victorious.

Finally in the K-6 section Alvin Kong is undefeated with 1.5/2.

Mission San Jose Elementary School ranks in the top 10 in 4 sections and is currently ranking second in the K-3 section.

This summer there is open enrollment to any children who would like to train with the Mission San Jose Elementary School players and coaches. The MSJE Summer Chess Camp will take place from June 25^th through July 19^th, 2012 in Fremont CA. For more information please visit www.chessandmusic.com. You can also contact Chris Torres by emailing chesslessons@aol.com

                        Mission San Jose Elementary School 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)
• Tans Hylkema (Team Coach for Collins Elementary School)
• Chris Torres (President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy)

Our coaches will use their decades of chess teaching experience to create a summer camp that is fun, competitive and educational.  Attendees will receive the best training available and take part in USCF rated tournaments with awards given at the end of each week.

This class will meet from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Mondays through Thursdays,

June 25 to July 19 at Mission San Jose ES, 43545 Bryant St. Fremont, CA 94539. 

Name of child: _______________________________________   Grade:  ____  

Parents (Guardian) name(s):  _____________________________________

Address:  ____________________________________________________

City: ________________________________   California Zip:  __________

Telephone:  (___) _________   E-mail:  _____________________________

USCF ID: ______________   Rating:  _______ Date of Birth: ___/___/______              

CHESS SKILL LEVEL—PLEASE CHECK APPROPRIATE BOX

1 Absolute Beginner-doesn’t even know the pieces                    

1 Beginner-knows the names of the pieces and that is about all

1 Intermediate Beg-knows how to play and how to castle           

1 Advanced Beginner-knows how to play & even knows en passant

1 Experienced-has taken chess lessons                                       

1 Tournament-has played more than 25 games in US Chess Federation tournaments

I AM PAYING				WEEK/S ATTENDING			MULTI WEEK DISCOUNT SUBTRACT AMOUNT BELOW FROM THE
	FOR ONE WEEK			$185	JUNE 25 – JUNE 28		TOTAL WEEKS
	FOR TWO WEEKS			$139	JULY 2,3, & 5			-$20	FOR TWO WEEKS
	FOR THREE WEEKS			$185	JULY 9 – JULY 12			-$40	FOR THREE WEEKS
	FOR FOUR WEEKS			$185	JULY 16 – JULY 19			-$80	FOR FOUR WEEKS
	$16 FOR A USCF MEMBERSHIP		$		SUBTOTAL		$		TOTAL PAID

 

To apply online, or for more information on the TCAMA, please visit CHESSANDMUSIC.COM, or contact Chris Torres at chesslessons@aol.com.

The checks should be made payable to The TCAMA Inc. The fees for the chess program are nonrefundable after the class has begun. No refunds will be given for unscheduled student absences.

Please make the checks out to TCAMA Inc. and Mail them to:

The Torres Chess and Music Academy, 16691 Colonial Trail, Lathrop, CA 95330

Maiti is Magnificent at Chess

Milind Maiti achieved another perfect score in a chess tournament at the 2011 U.S. National Junior Chess Congress. Milind, who is only 6, bested a field comprised of 8 and 9 year olds. The victory was extra sweet for Milind Maiti do to the fact that he won his first national chess title in Santa Clara just minutes away from his home in Cupertino, California.

Other articles on Milind Maiti:

https://chessmusings.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/on-the-eve-of-greatness-three-california-chess-prodigies-competing-in-their-first-national-chess-championship/

https://chessmusings.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/check-maiti/

https://chessmusings.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/milind-maiti-is-unbearable-at-the-nationals/

https://chessmusings.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/milind-maiti-was-undefeated-at-the-national-chess-championship/

Check Maiti

Milind Maiti with his chess coach, Chris Torres.

Milind Maiti with his Sister, Mother and trophy from the Nationals.

   California has a new chess star and his name is Milind Maiti. On 12/4/2010 Milind won five out of five games in the kindergarten section at the Calchess Grade Level Championship  in Stockton, California. The following weekend, young Mr. Maiti finished with a score of 5.5/7 in the kindergarten section at the USCF National K-12 Championship in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This performance was good enough to tie for third place in Milind Maiti’s first National Chess Championship. Milind Maiti’s performance in these two tournaments has had the effect of changing the chess vernacular at Collins Elementary School in Cupertino, California. Now when attendees of the Collins Chess Club checkmate one another we say “check Maiti!”