Mischief Managed

by | Feb 17, 2020 | chess clubs, current news, positions, tournaments

Harry Potter fans will already know what the headline refers to. For everyone else, whenever Harry Potter used the Marauders’ Map, he was supposed to swear solemnly that he was up to no good, and when he was done with he was supposed to say, “Mischief...

Auspicious Beginnings

by | Feb 16, 2020 | chess clubs, current news, positions, tournaments

This weekend I’m playing in the U.S. Amateur Team West (USATW) tournament, which for the first time is being sponsored by the Mechanics Institute and run by one of the Bay Area’s finest directors, Judit Sztaray. Judit was with Bay Area Chess for a long...

Worst Game Ever!

by | Feb 13, 2020 | chess clubs, games, positions, ruminations

I’ve got lots of candidates for the worst game ever played against the computer, but this morning I played one that has to be near the top of the list. I went from much better to checkmated in the span of six moves! I was White, Fritz 17 was Black, it was set at...

Huge Upset for Unicorns

by | Feb 10, 2020 | current news, positions, PRO Chess League

In week six of the PRO Chess League, the California Unicorns picked the right time to play their best match of the season. Against the heavily favored New York Marshalls, who were led by Hikaru Nakamura on board one, California not only pulled off an upset but did it...