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SNIPPET : 14 JANUARY ZOOM SESSION

 WHAT TO WATCH ON YOUTUBE?    You may have lots of time on your hands (or not), so surfing on Youtube to look for video content to learn about chess is the natural thing to do as it's free and you can do it anytime you are available. What troubles me is the huge volume of content that has expanded over the last 5 years and as more people create chess content, there are always those who wish to monetise their content. So they come up with creative ways to draw your attention with miracle opening traps designed to win the game in 10 or less moves, or talk about controversial topics which are rife with scandals but does little for your chess improvement. Hence one must be extremely selective in choosing who to watch FOR CHESS IMPROVEMENT.  The session on 14 January covers mainly the content creators I have respect for which I watch often to learn from plus a few tools to help you integrate the video content into your chess study. This session will be charged so anyone w...
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SNIPPET : 7 JANUARY ZOOM SESSION

 Tonight's topic "Board Awareness & Board Vision" plays a big part in the improvement of any chessplayer.  Most young players to the game move the pieces and WAIT for the opponent's response before they decide the next move, often ignoring what the opponent tries to do with his/her move. Hence mistakes are created. So asking them to think longer does not help in the quality of the moves. What truly matters is to train the player how to SEE the pieces on the board and SQUARES which the pieces attack. The player is now engaged in the INTERACTION of both sides trying to play moves which either attack or defend. In my years of teaching, I find that this is the most important skill to have as a beginner to advance to the next level.  So do come and learn what you can do and practice to improve on board vision and awareness.  See you at 7.
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GROUP CLASSES IN 2025

 The idea that there could be someone who wishes to take a byte size 1 hr lesson when available is mooted in my mind for some time. This will take place over Zoom, so there is no limit on how many students can attend.   Hence I am launching this Group Class for anyone who is attracted to come in to learn for 1 hour - something for everyone so not just targetted for any level but definitely not over 1800 online rating.  Date Topic 7/1/2025 Board Awareness and Board Vision 14/1/2025 What to watch on Youtube? 21/1/2025 How to study Chess Books 11/2/2025 Playing online for improvement P1 18/2/2025 Playing online for improvement P2 25/2/2025 Selecting an Opening that suits You Interested parties feel free to leave your comments, email me at jfan2003@gmail.com for more information regarding payment and attendance. Please leave your child's name and your contact number in the email.  Naturally I will take note of students that are logged in. Only those who have paid in...
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The World Chess Championship in Singapore?!

 The idea of it, let alone its successful completion, was in totality a most far-fetched dream materialised. When I first read about Singapore's bid for the FIDE World Chess Championship, my senses tingled, akin to a discovery of a new planet. One had the right to be a skeptic as the idea of running a World Class chess event in Singapore was unthinkable owing to the high costs of staging it, coupled with a total lack of interest on chess by the local sports authorities and powers that be. Since the bid was announced in many international media channels, a quiet sense of optimism crept in. Weighing the odds of the 3 bids (2 from India), I was confident that if the funding could be secured in Singapore, we would host it. The good news to all chess fans in Singapore came on Monday 1 July as FIDE announces that Singapore would host this iconic event at the Equarius Hotel in RWS Sentosa. As the day approached, I stepped into the hotel and was ushered in silence to the playing hall which...
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CC CHESS IN 2025 - HELP!

 I was given the good news that the renovation of Thomson CC would end in 2025. The reopening could be either 1st Quarter or early 2nd Quarter of 2025. Thomson Chess Club was my base of regular chess activities when I ran it from 2004 - 2018, organising several tournaments (please see my Thomson CC Chess Club blog) plus lectures, friendly matches. For those who are new to the game, our tournaments are usually attended by a pool of 150-180 players each event. Hopefully when the CC is reopened, we may try to plan for a Rapid tournament in 2025. The Club Room has not been designated, so I cannot say how many players the Club can accomodate. Hopefully it will be larger than the previous room that seats about 26 players.  The fate of Tanglin CC Chess Club now hangs in the balance as I know there are several players interested in playing at Tanglin CC based on the attendance over the last few years. I am trying not to close it when Thomson CC reopens, but there comes the dilemma as...
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ANOTHER ASIA SQUARE MEETUP SOMEWHERE IN BUGIS ??

 Someone sent me a short video of the foyer at Guoco Land Midtown near Bugis Junction. Spacious, with F&B joints around and more importantly with tables and chairs in the foyer. I plan to see the place soon to investigate the feasibility of having another downtown chess meetup other than Asia Square on Wednesdays. Parking apparently after office hours is $3.50 per entry (as compared to $5.50 in Asia Square).  UPDATE : The tables are a little big (about 1m x 1m) so it will not be suitable for children I guess. Do go check it out if you are around the area. I believe the tables are only laid out in the evening. 
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