Abe played at Chicago Open last weekend. He scored one win, two draws and four losses. Yesterday, after looking at computer analysis showing he made mistakes here and there in his games, he told me he did poorly at the tournament. I think it’s a good learning experience for him. Since the slow time control, [...]
In case you do not know Ms. Ruan, she is the runner up in the 2010 Women’s World Chess Championship, and she is also a full time student pursuing her PHD degree in accounting at Carnegie Mellon University. What an opportunity it’s to join the lecture by a world elite chess player who is, at [...]
We just came back from a long (supposed to be) vacation. In fact, the vacation felt so short, I would say it last no longer than a chess game. Abe, I felt, was curious to everything on the trip, the farmers’ market was definitely different there: The land was poor, so were the people, but [...]
The 9-round 3-day tournament was held over the Thanksgiving weekend. The venue is clean and well lighted, all equipments are supplied—even the food and drink. So the plays just need to show up and play chess. A big feast of chess over Turkey Day weekend, how nice! Abe was playing in the tournament, so were [...]
We had a block party in our neighborhood last Saturday. For several days last week, Abe had mentioned that he liked to go to the party since he wanted to play with the kids of our neighbors. In addition, as usual, he has his soccer games on Sundays. In the past weekends, we, reluctantly, skipped [...]
Abe went to three parties last Saturday. We went to two— the second one of his was a birthday party, we just needed to drop him off. So we left the first one early in order to make his second one, during the same time, we went to shopping to prepare the third one. We [...]
Back in January, I heard this story from NPR. Days ago, NPR said he has been caught. As many people and the police will be relieved by this news, however, it is unexpected to hear “…there’s already talk of a movie deal. Harris-Moore’s mother, Pamela Kohler, has reportedly hired Courtney Love’s lawyer to represent her [...]
We were hectic; we had a full schedule for the July 4th weekend. On Saturday morning, we went shopping and prepared for the next day’s BBQ. In the afternoon, we watched some World Cup on TV. Then Abe, I and some of our friends drove to Ravinia Festival watching (listening to) a show: A Prairie Home [...]
After reading this article (The Leap) from New York Magazine, I felt very very sad. I remember a similar case happened to one of my classmates when I was in the graduate school. After the first exam, at which I did poorly, so were most in the class—many failed, as told by the professor the [...]
Last Sunday, the temperature reached 89 °F (32 °C) — very hot considering it was only 63 °F (17 °C) a week ago. Abe’s soccer game was in early afternoon. It would be quite a challenger for the kids to play under the sun in such a hot day. He was supposed to arrive the [...]
Last Saturday, Abe and I went to a chess tournament. Abe did so-so if not poorly in the tournament. He lost one, drew one, and won two, all to lower rated opponents. Of course, there were still some thing good about the tournament. It’s not, however, the chess games themselves; it is the time in between [...]
Yesterday evening, driving Abe home from his soccer practice, I heard something interesting from an interview on NPR: Some one said that no chess players had reached grandmaster quicker than 10 years. I had an immediate doubt whether it’s a fact. I knew some recent chess prodigies got the GM titles when they were younger [...]
The book is My life and Hard Times by James Thurber. Although it is an old book, it includes many short, sweet and funny stories; it’s the best written book I have read so far. I have no reservation to recommend it to kids and the parents to read. Check you local library, and I am [...]
Yes, the State Scholastic K-8 Chess Championships was last weekend. The day before, last Friday, Abe said, “I don’t want to go to chess tournament this weekend.” “Why?” I asked. “This Saturday, we have a basketball game with the Pacers—the team we lost two weeks ago.” Abe replied. Pacers won Nuggets two weeks ago. It’s [...]
Maybe you’ve already known that the World Amateur Chess Championship 2010 will take place in Skokie, IL USA between March 19th and March 25th 2010, but you haven’t decided to register it or not. If you or your kids are chess players, living in the states, and have FIDE ratings of less than 2000 or [...]
From time to time, you may feel frustrated with your kids. For example, they keep playing video games on the computer although you yelled several times ” It is dinner time. Go wash your hands.” The kids don’t listen to you, or listen but wouldn’t do what you asked. Be calm, it is normal, and [...]
David is almost three-year old. He is fortunate to have a caring older brother: Abe to play with him. It is almost time to go to bed, they are still playing chess in Abe’s room:
Thanks to the digital technology such as internet, David can watch many kids songs on YouTube for free; Every day, after school, Abe can’t wait to do three things on internet: checking latest chess news, following latest NBA news, and playing video games. Since the two brothers are not teenagers yet, I haven’t worried much [...]
Everyone likes Saturday. You may choose traveling out of town, going shopping, watching a movie, fixing something on your house, or like me, bringing kids to a chess tournament. Wow, so many choices, you choose whatever you like. Maybe not entirely true. As I mentioned in another post, Abe’s basketball games are on Saturdays. Most [...]
I know that many people have heard of Jeff, either by watching this video or reading this wonderful interview by Jennifer Shahade. I recently read the book “Searching for Bobby Fisher” by Fred Waitzkin. (Not the movie as I talked in other posts). Although this book is about the author’s son, another chess prodigy named [...]
