Grandmaster Lessons at the Civic Center: Success of the 2025 Masterclass with GM Herminio Herraiz
This Saturday morning, November 22nd, the Auditorium of the Centre Cívic Balàfia buzzed with top-tier strategic chess. The 2025 Masterclass exceeded expectations, bringing together fans and club players with a single goal: to learn from one of the best.
We want to say a big thank you to all the attendees who joined us bright and early at 9:00 AM. The atmosphere during the community breakfast proved that chess in Lleida is about much more than moving pieces; it is about building community.
The Technique: Reaction and Practical Play
GM Herminio Herraiz delivered a lecture on two fundamental aspects for the competitive player:
- Reaction in Chess: How to psychologically and tactically manage critical moments or surprises from an opponent.
- “Practical” Play: A vital lesson on efficient decision-making under time pressure, seeking not always the computer’s “perfect” move, but the most uncomfortable one for the opponent.
What is a Masterclass? For newcomers, today we experienced the essence of a masterclass: it is not a lesson on basic rules, but a deep dive into the thought process of a Grandmaster. It is about discovering the why behind a decision, going beyond textbook theory.
Acknowledgments
This event, organized by Club Escacs Balàfia, was made possible thanks to the collaboration of:
- Associació Veïnal Balàfia and Dona Balàfia, for their support of the neighborhood.
- Lleida City Council (La Paeria) and Lleida Provincial Council (Diputació), for providing the venue and resources.
We encourage you to keep participating in these annual events, which help raise the competitive level of chess in our province.
See you at the board!
