New Chess Videos for March 12 – 16
Monday, March 12
IM David Vigorito Play Your Openings! | openings, middlegame
My opponent in this game seems like a common ‘customer’, but he is a master who is quite capable in the opening, so our games are usually instructive. I almost hesitate to play a complicated line that I had studied a year before, but the best way to remember your lines is to play them. The amusing middlegame features double isolated pawns for White, and triple isolated pawns for Black. The resulting position was fun to play, and testing these lines over the board helps one’s confidence and ability.
Tuesday, March 13
IM Bill Paschall Interesting Struggles from Aeroflot 2018, Part 2 | Openings, Middlegame
Facing a young and talented opponent, Grandmaster Korobov offers to leave theory with the obscure 4.Bd2 against the Grunfeld. The game however, transposes back to a popular system featuring very sharp play and often times opposite side castling. Black weakens his kingside with the dubious 12…h6 , a theoretical lemon. Korobov pulls off a very nice and classic Grunfeld exchange sacrifice and takes control. The only question as to the safety of the white king is answered by the correct result of this entertaining game.
Wednesday, March 14
FM Dennis Monokroussos A Model Catalan | Strategy, Tactics
Sometimes the greats make it look easy. (Alas, it’s not.) Facing the strong Russian GM Dmitrij Jakovenko, Levon Aronian essayed the super-solid line of the Open Catalan with 8.a4, a handy line for White when he wants to play without taking any risks at all. (Black can play sharper lines on the preceding moves, though, so don’t assume the Catalan automatically guarantees a quiet life.) White’s play was very logical and direct, and without making any obvious errors Jakovenko quickly found himself in a worse, maybe even lost ending after missing a very subtle equalizer on move 25. See for yourself, and if you play either side of the Open Catalan this is a game you should know.
Thursday, March 15
GM Leonid Kritz Carlsen’s Master Class: How to Play Against the IQP | Strategy, Endgame
An textbook example by Carlsen of how to play against an isolated pawn. First, he completely eliminates any counterplay from Black, then gets space and favorable pawn structure, and finally opens the position to get a much better endgame. And all of that happens in a blitz game – really impressive!
Friday, March 16
GM Eugene Perelshteyn Best of the PROChess League 2018: Shabalov’s Instructive Exchange Sacrifice | Strategy
How do you play against a lower player? GM Shabalov shows you the way! The recipe is easy: surprise him in the opening, undermine the center, and of course sacrifice the exchange! Watch and learn how easy it is!