In a previous post I blog about some interesting people I’ve met through tournament chess. Billionaires, hustlers, etc. Now you can add “sex offender” to that list.
I vividly remember the first time I met Robert Snyder, at my first chess tournament ever. I was a mere fifth grader, wide-eyed, innocent, and extremely nerdy. I knew nothing really about chess outside the basic rules.
Snyder, on the other hand, was the charismatic coach for many of the top juniors in the nation. He was extremely popular and well-liked. His chess school was called “Chess for Juniors”, and his contingent of students were everywhere. They were all easily recognizable, because they wore uniforms: baby blue colored shirts with a big yellow chess piece on the front. I was so jealous. I wanted a chess shirt too.
Snyder also wrote a bestselling chess book, “Chess for Juniors: A Complete Guide for the Beginner” which he was selling throughout the tournament. I first met Snyder when I went to his book stand to buy his book. He was very nice and even shook my hand. He asked me how I was doing in the tournament, and told my mom that he loves coaching new players and would love to teach me. He then autographed the book for me.
I still have it. It says,
To Gary
from the author
R.M.S [his initials]
22 Mar 1997
San Francisco, CA
Then he smiled and winked at me, and I left.
I had just met the great Robert Snyder: chess master, noted teacher, and child molester. I was so happy at the time and actually idolized him for a tiny bit.
He would become featured on America’s Most Wanted and was recently caught in Belize, where apparently he was up to his old tricks, running a chess club and molesting kids.
What a sick dude. I hope he gets raped in jail by big dude named Deandre.
Oh and I just re-skimmed over his book, and it’s such a piece of shit.
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