Hal Bogner Email & Phone Number

Half Moon Bay, California

Provider of consulting services, in conjunction with a diverse network of colleagues, across a range of technical, business and social needs. Recent clientele include CASIS and MIT, several associated astronauts, and the National Scholastic Chess Foundation.Advised and performed numerous projects for U.S. Chess Federation executive director Bill Hall throughout his tenure, 2005-2013. Redeveloped USCF web site, 2007, and provided support for same through 2009. Conducted two "Earth vs. Space" chess matches, 2008-09 and 2011 for USCF and NASA.Assisted with the launch of a new web site for the US Backgammon Federation, 2010, with ongoing support through 2011.Took over and completed management of the launch of a complex ecommerce web launch for dot-com hopeful FreeSamples.com in 2000, managing 16 people across four project teams and several Ernst & Young consultants, spread across five locations throughout the US, for former-OnlineFocus founder Lynn Brock. Launched million dollar web site on time and on budget after five months of intense work by all parties.Developed and deployed three web projects in partnership with Washington-based web designer/developer Mikhael Schlossman who operated FxD Webworks from 1997 through 1999, for Aladdin Systems, Watsonville, California; First Community Bank of Washington; and HRZone, for HR consultant Sue Campbell, Riverside, California. Full descriptions of these projects are available here:http://bogners.net/hmb/portfolio/Assisted pre-internet online game company ImagiNation Network (INN), 1994 - 1995. Acted as INN's card and board game expert, led the creation and staffing of a new department of game producers in the EA mold, identified the impending arrival of the consumer internet and proposed approaches to enable transition to new business models. INN soon became the AOL Game Channel.Advised managers at Intel, IBM, AOL and Microsoft regarding various chess projects and programs, throughout the mid to late 1990s.

The leading chess e-learning web site, ChessMagnetSchool.com is a computer-based, adaptive learning web site presenting an extensive curriculum of chess puzzles developed over more than a decade by a leading chess master and professional educator, and proven through more than a decade of use by leading chess coaches and by thousands of independent self-study users.Also provided technical solutions to the NY Times - a chess viewer used in conjunction with their weekly chess column starting in 2007 - to the US Chess Federation - an interactive program to Learn the Rules of Chess, deployed in 2006; to America's Foundation for Chess/First Move - a child-appropriate online chess playing platform for elementary school students participating in AF4C's First Move classes; and to the National Scholastic Chess Foundation - a series of online teacher certification tests required upon completion of their The Next Move Chess Initiative, a key component in training teachers to teach chess; NSCF is currently providing professional development programs for certificated teachers in Broward County, Florida (since late 2014) and in Fresno, California (beginning February 2016).

ChessLecture.com has the world's largest library of professional-quality video lectures by proven chess masters and educators, with more added daily. Videos presented by Grand Masters, International Masters and National Masters provide instruction for chess students, enthusiasts, casual and competitive players who want to learn more, play and win.We release a new video in our library everyday, Monday thru Friday. The video library currently has well over 2,800 videos available for online (PC, Mac, Linux) and mobile (iPhone, Android, Kindle) viewing.

San Mateo, Redwood City, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Pasadena, And Other Locations...

After learning how to ice skate in southern California at the age of 30, joined a beginners program and have been enjoying the feeling of being a kid again, of being a member (and, several times, captain) of a team (after 20 years competing as a solitary chess player), and of slowly climbing the ladder of progress so I can win the Stanley Cup within the next six or seven hundred years. I also spent two years assisting as a coach for 10 and 11 year olds. All in all, a great way to make new friends, find more mentors, and to stay fit!After 14 seasons (seven years) with the Old Timers at the Redwood City Ice Oasis, with six league titles and nine appearances in the final game for the right to have our picture taken with the rink's iconic Stanley Keg, I captained the Shamrocks to the championship game in spring of 2018, and then helped the Intangibles win the Keg twice after having faced them in the final game in each of the preceding three seasons. Post-Covid, I now anchor the offense for Tuesday night "Belmont Cup" teams at the San Mateo Ice Oasis, and play as many pickup game sessions as possible.

Half Moon Bay, California, United States

After considering taking on housemates at the start of 2021 to share the incredible house we rent from our architect friend Chris Ridgway - who we think of as "the Frank Lloyd Wright of curves" - a friend suggested that we offer a room via Airbnb, and we quickly achieved Superhost status. In late 2021, Airbnb informed us that we had been identified as the top new host in California, and over a period of three years (including the years of Covid), we earned a 4.89 rating across 361 reviews, while enjoying the privilege of meeting and hosting hundreds of amazing and wonderful guests from around the world.The three links below tell more of the story of our experience and of the amazing architecture of our long-time friend whose enchanted house we enjoy waking up in every day:https://news.airbnb.com/the-number-one-new-host-in-each-us-state/https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/californias-top-airbnb-host-offers-fairytale-vacation-in-bay-area/https://crarchitect.net/ridgwayPG.php

Assisted with business development and strategy as CASIS - the NASA partner responsible for management of the US National Laboratory component of the International Space Station - work to bring the labs up to full utilization, to enable commercial partners to utilize 50% of that capacity, and to leverage the activities onboard ISS to inspire students to pursue careers involving the sciences, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.Connected CASIS president and executive director (and former NASA astronaut) Greg Johnson to the board of the Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium (BASIC) an action-oriented collaboration of Bay Area research universities, national laboratories, independent research institutions, and research and development businesses. Conducted a review of Zero Robotics program, including recommendations for further support.

Cambridge, Ma

I am a member of the "Founders Group" for the Zero Robotics (zerorobotics.org) programming competitions, conducted annually by MIT and NASA, responsible for assisting with business development and program management aspects of this series of national and international programming competitions for high school and middle school students, with the finals being conducted aboard the International Space Station.Check out Rachel Maddow's segment on the program that "lets kids touch space":https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RfRfLPOjcU

Hired as consultant to managing partner of leading internet chess playing site, October 2002.Named General Manager, December 2002.Drove double-digit year-on-year revenue growth rate for 2003 (nearly triple the 2002 rate).Negotiated establishment of Chess.FM subsidiary, Q4 2002; oversaw relationship with founder/manager of Chess.FM as General Manager of ICC through Q1 2004, and later as Executive Producer in charge of Chess.FM in 2005.Established numerous new relationships for ICC, including Founding Underwriter status in America's Foundation for Chess (AF4C.org) by virtue of ownership's commitment to donating $100k over four years in support of AF4C's programs and mission.Drove recruitment and hiring of senior management team throughout 2003 and established major projects in engineering (more than doubling capacity, reducing system latency and other technical ills, and establishing recoverable operations).Stepped into consulting role Q1 2004; placed in charge of Chess.FM subsidiary as Executive Producer Q1 2005.

Assisted founder in growing a two-person software development consultancy with revenues of ~$125k in 1996 by providing business development, recruitment and project management service.Doubled revenues annually to ~$250k in 1997, ~$500k in 1998, and ~$1m in 1999.Established second field of services to provide back-end web site technical development for clients including Handspring, Inc. (an outgrowth of Palm Computing), Wisdom Networks, Red Planet Media, SF International Film Festival, and others.Assisted in continuing to grow game-industry oriented services, managing two projects for client Electronic Arts, and establishing Java development resources.

Half Moon Bay, California

Produced three chess programs for Windows and Macintosh:Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess (chessplaying portion), for Davidson & Associates/Simon & Schuster joint venture, 1996-97Eric Schiller's Chess Game, for Zane Publishing, 1997Internet Chess for the Macintosh (Mac only), for use with the Internet Chess Club, 1996-98

Cupertino, California

Joined leading early Fortune 500 web design firm (first client was FedEx in 1995) as employee #8 to establish project management as a distinct department, helping grow company to 24 employees within six months.I was responsible for the complete life cycle of all projects for Apple, Novell, and multiple Promus Hotel brands (Embassy Suites Hotels and three sister brands), and my duties included site architecture, site co-design (in tandem with a graphic designer), and project management of specific development teams. My design for Embassy Suites and the related brands remained in use for two and a half years, including a full year after Promus was acquired by Hilton.Reporting directly to CEO Lynn Brock, I was responsible for the first stages of setting up an independent project management organization within the company; as in-house staff grew to over twenty employees, Ron Tugender (VP, Site Projects) was hired in above me to manage the growing department in January, 1997. My responsibilities included proposal research (Sun Microsystems, Baan, Monorail, Cathay Pacific, FedEx. Johnson & Johnson), in-depth client needs assessment (Sun, Apple, Novell, Promus, BuyMedia, Baan), and proposal writing (those previously mentioned plus Legato, Kennecott) for most company bids and projects.I continued to consult for OnlineFocus on a limited basis since leaving their staff in April, 1997.Further descriptions of the above web projects, as well as three later web projects done by myself and Washington-based web designer/developer Mikhael Schlossman, are available here:http://bogners.net/hmb/portfolio/

San Mateo, California

Hired to provide leadership to an external development team who had begun work on a competitor to the leading Chessmaster franchise in 1990. Redesigned and produced an award-winning PC chess program, Kasparov's Gambit, DOS, released late 1993, to better reviews than the concurrent release of Chessmaster 3000; Gambit was ranked a top-100 PC game by Computer Gaming World for 12 consecutive months (the max allowed). (Also see: http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/kasparovs-gambit/mobyrank)

Southern California

Active competitor at the master level, 1980 - 1992, earned Life Master title (300+ games)winner, 1st Hong Kong International, 1981Active event organizer and arbiter, 1980 - 1990- awarded International Arbiter certification by World Chess Federation, 1983- #3 chess event organizer nationally in 1980s- promoted most successful US Open Chess Championship in the event's more than 75 year history, 842 players, Pasadena, 1983; was awarded USCF's Special Services Award- put all major southern California annual chess tournaments on a sound financial footing.Introduced ChessBase to the US market as their first sales rep, 1987; ChessBase quickly became and remains the leading chess study tool for competitive players worldwide.Founded Chess Laboratories, 1989-92, in partnership with author of chess study software, Mike Leahy of Columbus, OH; published BookUp (to study openings), ChessReader (to replay chess games posted online or stored on disk as text) and Zarkov (very strong chessplaying engine, which could analyze BookUp opening libraries and play using BookUp's libraries). Brought first modern TrueType chess fonts to market, as well as various other tools for chessplayers.Gave extensive private and group lessonsChess columnist, Orange County Register, 1988-91authored numerous cover stories for leading US chess magazines Chess Life, Inside Chessco-author of monthly Chess Life column, "Letter from Europe"co-editor, Players Chess News, 1980-81Chess advisor to David Kittinger, Novag Chess Computers, 1980-82- wrote opening libraries for Novag Savant and Novag Constellation chess computers- developed new approach to seeking open positions, leading to the first 2000+ rated chess computer, the Novag Super ConstellationServed for 6+ years on the board of the Southern California Chess Federation, including two terms as president and two terms as secretary. Served as secretary for the USCF Computer Chess Committee, voted USCF Committee of the Year for 1981.

Santa Ana, California

Wrote weekly chess column for Sunday edition, which had a circulation of over 1 million copies.