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Using a tenacious will to win, GM Timur Gareev fights for six hours at the end of a long tournament, and grinds out an endgame, winning by one tempo. The game looked deadlocked for most of the middlegame, but a slight imbalance in the center gave Gareev just enough room to win a pawn. In mutual time pressure, GM Conrad Holt missed a drawing simplification, leading to an instructive queen-and-pawn endgame win for the second-seeded Gareev. | Watch video
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If you want to see the forest through the trees, you have to first see the "bushes"! GM Melikset Khachiyan continues his discussion of short, simple calculations, or "bushes" of analysis. By examining some highly tactical historical games of Alekhine, he shows how it doesn't take long to go two or three moves deep for several candidate moves. You'll find the right path faster by calculating the same way - watch and learn the grandmaster technique. | Watch video
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Are you constantly playing opponents who play solid, boring lines, hoping to trade everything right away and never spicing it up? GM Leonid Kritz has, and he shows how methodical probing and switching of ideas can still keep some life in the position. He continues his series by showing how to counter the plans of his previous videos. Kritz admits you sometimes have to allow some weaknesses, but you play to win, don't you? | Watch video
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GM Gregory Kaidanov, our "cultural attaché", is back with a new series focusing on the world's elite players. Here he shows some brilliant planning by six-time Russian Champion Peter Svidler. Kaidanov shares some anecdotes about Svidler's style of play and his gift of gab. Kaidanov also reminisces about his chance to repeat titles at the 2003 Aeroflot Open. | Watch video
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WGM Tatev Abrahamyan continues to show you how to walk the tightrope between winning and losing in the Winawer. Here she highlights the Bg5 idea by white, focusing on the critical ...c4 to get white's other bishop off the board. Abrahamyan loves the French and gives plenty of recommendations for which lines are her favorites. Spoiler alert - she chooses systems that let black attack white too! | Watch video
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Melik walks us through a recent game of his where he used his "backup opening" to defeat his lower rated opponent, IM Amanov. He talks about the positional strengths and the flexibility behind his opening choice, and why he feels it's a solid one for players looking from a different approach to 1.e4. Take notes on his opening advice, and enjoy the instructive finish. | Watch video
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Grandmaster Ben Finegold continues his series on "GM Level Preparation" with a video that reviews a case of accidental preparation. His victory over GM Huschenbeth during last year's US Chess Leage season earned him Game of the Week, but how did Ben reach such a fantastic position out of the Nimzo Indian opening? The story may surprise you... | Watch video
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GM Perelshteyn continues his series on practical endings this weekend with the review of a famous "squeezing" by the fourth World Champion. He begins by reminding us why basic, technical rook endings are "must knows" before you can execute practical plans at a high level. He then challenges us to develop the same winning plan that Alekhine developed in his own game against Thomas. | Watch video
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GM Kaidanov reviews a very nice win in the career of Magnus Carlsen over Leinier Dominguez. The game highlights the importance of being aggressive with your pawns, gaining space early and often, and thinking critically in terms of what the position needs, and not just castling or playing other "principled moves" because they are normally correct. Follow those steps, try to guess the moves, and maybe you can play like Magnus! | Watch video
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Want to know exactly how to challenge the Stonewall pawn formation without having your queen's bishop stifled? Should I develop via Bb7 or Bd7? What about my other bishop? Should I play Be7 or Bd6? GM Dzindzi explains all, recommending piece and pawn structures for black while discouraging other setups. This otherwise placid opening can lead to serious problems for black if he is caught off guard! | Watch video