Mike Walder

Michael S. Walder, known as Mike Walder, is a National Master (NM) from the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been an active participant in the local chess community, including playing at the Mechanics’ Institute Chess Club. In 2011, Walder was diagnosed with stage 4 inoperable stomach cancer and was given less than a 4% chance to survive for one more year. Despite this prognosis, he survived and returned to playing chess in 2014 to counteract ‘chemo brain,’ a term describing the cognitive effects experienced by many chemotherapy patients.Beyond his personal achievements, Walder is known for his hobbies, including gourmet cooking, drinking premium coffees, and listening to eclectic music. He teaches private chess lessons, specializing in opening preparation.As of January 2025, his FIDE standard rating is 1882.

Teimour Radjabov vs Vladimir Fedoseev

Chess Endgames: Pawn Principles

Chess endgames with passed pawns have many principles. A previous article explained the opposition. In this article, a game between two top grandmasters demonstrates two other principles: passed pawns must be pushed and the square of the pawn. More 🡢
London Chess Conference

Free Chess Content, Spring 2023

The London Chess Conference was March 17-19. Videos of its sessions are available for free on YouTube. On April 10, the Mechanics’ Institute will hold a free Zoom session about the 2023 World Chess Championship match between Ding Liren from China and Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia. More 🡢