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Is chess really that easy? Akiba Rubinstein achieves a simple, positional advantage, trades down, goes right into a nearly dead equal Rook Ending, and somehow wins with ease... Again! As GM Bojkov explains, Dr. Akiba was one of the first, true master of the final stage and his fighting spirit pushed him to never settle on a half a point. | Watch video
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GM Shankland's latest video series continues on today with more sharp theory, and more revealing and interesting analysis from one of the best prepared player's in the United States! Pay close attention, because the "roads of the main line Botvinnik Slav" can get awfully bumpy! Advanced player's trying to build their repertoire will find gold in this video lecture! | Watch video
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FIDE Master Elliot Liu is back with a quick turnaround and more Amazing Games for our Beginner level players! His first "amazing game" this month is all about positional domination on the dark-squares, but not by the pieces you might expect... What happens when your rooks dominate the only open file, your queen lands herself on f6, and you have all the time in the world to drive your h-pawn? A rather barbaric looking mating net, that's what! | Watch video
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Recently, GM Melik Khachiyan journeyed to Reno, Nevada to compete in the Western State Open. Here he attempts to break down his games, advanced as they are, for our members to understand the plans and "strategical keys" that dictated his play. First up is a two part battle against Grandmaster Alexander Ivanov. Take notes on his comparison to the famous game, Winter-Capablanca and the importance for black to control both sides of the board... | Watch video
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WGM Abrahamyan concludes her coverage of the main lines of the Winawer this weekend. She discusses the critical maneuvers black must undertake on the queenside, especially in the variations where black has managed a trade off of the light-squared bishops. As she has in each previous video, Tatev holds nothing back in revealing her own preparation and when giving her opinions of all the most interesting ideas in the French Defense. | Watch video
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The English Opening has been considered one of white's most solid approaches to the first stage of a chess game for more than two centuries! As FM Valeri Lilov explains, if you want to improve your positional understanding, as well as your understanding of the coordination between your pieces and the pawn structure, learning the English Opening should be something you consider! | Watch video
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When Kingpatzer makes the questionable decision to sacrifice his h7-pawn, the entire game is flipped upside-down once again! We reach a sharp and complex Opposite Colored Bishop position with both sides struggling to find safety for their king. Who will ultimately come out on top? Watch and see! Let IM Rensch guide you to the climax as this exciting two part Live Session Hybrid reaches its dramatic conclusion... | Watch video
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What would you do if all you needed was a draw, as white, against a lower rated player to secure your final GM Norm? As Grandmaster Khachiyan explains, the last thing you want to do is play for a draw! Learn from his mistakes, and eventually, his cool headed play that ultimately saved a much worse Rook Ending. Enjoy Melik's honest recount of one of his most memorable chess moments against IM Lev Milman from 2005. | Watch video
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A tragic chess comedy? Not for Smyslov! The first game GM Dzindzichashvili reviews shows the former World Champion's defensive tenacity and his positional stubbornness as well as any game he ever played. Truth be told though, it didn't mean he deserved to win -- but when your opponent pushes a King and Pawn Endgame past the point of no return, it's time to cash in! | Watch video
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Fear the Python! FM Liu concludes his "featured author" installment for this month with a second, even more frightening example of Positional Strangulation! In this well known battle, one of the first true positional geniuses (former World Champion Wilhelm Steinetz) performs unwilling surgery on his opponent, exposing one positional weakness after another to eventually leave his opponent breathless... | Watch video