Cameron M.

Cameron is a very enthusiastic chess player, and is always reading about the game or studying the latest matches on the internet. He is current School Champion and also won the recent Wallace Chess Christmas Camp tournament.

JP: What is it that you like about chess?
CM: I like that it tests the mind. It is a strategic game that is fun. There is no luck or guessing like in some other games, like games involving dice. Every game is different so it never gets boring, there are always different tactics required in different positions, each position is unique.

JP: who are your favourite players?
CM: Fischer, Petrosian and JP. Fischer’s tactics are incredible, he is super aggressive, I like it even though I am not that aggressive. I love Petrosian’s defences, his solidity. He plays solid openings, e.g. he would prefer the Slav over the Kings Indian. (Petrosian and Fischer are former World Champions – JP)

JP: What are you goals in chess?
CM: I am very ambitious, I want to be World Champion, I am not embarrassed to say it, I mean who wouldn’t want to be? I might compete in the British Under 12s. I will just do as well as I can, I don’t expect to win it yet, it would be great to have a go.

by John-Paul Wallace, International Chess Master

Cameron B.

An interview with Cameron

What is it that you like about chess?

I like chess because it’s a game and it involves the mind and a certain amount of skill

What is your greatest achievement so far?

My greatest achievement would be when I qualified from the megafinals to the gigafinals (this year 2011)

Do you have a plan or strategy when you play?

If I am black I usually don’t start off with a plan but I wait and see what my opponent does first and then I make a plan.

Do you have any advice for beginners of chess?

Don’t think of chess as a hard thing that you have to improve on. Just think of it like any other game like monopoly or scrabble and just see it as fun. But then try to improve nonetheless.

What do you do to improve your game?

Recently I started going through my games. If my opponent plays an interesting trap, I observe my opponent and try to learn from them. I use back-up tactics and other people’s tactics.

Do you have a favourite chess player?

No, not really. I don’t read much about chess or other players. I just love chess.

Joshua Altman

Joshua Altman is 6 years old and learnt chess last Summer before diving into our Summer Chess Camp. Since then he has gone from strength to strength, winning his age division in tournaments and representing Arnold House School as the junior chess team captain.

He is a regular at the Sunday Rookies having achieved his 2nd grading certificate and is coached by Wallace Chess Co-Director Astrid Sund.

Last December at the London Chess Classic Joshua had the opportunity to meet the then World No 1 Magnus Carlsen, World Champion Vishwanathan Anand and former World Champion Garry Kasparov.

His recent results include:

• Won the Middlesex Hundreds under 7 on 12 february 2010
• Won the London Rapid Play under 8 on 19 february 2010
• 2nd in the U/7s Surrey Hundreds event – where over 200 children participated – on 5 March
• Captained the Arnold House junior chess team to victory against Southbank International School Kensington on 7 March

An Interview with Joshua:

JPW: Hi Josh, what is it that you like about chess?

JA: I like chess because it is fun and you can look at all the things you can do. My favourite opening is the fianchetto. I’ve got a red chess book with puzzles in it and I like doing the puzzles.

JPW: Do you have any favourite strategies?

JA: My goal is to get my knights and bishops out first and then the queens and rooks out towards the middlegame to be powerful against the king.

JPW: You just finished chess camp, how was it?

JA: I love chess camps because they are fun and you can learn a lot. My favourite version of chess is exchange because you can get more pieces on the board and because it is a team game.

JPW: You also play at the Wallace Chess club at your school…

JA: Yes I am 6.5 and am the best chess player in my class at Arnold House. I love ladder games because you get to go up places if you win and tournament games because you get points.

JPW: What advice would you give to a complete beginner?

JA: Start off with a fianchetto or the four move checkmate, but then make up some of your own openings.

Alexander Popper

Congratulations on winning the Wallace Chess Autumn Half-Term tournament, you have already

won several of our events. Which was your toughest game of the tournament? Which was your most

enjoyable game?

My most enjoyable game was also my toughest. This was partly because it was the game that

decided the tournament. In this game we played a particularly complicated version of the Aussie

Sicilian, which required a lot of concentration and was very challenging.

What things do you enjoy about playing chess? What has chess given you/helped you with?

I enjoy the tactical element of chess and also the joy or disappointment of winning and losing. As well

as this, playing with chess clocks has made me more patient, which is invaluable in both chess and in

life.

Are you also interested in art and music? Do you see any connections between chess and these

topics?

I am interested in both art and music, and think there is a strong connection between them and

chess. For example, to be good at art, it helps to have flair in your creations, which also applies to

being creative in chess.

What is your favourite subject and why?

My favourite subject is history, because I like knowing the history of our country. Also, going to

Westminster School, I am 50 metres away from Westminster Abbey, which has great history.

Do you also like to compete in physical sports?

I also like to play football, and occasionally go to tournaments. I find this is a good way to relax,

especially after playing chess.

What is the most fun or interesting aspects of our chess camps?

I greatly enjoy the mix between the challenge of the competition and the laxness of the break times.

How old were you when you started playing chess, and who taught you?

I started playing chess when I was 7, and I was taught by GM Julian Hodgson and his wife.

You go to Westminster school, have you ever played in inter school matches or weekend

tournaments?

I have only just arrived at the school, but in my last school, Westminster Under School, I was board 3

in the school team, and I also went to the MegaFinals, but sadly was not able to go to the GigaFinals.

What are your favourite chess openings?

My favourite chess openings are the ‘Ruy Lopez’, the ‘King’s Gambit’ and the ‘Aussie Sicilian’.

What is your main strength in chess – openings, middle game strategy and planning, attacking and

combinations or endgames?

I really like endgames, because this is the tensest section of the game and requires a great deal of

concentration. I also enjoy defence, because I find that it is easier to defend in a game than attack in

one.

What advice do you have for young players who wish to improve their game?

I have 3 different pieces of advice for 3 different types of players:

Firstly, for players who have just begun, it is a rule of thumb to get your pieces out as quick as

possible and castle.

For players who are looking to improve on their game, remember to look for all checks, captures and

dangerous moves.

For advanced players, learn an unusual opening, so if you ever find yourself up against tough

opponents, try to play this opening. Also playing aggressively often works against opponents that are

stronger than you.