Learning Chess

Interested in learning chess? This suite of articles will help you understand the game, improve your skills and ultimately master it.

Discovered attack

Discovered Attack With Check

An opening tactic I learned as a child came in handy on May 2, during the online “Isolated Queens II” tournament. In this article, I will show how the tactic can arise in the Advance French and in the Semi-Slav Defense More 🡢
College Chess Coaches

Chess Respect

As reported by FIDE, former US Chess President Don Schultz died on April 19, 2020. Although I saw Schultz at several chess events, I spent the most time with him during the 1991 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. The US Chess Federation had asked Schultz to organize the tournament when another bid for it fell through. More 🡢
Saint Luis Chess Club

You can be the hero (part 2)

At the beginning of March I didn’t actually believe that staying home was heroic. I thought that my venturing away from home, to New York City to share chess in education methodology with teachers, was admirable. Less than two months later, times have changed. More 🡢
SparkChess - The Free Online Multiplayer Chess Game

Stay home. Stay safe. Play chess!

Due to the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) pandemic, health officials everywhere encourage people, especially those in at-risk categories, to stay at home as much as possible. We’re doing our (tiny) part to make this easier. We’ve increased server capacity and lifted the daily limits for users of the free version, so you can spend more time playing chess! More 🡢
Almost heaven, West Virginia

Almost heaven, West Virginia

There are 5,541 players listed on US Chess in West Virginia, though that number includes inactive players, expired members, and even the deceased. West Virginia has 1.78 million residents, so a little more than .3% of residents have been, or are currently, part of US Chess. Near the end of March, I will visit West Virginia to promote chess in that state. This article shares why chess may be a good addition to schools and provides a chess puzzle from 1848. More 🡢
George Aboud and Laura Schein in Emojiland

You can be the hero

In the Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation, White’s light-squared bishop is traded off on move 4. The light-squared bishop moved just twice before exiting the game. Trading doubles Black’s pawns, which matters. Thus, the light-squared bishop does “matter anyway” despite its brief existence. More 🡢
Julia Butters

Chess on the red carpet

Before the Academy Awards (the Oscars) are handed out to each year’s winners, movie stars walk the red carpet. They pose for photos and are interviewed. On February 9, 2020, one young actress brought a black knight with her. This article explains why, and then presents a chess problem, from Grandmaster John Nunn’s most recent book, which features a black knight. More 🡢
Walder,Michael vs Melville,Cailen J

Heart in San Francisco

The song “I left my heart in San Francisco” fits the Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club. Chess players who have visited the Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club once yearn to return to it; those lucky enough to live in San Francisco visit it often. In this article, I reminisce about my first visit to San Francisco and then share an exciting game from the third round of the Max Wilkerson Memorial Tuesday Night Marathon. More 🡢