Light Knights

Dear Chess Friends! You know chess players say “The best defense is attack” and I absolutely agree with this statement! This is one of the most effective responds when you are under the attack! This is how you may impose your playing style on your opponent and probably force him to make a mistake. Such a situation (when you yourself are under attack, but would like to start your own attack) is called Counter-Attack! And this is what I decided to devote my next webinar! I’m glad to welcome y...

Light Knights has a new match for those rated under 1300: https://www.chess.com/club/matches/light-knights/1211244. 

One more reminder of this match: https://www.chess.com/club/matches/light-knights/1206530. Starts in just a few hours.  

Dear Chess Friends! What if you can’t come up with a plan in a closed and complicated position? In such a case you may just improve your worst piece and try to disrupt your opponent’s plan. Or you may initiate the attack on the kingside! Do you think you don’t have enough material advantage on that side of the board? Let’s use the Edge Pawn to undermine enemy king’s pawn cover! This is a typical strategy that grandmasters apply in their games and it’s time for you to learn such a secret wea...

Dear Chess Friends! It's very often when your opponent takes a certain important square under their control, but then forgets about this square considering that it belonging to them! However, an attack of such square is a common practice in chess games. You can attack this spot directly or prepare a tactical strike. Sometimes, you can even locate your piece there and it won’t be hanging. That’s why, it's quite important to not lose the concentration by the end of the game and pay attention ...

Dear Chess Friends! It's a common practice when amateurs and sometimes even club players blunder pieces and pawns or overlook tactical strikes. But what if the position is complicated with almost no tactical resources? How to outplay in such a case? You should weaken enemy pawn structure, create weaknesses and attack them with your pieces with two ideas: to gain them or just to tie enemy pieces down to these weaknesses. Sounds like a good plan? Exactly! But players usually struggle with it ...

Dear Chess Friends! How often do you pass the game into the endgame? I have to play the endgame in 70% of all my games. In other 30%, I finish the game in the middlegame with a tactical combination or a strong attack and gain extra material. Do you know how to play the endgames properly? When teaching my students, I faced that many of them don’t understand the principles of playing endgames and that’s why they choose wrong directions for future actions. For example, a kingside attack instea...

Dear Chess Friends! Usually, amateurs prefer to simplify the position and exchange pieces, while professional players enjoy complicated positions with hanging pieces and tons of potential tactical strikes. Why? Such positions provide both players with a lot of opportunities and a stronger player is likely to demonstrate his tactical and calculation skills and win because of it. I should also mention that much depends on the player’s style. If he is good in positional play, planning and unde...

This match: https://www.chess.com/club/matches/light-knights/1195918 starts on January 17th. Right now, we are so heavily outrated that we have 1300 and 1400 rated players going against 1800s.   The match is for those rated under 2000.  We need your help. Thank you.