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  "On
behalf of the United States Chess Federation, I am pleased to
inform you that you have been chosen to receive a Meritorious
Service Award in 2007..." - Bill Hall, Executive Director,
USCF.
Accepting USCF Award Aug 2007→
Contact Information
(phone, address), e-mail, map,
directions...
WEBPAGE ALERT:
My ability to update the website was affected July 15,
2010. I am getting it fixed, but it will involve re-hosting with an
"all-new" look later this summer. Sneak peak at new
site under construction; e-mail
comments
Full-Time Instructor,
Adults
& Juniors
US Chess Federation National
Master (NM) and FIDE CM
"Phillytutor" on Internet Chess Club; "danheisman"
on Skype, Facebook, and Twitter (tip of the day!)
Novice Nook column at Chess
Cafe on how to improve
at chess. 1st place CJA
"Best Instruction" '02, '04,
'06, '09
&'10
Lesson
inquiries from US/Canada: Please e-mail
your phone # and I will call
Dan's 60+ weekly instructional
videos (Video
by subject)
Free to ICC and WCL
members; free samples --- YouTube
sample
Author, 10 Chess
books
(A Guide to Chess
Improvement: The Best of Novice Nook expected in ~Nov '10; 2nd edition
of The Improving Annotator also in the fall)
SE PA
Scholastic Coordinator
for PA Chess Federation
Charitable
Donations Page -
If
you found my site helpful, consider making a
tax-deductible donation to a charity!
|
Make a tax-deductible donation to the Dan Heisman Chess
Support Fund to support youth chess in the area via the Philadelphia
Foundation!
MAIL
or ONLINE
Online
select "Specific Fund" and then "Dan Heisman Chess
Support Fund" Thanks! |
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Make
a tax-deductible donation to the Holly Heisman
Memorial Fund, of the Philadelphia Foundation to support women in need (breast cancer, runaways,
battered wives).
MAIL
or ONLINE
Online select "Specific Fund" and then "Holly
Heisman Memorial Fund" Thanks! |
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Dog
Patches 
has aggressive cancer and is on chemotherapy - our wishes go out to
her |
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The
Chess Journalists of America: Dan is the 2010
Chess Journalist of the Year. This is the first time Dan has
won this prestigious award. Novice Nook
won the award for Best Column in North America for the second time
and "Best Instruction" for the 6th time.
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Dan turned 60
on July 8:
"When you are old and
gray and look back on your life, you want to be proud of what you have
done. The source of that pride won't be the things you have acquired
or the recognition you have received. It will be the lives you have
touched and the difference you have made. I hope you will develop the
passion and the voice to help the world in ways both large and small."
Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu at Caltech Commencement 2010 (Dan is
Caltech Ricketts House X'72; I hope I have helped the world, or at
least you...)
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I
have created a new email list for those who want to be notified when a special is offered.
If interested, e-mail "I would like to be on your 'Lesson Discount'
email list." |
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Have a question?
You don't have to be a student to get answers. Please call 610-649-0750 or email
your phone number and I will call you. It is much easier to have a phone
conversation. I answer all legitimate emails so if I
don't answer right away (unless on vacation), then something is
wrong, so just call. |
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Lessons
- "To acquire
knowledge one must study; but to acquire wisdom one must observe."
- Marilyn vos Savant |
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Let
me help
you become a better player today! All ages accepted. I welcome everyone who is willing to
try to take almost all their time each game. Most students
are adults, but 50%+ of ongoing juniors made the USCF
Top-100 Lists! I prefer phone to email; if you want me
to call, please send
your phone in US/Canada and I will call.
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I
have an offer for
non-ICC members to join 
the Internet Chess Club included as part of their initial fee
if they pre-pay for lessons. Take link
for info. Here is a link for ICC
help and another link for ICC
unofficial help.
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Pay
by credit card: I still prefer check by mail with date on the
check, but now PayPal is
open to everyone (although PayPal takes 4-5% so if you cover this,
thanks!). See my Fee page for more
information.
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Students
can have a regular, reserved spot, or
schedule
on an ad-hoc basis. Guideline: if you can make a scheduled time 75%+, then
“reserving” a regular (weekly, bi-weekly, etc) time is
helpful. Otherwise contact me
to find a lesson time convenient to both of us.
No one has to take lessons on a weekly - or any other regular -
schedule. Whatever you need and can afford. |
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Reminder
to all students: Please put the date of the lesson on any checks
or Paypal notices. This saves me a lot of time. |
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If
you schedule a lesson and I am not there for any reason within
3-4 minutes of the time you think the lesson should start,
please call me at 610-649-0750 right
away - it may be a minor mixup but I am almost never late so
something is wrong. |
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I
was live on the Howard Stern show with Scott Andreacci of
Integcorp Monday May 18, 2009 roughly 9:40-11 AM.
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In October I went to Abu Dhabi,
where I gave a Sheik a week of chess lessons
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Like math and chess? Check out my article on game theory and chess. |
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My
last 83(!) radio shows are archived by the ICC (ICC
membership required) |
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Sample
of my art (including chess stuff) - Except for the Black
king, most of my best stuff had already been wall-mounted. I will
draw a custom-ordered, signed, 8.5x11 grey-scale for anyone for
$40, money-back guarantee. So far less than 10 sold: Collector's item?! |
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Dan
Tidbits:
- Did
you know that I speak before Philadelphia area (and outside)
groups, both
chess and non-chess groups? Contact me at 610-649-0750 if
interested. Also, I give chess lectures with simultaneous
exhibitions. I will play a free simultaneous to raise money for your charity.
- Always
looking for someone to play backgammon matches, especially live.
- I
have a button collection (not the kind on shirts) - if you
have a political button or whatever, drop it in the mail to
1359 Garden Rd., Wynnewood, PA 19096 - Thanks!
- I have updated my all-sports Hall
of Fame (page 1 - page
2)
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Yes,
that was me on the Howard Stern show (!) Sep 10, 2007 with Adam
Weissbarth of
Silver
Knights. See
Howard's chess
interview in the NY Times. |
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"In
the last half-dozen years or so, Dan Heisman has carved out a niche as perhaps America’s preeminent
chess instructor. His name is
invoked frequently in chess server chat rooms, various newsgroups,
and in tournament halls across the country. ChessCafe.com readers are no doubt
familiar with Mr. Heisman’s
monthly Novice Nook column
wherein he dispenses practical
advice for the improving tournament player. He also enjoys
large audiences on his twice-weekly radio show for ChessFM
where he fields questions from listeners and discusses all
things chess with a breathless enthusiasm.
One
secret of Heisman’s success is his ability to empathize with his audience. Years of experience as a
chess coach have taught him that
it is not enough simply to explain why a move is good or bad,
but also to try to understand why intelligent, hard-working, dedicated players
continue to repeat
their mistakes even when they know better. He understands that
most of us can become perplexed by even the simplest of positions,
that chess is a game full of
truths and contradictions, and that even boneheaded moves are
often motivated by good, albeit
misguided, intentions. This is not so much insight as it is
respect for his students. Heisman knows
that we genuinely want to improve, and he in turn genuinely wants
to help us. And while many
authors seem to think that the best way to write for junior or
novice players is to pepper their
prose with “Gee Whiz!” vernacular, Heisman writes in a
refreshingly sincere and honest style
without affectation or condescension." - Richard Roseborough
in Chess Cafe. |
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Dan
gets FIDE
CM title |
"To Kazim Gulamali and Dan
Heisman. FIDE has informed us that your titles have been approved.
Congratulations on your achievement. Walter
Brown, USCF"
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Over 1,000,000 Hits - Thanks!