The 3rd Schein – Friedman Chess Camp (25th USCS)

I was at the 3rd Schein – Friedman Chess Camp (25th US Chess School) held at the world famous St. Louis chess club and scholastic center April 16-19. The chess instruction by GM Finegold was great and I felt that I learned a lot and still had a lot of fun. All of the examples shown were unique and very instructive. They helped me calculate better and explore moves that I would have never thought of previously. Many examples also illustrated how to crush the opponent in a better position, and GM Finegold challenged us to find the best defenses. The Grandmaster games that we saw provided me with many new ideas that I can use in my own games. For example, a theme shown in many of the games was the importance of development and castling. I learned how to keep the opponent from castling and how to exploit the weakened king. In addition, I saw how the Grandmasters attacked the king even when it was castled and what they did against the different pawn structures.
The site at St. Louis was also very nice, with plenty of places to eat, and a lot of space to play. All of the campers there were taken good care of, as there were snacks and drinks readily available. The duration of every day was just right, though it felt like the day flew by with the fun and instruction. I would like to thank FM Friedman for organizing this camp and I had an amazing experience.