Last week, we discussed that in good hands a symmetrical position can be a very dangerous weapon. But judging by my own experience, it is more common that chess players try to use symmetry to achieve a draw playing against stronger opponent or whe...
The English Opening is one of the most popular in chess. Its record and the quality of its proponents compare favorably to any opening. Even the great champion of 1.e4, Bobby Fischer, took up the English Opening in his historic match against ...
Are you tired of tackling the Sicilian Defense as White? There are just so many variations — The Dragon, the Najdorf, the Sveshnikov, the Scheveningen... It's exhausting! There are so many variations and ideas you have to know if you do...
Let us begin with a small challenge. Take a look at the following diagram: It is the starting position, stripped of all pieces except kings. If you managed to examine it without a yawn, eye roll, or grimace, you have passed the test . ...
Last week, we looked at the origins of the exciting Evans Gambit. Today, let's find out how the opening has journeyed through history to modern day. While in keeping with his style, Wilhelm Steinitz's torturous defensive method against t...
There's nothing quite like the joy of cooking up a fresh opening idea and springing it successfully on an unsuspecting opponent. The thrill of a great novelty is part of the mystery and lore of chess. Who can forget the first time they saw the gam...
This new series is all about attacking chess, combinations and fun. And all of them are in puzzle form (some easy, some difficult) so you can see how your tactical IQ stands up to the old, sometimes forgotten greats. And, if you learn a tiny bit a...
Last week, we had some fun discussing dumb things your non-chess friends say about the game. In chess as in life, turnabout is fair play. It's time to laugh at the silly things chess players themselves say -- and there's certainly no shortage of...
There is a popular misconception amongst amateur players that a symmetrical position in chess inevitably leads to a draw. We already discussed here why playing a "copycat chess" can be extremely dangerous for your own position. Yet, there is a g...
The ancient Estonian city of Tartu lies about 2500 miles from Paris, France. In the 19th century Tartu didn't exist as such but rather was known as Dorpat under the umbrella of the Imperial Russian empire. Dorpat lay in Livonia, a part ...
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Every serious chess player dreams of creating his own Mona Lisa — a game so beautiful and memorable that he will look back on it for the rest of his career. Unfortunately, many players tend to equate the word brilliancy with fou...
This week we turn our attention to one of the most swashbuckling of openings: the Evans Gambit. Unlike some other openings whose first use was surrounded by mystery and uncertainty, the origins of the Evans Gambit seem fairly clear. ...
What in the world is a chess dream? And how can such a thing help your game? This series is all about dreams (okay, it’s also about imbalances and patterns), and it’s presented in a question-and-answer format. Some of the positions will be hard t...
GM Serper recently performed an in-depth criticism of the popular chess movie “Searching For Bobby Fischer,” pointing out bad habits you could pick up if the film were your only source of chess education. Serper also mentions that th...
I'd written about Paulsen several times in different places. HERE is my article at Chess.com of which I'll consider this an extension. Why write more on Louis Paulsen? I am fascinated with the 19th century and chess during that era. ...
It is time for the big national scholastic tournaments here in the U.S., and that means that we are going to witness thousands of kids making similar mistakes on and off the chess board. A clear sign of a person getting older is when he starts c...
As beginners, we are taught a litany of strategic precepts that inform our thought process and shape our general understanding. "Occupy the center," "knights before bishops," "the rook's place is behind the passed pawn" — all of thes...
Last week, we discussed the first few options to fight against Black's Caro-Kann. Now let's take a look at some of the most important ways White can respond to this opening. The Advance Variation: The line 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 has...
April Fools! Are you tired of the same old game of fetch? Running low on filthy, chewed-up tennis balls? Wouldn’t it be nice to play something a bit more intellectually challenging with your pets? Thanks to groundbreaking new technolog...
What in the world is a chess dream? And how can such a thing help your game? This series is all about dreams (okay, it’s also about imbalances and patterns), and it’s presented in a question-and-answer format. Some of the positions w...
There are a lot of options for the best place to play chess. Perhaps it’s in a large tournament, or even the world championship match, with millions of dollars on the line, and your opponent just blundered. Maybe it’s ju...
Below is an article published in several periodicals in late 1900. It appeared just shortly after the death of Wilhelm Steinitz and offers some astute appraisals of the chess players who contributed to the development of c...
"We have to play by the !@#$ rules!" -- Amanda Young, Saw II. In last week's article, we discussed a dangerous strategic concept, the saw. So, what should you do if your opponent turns it against you? Well, as Amanda put it, you should ...
