When Both Sides Try to Lose
Black (newble) shared this game and asked, “Please tell me what I did wrong.” Well, Mr. newble, it won’t be pretty, but if you insist, I’ll obey! Keep in mind that it’s not just what you did wrong, it’s what y...
Death by Dark Squares
IMPORTANT: [At the end of the puzzles, you should click MOVE LIST so you can see my instructive notes and variations. If you are having trouble solving a problem, just click SOLUTION, and then MOVE LIST. Even if you solve everything, DO click MOVE...
A Key Tactical Theme
IMPORTANT: [At the end of the puzzles, you should click MOVE LIST so you can see my instructive notes and variations. If you are having trouble solving a problem, just click SOLUTION, and then MOVE LIST. Even if you solve everything, DO click MOVE...
Fighting For Your Chessboard Rights!
IMPORTANT: [At the end of the puzzles, you should click MOVE LIST so you can see my instructive notes and variations. If you are having trouble solving a problem, just click SOLUTION, and then MOVE LIST. Even if you solve everything, DO click MOV...
Changing Geirs
This is an Alekhine game that you may not have seen before. On his tenth move, he takes a bold risk with the classic Greek gift bishop sac. He even has the audacity to quietly castle in the middle of an attack! Several more quiet moves follow, but...
Blunder Gland Redux: First Baby Steps, and Then The World
IMPORTANT: [At the end of the puzzles, you should click MOVE LIST so you can see my instructive notes and variations. If you are having trouble solving a problem, just click SOLUTION, and then MOVE LIST. Even if you solve everything, DO click MOVE...
Material Imbalances, Opening Ideas, and Hanging Stuff
MASTERING MATERIAL IMBALANCES HiddenDeath said: “After reading your HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS 4th Edition and going over the examples where a player sacrificed his queen for two pieces, a pawn, and some positive imbalances, I decided to give thi...
In the Tal Grass
This game is yet another fantastic effort by the great Mikhail Tal. On his 11th move, he sacrifices a knight, apparently for no reason. However, after whipping up an attack on Szukzszta's king out of nowhere, Tal throws in a couple of neat sacrifi...
The Fried Liver's Identical Twin
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 we get the exciting Two Knights Defense. In that case, white’s most combative move is 4.Ng5 when 4…d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7!? is the Fried Liver Attack (an amateur favorite… the name alone makes y...
Timing, Your Move's Purpose, and a Hard Move to Find
IMPORTANT: [At the end of the puzzles, you should click MOVE LIST so you can see my instructive notes and variations. If you are having trouble solving a problem, just click SOLUTION, and then MOVE LIST. Even if you solve everything, DO click M...
Bacrot vs Morozevic
The following game was played just a few hours ago. It's a wonderful miniature which Bacrot won because either Morozevic didn't want a draw or simply missed how to get it (I think he was probably still trying to win by inertia, after what seemed l...
Raging Tactics and Geometric Beauty
IMPORTANT: [At the end of the puzzles, you should click MOVE LIST so you can see my instructive notes and variations. If you are having trouble solving a problem, just click SOLUTION, and then MOVE LIST. Even if you solve everything, DO click MOVE...
Greed and Two King Hunts
IMPORTANT: [At the end of the puzzles, you should click MOVE LIST so you can see my instructive notes and variations. If you are having trouble solving a problem, just click SOLUTION, and then MOVE LIST. Even if you solve everything, DO click MO...
Pawns, Greed, Pins, and the Center
IMPORTANT: [At the end of the puzzles, you should click MOVE LIST so you can see my instructive notes and variations. If you are having trouble solving a problem, just click SOLUTION, and then MOVE LIST. Even if you solve everything, DO click MO...
Rules, Homes, and a Big Decision
BREAKING A WELL-KNOWN RULE luke-duke (1206) - bagpiper123456 (1198), chess.com (14 days per move), 2012 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 Here White usually plays 4.Ba4, keeping the tension. However, the Exchange Variation (4.Bxc6) also had/has many ...
Driving Down The Mega-Theory Highway
THE PROS & CONS OF SICILIAN NAJDORF MEGA-THEORY [As you can see, I did something a bit different this week. Other than the fact that I like to keep people guessing (you never know if you’ll get tactics, Tiny Tim, positional lessons, or...
Space, Negativity, and Dreams
IF YOU HAVE SPACE, NOTICE IT AND USE IT! mixiz said: “I think this is the key position. I think white must win this, having in mind that the opponent won’t play actively since he willingly came so far, and is obviously happy with t...
Basic Formulas, Wonders of Defense, and King Safety
All the positions this week are in "test" format. However, though finding the right answer is nice, what I really want is for everyone to read the copious prose that I've added. Thus, after you try your hand at the solution, PLEASE click on "Move ...
Threats, Agendas, Demands, and Safety
This is the first article featuring my newly created format. It addresses several problems, a couple of which were: * Doing one game a week means those sending in games must wait a long, long time to see their name in lights. * The articles go o...
Don't Play a Move If You Can't Back it Up!
Misspumkin (1895) – Darkschyte (1586), Chess.com 2012 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Nc3 O-O 5.e4 d6 6.h3!? Darkschyte said, “I think it’s not pleasant for him to meet …Bg4 but it wasn’t necessary to create that weakness, because …Bg4 its not pa...
Death Match Video Archives
This is the video archive of past Chess.com Death Matches. Look below to watch the live video coverage from each Death Match. Read the Death Match Rules See the Results of Past Death Matches Death Match 12: Arnold vs Ipatov Dea...
English Opening, Botvinnik System
Glob said: “While I played a lot when I was younger, I stopped playing chess for several years. I got back into chess via chess.com and after playing for a while here (chess.com rating around 1500), I decided it was time to play some classical gam...
The Pawn Center: Strength or Weakness?
NachtWulf (1587) – Tnhayseed (1616), [C02] Chess.com 2012 (TC: 1 in 3 days) 1.e4 e6 Nachtwulf said: “French. I play it as black, but rarely get the chance to practice against it as white.” 2.d4 Obviously best, but those ...
Swinging for the Fences
Jared Collins (1528) - John Laning (1478), B12, Foolish Moves Mobile AL, 2009 45 minutes on the clock for each player 1.e4 c6 2.d4 Jared Collins said: “I tend to be aggressive, and when offered the entire center I will usually ta...