Monday, March 16
IM Bill Paschall – The Genius of Leonid Stein, Part 5
Stein, like his many of his Soviet GM contemporaries, excelled in King’s Indian type positions. The long list of these masters includes Geller, Boleslavsky, Petrosian, and goes on and on. Perhaps we should point to the plan of 13.Nb3!, which attempts to induce c4 as influenced by Rubinstein in the beginning of the 20th century. Stein was in his element both strategically and tactically in this thrashing of Sokolsky. Black’s decision to surrender his white squared bishop for the b3 knight was artificial at best, and the break against the strong-point on e5 seemed anti-positional.
Tuesday, March 16
GM Eugene Perelshteyn – The Power of an Outpost: the Octopus Knight!
In this game, Black plays a somewhat old but solid like of the Ruy Lopez, the Steinitz Deferred variation. He seems to be doing everything right by trading minor pieces in a cramped position. But a single move allows White to seize the light squares with a key outpost. Once the Octopus Knight is planted, White executes a very simple endgame plan. Black is totally hopeless and has to wait and suffer. The lesson: beware of the Octopus Knights!
Wednesday, March 16
FM Dennis Monokroussos – Attack Until You Lose
If one must err, it’s generally better to do so on the side of confidence and aggression. Generally, but not always. Case in point, this fascinating Bundesliga battle between Tamir Nabaty and Richard Rapport. Nabaty kept going forward, trying to make things happen, and as Rapport hadn’t done anything to justify Nabaty’s aggression the Israeli GM’s position deteriorated bit by bit. He was given a chance to survive when Rapport executed the right idea in the wrong order, but rather than grasping his chance Nabaty rolled the dice again, and lost, quickly. The game is a salutary reminder that wanting to attack doesn’t mean that one’s attack will succeed or be justified. Sometimes we’re just committing suicide, and that’s not a good idea!
Thursday, March 16
GM Nadya Kosintseva – How to Meet Popular Gambits in the Italian Game
In this lecture we will go over the two branches of the Italian game when White sacrifices a pawn after the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 in order to win extra time for his pieces in the beginning of the game. In one of them, White first castles the king (4.0-0) and then after Black moves the king side knight out (4…Nf6), White plays 5.d4 without any additional preparation. The idea behind it is either to get control over the e5-square or get a bishop pair with a potential attack on the king side. The sacrifice should not hurt Black if he knows the typical tricks White applies; by playing correctly, Black can end up with more than equality out of the opening. In another gambit, so called Giuoco Piano system, White starts with 4.c3 to play 5.d4 right after Black’s 4…Nf6. The positions that arise as a result of sacrificing can be very sharp, so if Black goes into them he should be prepared and learn some forcing lines that are not always very logical. Black should be ready to give some material back and avoid too passive a defense.
Friday, March 16
GM Robert Hungaski – Magnus Meets the Fried Liver Attack
In this video we’ll be examining the game that allowed Magnus Carlsen to break the current record for the longest unbeaten streak (previously held by Sergei Tiviakov at 110 games!). Moreover, it will give us an opportunity to examine a variation that has always fascinated me, the Fried Liver Attack against the Two Knights Defense!