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Musings of a Resident GM: Akobian Annotations

I really enjoyed another Resident GM rotation -- the Saint Louis Chess Club has become a second home for me. I have spent lots of time here in the past two and a half years, and I really enjoy each of my visits. I am looking forward to coming back at the end of March for the 2015 U.S. Championship.

Before I leave, I wanted to annotate a game for the Musings of a Resident GM Blog. I played a six-game match against GM Julio Becerra on Deceber 8-10 in Lawrence, Kansas, and I managed to win 4.5-1.5. Here is one of my best games:

 

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New Weekly Classes and Lectures in 2015

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is kicking off 2015 with brand new programming for our weekly classes and lectures! This freshly designed content has been tailored to fit all types of chess players -- from kids to adults, beginners to competitors -- and nearly all classes are taught by our Resident Grandmaster, keeping instruction fresh with a rotation of the nation’s premier chess players. And best of all: Our programming is FREE to all members!

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Free Chess Programming Beginner Tournament Endgames Grandmaster

Our Resident Grandmaster: Var Akobian

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis warmly welcomes back GM Varuzhan Akobian as its Resident Grandmaster through January 18.

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Grandmaster Varuzhan Akobian

Chess Club Member Profile: Julian Proleiko

Familiar around the Chess Club has been the face of Julian Proleiko, who first walked through our doors at the age of 12. He began like any St. Louis chess novice -- attending Sunday’s Kids Beginner classes, taught by Grandmasters -- and within six months, Julian had made a complete transformation from beginner to a competitive chess athlete.

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Julian Proleiko chess

Musings of a Resident GM: Two Games That Ended a Career

Two Games That Ended a Career

By GM Ben Finegold

You know, one of the top players in the world from 1987-1990 was GM Mikhail Gurevich. Although you may not have heard of him, almost everyone else in the world thought he was No. 3 on the planet -- behind Kasparov and Karpov. Mikhail won many tournaments, had a great strategical understanding, and great opening knowledge.  He was a solid player: he didn’t take too many risks, but he didn’t play a lot of boring draws, either.

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mikhail michail gurevich chess grandmaster GM finegold musings blog

Musings of a Resident GM: Finegold Demands Etiquette!

By GM Ben Finegold

Hey everyone!

I have been the Rotating Resident GM for 2 weeks, and boy am I dizzy (rotating for 2 weeks is tough!).

I want to talk a bit about the chess world and then get on to the CCSCSL world!

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Our Resident Grandmaster: Ben Finegold

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is excited to have GM Ben Finegold back as its Resident Grandmaster through the month of December. Moving to the area from Michigan in 2009, Finegold was the CCSCSL’s very first Resident, a position that leads all of the Club’s regular lectures and programming, and has since become a staple in the St. Louis chess scene.

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Musings of a Resident GM: Seirawan on the World Championship

It is wonderful to be back at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. And it is simply the best of times to be a chess enthusiast, as the crown jewel in the chess world -- the World Chess Championship Match between Champion Magnus Carlsen and Challenger Viswanathan Anand -- is in full swing. It has been a pleasure to watch the official website broadcasts:

http://www.sochi2014.fide.com/

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IM Kannappan wins 2014 Saint Louis Thanksgiving Open

IM Priyadharshan Kannappan overcame a strong field to win the 6th Annual Saint Louis Thanksgiving Open at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis on November 7-9. This year’s event featured a 47-player Open section with 17 titles, including Grandmasters Walter Browne, Ben Finegold and Fidel Corrales; along with two lower sections for a tournament total 91 players.

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Player Profile: CCSCSL Instructor Jason Fredericks

The Chess Club has a solid team of associates and instructors who possess exceptional skill, knowledge and teaching styles. One of these chess gurus is Jason Fredericks, who recently joined our staff over the summer. Fredericks, 30 years old, currently holds a rating of 1982 and is the the number-one chess player from the country of Guyana, and still represents the South American federation as such. The youngest of four children, Fredericks was born in Guyana and moved to the U.S.

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