Professor: Welcome, class. Are you ready for some chess? Class: Yes we are, Professor. Professor: I thought today we’d take it easy and look at a few trouble-free problems, nothing special. With various tournaments coming up, it can’t hurt ...
Professor: Good afternoon, class. I trust you’ve had an eventful week of chess. Lucian: I certainly did. I played tons of blitz at the Marshall Chess Club. Zephyr: I was busy studying. I read a section on open files in Jeremy Silm...
Professor: Hello, class. I see we’ve doubled in size. Allow me to introduce two new classmates. Zephyr and Lucian: Two new classmates? Professor: Zephyr and Lucian, please meet Hale and Ryan. Zephyr and Lucian: Hello. Hale and Ryan: H...
Professor: Good day, class. It’s wonderful to see you. Zephyr and Lucian: It’s wonderful to see you, too, Professor. Professor: As different as the two of you are, you always seem so connected. Lucian: You mean like emotionally aware, h...
For the 4th year in a row, Metropolitan Chess has attracted yet another huge star to Southern California. This year's star will be World #2 GM Levon Aronian! Aronian has been named the official lead instructor of the 2014 Metropolitan & ACA ...
Professor: Good afternoon, class. I hope this past week has been spectacular. Zephyr: It was for me. I got to go to a concert. I heard Beethoven’s "Symphony No. 9". It was glorious. Professor: The Ninth Symphony! I wish I could have been th...
Professor: Good afternoon, class. Just seeing your smiling faces makes my day. Zephyr: It makes your day? That sounds like a quote from an old Dirty Harry movie. Lucian: Why? Does Clint Eastwood play chess in those movies? Professor: I d...
Professor: Hello, Class. Happy April Fool’s Day! Lucian: Professor, April Fool’s Day has come and gone. It was three days ago. Zephyr: I prefer to think of April 1 as being Rachmaninoff’s birthday. Lucian: I don’t know if I’d play ches...
Many peoples think, the computers are better than humans. Today I want to speak about that, because I think not! Think a little bit. We (the humans) made the engines, that was one thing, why humans are better.In the next game (I follow in video) t...
Professor: Good day, class. Would you rather be a knight? Or would you rather be a bishop? Zephyr: That’s quite a “hello,” Professor. Lucian: I’m fine. How are you? Professor: I’m doing OK. Forgive me f...
Professor: Hey, class, welcome to our circle of chess friends. Zephyr: Welcome to you as well, Professor. Lucian: We’re happy to arc across your day. Professor: And I’m pleased to hear that I’m surrounded by such g...
Professor: Class, how special it is to see you. Zephyr & Lucian: Hello, Professor. We do feel pretty special. Professor: Don’t let it go to your heads, but I’d like to start off with a question, if you don’t mind. Zephyr: I don’t mind...
Professor: Hello, Class. I hope you’re having a wonderful day. Zephyr & Lucian: Thank you, Professor. We hope you’re having a wonderful day, too. Professor: I am, especially now that I’m wearing my new jacket with i...
Professor: Class, it’s good to see you. What brings you to this part of the world? Zephyr: I’m here for a chess class. I suspect so is Lucian. Lucian: Yeah, I guess that’s why I’m here, too. Zephyr: Professor, weren’t you going to talk a...
Professor: Hi there, class. I’m wondering if any of you have had an opportunity to castle today. Zephyr: I haven’t even had a chance to play chess yet, Professor. How could I castle? Lucian: Really? You haven’t played chess yet? Well I playe...
Professor: Hello, class. It’s good to see the gang’s all here for another session. Zephyr: Professor, does that mean we should thank Caissa it’s Friday? Lucian: Weekend or not, I’m happy as long as I get to do some chess. Professor: Ah ye...
Professor: Good afternoon, class. Today we’re going to start by defining some terms. Zephyr: Terms? What types of terms? Lucian: You mean like semesters and trimesters and stuff? Professor: Not those kinds of terms. No, I thou...
Professor: Hello, class. Are you prepared to get scientific about things? That is, are you ready to talk about bishops today? Lucian: Bishops?What bishops? Bad bishops? Zephyr: Or good bishops? Professor: Not quite either type. No, I’m th...
Professor: Good afternoon, class. --- Lucian and Zephyr: Good afternoon, Professor. --- Professor: I hope you’ve both been having a good day so far. It’s so nice and sunny out that I’ve been walking around enjoying the warmth. --- Lucian: But Pro...
Professor: Today I’d like to begin at the end – that is, with a rook ending. Lucian: You mean an ending where both sides have a rook on the board? In that case, I expect there are some pawns on the board, too. Zephyr: Or maybe you mean an ending...
Professor: Unless we’re Rip Van Winkle, and can sleep for a very long time, every day we have to make decisions. Some decisions are hard to make, others are easy. --- Lucian: I guess a hard decision would be where one has many choices. --- Zephyr:...
Professor: We know there are 64 squares on a chessboard. We also know there are 32 light squares and 32 dark ones. Now let’s talk material. How many pieces does a player start the game with? --- Lucian: It depends what you mean b...
“Good morning, class,” the Professor bellowed out. “Are you ready to take another intellectual journey?” --- Zephyr and Lucian nodded “yes.” --- “Well then, let’s begin. As you know, chess ...
“It’s good to see the both of you,” the Professor began. “And because you’ve become my two favorite students, I’ve got an intriguing problem for you to consider today. Working as a team, I’m hoping you can apply your wonderful analytic skills to s...
