The Rook Pawn Revolution
In search of a crack in the opponent’s defense... The Rook Pawn Advance is a strategic method that can transform an apparently unwinnable position into a dynamic and promising offensive. Often seen in to...
How to Come Up with a Plan in the Chess Endgame
Dear Chess Friends!I've just started my series of group classes "Improve Your Endgame Technique" and I decided to share a fragment of that group class with you. At the lesson we were covering essential endgame principles: Activating your ...
The Falcon
Hello there, welcome to the Lightning Reports! I previously stated that my Journey To NM blogs would be going on a break, but... turns out I can post. Life is... funny sometimes. Yeah. So funny. Anyway, here I am. In this post, we're goin back to ...
Solving Chess and Societal Issues All at Once
This guest post was written by Karel van Delft and Dries Wedda. Karel van Delft is a psychologist, chess trainer, and the Science Project Manager at Chessable. He is the author of the book Chess for Educators and co-author of the book Developing...
The Modern Approach to Opening Study
Keys to building an effective, flexible, and truly competitive repertoire. Opening study, the backbone of chess training, has undergone profound transformations in recent decades. Today, in the digital age, modern preparation methods are deeply ...
When the World Wars Interrupted Major Tournaments
INTRODUCTION Much of the 20th century was filled with global conflict that affected countless activities and lives. Even our great game of chess could not escape the devastation of the two World Wars. Major chess tournaments were interrupted...
Infinite Analysis?: How to Avoid Technological Tilt
Beware of the obsession with finding “the perfect move” with the engine... Chess engines have transformed the game. Stockfish, Lc0, and other engines allow us to analyze games with surgical precision, uncover hidden ideas, and verify...
William Sonneborn Ranks the 1880s
This is quite possibly the most dry post I'll ever make. I beg you to bear with me, despite all of the seemingly useless arithmetic, I'm going somewhere important with all of this. In February of 1886, the mathematician William Sonneborn shared,...
IDEA OF THE WEEK #14: Capablanca – Fonaroff
Capablanca – Fonaroff is a great example of how to bring all your pieces into play. Capablanca slowly builds up pressure, then finishes the game with a clean combination. Want to get more lessons like this? Sign up for my newsletter!Ever...
Summer Study Streak Challenge!
Summer is upon us! But…you don’t really want to go…outside, do you? It’s hot out there. And there’s chess to be played! As Sheldon Cooper once said, “If outside is so great, then why has mankind...
North American Corporate Chess League Playoff Field Set: Week 6 Recap!
The regular season of the North American Corporate Chess League is over, and we now know all eight teams that will participate in the knockout playoff on Thursday, as well as the winners of individual and team awards! The North American Corporat...
Attacking with Limited Forces: Turning Small Advantages into Big Wins
Dear Chess Friends! Chess is extremely diversified. Even with fewer pieces, your position can be substantially stronger than your opponent's overwhelming forces. Mastering this type of scenario, known as "Attacking with Limited Forces," enables ...
Jaenisch Gambit | CRUSH the Ruy López in blitz! ⚡ Quick Wins #104
#jaenisch #ruylopez #quickwins A couple of months ago in New Plans for the Channel, I’d intended to retire my Quick Wins series after 103 videos. However, I’ve come to the realisation that there is a place for a shorter and ...
We’re looking for a Flutter developer for a chess app
We’re looking for a Flutter developer for a chess app who:✅ Has proven Flutter experience✅ Knows Firebase or Supabase✅ Speaks solid English✅ Loves chess✅ Has experience with app deployment (TestFlight, Play Console) If you’re in...
Remembering WIM Ruth Haring with a Special Event and a Special Winner!
The Ruth Haring Memorial Tournament at the Mechanics' Institute This past weekend, the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club in San Francisco hosted the 3rd Ruth Haring Memorial Tournament, a FIDE-rated event honoring the life and legacy of Woman Inte...
IDEA OF THE WEEK #13: Andersson vs. Karpov
This position comes from the game Ulf Andersson vs. Karpov (1995). Ulf Andersson is a Swedish grandmaster, and there was a saying about him that he was so good at endgames, if a chess game started without queens, he'd easily become world champion....
Reframing the Game of Chess - Reprinted courtesy of NW Chess
Reframing the game of chess, one photo at a time. “The most important thing about chess is that it’s a boundless opportunity to learn something new, grow, and enjoy the process.” For anyone in the P...
Useful Tips for Beginners and Intermediates in Middlegame and Endgame
Hi there! First, I have to say… what the heck! It’s already summer in Madrid, we jumped straight from winter to summer with no pause in between! Anyway, today I thought I’d write a post that can help beginners and in...
Englund Queen Sacrifice Line | The RORSCHACH of Opening Attacks! 🤪♟️
#englund #queensac #romanticstyle Over the weekend I attended an extended family gathering. I was making some small talk about how I had recently published a chess book (get your copy of Become a Chess Assassin!) when I made an extraordina...
Geometrically Invisible Moves: Finding Hidden Chess Tactics
Dear Chess Friends! Chess is a geometry-rich game, with straight lines, diagonals, and intersections allowing for tactical strikes. However, players frequently overlook these hidden geometric possibilities, particularly in overcrowded posi...
One Week Left in NACCL Regular Season: Week 5 Recap!
With one week remaining in the North American Corporate Chess League regular season, the playoff race is heating up! Out of the 45 total teams in the NACCL, seventeen are within three points of the playoff line, each vying for a top eight spot and...
Winner's POV: London 1889
In Winner's POV, we take a look at tournaments from the 19th century and see the games that allowed the top player to prevail. Some tournaments will be known and famous, others will be more obscure - in a time period where competition is scarce, I...
Your First OTB Tournament? Here's What You Should Know!
Thinking of Playing in Your First OTB Tournament?Here's What You Should Know! One of the questions I hear most often as an arbiter is: “What’s the best way to start playing in tournaments?” Over time, I’ve shared bit...
My Puzzling Journey With The National Solving Championships
The National Solving Championships is open to all British Residents to compete in solving very difficult chess problems. With a prize fund of up to £1,500, this annual event offers an exciting challenge for aspiring chess solvers who pri...
My Around-the-World Journey With Chess.com
Most people probably see me as a chess player, chess teacher, or chess journalist, and those are all true, but I've always thought of myself more as a traveler. Even before my current job, I'd been living on planes and trains for a lot of my adult...