1 year ago

The Benefits of Playing Chess

Why you should play chess

Me and my books


I've been playing chess since I was eight years old. I started playing in United States Chess Federation tournaments when I was 15 years old, and I've been hooked ever since. I love the challenge of the game, and I find that it helps me to improve my cognitive skills, memory, and creativity.

Here are some of the benefits that I've personally experienced from playing chess:

Improved cognitive skills:
Chess requires you to think strategically, plan ahead, and make quick decisions. These are all important cognitive skills that can be beneficial in other areas of your life, such as school, work, and problem-solving. In my life, chess taught me that it's better to have a plan in life than no plan at all. Each move on the chess board must have a purpose. The actions and choices that you make in life should have a purpose, contributing to a goal(s) of yours.

Improved memory:
When you're playing chess, you have to remember the different pieces, their movements, and the different strategies that you can use. This can help improve your short-term and long-term memory.

Increased creativity:
When you're playing chess, you have to come up with new and innovative ways to defeat your opponent. This can help you think outside the box and come up with creative solutions to problems in other areas of your life.

Reduced stress and anxiety:
Chess can be a great way to relax and de-stress. The concentration and focus required to play chess can help to take your mind off of your worries and problems. I enjoy playing chess.

Improved self-esteem and confidence:
When you win a chess game, it can give you a sense of accomplishment and boost your self-esteem. This can be helpful in other areas of your life, such as school, work, and relationships.
If you're looking for a game that is challenging, rewarding, and beneficial, then I highly recommend giving chess a try. It's a game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels, and it has the potential to improve your cognitive skills, memory, creativity, and more.

Here are some additional tips for getting started with chess:
Find a good chess teacher or mentor who can help you learn the basics of the game. Contact me to help you get started in chess! Practice regularly. The more you play, the better you'll become. Don't be afraid to lose. Everyone loses at chess sometimes. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and keep trying. Have fun! Chess is a great game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. So relax, have fun, and enjoy the challenge.






2 years ago

Play in my next FREE online chess tournament on Saturday, April 29

Winner gets $20 Amazon gift card

Play in my next FREE monthly online chess tournament on Saturday, April 29th at 10am PST. This tournament is for players who are rated below chess.com's 1800 rating. The tournament is 5 rounds and the time control is G/10. That means one game can last 20 minutes.

First place wins a $20 Amazon.com gift card!

In order to play in the chess tournament, then you must be a member of my chess.com club. Join my club here.
After you join, then you will see the link to join my chess tournament on my club's homepage. If you don't see the link, here is the tournament link.
I host these monthly chess tournaments for my students and followers to have fun and learn. This is a great opportunity to play against my other students and followers! I will be broadcasting all the tournament action on my YouTube chess channel.

On a side note, I DO NOT TOLERATE cheating in my tournaments. If you want to cheat, then DON'T play in my tournament. You WILL get CAUGHT cheating if you do cheat in my online chess tournaments! In other words, cheating is a very bad idea!
On a side note, Orca Financial Group (www.OrcaFG.com) is graciously doubling our prize fund for the upcoming tournaments. OrcaFG was started by Georgiy Krasnopolskiy, who learned chess as a child, went to college on a chess scholarship, and then had a chess school. Chess is a passion of his and we are excited to have his help!







2 years ago

Play in my next FREE online chess tournament on Saturday, March 25

Lots of prizes to be won!

This tournament starts at 10am PDT (Pacific Time). This tournament is for players who are rated below chess.com's 1800 rating. The tournament is 5 rounds and the time control is G/10. That means one game can last 20 minutes.

Lots of prizes to be won:

First place wins a $20 Amazon.com gift card!

+Top female wins a chess.com 3 month diamond membership
+2nd place female wins a chess.com 2 month diamond membership
+ 3rd place female wins a chess.com one month diamond membership

In order to play in the chess tournament, then you must be a member of my chess.com club. Join my club here.
After you join, then you will see the link to join my chess tournament on my club's homepage. If you don't see the link, here is the tournament link.
I host these monthly chess tournaments for my students and followers to have fun and learn. This is a great opportunity to play against my other students and followers! I will be broadcasting all the tournament action on my YouTube chess channel.

On a side note, I DO NOT TOLERATE cheating in my tournaments. If you want to cheat, then DON'T play in my tournament. You WILL get CAUGHT cheating if you do cheat in my online chess tournaments! In other words, cheating is a very bad idea!

On a side note, Orca Financial Group (www.orcafg.com) is graciously doubling our prize fund for the upcoming tournaments. OrcaFG was started by Georgiy Krasnopolskiy, who learned chess as a child, went to college on a chess scholarship, and then had a chess school. Chess is a passion of his and we are excited to have his help!







2 years ago

Play in my Feb. 25 online chess tournament

All players welcome to play! Free Entry!

Play in my next monthly online chess tournament on Saturday, Feb. 25th at 9am PST. The tournament is 4 rounds and the time control is G/10. That means one game can last 20 minutes. First place wins a $10 Amazon.com gift card! All skill levels and ages are welcome to partcipate.

In order to play in the chess tournament, then you must be a member of my chess.com club. Join my club here. Free entry!
After you join, then you will see the link to join my chess tournament on my club's homepage.
I host these monthly chess tournaments for my students and followers to have fun and learn. This is a great opportunity to play against my other students and followers! I will be broadcasting all the tournament action on my YouTube chess channel.

On a side note, I DO NOT TOLERATE cheating in my tournaments. If you want to cheat, then DON'T play in my tournament. You WILL get CAUGHT cheating if you do cheat in my online chess tournaments! In other words, cheating is a very bad idea!






2 years ago

Play in my January 29th online chess tournament

This tournament is open to all skill levels

Play in my next monthly online chess tournament on Sunday, January 29th at 4pm PST. The tournament is 4 rounds and the time control is G/10. That means one game can last 20 minutes. First place wins a $10 Amazon.com gift card! All skill levels and ages are welcome to partcipate.

In order to play in the chess tournament, then you must be a member of my chess.com club. Join my club here. Free entry!
After you join, then you will see the link to join my chess tournament on my club's homepage.
I host these monthly chess tournaments for my students and followers to have fun and learn. This is a great opportunity to play against my other students and followers! I will be broadcasting all the tournament action on my YouTube chess channel.

On a side note, I DO NOT TOLERATE cheating in my tournaments. If you want to cheat, then DON'T play in my tournament. You WILL get CAUGHT cheating if you do cheat in my online chess tournaments! In other words, cheating is a very bad idea!






2 years ago

Play in my online chess tournament on Dec. 24

First place winner gets a $10 Amazon gift card

Play in my next monthly online chess tournament on Saturday, December 24, at 12:07pm PST. The tournament is 4 rounds and the time control is G/10. That means one game can last 20 minutes. First place wins a $10 Amazon.com gift card! All skill levels and ages are welcome to partcipate.

In order to play in the chess tournament, then you must be a member of my chess.com club. Join my club here. Free entry!
After you join, then you will see the link to join my chess tournament on my club's homepage.
I host these monthly chess tournaments for my students and followers to have fun and learn. This is a great opportunity to play against my other students and followers! I will be broadcasting all the tournament action on my YouTube chess channel.

On a side note, I DO NOT TOLERATE cheating in my tournaments. If you want to cheat, then DON'T play in my tournament. You WILL get CAUGHT cheating if you do cheat in my online chess tournaments! In other words, cheating is a very bad idea!






2 years ago

Read my CalChess journal article to inspire more girls and women to play chess

I analyze my girl student's chess game

I wrote a chess article for the latest CalChess journal which came out yesterday. Click here to see the article.
Go to page 24 to see my article, where I analyze my girl student's game. I hope this article inspires more girls and women to play chess. Also, check out James Eade's article too on page 10. James Eade wrote the famous "Chess For Dummies" book!






2 years ago

Play in my November 13th online chess tournament

For my students and followers!

Play in my next monthly online chess tournament on Sunday, November 13, at 6pm PST. The tournament is 4 rounds and the time control is G/10. That means one game can last 20 minutes. First place wins a $10 Amazon.com gift card! All skill levels and ages are welcome to partcipate.

In order to play in the chess tournament, then you must be a member of my chess.com club. Join my club here. Free entry!
After you join, then you will see the link to join my chess tournament on my club's homepage.
I host these monthly chess tournaments for my students and followers to have fun and learn. This is a great opportunity to play against my other students and followers! I will be broadcasting all the tournament action on my YouTube chess channel.

On a side note, I DO NOT TOLERATE cheating in my tournaments. If you want to cheat, then DON'T play in my tournament. You WILL get CAUGHT cheating if you do cheat in my online chess tournaments! In other words, cheating is a very bad idea!






2 years ago

ChessKid will be interviewing me this Thursday, October 27

Watch the interview live!

The well-known chess website for kids, Chess Kid will be interviewing me and other chess book authors LIVE this Thursday, October 27 at 5pm Eastern Time (that's 2pm PST). Watch the interview on their Twitch channel here .
I'll be talking about the chess books that I wrote, which are "50 Poison Pieces" and "Queen For A Day: The Girl's Guide To Chess Mastery", which are available on Amazon and other places.
After the interview is over, please let me know what you think about the interview by commenting below.
Me and my books

2 years ago

How to castle in chess on a computer

This is on chess.com


Let me know what you think about this video by commeting below.