Monday, May 11 IM Valeri Lilov Piece Domination – Part I (middlegame)
How do you dominate your opponent’s pieces? The answer to this essential question is the core of any successful plan. IM Lilov’s suggestions can help you learn the secrets of the simple domination with your pieces!
Tuesday, May 12 IM Bill Paschall Keres Plays Black – Part 2 (openings)
Keres surprises Fischer by playing the Caro-Kann instead of the usual main line Ruy Lopez with black. Fischer never did find a suitable line against the Caro, and this game is certainly no exception. Keres exploits dark square weaknesses and a space advantage on the queenside in order to organize 2 rook lifts which serve to both defend and eventually attack Fischer on the kingside in his King’s Indian-type formation. White seemed unfamiliar and planless in the game
Wednesday, May 13 FM Dennis Monokroussos Winning in a “Drawn” Pawn Structure (endgame)
Some pawn structures are extremely solid, sometimes to the point where it seems impossible to defeat them (barring an outright blunder from one’s opponent). White’s pawn structure in this game seems to be of that sort; much of the time, White either uses his space advantage and grinds out a win or else Black neutralizes that edge and makes a draw. A black win looks almost impossible. Not so! As van Wely demonstrates against a very strong grandmaster opponent bent on chasing a draw, Black certainly can attack White’s structure. Poor Schlosser quickly finds himself scrambling to defend, and Black wins an effortless-looking game seemingly from nothing. The good news is that we can learn from van Wely’s model and win with it as well.
Thursday, May 14 IM David Vigorito Best Game Winner from 2015 US Championship (opening, middlegame)
In a topical line of the resurrected Schliemann Variation of the Ruy Lopez, Sam Shankland wins the best game prize in the US Championship.
Friday, May 15 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Wesley So’s Positional Masterpiece in the Ruy Lopez (strategy, middlegame)
Wesley So creates a positional masterpiece vs a strong GM in the Ruy Lopez. Gareev eventually runs out of moves in the middlegame and decides to open up the game. But he’s no match for So in a short tactical melee, when Wesley sacs a queen for a rook and two minor pieces!