how do you study master games?

It also means that learning is a lot more pleasant (compared to if you were forcing yourself to memorise loads of concepts/theory and deeply analyse loads of master games)!

There's a free Android app which will allow you to autoplay chess games for the World Champions back to Spassky. Something to do with your phone while waiting in the checkout line...

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jacktrainor.boc

As others have said, it's vitally important at some point to study annotated games.

Otherwise it's hard for new players to play over master games on their own and get much out of them.

When I was a child I would read Koltanowski's chess column and try to play over the featured game.

It was an accomplishment just to get through the game without misreading the notation, much less understand what was going on.

Nice! Thanks for this

You're welcome!

And sometime, even studying amateur games where the amateurs are a few hundred points above you can be useful as well.  You see the types of typical mistakes that are made at the lower levels, often move order.

For Example:

Reverse Angle 56, Round 1
W: Nick Petersen (1924)
B: Patrick McCartney (2141)
Old Indian Defense

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d6 3.Nf3 Nbd7 4.d4 e5 5.d5

More normal here is 5.e4.  Early d5 lines are usually paired up with f3, in order to cover e4.  With the Knight already there, e4 becomes hard to get in with the Black Knight headed to c5.  White will either have to trade off his Bishop for the Knight on f6, which isn’t good, play Bd3 to cover the pawn on e4, which isn’t the best square for the Bishop as it would rather be developed to e2, or develop the Queen to c2, which can be somewhat passive in this position.  Because of this, positions with Nf3 White is better off keeping the Tension rather than closing the position.

5…a5

Here’s the first instance of there being an issue with move order.  After 5…Nc5, White can play 6.b4, expanding on the Queenside.  This is by no means the end of the world for Black as after 6…Nce4 7.Nxe4 Nxe4 8.e3, Black is fine, but Black has a different idea here.  By going with 5…a5 first, Black is creating on outpost on c5 for the Knight where White has a harder time harassing it with b4.

6.Bg5

I think 6.e4 Nc5 7.Qc2 is the lesser evil.  White is going to have a hard time on the dark squares, and particularly d4, with his Bishop traded off for a Knight.

6…Be7 7.Bxf6 Bxf6

The correct way to take back, as the Knight belongs on c5, not f6.

8.e4 Nc5

Now another move order issue.  What must White do to get a pawn to b4 to harass the Knight on c5?

9.b3

9.a3? is a mistake because of 9…a4! and White will never get in b4 as Black will take en passant.  This arrangement by Black is common in a few openings, the most common of which is the Petrosian King’s Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.d5 a5 etc.)

9…O-O 10.a3

Threatening 11.b4, forcing the Knight backwards.  Where would Black’s Knight like to go?  How does he achieve that?

10…a4!

This may look like it hangs a pawn, but it doesn’t.  If White plays 11.bxa4, Black can get the pawn back with 11…Bd7, or he can leave it there, figuring it’s not a healthy extra pawn for White, and chip away at the White center with 11…c6.  Both options are good for Black.  Therefore, instead White pushes the pawn.

11.b4 Nb3

Now we see the real reason for 10…a4.  Rather than retreating the Knight, the Knight is headed to the weak d4 square.  Now we see why trading off that Bishop on moves 6 and 7 wasn’t the greatest idea.

12.Ra2 Bd7 13.Bd3 Nd4 14.Nxd4

White should probably leave the Knight there and simply work around it with 14.O-O.  Trading puts a strong, and annoying, Black pawn on d4.

14…exd4 15.Ne2 c5 16.O-O

Other moves are no better.

A) 16.b5 Qa5+ 17.Qd2 Bd8 18.f3 Qxd2+ 19.Kxd2 Ba5+ with an advantage for Black.

B) 16.bxc5 Qa5+! (16…dxc5 gives white a strong central pawn mass and Black can have problems after 17.O-O, 18.f4, and 19.e5) 17.Qd2 Qxc5 with an advantage for Black.  The d4-pawn is a long term problem, and the a3-pawn is weak.  Black’s pawn structure isn’t pretty, but Black’s only slight weakness is the d6 pawn, and it’s very hard for White to get to with no Dark-Squared Bishop.

16…Qc7

Similar to line B in the note to White’s 16^th move, Black intends to take with the Queen if White trades on c5.

17.f4 b5 18.Rc2

Here, once again, move order matters.  Which pawn does Black take first?

18…bxc4?

This is actually a mistake, and allows White to equalize.  Black should take the b-pawn first.  After 18…cxb4, White’s best reply is 19.cxb5, but Black can maintain his advantage with 19…Qb6 20.axb4 Bxb5.  Black has the passed a-pawn, the strong pawn on d4, and the pawn on d6 to stop White from rolling his pawns down the center.  The game move gave White the opportunity to remove the d6-pawn.

19.Bxc4?

The correct move is 19.Rxc4!, with 20.bxc5 being a major threat now as Black would have to take back with the d-pawn.  After 19…Bb5, White should go for the exchange sacrifice with 20.Rxc5! dxc5 21.Bxb5 with a dynamically equal game.  The central pawn mass with no defender on d6 offsets the slight material deficit.

19…cxb4 20.axb4 Qb6 21.Qd3 Qxb4

Black surrenders the d-pawn in order to take advantage of a cross pin to build an attack on the Queenside.

22.Nxd4 Bxd4+

22…Qb6 was possibly stronger than the line played in the game.

23.Qxd4 Rfc8 24.Qd3 a3 25.Qb3

Now, there are 3 different moves that all win, but which is best?  25…Qc5+, 25…Qxb3, or 25…Rxc4?

25…Rxc4

This move forces a winning endgame, but it’s far more complicated than the best move, which wins instantly.  25…Qc5+! 26.Rcf2 (26…Ba4 was the threat)  Rcb8 27.Qc3 (27.Qd3 is no different) Rb2 and White has no way to stop the threat of 28…Ra4, winning a piece at minimum.  The game move forces a tradedown to a winning Rook and Pawn ending.  Note that this tradedown was not possible the previous move because White could take on c4 with the Rook first, but here, that would fail as the White Queen would hang.  The next few moves are all forced.

26.Qxc4 Qxc4 27.Rxc4 Bb5 28.Rcc1 Bxf1 29.Kxf1 a2 30.Ra1 Ra4!

The best square for the Rook. 

31.Kf2

If 31.Ke2, Black can take the e-pawn with check, and return to the a-file to cover a2.  If White takes a slow approach via 31.g3 (to cover f4, see the game moves for why White might do this), Black wins via 31…Kf8 32.Kf2 Ke7 33.Ke3 h5 34.Kd3 Kf6 35.Kc3 h4 36.Kb3 Rxe4 37.Rxa2 Rd4 38.Ra5 Rd2 39.gxh4 Rxh2 40.Ra6 Rxh4 41.Rxd6+ Ke7 42.Rb6 Rxf4 with a winning position.

31…f5!

Black must act fast, as otherwise, White will just walk to the a-pawn, pick it off, and walk back.  Black’s King is a little too far to come all the way around the outside and race back to the Kingside pawn.  Plus, when the King gets to b6, a timely e5 by White gives Black problems.  The game move forces the win of a pawn for Black.

32.e5 Rxf4+ 33.Kg3 Ra4 34.exd6 Kf8 35.Kf3 Ke8 36.Ke3 Kd7 37.Kd3 Kxd6 38.Kc3 Kxd5 39.Kb3 Ra7 40.Kb2

Black has no objection to giving up the a-pawn as long as the Rooks are forced off as a result.  So instead, White intends to switch the roles of the Rook and King, using the King to Block the pawn, and the Rook to harass Black.

40…Rb7+

Black first sees if he can pull off the trade, or at least prevent the King from getting to a1.

41.Kc3

41.Kc2 Re7 and now 42.Rxa2 Re2+ forces the Rooks off.  With the King on c3, Black has nothing better than to return to the a-file.

41…Ra7 42.Kb2 Kd4

So Black goes for the Kingside pawns.

43.Rd1+ Ke3 44.Ka1 Ke2

Black should not allow White to check on the 2^nd rank with tempo.

45.Rd8 Kf1 46.Rd2 Re7

By not allowing Rd2 to come with check, this move tactically defends the a-pawn as a capture with either piece forces the Rooks off.

47.Rd5 Kxg2 48.Rxf5 Kxh2 49.Rh5+ Kg3 50.Rxh7 Ra7

White decided to take the h-pawn instead of the a-pawn, so Black returns to guarding the a-pawn.  White is actually in Zugzwang as he has to move something.  Moving the King allows Black to promote, and moving the Rook allows Black to start rolling the g-pawn.

51.Rh8 g5 0-1

Reverse Angle 56, Round 2
W: Patrick McCartney (2141)
B: Keith Eubanks (2063)
Sicilian Defense

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qb6 5.Nb3 Nf6 6.Nc3 e6 7.Be3 Qd8 8.a3

I always tell people not to play a3, h3, a6, or h6 unless there is a purpose aside from mere prevention of the opponent plopping a Kngiht or Bishop on the square it covers.  Here, however, there is a purpose.  White plans to attack on the Kingside with f4 and either e5 or f5.  However, allowing …Bb4 creates a major headache with the e4 pawn.  If White covers it with Bd3, then it becomes easier for Black to play …d5.  If White covers it with f3, then defeats the idea of playing f4.  Therefore, this pawn move is played not to save the Knight, but to save the e-pawn.  A similar idea occurs in the main line of the Ruy Lopez when White plays 9.h3 not to save the Knight on f3, but to allieviate the pressure on the d4-square once White pushes d4.

8…a6 9.Be2 b5 10.Nc5

This may be overkill at trying to prevent Black’s idea as it is barely a threat.  10.O-O is better, as now, if 10…b4 11.axb4 Bxb4, then 12.Na4! as 12…Nxe4 13.c3 forces 13…Bf8 giving White full compensation for the pawn.  Note that all other Bishop moves lose.  A) 13…Ba5 loses material to 14.Nxa5 and now either 14…Nxa5 Bb6 or 14…Qxa5 Nb6.  B) 13…Bd6 14.Bf3 Qh4 (if the Knight moves, the Bishop hangs) 15.g3 Nxg3 16.Qxd6 Nxf1 17.Rxf1 Qxa4 18.Bc5 Qh4 (otherwise 19.Bxc6 and 20.Qe7#) 19.Bxc6 dxc6 20.Qxc6+ Bd7 21.Qxa8+ Qd8 22.Qg2 with a winning position.  C) 13…Be7 14.Bb6 traps the Queen.

10…d6 11.Nd3

The main downfall to this move is it makes …d5 easier for Black to play, which also creates a threat of a pawn fork on d4.  Black doesn’t play it immediately, but it’s coming.

11…Bb7 12.f4 Be7 13.O-O Qc7 14.Bf3 Rd8 15.Qe1 O-O 16.Qg3 d5

The rule of thumb is “Counter a flank attack with an attack in the center!”

17.e5 Ne4 18.Bxe4

I took with the Bishop first to allow tactical ideas to attempt to gain a tempo rather than allow Black to recapture on e4 with tempo, which is what happens if I take with the Knight first.  After 18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.Bxe4 Nd4 20.Bxd4 Bxe4, Black’s Bishop is more active, and Black gains a tempo on the d4-Bishop.  That said, it’s probably the better way to do it as Black misses the opportunity to get a piece and 2 pawns for a Rook and a slightly adventageous position.  So in this instance, tactics by Black override possible move order tricks that White might think he has.

18…dxe4 19.Nxe4 Nd4?

Missing his chance.  After 19…Nxe5 20.Nf6+ Bxf6 21.fxe5, Black can play 21…Rxd3! 22.cxd3 Bxe5 23.Bf4 Qb6+ 24.Kh1 Bxb2 with a slight advantage for Black.

20.Nf6+

White should just accept the fact that the position is now equal and trade on d4.

20…Bxf6

Once again Black can gain the advantage with 20…Kh8! 21.Bxd4 Rxd4 and then White must save the Knight, which looks stupid on both h5 and g4.  Black’s pieces are more active.

21.Bxd4 Bh4

The pawn is a problem for Black after 21.Rxd4 exf6 +/-

22.Qxh4 Rxd4 23.Rf2 Qb6 24.Re1 Be4 25.Qg3 Ba8

Black should probably trade on d3.  The Bishop does nothing on a8.  The Knight defends White’s weaknesses on b2 and f4.

26.Qe3 Qd8 27.h3 a5 28.Kh2 Qd5

Black’s attack is artificial.

29.Qg3 Rc8 30.f5

White sacrifices a pawn to get the Knight in the attack on the King.

30…exf5 31.Nf4

Not 31.Rxf5? Rxc2 and Black’s attack on g2 is quicker than White’s.

31…Qb7 32.Nh5 g6 33.Nf6+ Kg7 34.c3 Rc4

Now, another question about move order.  Is it time to take on f5?

35.Ree2!

No!  35.Rxf5 Qxg2+ 36.Qxg2 Bxg2 and White must spend time saving his Rook.

35…b4 36.axb4 axb4

What about now?

37.Qg5??

White should do it now!  37.Rxf5 bxc3 38.bxc3 Qb1 39.Rff2 Rxc3 40.Ne8+ Kg8 41.Qf4 with a winning attack.

37…bxc3??

37…h6! and White has nothing better than perpetual check via 38.Nh5+ Kh7! 39.Nf6+ Kg7!

38.bxc3??

38.Rxf5!  Now Black’s best move is 38…R4c6, when 39.bxc3 gives White the advantage.  There is still work to be done, but White should win.  38…c2 or 38…cxb2 allows 39.Nh5+ with similar ideas to the game.

38…Rxc3??

Once again, 38…h6 draws!

39.Rxf5 Qb1

Now 39…h6 doesn’t work.  40.Nh5+ Kh7 41.Qf6 when 41…gxh5 42.Rxh5 leads to mate while 41…Rg8 42.Qxf7+ leads to a won position for White.

40.Nh5+ Kf8 41.Rxf7+!! Kxf7 42.Qf6+ Ke8 43.Ng7+ 1-0

43…Kd7 44.Qd6 is mate.

Reverse Angle 56, Round 3
W: Klaus Pohl (2204)
B: Patrick McCartney (2141)
Sicilian Defense

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6 3.g3 b5 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.d3 e6 6.Nf3 d5?

Against most of White’s moves, like 6.f4, 6…d5 is best.  However, 6.Nf3, while not common in the Closed Sicilian, is not without it’s poison.  There is a trick to this move, but both Black and White fail to see it.

7.exd5 b4?

The lesser evil is 7…exd5, but after 8.O-O, Black is going to have problems down the e-file.  I played 7…b4 first to try to plug up the e-file.

8.Ne2??

White complies.  8.dxe6 wins instantly!  Normally, that move ends up being very artificial because  with no Knight on f3, Black can take the Bishop on g2, White takes on f7 with check, and then he has to save the Knight.  The pawns are not enough for the piece in those lines.  But with a Knight on f3, the story is completely different.  After 8…fxe6, White has a winning position while 8…bxc3 loses instantly to 9.exf7+ Kxf7 10.Ne5+ Ke8 11.Bxb7 +-.

8…exd5 9.d4

9.O-O is stronger, not allowing Black to castle later on as the tricks he pulls here wouldn’t be available with the White pawn on d3 instead of d4.

9…c4 10.O-O Nf6 11.Re1 Be7 12.Ne5

Threatening the c4-pawn as the Bishop would hang if the Knight is taken.

12…Qb6 13.Nf4 O-O!

Because of White’s 9^th move, this tactical idea, which at first glance appears to lose a pawn, is actually quite strong if White tries to take the pawn, and gets Black out of the stranglehold if White doesn’t take.

14.Nxc4

White tries to grab the pawn, but it fails positionally.

14.dxc4 15.Rxe7 Bxg2 16.Nxg2 Nc6 17.Re1

White has no better square for the Rook.

17…Qxd4

Black now has the advantage.  If White trades on d4, Black has threats on f3 and c2.  If he doesn’t, Black’s pieces are far more active than White’s.

18.Rb1 Rad8 19.Bf4 Qc5 20.Qc1 Ng4 21.Be3 Qh5 22.h4 Nce5 23.Rd1 Nf3+ 24.Kh1 Qf5

Threatening 25…Nxf2+ and 26…Qh3 mate.

25.Nf4

The only move.

25…Qe4 26.Ng2

Again, the only move.  Because of this problem, Black can position his Queen anywhere on the h1-a8 diagonal (except d5) by forcing White to go back and forth with the Knight.  Black wants a Rook on the White Bishop on e3, so he repositions the Queen.

26…Qe6 27.Nf4 Qc6 28.Ng2 Rde8

If Black wanted to relocate to a8 or b7, he could go 28…Qc8, but there’s no need.

29.Rf1 Qe6

Black goes back to e4, then will lift the Rook.

30.Nf4 Qe4 31.Ng2 Re5

Heading for h5.

32.Qd1

Now, should Black play the immediate 32.Rh5?

32…Rd5!

No!  Another little move order trick forces White to go back where he was with the Queen to c1, or else give up the Queen.  After 33.Qc1, Black can then go 33…Rh5.  Instead, White surrenders the Queen for a Rook and Bishop.

33.Qe2 Rd2

The Queen is trapped.

34.Qxd2 Nxd2 35.Bxd2 a5 36.Rbc1 Qe2 37.Be3 Qf3 38.Kg1 h5 39.Rcd1 Qf5 40.c3 bxc3 41.bxc3 Ne5 42.Nf4 Qg4 43.Rd5 Re8 44.Rxa5 Nf3+ 45.Kh1 Re4

Threatening mate with 46…Rxf4 and 47…Qh3.

46.Kg2 Nxh4+ 47.Kh2 Nf5 48.Rb1

Presumably with the idea of 49.Ra8+ and 50.Rbb8, with the threat of 51.Rh8 mate, but Black’s attack is faster.

48…h4! 49.Rxf5

If 49.Ra8+ Kh7 50.Rbb8, Black can take on g3 with check, and whether White trades pawns on g3 or not, follow up with Rxf5, grabbing both pieces for the Rook, avoiding mate, and gaining a winning Queen vs Two Rooks ending.

49…hxg3+ 50.fxg3 Qxf5 51.Bd4 Re2+ 52.Nxe2 Qxb1 53.Kg2 Qxa2 54.Kf3 f6 55.Nf4 Kf7 56.Ke4 Qa8+ 57.Ke3 Qe8+ 58.Kf3 Qd7 59.Ke3 Qg4 60.Kf2 Ke7 61.Nd5+ Kd6 62.Ne3 Qe6 63.Kf3 g6 64.g4 f5 65.gxf5 gxf5 66.Kf4 Qe4+ 67.Kg5 f4 68.Nxc4+ Ke6!

By going here, Black will push the White King to the h-file.

69.Nd2 Qf5+ 70.Kh4 Qg6 71.Kh3

With White having under a minute, this was decided quicker than it had to be, but even with correct play by White, this might go something like 71.Nc4 Kf5 72.Nd6+ Qxd6 73.Kh3 Qg6 74.Bf2 f3 75.Bg3 Qh5+ 76.Bh4 Qg4+ 77.Kh2 Qg2#

71…Qg3# 0-1

At my far-from-master position, I find the following study strategy most useful:

- Ideally, you'll have one or more well-annotated games that point out the biggest highlights and tactics and key moves.

- That won't be enough though - run through the game yourself and try out what 'you' would play at key junctures if their move doesn't look 'right' to you, and see how Stockfish/Fritz refutes your move.

- Key part for me - REVIEW the game within a few days. If I don't review it, it's really low yield, but if I review it, it seems to help a lot.

Another great program for Guess-the-Move is Lucas Chess.  It is called Play Like a Grandmaster and it works basically the same way but has more options for selecting the game you want.  You can also just use any pgn, but you can have it populate itself with games from hundreds of players, and you can pick from these games manually or have it pick a game based on the player, the color, or even the opening moves.  Here's a video of Lucas Chess's Play Like a Grandmaster mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGFb0-bQxuk

Of course, Lucas Chess has dozens of other great training modes, too.  Highly recommended.