Skittles Room FaceBookVisit our YouTube Channel Visit us on MySpace  This Site is Best Viewed with FirefoxThis site is best viewed with Firefox

Director's Cut

R.V. Romero's Director's Cut
"Be in the Spirit of Giving, but Don’t Give Away Pieces!"
  Chess advice for the holidays by Coach Rick

Everybody knows it’s nice to give and receive gifts. During the next few moths, a number of people from different backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities will spend time with their friends and families and exchange presents. They might even celebrate the season by playing chess!

Just as it is in life, chess is about giving and receiving. In most cases, it’s ALWAYS BETTER to give than to receive. Many of us get caught up in the excitement of opening presents, thinking of the toys we want, or envisioning the trophies we’ll win from our brilliant checkmates. The truth is, by focusing on giving, we place ourselves in a better position to receive all of those things.

For starters, every chess player knows it’s best to GIVE a checkmate, but not every player knows the elementary moves necessary to finish their opponent in the endgame. One way to practice this is by learning how to checkmate with your King and Queen against a King. When you have mastered this technique, practice checkmating with your King and two Rooks. After that, use your King and one Rook. For advanced students, learn the more difficult patterns such as checkmating with a King and two Bishops, or a King and a Bishop and a Knight. If you do not know any of these techniques, try to figure them out on your own or with a friend. These checkmating patterns can also be found in elementary chess books, online, or better yet, from your private chess coach or teacher.

Cont'd....

Just as you think and work hard to achieve your goals on the chess board, the best way to RECEIVE the special gifts you want throughout the year and the rest of your life is to look for ways to give back to others. This includes the elementary moves you use to GIVE THE MOST OF YOURSELF, namely trying hard in school, being fair to people, completing tasks expected of you (chores, homework, practicing sports, music and other assignments), and thinking before you make important decisions.

Keep in mind, some things are not meant to be given away. In chess, you never want to lose your pieces for no reason or throw away a won game by moving into stalemate, losing on time, or getting checkmated yourself! All of these examples are the same as giving someone a reward who hasn’t earned it. Similarly, in life, you never want to give away your self-esteem by putting yourself down or dwelling on your losses for too long.


Avoid these mistakes by thinking twice OFF THE BOARD and considering the following thoughts before you move ON THE BOARD:


  • 1.) What did my opponent’s last move change about the game?
  • 2.) Is my King or Queen in check, or in danger of being in check?
  • 3.) If I make the move I’m considering, will it allow any of my pieces to be captured without material or strategic compensation?
  • 4.) What is my plan?


When you have considered all these things, write your move on the score sheet and then double check it one final time. If you are certain your move is still safe, put a mark next to it and move the piece.

This may all sound like a lot of effort you have to give, but you will receive so much more from your games and tournaments as a result. It’s the same with friends and family. Instead of a lavish gift that might be easy to buy, know that the gift of your consideration is the most thoughtful and can be accomplished with a card, a poem, a drawing, or even a nice deed done around the house. These things can help you get in the spirit of the holiday season, while also ensuring that your chess season remains spirited!

-Coach Rick Romero