"Every strong chess player should have his own opening theory which is different from the mainstream theory." This is one of the most important rules I learned from World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik as a student in his famous Botvinnik-Kasparov s...
How does IM Tuan Minh Le compete in blitz with the top players in the world? He uses the rare and sharp Nimzowitsch Variation of the Sicilian! In this course, Minh Le, along with NM Sam Copeland explains his favorite variation and all of its compl...
In his recent stream, Russian GM Alexey Dreev called a certain opening "indecent." Moreover, he said that it is disrespectful towards your opponent to play this opening. He also said that if you don't understand why it is disrespectful behavior th...
Grandmaster Aman Hambleton has played both sides of the London System for years. He knows that many players try the London to reach an easy-to-play, quiet position, but there are tricks for both sides that can win quickly against an unprepared opp...
Do you want to take your opponents away from opening theory and lead them into an endgame that you know how to win? If so, the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation might be your best bet! IM Keaton Kiewra demonstrates the key ideas for both sides in this ...
Do you want a sharp opening that most opponents won't know how to defend against? IM Keaton Kiewra demonstrates how 5.d4!? in the Ruy Lopez is easy for White to learn and hard to handle for Black. Try The Challenges! Not what you're looking for...
The Catalan is one of the most popular openings at the Grandmaster level and can be a fearsome weapon in the hands of club players as well! Follow along as Grandmaster Georg Meier, one of the world's leading Catalan experts demonstrates how to win...
In the late 1860s, the legendary Paul Morphy had almost entirely retired from chess. He was not the same young genius that he once was. But he still managed to introduce an important opening idea which hadn't been seen in chess before. After the...
The Halloween Gambit is surely the spookiest way to start a chess game. If you're a conservative chess player who doesn't like to give away pieces, it may indeed be "2 spooky 👻4 u." Could this early knight sacrifice be a legitimate opening? No, ...
In past articles we've discussed why people play bad openings and how to deal with such dubious lines. Are these openings really that bad for your chess? While the answer might seem quite obvious, the reality is not that simple. Let me giv...
One of the first things everyone learns playing chess is that the queen is the strongest piece on the board. Her power is amazing! She's worth nine pawns; she's majestic, extremely agile and has seemingly unlimited powers. Then, however, comes t...
I am sure that you've encountered the situation where your opponent played an opening move that breaks all known chess rules. What is your second thought when this happens? (I assume that the first thought is usually: "You gotta be kidding me!")...
The Petrov Defense is one of the most hated openings in chess. Probably only the Ruy Lopez Berlin Defense is hated more by chess fans. Both openings are the weapons of choice in many super tournaments where the main goal of many participants playi...
"What a stupid question!" I bet this is the natural reaction of many readers once they see the title of this article. Indeed it is a dream of any chess fan to play like Magnus Carlsen. OK, let me rephrase the original question: Should ...
When I hear the word gambit, the first thing that pops up in my mind is the King's Gambit. Yes, I am well aware that a gambit means a sacrifice to achieve certain benefits like initiative or an outright attack, and there is more to it than just ...
In his famous comedy routine, Richard Pryor tells a story about being caught cheating with another woman by his wife. Since the wife entered the room at the worst possible moment, it was pointless to deny the fact of cheating and yet, he tried his...
Last year, I wrote about the French Defense. I am bringing this up because this new article is all about the French Defense and many of you will learn a lot if you read the old one too. You can find it here. During the Batumi Olympiad in 2018 I ...
The Austrian chess master Heinrich Wolf (1875-1943) is not exactly a household name for most chess players these days. Yet he is father to one of the most profound concepts in modern opening theory. If people have heard of Wolf at all, it is usu...
The end of 1970s and the beginning of 1980s were definitely the peak of Anatoly Karpov's chess career. He was larger than life in the Soviet Union! His wedding with Irina Kuimova (you see, 40 years later I still remember the name of Karpov...
How do you respond to 1.e4? Have you ever tried the Philidor Defense? GM Ben Finegold explores the main lines and sidelines of this lesser-used opening! He will load you up with all the key lines and ideas you need to know, as well as possib...
This is a quick guide to a video series by IM Keaton Kiewra. This series shows ideas that white can use in the Trompowsky Attack. Learn how to play this creative and bold opening without getting bogged down in too much theory. Skip Ahead To The ...
Get ready to learn everything you ever wanted to know about the Grunfeld Defense! IM Valeri "Tiger" Lilov reviews the main lines of this dynamic opening. Not what you were looking for? Back to the video guide. Introduction Get read...
In last year's article about chess insults, I mentioned a funny episode that happened in the game between two chess legends, Tarrasch and Nimzowitsch. The game barely started when GM Tarrasch loudly announced: "Never in my life have I ha...
When selecting your opening repertoire as a beginner, you have to choose lines you like to play. IM Valeri "Tiger" Lilov helps you with this video series to find openings that suit your playing style. Not what you were looking for? Back t...
