Learning Chess

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

Magnus Carlsen

Better than Others

Before his convincing display of Rapid chess against challenger Fabiano Caruana in the tie-breaks of the 2018 World Championship Match, Magnus Carlsen had won the World Rapid Championship two times (2014, 2015). On December 28, 2019, Carlsen won his third World Rapid Championship title. In this article, I will briefly discuss Carlsen being “better than the others” and then segue into what to do, according to one chess author, if you out-rate your opponent in a chess game. More 🡢
IM Jack Peters

Day of the Dead: Post-Mortems and Newspaper Chess Columns

Two traditions that were part of my formative years in chess now seem to be dying or dead. When I was an active tournament player (from around 1975 through 1996), post-mortems and newspaper chess columns were common. In this SparkChess article, published close to the Day of the Dead, I reminisce about post-mortems and my […] More 🡢
Texas Chess Association

Learning from the Texas Chess Association

In this article, I will focus on the official state affiliate for Texas, the Texas Chess Association (TCA). Maybe other state chess affiliates will learn from my impressions of TCA; or perhaps even chess organizations outside of the United States could benefit from my observations. More 🡢
All the Wrong Moves

All the Wrong Moves

A just-published chess memoir and a chess position from my recently-played game are both pleasing. All the Wrong Moves: A Memoir About Chess, Love, and Ruining Everything is by Sasha Chapin, who attained a US Chess rating of 1417 (based on 22 games). The diagrammed position at the end of this article is from round 3 of my latest tournament, the 2019 Texas Women’s Chess Championship (August 17-18, 2019). More 🡢
FIDE Master Keith Hayward (standing)

Where to host a chess club?

In most cities, rents are high. So a full-time, dedicated building or room for a chess club may be unaffordable. But there are free alternatives. Libraries usually have meeting rooms. Cafés are another choice. This article highlights chess at libraries and at two cafés. From this article, you may get ideas for where a chess club could meet in your city. More 🡢
Saikhanchimeg Tsogtsaikhan

Chess Vacation of the Year! Contest

The International Chess Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada is known as “The Chess Vacation of the Year!” With tournaments, simultaneous chess exhibitions, lectures, a chess camp, and side events such as blitz, there is enough chess to keep anyone entertained from June 11-16, 2019. By commenting on this article, you may win a $25 gift certificate, good toward a side event entry fee or for merchandise/food from on-site vendors. More 🡢
UTRGV chess team

Final Four of College Chess won by UTRGV

The Final Four of College Chess was won by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), for the second year in a row. Webster University (Webster) was second. The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) was third. And Harvard University (Harvard) was fourth. This article provides round-by-round results and two chess problems, taken from games in rounds 2 and 3. More 🡢
Summer camp

Summer Chess Camps – Contest

Chess camps can be a great introduction to chess for beginners and give experienced players the skills they need to improve their chess results. Most chess camps are for children, but some camps are now open to adults too. FIDE Master and FIDE Trainer Kevin Bachler became involved in chess camps in 1996. This summer, Kevin is running two week-long camps, OleChess Camp in Minnesota and Caveman Chess Camp in Naperville, Illinois (Chicago area). Read on for Kevin’s tips for choosing a summer chess camp and for your chance to win a discount worth $200 to Kevin’s Caveman Chess Camp. More 🡢