Top Level Trickery

GM Dejan Bojkov is back with a series about how top Grandmasters create counterplay and defend the most difficult looking positions!

Not what you're looking for? Go back to the video guide.

Get Rid Of Annoying Pieces: Grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda is one of the best attacking players in the world. How did GM Vladislav Artemiev defend himself? He traded off the most problematic attacking and reached a defendable ending. How did he do it?

Cover Your Weaknesses: In the 2020 Candidates Tournament, Ding Liren ran into a razor-sharp sacrifice by Fabiano Caruana. Ding kept his cool, defended every weakness and won the game! Check out how he did it!

Playing When Down Material: How did GM Fabiano Caruana handle himself when he lost a knight against GM Levon Aronian? He fought for counterplay and complicated the game until his star opponent gave him an opening to survive.
Defending An Inferior Position: Grandmaster Alexander Grischuk is difficult to beat, even when his position is technically lost. Against GM Ding Liren he slowly built up counterplay and made his opponent make hard decisions until he was able to hold the game.
Deceive Your Opponent: What happens when your author, Dejan Bojkov has to compete with top Grandmasters? See how top players have attempted to escape when Dejan had an advantage and how he got himself out of trouble as well.

What are your favorite games where you or a Grandmaster turned around a tough position? Let us know in the comments!