The Nimzo Indian Defense is one of the most solid defenses to 1.d4, but the game can take many different directions right out of the opening. Learn how to handle these rich positions for White and Black.
Learn about the romantic and dangerous Evans Gambit from GM Simon Williams. He covers the ideas and theory, along with games from the masters of the past like Captain Evans and Adolph Anderssen, through modern starts like Garry Kasparov and Hikaru Nakamura.
What's the hottest 1.e4 opening among Grandmasters today? It's the Italian Game and IM Yuriy Krykun demonstrates the key ideas to win with White.
Practice essential checkmating patterns with GM Simon Williams! Learn these incredible ideas to shock your opponents and win!
Learn from IM Lawrence Trent as he examines the practical psychology of chess. What brilliant strategies do the best players use, and what mistakes can cause trouble along the way for top Grandmasters and the rest of us?
Join GM Georg Meier as he shows you one of the most important and sharpest openings. The Catalan is a favorite of many top players, including former World Champion Kramnik and you can get insights from a GM who has played it against the world elite.
Learn from GM Aman Hambleton as he teaches you how to dominate in the fastest games. What openings should you play? When should you pre-move? How do you flag your opponent? Learn these tricks and more!
Learn about the moments that changed the history of the game with IM Anna Rudolf, starting with the oldest recorded game and showing some of the greatest rivalries chess history! Learn history and strategy from the legends of the past.
Learn from GM Ben Finegold as he demonstrates the sort of practical and tricky tactics that win and lose games. Watch Ben's wins and losses, as well as tactics from World Champions.
Follow along with GM Dejan Bojkov as he demonstrates the advantages of knights and bishops. Learn how to use any imbalance in your favor and win the fight between minor pieces.
Love online chess and want to play a tournament? That's great! GM Ben Finegold will walk you through the differences between online and tournament play to get your ready for the event.
Join GM Simon Williams as he teaches how to play the exciting King's Indian Defense, using the best games of Hikaru Nakamura as a guide. Learn the attacking ideas that Nakamura used to beat other Super-Grandmasters in amazing style.
Are you looking for a perfect opening to play that doesn't require too much studying and memorization? GM Simon Williams has the line for you! The London System offers good attacking chances with little risk or deep theory. Take a look and get to playing this fun opening right away!
Computers have shaped the game of chess and can play better than any human ever has. Yet, computers aren't perfect and there are still some positions that you can understand better than your engine. Join GM Simon Williams as he shows how you can still trick the silicon beast.
Study some of the most amazing games in chess history with GM Simon Williams. See if you can find some of the most brilliant combinations ever played.
GM Simon Williams shows you how to play a sharp, fun counter-attacking opening. If you want to attack against d4 without having to study too much theory, this is the opening for you!
"Basic Checkmates and ...." presents some of the most common checkmating patterns and a few other basic concepts.
"Introduction to Tactics" introduces the student to the tactical tools of chess (forks, pins, etc.).
"Exclusively Checkmates" provides a series of simple checkmate problems.
"Step Up in Tactics" presents exercises, both checkmates and tactical, which are somewhat more difficult than the material covered so far.
"Endings, Openings, a Taste of the Middle" begins with some endgame basics and proceeds to an in-depth coverage of king and pawn endings. We have also thrown in some opening challenges.
"Intermediate Tactics" presents tactical exercises that are significantly more difficult than those seen up to this point.
"Rook and Other Endgames" covers rook endings with some minor piece and queen endings included.
"Level X: Advanced Tactics" contains tactical problems that will challenge a player rated Elo or USCF 1700 or higher if attempted without using any of the hints.
Challenges by GM's W. Browne, N. de Firmian & Afi Staff This module contains a sampling of challenges produced by various members of Aficionado's staff, shareholders, and endorsers including GM Walter Browne, GM Nick de Firmian, IM John Donaldson, FM Mike Arne, and NM Art Wang.
This module with 100 challenges has something for everyone. FM Craig Mar includes some opening traps, endgames, combinations, and positional challenges. Many of the challenges are at the intermediate level (USCF or Elo ratings between 1300 and 2000) and many are at the expert and master (USCF or Elo rating above 2000) level. Mar chooses positions from many sources including his own games as well as GM's, IM's, and amateurs.
Lessons in Strategy (1) - IM Jeremy Silman This module contains instructive positional challenges. Some are very long, and experts and masters (USCF or Elo ratings above 2000) will not find many of these to be easy. A novice or intermediate level player (USCF or Elo ratings below 2000) will find these challenges quite difficult, but they will learn a bit more with each attempt, all the way until they reach master or higher.
A Kaleidoscope of Openings - Former US Champion John Grefe takes the novice and early intermediate level players on a guided tour of many popular openings.
Silman Teaches Tactics - IM Jeremy Silman The classic challenges in this module contain combinations and tactical material for intermediate and expert level players (USCF or Elo ratings between 1400 and 2000+). Some challenges here are difficult even for masters and above. However, players of all levels can enjoy and learn from these examples.
Lessons in Strategy (2) - IM Jeremy Silman This module continues with strategic positional challenges similar in difficulty to those contained in Silman's Lessons in Chess Strategy (1). Some are very long, and experts and masters (USCF or Elo ratings above 2000) will not find many of these to be easy. The course also provides a look into some of the top players and chess tales of the 1990s.
Pawn Endings from Beginner to Expert - IM Eric Tangborn & FM Thomas Wolski. With the 100 challenges in this module, Tangborn & Wolski cover king and pawn endings thoroughly.
This module is the first in a series that represent Silman's best work ever and which have the earmarks of becoming classics. This first module will cover the period from the first World Championship match in 1834 between La Bourdonnais and MacDonnell up to the Steinitz era in the 1880's.
This module contains rich and thoroughly analyzed lessons. The majority of these lessons focus on complex middlegame positions, the art of transition from the middlegame to the ending, and on endings themselves. This course is aimed at all players from the intermediate level to masters. The lessons feature an average length of 10 moves.
Jeremy continues his historical trek, moving on to the games of the man whose reign as World Champion lasted longer than any other -- an amazing 27 years. Emanuel Lasker was a polymath; in addition to his chess, he was an accomplished mathematician and philosopher who was also a personal friend of Albert Einstein. Lasker believed that chess was a struggle, and was probably the first champion to take a psychological approach to chess.
"Build Your Technique" is aimed at players with USCF or Elo ratings between 1200 and 1600, although some of the later challenges will not be easy for 1800 to 2000 rated players. The 110 challenges include some openings, middlegames, endgames, and a lot of tactics. This course is designed to enhance the overall understanding of chess for an intermediate player and to prepare that player for more advanced courses.
The Roots of Positional Understanding, by IM Jeremy Silman. Are you ever at a loss for what to do when there are no immediate tactics in sight? If so, then you need to learn the basics of positional play. The master seems to optimally place his pieces with effortless ease where they coordinate well and control key lines and squares. This is because he sees the board as a structural entity. (Initial release date of November 20, 1998)
These 24 challenges come from the historic 1996 match and 1997 rematch between World Champion Garry Kasparov and IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer. These challenges are richly annotated with extensive natural language to allow beginners and novices to follow world class chess. Experienced players will want this collector's item for their mentor library.
This module contains 130 challenges that cover all common checkmates and most uncommon checkmates that occur regularly in middlegame positions and sometimes in openings. Nearly all of the positions come from actual games, and the various themes are repeated from simple to more complex examples. This module is suitable for novice players up to intermediate players with Elo or USCF ratings up to 1600, and will enable them to recognize checkmate possibilities in their own games.
This is a course on chess traps and miniatures. They are from actual chess games that have ended in 20 moves or less. In almost every game, errors are swiftly punished, and thus this course may be studied as a source of opening traps and lines to be avoided or take advantage of. This course provides an excellent opportunity to study tactical positions, attacks, combinations, and sacrifices.
There are many occasions when an attack isn't possible and positional chess is the order of the day. This means you try to create various favorable imbalances (space, superior minor pieces, weak squares, fractured enemy pawns, etc.) and milk it for all its worth. This particular course explores the eternal question of piece trades: should you or should you not trade one minor piece for another, your Rook for his, or your all-powerful Queen for his equally imposing female deity?
Every game you play presents many different challenges. You constantly need to make decisions - what to do (to attack, to defend, improve ...), where (K-side, center, a-file etc...), and how (advance, move away, trade, sacrifice etc...). How do you make these decisions?? Let IM Igor Khmelnitsky, famed author of " Chess Exam And Training Guide: Rate Yourself And Learn How To Improve" show you how!
This course is designed to help players improve their opening play in a way that is rarely presented in the books. By going through positions featuring typical ideas it develops and understanding of typical Colle positions. With better PATTERN RECOGNITION players start to get a feel for where their pieces belong in the opening and what they should be trying to do.
This course contains positions that lead to checkmate. All the positions are from real games that ended quickly, less than 20 moves. Most of the games are from opening traps in which an opponent fell victim and quickly got checkmated. Look for the attacking patterns and tactics that lead to checkmate.
IM Anna Rudolf covers basic king and pawn endings that you should know well, along with more complicated endgames by top players that you can emulate. Learn how to activate your king and win with just a few pieces left on the board.
This course is intended to stretch your mind so that you can spot unique solutions to chess situations. In most cases you can't find the right move by "normal" means. The positions are drawn from my book "Awesome Chess Moves" (Cardoza). The book contains much more analysis than can be presented here, but the main goal is to get you to consider moves that may seem outrageous and see how they work.
Follow along with FM Mike Klein as he demonstrates the most famous and educational queen sacrifices of all time. See if you can keep up and find the best ways to sacrifice your own queen.
Join renowned endgame expert GM Alex Yermolinsky as he guides you through some rook endgames by the best players of the present day. Learn how even top players make mistakes in tricky endings, but a few principles will make your decisions a lot easier.
Learn from multiple time US Champion, Super-Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura as he provides an in depth look at his thought process in games against World Champions and other top players.
Learn how to attack in many different types of positions with Grandmaster Dejan Bojkov. Sharpen your attacking skills against the uncastled king, when kings are both castled on the same or opposite sides, how to attack with an open center and even how to attack the queenside when the kings are safe. Follow along and get ready for some amazing attacks in your own games!
Laugh and learn along with IM Konstantin Kavutskiy as he explores some of the strangest and funniest chess games ever played.
Join GM Simon Williams, as he demonstrates the most amazing moves of all time. See if you can find the best ideas of Morphy, Shirov, Ivanchuk and other geniuses.
This course is designed to explore the fork motif in the game of chess. The fork occurs when one of your pieces can attack two or more of the opponent's pieces. It can be executed with any piece other than the King and it is a very powerful strategy which can quickly turn the tables and lead to a decisive position.
Pins and skewers are two ways that the "long-range" pieces (the bishop, the rook, and the queen) can attack two or more pieces simultaneously along the same rank, file, or diagonal. This is another basic tactical tool that is easy to understand and critical to master.
A "double attack" occurs when two pieces make two attacks at the same time. The difference between a fork and a double attack is that a fork is one piece attacking two things at the same time, while a double attack is two pieces making two attacks at the same time. The trick to seeing this possibility in any chess position is to look for any situation where one piece is "covered" by another piece, where if the piece where to become "uncovered", it would create a threat.
These are a specific kind of Double Attack or Discovered Attack. A "Discovered Check" happens when one piece moves away and "uncovers" check against the king by the piece behind it. "Double Check" is the same thing, except that the piece moving away also puts the king into check, so the king is attacked by two pieces at once.
Deflecting or removing the defender is all about getting a defensive piece out of the way. Often you'll have a situation where if you could just get one of your opponent's pieces away from a key square, you could execute a powerful attack.
In a clearance sacrifice the sacrificing player aims to vacate the square the sacrificed piece stood on, either to open up for his own pieces, or to put another, more useful piece on the same square. In this course you will learn how to use this tactical idea successfully so that you will be able to use this idea in your own games.
An in-between move or Zwischenzug is one that is made unexpectedly in the midst of a sequence of moves. But not just any series of moves, one in which the player falling for the Zwischenzug feels the sequence is forced, while his opponent demonstrates to him that it certainly isn't! Most commonly these fall in between trades where a recapture seems to be the only proper means of play.
Interference occurs when the line between an attacked piece and its defender is interrupted by sacrificially interposing a piece. It is a chess tactic which seldom arises, and is therefore often overlooked. Opportunities for interference are rare because the defended object must be more valuable than the sacrificed piece, and the interposition must itself represent a threat. But when this opportunity does arise it can reap huge rewards!
Sometimes in chess the pieces can step on each other's toes and get in the way of one another. This allows for the opportunity of trapping pieces and exploiting the opponent's misplaced pieces. Here you will see many examples of misplaced pieces and how to take immediate advantage.
Often times there is a critical weakness in the opponent's position known as the back rank weakness. This is when the opponent's King is placed on the back rank and there are other pieces in front of the King or covering the squares in front of the King which in turn traps the King on the back rank which can often lead to a decisive mating attack.
This course will bring many examples of the smother tactic in chess and how it can be used to put a quick finish to the enemy's king.
This course advises on handling non-mainstream openings. You'll see simple solutions to countering unexpected replies in the opening. We will look at various White approaches and unusual defenses to 1.e4. I often refer to "the opening guidelines". By this, I mean the four rules which will generally get you through the openings 1. Place a pawn or two in the center 2. Castle! 3. Connect your rooks 4. Aim your rooks When you aren't sure what do do, think about those four goals.
In this course you will learn to think about the opponent's moves and ideas when considering how you should continue. As you are able to recognize your opponent's moves and plans you will be better able to plan ahead for success.
Strategic errors are played at every level of the game. However, in the amateur ranks, strategic mistakes are a dime a dozen. Nevertheless, just because a move might be strategically dubious doesn't mean that it will be punished. This course will help you become more aware of strategic errors, and will help you strive to milk every drop of juicy goodness from your opponent's mistaken concept.
Much has been made of psychology in chess, but rarely have I seen anything about how one player can get inside his opponent's head and make him accept a false image of what's really happening on the chessboard. And, once you buy into your opponent's version of reality, defeat isn't far away. This course is all about making an opponent accept your "orders."
Here I collected 25 examples from the games of chess legend, 11th World Champion Robert Fischer. In each of these examples, you will 'partner' with Fischer's opponent and be given an opportunity to examine Fischer's last move, identify Fischer's objectives, come up with your move-candidates and execute the best move (and often a series of moves).
The fact is, all openings demand a certain amount of memorization. But far more important than the memorization of a bunch of moves is the understanding of what the pawn structures call for, where your pieces should be placed in these situations, and what the plans for both sides offer the respective players. The material in this course is designed to give you a taste of what these "prepackaged" plans look like, and this will help you search for such setups and plans in your own systems.
This course has been created so that players can improve their opening play in a way that is rarely presented in the books. By going through positions featuring typical strategies and tactics the reader can develop an understanding of typical positions arising from the London System.
The Sicilian Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6) was so named partly because of its ferocity and partly because Black's battle formation may resemble a dragon. This course is designed to familiarize players with typical Dragon strategies and develop a feel for where the pieces belong.
This course teaches you to use the power of a capture-check in your calculations. You will learn to examine capture-checks in every complicated situation. No matter how foolish the move may seem at first glance, it may be the key to complicated tactics.
Endings with rooks and pawns are by far the most common endings in chess. You will probably lose or gain as more points in these positions than in all other endings combined. Therefore you need to know the basic positions, and some strategic principles when the play becomes more difficult. I want to have you learn and practice the former, and give you a feel for the latter.
Here I have collected 25 examples from the games of another chess legend - 2nd World Champion Emanuel Lasker who was World Chess Champion for 27 years. Lasker is generally regarded as one of the strongest players ever. It is said that Lasker often deliberately played inferior moves that he knew would make his opponent uncomfortable. They often failed to recognize these critical positions and make the best moves! Can you do better?
The 8th World Champion Mikhail Tal was one of the most brilliant chess players of all time. His games inspired not only the spectators, but his opponents as well. Sharp sacrifices were his trademark, often played by instinct rather than by calculating concrete variations.
In this series we will test your ability to calculate complex variations featuring a variety of tactical themes and checkmates. You'll be asked to find the best moves in games of world-class players such as David Bronstein, Robert Fischer, and Vladimir Kramnik. Are you up to the challenge? Good luck!
I have collected 25 examples from the games of a chess legend - 3rd World Champion Jose Raul Capablanca. While he was the World champion for only 6 years, Capablanca has been always considered an extremely remarkable player. Capablanca lost only 35 serious games (as an adult), and went undefeated in 63 games during 8 year stretch. This is your chance to 'virtually' compete against one of the best chess players ever. Good luck!
This course is designed to help familiarize you with the most commonly reached endgame positions through the Scotch Game Opening: Mieses Variation. We have also taken a detailed look at a number of "critical" Scotch Game positions: From Opening Theory; to Middle game Strategies; to converting into Endgame advantages. We have created a MUST READ lecture if you are an aspiring Scotch Game player, and we have shown how many critical situations should be approached.
Hello, my name is Sam Shankland and I designed this course for players who are already strong and looking to improve their game further. In this course, I will guide you through real scenarios that I found myself in involving tactics, positional play, technique, and many other parts of the chess game. In some of the positions, I played correctly, and in some I did not. Can you do better? Editor's Note: By analyzing his games, Sam went on to become a Grandmaster and the 2018 US Champion!
In this course, I will present to you positions where you have to either correctly handle or maintain the initiative or defend against it. There will also be situations where you have to decide if a speculative sacrifice promises a powerful enough initiative to ensure full compensation.
Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine became the fourth World Chess Champion by defeating Jose Capablanca in 1927. He is remembered for his fierce and imaginative attacking style. The great English master C. H. O'D. Alexander wrote "In playing through an Alekhine game one suddenly meets a move which simply takes one's breath away."
Learn the important Mieses Endgame! Review this course as many times as you need to in order to ensure that you can make that great claim! Good Luck...
In this course, I will present some moments in chess history when one side dropped down a shocking or strong move, and you will have to find their brilliance.
It is generally known that the bishop is stronger than the knight in most cases. Some experts even call such an advantage "a small exchange." Why the bishop is better, and when in the endgame-- this is what we are going to discover in our course. I tried to choose only fresh samples from modern practice when strong players were following their plans in the best possible way.
Pawn play is a vast subject. In this course we're going to cover its most typical - and some atypical - aspects. Some puzzles will focus on tactics, others on strategy. A few of the ideas covered: Strong and weak pawns; the overall pawn structure; understanding how the characteristic pawn formations of various openings determines the middlegame plan; the fight for the center; pawns attacking and defending the King; advanced passed pawns, etc. etc.
In this course we shall see when the knight can overtake the other minor piece- the bishop; when the knight is better than its colleague; and why. I tried again to use mainly fresh samples from modern practice, although some old interesting positions were also taken into account. Enjoy the course.
Pawns play important roles in all phases of the game, but it's in the ending that it becomes obvious they are the stars of the show. If you remember how to handle them you'll enjoy chess more and score more victories. Good Luck, IM John Grefe, 1973 U.S. Champion
Raise the shields! Most players would rather attack than defend - but if you want to take your game to the next level, you must learn the art of defense. Developing solid defensive skills will improve your understanding of chess - and your rating. This course will give you ideas and tricks every tournament player needs to defend against checkmate. Learn to frustrate your attackers and win more games!
In this course, I will try to teach you how to react to a dubious looking move that you have never seen before in the opening. Theory is all fine and good, but you need to be able to punish early mistakes on your own as well!
Knowing when to sacrifice material in order to open up your opponent's king is one of the most important tactics to learn in chess. Proper execution of this maneuver must take in to account all of a defender's pieces (or lack thereof) to determine whether or not the sacrifice will work and is sound, and/or if you have a continuation to follow the try.
This course aims to give you a basic understanding of the most common knight endgames. The positions range from 1000 up to 2400 level in difficulty, so there should be a few appropriate positions for any chess student. More to follow!
This is part 2 of a course about exploiting typical opening errors or inaccuracies, aimed for stronger players than the first one. A variety of openings, themes, both tactical and positional, are presented. You will deepen your understanding of opening strategy and the balance between black and white's ideas, and particularly improve your ability to deal with unusual moves, off-beat lines, moves played out of order, and opening errors.
Join GM Ben Finegold as he shows how he defeats the anti-Sicilians in his own games. If you are trying to win big American open tournaments like Ben does you can't afford to give up too many draws, even with the Black pieces. Follow along and see how Ben creates sharp positions and attacks each sideline that White might throw at you.
Being sensitive to weak color complexes provides extremely important insight into positional and tactical chess play. It often shapes the entire middlegame struggle, and informs the decisions made as early as the opening phase of the game.
This course shows the most important methods of battle in endgame positions where both players have knights. It features some extremely important exact positions, as well as the typical strategical ideas behind some complex endgames that will help the student better understand the ideas behind knight endgames. The positions cover a range of material from 1000 level all the way up to expert (2000). Enjoy!
The Benoni is one of the sharpest defenses to 1.d4. Here we will see some of the typical tactics and strategic themes that result from this opening. This course is for players from 1400 to 2200.
Everyone wants to be a winner in chess. But don't forget that part of winning is...not losing! Every chess player, from the earliest beginner to the world champions, sometimes has a game that gets derailed and needs to be saved. There is beauty in saving a difficult ending, in holding on with subtle and dour defense. This first part will deal with more basic endgames - part 2 will deal with more complicated defenses. So now let's sit back and learn how to keep the game in the DRAWING ZONE!
This is the third part of my "Exploiting Opening Errors" Course. It is geared only for strong players who have already completed the first 2 easier courses-- You'll find no trivial problems here! And with that, I bid you good luck!
In "The Drawing Zone, Part 1" we saw some examples of how to hold a draw in an inferior position. Saving a draw in the endgame may not be the most sexy part of chess, but it is still a very important element of chess ability. Now let's see some more difficult problems on the same theme.
In this course we will look at pawn storms when both kings are castled on the same side. This will serve as a great attacking tool but as we will see, it is risky if you do it at the wrong time. This course has problems with a huge range of difficulty, from 800 all the way up to 2200, so it will be a good exercise for players of all levels.
Join GM Simon Williams as he walks you through how to make a spectacular combination with a bishop sacrifice on h6 or h3. Besides this great attacking idea, you'll also learn how to play strong attacking games with an isolated queen's pawn in any opening and how to attack with a pawn on e5, particularly in French Defense structures.
Join Grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn as he introduces several essential pawn structures from both e4 and d4 openings and shows how to use them to attack. Openings as diverse as the Sicilian and King's Indian Defense all feature pawn structures that can help you play brilliant mating attacks. Follow along and good luck!
Join GM Dejan Bojkov on a tour of some of young Garry Kasparov's greatest attacking games. Kasparov defeats experienced Grandmasters Palatnik and Andersson as well as IM Pribyl. Learn how to attack like Kasparov, one of the greatest attackers of all time!
Mikhail Tal was the eighth world champion (1960). He shined like a meteor all his life and was known for his brilliant attacking chess. His play could be described by all the colours of the rainbow. All of them, but the grey one! Enjoy his sparkling combinations!
Join GM Simon Williams as he demonstrates some classic and modern king hunts. Practice activating your pieces and calculating king hunts. Be ready to stop your video and calculate your way through the puzzles. Good luck!
Join Grandmaster Mac Molner as he demonstrates how to fight for the initiative and carry out amazing attacks. Grandmasters no less than Shirov, MVL and Van-Wely are the three players who lost these games. Learn how to attack with the initiative against the best players in the world!
Join IM Keaton Kiewra as he demonstrates some of the great attacks of today's top players. Witness fantastic games played by players such as World Champion Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Levon Aronian, Pentala Harikrishna, Leinier Domínguez and more!
Join GM Simon Williams on a tour of spectacular attacking games. He focuses on games where the winner gains an initiative through fast development and forcing moves. Follow along and enjoy the amazing tactical fireworks!
Join FM Alisa Melekhina as she demonstrates some of the best sacrifices of World Champion Mikhail Tal. She breaks Tal's attacks into queen sacrifices, miniatures and positional sacrifices. Enjoy these dazzling tactics and learn from one of the best attacking players in history!
White's space advantage and mobile pawns in the Sicilian often lead to devastating kingside attacks!
Join GM Ben Finegold as he discusses one of his favorite openings, the active Chigorin Defense. If you're tired of getting passive positions in the Queen's Gambit or Slav, then this is the line for you!
Join GM Simon Williams on a tour of the most romantic opening in chess, the King's Gambit. Learn critical lines including some of Simon's own novelties. Enjoy the course and good luck with your attacking play!
Join GM Simon Williams as he demonstrates one of his favorite openings, the rare and deadly Classical Dutch. Simon teaches by demonstrating his own games against top Grandmasters Follow along and learn how Simon scored upsets against the world's best.
Join GM Simon Williams on his overview of the dangerous Max Lange Attack. It's a great way to sharpen your play and find sparkling tactics in the Open games. Buckle up and get ready for a wild ride with this romantic opening!
Join GM Dejan Bojkov as he analyzes two games by one of the somewhat forgotten masters of the past. Grandmaster Isaak Boleslavsky nearly qualified for a world title match in 1950, so he knew how to play and specialized in classic openings like the Ruy Lopez. See how Boleslavsky finds the right squares for his pieces and picks apart Black's weaknesses in these fun and instructive games.
The third world champion was famous for his incredible technique. The endgame was the area where his natural talent discovered its full potential and Capablanca produced a number of model endgames. I would like to share some of them with you!
GM Simon Williams has played the French Defense throughout his whole career and it has served him well, even against strong opposition. Now Simon presents an in depth course on how to handle every line of the French. It's a great system, allowing you to play for a win against all levels of opposition.
Join GM Simon Williams as he demonstrates a full system against 1.e4. Simon meets the Open Sicilian with the rare and double edged Dragandorf variation. He also demonstrates sharp attacking lines against every anti-Sicilian that White can throw at you!
Join 2018 US Champion Sam Shankland as he demonstrates one of his favorite openings, the Caro-Kann Defense. Shankland relied heavily on the Caro as he rose through the ranks and attained the Grandmaster title. Follow his in depth analysis and learn an opening you can play for your whole career.
Are you looking for more spice in your life? If you want to play fun, attacking positions with the White pieces, GM Simon Williams has just the recipe for you! Simon provides an exciting gambit against each of Black's popular responses, with many of the opening names being almost as fun and entertaining as playing the actual gambit openings. Enjoy!
Are you looking for a strategically rich, rock-solid defense against the Queen's Gambit that has been endorsed by almost all of the World Champions? Join GM Gregory Kaidanov for an in depth look at an opening that has been debated since the days of Steinitz and is still topical at the highest level today - the Queen's Gambit Declined. GM Kaidanov blends classical and modern ideas for both sides in all of the key lines and will prepare you to play with confidence against any level of competition.
The tactical heritage of Mikhail Tal is enormous and I hope that a third course on his brilliant ideas will please the reader...and bring the reader to the next level of tactical mastery!
Join IM Keaton Kiewra as he demonstrates one of his favorite openings, the Trompowsky Attack! Get the game onto your territory as early as move two and learn how to fight against every option that Black can throw at you in this thorough course.
Join GM Simon Williams for another spicy gambit! This time Simon takes the quiet Four Knights opening and spices it up with a gambit, featuring a lot of his original analysis. Take the game out of theory and into a whirlwind attack as quickly as possible.
Join GM Simon Williams on a tour of one of his favorite openings, the English Defense. The English Defense can lead to sharp play right from the opening and Black can fight for the initiative from move one! Learn the secrets that have served GM Williams and the even the great Tony Miles in many games, even against World Champions.
The English Attack is one of the most popular ways to take on the Najdorf and many other Sicilian variations. White castled queenside and launches pawns at the White king, but that's not the only strategy you need to know. Join WGM Tatev Abrahamyan as she demonstrates one of her favorite lines with her games and those of top Grandmasters.
Join GM Roman Dzindzichashvili as he demonstrates his favorite line to get an advantage against the Pirc Defense. Roman's favored this line for years, but has rebooted it with updated analysis to beat the latest tries for Black. This series is a must for anyone who plays either side of the Pirc and also good for any chess player interested in high level positional ideas.
Join GM Mackenzie Molner as he demonstrates one his favorite openings, the Pirc Defense. GM Molner has played the Pirc with success against countless opponents, including strong Grandmasters. It's also an opening that many chess stars like World Champion Kramnik play in must-win situations. Follow along and learn this fascinating opening.
They say that chess is 99% tactics - ultimately, tactics are the difference between a win, loss, or draw. In this course we will be delving further into the realm of tactics and seeing some master-level patterns.
Join GM Ben Finegold on an instructive tour of the Philidor Defense. If you want to play with a pawn on e5, but don't want to work through hours of Ruy Lopez theory, this could be the line for you!
Join IM Keaton Kiewra on a tour of his favorite opening, the Dragon Sicilian. The Dragon has long been a favorite of attacking stars, including Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. You'll see their games and more in this detailed examination of an exciting opening.
The Scotch is an opening full of traps on both sides of the board, and if you play it you need to know how to spot them. Join Grandmaster Alex Delchev on a tour of each line of the Scotch and be ready to try it out in your own games!
In this course we will be examining some of the most advanced strategies which chess masters use in their games. There will be a particular emphasis on pawn strategy.
If you are looking for an active answer against 1.d4 (and almost everything except 1. e4) - you should watch the course that explains the most important ideas of the Tarrasch Defense. IM Mat Bobula is an expert on the opening and demonstrates one of the most dynamic ways to meet the Queen's Gambit in a 10 part series.
Join GM Jon Ludvig Hammer as he demonstrates key pawn structure concepts with isolated pawns and doubled pawns. Hammer has beaten World Champion Carlsen and can show you the key concepts that have helped him along the way.
Join GM Dejan Bojkov as he discusses the strategies of playing with and against strong center pawns. He demonstrates the games of strong Grandmasters like Vladimir Kramnik, Giorgi Margvelashvili and Pouya Idani as they take over the center and attack. Follow along and learn from the best!
Learn how Grandmasters prevent their opponent from getting pieces to good squares before going in for the checkmate. GM Melik demonstrates multiple top level games in the Ruy Lopez, which provide a good understanding of how to play that opening, as well as two of his own games, which he needed to win to contend for top prizes in tournaments.
The Najdorf is a sharp and complicated opening full of attacking potential for both sides. This is a great opening if you enjoy imbalances, opposite-side castling, and if you need to play for a win as Black.
Are you tired of deep theory in many main lines? Join NM Sam Copeland as he demonstrates the exciting and practical Alekhine's Defense, an opening that he has played successfully for years!
The Carlsbad pawn structure can be reached from many openings, most frequently the Queen's Gambit Declined and related systems. It has been played from both sides by many world champions and is even a favorite of the super chess engine AlphaZero! Join GM Melik as he demonstrates some of the lesser-known, but essential plans for both sides in this dynamic structure.
The Sicilian Sveshnikov is a sharp variation in which Black accepts a backward pawn in return for active pieces and complicated play.
The Carlsbad Pawn Structure is one of the most important structures in all of chess. You can reach it out of the Queen's Gambit, the Caro-Kann or a variety of other openings. White can aim for a minority attack or kingside play. Black can attack or focus on equality. Learn a structure that was a favorite of many world champions.
Follow along with WGM Tatev Abrahamyan as she explains some of the best practices that top players follow. She covers why you need to anticipate your opponent's plans, why you should take your time, why you shouldn't underestimate your opponents and much more.
The King's Indian Defense is possibly Black's best way to play for a win against 1.d4. White gets a space advantage, but Black frequently gets a powerful kingside attack in a blocked position.
In the Berlin Defense White can force a complicated endgame or head for open play. It's considered one of Black's most solid defenses against the Ruy Lopez.
In this course we will be learning how to attack and defend like a master.
The Semi-Slav is one of Black's best counter-attacking options against 1.d4. Some lines are solid and others are among the most complicated in all of chess.
Latvian chess players have been some of the best attackers for generations! GM Arturs Neiksans shows you the best moments of Mikhail Tal, Alexei Shirov, Alexander Shabalov, and Alvin Vitolinsh.
Everyone makes mistakes, but one of the best methods of chess improvement is to learn from your errors. John GM Illingworth in his new video series on why we make mistakes, how to learn from them and how to avoid them going forward.
Learn how to play the Ruy Lopez Marshall Attack for both White and Black. The Marshall gives Black great attacking chances at the cost of a pawn, leading to exciting play.
Join GM Daniel Naroditsky, one of the top online chess players, as he shows how to win fast games. People will think you're lucky when it's really all planned out.
The Sicilian Dragon is a fire-breathing opening! If you're looking for a complicated and fighting line to play against 1.e4, this might be the line for you. If you play 1.e4 and want to know how to handle the Dragon, you'll also want to take a look.
Join Grandmaster Jon Ludvig Hammer as he demonstrates key strategies that can win games at all levels. Not only does Jon Ludvig demonstrate his own games against the strongest players in the world he also shows a variation that he helped Magnus Carlsen prepare to win a brilliant game against former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik!
In this course we will be learning about some of the most complicated and difficult techniques, practical ideas, and fundamental winning methods in the endgame - those which you will ultimately need to achieve mastery.
Join IM Levy Rozman as he demonstrates how to keep your opponent's king in the center and how to get at it once it's stuck there. IM Rozman shows many of his own games, including against strong Grandmasters.
The Alapin Variation of the Sicilian Defense is a logical attempt for White to avoid the complexities of the Open Sicilian. White aims to control the center, but risks falling behind in development. Learn the key ideas in this important variation for both sides.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave or MVL is one of the best chess players in the world and known for his astounding attacking play. Enjoy this collection of some of MVL's best and most educational games. See if you can keep up with his brilliant attacking play against strong opponents including Fabiano Caruana.
How do Grandmasters avoid losing, even when they get into trouble? Join GM Dejan Bojkov, as he demonstrates his five key strategies for defending bad positions: Recognizing key priorities, fortresses, stalemates, perpetual checks and "the sticking defense."
We've all seen the sac, sac, mate pattern a thousand times. Here, you'll see that sometimes the right path is not to capture a piece, but to put one of yours "en prise" - leaving it hanging out to dry. You'll need to see many examples before looking for this idea in your own games.
2...e6 is a flexible move that can lead to the Sicilian Taimanov, the Sicilian Kan, the Pin Variation and even the Sicilian Four Knights. Watch this video to learn how to play either side of this flexible Sicilian setup.
What should you do when all seems lost? NM Jeremy Kane demonstrates his favorite techniques to hold on, even in the most hopeless looking positions. Figure out when you need to complicate the game, simplify to a draw or just keep persisting.
Are you excited about Puzzle Rush? Thousands of chess players are hooked on this incredibly fun and fast-paced tactical training on Chess.com. GM Simon Williams, a tactical whiz himself, shows some of the common themes in Puzzle Rush challenges. Join us and pump up your Puzzle Rush score!
Bishops of opposite colors have always been considered rather peaceful opponents. The drawing tendencies in these endgames are very high but if the conditions are right (there are good passed pawns, one of the bishops is much stronger than the other, or one of the sides has a more active king) we can successfully play for a win.
Join endgame specialist, GM Alex Yermolinsky as he demonstrates three of the best endgames played by World Champion Mikhail Tal. Tal was known as a brilliant attacker, but was equally adept at converting small advantages in the endgame and played them with his typical attacking style. Enjoy!
Join GM Simon Williams as he demonstrates that amazing tactics can occur at any point in the game, including quiet-looking endgames. Follow along and learn how to win endgames with zugzwang, breakthroughs and unexpected mates!
What do the best players in the world do when they're backed up against the wall? GM Dejan Bojkov examines how top Grandmaster get out of trouble when they're about to be checkmated or are down in material.
Tatev Abrahamyan analyzes five studies by the great composer Alois Wotawa. Find out Tatev's best puzzle solving strategies that can help with puzzles and real games.
Opposite colored bishop endings have a reputation of being dull and drawish, but GM Ben Finegold is ready to show us how to discover fighting chances and use this imbalance to win! Ben shares one of his own endgame squeezes against a fellow GM and two of the most famous endings ever by GM Shirov and World Champion Botvinnik.
Each chess piece has a specialty. Learn as GM Dejan Bojkov demonstrates the strongest tactical use of every piece!
Allow me the pleasure to introduce my favorite player in this mentor course. Bent Larsen (1935 - 2010) was one of the best players of the twentieth century and enriched the chess treasury with his many wonderful games. Enjoy the original and beautiful ideas of one of the greatest fighters ever!
Join GM Ivan Sokolov as he demonstrates the key ideas in the endgame of rook and knight against rook. Even great players like Judit Polgar have misplayed this type of endgame, but you can learn the key ideas, which positions are winning and how to win them in this three part course.
Life is easier when your pawns are working for you! Join GM Aman Hambleton as he demonstrates structures that can give you an edge!
What should you do when you're losing a chess game? If it's not time to resign, it's time to swindle your opponent! WGM Qiyu Zhou demonstrates the tricks you need to survive lost positions!
This course is designed for more advanced players. The positions I've assembled in this course should help strong players learn to identify the critical moments in their own games, and develop a "healthy sense of danger" when facing those moments. It will be a mix of different types of problems, but whether each puzzle is strategic or dynamic in nature, most of the examples will highlight the missed opportunities, often by me.
Richard Reti was one of the strongest chess players of the early 1900s and one of the first great chess study composers! Try a few of his best studies, from the basic to the extremely complex!
Alexey Troitsky was one of the founders of chess study composition. He wrote many amazing studies and also left his mark on several practical endgames. His studies frequently included themes of dominated bishops and moments when it's OK to allow promotion. Get ready for a challenge and some of the most beautiful studies ever composed!
Follow FM Mike Klein as he demonstrates personal stories of how to make a comeback from a difficult or losing position. You won't always be able to turn a game around, but you can give your opponent difficult choices and most players won't be able to convert the advantage. Stick around for the final video on how Magnus Carlsen attempts a comeback!
Grandmaster Romain Edouard is a world-class chess instructor and the author of The Chess Manual Of Avoidable Mistakes. In this course, Romain will discuss the most common mistakes in chess and how to avoid them in your own play!
Want to see how a Grandmaster and famous chess coach like Melik Khachiyan approaches his own tournament games? Join Melik as he demonstrates his thought process on his way to winning an open tournament. Melik demonstrates the importance of in-between-moves and other surprising tactics that can make the difference between winning and losing key games.
Learn the best way to use your a, b, c and d-pawns to help you win the game! GM Simon Williams will help you make the most of your queenside!
Henri Rinck was a French study composer in the first half of the 1900s. He specialized in endgame studies and contributed many creative ideas. See if you can solve some of his most creative compositions!
Pal Benko was both a world-class grandmaster and an amazing composer of chess studies. See if you can solve some of the most interesting chess studies by a chess legend.
How can you tell when to accept doubled pawns? GM Fabien Libiszewski demonstrates the pros and cons in sharp Caro-Kann and Nimzo Indian variations.
Join Jon Ludvig Hammer as he competes with strong Grandmasters including former World Champion Vishy Anand. Each game is influenced by Jon Ludvig's handling of bishops. Watch his masterful use of the bishop pair, fights between bishops and knights and opposite colored bishops. Enjoy and keep a close eye on Hammer's bishops!
You can checkmate with a queen and with a rook, but do you know the more advanced checkmates? Learn to checkmate with two bishops and with a knight and bishop.
Do you ever find yourself confused in closed positions? GM Jon Ludvig Hammer knows just what to do. Check out how he doesn't let the closed nature of positions stop him from winning games.
Join GM Victor Mikhalevski as he demonstrates long term positional sacrifices in some of his best games. Watch how he targets the opponent's king with sacrifices. Even when they don't lead to a quick mate, the attack can tie up the opponent and there's no escape from the positional squeeze!
Oleg Pervakov is maybe the greatest living chess study composer! He is the three-time world composition champion! Check out his best studies!
No one in the world can win endgames like Magnus Carlsen. GM Dejan Bojkov gives a close work at the skills that make Magnus unique!
What endgames do you need to know? The 12th Women's World Champion, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk is here to teach the essentials.
Genrikh Kasparyan was one of the greatest endgame composers of all time. See if you can work your way through some of his most beautiful studies.
Learn a surprise opening vs. the solid Slav defense. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.f3!? This course is loaded with opening traps, strategy and innovative play!
What do strong players think about during a chess game? Join IM Keaton Kiewra as he discusses his thought process in games against top players. Watch how top players learn from their own mistakes, patiently build up good positions and trust themselves, even in dangerous positions.
Get ready to stretch your chess thinking with tricky and deep puzzles from GM Surya Ganguly.
You don't always need to win material to win the game. GM Romain Edouard will teach you how to dominate your opponent's pieces and paralyze them while they're still on the board.
Pogchamps 1 and 2 have been huge tournaments with some of the top streamers in the world. See if you can find the tactics that decided many of their games!
GM Gata Kamsky has won five US Championships and defeated several world champions. He demonstrates some of his best-ever endgames in his Chess.com debut!
Looking for a way to fight for an edge against solid 1.e4 e5 players? Why not try the Ruy Lopez with 5.d4 and learn about it from one of the world's leading experts. IM Keaton Kiewra will show you the ins and outs of one his favorite openings!
Join GM Mikhalevski as he demonstrates how to develop an initiative and carry it through to victory! He demonstrates three of his own games against strong opposition, where he takes the initiative with right out of the opening and never lets his opponent escape.
Leonid Kubbel was a Russian composer of endgame studies. See if you can solve some of his trickiest and most beautiful problems.
Join WGM Tatev Abrahamyan as she demonstrates how to master tricky material imbalances and win games from hard to evaluate positions.
Want to learn an opening that doesn't require too much theory and was a favorite of Bobby Fischer? IM Keaton Kiewra teaches you what you need to know to play either side of the fascinating Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation!
They don't make chess players like they used to! Join GM Simon Williams as he demonstrates some of his favorite romantic attacking games from the 1800s. This course features brilliant and risky play, including games by Paul Morphy and Wilhelm Steinitz.
GM Dejan Bojkov explains how to use zugzwang to win games and tie your opponents in knots!
Eight-time Dutch Champion, Loek van Wely teaches us the practical side of endgames at the grandmaster level!
Join GM Ben Finegold as he demonstrates how to play with unbalanced material. He shows two of his own games against young American masters and demonstrates how minor pieces can attack effectively, even when the opposing side has an extra rook!
The Chess.com Curriculum Director, Jeremy Kane, put together his list of the ten most beautiful chess moves ever played. See if you can spot them and let us know what other moves should have made the list.
Don't want to jump into an open game with immediate tactics in the Sicilian? Try the Closed Sicilian, where White can delay a tactical skirmish and start a powerful kingside attack, but Black is not without good counter chances.
Chess has been a staple of movies for generations. Check out some of the greatest chess movie moments from James Bond to Harry Potter!
Try to figure out the moves in some of the best games of World Champion Magnus Carlsen! Can you work out the combinations like he does? Enjoy the puzzles and good luck!
How do you decide what moves to play? IM Kostya Kavutskiy demonstrates several key techniques in evaluating candidate moves.
Learn about some of the less popular, but nevertheless, interesting variations in the Ruy Lopez. These include the romantic Schlieman Variation, the positional Exchange Variation and the exciting Open Variation.
WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili wraps up her course on every sacrifice you'll ever need!
Fabiano Caruana held Magnus Carlsen even for a 12 game World Championship match. He started the 2014 Sinquefield with a perfect 7-0 score en-route to possibly the strongest tournament performance of all time. As he works his way back to a title rematch, check out some of Fabiano's best games. Try to play the moves that brought him many tournament victories and nearly the world title.
Sacrifices are flashy, but having material wins more games. IM Kostya Kavutskiy demonstrates when it's appropriate to capture material and how to convert it into victory.
Grandmaster Aman Hambleton has played both sides of the London System for years. He knows that many players try the London to reach an easy to play, quiet position, but there are tricks for both sides that can win quickly against an unprepared opponent.
The Queen's Gambit Declined is an extremely solid opening for Black and it's no coincidence that it's been played by nearly every World Champion. Learn the plans and tactics for both sides.
Now complete with 30 essential pawn structures! GM Johan Hellsten, author of the award-winning book "Mastering Chess Strategy," breaks down more essential pawn structures.
Play through some of the best games of Super-Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. Try to spot his brilliant combinations against world class opponents including World Champion Anand and World Champion Challenger Boris Gelfand. See if you can spot the combinations that have made Hikaru one of the most exciting Grandmasters on the planet.
WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni explains even more tactics you need to know!
Former World Champion Vishy Anand is one of the strongest chess players in history and still going strong. Follow along for five of Vishy's greatest games, including wins against his fellow champions, Kasparov, Kramnik and Carlsen.
GM Surya Ganguly demonstrates the greatest chess moves every played with every piece!
Frequently in the Queen's Gambit Black aims for an early c5 to contest the white pawn center. However, two solid systems, the Cambridge Springs Defense and the Orthodox Defense feature a black pawn triangle on c6, d5 and e6. The Cambridge Springs features many traps and the Orthodox is extremely solid. This course explains the key ideas and tactics in both key variations.
When can a group of pawns overpower the opposing pieces? NM Elijah Logozar shows you how to evaluate a sacrifice and overwhelm your opponents.
There's nothing more terrifying in chess than being on the receiving end of a dangerous sacrifice. See if you can defeat these daring, but flawed sacrifices.
Bobby Fischer took on the whole Soviet Chess establishment, nearly by himself and became World Champion! He was an eccentric and brilliant player and may well have been the strongest champion of all time! See if you can find the moves in some of his best games.
Do you really know how much each piece is worth? GM Larry Kaufman demonstrates some common misconceptions and shows how valuable each piece really is.
Many people think that Garry Kasparov is the greatest chess player of all time! He was World Champion from 1985 - 2000 and retired from chess in 2005, still as the highest rated player in the world. Kasparov is renowned for great attacking play with both colors. See if you can figure out his decisions and learn from some of the greatest attacks anyone has ever played.
How can you win when your opponent has a weakness? NM Robert Ramirez offers his debut course on how to defeat isolated, doubled, backward pawns, and more!
In 2016, GM Jan Gustafsson sat down to discuss calculation with the legendary trainer, Mark Dvoretsky. Learn from their in-depth conversation.
The Exchange Variation is a popular way for White to meet the Queen's Gambit Declined. White fixes the pawn structure at an early stage and often prepares the minority attack. This course also examines the active Tarrasch Defense and the solid Semi-Tarrasch.
Mikhail Tal was a World Champion, but is more well known as the greatest attacking wizard that the chess world has ever seen. Tal took the chess world by storm and played amazing attacking games in a style the world had never seen. See if you can keep up with this chess magician in five of his best games.
How does IM Tuan Minh Le compete in blitz with the top players in the world? He uses the rare and sharp Nimzowitsch Variation of the Sicilian! In this course Minh Le, along with NM Sam Copeland explains his favorite variation and all of its complications.
There's no more creative superstar today than Russian GM Daniil Dubov. GM Romain Edouard brings you four of Dubov's most amazing opening ideas!
Judit Polgar is the strongest female chess player of all time. She was the first woman to contend for the overall World Championship and broke the record for youngest Grandmaster in history, held by Bobby Fischer. Polgar is known for her amazing attacking play. See if you can find her moves in five of her greatest games.
GM Liem Le offers his insights for successful play at faster time controls, based on his personal experience and practice.
After 15 years as World Champion, Garry Kasparov lost a shocker of a match to Vladimir Kramnik! Besides defeating one of the greatest of all time, Kramnik was a worthy World Champion in his own right. His openings like the Berlin Defense and the Catalan have revolutionized chess in the 21st century. Follow along and try to figure out the moves of five of Kramnik's greatest games.
Artur Yusupov is back! The former World Number 3, famous coach, and pupil of Mark Dvoretsky, shares one of his secret weapons: prophylaxis.
Jose Raul Capablanca was the third World Champion and held the title from 1921 - 1927. He was known for his speed of play and amazing endgame skill. Despite that reputation, Capablanca was also a strong attacker. Follow along and find the moves Capablanca played in five of his best games!
Paul Morphy played in the mid 1800s, before there was an official World Championship. However, Morphy was so far ahead of his competition that many people consider him a World Champion in all but name. He played with an aggressive style and was able to attack and achieve active positions better than any of his contemporaries. See if you can find Morphy's moves in five of his greatest games.
Are you looking for an easy opening to play that will allow you to attack right away? GM Dejan Bojkov brings you an introduction to one of his favorite openings, the King's Indian Attack.
Can you play like the new world champion?
Are you looking for a way to fight against 1.e4? GM Fabien Libiszewski brings you a course on his favorite weapon, the Kalashnikov Sicilian. Surprise your opponents and start an attack right out of the opening!
How does a top player like Veselin Topalov prepare his openings? He gets GM Romain Edouard to help out! Check out the top opening ideas from team Topalov and Romain's own work.
Anatoly Karpov was FIDE World Champion from 1975 to 1985. Even after losing the title he was the main rival with World Champion, Garry Kasparov, for another decade in the greatest chess rivalry of all time. At his best Karpov was known for squeezing wins out of tiny advantages, but he could also play brilliant attacking games. Follow along and figure out the moves in five of his best masterpieces.
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan knows how to checkmate a king! In this course, she demonstrates how to catch an opposing king in every stage of the game.
Levon Aronian has been one of the top Grandmasters in the World in the 21st century. He's the only player to have won two FIDE World Cups, in 2005 and 2017. He's been World Champion in blitz, rapid and Chess960. His peak rating of 2830 in 2014 is the 4th highest ever achieved. In this course you can play along with five of Aronian's greatest games, including wins against World Champions Carlsen and Anand.
How does a star player like Shakhriyar Mamedyarov prepare openings to win quickly? He surprises his opponent with sharp complications right away!
World Champion Magnus Carlsen teaches you how to attack! By going through some of his best games, Magnus shows his method of quietly closing in on the opponent's king, even without giving up material.
Boris Spassky was the 10th World Champion, and one of the few players in history to successfully qualify for a title match more than once. Spassky played two title matches with Tigran Petrosian, winning the 2nd in 1969. He held the title until he lost a dramatic match to Bobby Fischer in 1972. Follow along find the moves in five of Spassky's greatest games.
Do you want to crush your opponents early in the game? GM Ben Finegold will teach you the ideas behind every opening trap you'll want to know on both sides of the board.
Tigran Petrosian was the World Champion from 1963 - 1969. He won matches against fellow champions, Mikhail Botvinnik and Boris Spassky before finally losing a rematch to Spassky. His solidity and mastery of prophylaxis earned him the nickname Iron Tigran. Despite his reputation, Petrosian also played brilliant attacking games and was known for frequently sacrificing material. Try to find the moves and learn from five of the great champion's best games.
Vasily Smyslov was the World Chess Champion in 1957 - 1958. He played three epic matches with Mikhail Botvinnik, finishing with one win, one draw and one loss. Even after his time as champion, Smyslov remained one of the best players in the world, nearly qualifying for another title match at the age of 62. Try to figure out the moves in five of Smyslov's greatest games.
The Bongcloud is maybe the most infamous opening in chess, but GM Jon Ludvig Hammer is here to show you when an early king advance makes sense.
Mikhail Botvinnik won the World Championship multiple times and was one of the best players in the world for much of the 20th century. Botvinnik understood the game more deeply than his contemporaries and eventually even taught the young Garry Kasparov. Try to figure out the moves to five of his greatest games.
How does a contender prepare for a world championship match? GM Romain Edouard, who has worked with Veselin Topalov, shows you opening prep at the highest level.
Join GM Simon Williams as he demonstrates how perseverance and opportunistic play pays off for amateurs against strong Grandmasters. If you want to beat Grandmasters someday, this is a must watch!
Grandmaster Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is one of the strongest and most creative players today. Watch as he demonstrates how to find surprising and double-edged pawn advances in the opening!
Join WGM Tatev Abrahamyan as she examines amazing games that many of you have never seen. See if you can calculate your way through these brilliancies and learn from players including past and maybe future World Champions.
When Grandmasters play 1.e4, but want to avoid the sharp Open Sicilian, they mostly rely on an early Bb5 move, the Rossolimo and Moscow Variations.
Wilhelm Steinitz was the first official chess World Champion. He held the title from 1886–1894. Steinitz was the strongest player of his day and developed the theory that you should accumulate small advantages to prepare a winning attack. See if you can find the moves from five of Steinitz's greatest games.
Danny Rensch isn't just everyone's favorite chess commentator, he's also a pretty good player himself! Danny is an International Master and won numerous national scholastic titles. In this course, you can try to find the moves and learn from five of Danny's greatest games!
The Closed Variation of the Ruy Lopez has been one of the most popular openings at grandmaster level for generations. Learn the key move orders and ideas for both sides!
Learn the key ideas in the Bf4 Queen's Gambit for White and Black!
What were the best chess games of 2019? IM Daniel Rensch demonstrates the five most amazing games of the year, as voted on by the chess.com team!
The Italian Opening is often called the Giuoco Piano, because of a couple of calm variations. However, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk demonstrates several amazing and sharp lines in this critical opening.
As a 16 year old Alireza Firouzja came in 2nd in the 2019 World Rapid Championship and led much of the 2020 Tata Steel tournament, ahead of Magnus Carlsen. See if you can find the moves from the best games of one of the most exciting Grandmasters in the World!
The Candidates Tournament is back! The winner earns a match with Magnus Carlsen! Check here for highlights after each round.
Learn the key strategies and tactics for both sides in the Queen's Gambit Accepted.
Alexander Alekhine was the fourth World Champion, holding the title from 1927 - 1935 and again from 1935 until his death in 1946. Alekhine was the greatest tactician of his day and defeated Jose Raul Capablanca, a player previously considered nearly unbeatable. See how he won by finding the moves in five of his best games!
Learn the key ideas, strategies, and tactical motifs for both sides in the Slav Defense,
The Grunfeld is possibly the sharpest response to 1.d4. Learn the key tactical and strategic ideas for both sides!
The Ginger GM, Simon Williams, brings you the five best moves from the careers of each of the eight players, competing to challenge Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship. What amazing ideas have these top players discovered in their illustrious careers?
The Benoni Defense is a sharp way to fight for a win against 1.d4. Learn the key ideas for both sides.
Simon Williams, the Ginger GM, brings you the top five moves of some of the greatest players in chess history. Learn from the best moments of Carlsen, Kasparov, Morphy and more!
Emanuel Lasker was the 2nd World Champion and reigned for a record 27 years between 1894 and 1921. Find out how he did it by figuring out the moves of five of his greatest games!
If your opponent dodges the Nimzo Indian, you can still place a bishop on b4 and reach the Bogo-Indian Defense. Learn the key ideas and tactics for both sides.
The Queen's Indian Defense is a common opening at high levels, even among the strongest engines. Learn the ins and outs to be able to play it well from either side.
Max Euwe was the fifth World Champion and defeated Alexander Alekhine in one of the biggest upsets in the history of chess. Watch how he did it by finding the moves in five of his greatest games!
The Benko Gambit is one of Black's most aggressive ways to fight for the initiative against 1.d4. Learn the essentials to play this opening for both sides.
Not many openings allow you to sacrifice a pawn on the second move. Learn the ins and outs of the Budapest Defense, a tricky way to complicate the game against 1.d4.
The FIDE Chess.com Nations Cup has started! It's one of the most prestigious online events ever held with some of the strongest players on the planet participating and $180,000 in prize money. Check out the highlights of each day here.
When White tries 1.d4 and an early Bg5, the game typically enters the Trompowsky and the Torre Attack. Learn the key ideas for both sides.
Wilhelm Steinitz won a match in 1886 to become the first official World Champion! Steinitz developed a theory of positional chess, where you have to build an advantage before launching an attack. This worked well and Steinitz had three successful title defenses.
The Petroff Defense is one of the most solid defenses against 1.e4 and is played frequently at the highest level. Learn the key ideas for both sides.
Emanuel Lasker was World Champion for a record 27 years! Learn from his greatest moments in world title matches.
Which opening was popular in 1600 and still all the rage today? Learn the key ideas in the Italian Game in order to play it with either color.
Learn from the greatest moments of Capablanca, Alekhine and Euwe's World Championship matches!
How can White open the center and imbalance the game right away after 1.e4 e5? Learn the ins and outs of the Scotch Game!
When Black wants to avoid the Italian Game then the Two Knights Defense is the way to go! Learn the key tactics and strategic ideas for both sides.
In 1963 Tigran Petrosian unseated Botvinnik as World Champion for the final time. Petrosian was a defensive genius and held his title again in 1966 against Boris Spassky. In 1969 Spassky won another candidates cycle and defeated Petrosian to take the title.
The King's Gambit has been a favorite of romantic attacking players for centuries. Learn the key ideas for both sides in this amazing opening.
In 1972 Bobby Fischer broke the Soviet control of the World Championship by winning the "Match of the Century" against Boris Spassky. However, in 1975 Fischer refused to defend his title and another great champion, Anatoly Karpov ascended to the throne!
The Four Knights Game begins symmetrically, but that's often a prelude to a complicated middle game. Learn the key ideas for both sides.
Learn the ins and outs of the solid Philidor Defense for both Black and White.
Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov fought five world championship matches between 1984 and 1990. Check out the highlights from the greatest rivalry in the history of chess!
In 1993 Kasparov broke from FIDE and held a separate World Championship! It was a time of chaos in the chess world until Vladimir Kramnik defeated Kasparov in 2000 and Topalov in 2006 to reunite the chess world.
Learn how White can play for a quick attack with the Center Game and Danish Gambit as well as Black's ideas to find counterplay.
In 2007 FIDE held an eight-player World Championship tournament, which was won by Vishy Anand. He then joined the lineage of match champions by defeating Vladimir Kramnik in a 2008 match. He further defended his title in 2010 against Veselin Topalov and in 2012 against Boris Gelfand.
Learn the key ideas and move orders in two tricky open games, the Vienna Game and the Bishop's Opening.
When White wants to play the main lines of the French Defense, he or she heads for 3.Nc3, leading most often the to Winawer or Classical variations. Learn the key ideas for both sides.
In 2013 Magnus Carlsen defeated Vishy Anand to become World Champion. Since then he has defended his title against Anand again, Sergey Karjakin, Fabiano Caruana, and Ian Nepomniachtchi.
In December 2017, AlphaZero took the world by storm! The organization Deep Mind announced that their new self-taught engine had won a match against Stockfish, previously the strongest engine in history. Join IM Danny Rensch in a review of AlphaZero's most amazing games from that historic match.
When White avoids the main lines of the French Defense, she or he usually chooses the Tarrasch or Advance variations. Learn the key ideas for both sides in these tricky openings.
Daniil Dubov won the 2018 World Rapid Championship and Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge in 2020. Check out the moves from some of his best games!
The Scandinavian Defense is a way for Black to take the game in a unique direction right from the first move.
What's the most solid defense against 1.e4? Learn the Caro-Kann Defense, one of the most popular variations at the top level.
AlphaZero was the first neural net chess engine, but it only played a couple of matches before retiring. Its mantle has since been taken up by Leela Chess Zero, the winner of the 2020 Computer Chess Championship. Take a look at Leela's greatest games!
When White wants to avoid 1.e4 and 1.d4 openings, 1.c4 is a great opening to try. The English Opening leads to unique positions where both sides can play for a win.
When Black wants to avoid theory and play an imbalanced position straight from the opening, the Pirc and Modern Defenses are both good choices.
Chess is a tricky game, even for the world's best. See if you can find the path to a quick mate against the best players of the past and today's top stars!
Learn the main lines and key variations in the Alekhine's Defense.
Strong players all explain their career highlights.
Stockfish has been one of the strongest engines in the world for years and recently added a neural net to make it even stronger. Learn from some of Stockfish's greatest games!
With the move, 1.Nf3 White typically aims for the King's Indian attack and an early kingside initiative. In the Reti White allows Black to build a big center and then aims to break it down.
Learn the main lines and key ideas for both sides in the dynamic Dutch Defense.
Vasily Smyslov a World Champion known for his positional play. However, you don't get to be a champion without also possessing attacking genius. FM Andrey Terekhov demonstrates five of Smyslov's best attacking gems.
Nezhmetdinov Was Wrong: You Can Learn from Blitz! Learn from the best games of the SCC, including the most recent matches this year!
Learn how to play the flank openings, particularly the Orangutang, Larsen's Opening, and Bird's Opening for both sides.
Can you find the moves of Queen's Gambit star Beth Harmon as she progresses from beginner to world-class player?
Learn the rare, but tricky Old Indian Defense.
After 1.d4, Black can copy with 1...d5 or imbalance the game with 1...Nf6 and the various Indian Defense, including the sharp Black Knights' Tango.
Learn from the new and improved, Komodo chess engine, one of the strongest entities in the history of the game!
FM James Canty teaches his favorite opening weapon, the c3 Sicilian!
Anish Giri is a candidate to challenge for the world title and is one of the top trash talkers on Twitter as well. Check out how he backs up his words with amazing wins against the world elite.
Learn the key ideas and variations in every mainstream chess opening!
GM Melik Khachiyan shows you the best work of today's top young players. Learn from the amazing games of Alireza Firouzja, Jeffery Xiong, and Nihal Sarin.
NM Sam Copeland has picked the 10 best games of recent decades. Take a look at his picks for the 2010s and learn from the greatest games of recent years!
The Catalan is one of the most popular openings at the highest level. Learn the main variations, strategic ideas, and tactical patterns in the Catalan.
World Champion Magnus Carlsen teaches you how to play the Stonewall, an opening based on putting your pawns on f5, e6, and d5 with Black. Using his own games, Carlsen shows us the ideas that he pioneered or applied to beat the likes of Vishy Anand and Fabiano Caruana with the black pieces.
NM Sam Copeland has picked the 10 best games of recent decades. Take a look at his picks for the 2000s and learn from the greatest games of recent years!
What makes World Champions unique? Learn from the amazing specialties of Carlsen, Kasparov, Tal, and Petrosian!
Learn to play one of the sharpest and most exciting openings in all of chess!
NM Sam Copeland has picked the 10 best games of recent decades. Take a look at his picks for the 1990s and learn from the greatest games of an exciting time in chess history.
How does one of the best attackers in history take on the titans of modern chess? GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov gives a unique look at five of his greatest games.
Chess superstar Levon Aronian has recently moved to America. Get to know his history and games with help from his childhood chess coach, GM Melik Khachiyan.
In November Magnus Carlsen will defend his title against Ian Nepomniachtchi. GM Surya Ganguly has worked on world championship teams in the past and brings you an in-depth preview of the match.
GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov has been one of the best players in the world for many years. Join him as he recounts his battles with the world champions!
Join IM Yuriy Krykun as he examines five positional masterpieces, played in world championship matches!
GM Fabiano Caruana nearly toppled Magnus Carlsen in 2018 and he brings you behind the scenes to demonstrate what it takes to fight for the game's highest crown!
Updated for the post-Alpha-Zero age. Join CM James Coleman on a complete history of chess computers! The first batch covers the early days of strong engines.
Featuring six new lessons! How has India become a chess powerhouse? GM Surya Ganguly demonstrates the history of Indian chess from Sultan Khan through today's brilliant prodigies.
NM Sam Copeland has picked the 10 best games of recent decades. Take a look at his picks for the 1980s!
NM Sam Copeland has picked the 10 best games of recent decades. Take a look at his picks for the 1970s and learn from the greatest games of an amazing era!
What are the greatest chess games of the 21st Century? GM Surya Ganguly brings you his picks of these modern classics!
Richard Rapport is one of the most exciting players in chess today and a serious contender to qualify for the next world championship match. Chess out some of his best games!
NM Sam Copeland has picked the 10 best games of every decade for the last century. Take a look at his picks for the 1960s and learn from the greatest games of an amazing time period.
Teimour Radjabov won the Chess World Cup tournament in 2019, sat out the 2020 Candidates, and will be competing in the 2022 Candidates to challenge Magnus Carlsen. Check out his best games!
Jan-Krzysztof Duda is a Polish Super GM and first-time candidate for the World Championship. See if you can find the moves from his greatest games!
NM Sam Copeland brings you the ten best games played in the 1950s. Check out some of the most amazing brilliancies in the history of chess!
Normally top players focus on their wins, but you can learn even more from your losses. Check out how memorable defeats have shaped the careers of four strong players.
Why is Jose Raul Capablanca still admired a century after his reign as world champion? GM Leinier Dominguez shows off some of Capablanca's greatest brilliancies!
How did Vishy Anand win the World Championship title five times? Join him for an inside tour of chess at the highest level.
GM Daniel (Danya) Naroditsky is not only a great chess broadcaster, but he's also one of the strongest blitz and bullet players in the world and capable of competing with anyone at classical chess! Check out five of his best games!
Levy Rozman, AKA Gothamchess, is the most popular online chess teacher in the world! He's currently retired from classical chess, but a monster at blitz. Find the moves from some of his best attacking games!
Find the moves in great games by some of today's top chess streamers.
Check out recaps and tactical highlights from the 2022 Speed Chess Championship.
Have you ever played a perfect chess game? See if you can find the moves from amazing games that earned 100% Game Review scores.
Learn from women's world champion, GM Hou Yifan, as she describes her career highlights.
Indian prodigy Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu showcases some of the best games of his young but hugely successful career, divided into three main themes: attacking the king, logical play, and coming back from a match deficit!
Grandmasters Jan Gustafsson and Peter Heine Nielsen bring your their list of the 50 greatest chess players in history!
IM Danny Rensch interviews GM Judit Polgar about highlights from her amazing career!
Two top grandmasters, Artur Yusupow and Jan Gustafsson look at the reasons behind Magnus Carlsen's remarkable success.
Tal, nicknamed the “Magician from Riga,” was a gregarious and unworldly genius who overwhelmed his opponents with dazzling attacking chess. He made a strong impression on a young future Russian Champion: Peter Svidler.
