3 Instructive Games: 1 From Each of the Last 3 World Chess Champions
Hey Impressive Chessers!
As some of you may know, I've taught chess in the Southern California area since 2002! The current company that I work for, part time, is Strategic Kids. Strategic Kids is really good about making learning to play chess fun and accessible to kids! And let’s face it, if you’re not enjoying the game, chances are you’re not retaining much of what you’re learning.
One of my roles at Strategic Kids is to teach our instructors. Once a month, they get a paid chess lesson as a perk for being part of the team. This blog was actually inspired by one of our instructors who asked a great question: Are there any modern games we can show the kids?
A lot of times, with children, we show games of Paul Morphy because they are easy to understand. Morphy was famous for controlling the center, developing all, or at least most of his pieces, castling and only then, launching his powerful attacks; with the help of his entire army (pieces). These are certainly all qualities that we want our students to emulate, but it is also nice to have "chess heroes" that are alive and at the top of their game.
So today’s blog features miniatures, short but powerful games, from each of the last three Classical World Chess Champions: #16 Magnus Carlsen, #17 Ding Liren, and #18 Gukesh Dommaraju. (You can read more about the world champions here: Chess.com World Champions Article)
Let’s dive into these brilliant miniatures and see what we can learn!
Let's see if you can find the crushing blow that 13 year old Magnus found
Ding shocked his opponent into resignation with his move. Can you spot it?
Conclusion
These games are perfect examples of how modern chess champions apply classical principles with a razor-sharp tactical eye. While it’s great to study the games of Morphy, Capablanca, and Fischer, there’s something special about watching current champions do what they do best and being able to say, “I learned from them.”
Whether you're a coach looking to inspire your students or a player seeking modern role models, these miniatures provide rich material for both entertainment and education. Chess is alive and well and these champions are leading the charge.
Until next time, if you keep learning, keep playing, and keep having fun you'll surely...
…Stay impressive!NM Craig C.
linktr.ee/ChessToImpress
