Daily Archives: March 17, 2014

Monday, March 17, IM Valeri Lilov A GM Approach to the Middlegame (Middlegame, Strategy)
The lecture provides some important ideas on how Grandmasters approach the middlegame and planning. Learn by following the play of the great masters!

Tuesday, March 18, IM Bill Paschall A Problem for White in the English Flohr-Mikenas Variation (Openings, Middlegame)

Wednesday, March 19, FM Dennis Monokroussos The Queen’s Gambit and Friends, Part 2: Dynamics Beat Statics (Openings, Tactics)
The game we’ll look at was a Queen’s Indian, but there are such strong Queen’s Gambit motifs (e.g. the hanging pawns and the way both sides developed their pieces) that a careful look at this game will help us better understand the Queen’s Gambit. As in the game featured in part 1, White hoped to enjoy a long-term plus based on the static features of the position, but a pawn sac created a dynamism that White was unable to cope with. Akopian never managed to resolve the shaky situation of his king, and it finally cost him the game.

Thursday, March 20, GM Eugene Perelshteyn Teaching a Young Star a Lesson or Two in the Exchange Slav (Strategy, Tactics, Opening)
White completely outplays the young star, IM Sam Sevian using the classical approach and c5 outpost in the Exchange Slav. Tha game is very instructive from both strategy and tactics, as White needs to find the finishing blow to open up the enemy king. The rest is just massacre.

Friday, March 21 LM Dana Mackenzie The Mike Splane Question (Middlegame, Strategy)

Two Knights Defense by LM Dana Mackenzie

Recommended for Intermediate Players

Bronstein once suggested that the term “defense” does not fit this strategy, and suggested the name “Chigorin Counterattack” as this line is adopted as Black by many aggressive players including Chigorin and Keres. Here Dana takes you through the strategy and how it plays out in real games.

Content: 3 hours and 9 minutes of instruction and analysis in a series of 4 lectures.

Members of ChessLecture.com rated this series a 3.75 out of 5

Fans on Chesslecture.com said: A terrific lecture! When you see games like these you understand that chess is still an art rather than a skill!

LM Dr. Dana Mackenzie is a USCF Life Master, a PhD mathematician, and an award-winning mathematics and science journalist and author. LM Dana Mackenzie started playing tournament chess during the “Fischer boom” of 1971-72 and never quit. Champion of North Carolina in 1985 & 1987, and became a master in 1988. Mackenzie now lives in Santa Cruz, CA and runs a chess club for kids at the local library. His passion for chess and his enthusiasm for teaching is unmistakable.