This is a quick guide to a video series. This series shows a few different ideas that white can use to play against the Petroff, including the under-investigated Cochrane Gambit. Clearly it would not be a bad idea for a black player of the Petroff...
This is guide to a video series. Intermediate Checkmates is for Beginner and Intermediate players to improve their vocabulary of checkmating positions. Recognizing a few patterns in various altered situations is absolutely required for being able ...
Another of the “balancing acts” that chess players make is between the poles of consistency and flexibility. We all know that human chess players need a plan in order to play a decent game. We cannot calculate every single move the way...
Dear GM Panchanathan, I have psychology problems in the game of chess. My rating usually goes up and down from 1900 to 2050. One of my weaknesses is that I cannot control external feelings (i.e. fear, stress, overconfidence) when playing chess. ...
I think the term “responsibility” in chess was coined by the late GM Alex Wojtkiewicz. Well, this term might be understandable without an explanation and didn’t really need to be “coined”. Nevertheless, it was Alex who I heard use this term to des...
by GM Magesh and GM Arun From: Mustafa Rashid In middlegames and openings I use the imbalance system to logically think through my moves which I find very helpful. I've studied a few books on the endgame but I still don't understand this phase ...
Many chessplayers think they know all the rules, but being a chess arbiter involves more knowledge than people think. Now you have a chance to see if you know enough to referee chess contests in an online test. It doesn't cover everything, for exa...
Success or failure in competitive chess is to a large extent due to one’s ability to balance several polar opposites – bravery versus caution; responsibility versus apathy, and consistency versus flexibility. I will discuss these topics in my last...
After the Canadian Open Championship, there was a week pause, and then the Canadian chess circuit continued with the Quebec Open from July 23-30. In 1967, the Quebec chess federation was created in reason of the conflict between chess players fr...
The opening phase of the game can be particularly influenced by the psychology of the players. Whereas in the middlegame and endgame you are usually simply looking for a good move – or the best move – in the opening you have many choices. Since we...
Dear Mr. Prasad; My friend refers me to this website as he told me I can ask questions to a grandmaster and they will answer in their article (very nice idea!). I had achieved expert strength last year. Then I took a break to study chess (daily s...
The Canadian Open Championship took place in Toronto in the middle of July (9-17). After reading briefly the history of the event, and discovering that my personal hero Bent Larsen won the event twice I started dreaming of adding my name to winner...
Why do we miss some obvious things in chess? Is it just because we are not good enough? Or are there some other reasons – perhaps psychological reasons – why we might miss something that is right in front of our eyes? It seems to me that it is a ...
Hello GM thamizhan; I have questions relating to chess studying and hope you can answer these questions: - After reading IM Soltis's Studying Chess Made Easy I understand that in order for a player to improve in chess they ...
According to researcher Wilse Webb of the University of Florida, “We don’t find that the capacity for things like math or playing chess suffers [due to lack of sleep]. What’s lost is willingness; you would prefer to be asleep. You don’t make error...
From: bolshevikhellraiser I consider myself an upper intermediate player. My rating fluctuates between 1700-2050, and I've gone through GM games usually in the English and the Dragon where they move the bishop in front of the pawn usually on d3...
I know of very few chess players who do not like puzzles. I can't think of a more enjoyable way to pass a few random minutes here or there than in sharpening my tactical sense trying to solve some poser. One problem, though, is that unless I ...
What can possibly be better than a chess tournament in a nice place with excellent beaches and beautiful sun? With easy access, excellent prize fund, and cheap accommodation? This is precisely what the Black-sea resort Albena offered to the 274 p...
Today’s article is about the psychology of the aesthetics of chess. Why does the human chess player’s mind find a move “beautiful”? To a non-chess player, trying to explain the concept of a “beautiful” move &nda...
Hi! :) Hopefully this isn't too vague a question... I am a 2000-2100ish rated player and have been experiencing a horrible slump lately. Despite playing pretty excellently for my first 20-25 moves or so (including a winning pawn up endgame...
This is the fifth – and last – part of my series about my travels in Europe to play chess. The first three came out in April of this year, and covered my original trip to Prague, my questioning my identity as a chess player, and severa...
Originally my “Travelling Chess Player” series was going to be a one-time thing – just three parts, and that’s it. But it seems it was well-received, so the editors of Chess.com have asked me to continue the series. F...
David writes: Hi, I've been playing chess online for 5 months and my rating is almost 1000. I've heard some people say that you should "simplify when ahead." What does that mean? Am I supposed to play very differently when I'm ahead or behind? T...
Chess has plenty of huge egos and there are many infamaous feuds. The latest conflagration is between software giant Chessbase and chess publishing giant New in Chess. Chessbase has always hated it when peope disagree with them, as I often have (a...
