One characteristic that distinguishes me from many other chess teachers is that I actively play in both local and national tournaments, often playing alongside (or even against) my own students. I have not yet given up on becoming a better chess player and aspire to obtain at least the FIDE Master title in the near future. However, The Road to Chess Improvement (a great book by GM Yermolinsky) has its peaks and valleys--a fact that I have become painfully aware of in recent years. Despite participating in the US Championship in Oklahoma, 2007 was mostly a disappointment for my chess game as my USCF rating slumped to 2232, well below my peak of 2340 in August 2006. I am determined to do better in 2008!I have played in only one local tournament since December, but that will change soon with events on three straight weekends to close out March. I hope to see some of my students in San Jose on March 15 or in Reno on March 21-23. However, for me the highlight of the month will be the Qualifier for this year's US Championship in Oklahoma.
- Silicon Valley Challenge #4 in northeast San Jose on March 15. My protege Charles Sun is the organizer for this event and I encourage all of my students rated under 2000 to attend if possible. Entry form. Advance Entries.
- 8th Far West Open in Reno on March 21-23. This is one of my favorite events each year. Eight of my students have signed up so far in the Open, A and B sections. We'll have a small pizza party in my room. Website. Advance Entries.
- Qualifier for 2008 US Championship in Tulsa on March 28-30. Seven spots are available to join the field of 24 for this year's national championship. To date, 11 players with ties to Northern California are committed: GM Yermolinsky, GM-elect Bhat, IM Friedel, IM Pruess, IM Zilberstein, NM Shankland, FM Naroditsky, NM Aigner, IM Shipman plus experts Mackenzie and Kobernat. Website. Advance Entries.
An unfortunate consequence of my travel schedule is that I must cancel most regular chess lessons for about 2.5 weeks: Friday, March 14 through Monday, March 31. I may be able to spend time with some students at tournaments and I may schedule a couple of classes with elite (1900+) players on the few days that I am at home between trips. However, I also intend to prepare myself for the rigorous competition in Oklahoma by improving my openings and learning new middlegame strategies.
Of course, I will post on this blog about all three tournaments. Stay tuned!
2 comments:
hey, that's my picture, the one they used in chesslife. i think its cool that you like it enough to use it, thanks.
I absolutely loved that photo and had a laugh when I saw it in Chess Life. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us.
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