Beginner Breakdown with Mike Kummer (Back-Rank Checkmate)
Mike Kummer presents a lecture for chess beginners on how to recognize, avoid and execute back-rank checkmate
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Chess Club Lecture Series: Kids' Beginners
This series of lecture videos is designed to teach beginners basic strategy and to introduce tactical ideas. Watch and learn!
Chess Club Lecture Series: Beginner
This video playlist contains all of our beginner/intermediate-level lectures, designed for the player who is just getting accustomed to tournament play.
Chess Club Lecture Series: Intermediate
This video playlist contains all of our intermediate-level lectures, designed for the tournament-level club player.
Chess Club Lecture Series: Advanced
This video playlist contains all of our advanced-level lectures, taught by some of the best players in the country!
March in the 4th of July Parade!
The Chess Club is participating in the VP Parade that is going to be held in Forest Park this Friday, 4th of July.
We are excited to be a participant and will be having volunteers walking alongside the famous Chess Club Van.
GM Troff Wins Junior Closed Championship
SAINT LOUIS (June 30, 2014) -- When in doubt, just win out.
GM Kayden Troff, the 16-year-old phenom out of Utah, has won the 2014 U.S. Junior Closed Championship in clear first with an impressive 7/9 score, grabbing the national championship for players under 21 by finishing 1.5 points ahead of the field. For his efforts, Troff has won the top prize of $3,000, as well as an invitation to the 2015 U.S. Championship.
Pivotal Matchups Await 2014 U.S. Junior Closed Finale
SAINT LOUIS (June 29, 2014) -- The 2014 U.S. Junior Closed Championship has been decisive in its theme, with victories claimed on four of five boards in each of the tournament’s last four rounds -- and today seems like another good day for a fight.
Troff on Top; Lone Grandmaster Upends Tourney Leaders
SAINT LOUIS (June 28, 2014) -- For the 2014 U.S. Junior Closed, GM Kayden Troff decided to change up his tournament strategy -- on the only day he didn’t play chess.
The top seed of the event began his 2014 campaign claiming the expected headlines after taking an early lead in the standings, but then his focus seemed to waver. Back-to-back draws made him momentarily fall out of the limelight and then, literally, the worst: A loss to FM Michael Bodek -- and on the day before the break.
Xiong, Troff Matchup Looms Large in Round 7
SAINT LOUIS (June 27, 2014) -- The 2014 U.S. Junior Closed Championship is a round-robin event, now with a Swiss-system flavor.
Leaders have begun to collide in the late rounds of the U21 national championship, as several predetermined pairings through the tournament’s homestretch are proving favorable toward the Swiss theme.
