San Jose Summer Chess Camp to Celebrate 20 Years of Success

SAN JOSE, CA – 28 May, 2017 – Northern California chess instructor Chris Torres is celebrating his 20th anniversary teaching chess this summer. Two decades of experience have transformed Chris’s summer camps from a small beginner class held in a garage into the must attend event of the summer for many of California’s most successful youth chess players. To celebrate his 20 years of success, the Torres Chess and Music Academy is offering its San Jose summer camp at 1997 prices!

Twenty years ago, Chris Torres decided to leave a promising career at a legendary Silicon Valley company in order to combine his passions for chess and teaching. At just nineteen years of age, this change of occupation seemed unwise to many of Chris’s closest friends and family. Though after just one year of teaching chess professionally, Chris Torres’ teaching services were in high demand based on the outstanding results of his first crop of students.

The Torres Chess and Music Academy was established in 2005 in order to meet the growing demand for quality chess and music lessons in the Bay Area. That year, the TCAMA established several popular after school programs, weekend chess clubs, tournaments and summer camps. As word spread, these scholastic chess clubs and events quickly grew in size and number. During these periods of growth, Chris Torres regularly collaborated with other top instructors from around the United States in order to keep raising the bar for quality chess instruction in Northern California.

Today the Torres Chess and Music Academy’s successful approach is internationally recognized by FIDE (the world chess organization) which listed the TCAMA as an official FIDE Academy. Even with the rise in popularity of scholastic chess all throughout the Golden State, The Torres Chess and Music Academy remains the only California based chess organization to hold this important distinction.

“This summer I will be celebrating 20 years of service as a professional chess instructor. I am thankful to the thousands of families who chose to place their children in my after school programs, tournaments and camps for making this anniversary possible. In recognition of this professional achievement, I have rolled back the prices on our summer camps back to 1997 levels. I look forward to teaching your children this summer and continuing to serve in my current capacity for another 20 years.”

The Torres Chess and Music Academy’s summer chess camp will meet July 17 to July 27 at St. Timothy’s Christian Academy, 5100 Camden Ave, San Jose. The tuition for this camp is only $160/week. For more information on the Torres Chess and Music Academy’s summer chess camp in San Jose, California, please visit: www.ChessAndMusic.com

Media Contact
Company Name: Torres Chess and Music Academy
Contact Person: Chris Torres
Email: chesslessons@aol.com
Phone: (209)323-0197
Country: United States
Website: www.ChessAndMusic.com

20 Years of California Chess Camp Fun

This year marks my 20th anniversary of teaching an annual summer chess camp to many of California’s brightest young chess players. Several of the children who trained with us over the years have gone on to win national titles and some even return as young adults to help teach the next generation of superstars. In fact, a couple of my original students are now showing up with their own children which goes to show the beauty of the lasting friendships formed at summer chess camp.
In recognition of this momentous anniversary, I am offering a special retro chess camp experience for a special retro price. Sign up for my South Bay Chess Camp and you’ll register for the 1997 price! Don’t miss out on the best deal in youth chess.

Sincerely,
Chris Torres
President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy

 

Students learn more when they are having fun.

 

TCAMA South Bay Chess Camp

Don’t miss out on the best chess opportunity of the summer! 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. All students who complete two weeks of camp will receive a commemorative camp T-shirt, a special 1 on 1 follow up lesson by TCAMA instructors, and a hand signed diploma!

This class will meet from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM,
Mondays through Thursdays,
July 17 to July 27
$160.00 FOR ONE WEEK
$320.00 FOR TWO WEEKS
At St. Timothy’s Christian Academy, 5100 Camden Ave, San Jose.

Fremont Summer Chess Camp: Week 4

Below are photographs of my favorite moments from week four of the Fremont Summer Chess Camp. I wish to thank all of our students, coaches, Steve and Kate’s Camps,  the Wild Cat Education and Conservation Fund and Grandmaster Susan Polgar. It takes a lot of great people to make the Fremont Summer Chess Camp as successful as it is and without these great groups and individuals many kids from Northern California would have missed out on an experience of a lifetime.

 

Thanks to Coach Tans for doing a great job teaching our youngest campers.

 

 

For four straight years, Coach Francisco has been teaching our campers confidence through attacking chess.

 

 

International Master Emory Tate managed to greatly improve the chess skills of every child in the advanced group.

 

 

Coach James proved daily why he is the Director of Instruction for the Torres Chess and Music Academy.

 

 

James Pacquette also managed the technological aspects of our Esteemed Guest Series.

 

 

MSJE Head Coach Joe Lonsdale was always available to help kids review their USCF rated chess games.

 

 

The Wild Cat Education and Conservation Fund put on a great show for our kids.

 

 

Everyone in attendance will never forget the day Susan Polgar (The World’s Top Chess Trainer) challenged every mind in the room with an extremely thought provoking chess lesson.

 

 

Most of all, it was all the awesome young chess players that made the 2014 Fremont Summer Chess Camp so fantastic.

 

Want to see more?

Fremont Summer Chess Camp: Week 3

Fremont Summer Chess Camp: Week 2

Fremont Summer Chess Camp: Week 1

 

 

 

 

Joe Lonsdale’s Legacy to Northern California

Santa Clara, California (PRWEB) April 24, 2014

A TCAMA Instructor is Receiving the Greatest Honor Ever Bestowed on a Chess Coach from the Governing Body of Northern California Chess

 

On Saturday, April 26, while many people are still asleep, elementary school children will turn out in mass to play chess in the largest State Championship chess event on the West Coast. The k-6 section is projected to have more than 500 children and starting this year, Calchess has officially renamed their Elementary State Scholastic Championship the, “Joe Lonsdale Championship.”

Joe Lonsdale takes a moment to enjoy another Championship with MSJE students.

 

Joe Lonsdale established the Mission San Jose Elementary School Chess team in 1990 for the benfit of his oldest son and has been running the program ever since. Mission San Jose Elementary School has made a habit of winning almost every State Championship title in California that they are eligible to play for and Joe’s success as the MSJE head coach is really what put Fremont Chess on the map. In fact, Joe has lead the MSJE chess team to more state championship titles than all the other schools in Northern California combined. So it is fitting that, this year, to honor Joe’s unparalleled success as a scholastic chess coach, Calchess has decided to rename the Calchess Elementary Scholastic State Championship after Joe Lonsdale.

“Joe Lonsdale successful approach to teaching chess produced the first elementary school team in the history of California to win the National Championship and the first to ever repeat the feat. Joe’s only critics are those who try and emulate his success but of course lack the chess knowledge and finesse that Joe brings to every chess class. Sadly, instead of learning from the master himself, some people would rather spend their time creating discord in the Norcal scholastic chess scene. I, however, am honored to work with and learn from Joe Lonsdale on a weekly basis. Teaching with Joe Lonsdale has been the most educational and rewarding experience of my chess career.”-Chris Torres(President of the Torres Chess and Music Academy)

After coaching his students all weekend long at the state championship named after him, Joe Lonsdale will take a short break from his chess instructing obligations before showing up to the Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School. On a daily basis during the month of July, Joe Lonsdale will make sure his students are preparing for the next school year’s chess battles. It is this kind of dedication from a head coach that is the main reason that Mission San Jose Elementary School has been the best school chess program in Northern California for decades. Joe’s influence on Norcal chess extends well beyond Mission San Jose Elementary School and children from any school or club are more than welcome to register for the Fremont Summer Chess Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School by visiting the Torres Chess and Music Academy online.

Original Press Release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/04/prweb11787104.htm

Chris Torres: A Chess Coach, a Music Teacher, and an Advocate for Quality Education.

Chris Torres has been successfully managing and creating school chess programs for his entire adult life. His most recognized accomplishments include the co-founding of Success Chess Schools, the creation of the Torres Chess and Music Academy and consistently coaching the best young chess players in California for 15 years.

Chris found himself drawn into chess education in 1998 when

Chris Torres is California’s chess coach.

Dr. Alan Kirshner needed a replacement teacher for his famous Weibel Chess Club. Chris was an obvious choice beause he had been teaching Alan’s son classical guitar and often played chess with the Kirshners. Soon after joining a group of chess instructors at Weibel, Chris coached his first state champion student. Copying from the success of the Weibel Chess Club, Chris went on to establish State Champion chess programs at Argonaut Elementary School in Saratoga and the Harker School in San Jose. Shortly later, Alan Kirshner promoted Chris to Vice President of Success Chess and Chris turned all of his independently run programs over to the newly formed nonprofit.

As vice president of Success Chess, Chris Torres established chess programs and taught chess at schools all around the Bay Area. Many of the schools still have chess programs to this day. Some of these chess programs are at: Warm Springs Elementary School(Fremont), Leitch Elementary School(Fremont), Mission Valley Elementary School(Fremont), Ardenwood Elementary School(Fremont), Gomes Elementary School(Fremont), Blue Hills Elementary School(Cupertino), Collins Elementary School(Cupertino), Dilworth Elementary School(Cupertino), Muir Elementary School(Cupertino), Regnart Elementary School(Cupertino) Matsumoto Elementary School(San Jose), Meyerholz Elementary School(San Jose), Silver Oak Elementary School(San Jose), Covington Elementary School(Los Altos), Duveneck Elementary School(Palo Alto), Palo Verde Elementary School(Palo Alto), International School of the Peninsula(Palo Alto), Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School(Palo Alto),  Laurel Elementary School(Atherton), Las Lomitas Elementary School(Atherton), John Muir Elementary School(San Bruno), Crestmoor Elementary School(San Bruno), Dougherty Elementary School(Dublin) and quite a few other schools. During his time at Success Chess, Chris Torres also became a notable tournament director and a board member for Calchess. Through Success Chess, Chris Torres was able to achieve his goals of bringing scholastic chess to children all over the Bay Area.

After leaving Success Chess Schools in 2004, Chris Torres spent several months working for Richard Peterson of the Chess Education Association. After the school year concluded, Richard suggested to Chris that he set up his own organization and offered to sell all of the chess equipment from the CEA at a discount price. A couple months later, the Torres Chess and Music Academy was born.

Through the Torres Chess and Music Academy, Chris Torres has brought world class instruction to California’s most talented young chess minds. Some of his accomplishments included running a “Chess Study” with the Kern County Superintendent of the Schools and U.C. Berkeley from 2006-2008. In addition to the study, Chris was able to educate the children in Kern County’s migrant farm worker community in chess and even coach them to prestigious Southern California regional chess titles. In the Bay Area, Chris was able to instruct several individual National Chess Champions as well as coach for the Mission San Jose Elementary School chess team alongside Joe Lonsdale, which in 2009 and 2013 took first place at the USCF Super Nationals Chess Championship. To date, no other elementary school from California has ever placed first in the Elementary Championship division of the USCF Super Nationals.

Acknowledged today as a pioneer in the field of chess and education, Chris Torres has been invited to speak at numerous educational forums and events. Aside from his reputation as a successful chess teacher, Chris is also known throughout the Silicon Valley as a top notch classical guitarist who still finds time to teach groups of youngsters the enjoyment of playing classical music.

Fremont Summer Chess Camp: Preview 6

The Fremont Summer Chess  Camp at Mission San Jose Elementary School is the best chess camp for your chess champ. Our chess coaches are all professional chess educators year round which definitely shows in the positive way they interact with their students. If you haven’t checked out our other articles on the great chess teachers we have scheduled to teach Norcal children chess this summer, please refer to Preview 1, Preview 2, Preview 3 and Preview 4. I am very proud of all the teachers I employ to instruct your children at the Fremont Summer Chess Camp and am excited to introduce one of our new teachers for 2013.

James Paquette has everything we look for in a great chess teacher and more. A former chess student of Chris Torres, James now teaches chess professionally while attending a prestigious local university to study law. James Paquette has several years of experience managing small children which he gained while achieving his black belt in Taekwondo. While an undergrad honor roll student, James was a star football player at the college level and uses his experience from the field to teach children the level of commitment necessary to become a champion.  James Paquette relates to children of all backgrounds extremely well and is now one of the most popular coaches at the Torres Chess and Music Academy.

James Paquette is one of the most popular chess coaches at the Torres Chess and Music Academy.

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.

 

 

Fremont Chess Camp 2012

Fremont Summer Chess Camp 2012

^{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 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 27 to July 28 at Mission San Jose ES, 43545 Bryant St. Fremont, CA 94539.

to sign up visit www.ChessAndMusic.com

2011 Calchess Scholastic State Championships: Team Champions

Mission San Jose Elementary School has, once again, proven itself to be the best school chess team in California. At the 2011 Calchess Scholastic State Championships, MSJE took first place in the k-3 championship and the k-5 championship sections. MSJE also placed second in the k-6 championship section. For those new to the California chess scene, this means that the chess team won the state championship title in two out of three age group sections.
   Excellent job team! I look forward to celebrating your amazing accomplishments.

Mission San Jose Elementary School is located in Fremont, California. The MSJE Chess Team is run under the auspices of the Torres Chess and Music Academy. Joe Lonsdale, Richard Shorman and Chris Torres are the coaches for the MSJE Chess Team.

Come train with MSJE this summer.