Dawn Novarina

Monday, September 22 IM Valeri Lilov Planning by Najdorf (strategy)
Most chess players know GM Najdorf for the excellent opening he has developed. Yet he has been one of the greatest masters of planning for his time and learning from him is always a privilege!

Tuesday, September 23 IM Bill Paschall This Bird’s Can’t Fly (openings, middlegame)

Wednesday, September 24 IM Dennis Monokroussos Caruana Shows the Timing’s Off Svidler’s Taimanov (openings)
Fabiano Caruana recently became the seventh player in chess history to officially achieve a 2800 rating, and it’s great games like this that show why he’s there. His opening preparation is very deep, and once it’s over he proves adept at playing both a wild middlegame and the technical endgame phase as well. In addition to his all-around skill as a player, he is resilient and consistent, and not afraid of anyone in chess – not even Magnus Carlsen, whom he has thrice defeated since 2012. Unseating Carlsen will be a difficult task for any challenger, but Caruana looks as likely as anyone in the chess world to do so.

Thursday, September 25 GM Leonid Kritz Unfortunate compensation (openings, tactics)
A very tough opening as well as tactical fight. It is unclear whose preparation turned out to be better, but it looked like white has an excellent compensation for the sacrificed pawn. There was no obvious way to a win, however, and so, slowly, step by step, Kramnik allowed Grischuk to overtake the initiative and convert it into a full point. The game is interesting to analyze because of its nonstandard development.

Friday, September 26 GM Bryan Smith Battle for Space in the Middlegame (middlegame, strategy)
The control of space is a very important factor leading to success in chess. In this video, GM Bryan Smith examines the battle for control of squares in the context of a game from a recent tournament, the Washington International.

Monday, September 15 IM Valeri Lilov Smyslov’s Endgame (strategy, endgame)
Vassily Smyslov was one of the greatest chess players of all time. He was also popular for his magnificent endgame technique and brilliant understanding of quiet positions. Let us learn from one of the greatest endgame players of all time!

Tuesday, September 16 IM Bill Paschall  A Nimzovichian Struggle from the 2014 Olympiad (openings, middlegame, strategy)
GM Bruzon gives another dazzling positional performance a la Nimzovich. This Sicilian has the flavor of a French and any master with an appreciation for blockade and the fundamental Nimzovichian principles will be happy that the tradition lives on with some younger masters of the 21st century!

Wednesday, September 17 FM Dennis Monokroussos A Wild King’s Indian at the Tromso Olympiad (tactics, endgame)
Last time we looked at some miniatures from the Tromso Olympiad, games in which things went terribly wrong for one side or the other. This time we’ll take a look at some of the best chess on the planet, a battle between two of the best players of our time slugging it out in a wild battle. There are sacrifices and combinations and traps and all manner of complicated tactics, and when the battle finally resolves into an endgame it too is sharp and full of interesting moments. The game wasn’t perfect, but it was well-played and enormously entertaining. See for yourself!

Thursday, September 18 GM Leonid Kritz Storm of Exotic Ideas (tactics, endgame)
This is a game that has a lot of cool ideas in it, starting from the very beginning. The rook endgame is a good example for everybody to study because it looked like Ivanchuk was pretty easily winning by bringing his rook behind the a-pawn, but then he missed this opportunity and ended up sharing the point.

Friday, September 19 IM David Vigorito On the Road Again Part 1 (openings, endgames, tactics)

Monday, September 8 IM Valeri Lilov Typical Mistakes in the Attack (openings, middlegame)
Often chess players need to follow an attack. The problem is that they make mistakes and often get confused on how to balance the positional preparation and tactical combinations. Learn how to plan your attacks better in this lecture!

Tuesday, September 9 IM Bill Paschall Bolt from the Blue in the Sicilian (openings, tactics)
GM Jobava plays a very rare variation of the Sicilian against the well prepared GM Sutovsky. Jobava plays the unnatural retreat 8…Be6, instead of the normal move 8…e6 which would leave white with a small but lasting advantage. In the game, black’s development is hampered and he falls victim to a sacrificial shot 17. Nd6+ !! The attack that follows hinges on Sutovsky’s followup idea of 19. e6 !! which was surely overlooked by Black!

Wednesday, September 10 FM Dennis Monokroussos Olympic Miniatures (tactics)
The Chess Olympics brings together practically all of the world’s best players every two years, and many more grandmasters besides. Some fantastic chess is played there, but with so many players involved – including a fair number of amateurs as well, representing countries with nascent chess programs – some short and even embarrassing games are played as well. This time around we’ll take a look at three very short games, averaging a total of 12 moves each. The games are amusing, yes, and can cheer us up when we remember our own foibles, but they are also instructive. Have a look, and let’s learn from others’ errors and not just our own.

Thursday, September 11 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Learning Patient Position Play from a Youngster! (middlegame, tactics)
White chooses a solid Exchange Slav in order to outplay his younger opponent using position nuances. However, the youngster shows patience and positional understanding beyond his age! Watch and learn how Black finds all the best defensive moves and then goes on the offensive. White has to scramble and find a creative way to draw.

Friday, September 12 GM Bryan Smith A Complicated Endgame by Alekhine (endgame)
In this video, GM Bryan Smith shows a game between Alekhine and Tartakower, where we encounter both psychological considerations involving playing with a stronger or weaker opponent as well as some intricate and brilliant calculation.

Monday, August 25 IM Valeri Lilov Kramnik’s Endgame Superiority (strategy, endgame)
Most chess players have heard about the brilliant positional and endgame technique of the 14th World Champion Vladimir Kramnik. What was his secret? Following the right principles or planning? Learn more in IM Valeri Lilov’s lecture!

Tuesday, August 26 IM David Vigorito Winning Ugly Openings (openings, tactics)
In this game I get a big advantage against a master and promptly hang a whole piece! The game is instructive however as I consider the psychology of both my and my opponent’s situation. Eventually I build up so much compensation that even the computer favors White with a piece less even though there are no immediate threats.

Wednesday, August 27 FM Dennis Monokroussos Knight of the Living Dead
Just because a piece is on the board doesn’t mean it’s useful, and in this noteworthy game by chess legend Garry Kasparov it is Alexei Shirov’s knight on b7 that becomes an exemplar of the living dead. It’s still on the board, but it is so cut off from the action that it’s only slightly more functional than a captured piece. Ironically, Shirov’s first attempt to bring it back into the action (or rather, to start doing so) wound up giving White a winning edge, though Black was on the precipice already. Kasparov’s idea was a great one both in its particulars and as a general idea, one that we ought to keep in mind for ourselves. Sometimes the best thing we can do is not something positive for our own pieces, but something “negative”; namely, keeping the enemy pieces shut out of the game.

Thursday, August 28 LM Dana Mackenzie Checkmate in the Endgame, Part 1 (endgame)
Checkmate comes up surprisingly often as a theme in complex (i.e., multi-piece or queen) endgames. Usually it is not an end in itself, as in the middle game, but a strategic device that is used to force concessions from the opponent. In this exquisite example, Alexei Shirov sacrifices three pawns (even four in one variation!) to create piece activity and mate threats. This game also shows that when you have an active king versus your opponent’s passive king, it can almost be like having an extra piece

Friday, August 29 GM Bryan Smith How the Closed Position Opens (middlegame, strategy, endgame)
In this middlegame video, GM Bryan Smith shows how to calculate and evaluate the various ways of opening up a closed position – one of the fundamental skills of play in the middlegame.

IM Valeri Lilov Center vs. Active Pieces (strategy, annotated games)
What is more relevant: Get a better piece coordination or gain space by controlling the center? This key question is quite complex as both of these are quite important, each in its specific way. Find out how to evaluate them in IM Lilov’s lecture!

IM Bill Paschall A New Concept Against the Slav: Sidelines (openings, strategy)
In part two of this series, IM Paschall rounds out his interesting line against the Slav with the sidelines against the Paschall-Teglas Gambit (4.Qc2) where black declines to keep the offered pawn. The play is not as sharp as in part one, but white must be prepared for the various continuations which black can try.

FM Dennis Monokroussos Blitz Miniatures from Dubai: Black Wins (tactics)
Every now and then it’s fun to see great players lose quickly. It’s not so much the schadenfreude, though that’s part of the story, but it’s encouraging in several ways. We see that they’re human too, so we’re better able to forgive our own follies while realizing that under the right conditions, we might be able to beat much stronger players. Errare humanum est! Further, when an elite player loses quickly the cause is often instructive and worthy of our attention. Finally, these games are simply entertaining. Enjoy!

GM Eugene Perelshteyn Instructive Game in the Nimzo Qc2: How to Neutralize the Bishop Pair
In a rare Nimzo Qc2 line, Black goes for the Bogo-like plan of trading his dark square bishop on c3, followed by d6, e5 push. White gets the bishop pair and space, while Black uses quick development to execute a King’s Indian …f5 push. Watch how the battle unfolds with a key maneuver to neutralize the bishop pair: Nd7-b6-a4!

IM David Vigorito Can’t Take Anyone Too Lightly (openings, endgame)
One must play well to win, even against a much lower rated player. In this game I have White against a player a few hundred points lower rated and I quickly find myself in a position that requires a lot of precision just to keep the game alive. It is important to recognize certain critical moments before they pass by. As always, the details are very important.

Monday, August 11 IM David Vigorito Beating the Berlin (openings, tactics, endgame)
In this game Magnus Carlsen suffers his first loss as World Champion. Few have been willing to take him on in the notorious Berlin endgame, but Caruana is confident and takes advantage of the champ’s careless play and brings home the point with careful technique.

Tuesday, August 12, IM Bill Paschall A New Concept Against the Slav: The Teglas/Paschall Gambit (openings, strategy)
In this lecture, Part 1, IM Paschall introduces a new Gambit Concept for use against the ever popular Slav Defense.

Wednesday, August 13 FM Dennis Monokroussos Blitz Miniatures from Dubai: White Wins (tactics)
Every now and then it’s fun to see great players lose quickly. It’s not so much the schadenfreude, though that’s part of the story, but it’s encouraging in several ways. We see that they’re human too, so we’re better able to forgive our own follies while realizing that under the right conditions, we might be able to beat much stronger players. Errare humanum est! Further, when an elite player loses quickly the cause is often instructive and worthy of our attention. Finally, these games are simply entertaining. Enjoy!

Thursday, August 14 GM Leonid Kritz  A Game That Determined the Super Tournament Winner

Friday, August 15 GM Eugene Perelshteyn  Thematic Maroczy Bind Endgame: How to Use the c5 Outpost (endgame)
Instructive way to handle the Maroczy bind endgame. Watch how Black takes advantage of the output of c5 to fix White’s pawn structure on the kingside. Then, with a quick switch to the f4 output, Black starts the attack on the kingside. Well played game but spoiler alert…Black missed a key move and threw away the win at the end!

Monday, Sept 1 IM Valeri Lilov Development vs. Material (openings, middlegame) What is more important: Getting a faster development or winning material? This question is very basic and yet, answering it isn’t simple. Find out the answer by checking IM Lilov’s new lecture!

Tuesday, Sept. 2 IM Bill Paschall An Instructive Grunfeld from Biel (middlegame)

Wednesday, Sept. 3 FM Dennis Monokroussos Battle of Imbalances (strategy) Much of positional play is about imbalances, and in this game they were present in spades. Yannick Pelletier had two knights against two bishops, and had a damaged pawn structure as well. On the other hand, he enjoyed significant pluses both in space and development. As a result, Black needed to play quietly for a while, aiming to keep things under control. This may seem strange, as most of us have imbibed the notion that bishops want an open board while knights want things closed. Ultimately, that’s true, but just because it’s the aim it doesn’t mean that the side with bishops should open the board no matter what. In this game Yusupov opened the position too fast, and as a result his sufferings were increased – and without obtaining any counterplay to compensate. Pelletier won in good style, and his knights were the dominant pieces!

Thursday, Sept. 4 LM Dana Mackenzie Checkmate in the Endgame Part 2 (endgame) In a tense, multiple-piece endgame, Black “plays for three results” — that is, trying to win but at the cost of risking a draw or loss — with catastrophic results. Applebaum, as White, plays a couple of ingenious moves to set up a mating net, while Black (Mackenzie) — who could have escaped — seems unaware of the danger until too late.

Friday, Sept. 5 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Positional Squeeze vs. the Pirc Defense (openings, strategy) Instructive way to handle the annoying Pirc. Key ideas to remember: 1) Meet …a6 or …c6 with a4! 2) Secure e3 square with an early h3 3) Always take on e5 to block the g7 bishop.

Monday, July 28 IM Valeri Lilov The Advantage of Fast Development (strategy, openings)
Many chess players know that fast development is essential for a solid opening and good start for the middlegame. The question asked is just one: Why is it so important to develop fast? Answering that question is the key to unlocking the secrets of the successful opening play. Let us dig into this direction and improve your understanding of opening play.

Tuesday, July 29 IM Bill Paschall A Creative Nimzo by Karjakin (openings, tactics)
Karjakin gets creative with Black in a fairly rare line of the Nimzo. The move 8.b4 by GM Milov is uncommon in the Reshevsky variation , and Karjakin uses the classic Queen’s Gambit plan of b5 , and Nb6 to c4 to create a monster knight within the white position. Milov hesitates in the opening and is unable to achieve the classic plan of f3 and e4 with the central pawn majority. With White’s play stopped in its tracks, Karjakin turns the game into a King’s Indian, and with his dark squared bishop still on the board, conducts a decisive attack on the white king. Not your typical Nimzo-Indian !

Wednesday, July 30 FM Dennis Monokroussos How to Exploit Weak Squares (openings)
Most of us are familiar with ready-made holes, like the d5 square in the Najdorf Sicilian, but sometimes one must create such holes seemingly from scratch. That’s what Dutch great Jan Timman does in this game, and he offers a positional master class. First he creates the hole, then he makes sure his opponent can’t fill it, and then finally he occupies and uses it on the way to winning a positional masterpiece.

Thursday, July 31 IM David Vigorito The World Champion Falls to the King’s Indian (opening, strategy)
Carlsen plays his “customer” Radjabov and goes for a rather quiet line in the King’s Indian. It is Black, however, who has a better grasp of the King’s Indian’s subtleties. Carlsen gets a little too creative and Radjabov takes what he is given and finishes off the champ very efficiently.

Friday, August 1 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Grudge Match vs. Macieja in the Advanced Caro-Kann” (endgame)
White chooses the aggressive Short system to take revenge for the previous loss against Macieja (see previous lecture “Spectacular Queen Sac for Domination”). However, Black is up to the challenge and finds a way to simplify intro an instructive R+N vs R+B endgame. Clearly White’s bishop is better, but the tide turns and he finds himself defending. Watch and learn not to repeat the same mistakes!

Monday, July 14 IM Valeri Lilov Karpov’s Approach to Weaknesses (strategy, middlegame) One of the greatest players of all time is the 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov. He was undoubtedly the greatest positional player for his time and one of the greatest technical players of all time. The secret behind many of Karpov’s victories lies within his strong ability to accurately find and attack weaknesses in his opponent’s position.

Tuesday, July 15 IM Bill Paschall A Smashing Sicilian! (tactics)

Wednesday, July 16 FM Dennis Monokroussos The Frenchman’s Attack Defeats the English (openings) Luxembourg GM Alberto David played an interesting sideline of the English, using an early b4. Sometimes this can save time, but sometimes – as in this game – it can end up being a loss of time if White must spend tempi defending the prematurely developed pawn. The game remained equal for quite a while, but when David underestimated super-GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s attacking potential for just a single move, he paid a heavy price. The young Frenchman won with a beautiful attack that seemed to come out of nowhere, and reminds us that if we’re pressing for an initiative on the opposite side of the board from where our king is, bad things can happen if we’re not careful!

Thursday, July 17 IM David Vigorito Opening Trends: Five Openings in One (openings) A new trend that is being seen at high level is a harmless-looking setup with e3 and Be2. White’s idea is essentially an Anti-Grunfeld, but the game can quickly turn into a Benoni, a Benko, a King’s Indian, or even a French of sorts! In this game Black scores a notable upset with a direct attack. White avoids getting mated, but he gets bound hand and foot.

Friday, July 18 GM Eugene Perelshteyn On the Ropes Against the Super-Strong Youngster (middlegame, tactics, strategy) Black finds himself on the ropes against the soon-to-be GM, Jeffrey Xiong, after getting on the worse side of the reversed Benoni structure. Watch and learn how the youngster attacks the GM with vigor after g4! Black missed a brilliant defensive idea and was closing to losing. However, White missed a beautiful tactic to finish off the game and allowed Black in the game with an exchange sac. The resulting endgame is a well-known theoretical draw, K+B vs K+R.  Just remember the rightcorner!