by scribe | May 27, 2018 | current news, people, tournaments
Do you remember the old I Love Lucy episode where Lucy and Ethel get jobs in a candy factory? They set up behind a conveyor belt that brings them the candies, and they are just supposed to wrap each one and put it back on the conveyor belt. Easy-peasy. Then the...
by scribe | May 3, 2018 | chess clubs, current news, games, people, positions, ruminations, tournaments
For the Aptos Library Chess Club this week I wanted to teach a lesson based on one of Sam Shankland’s games from the recently concluded U.S. Championship. I think that the kids should know who the best players are … especially when one of them came from...
by scribe | Apr 29, 2018 | current news, people, tournaments
All in a day’s work for Sam Shankland: Wins his sixth game in the U.S. Championship against no losses. Wins his last three in a row, when even a single draw would have dropped him into a tie for first. Finishes a half point ahead of Fabiano Caruana, who will...
by scribe | Apr 28, 2018 | current news, people, ruminations, tournaments
In the spring of 2006, I organized a team of mostly Santa Cruz players to compete in the East Bay Chess League (also known as “Liga”). My team, called “Eight is Enough,” had two masters alternating on top board — Robin Cunningham, with...
by scribe | Apr 24, 2018 | chess clubs, games, people, positions
At Mike Splane’s chess party last weekend, Gary Kelly showed an exceptionally interesting game that he played, I believe, last week at the Kolty Chess Club. We started in the following position: Position after 0. … Bd8. White to move. FEN:...
by scribe | Apr 8, 2018 | current news, people, positions, PRO Chess League
Season two of the PRO Chess League has now ended, and the Armenia Eagles are the champions! In fact, the championship match went exactly as Hikaru Nakamura predicted. He said in an interview before the match that he expected an 8-8 tie and then expected Armenia to win...
