Are you a fan of Titled Tuesday? (What am I asking--of course you are!) Have you ever wished you could compete, but knew you would be totally trounced? Introducing, Untitled Tuesday! It's just like Titled Tuesday, but no titled players allowed. No...
Enjoyed the PRO Chess League, but were bummed that you were unable to compete? Maybe you did compete but just can't wait another year to play again? Please come join us in the Not-So PRO Chess League! It's like the PCL, but... well... not so pro. ...
Bullet chess, though a fun diversion and pastime, is very different then classical chess. Due to its very nature, there is almost no time for thinking and planning--the very cornerstones of normal chess. With time being such an enormous factor, bu...
Though as chess players (and really in all areas of life) we hope to bring our best game to the table every single time, sometimes we can fall drastically short of that dream. Perfection is a goal that most players will never achieve, and yet, at ...
The chess world spent the last month with their eyes fixed on one main event—the World Chess Championship. Emotions ran hot and many were disappointed with the outcome. Some are claiming it was the death of classical chess. Still others wish...
In my time playing chess, I have learned a lot, and my skills have developed in ways I never expected. One area in particular where I have shown some skill is the endgame. Whether you're one of those people who love the endgame or one ...
We've all played that one game before: the game where you attacked too early, didn't develop properly, and then watched in horror as everything guarding your king was swallowed whole, with nothing you could have done about it. Most of the time, th...
No matter what your play style, there is one thing that can always be a game-changer: tactics. When used properly, one or two tactics can be all you need to deliver a crushing blow. The game below was not the easiest game for me. Early on, I ach...
Although we as chess players would love to win every game, sometimes in a competitive tournament setting, we have to settle for a draw. As annoying as they can be, we have to remember to play the board--not just the game board, but the leaderboard...
Often, it can be very easy to focus on the games where we played exceptionally well, but the truth is that not all games are so pretty. In order to truly get a good picture of your own skill, it is important to analyze all your games--even the one...
Many times, chess games are ultimately defined by a single move. Sometimes this takes the form of a brilliant tactic or a beautiful positional move. But other times, the pivotal moment is just a simple mistake. While I always love games where I ...
It seems that almost every chess master, teacher, and coach has at least one piece of advice that never changes: analyze your games. But is this really necessary and worth the time you have to put into it? Well, this is my story: In the early da...
Have you ever played a game where you felt like your mind was exceptionally clear? Did you soundly trounce your opponent, turning his minor inaccuracies into major advantages for yourself? Well that's what happened to me in this game. This week's...
The rules of chess have been well-understood and widely known for many centuries; they have been internationally standardized since the late 19th century. But despite the seemingly settled nature of the game, there is one issue with the rules that...
This week, I decided to pull a game from my archives where I actually ended up losing the game. Although it is often not very fun, it is important to review our losses in order to identify our mistakes and shortcomings, and improve our play as a r...
Thus far, I have spent quite a few posts analyzing my own games. While I still plan to do this, I have decided to begin analyzing games for my readers as well. If you have a game that you would like analyzed, please send it to me, any time! Though...
I am always surprised when I play a game of bullet chess that is actually worth remembering. It seems every game I play is rife with blunders and unsound tactics on both sides, some of which are punished, but many of which go unnoticed. There is a...
This week, I want to share a game that I just finished a few days ago. The game is not very long (compared to other games I have posted), but it is a really fun one, full of tactics and sharp play. Early in the game, I decided I didn't want this ...
Over the past year, as I have grown and developed in my chess-playing skill, I have taken the ChessPersonality test quite a few times. While at first I always got a different result, lately I have been getting the same result consistently, which l...
Sorry everyone that I'm a little late posting this week. I've been pretty busy. Anyway, this week's game is friendly match I played a couple of months ago. I was white and was able to play my favorite opening, which made me very happy. I have pla...
My next game of the week is a recent friendly match I played with a friend. Although I outrank him by a bit, he is a good player, and I always enjoy our games. He makes me think hard, and yes, he does sometimes beat me. Our game seemed drawish t...
My next game of the week is a recent tournament game. It might just be one of the best games I have ever played. Coming to this game, rated 1576, I knew I was in for a long fight when I saw my opponent was rated 2030! I didn't write it off as a l...
This recent game against a lower-rated player was actually very tough! His play was very sound, and we simplified to an endgame where I was up only by a little. But he continued to play very well, and I blundered away my advantage. Despite his pas...
The game below comes from my most recent bullet tournament (for a story about that, visit here.) It's not the most amazing game ever, but considering the nature of bullet chess, I thought it was worth sharing. The game had relatively few blunders ...
A few days ago, I won my first Bullet tournament (here on chess.com of course)! Now, this is not really a huge accomplishment, considering that I play bullet at the <1000 level, but I wanted to share the story and the lesson I learned with you....
As an intermediate-level player, I hope to provide a point of view on chess that is relatable and fun. Please check out my blog intro here!
Once a week, I post an analysis of one of my own games. I personally believe that self-analysis is critical to the development of the chess player. You can read my story (as relates to analysis) in my article, Why Analyze?
In addition to my weekly game analyses, I also occasionally post my thoughts on some chess-related topic, such as resignation or stalemate. If you have a topic you would like me to see me write about, please message me with your idea. I would love to hear from you! 
I also have a standing invitation to all members: send me your games! I analyze my own games all the time, and I would be more than happy to analyze some of yours. Now because of the time involved, I cannot commit to analyzing every single game I receive, but I will definitely look over every game I get, and I will do my best to do a full analysis and post it to my blog.
Sincerely,
Isaac
Intermediate Player 
