Robert Snyder Chess Champion Failure to Register
"Chess for Juniors" Author Faces Child Sex Charge FORT COLLINS, CO-September 15, 2005 - The author of the "Chess for Juniors" series of books and founder of a club bearing the same name has been arrested in Colorado on suspicion of child sexual assault. Fort Collins police say Robert Snyder was taken into custody after a long investigation. He's being held on 750-thousand dollar bond. A police spokesman says Snyder is accused of engaging in inappropriate touching and behavior with two of his chess students at his home in the past year. Snyder, a former Western U-S Chess Champion, taught chess to children ages five to 17 at his home in Fort Collins and accompanied children to chess tournaments across the country. (Copyright 2005 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.) http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=nation_world&id=3444922

Additional Sex Charge Filed Against Chess Teacher Police: At Least Two Children Were Victims POSTED: 9:41 am MST November 18, 2005 FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Prosecutors have filed a fourth count of sexual assault on a child against chess teacher and author Robert Snyder, who is accused of inappropriately touching some of his students. The Larimer County district attorney filed the additional charge Thursday. Snyder, 51, author of the "Chess for Juniors" book series, also faces two counts alleging a pattern of abuse. Police and prosecutors have said at least two children were involved in the alleged incidents at Snyder's Fort Collins home in August 2002 and July of this year. Snyder's attorney, I. Edward Huttner, has denied his client did anything wrong. Snyder is free on a $250,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 6 Snyder is a former Western U.S. Chess Champion. According to his Web site, his students have won first place 36 times in championship sections at the National Scholastic chess competition. Denver Channel

Chess Master To Stand Trial Over Alleged Sex Assaults Robert Snyder Faces Four Sex Assault Charges POSTED: 4:55 am MST February 7, 2006 UPDATED: 7:44 am MST February 7, 2006 FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- A judge has ordered chess teacher and author Robert Snyder to stand trial on charges of sexually assaulting three students at his home, including one who may have been his stepson. Robert Michael Snyder, 51, faces four counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust plus two sentence-enhancing counts of sexual assault on a child pattern of abuse. After a hearing, District Court Judge David Williams bound the case over for trial. Snyder has not entered a plea and a trial date has not been set. Snyder, author of the "Chess for Juniors" book series is accused of incidents that allegedly happened at his home in late 2002 and summer of this past year. Snyder, through his attorneys, has denied wrongdoing. Snyder is free on a $250,000 bond. His next hearing is March 9. Fort Collins police officer Kim Cochran testified that two boys allege Snyder performed oral sex on them, while a third alleges Snyder put his hands down his pants. Cochran said one incident that happened at the home between Sept. 7 and Nov. 15, 2002, involved an 11-year-old boy, whose mother was married to Snyder on Oct. 30, 2002. That marriage was annulled at Snyders' request, according to testimony. Snyder's attorney Andy Gavaldon argued that the charges relating to his possible stepson and a 13-year-old should be dismissed because there wasn't enough evidence to support the charges. Cochran testified that DNA tests conducted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation could not conclusively determine whether it was Snyder's, but that Snyder was part of a very small group that could not be excluded. Snyder is a former Western U.S. Chess Champion. According to his Web site, his students have won first place 36 times in championship sections at the National Scholastic chess competition. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/6804761/detail.html

Chess teacher's case delayed Coloradoan staff The case against a well-known Fort Collins chess teacher accused of sexually assaulting three of his students was delayed following a hearing Monday. Robert Snyder, 51, faces four counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust plus two sentence-enhancing counts of sexual assault on a child - pattern of abuse, stemming from incidents alleged to have occurred in his home, 2619 Silver Creek Drive, where he ran Chess for Juniors. Snyder, who did not enter a plea or set the case for trial during the hearing, is scheduled to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. April 20. The alleged incidents date back to late 2002 and two of the boys allege Snyder performed oral sex on them; the third alleges Snyder put his hands down his pants, according to police. Snyder was married to or dating one of the alleged victim's mothers at the time of one alleged incident. Originally published March 7, 2006 http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060307/NEWS01/603070312&SearchID=73238370827375

Chess coach pleads guilty to sex charges By SARA REED SaraReed@coloradoan.com A former Fort Collins chess coach accused of sexually assaulting three of his students pleaded guilty to two charges today and avoided any prison time. Robert Snyder, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault on a child and one count of unlawful sexual contact during a hearing in District Court. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Snyder will serve two years in the Larimer County Detention Center for the unlawful sexual contact charge and will spend the rest of his life on sex offender intensive supervised probation. Snyder, who ran Chess for Juniors out of his Fort Collins home, originally faced four counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust plus two sentence-enhancing counts of sexual assault on a child, pattern of abuse. Police said Snyder engaged in inappropriate behavior with three male students at his home, 2619 Silver Creek Drive, as well as at his parents' home in California and a hotel room in Atlanta. The plea agreement covers all three victims. Snyder, who was taken into custody following the hearing, will be back in court for a formal sentencing next month. http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070104/NEWS01/70104015

Chess coach sentencing delayed By SARA REED SaraReed@coloradoan.com Sentencing was delayed today for a world-renowned chess coach convicted of sexually assaulting three of his students. Robert Snyder, 52, pleaded guilty last month to one count of sexual assault on a child and one count of unlawful sexual contact. Snyder is accused of inappropriately touching three of his students in incidents stretching back to 2002. The assaults occurred at his Fort Collins home, from which he taught chess classes, as well as a hotel room in Atlanta and his parents’ home in California. The plea agreement stipulated he would serve two years in the Larimer County Detention Center and spend the rest of his life on sex offender intensive supervised probation. Snyder is scheduled for sentencing April 11 at 3 p.m. Originally published February 23, 2007 http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070223/UPDATES01/70223009

Ft. Collins chess champ back on wanted list By Howard Pankratz The Denver Post Article Last Updated: 11/05/2008 02:27:24 PM MST Nationally ranked chess player Robert Michael Snyder is being sought by Larimer County authorities after he completed two years of jail time for unlawful sexual contact but failed to register as a sex offender and show up for probationary supervision. An arrest warrant was issued by Larimer County for Snyder, 54, on Sept. 19, for failure to register as a sex offender. The probation department issued an arrest warrant for Snyder a week earlier for contempt of court. He has been placed on both the Fort Collins police and Larimer County sheriff's "most wanted" lists. In February 2006, Snyder was arrested after he was accused of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy and two 13-year-old male chess students. A prodigy who started learning chess when he was 12, Snyder started a school for young students in the early 1980s. A major component of Snyder's chess school consisted of weekend tournaments, during which students slept over at Snyder's Fort Collins house. During one of those sleepovers in 2005, a Loveland boy said he was sexually assaulted on two consecutive nights by Snyder. Snyder pleaded guilty in January 2007 to felony sexual assault on a child and unlawful sexual contact, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to serve two years in the Larimer County jail on the misdemeanor charge and then was ordered — following completion of that sentence — to begin his 10-years-to-life probation sentence. He was supposed to register as a sex offender and for the probation sentence but failed to appear. Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_10907284?source=rss