Irving Chernev Great Chess Writer

(Distinguished California Chess Coach )

Richard doing what he loves best...one-on-one teaching.

Richard Shorman wins the distinguished Academic Chess Coach of the Decade Award.

If you are Richard, and not some Richard Poser, click on the fish above to win your prize.

Teaching Venues

Berkeley Chess School

Wiebel School

Success Chess School

Berkeley Chess Club

Kolty Chess Club

Fremont Chess Club

Most Notable child Students:

National Master Vinay Bhat

National Master Kenny Fong

Other students:

Richard has advised many masters in tournament preparation.

Most notable team:

Blue Knights Chess Team.

Favorite Teaching Chess Book –

Fine’s Chess the Easy Way

Favorite Chess book authors

Reuben Fine

Cecil Purdy

Richard Reti

Favorite complete beginner book

Every Great Chess Player Was Once a Beginner, and, then Chess the Easy Way

Favorite illustrative Player

Paul Morphy

Chess man richard in front of The Cherryland Cafe

Richard was instrumental in creating a thriving chess community based out of the Cherryland Cafe in Hayward.

Richard shorman teaches chess

Richard was among the first to use technology in teaching chess to kids. Included in his arsenal is a laptop computer with a LCD projector! (In the above shot Richard apparently left his projector at home.)

	(Richard's Recommended Reading)
	Every Great Chess Player was Once a Beginner / Byfield
	Masters of the Chess Board / Reti
	Chess The Easy Way / Fine
	Practical Chess Endings / Chernev
	Morphy's Games of Chess / Sergeant
	Mr. Blackburne’s Games at Chess
	Pawn Endings / Maizelis

	(Richard's Teaching Methodology)
	The "PurdyFine Method"
	Not big on opening memorization.
	Believes aspiring players should focus on tactics until establishing a master rating.
	Believes in looking at romantic era tactical games...especially Morphy Games.
	Every beginning chess player should read Chess the Easy Way thoroughly
	Memorize the Blue Knights Games
	Play through thousands of tactical diagrams.

	(Richard's Give Aways)
	20 fast attacks on f7 and f2 (Richard gave me this hand-out sheet when I was a beginning chess coach 13 years ago....I have used it ever since. Recently I annotated the games and put them on the website.
	Thirty Rules of Chess...another of Richard's famous hand-outs. This is a slightly modified Reuben Fine list.
	How to Find a Master Class Move
	Steintiz's Theory
	A Collection of Purdy Wisdom
	The Blue Knights Games

Richard and his special chess set that he salvaged from McDonald's Happy Meal creatures.

Searching for the Blue Knights. Richard continues to teach chess hoping for another successful team like the one he constructed years ago at Wiebel school. To be on this team, the kids needed to memorize 43 games. Here is the coveted blue knight games list.

Why Does Richard Deserves this kind of recognition?

Richard does not like to be recognized for his good deeds, but it is high time that he is.. I am good at what I do and would never compare myself to any other chess coach, but I am proud to admit that I learned much from Richard, and consider myself to be one of his many students. I never learned much chess from him...but I learned a lot about teaching it.

If it were not for Richard, I am not sure if Academic Chess would exist...not in the dynamic form it is now. First of all, without Richard I do not know if I would have been the successful teacher I was for Berkeley Chess School. Richard used to volunteer giving lessons before the rounds started at the Berkeley Chess Club when I was student there. Every Friday night, I saw how dynamic and entertaining chess instruction could be. Richard is phenomenal in front of a demonstration board. Richard makes studying and learning chess exciting, and most importantly simplifies it (in the style of Purdy). You walk away from a Richard lesson wanting to learn more chess. I learned through him that the job of a chess coach is not to spoon feed, but to motivate.

I ran into Richard several times at private get togethers and each time he had a briefcase full of goodies. From that briefcase he would pull lesson sheets that I would cherish and use for my students for years to come. In fact the 20 fast attacks on f7 and f2 came from Richard. The most amazing thing about Richard is how he shares chess. He is not out for fame and fortune via teaching chess...he simply believes in the proliferation of chess. From him I have gotten many valuable "goodies" (see the RGA column to the right).

So there it is...a tribute to Richard Shorman. I believe in giving credit where credit is due...and although many people have taken credit for Richard's accomplishments....I wish to honor him as one of the best chess coaches, and one of the most positive forces that exists for children's chess. If you are lucky enough to have Richard teaching your kid....hang on to him and protect him as if he were the king himself.

---Eric Hicks