This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Aug. 15, 2013 - One of the best things that separates the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis from all the rest – something you may not realize you have already inherited, just by being a local – is that we’re the only chess club in America that features a full-time resident Grandmaster. At any point of the day, you can comfortably know that one of the finest chess players in the world is just hanging out in the Central West End.
Bragging aside (though feel free to flaunt that), what makes that special to you, dear neighbor, is that St. Louis becomes heir to some of the freshest, most premium instruction to flow into the chess world. So make sure you get a taste while it’s hot.
The “– and Scholastic Center” half of the club is a gamut of weekly classes, from beginner to advanced, child to adult, all taught by the resident GM. And with the position in constant rotation, the material and perspective of these lessons stay perennially fresh.
Last week we said goodbye-for-now to GM Yasser Seirawan, but we welcome GM Ronen Har-Zvi (surprisingly pronounced just as it reads), a 36-year-old Israeli-American Grandmaster who has held the title since 1995. He won the World Under-16 title in 1992 but has stayed prominent on the chess scene since then, particularly in the past several years, as a commentator on the Internet Chess Club.
Har-Zvi coached the University of Texas-Brownsville’s reputable collegiate team to its first national championship in 2011, kindling a strong friendship with GM Timur Gareev, who was top board on that title team. (Gareev, you may remember, is currently the third-strongest player in the U.S. and is preparing to set a world record by playing 64 simultaneous chess games blindfolded. He played 33 boards here in May, as a warm up, and scored a 29-0-4 record.)
Har-Zvi’s broadcasts and instructional videos on the ICC are conversational and obviously knowledgeable. He carries the air of someone who is truly appreciative of his opportunity, constantly sporting one of those “choose a job you love and never work a day in your life” kind of attitude. And, since he has spent more than a decade as a stock trader, stacking 16 hours a day between the Israeli and U.S. sunlight, my guess is that outward attitude toward chess is pretty genuine.
He’ll be here through the middle of September, allowing us to reap the rewards from several of his chess talents – including a role in one of the many GM-stacked commentator teams planned to be in place for the epic Sinquefield Cup, which takes place in less than a month.
Until then, come enjoy a new perspective on those old 64 squares with yet another of the world’s best players, and give yourself the opportunity to learn something new. Those weekly lessons are designed to hit every skill level – assuming you exist somewhere between a never-touched-the-pieces-
Bringing a friend ensures you’ll have an opponent, and it sets up a great opportunity to enjoy an accompanying dinner at Lester’s, a libation at Brennan’s or some other part of the Central West End nightlife.
Over the coming months the resident rotation will bring GM Varuzhan Akobian, reigning U.S. Women’s Champion IM Irina Krush, and celebrity-status WGM Jennifer Shahade, making certain that the view of the board keeps changing. Just as soon as these classes are over, they go straight to the Chess Club’s YouTube channel, and the fresh content is devoured by thousands of jealous and hungry chess fans around the internet.
But to you, St. Louis, those videos are day-old bread!