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 ...
This year both the Women’s Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships were announced – thanks to the Association of Chess Professionals and Batumi, Georgia, the city which agreed to host it. This news came as a pleasant surprise for many players, because...
No time to study opening theory? Shock your opponent with an SOS! With an SOS you deviate early (usually before move 6!) from regular lines in mainstream openings. So you will reach positions you have actually studied without having memorized...
In the first part of this article we examined positions where a passed pawn was sacrificed to vacate a square in the center for a Knight. Today we'll analyze games where such a sacrifice clears files for an attack. Needless to say, the best ...
Name: Falko Bindrich / Janosik Title: ...
My vacation from chess.com is over and I cannot wait to share with you the endgame experience that I acquired during the recent US and US Women's Championships. I participated in the Women's Championship and finished tied 5-7 with a 50% score, wha...
I felt like it was time for a bit of an update to the “Traveling Chess Player” series which led to me getting a column here. As I mentioned at the end of the last article, I had settled in Serbia and was doing very well in tournaments ...
Garry Kasparov needs no introduction. The games and career of the former World Champion, who was on top of the chess world for over 20 years, offer a ton of instructional value and they should be studied by every serious chess player. Shankland ...
Regardless of level, every chess player is looking for ways to improve their game. They solve tactical puzzles, research openings, practice endgames, study master games, and much more. But one area of their chess that is often neglected is the psy...
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...
In chess, like in any other sports, psychology plays a critical role. One doesn’t become a world champion having a weak character. However, even the bravest and most self-confident player isn’t guaranteed anything. The higher the stakes, the more ...
One of the most famous quotes of Aron Nimzowitsch is: "A passed pawn is a criminal which should be kept under lock and key. Mild measures, such as police surveillance, are not sufficient." What did the famous Grandmaster mean? We ...
This is a follow-up to my previous article on defending 4 v 3. The rook endgame three versus two on the same flank is the little brother of the one which we have already studied. The difference favours the defender as there is one pawn less that i...
I recently played in the Bosna 2012 tournament, which took place in Sarajevo. This was yet another bleak tournament for me, the ninth in a row. In the sixth and seventh rounds I played two games which had an odd symmetry, which I thought would be ...
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...
The title of "World Champion" is the most coveted award in chess. It is desired by millions, but reached by only the chosen few. Behind each champion there is a story of years of hard work. Some great chess players never became world champions for...
It is a very common situation: the opening is almost over but your opponent's King is still in the center. One more move and the King castling will mark the official end of the opening, but sometimes one move in chess is an eternity and what looks...
I recently (April 27-29, 2012) played in the Maryland Open chess tournament in the Under 2000 section. I played well and won the section with a 5-0 score. This earned me the title of 2012 Maryland Amateur Champion, the 4th time I have won the titl...
(Four versus Three on the Same Flank: Part 2-Defense) In the previous article we saw the dangers that the defender faces in these seemingly easy endgames. If you remember, the main one was that the strong side might create a passed pawn ...
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...
Death-Matches are grueling, all-out battles of wit, speed, skill, and endurance. For the rules governing these matches, check here. This article will maintain a list of all previous Death-Match Winners. Death-Match 1 On January 13, 2012, ...
Chess.com Blitz Death-Matches are grueling, all-out battles of wit, speed, skill, and endurance. To see a list of past winners, check here. To view recordings of past matches, go here. Here are the current rules guiding them: 1) The match ...
An easy approach to the walls must be provided against: indeed they should be surrounded by uneven ground, and the roads leading to the gates should be winding and turn to the left from the gates. – Marcus Vitruvius Pollio A wall is not a natur...
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...
