By Walter Koehler, Operating Partner at Break Coffee Chess is a game of strategy, concentration, and mental agility. While countless hours of practice and study are essential to becoming a better player, there’s another secret weapon many chess enthusiasts swear by: coffee. Yes, that steaming cup of joe might just be the boost you need …
By National Master Evan Rabin The advice given in this post is controversial among chess coaches…While it is important to play against strong opponents to improve, at tournaments, players should play their ‘own section’ and not ‘play up’. Tournaments usually have class sections that have maximum ratings. For instance, the World Open has an open …
By Deborah Notis, Co-Owner of GAMECHANGER Tutoring Connection Your kids spend approximately 30 hours every week in a large classroom, listening to teachers. Some classes are more interactive, others are more lecture-style. But none of these classrooms provide them with personalized learning experiences. Learning experiences that play to their strengths and weaknesses. Learning experiences that help …
by Izolda Trakhtenberg People hail chess as the ultimate test of strategic thinking. Yet, it is a game that goes beyond calculation. While knowing the ins and outs of openings, strategies, and tactics is crucial, another element infuses my game. That element is intuition. To me, the strategies and tactics of chess are the black-and-white …
The Artistry of Chess: How Intuition Shapes the Game Read More »
By CEO National Master Evan Rabin Dan Lucas, US Chess Senior Director Of Strategic Communications, frequently posts on social media about how chess boards in films are set up incorrectly. Often, the board is sideways, as the lower right hand corner is not a light square. Before starting a game, it is important to double …
By National Master Evan Rabin What does it mean to learn chess? A third grader once told me on the first day of a semester “Just so you know, I already know chess.” I asked him “How do you win a chess game?” and he replied “capture your opponent’s king”, which was incorrect. Many beginners …
By National Master Evan Rabin There are four common types of draw offers: The draw offerer is losing. The position is legitimately equal. The position its unclear and the draw offerer has no idea what is going on. A draw secures a prize. At the 2021 US Open in Cherry Hill, NJ, I played against …
By National Master Evan Rabin Chess notation is a system to document chess games, based on coordinates. I teach beginners board geography before piece movement. This allows a student to say “e4”, rather than “move the fifth pawn from the left side two squares.” A chess board has 64 squares. There are three different types …
By National Master Evan Rabin Several years ago I spoke with a 1700-rated player who just drew 1200- rated player at the US Amateur Team East. She explained to me how solid her opponent played and how she had no winning chances. As I did not believe her that a 1200 could play so solidly, …
By ST Rappaport, Brain Coach at LifePix University Ever wondered what it takes to play a game of chess? Well, you’ve got to come up with a plan. Think about how things might unfold. Visualize the moves. Consider the possibilities. Remember loads of information. It’s a lot. And guess what? Each of these aspects connects …
