The Marshall Spectator
March 5, 2025
In This Issue: From The Skittles Room Endgame Corner, by IM Silas Esben Lund GM Brewington Hardaway Simul and Q&A An Exciting Simul Win, by Marshall Kaiser An Interview with GM Djurabek Khamrakulov Chess Toons En Passant Problems, Problems, curated by Alexander George Editor's Note
Welcome back, fellow chess players, to this edition of the Marshall Chess Club's fortnightly bulletin, The Marshall Spectator.
Last week, GM-elect Brewington Hardaway gave a Q and A as well as a simultaneous display at our historic club in celebration of Black History Month.
The event was well-attended and featured a number of interesting games, including two draws and 1 Marshall Chess Club Member who managed to win his game. Marshall Kaiser’s game with his own annotations can be found later in this very issue of The Marshall Spectator.
Looking ahead on the calendar, we are looking forward to hosting legendary GM Susan Polgar for an author talk and book signing. The talk will be moderated by IM Rusudan Goletiani and sponsored by the Marshall Chess Foundation.
Once again, we are thrilled to welcome back IM Silas Lund to give another online class on Complex Endgames. The class begins on Monday, March 10, and will continue into April. This class is sure to strengthen your understanding of complex endings and all five sessions are just $100.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we are excited to announce a Simultaneous display with WFM Megan Paragua, who is a multiple-time national scholastic champion, 2023 Pan-American Youth Champion in the U12 Girls section, and a rising star of American Chess. She will be introduced by her uncle, GM Mark Paragua.
We're excited to share an update to our member highlights. Congratulations to each one of these members for their accomplishments in February, and keep an eye out for showcases of their accomplishments around the club. Good luck to everyone vying for a highlight in March!
Top USCF Rating Gain: Kevin Aidan Young (476 USCF points gained) Most Active Member: Kimani Thompson (9 tournaments attended) Most Active New Member: (joined in the past year): Dheeraj Prasanth (7 tournaments attended.)
Curious to see where you stack up? You can see the full list here.
Further ahead on the calendar, we are excited to share with you that summer registrations are open for our summer camps here. In addition to GM Djurabek Khamrakulov, the summer camps will feature GMs Andrei Maksimenko, Alexander Shabalov, and Oliver Barbosa as instructors, with many other guests to be announced!
We look forward to sharing more details about the camps with you in the coming weeks, including discounts and changes to the camp schedule.
Looking back over the last two weeks, we have had a plethora of events for our members to play in.
The Rated Beginner Open on March 2 had 36 players registered and was won by Mila Schultes, Richard Befeler, Radhames Mejia, and Brian Schnabel who scored a perfect 3 out of 3 to win $98.50 each.
The Saturday Morning Masters on March 1 had 16 players registered and was won by GM Michael Rohde, FM Aditeya Das and Daniel Wang who scored 2.5 out of 3 to win $58.33 each.
The Saturday Game 50 Open on March 1 had 44 players registered and was won by IM Justin Sarkar who scored a perfect 4 out of 4 to win the $252 first-place prize. Jose De Villa won a $126 class prize for his 3 out of 4 performance, while CM Chenxuan Ling and IM Jay Bonin won $84 each for their 3.5 out of 4 score.
The Saturday Game 50 Under 1800 on March 1 had 51 players registered and was won by Dhruthi Rao, who scored 4 out of 4 to win the $306 first-place prize. Owen Mak and Owen Pang scored 3.5 out of 4 to win $102 each, while Bo-Yuan Nathan Wang scored 3 out of 4 to win a $153 class prize.
The Under 2000 Morning Action on March 1 had 43 players registered and was won by Tolani Somefun, Alexei Kumar, and Mingrui Ju who scored a perfect 3 out of 3 to win $179.67 each.
The Women & Girls’ Open that concluded on February 28 had 10 players registered and was won by WFM Raydily Rosario who scored a perfect 3 out of 3 to win the first place prize of $60. Sofiya Hodzhamkulyyeva scored 2.5 out of 3 to win the second-place prize of $30.
The FIDE Blitz that concluded on February 28 was sold out with an impressive turnout of 70 players registered. GM-elect Brewington Hardaway won the first place prize of $350 for his 8 out of 9 performance, while GM Maxim Dlugy and IM Kevin George won $131.50 each for their 7 out of 9 score. FM Aditeya Das won a class prize of $88 for his 6 out of 9 performance, and Shiv Dubey, Nivaan Shrivastava, and Takki Tanaki scored 5.5 out of 9 to win $29.33 each. Max Mottola, Linxi Zhu, Lev Shangin, and IM Justin Sarkar won $22 each for their 6.5 out of 9 score.
The Thursday Action on February 27 had 42 players registered and was won by IM Jay Bonin, Vladimir Bugayev, FM Jonathan Subervi, and FM Leif Pressman who scored 3.5 out of 4 to win $105.25 each. Mike Ching, Matthew Shirvell, and Sarah Budow scored 3 out of 4 to win $26.33 each.
The Monthly Under 1800 that concluded on February 23 had 29 players registered and was won by Marco Ciacci, who scored 4.5 out of 5 to win $484. Paul Ahn and Melanie Liang scored 4 out of 5 to win $169.50 each, while Yunhui Ma, Sam Curran, and Kimani Thompson scored 3.5 out of 5 to win $40.33 each. Samuel Reznikov and Craig Nemiroff won a class prize of $72.50 each for their 2 out of 5 performance.
The Rated Beginner Open on February 23 had 43 players registered and was won by Gordon Sun, Kabir Bhatia, Aleksandr Lukashov, and John Modzelewski who scored a perfect 3 out of 3 to win $115.50 each.
The Monthly Under 2400 that concluded on February 23 had 43 players registered and was won by Quan Anh Le, Chase Knowles, and George P Berg who scored 4 out of 4 to win $406.33 each. FM Aditeya Das and Marzouq Chowdhury won $90 each for their 3.5 out of 5 performance, while Noah Gillston won a class prize of $215 for the same score.
The Saturday Morning Masters on February 22 had 8 players registered and was won by Charlie Creswell and CM Alexander Sukhiashvili who scored 2.5 out of 3 to win $50 each.
The Saturday Morning Under 2000 Morning Action on February 22 had 44 players registered and was won by Jayden Feng, Arjun Sarin Pradhan, David Gelpi and Brendan Moran who scored 3 out of 4 to win $94.25 each. Jacky Zheng, Noah Lee, Andrew Ayers, Sean Huang, Carlos Galeana, and Emileo Martinez scored 2 out of 4 to win $27 each.
The Friday Rapid on February 21 had 19 players registered and was won by Kevin Lu, Bahadur Hodzhamkulyyev, and Nathan Peyton who scored 3.5 out of 4 to win $49.58 each. Adam Herwis, Juan Gestoso, and Linus Chang scored 2 out of 4 to win $21.25 each.
The Thursday Action on February 20 had 25 players registered and finished with a 3-way tie between IM Jay Bonin, Kiren Nasta, and Vladimir Bugayev who scored 3.5 out of 4 to win $65 each, while Jack Levine, Jack Yang, Mike Ching, and Tommy Kozlek won $22.50 each for their performance.
The Marshall Masters on February 18 had 20 players registered and was won by FM Tanitoluwa Adewumi who scored 4 out of 6 to win $266.67, while IM Liam Putnam, Santhosh Ayyappan, and Nathaniel Mullodzhanov scored 3 out of 4 to win $111.11 each.
The President’s Day Action on February 17 had 51 players registered and was won by Joshua Block who scored a near perfect 5.5 out of 6 to win the $425 first place prize. Nathaniel Mullodzhanov scored 5 out of 6 to win the $255 second place prize, while Kevin Zhang, Ari Drucker, and Justin Liang scored 4.5 out of 6 to win $141.67 each. Shu Chen and Samuel Pozen scored 4 out of 6 to win $85 each.
The Adults Only Tournament Open on February 16 had 5 players registered and was won by Jose De Villa who scored 3 out of 4 to win $75, while Matthew Shirvell scored 2.5 out of 4 to win $50 and Robert Thorstad scored 1.5 out of 4 to $38.
The Adults Only Tournament Under 1600 on February 16 had 7 players and 4 of them were prize winners! Nikhil Bapat scored 4 out of 4 to win $74, while Zachary Zwerline won a $38 class prize for his 2 out of 4 score, and Reginal Denis and Jose Garcia Negron won $25 each for their 2.5 out of 4 performance.
The Rated Beginner Open on February 16 had 46 players registered and was won by Tabatha Medrano Ramirez, Stephen Nugent, Aidan Young, and Matthew Marin who scored a perfect 3 out of 3 to win $129.50 each.
The Saturday Morning Masters on February 15 had 4 players registered and was won by William Aepli and IM Danial Asaria, who scored 2 out of 3 and won $25 each.
The Saturday Game 50 Open on February 15 had 24 players registered and was won by Oliver Boydell who scored 3.5 out of 4 to win $144, while Boris McCoy, Winsley Wu, Mike Ching, Sergei Zakharov, and Ari Drucker scored 3 out of 4 to win $33.60 each.
The Saturday Game 50 Under 1800 on February 15 had 62 players registered and was won by Alexi De La Nuez and Marissa Lu, who both scored a perfect 4 out of 4 to win $310 each. Dervin Kouyate, Aileen Lou, Gabe Bencosme-Lee, and Aarush Bandreddi scored 3 out of 4 to win $46.50 each.
The Saturday Morning Under 2000 Action on February 15 had 40 players registered and was won by Rochelle Ballantyne and Hugh Verrier Jr, who scored a perfect 3 out of 3 to win $195.50 each. Ivan Levcovitz, Carlo He, Jia Rui Weng, and Hunter Alfonso won $24.50 each for their 2.5 out of 3 score.
The Women & Girls Open on February 14 had 11 players registered and was won by Rochelle Ballantyne and Sofiya Hodzamkulyyeva who both scored a perfect 3 out of 3 to win $49.50 each.
The FIDE Blitz on February 14 had 23 players registered and was won by John Hughes who scored a near perfect 8 out of 9 to win $115. GM Maxim Novik scored 7.5 out of 9 to win $58, while Daniel Yassky, Quan Anh Le, Kevin Liu and Wan Qin Li score 5.5 out of 9 to win $29 each.
The Thursday Action on February 13 had 39 players registered and was won by FM Leif Pressman, IM Jay Bonin and IM Alexander Katz who scored 3.5 out of 4 to win $106.33 each. Jose De Villa and Alec Hyunmook Choi scored 3 points to win $37 each, while Moshe Uminer, Joshua Block, Jonathan Lang, and Kevin Liu also scored 3 out of 4 to win $18.50 each.
The Thursday Open on February 13 had 21 players registered and was won by Aleksandr Gutnik, Anthony Levin, and Nirupam Kushalnagar who scored 4.5 out of 6 to win $213.33 each. Boris Goikhman scored 4 out of 6, winning an $80 prize. Vladimir Lionter won a $40 class prize for his 3 out of 6 score, while Alan McMichael, and Jacob Gordon won a $20 class prize for their 3 out of 6 score.
We look forward to seeing you at the club soon!
Endgame Corner, by IM Silas Esben Lund
You can play through the games in this article with the annotations here.
Grischuk, Alexander vs. Roiz, Michael
Last time, we saw the game Grischuk - Roiz and how Grischuk masterfully used his bishop pair against Black's bishop and knight. One big transformation stood out (43.Bd5!). This time, we will look at a sideline to the game that offers Black chances of resistance - but it also leads to many different kinds of transformations. We will see how having the bishop pair gives White these advantages of transforming the position to his liking.
33... fxg4 (The game continued 33... Bb3) 34. fxg4 Black to move.
Grischuk, Alexander vs. Roiz, Michael
34... Bc6 (Transformation 1: 34... g5 35. Bd3 h6
36. Be4 The exchange of light-squared bishops works here due to the newly placed pawns on h6-g5 as fixed targets. After the exchange of light-squared bishops, White's king will advance and target the pawns on the queenside. The bishop pair has given White a king space advantage - which is one big reason why this transformation works.)
35. Bd1 Bd5 36. Bc2 Bc6 37. a5 Bd5 White is ready to start pushing the h-pawn. 38. h4 Ke7 39. h5 Kf7
White's winning strategy is this: 1) Prepare the push h5-h6 to fix the pawn on h7 as a target. Also, this creates tactics on g6 as the pawn on h6 is very close to promotion. 2) Rearrange the pieces with bishop on the a2-g8 diagonal, then g4-g5 and Bf6. This setup will cripple Black on the kingside. 3) White will then find a way to make the break b4-b5 work to create a second weakness on the queenside.
(Transformation 2: 39... gxh5 40. gxh5 h6 41. Be4 works again. Thus, in the following we see that Black tries to maintain status quo with pawns on h7-g6.)
40. Bd3 Bc6 41. Bg3 Bd5 42. Bh4 Black is in a kind of zugzwang and has to allow the white bishop onto the a2-g8 diagonal. 42…Bc6
(Transformation 3: 42... Kg7 43. hxg6 hxg6 44. Be4 Bxe4 45. Kxe4
This time, there are no kingside pawns on dark squares. Instead, it is the white king breaking through to b7 via e5-d6. We again notice how easy it is for White to defend the pawns on the queenside, should Black try to attack them, as he has created his own DEB. Kf7 46. Ke5 etc.)
43. Bc4 Bg2 44. h6 Bc6 45. Bd8 Bg2
(Transformation 4: Probably the most obvious transformation for White is that to a same-colored bishop endgame after 45... Ke8 46. Bxe6 Kxd8 But this again is the power of creating an own DEB, thus making this transformation possible. 47. Bg8)
46. g5 Bc6 47. Bf6 The first 2 stages are complete, and White can now set about to prepare the queenside break with b4-b5. 47…Bg2 48. Bb3 Bc6 49. Kd3 Bg2
50. b5 Bf1+ (50... axb5 51. Kc3 followed by Kb4.)
51. Ke3 (51. Ke4 axb5 and now 52. Bd5 is no good due to Bg2+ (Black can even play 52... Bc4 {due to the knight fork on c5, so placing the king on e4 is double bad.)
51... axb5 (Let's consider the other capture that can lead to a curious zugzwang position: 51... Bxb5 52. Ke4 Bc6+ 53. Ke5 Bd7 54. Kd6 Bc8 55. Bd5
Total domination by White.)
52. Bd5 b4 53. Bxb7 White has broken through on the queenside and created a second weakness: the passed a-pawn. With a bit of precision, White will drive home this game. However, there is one curious obstacle that arises from the pawn formation h6 vs h7: the possibility to build a fortress. 1-0
White to avoid a Fortress
Imagine that Black is able to exchange the light-squared bishops and sacrifice the knight on the a-pawn: [#] Black's king stays near the h8-corner, and White's king cannot approach the h7-pawn without stalemating Black.
IM Silas Esben Lund, Marshall Spectator Contributor
GM Brewington Hardaway Simul and Q&A for Black History Month
Dear Spectator readers,
Last month we celebrated Black History Month with a very special event. We had our own club member and GM-elect Brewington Hardaway for a 25-player simul. Brewington holds the record for being the youngest African-American player to earn the USCF National Master title, earning the title at age 10. When awarded the title at the next quarterly meeting of the FIDE Council, Hardaway will become the first US-born African-American grandmaster.
It was an honor and inspiring experience to host Brewington at the Marshall for his first simul in our historic building. You can check out the Q&A session on our YouTube channel. Please subscribe to our channel and also follow us on Twitch and Facebook.
Yours in Chess,
FA/AO Carlos Chavez
On February 25, I had the pleasure of playing a simul against twenty-five strong players in celebration of Black History Month. I had played a few simuls before, but this was by far the most difficult simul with many fierce young competitors and many veterans of the Marshall Chess Club. The simul lasted four hours showing all the players' fighting spirit to make it as hard for me as possible. I had no real strategy going into it, but I decided to play many different openings throughout which resulted in all sorts of positions arising in every game While everyone put up a great fight, two youngsters (Tommy Kozlek and Jayden Feng) who are common members of the club held me to a draw. Congrats to both for playing very solidly and holding slightly uncomfortable endings to earn well deserved draws!
I did not know what to expect since this was my first simul at the club, but I must say it was very professional and went very smoothly. Everyone was extremely kind to each other and events like these always bring the chess community together to celebrate others accomplishments. The vibes were spectacular, which made it a very enjoyable experience. I want to thank the Marshall Chess Club staff for hosting a very well-run event and to all the players who showed up to make it happen! I hope to be back in the future with more excellent events like this one!
Below are five answers to some questions from the Q&A Session before the simul.
What does becoming a grandmaster elect at 15 means to you personally, and how do you envision this title shaping your future in chess?
Becoming a grandmaster is every kid's dream when starting out and to achieve it was one of the greatest moments in my life so far. Getting the grandmaster title certainly boosts my confidence and now I hope to become a top tier player in the future.
2. What have been some of the biggest challenges along your chess journey, and how have you overcome them?
The biggest challenge for all chess players at some point is when you hit a plateau. This means that you are stuck at the same rating for an extended period and seem to not be able to push through. I can think of two plateaus I had throughout my career and despite it being demotivating, I found the motivation within me to keep on pushing because I knew if I kept training my hardest good things would come.
3. As the first native-born African American grandmaster, how do you hope your achievement will inspire young players from diverse backgrounds?
I hope my achievement will show kids from diverse backgrounds that no matter what others say, you can make your dreams a reality if you give it your all. I hope to see more young African American start to play chess and to reach the highest level in the future.
4. Can you share some insights into your daily training routine and preparation methods for major tournaments?
Every day I make sure to learn and review openings as well as do a lot of calculation exercises either online or through books. It is important to do this daily to stay sharp and to be prepared for whatever comes during your tournaments.
5. What are your long-term goals in chess, and are there other areas or passions you hope to explore?
My long-term goals in chess are to at least hit 2700 and to pursue chess as a job. As a kid I always enjoyed chess and wanted to do it to make a living, but it seemed very unlikely. Now that I am a grandmaster, this is possible so I will do anything to make that happen.
An Exciting Simul Win, by Marshall Kaiser
As a frequent visitor to NYC for work I joined the Marshall Chess Club late last year. I always check the website for events when I come to town and was pleased to see a simul offered on 2/25 to play against GM-elect Brewington Hardaway. I signed up eagerly. As the day approached I confided with friends that I was simply hoping to last 30 moves. Before the simul began Brewington gave a nice Q&A, answering questions from a moderator and also fielding questions from the audience. When the game commenced I took the advice of my coach, FIDE Master Nicholas Van der Nat, and played very aggressively. Brewington played the closed Italian and I played an early ...g4, one of my favorite lines. I definitely overplayed my hand, however, and quickly dropped a pawn. GM Hardaway pressed a strong attack on the Queenside but overlooked the sharpest continuation, allowing me to solidify. A few moves later I managed to win two pawns, including an outside passer. Then I was able to force a rook trade and get my Queen into the game, and GM Hardaway went into "desperado" mode, throwing pawns forward hoping to complicate. Happily, my Queen was able to come to the defense. After 46. Qh8? Qe1+! White loses the Knight, and GM Hardaway graciously extended his hand in resignation and kindly signed my scoresheet.
You can play through the game with annotations here.
GM-elect Hardaway is an articulate 15-year-old homegrown prodigy at the Marshall Chess Club in NYC. He gave a nice Q&A before this simul. I played board 2. No clocks, players allowed only a single pass.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Nc3 a6 A recommendation from my coach, FIDE Master Nicholas Van der Nat.
6. a4 h6 7. h3 g5
Nicholas says to come out swinging, so I play my most aggressive line against the closed Italian.
8. Nd5 d6 9. c3 g4
Too aggressive in fact, this loses a pawn.
10. hxg4 Nxd5 (10... Bxg4 11. Bg5 and White wins a piece with a crushing attack to boot.)
11. exd5 Ne7 12. d4 exd4 13. Nxd4 Ng6 14. Be3 Qe7 15. Be2 Ne5 16. g5 h5 17. Qd2 Bd7 18. f4 Ng4 19. Bxg4 Bxg4 20. O-O O-O-O I knew I was castling into his attack, but GM Hardaway approached my board and I had to make a move.
21. b4 Rde8 22. Rfe1 Ba7 23. Nc2 Very nice from my opponent, simply trading off my defensive Bishop.
23... Bxe3+ 24. Nxe3 Qd7 25. Qd4 Kb8 26. b5 White has a fearsome attack and should be able to pry open Black's position faster than Black can pry open White's.
26... a5 27. Nc4 (27. b6 c6 28. dxc6 bxc6 29. Nc4 with a double attack on both d6 and a5. Black won't survive long.)
27... b6 28. Re3 A lifeline. I grab it eagerly. (An interesting sacrifice might have been 28. Nxb6 cxb6 29. Qxb6+ Qb7 30. Qxd6+ Ka8)
28... Rxe3 29. Nxe3 Re8 30. Re1 I used my one and only pass here to verify ...Bf5 didn't lose.
30... Bf5 31. Kf2 Re4 32. Qh8+ Kb7 33. Qxh5 This allows Black to isolate White's g pawns and gain an outside passer on the a-file. Black should be equal or even better here.
33... Rxf4+ 34. Kg1 Rxa4 35. c4 Bd3 36. Qd1 Ra3 37. Qc1 Rb3 38. Qd1 Rb1 Forcing a rook trade allows my Queen to finally enter the game.
39. Qd2 Rxe1+ 40. Qxe1 Qe7 41. Qd2 Qe4 42. Qf2 a4 No need to fear Qxf7.
43. c5 Desperado time.
43... bxc5 44. b6 Kxb6 45. Qb2+ Qb4 46. Qh8 Qe1+ Wins the Knight. White's checks on the back rank will be fruitless as the Black K can run to c4 and Black has too many passed pawns. GM Hardaway extended his hand in resignation and kindly signed the scoresheet. 0-1
Marshall Kaiser, Marshall Chess Club Member
An Interview With GM Djurabek Khamrakulov
Dear Marshall members and Spectator readers,
It is my pleasure to include in this newsletter a very special interview with our Marshall Chess Academy camp leader and instructor, GM Djurabek Khamrakulov. He was National Champion of Uzbekistan in 2008, 2009, and 2013. He was a member of the National Uzbekistan team at the World Chess Olympiad in 2008, 2010, and 2012.
GM Djurabek has won several international tournaments in Spain, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Turkey. He is also our 2019 Marshall Chess Club Champion. I hope you enjoy his insightful and inspirational interview. You can also check out and register for our upcoming chess camps in late March, the spring, and summer here.
Yours in Chess,
FA/AO Carlos Chavez
1. GM Djurabek, tell the readers a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and how did you discover chess?
I'm from Uzbekistan (Samarkand city). I was born into a chess family and started playing at a very early age, around 5. I was the youngest child in my family with two older sisters and a brother.
My father, Shakhob Khamrakulov, coached for over 45 years and served as the national youth coach for many years. He played a significant role in developing chess in Uzbekistan. Among his students are numerous GMs, multiple National, Continental, and World Youth Champions. My brother Ibragim became our country's first World Youth Champion (U16 in 1998, Spain) and later achieved GM status. My sisters Iroda and Shaxnoza won national championships multiple times and represented our country in World Chess Olympiads.
2. Share with us highlights of your journey to Grandmaster which you achieved at a later age in your career? How and where did you get your norms and when did you cross the 2500 FIDE rating?
2004 was a memorable turning point in my chess career when I qualified for the National Championship for the first time. The tournament featured 14 players, most of them titled GMs and IMs. At that time, my rating was 2200. I lost my first four games against three GMs and a strong IM—the only time in my career I've lost four consecutive games. In round 5, I faced another GM in what became one of the longest games of my life—170 moves. Despite my opponent having two extra pawns in the queen endgame, I managed to survive. This resilience motivated me, and I won my next three games.
In May 2006, watching both my sisters represent Uzbekistan at the World Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy, I felt determined to improve my chess. This motivated me to train intensively, particularly with computer analysis. By summer 2007, I played numerous tournaments in Europe and crossed the 2500 FIDE rating threshold at age 19, earning my IM title.
In 2008, I won the National Championship for the first time—a huge achievement for me. I repeated this success in 2009 and earned my first GM norm. Maintaining a 2500+ rating proved challenging due to financial constraints limiting my tournament participation to 4-5 events annually.
My second GM norm came after eight years of persistence. In late 2016, I committed to playing tournaments consistently while training 3-4 hours daily. I earned this norm by winning the Ordu International Tournament in Turkey in 2017.
After moving to the US in late 2017, I began playing regularly at the Marshall Chess Club. Competing in various tournaments with players of different levels and time controls significantly improved my skills, especially in endgames. I was impressed that the club hosted tournaments throughout the week.
In August 2018, I prepared intensively for two back-to-back tournaments: the Washington International and US Masters. I trained hard for over 5 hours daily, focusing on tactics on ChessTempo where I reached a rating of 2771. Finally, I achieved my third and final GM norm at the US Masters in Greensboro, NC, where I also tied for first place, officially becoming a Grandmaster.
3. Who were your major influences in chess as you were growing up?
My family was my major influence in chess. Growing up in a household where chess was the most important thing made me the player I am right now. My father's coaching expertise, my brother's achievements as a GM, and my sisters' competitive successes all provided inspiration and guidance throughout my early years.
4. How would you describe your teaching style?
I began coaching in 2011, and over time my teaching style has become very flexible. I've learned that every student is unique with different needs, so I adapt my approach accordingly. As a coach, it's extremely important to understand how each student best absorbs information. I focus on identifying each student's learning style and fitting my instruction to maximize their understanding of chess concepts.
5. What is the most important element that you believe children should get when learning chess?
The most important elements children should develop when learning chess are a love for the game, persistence, and resilience—never giving up and continually overcoming challenges. As a coach, I believe my primary goal is to instill in children a culture of hard work. When young players learn to adopt consistent effort and disciplined practice, they not only improve their chess skills but also develop valuable character qualities that will benefit them throughout their lives.
6. What makes the Marshall Chess Camps unique and different from other camps?
Marshall Camps are run by a dedicated team focused on three key elements: ensuring students have fun, fostering long-lasting friendships, and emphasizing educational value. Our primary goal is that by the end of camp, each participant becomes a significantly better chess player through our comprehensive approach.
7. Why are tactics, playing in tournaments, and analyzing your games important for all chess players to improve?
Tactics are essential tools that improve calculation and visualization skills, which in turn enhance intuition and help players make correct decisions. Tournament play provides valuable real-world experience to test chess skills under competitive conditions. Game analysis is a crucial practice that allows players to learn from mistakes and identify specific areas for improvement.
8. As a chess instructor with many years of experience, what are the joys and challenges of every young aspiring chess player?
The greatest joy for young players comes from seeing noticeable progress. Winning games and gaining rating points provides immediate satisfaction and builds confidence. The primary challenge is maintaining consistent training and practice habits, especially as players advance and face increasingly difficult opponents. The further they progress, the more dedication is required.
9. How do you believe young chess players can better understand the art and science of chess?
We live in an era with unprecedented access to chess information and learning tools. It's critically important to help students navigate this vast amount of resources so they can use their study time most effectively. Regular play and practice with stronger players, combined with guidance from experienced coaches, creates the optimal learning environment for understanding both the artistic and scientific elements of chess.
10. What special message about learning chess would you like to send to all our members and readers?
Chess is a journey of continuous learning and self-improvement. Welcome the challenges it presents, as they are opportunities for growth. Remember that every game, whether won or lost, is a chance to learn something new. Develop patience, critical thinking, and habit of regular practice. Chess not only sharpens your mind but also teaches valuable life skills like respect for opponents, managing emotions, and the importance of foresight. Start early if you can, but know that it's never too late to begin your chess journey. Most importantly, enjoy the process and the beautiful game of chess.
En Passant
Boris Spassky, the world chess champion whose career was overshadowed by his loss to Bobby Fischer in the “Match of the Century” in 1972, died on Thursday in Moscow. He was 88.
GM Magnus Carlsen's world famous jeans from the 2024 World Rapid Championship have been sold at auction for a staggering $36,100. The proceeds will go to charity.
Although chess is widely regarded as a tool for cognitive and personal development, these claims are seldom substantiated by concrete research. With this in mind, the FIDE Social Chess Research Conference—which took place online on February 22—brought together experts in sports and mental health from different health and research institutions worldwide to present their findings and discuss the broader societal role of chess.
Chess Toons
Problems, Problems, curated by Alexander George
J.-L. Turco, 1983
Mate in 1.
Valentine's Day is behind us - back to the wild world of retroanalysis!
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Last issue’s puzzle: Pal Benko
Solution to Benko: 1.Qd6+.
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Alexander George
Editor's Note
As always, if you have any feedback, comments, or would like to submit an article please contact us directly at td@marshallchessclub.org.
Enjoy, and thanks for reading!
The Marshall Chess Club
23 West Tenth Street New York, NY 10011
212.477.3716
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