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Author Archives: The Chess Tutor

Low-Cost Chess Lessons Near Salt Lake City

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By the chess coach in Murray, Utah: Jonathan Whitcomb

Chess Instruction in the Salt Lake Valley

For only $25 per chess lesson, I can drive to your home (or to a mutually agreed-upon public library) in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah. The first one, however, is free, a getting-acquainted session that will allow you to make an intelligent decision about chess lessons. The best location, however, may be in my home where my wife and I live in Murray. The dining room table will be set up with a tournament-quality chess set and all that is needed for a chess lesson.

I (Jonathan Whitcomb) am both a tutor and an author of chess, having written the book Beat That Kid in Chess in 2015. I’m active in both the Harman Senior Center chess club and the Sandy Senior Center chess club, with a non-losing streak of 16 games (13 wins and 3 draws, from mid-October through mid-November of 2016) in those two chess clubs. In six months of 2018, I had a non-losing streak of 26 games at the Harman Chess Club (in West Valley, Utah): 20 wins and 6 draws. During that streak, I won first place in the club championship tournament.

For more information about chess lessons or about the royal game in general or about chess clubs, call me at 801-590-9692.

A Short Game During a Chess Lesson

In a private chess lesson, it’s generally best for the coach to go over one or more games that the student has played since the last lesson. Sometimes that’s not possible, for a student may not have played a recent game or the game was not recorded.

That was the case with one of my students early in November of 2016, so I played a game with him during our chess lesson. Here are the fourteen moves of that game:

White: Jonathan Whitcomb (chess tutor)

Black: Alan (chess beginner, student)

1) e4     e5

2) Nf3  Nc6

3) Nc3  b6

4) Bc4  Nf6

5) O-O  . . . .

Whitcomb vs McFarlane chess game in Holladay, Utah

Black to move (chess game of teacher versus student in November of 2016)

In the position shown above, my beginner-student captured my pawn at e4 (the white pawn in the middle of the board). That was a mistake, for my knight at c3 (left of center and next to the white-squared White bishop) was protecting that pawn.

5) . . . . Nxe4?

6) Nxe4  . . . .

My student lost a knight while I lost only a pawn: a unequal exchange of material.

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Black may move d5, but White would then move Bb5

Diagram-2: White is a piece ahead, at the cost of only a pawn

In Diagram-2, Black may now move d5, attacking two of White’s pieces: the bishop on c4 and the knight on e4. That would not win back material for Black, however, for White could then move Bb5, attacking and pinning the black knight that is on c6.

6) . . . .  g5?  This loses a pawn without any compensation

White can now capture the pawn on g5

Diagram-3: after Black moved g5?

7) Nexg5   Qxg5??  This loses the black queen

8) Nxg5   Be7

9) d4    . . . .

White is not now concerned about the loss or gain of a pawn, for he’s ahead by a queen. The point is this: White wants to open up the position and get his dark-squared bishop, and a rook or two, into action quickly to finish up the game.

9) . . . .   h6

10) Nxf7   Nxd4

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White is winning by a queen, in this chess game

Diagram-4: White to move

11) Qh5    . . . . bringing the most powerful fighting piece into action

11) . . . . a6

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chess combination tactic: smothered mate

Diagram-5: White has a forced mate-in-three-moves; do you see it?

During this chess lesson in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah, the instructor (playing White) now made a combination that forced checkmate in three moves as follows:

12) Nd6 (double-check)   Kd8  (If Black had moved Kf8, then Qf7 is mate)

13) Qe8+   Rxe8  (This capture by Black is forced)

14) Nf7 mate

What about chess books?

The low cost of a chess book looks attractive, naturally: Just a few dollars or a bit more, and you can continue using that chess book without any additional cost. But what about your questions? You can’t ask a book what it means by a particular statement on a particular page; you can’t ask a book what weaknesses you need to work on. And that’s just the beginning of questions that a book cannot answer.

How do you choose the right chess book? Even if it’s a gift of a chess book, meant for your friend or relative, you still need to consider that question, and it’s difficult to determine.

Your Turn

Remember, your first move is to call me and check out the free chess lesson, with no obligation to take any further chess instruction unless you’re comfortable and sure that it’s what you want to do. Phone me and ask what you will about chess: 801-590-9692.

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Low-cost chess lessons in Utah

Chess Coach Jonathan Whitcomb, of Murray, Utah (author of the book Beat That Kid in Chess), offers private and group lessons in the Salt Lake Valley. He offers a free introductory chess instruction session . . .

Best Gift of a Chess Book

Brief reviews of three chess books

Chess Tutoring in Salt Lake Valley

I can drive to your location, or to a location convenient to both of us, if you live in or near the Salt Lake Valley of Utah. Communities most convenient to my own home in Murray include, but are not limited to . . . Holladay, Taylorsville, [Salt Lake City], Kearns, Cottonwood Heights . . .

Chess instruction in Utah

The fee for each chess tutoring lesson is $25 . . . In addition, you get a copy of my chess book (Beat That Kid in Chess) at no additional charge, with the first lesson, and you don’t need to commit to any more lessons.

[Get] a free introductory [lesson]. This brief introduction to chess instruction should be sufficient for you to know how to proceed regarding private tutoring. . . . ask questions about lessons or about chess tournaments, chess clubs, tactics, strategy, or whatever you would like to ask.

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Best Chess Books

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By Jonathan Whitcomb, author of Beat That Kid in Chess

Let’s begin with my own book and who it is not for. In spite of its title, Beat That Kid in Chess is not intended solely for children. In fact, the reading level can make it difficult for an average younger child to read. It’s best for beginners from about age eleven through teenagers and adults.

My chess book is also not for those who want to learn the rules of the game, neither is it for those who have played many games and have already learned to win about half the time against beginners. Beat That Kid in Chess is for the raw beginner who already knows how to move the pieces but who wants to learn how to defeat other raw beginners.

chess book by Jonathan Whitcomb

Beat That Kid in Chess

This paperback book has ten chapters:

  1. Checkmate
  2. Power Grabbing
  3. Defending the Fort
  4. Tactics in Battle
  5. Remember the Order
  6. The End Game
  7. The Middle Game
  8. The Opening
  9. Simple Exercises
  10. Advanced Exercises

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CHESS — 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games

This huge paperback book, by Laszlo Polgar, may not be the most efficient tool for an average chess player to learn to win more games, but it appears to be very thorough in what it does. A dedicated study of these many chess puzzles can make it possible for you to dazzle some opponents with tactical finesses.

The weakness in this chess book probably resembles that of many other publications that concentrate on problem solving alone: It teaches you how to make a combination when the position offers you that choice, but it does not teach you how to arrive at that winning position. This big book is not for beginners and probably not best for many intermediate players, but what it does do—that it can do in a big way. If you already have some skill in sometimes arriving at a superior position, training with this book may prepare you to blast through your opponents’ defenses, at least some of the time.

Of necessity, the images of the chess positions are small. I have taken some of my favorites and printed them on larger sheets of paper for my personal study (no copyright issues here, for I did not take the images directly from the book, just the chess positions).

"Chess - 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games

Chess – 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games

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Winning Chess Endings

This book by Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan, like the one by Polgar, is not the best chess book for a raw beginner. Yet this publication can be a great stand-alone resource for many players. It teaches you how, in the end game, you can win when you have an advantage and draw when you have a disadvantage.

It’s highly recommended in many Amazon reader reviews:

  • 70% five-stars
  • 20% four-stars
  • 10% three-stars

On August 24, 2016, it appears that thirty readers have given their reviews of this chess book, with none of them rating it with less than three stars. If you already have some proficiency in the royal game, you cannot go far wrong with this publication.

Take the highest praises in perspective, however. Only four of the twenty-two five-star reviews were from readers with a verified purchase. On the other hand, none of the three three-star reviews were by verified purchasers. To be brief, if this book had any significant flaw (making it worthy of less than three stars), then at least one reader would probably have made it known on the Amazon page.

My own experience with this chess book has been very positive and I highly recommend it for intermediate-level players of the royal game. In fact, many higher-rated competitors would do well to get their own copy and study it.

"Winning Chess Endings" by Seirawan

Winning Chess Endings, by Yasser Seirawan

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Chess Book or a Tutor?

I’m a chess tutor in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah and the author of the book Beat That Kid in Chess. Let’s compare face-to-face private chess lessons with learning from one or more books on the royal game.

Chess Book Reviews

Looking at chess publications including the following:

  • The Art of Chess Combination
  • How to Beat Your Dad at Chess
  • Beat That Kid in Chess
  • Fundamental Chess Openings

Best Chess Book for Beginners

For a teenager or adult who knows the rules of chess but little else, the choice may be easy: the new book Beat That Kid in Chess or the old one Chess for Dummies. If the book purchase is for a gift, the first title is obviously much better, unless you want to insult the one you’re giving the book to.

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Private Chess Lessons in Utah

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By the chess tutor in Murray, Utah: Jonathan Whitcomb (Salt Lake City area)

I have found a number of roads to learning to play chess on a higher level:

  1. Join a chess club and compete informally against a variety of players
  2. Read and study chess books, using the best methods of practice
  3. Record each of your games, to later analyze both errors and good moves
  4. Take private chess lessons from a qualified tutor (not necessarily a master)

From about 1963 to 1971 I progressed a great deal from the first three methods, but I would have progressed much faster if I had taken private chess lessons from the right instructor. Alas, I had neither the means nor the opportunity to receive such instruction, so it took me eight years to obtain a USCF rating of over 1900.

What Happens in a Private Chess Lesson?

I can speak for myself (Jonathan Whitcomb). My own philosophy for chess education includes the tutor giving the student opportunities to come up with his or her own ideas. With that said, when you have a chess lesson with me, you’ll most likely find that most of the ideas about how you can improve will come from me, at least in the early stages.

Yet part of my philosophy on chess education is this: Encourage the student to be creative, and when he or she comes up with a creative idea to accomplish something on the chess board but the idea is flawed, concentrate on helping the student to see how a different approach might be more practical. If the flawed idea might be useful in a different chess position (and poor ideas usually can be fine in different settings), let the student know that it could be a good idea in a different situation.

Chess tutor playing a game with a beginner

Sometimes an actual chess game best helps a beginner to learn

Someone took a photo of me playing chess with a boy at the Jordan Pines campground, shown in the above image. In fact we played several games of chess. He would sometimes ask a question and I would answer, yet I tried to give him only the most useful comments, avoiding overwhelming him with too much advice in too short a time.

Should the Tutor Play Chess Games with the Student?

I give no stock answer for chess instructors, for the best use of tutoring time depends on the precise needs of the student. Let’s look at two extremes:

  1. The student takes weekly lessons but plays only about one game per month
  2. The student plays at least one game per week and records each one in chess notation

In the first case, the student would get far too little experience in over-the-board play, leaving him or her with too little practice. That student would gain much from playing a game, or part of a game, with the chess teacher during each lesson. Afterwards, they could go over the recorded moves, allowing the teacher to explain why some of the moves were good and some were bad. This would give that teacher ideas for constructing puzzles especially for that student.

In the second case, the student plays games outside the lesson time, either at a chess club or in another setting. The chess tutor should then spend time going over recorded games the student had played, especially a game played within a few days before a lesson.

Individualized Chess Lessons in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah

Please call me with any questions you have about tutoring sessions in the Salt Lake Valley: 801-590-9692. You may also reach me by email.

The first meeting is free, a getting-acquainted session in which you can learn how I teach chess lessons and I can learn something about your present skill and knowledge level in the royal game. If you decide to continue with formal private chess lessons, each one will be $25 and will last about one hour. (An exception may be made for a very young child, if that young student is unable to concentrate for a full hour.)

These chess lessons are available in the Salt Lake City area as well as in many other communities of the SLV.

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Chess instruction in Utah

Beat That Kid in Chess I wrote for the early beginner, the chess player who knows the rules of the game but little else about how to win. More recently, I began offering my services as a chess tutor in Utah, with private lessons in the Salt Lake Valley for $25 per hour.

Salt Lake Valley Chess Coach

Alexander Gustafsson gave a simultaneous exhibition of chess on June 22, 2016, at the South Jordan Library in Utah. Jonathan Whitcomb, another chess coach, was one of about nine players who competed against the chess expert, and he was able to obtain a draw.

Chess Tutor in Salt Lake Valley

It will not be a mechanical process, with me lecturing you and telling you what to think. We’ll begin with a free getting-acquainted session in which you will learn about how I teach and I will learn about where you stand in your chess abilities. After that free meeting, you can decide how to proceed: private chess lessons, group lessons, or some other course of action.

Chess Test

In this first post of Chess Test, “The Art of Chess,” let’s look at a variety of chess positions. Test yourself by trying to find the best move in each position. Ponder each position for at least a minute or so, as necessary. Answers are given at the bottom of this post . . . [five chess positions in this quiz, most of them challenging]

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