I recently read a thread where someone asked the age old question whether to play 1. e4 or 1. d4. Personally, I have wrestled with this question time in and time out because being the ambitious chess player I was, I wanted to play the opening that...
There are many different openings out there, each with its own different variations and plans. There are the highly theoretical openings such as the Sicilian Najdorf, King's Indian, Winawer French, etc. that offer excellent attacking chances but r...
So you're having opening problems right? There is that one opening that has been bugging you, disrupting your ability to finish strong in a tournament or beat that rival that has stolen the last 4 games in a row from you. Well that is in fact some...
There is obviously much debate about who the greatest players of all time are. Some say it is Bobby Fischer because he simply dominated an era of competitive chess. Others say it is Mikhail Botvinnik because of his ability to make a plan in any po...
Many up and coming players who learn the game of chess learn effectively how to play against isolated pawns. They learn things such as to blockade the pawn with their knight, and to pile up their rooks on the weak pawn, until the pawn collapses fr...
People always seem to be asking how to prepare. They ponder over what books or DVDs to buy, what openings to study, or perhaps, which endgames are worth having down. Many of these resources are useful for the advanced player, but for the up and co...
When people talk about improving in chess they, for some reason, always seem to focus on memorizing more opening variations or playing more games online to develop board awareness. Sure, all of these things will help you improve in their own ways,...
At the core of every opening out there is the famous main line. Often times, positions arising from a variety of openings can point back to the roots of the main lines of those openings. As such, it is important that anyone looking to take up an o...
In chess, there are many openings out there to choose from. Of course, some are better than others. But they all have the ability to bring you great success over the board. That being said, it is vital to choose 1 or 2 systems against everything, ...
In chess, experience often plays a major role in who will win particular games. When one person has a lot of experience playing a certain opening, and enters a familiar position, they are inherently going to play that position much better than eve...
Many people seem to become frustrated from the types of positions they get into. They play certain openings to increase their chances of getting into more dynamic or more positional positions that suit their styles. When this works, they are happy...
Many people often believe that playing against chess computers is counterproductive for two reasons. They believe that playing against computers is a waste of time because the result is an inevitable loss for the human player. The second thing the...
Having played chess for a while, I have had many experiences with the game. In the fight to become a better player, I have also had my fair share of experiences that I feel my chess career would not be complete without. There is a famous saying ab...
Albert Einstein was once quoted for stating the idea that one cannot make the same mistakes and expect different results. In order to become a better chess player, it is vital for you to analyze your past games, and learn from your past ...
I often hear people describe 1. e4 as an opening with incredible attacking opportunities. To a certain degree, this is true, however, that description alone does not encompass the full nature of 1. e4. Rather, 1. e4 is an opening that is highly de...
Some of the greatest chess players in history have become better players through their heavy exploration of openings and endgames. However, a key factor of the game that many players often discredit is the state of the player in the game. The key ...
