The Grandmaster's positional understanding, by Igor Smirnov

I have watched The GrandMaster's Positional Understanding and I wasn't all that impressed with it. It basically just says "put your pieces in positions where they control the most squares", which is a commonly known rule of thumb that can be found elsewhere for free.

The price alone was a red flag for me. There are also some elements of the marketing, such as the implication there are "secrets" and holding it out as a "course", that seem scam-ish to me, similar to how Scientology sells "life improvement courses" or something. I did have curiosity about it so I obtained, not bought, a copy (let's say a friend let me borrow it).  I must say that a free video series on youtube where Killegar Chess is going through the book "My System" by Aron Nimzowitsch has improved my positional understand much more than the Smirnov's "course" did. Smirnov's products aren't completely without merit, I could see them being priced at $20 each or so, but to have them priced so high is a scam, especially when there's so much free information out there like the aformentioned "My System" videos on youtube. Or even downloading a .pdf of My System as the book is public domain now.

Hi,

I am not going to talk about the other courses since I do not know them, but I own myself his "An Endgame Expert" and I must say it is useful because of a couple of reasons:

1. His explanations are clear and concise, and one is able to easily grasp the general principles of the endgame.
2. There are a lot of material on openings, less material on middle game and little good material on endgames. So in my opinion here is where you are the most likely to outplay an inferior opponent or get closer to a superior opponent (in terms of ELO).
3. Most of players are fascinated by the overwhelming theory on openings, but overlook the endgame (raise their hands those of us who know all variations of an opening by heart but do not know how to deal with rook and pawns endgames), so this course gave me a good chance to change that.

So, back to the thread, I would defintely recommend Smirnov's "An Endgame Expert" course.

Regards.

Awesome parrot...!!

I just watched several of Smirnov's YouTubes and I'd say he's got some  worthwhile material. Whether it's worth $50-$150 a pop is another question. I might pay $100 for the lot but not a $1000.

Smirnov emphasizes a solid strategic understanding of chess over tactical tricks, constant attacks, and opening knowledge. Which sounds good, of course, but I couldn't help but notice that most of the samples showing poor play were from games between grandmasters. So even GMs play like club players? How did they become grandmasters?

In one video he presented the rule, "To take is a mistake," while in another he recommended trading pieces to challenge your opponent to find a good strategy instead of whipping up tactics. So which is it?

Everything seems so clear when I watch a chess video like Smirnov's or read a chapter from Silman, but then when I'm sitting behind the board and it's up to me to find a good move, it's not so clear.

I have not seen this material. I tend to only get interested in that which is reviewed by New in Chess, Chess Cafe or BCM

 cheers everone!

Smirnov's ads are of a certain genre that I have seen many time.  The product usually technically sort of meets the claims but not nearly the way you would think and not nearly as good as you hoped.  Think infomercial.  I am sure it is good information.  I am sure it is way overpriced.  I am sure it won't make you a grandmaster.

I have seen one of Smirnov's dvds. They do have good information but they are overpriced and will not make you a gm unless you have a lot of talent to begin with. If you want to buy a dvd I suggest you look at Roman's Lab series. Or you could pay $99 and become a member here and you will have access to a whole collection of video lessons. Or since money is tight nowadays you might prefer to watch the video lessons on YouTube, they are free and some of them are very good. IMHO Smirnov is a better salesman than he is a chess teacher. I agree with you that it is easy to watch a video lesson and listen to the master's explanation for each move but when you are yourself playing a game you are on your own and it is very difficult to select the correct plan and make the correct move.  

last time in our intramurals i was playing on board 3 against MT department.. we are ME department.. we lost to MT department, their board 1 player had trained on a chess club, that time he is strong chess player for me.. hehe.. that was before i studied gm smirnov's course gm secrets and positinal understanding.. but after i have studied the course, we played last tuesday.. we had 5games.. i didnt do anything special but only applied what gm smirnov teaches.. i won the first 2 games, then drew the third. then the 4th i should have won because he did not saw the mate in 1!! haha.. but i gave him a chance to take back his move.. so he won.. then the last game he played e4.. usually i play sicilian.. which im good at.. but i game him a chance.. i asked him what opening he liked in e4.. he said kings gambit.. so i tried that opening.. and i lost.. the reason is that i am not good in that opening.. haha.. but look!! he won because i gave him chances! haha.. im so happy.. i was weak against fritz.. but good against human.. he trained on a chess club with an untitled player.. while i was just a biggener who has been trained by a grandmaster!! haha... thanks to gm igor's courses..i dont know why many people hated him.. :)
everything that has been written in this link (http://chessthinkingsystems2.blogspot.com/p/spasky-system-colorful-universal-style.html) is true at all..

So… there are many questions about the courses of Mr I.Smirnov and i understand that in regard of the price he ask to download his lessons, and in a certain extent, it‘s also true that the marketing-thing around his products are in my humble opinion… a little too much regarding his target audience J (I’m a marketeer)   A few words about me to set the chess-background of my following comments…  I’m a 1750 fide player, 1700 belgian national ELO, and play now in a club for 7 years.   Going from my first rating of 1300 ELO to my actual one, my biggest leap in rating was due to Mr Heisman’s recommendations that I found in his chess café articles and his book(s). I played and studied for approximately 4 years and went to 1450 ELO. Then I discovered Mr Heisman’s and I worked VERY HARD to follow his recommendations (don’t think just read it is enough) and saw my ELO going constantly up for 18 months before going a little step back and stabilize around the 1660. I didn’t played a lot last year and began to study again in September this year, playing 10 OTB slow control time games with a progression of around 45 points, breaking in the 1700+ club J   In the same period I bought Mr Smirnov course and began working on it. I didn’t found on the web any objective review of it and I decided to give it a try and judge by myself one of his “cheapest” course The Grandmaster’s secrets.   It’s really hard to tell you if my last progression is mainly due to his course or not, but it certainly helped, and in which extent is also hard to tell, a bit ? a lot ? I personally think that it has to do with a combination on factors. One of the most important being how much time do you have to put in the study of the game and studying the right topic regarding your playing strength.   In his course GM secrets, Mr Smirnov gives 5 videos lessons. For my rating, the lessons about how to prepare against tournament opponent are pointless. Because the main recommendation are to look up his games in a database ( which 1700-2000 are to be found in a good chess database ???) and then to analyse his games to point out his weaknesses and strengths, drawing at the same time his style of play.   Well, sorry, but I’m not able to point out anyone’s weaknesses / strangths at my rating level + I also have a life aside from chess, understand almost enough time to work on my own games ! J   Would be any 2200 + reading this review, then those advices could help you, but I’m sure you already know how to prepare against your next opponent. Right ?   So much for those two lesson’s, the second one being linked with your opponent preparation by giving advices about your opening selection to take benefit of his weaknesses. Proof me wrong when you want but I challenge any 1300 to let’s say 1900 change do all this work for one specific encounter, based on analyses of his opponent’s game… be my guest. I think anyone @ this rating could benefit more about working on other topics, unless they have an unlimited amount of time for studying.   The three other one’s are much more interesting. The first one gives you tips for the selection of your candidates moves, the second one is about technique to calculate tactics efficiently and the third one puts it all together by presenting you a ready to use Think process for your real games. (see more details on his site, I won’t tell you here the content of his course, not because it is worth nothing, but by respect for his work)   To be honest, much part of this all is told by Mr Heisman as well. But here, it’s done in a different way and some new stuffs are told as well. I’m convinced that working on the course would be benefic but I’m a little bit more concern to do it before Heisman for anybody below my rating. I put the lessons learned in practice in my last games, but all mixed up to with things I learned from Heisman.   For example, Mr Smirnov gives advice about your time management but in a less extended way than Heisman do. But, Heisman’s topics about pieces activity are covered in another way by Sminov, and I found that way better.   Along with the theoretical part you’ll find practical task to learn the material given in the lessons. This is a real good point that you won’t find (besides if I missed something) in Heisman’s articles. Sure he will almost always illustrate his article with some examples but then it’s up to you to collect the material to deeper your study. Once again, nothing wrong with it, but it can be time consuming.   In my eyes, this is the only point that justify that mr Smirnov charge for his courses while those from Heisman are free. (but I see recently that you have to pay now for his last artcles). By choosing for mr Smirnov lessons you got an all in one package with the theoretical lessons and the exercises that emphasize your learning of the key ideas.   Now, don’t be fooled here. You get two types of exercises, strategic ones and tactical ones. I won’t give my opinion about the strategic ones because I feel of myself that I m not sufficient good to judge them. Let’s just say that they illustrates the theoretical part of the course. But for the tactical ones, don’t expect them to be easy. So, If you are not familiar with the simplest tactical patterns Heisman recommend to know by hart first before going deeper, pass your way. But maybe not, because here you we’ll practice your way of thinking when tactical situations arises on the board, to make your way through tactical complications.   To short it a bit, let’s say both are complementary. By following Heisman advices about doing simple tactical patterns over and over again, I trained my pattern recognition. By solving way much harder tactical puzzles, you maybe won’t find the solutions, but you we’ll work on your thought process in those situations and also important, on your visualization skills working your way through the overwhelming branches of the solution. (I saw one 15 moves deep, 30 ply! Good luck to solve that one J )   I made a parallel between Heisman and Smirnov because when it come to chess self-improvement, I didn’t find anyone coming close to those 2 teachers. I don’t claim one is better than another, both has their ways and styles of teaching to the large audience. What I well want to say is that for any player between 1100 to 1700 Heisman is a sure way to go, it won’t hurt your game or your wallet to follow his advices. For people who thinks that they came at a level where they need something else than going through (WITH ALL MY RESPECT for them) games of 1500 players to improve now, then Mr Smirnov lessons are worth a try, and then judge by yourself if you can afford one of his cheapest course.   I would also like to say that I sent a few questions to the support desk of the site from Mr Smirnov. He nether answered personally, but the people working for him answered very fast. I disagreed with the answer given about a specific comment from me (lack of feedback in one particular task of the course) but by no means, all this marketing-thing around his products are synonym of swindle or intellectual fraud from their side. I don’t feel like a fool buying his product for the moment.  That’s what refrained me the most of buying any of his course, plus the fact that you find many “made” comments on the net, at least in my eyes, I don’t buy that kind of sh*t like “hey, buy his course, my rating went up 300 points in 1 month”, yeah, for sure man, and your wife left home J   Getting better ask time… and others factors are involved. I study much less now than I did when I began to play. But I still make progress because I study the right material for my level and to address my (chess) problems.   Let me say it this way : Time + efficient way of learning + best available material = progress guaranteed. I read many, many, many things written by Heisman. Not everything, plus he also have huge interesting videos on ICC… but I think I can say I have a clear idea of the content of his lessons. Smirnov is at this point only familiar to me for one course, I think I ll buy The Grandmaster Positional understanding soon, and let you know about it.   -        If you think Hesiman gives you this formula actually, stick with it. -        If you think Heisman as given you this formula but you are actually stuck, maybe it’s time for a change in your habits or training material. I don’t say you should try Mr Smirnov here, maybe getting a coach if you find one decent will do, or anything else, or maybe not J -        If you are looking to fulfill this formula and haven’t tried Heisman yet, give it a try or choose Smirnov. By choosing Smirnov you have to pay, but you also get the practical tasks you’ll have to collect the other way… -        if you began with Smirnov to follow this formula and still make progress, keep on the good job. If you’re stuck, depending your level, try Heisman.   But always remember too that everybody has different problem to address, depending on many different things. I made this leap by fixing mostly my thought process and my time management. Maybe you need something else you won’t find in Heisman or Smirnov…   I hope this comment will help… any questions are welcome J I tried to give insight at a higher level than saying “blab la bla, he is the best” “blabla bla, no, he is the best” and so on… I was looking for this type of comments before buying Smirnov course, what I didn’t found then.

It's good that you took your valuable time and posted your views. But, who would read your 1,737 words essay?

Sorry about that long post. But i wanted to be complete. Plus, yes it takes time to read but it will save your time at another point, hopefully. Does everybody wants everything instantanetly in our days ? ;)

I have used his "Openings Laboratory: Part One" and his method of writing up a short summary of key positions and ideas for each opening in my repertoire has helped me understand openings better.

I have read a few comments and came to know that there are many people who doubt the ability and level of Mr. Smirnov as a teacher.

Okay then, I have a test for you. I found this game on Igor Smirnov's website.

I believe that anyone who has studied Grandmaster's positional understanding deeply (deeply means really deep, not just watched) will have no problem finding the correct idea for white.

It's a challenge to those who think that his courses are for beginners: #46

Also to those who think that his courses are overpriced: #126

It's a special challenge to those who think that the strategic principles provided in his courses are a simple rule of thumb: #125

This game is between one of the best players of their time and anyone can find the answer by searching in any online database (and many would cheat, I know), but you not only have to tell the answer but also explain the reason of the move.

Don't think that today's top engines would let you find the correct strategic decision in this position. They are of no use here.

Those who already know the answer, whether through Smirnov's website or any other source, please do not post.

And by the way, I know the forum and most of the posts here are quite old, but, I came to know about this forum recently and for me it's new.

Can you tell us what are the four courses that you have bought?

Use paragraphs We R Pawns. Make it readable! 

It seems no one's ready to take up the challenge.

My idea for white would be to apply pressure on blacks isolated pawn in the centre.

I'd probably start with Rook to c2 preparing Rd2, so I can relieve the queen from it's duty of protecting the d-file.

I like these posts!  Okay, we have a classic e3+f2 g2 h2 tabiya against isolated d-pawn, the weak b5 hole is plugged by a pawn, I don't like that, pawn nicely blockaded by the knight, but threatened by the bishop, with black to play maybe Bxd5-exd5 mutual isolated d-pawns favor knights.  Bishop pair vs. knight pair, I want to trade off minor pieces and pressure that d-pawn. 

I'd say the position is equal, maybe slightly better for white.  Knowing that 1...Bxd5 2.exd5,Ne4 is strong for black my first candidate is 1.Nce2 opening the file for the rook while reinforcing the square in front of the isolated pawn.  What would black's plan be?  Maybe trade off lightsquared bishops or knight for lightsquared bishop leaving me weak on the light squares?  I don't see how he can viably do that anytime soon. 

f5 looks like a good square for the knight, but after Qc7 it doesn't really do much.  To avoid the knights becoming dangerous black will need to play ...g6 covering this vital square.  A defender should defend his weakest points with the bare minimum needed and no more and make sure he keeps defensive concessions to a bare minimum as well.  By itself, this weakening isn't significant enough for an advantage, but the kingside could use further work.  Principle of two weaknesses: kingside and isolated d-pawn, need to work with these for optimal winning chances. 

1.Nce2,Bxd4 2.Nxd4 is great for white, he likely won't exchange but it never hurts to see all checks, captures, and threats before proceeding.

If black shuffles around doing nothing then

1.Nce2,Kh8 2.Nf4,Kg8 3.Nf5 is quite strong, but black is in the game too and also looking for his best move. 

1.Nce2 doesn't lose material and helps transfer it to a more active square while reinforcing the d4 point in front of the isolani so pushes clock.

After Rc2-d2 black can simply play ...Ne4 and after the exchange, white didn't gain anything, moreover he helped black fix his isolated weakness and improve his light squared bishop.

If white isn't ready to exchange knights after ...Ne4, then white has lost it's control over d2 square while black has got a nice outpost. Though you were aiming for a sensible thing but, your method was wrong.