Wednesday’s match, pitting the mighty Seattle Sluggers against The Los Angeles Vibe, might not have ended well for the Sluggers or their diehard fans but our Sluggers are known for their courageous comebacks! Unfortunately, IM Georgi Orlov’s brill...
The idea of a team chess league is a brilliant concept! Combining the structured organization of sports such as baseball (minus the headaches) with the intellectual intensity (in most cases) of chess is a win-win situation! Being a huge fan of...
Opening Principles Part Two Introduction I teach chess professionally at six public and private schools here in the San Francisco Bay Area. My classes are one hour long which can seem like a lifetime to my elementary school students ...
Chapter Two: Never Bring a Knife to a Gun Fight. Lester blazed through Tunica at 90 mph, knowing full well that the driver of a police cruiser could ignore any posted speed limits. Farmers and the laborers they employed were just starting their d...
Chapter One: State Line Blues Lester “Dickie” Potts sat on the porch sipping a cold beer listening to the cicadas sing their lonesome song. He winced while shifting his legs on the old car seat that served as a couch. The stitches had been out fo...
If you follow a few simple opening principles you’ll be able to handle anything your opponent throws at you. The good news is that you don’t have to memorize a series of specific openings. You just have to practice these principles faithfully and ...
I've read a lot lately regarding chess players and their chess software, namely attempts to beat their computers. I decided to do a bit of research and present a very basic atricle on some strategies useful for beginners. As always, I remind ...
Lately, I've been reading a great deal on the subject of cheating and chess, specifically the use of computer software for determining one's next move. Maybe it's because I'm comfortable with my place in the greater scheme of life, maybe it's...
I spend a lot of time these days either on the road playing or when not playing, in the recording studio. While most people think it a charmed life, since I get to do want I want with my day, they assume there is no stress involved. There is....
We often play chess and get so into the game that we don't think about the tools of the chess player. By tools, I mean the pieces, board, clocks, etc. I have heard the term Staunton Pattern a lot in my travels through ...
People often ask me what I find so wonderful about chess. It's a fair enough question to those who don't play the game. People see me obsessed over a puzzle, with a board set up on the coffee table in our living room, my hands moving piece...
I have a lot of free time on my hands but it comes at strange times during the 24 hour day. When I go out on the road with my band, there is a great deal of down time while traveling (either on planes or driving) and chess fills this void greatlIy...
