Chicago Tournament This Sunday! | Issue 48 | MM Chess
The best monthly chess newsletter you receive.
We’re so close to our 4th birthday! It’s been quite a ride so I think it’s the perfect time to spice things up before the end of the year. Before we start, there’s a little favor I’d like to ask you🙏. We’re in the process of growing and improving our service, and we need to hear from you first, so if you don’t mind, please fill out this form and help us grow!
Let’s welcome the newest MM students: Alvin, Joseph, Nakshatra, & Kapil’s son.
We’re running an in-person tournament this Sunday - the Scholastic League! Join if you can make it out, I’d love to meet you!
Student Success🏆
Every month we’re highlighting some of the successes of our students. Proud of something chess-related? Send me photos! August has been slow!
“Chess is so inspiring that I do not believe a good player is capable of having an evil thought during the game.”
– Wilhelm Steinitz
My story 🖼️
It’s pumpkin spice season! You know what that means…
“I go over many game collections and pick up something from the style of each player.”
– Mikhail Tal
Monthly Tournament♟️
📅 This month’s tournament will take place on Wednesday 20th, at 7:00 pm EST (6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT). Most of the players will be rated from 500-1800. In the last tournament, there were 12 students, both kids & adults!
To Play: Reply to this email or press the big green button here. If you haven’t already, you must join the MM team and press the “MM November Arena.” The Zoom for the tournament is here.
Congrats last month to Sophie, Nakshatra & Oliver! You rock, guys! 🏆
“Weak points or holes in the enemy position must be occupied by pieces, not pawns.”
-Siegbert Tarrasch
Chess News 📰
🏆 Double Trouble: Caruana and Yip Win Big in U.S. Chess! Fabiano Caruana and Carissa Yip have done it again, winning the U.S. Chess Championships for the fourth and third times, respectively. This high-stakes event at the Saint Louis Chess Club featured a $250,000 prize fund and intense competition. Caruana's strategic plays and Yip's winning streak secured their victories. Chess-loving parents, take note!
👸🏻 Why I Pushed My Daughter into Chess Club – And Why It Worked! When my daughter Lea refused to join a chess club, I was confused—until I realized her fear was about boys, not chess. Despite her protests, I pushed her to attend. After initial tears and hesitation, she enjoyed it. For months, Lea thrived in the chess club, until she decided to continue at home. This experience taught us both resilience and the beauty of chess.
🏅 From Chennai to the World Stage: Gukesh D at 17! Gukesh Dommaraju, often called Gukesh D, is now the youngest World Chess Championship contender at 17. Born in Chennai, he began playing chess at seven and quickly climbed the ranks, becoming a Grandmaster at 12. His commitment to meditation and strategic brilliance has prepared him to take on reigning champion Ding Liren.
🙋🏻♀️ Chess for Change: 2025 Declared 'Social Chess Year'! The #SocialChess conference held on September 21, 2024, in Budapest, brought FIDE officials and leaders together to promote chess as a tool for societal good. Dana Reizniece-Ozola announced 2025 as the "Social Chess Year," urging collective action to drive positive change. Exciting projects and initiatives were highlighted showcasing chess's transformative power.
🤔 Seventh Rank Rooks: The Ultimate Chess Tactic! Dive into ChessBase’s guide on the power of rooks on the seventh rank. Featuring insights from world champions, this tactic is a game-changer for young players. Perfect for parents looking to boost their child’s chess prowess!
“All I want to do, ever, is just play Chess”
– Bobby Fischer
Fun Facts💡
🧠Remembering moves and watching the board can help you remember things better, a superpower that comes in handy in school and even later in life!
🥱The "fool's mate" is the fastest way to checkmate someone in chess, but it only happens if the other player makes a big mistake. Imagine forgetting your king needs protection!
Here's how it goes:
White (the player starting) moves a pawn in an unusual way that weakens their king's side.
Black (the responding player) takes advantage by moving their queen right next to White's king – checkmate in just two moves!
♔The king is the piece with the longest life expectancy on the board. Not many give the right answer when asked why this is. In short: you never capture the king, just ¨corner¨ it, so the piece has a 0% capture rate.
🏠83% of households own a chessboard! Such a crazy statistic but when you think about it, almost every home you can visit has a chessboard somewhere, either dusting in an attic or put into use in the living room.