"Torture puzzles" are series of posts I am writing on solving complex puzzles. I am using them for more or less calculation and visualization training. Oh - and mental toughness training! To be able to sit there, over the board, disgusted by your ...
Some time ago I did a post on solving four exercises from Panchenko's book. This post is built up the same way, but only with Lazslo Polgar's "Chess Middlegames". Right now, I am aiming to build the backbone of my middlegame training exactly from...
Botvinnik says that before Geller, we did not understand the King's Indian Defence. Well, I have trouble understanding it up to this day! Anyway, I want to share a lightly annotated game which displays some ideas in the KID. This game was pla...
Last summer I managed to get my hands on Alexander Panchenko's book "Mastering Chess Middlegames". And after almost a year, I finally managed to pull myself together and start working with it. This post is about sharing the experience I got from i...
What is your favorite way to lose in the Scotch gambit? In case you have trouble with deciding, let me provide you with a few ideas! First stop: 4. .. Nf6 or Bc5? This the first stop of the Scotch Gambit train. In the position shown abo...
For me, calculation is one of the most satisfying aspects in chess. There is no better feeling than calculating lines correctly, executing sound sacrifices or winning an endgame in a precise manner. Calculation is also the department for me, where...
