USCF NM James Schroeder from Cleveland, Ohio

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gcohen
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USCF NM James Schroeder from Cleveland, Ohio

Post by gcohen » Sat Aug 16, 2014 3:41 am

I never met him nor do I know anything about him. He self-published a little Chess Bulletin
that the Boylston Chess Club of Boston, MA subscribed to. Harry Lyman had me look at it and thought
JS's ideas were very interesting. I learned from it, and also about other ideas not having to do with Chess. All of this was long ago...

From the writings of James Schroeder: (some of his ideas for Chess players)


I want to play this game to the best of my ability, within the amount of time available.
I am playing amateurs, not Grandmasters - there is no need for me to be afraid of anyone nor anything.

I must have confidence and expect to win every game I play.

1.P-K4 is the strongest move, and the easiest way to win is to attack by creating open lines through judicious Pawn exchanges and then by making combinations.

I want to adopt a style of striving for attacking formations from the very first move. That style will make me into a successful Chess player because I am not playing a perfect machine but an imperfect human being.

My knowledge of Chess is small; I may therefore make a mistake. If I do make a mistake I will not be discouraged, surprised, or depressed - that mistake is probably not enough to lose the game. If I don't make another mistake I can draw, or win.

Success or failure is caused by my attitude:
If I expect success, my mind will analyze variations leading to success.
If I expect failure, my mind will analyze variations leading to failure.
Consequently, I must remain confident, even if I am losing.

Don't lose. Win, if possible.

Play good moves in the Opening. Do NOT try to find the "best" moves in the Opening.

You should NEVER make a mistake in the Opening.

I have aptitude for Chess; therefore, I will immediately sense the correct general strategy. I will develop my pieces reasonably and move Pawns forward. My goal will be to attack and checkmate my opponent and not permit him to checkmate me. I will easily see short-range tactics, and I will not lose a Pawn or a piece.

Because I don't have any pre-conceived notion of what is good or bad, I will not be concerned or worried. If I lose a Pawn it won't affect my play - I will still try to attack my opponent's King.

I want to try to attack and utterly destroy my opponent - "those that attack become the best".

The best way to play Chess is to attack and attack, and attack some more.

You don't become a great player by waiting for an error; you become a great player by forcing errors.

I am that most dreaded of opponents - the natural player.

I am a tactical genius because I lack sophisticated knowledge.

Help me to always visualize the move I am going to play before I play it.

I want my mind to tell me a good move. If it tells me the move to play, do not analyze long sequences of moves in order to determine if the move is good - a short sequence is enough.
If I don't trust the move, ask my mind to check the analysis, to analyze deeper, to analyze alternate moves, but do NOT look at alternate moves. DON'T THINK! - it interferes with my mind's task.
Relax, and idly think of the position in general terms. Note the tactical and positional features of it - this will help my mind analyze.
Don't analyze deeply - all you are doing is following one line of analysis from your mental chart.
Remember: when you don't think of a move (immediately) it is not because your opponent's move was good or bad; it is only because you have not anticipated it.
Examine both logical and illogical moves. Examine all checks and captures. You don't need to analyze them, just notice them.

While playing a game I must remember to have my mental scanners look at:

- every move: it weakens something and threatens something.
- short-range tactics; long-range tactics.
- strategy relevant to the position I have reached.
- the 16 tactical devices.
- the 110 types of combinations (combined tactical devices).

I must remember to continuously give myself new instructions, as needed, while I am playing. Chess is a game of constant change: I must adapt to it, be ready for it, indeed, welcome it.

When it is my opponent's turn to move make your analysis chart wider and deeper in the important variations. Consider not only the logical moves he may play, but also the illogical - but plausible - ones.

I must try to win by taking advantage of my opponent's weakness at Chess; help me to understand what that weakness is, during the course of the game. Think of his style of play, and try to anticipate his mistakes.

If I have an advantage I will change my instructions and tell my mind: "I think we have a win. Find the move that maintains the winning advantage in the most certain, or safest, or most efficient manner. Forget my opponent's strengths and weaknesses - if there is a forced win for me by sheer technique, then I want to use that technique".

Don't try any tricks.

If my opponent has an advantage, look for lines of maximum resistance.
If his advantage is not enough to win by force, then I should hold the Draw.

Say: "Swindle, swindle, little Grindle. Look for moves that may trick my opponent".
If he thinks he has an advantage he will be trying to win. If he does not have a forced win he may make an error. Be alert!

Remember - my opponent may not have the knowledge to win the position he has.

As long as I am optimistic I will analyze variations with a view to winning. Thus, if my opponent makes a mistake, I will know what is wrong with it because I have anticipated it.

I can think about anything during the game, provided I give instructions to my mind to continue analyzing the game.

I may get up and walk around. Don't look at other games - I want my mind to keep analyzing the position.


NB: I tried to look up JS on the USCF website, but couldn't find anything. Maybe I don't know how.
I believe he was a Life Master.

cliff
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Re: USCF NM James Schroeder from Cleveland, Ohio

Post by cliff » Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:48 pm

I punched in his name on Google, and at one site it has a small blurb:

"James Schroeder is a renown chess author, editor, critic, master, historian and constant student of the game. He is the Ohio Chess Champion of 1950 and 1985, and the winner of fifty consecutive U.S.C.F. rated games. Schroeder founded and continues to operate The Prison Chess Fund."

Don't know if that's much information.

He wrote a handful of, somewhat dubiously received, instructional books on chess, sometime back, didn't he?

gcohen
Posts: 65
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Re: USCF NM James Schroeder from Cleveland, Ohio

Post by gcohen » Thu Aug 21, 2014 11:46 pm

Hi Cliff,

JS published a little Bulletin with games, musings, advice, 4 to 6 times a year.
I myself thought it quite instructive, and indeed fascinating.
Harry Lyman, mentor of the Boylston Chess Club (and uncle of
Shelby Lyman) thought so too.
You can find some of H Lyman's games at chessgames.com--
in particular a match against Weaver Adams in which HL
played Black for all the games.
That was in the 80's (I'm back to JS) and before. What happened after, I don't know.
Instructional books of his, I know nothing about.
But he did publish a number of Classic Tournament books--
suck as Cambridge Springs, 1904, and others; an Anthony Santasiere
monograph on the King's Gambit, which I have, etc.
That's all I know.

rpatrick
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Re: USCF NM James Schroeder from Cleveland, Ohio

Post by rpatrick » Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:52 pm

I met James Schroeder at least twice in 1962. He directed two tournaments I played in that summer. The Ohio Junior Open and the State Championship which was a Labor Day weekend open. I still have at least four chess books I bought from him. He had the book concession at those tournaments. I wish I had bought more books. Even though it has been fifty-two years I can remember some of the other books he had for sale. He lived in the Dayton, Ohio area at that time and whenever we had a Cincinnati versus Dayton match he was on first board. This was before he moved to Cleveland. One thing I will not forget is that he pronounced his last name Schra der. Not Schro der. I never knew exactly why but I guess that maybe it was a German pronunciation. One other story I remember hearing, but I never witnessed, concerned him as a tournament director. It was said that if someone brought one of those red and black checkerboards that came with the dime store chess sets to one of his tournaments he would tear the boards apart and not allow them to be used in his tournaments. I mean no disrespect to his memory but I took it that he had a great deal of respect for the game. I wish that I had known him better but I wasn't that active in tournament chess. Thanks for bringing up his name. Maybe some others will have some stories.

noggin
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Re: USCF NM James Schroeder from Cleveland, Ohio

Post by noggin » Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:30 pm

I know Jim very well. He is currently residing at 3011 E 9th St Apt 15,Vancouver, WA 98661.

ziggyblitz
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Re: USCF NM James Schroeder from Cleveland, Ohio

Post by ziggyblitz » Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:33 pm

James Schroeder was born 1927, so he'd be 87.

noggin
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Free copies of Confidential Chess Lessons

Post by noggin » Thu Dec 11, 2014 1:09 pm

I have been informed by James Schroeder that "Free copies of Confidential Chess Lessons will be sent to every person who sends their name and address to"

James Schroeder
3011 E 9th St Apt 15
Vancouver, WA 98661


Although he did not ask for SASE's, it's always polite to include a self addressed stamped envelope when requesting an item. In this case, a business size envelope (9 1/2" by 4 1/4") with standard postage will suffice.

gcohen
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2014 8:16 pm

Re: USCF NM James Schroeder from Cleveland, Ohio

Post by gcohen » Thu Dec 11, 2014 2:17 pm

to: noggin

Thanks for the tip.

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