American Chess Magazine

Q & A: GM Eugenio Torre – Asia’s First Grandmaster in 1974

Where Grandmasters Advise Young PlayersWhat is the advantage of someone starting to play chess at an early age? When is it best to start? And for those who might be late in learning

Where Grandmasters Advise Young Players

Q & A: GM Boris Gelfand is a six-time World Championship Candidate, and one of the top players in the world for almost three decades.

Where Grandmasters Advise Young PlayersWhat is the advantage of someone starting to play chess at an early age? When is it best to start? And for those who might be late in learning

Where Grandmasters Advise Young Players

Q & A: WGM Alisa Maric, Highest Performing US-Born Female Player Of All Time

Quite simply, your choice of opening is directly correlated to the type of middlegame you’re going to reach, and it’s important that you find it to your taste.

Where Grandmasters Advise Young Players

Q & A: GM Miguel Illescas, Eight Times Spanish Champion, Kramnik’s Second In WCC Match Vs. Kasparov

Chess teaches you how to plan and make decisions. It also accustoms you to putting yourself in the place of others, to think what the other party wants, to negotiate and reach compromises with others and with yourself. On the other hand, you learn to face difficulties and to overcome defeats.

Where Grandmasters Advise Young Players

Q & A: GM Peter Heine Nielsen, The Second Of The World Champion, Magnus Carlsen

Nothing is really “essential” but I would say obviously focus on understanding subtleties instead of memorizing long lines. You should ask yourself a lot of “why” questions.

Where Grandmasters Advise Young Players

Q & A: WGM Jennifer Shahade, Two-Time US Women’s Champion

Many women are socialized to be under–confident. Playing chess is so important for girls in building self–confidence. I had my share of self–doubt as a child, teenager, woman, but I never doubted my basic intellectual capacity, and I thank chess for that.

Where Grandmasters Advise Young Players

Q & A: GM Adrian Mikhalchishin, Chairman Of FIDE Trainer’s Commission

The most important quality is to spot the inter–relationships between the chess pieces and their functions. We call it tactics. And, as great players have told us - tactics is 90% of the game! ... If young kids are good at tactics, they can improve very quickly...

Where Grandmasters Advise Young Players

Q & A: GM Yasser Seirawan, Four-Time US Champion

Learning endgames is like cheating on an exam. You just know you are going to get asked certain questions, but will you have the answers ready? ... Be prepared: one day you are the professor giving lessons, the next day the pupil.

Where Grandmasters Advise Young Players

Q & A: Patrick Wolff, Twice US Champion

I think the biggest advantage is that youngsters start to enjoy chess as soon as possible! In terms of improving at the game, the earlier you learn, clearly the better your chances of fulfilling your potential, but I don’t think it is ever too late to start.

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