Here is a game from the 2008 European Club Cup, IM Bogut - GM Grischuk with full annotations and commentary: This game was a great example of how to play for an advantage in what seems like a boring position with no chanc...
In my last article I showed two examples, where a pawn was offered to get the control and use of an open file. The second example was the first game of WC- match 2008. Anand gave a pawn to get the open c-file for his rooks. You remember? : ...
So please look at the following pawnstructure. It is clear, white has the better one! He has a protected passed pawn at d5 and black pawn at c5 is a "weak" one. Would do you think about endgames with that pawnstructure? Right, they are in most o...
here are some tips to improve an be a better sport in chess: Control the center Think of your opponent's move Plan every move. Keep your king side defensive Keep the other side offensive Use most of your pieces... Use the Queen, King. İn the e...
Here is a game from the 2008 SPICE Cup, GM Stefansson - GM Miton with full annotations and commentary: In this game we saw white play a nice balanced game. First he was able to put strong pressure along the black pawn on the ...
Here is a game from the 2008 SPICE Cup, GM Kaidanov - GM Stefansson with full annotations and commentary: In this game we saw white go ahead an exchange for a pawn and the game entered into a technical phase where white had to ex...
Pawn offers are in middle game a strategic weapon, for example to open a file and use it for a rook. Let us look first at an easy example: 1. Black offers a pawn white should better not accept In tha...
I have always been told "you are under-rated", it is true, I lack consitency. On this day I arrived at the a local chess tournament with a CFC-rating of 1248, after defeating a 1600, drawing a 1700 and beating an 1800 I was faced with Mr. Maste...
Have you ever been carried along in the flow of an attack, relentlessly striking at your opponent, but finding that you are missing just one little thing? Maybe you should stop and think about it, and you may find a quiet move in the position. Let...
Another of my 'error-prone' games (both of us made errors), but is still a good example of how to lock-out/put-in-prison/block-out invaders. It is also a good example of why we should not play too many pawn-moves at the cost of development - in ...
In my last article, we saw how young Aljechin let his opponent Euwe suffer with his "bad bishop".Today we see, how older Aljechin used the same "bad bishop"-concept again. But this time he took opponent`s knight also in "prison". As it happened ...
I sometimes see my opponents charging in to attack with just one piece. That usually happens when I make a mistake (yeah, I tend to do those a lot) and leave a door open. It is good for them if they cash in on my mistake and withdraw. They usual...
Reshevsky keeps Nadjorf on the run in this game. After anchoring a kinght on d6, he then creates a queenside passed pawn. Next he stirs up a king-side attack. His poor opponent is left totally helpless. (notes & title by irving chernev) ...
My System, chapter one arms players with the strategems they need to compete in the opening and early middlegame: Lesson 1 covers §1.1- §1.3 which explain how to develop your pieces efficiently. Lesson 2 covers §1.4 and dea...
Botvinnik wins this game purely by the strength of his position. Control of the d-file, especially d5, enables him to penetrate. After going up a pawn, he simply trades down into a rook & pawn ending, which he wins in a breeze. (notes & ...
In my last learning article I showed, how great Capablanca managed to make his opponent`s bishop "bad". Today we see a position, where the bad bishop already exists. Euwe had made an opening mistake and now Aljechin came up with an easy plan: " E...
Capablanca shows just how to make use of a slight advantage. A more active rook, a closer-situated king, it all adds up to the forced win of a pawn. And once he is a pawn ahead, the win is easy for him. (notes & title by irving chernev)
The most of you know, I suppose, what an isolated pawn is. For beginers, I take a definition from jeremysilman.com Glossary of Chess Terms: A pawn with no friendly pawns on either adjacent ...
So in my last bloglesson (Strategy in chess: 5. Pawnoffer in middlegame) I gave an example, how grandmaster Uhlmann gave a pawn for locking out an very active bishop for the rest of the game. And this against great Bobby Fischer!- Today is this ...
Everyone knows to move your king or queen's pawn is a usual start off. Don't pick starting with the queen. It is bad bad bad bad. No commas for a reason. That is what moving your queen pawn up is like. Forgetting commas. I can really screw you up....
A. White. (N-f7+ R takes f7 Q takes g8#)
Normally when we think of a queen sacrfice, a dashing mate in 5 or a fabulous combination to win a rook comes to mind. But what if we sacrfice the queen just for some material and a chance for an advantage? Those are some of the most brilliant que...
Here is a game from the 13é Open Internacional d'escacs "Ciutat de Balaguer", IM Sengupta - GM Burmakin with full annotations and commentary: In this game we saw an interesting psychological battle. White started v...
