New Chess Videos for February 8 – 12
Monday, February 8 GM Nadya Kosintseva QGD Ragozin Defense, Part 7: Classical, But Not Boring Bd3, Part 1 (openings)
After Bg5 and e3 White develops the bishop on d3, it provokes Black to play c5-c4 and close the pawn structure in the center. In the first part we analyze what happens if after White’s Bf5 and then Black’s g6 moves, White gives up the white-squared bishop for the knight on d7 and starts to prepare a break in the center – e3-e4. Black should choose the right order of moves depending on an opponent’s actions and find evidence that the counter play on the queen side is enough to neutralize the White’s activity in the center.
Tuesday, February 9 IM Bill Paschall Steinitzian Classics Part 3 (openings)
A brilliant game by Steinitz both strategically and tactically. White essays the gambit which would later bear his name in the Vienna Opening. In the middlegame, black is completely outplayed from a strategic perspective and later demolished with a series of tactical blows. Black never really had a chance after chasing ghosts and misplaying the opening, where he wrongly gives up his white squared bishop and faces a daunting weakness on the f5 square and along the entire f-file. Notable is the vitality of the uncastled white king due to white’s superior central control.
Wednesday, February 10 FM Dennis Monokroussos Remembering Reti, Part 4: The Mature Rubinstein, Part 2 (openings, tactics)
Richard Reti won a slew of brilliant games in the great New York 1924 tournament using the opening that bears his name, and here we’ll look at the game that won him the tournament’s first brilliancy prize. Interestingly, his treatment got an assist from the world champion, Jose Capablanca (whom Reti defeated in the tournament, with the Reti!), whose suggestion turned the game into a favorable Catalan (another opening that was receiving its birth around that time, thanks to another hypermodern great: Savielly Tartakower). This short game shows how a positional advantage can quickly pay off tactically as the position opens up.
Thursday, February 11 IM David Vigorito Inside Coverage of the USCL 2015 – part 19
Friday, February 12 GM Bryan Smith The Fierce MacCutcheon, Part 4 (tactics)
The obvious move 6.Bh4 is not so common, but something that has been tried more often at a higher level recently, and also a move which amateur players might see. Here Hikaru Nakamura shows the way.