New Lectures December 30 – January 3
This week we have lectures on middlegame, endgame, strategy and tactics. All of these lectures are intermediate. We thank FM Dennis Monokroussos and IM Bill Paschall for summaries of their lectures this week.
This Week’s Lectures
Dec 30 IM Valeri Lilov How to Exploit a Better Development (Intermediate, Strategy)
Dec 31 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Strategic Battle in the English: Accumulation of Small Advantages (Intermediate, Middlegame, Strategy)
Jan 1 FM Dennis Monokroussos The Hanging Pawns Horror Show (Intermediate, Endgame, Strategy)
Sometimes “hanging pawns” – a pawn island consisting of two adjacent pawns – can be very effective. White pawns on c4 and d4, for example, control a lot of central and near-central squares, while even step-laddered pawns on c3 and d4 can be effective if they keep the center stable while White builds a kingside attack as in a typical isolated d-pawn setting. On the other hand, hanging pawns (e.g) on c3 and d4 can be terribly weak when White has no attack. Then Black can blockade them and use all the weak light squares, notably d5 and c4. That’s what we’ll see in this game, which is a salutary warning to lovers of the hanging pawns that if you don’t have an attack or if it isn’t good enough, your reward can be a strategically lost position.
Jan 2 IM Bill Paschall Polgar Punishes with the Panov (Intermediate, Middlegame, Tactics )
Judit Polgar displays the classic type of game typical for a strong attacking player seeking an open game in the Panov Caro-Kann. White keeps the lines open while using the isolated d-pawn as an influence in the center. Polgar then induces weaknesses in the opponents kingside and pounces at the right moment. An absolute must see game for those interested in the Caro-Kann or any isolated queen pawn positions.
Jan 3 LM Dana Mackenzie An Offer That Should Have Been Refused? (Intermediate, Middlegame, Tactics, Strategy)