Do you the terms of fork and spear in chess? They are describing tactical weapons, which should be in our arsenal 1. The fork Definition: One piece attacks two other pieces or points simultaneous. Well kown is the knight fork, but all all...
Here three basic rook endgames every chess player should know: 1. The Philidor Position There is one basic rule in such endgames: You can only win, when you have the control over the queening square. Here we see, that the black king has th...
"It is an error to think, that rook endgames are easy to play!" Victor Kortschnoi 1. A basic rook endgame The following diagram is is a basic rook endgame, everyone should know. So we see: When the black king keeps moving between g7...
Please look at the following position. It is from a game of super grandmaster level. Shirov, the white player, showed here much creativity White has pushed very early his d-pawn till the seventh row. But now black threatens to interrupt th...
Please look at the following pawn structure. It is a very popular pawn structure, which can come up from several openings. For example from the Semi-Tarrasch and Queen`s gambit accepted, but also from the Greenfield opening (with pawn on g6) ...
After a sharp gambit in Slav defense white has a strong kingside attack. Black decides to give an exchange ( rook for minor piece) to stop the white initiative and go for a better endgame.- Why a better endgame? Because the pair of bishops and th...
In one of my free OTB - games came up following position: I had had for a long time the initiative and now I saw the chance to transpose into a better bishop endgame with an outside passed pawn 1. ... Bxg2 ! The bishop cannot be taken, bec...
The underestimated pawns Philidor said in his famous chess book: " The pawns are the soul of the chess game" *** We often underestimate or even "forg...
Some time ago I posted here in my blog A good bishop on b2! and praised that bishop. Here now two new examples with that theme. *** Last friday a friend showed me a position from one of his games. He had the white pieces ...
Presumably many of you know already the concept of a far distant passed pawn . Here is an illustrative example with it: Although the material is equal white will win this pawn endgame easily.The reason for it is the distant passed pawn on ...
You know the four main elements in chess ? The first three are clear: 1. Space = the chessboard 2. Material = the pieces 3. Time = piece moves But what could be the fourth? According...
I am a more positional player and most of the times I am not on search for dynamical possibilities.- But in modern chess the dynamical play and the fight for initiative have become to a very important weapon!. Here a position in the Catalan ope...
Last week I played a training game in a chess club. So after winning a pawn in middlegame we reached following position It is an endgame with all heavy pieces on board. This is not so easy to play and to win. So how should I go on? Put...
In my last post I have praised the crystal-clear positional play of Akiba Rubinstein. His games were the favorites in my youth. Now I have become much older but nevertheless, I prefer the good and clear positional play. in the last years I liked...
Akiba Rubinstein (Aufnahme um 1907) Akiba Rubinstein (wikipedia link) was the first master of chess history, who impressed me through his chess style. I admired the precise logic of his moves and deep inside of me was created the wish to pla...
In endgame the role of king is often from a special importance. He is normally no longer in mate danger and can become active. Here a game in which a king walk into black`s area was decisive: (edit: there is a bug in move 12. To see the rest of t...
How can you become, - perhaps -, a master in chess? Most of us will have asked this question once to ourselves or others. Here some advices I found in an old book (1980) of an IM from the Netherlands: (point 6 is from myself) 1. Study ches...
The following game is probably one of my best I played here at chess.com. It was against a strong danish player (rating 2200) I had some problems in the early middle game, so that my opponent succeeded with installing a strong knight in my positio...
Some of the books, which have influenced me very much, are the 3 books of "The Art of Simplification" from GM Nesis. The main idea is to go for simplifications whenever you see the chance for a better , or in bad positions a drawish, endgame Her...
The old rule! "If you have a lead in development, open the position!" In a online game on a german server my opponent played a little bit careless in opening. H...
Victory came along the g-file Last year in my chess teachings at a local club the open file was a main theme. And it seems to me, that since that time the importance and perception of op...
In the the year 1976 I traveled with a friend to Biel in Switzerland. There a big chess festival including an Interzonal tournament with almost all famous players of that time took place. For example the chess legends Tal, Petrosjan and Smyslow w...
A good bishop on b2 Let me first make clear the difference between a good and a bad bishop on b2 Please look at the following position: ...
Some years ago I had to play in a tournament against a strong International master with an Elo about 2500 ( Today he is a grandmaster). The evening before I saw on TV an Sumo Fight, which inspired me very much. A young bull strong heavyweight att...
