Chess Lectures

Monday, June 5 IM Valeri Lilov Crushing the Sicilian (openings, strategy)
The Sicilian Defense is arguably the most popular opening in chess. Playing against it could prove to be a difficult task for the unprepared chess player. In this video, IM Valeri Lilov provides a strategic approach to handling the Sicilian from the white side.

Tuesday, June 6 IM Bill Paschall Lecture Learning from My Losses 2017, Part 2 (openings, middlegame)
One of the most important ways of improving is by the study of your own games. IM William Paschall is seeking to improve his own game and give you analytical insights by going over a recent loss in a GM-norm tournament. In addition to uncovering our mistakes, we must understand the psychological factors that lead us to defeat.

Wednesday, June 7 FM Dennis Monokroussos Something New and Crazy in the Najdorf (openings)
It wasn’t that long ago that White’s 6th move options against the Najdorf could fit on one hand: 6.Bg5, 6.Bc4, and 6.Be2, with an occasional 6.h3 or 6.f4. Then the Byrne Attack came on the scene (6.Be3/6.f3), sucking almost all the air out of theory for other moves. But in the last few years, the choices have proliferated: 6.g3, 6.Rg1, 6.a4, 6.Nb3, 6.Qf3, 6.Bd3, 6.a3, and now…6.h4. It’s almost brand new territory, and in today’s game it was clear that the players were feeling their way, somewhat unsure of what to do. So here’s your chance to get on the cutting edge, and shock your local Najdorf player with a crazy new option.

Thursday, June 8 GM Eugene Perelshteyn What Happens When Your Winning Plans Get Derailed (openings, middlegame, endgame)
It’s easy to play when you think you have an overwhelming position.  But what happens when things get complicated?  It’s very easy to go wrong.  Watch and learn how GM Perelshteyn makes one mistake in a winning position and has to fight back!  The game becomes very tense and complex.

Friday, June 9 GM Bryan Smith Beating the Alekhine Defense, Part 3 – the New Main Line (tactics)
In Part 3, GM Smith shows how to meet the popular Miles System, 4…dxe5 5.Nxe5 c6.

Monday, May 29 IM Valeri Lilov Punishing a Bad Opening (opening, middlegame)
What do you do when your opponent plays a bad opening? Most players try to punish him right away with some early and unprepared attacks, while others rely on a simple approach to finish their development faster. The best approach stands somewhere in the middle. Let Valeri Lilov teach you more in this lecture.

Tuesay, May 30 IM Bill Paschall Lecture Learning from My Losses 2017, Part 2 (middlegame, strategy)
One of the most important ways to improve at chess is to analyze your own games, and perhaps one’s losses are the most instructive of all. IM Paschall takes a deep look at a game he lost in a recent event. In this video not only moves and ideas, but psychological factors are considered as well.

Wednesday, May 31 FM Dennis Monokroussos A Finesse for Black in the London System (strategy, tactics)
I’ve covered the London System in a number of shows, and in most of them I’ve shown neat finesses that White has used to cause Black some problems. In this video it’s Black who gets the helping hand, thanks to Levon Aronian. Black’s 6th move looks docile at first sight, but it is motivated by a couple of subtle ideas that appear to give Black full equality. In this variation, the ball is back in White’s court.

Thursday, June 1 GM Leonid Kritz A Crazy Najdorf (tactics)
This is a very interesting game in the Najdorf Variation. White chose a line with h3 and seemed to have lost a move time in a very sharp position. However, after 16.b4!?!?! the game gets totally out of control and we witness fire on the board, with many mistakes on both sides – a game in which the winner is the one who does not make the last mistake.

Friday, June 2 GM Bryan Smith Beating the Alekhine Defense, Part 2 – The Old Main Line (tactics)
In Part 2 of his series on the Alekhine Defense, Bryan Smith shows how to meet the old main line, 4…Bg4 followed by 5…e6.

Monday, May 22 IM Valeri Lilov Structural Domination (strategy, middlegame)
In this lecture, IM Lilov explores the key values of structure and restriction. These two concepts are very closely related to each other as a good pawn and piece structure guarantees a space command and limitations over the opponent.

Tuesday, May 23 IM Bill Paschall The Reemergence of Aronian (opening, strategy)
Levon Aronian has come tantalizingly close to the very top of the chess world in the 21st century. He clearly has the talent to be a challenger for the World Championship , but he has faltered in the important Candidates tournaments. Could this great master be on the verge of a breakthrough? In the 2017 Grenke Chess Classic, Levon dominated the event ahead of Magnus Carlsen. Is this event and the following game proof he has what it takes?

Wednesday, May 24 FM Dennis Monokroussos Fool Me Once, Shame On Me; Fool Me Twice… (opening traps)
It’s best to learn from others’ mistakes, but sometimes we have to learn from our own errors instead. Sometimes, though, we don’t even manage to do that, even if we are one of the very best chess players in the world. That’s what happened to the great Akiba Rubinstein, who fell for a certain trick in a 1928 game against Max Euwe, and then made the same type of error in a very similar position just 18 months later against Alexander Alekhine. Let’s learn two lessons from these games: first, to avoid the trap (or to alertly catch our opponents in it); secondly, to pay attention to our errors so we don’t repeat them!

Thursday, May 25 IM David Vigorito Nakamura Nails the Hammer (opening, strategy)
Facing Nakamura’s sharp King’s Indian Defense, Jon Ludwig Hammer goes for a quiet line which was recommended in a popular repertoire book. Nakamura has a nice little novelty prepared. Hammer goes for what looks like a safe, symmetrical position, but as if by magic the Black position expands and sweeps away his opponent.

Friday, May 26 GM Nadya Kosintseva The Spectacular Tactics of Wilhelm Steinitz (tactics)
In this lecture, I would like you to watch one of the most brilliant games of Wilhelm Steinitz, who was the first official World Chess Champion. It was played 5 years before his death and considered to be one of the brightest achievements by Steinitz as a tactician. This game is a must-see classic due to its well-calculated and spectacular mating combination – after which his opponent “is reported to have made no comment but to have put on his hat and quietly walked home…”.

Monday, May 15 IM Valeri Lilov Initiative and Pressure (strategy)
The concepts of initiative and pressure are well known and appreciated by all experienced players. In fact, most strong players understand the keys to an effective attack by combining these two in their planning. In this lecture, IM Lilov is going to shed some new light in how these two principles work together effectively.

Tuesday, May 16 IM Bill Paschall The Young Nimzovich, Part 2 (middlegame, endgame)
The young Nimzovich shows a very mature understanding , playing in this case 1.d4 just as well as his usual King’s Pawn game. The main impression is of a player with a modern understanding of the opening, and possessing tremendous endgame technique. Here he dispatches the experienced veteran and World Championship challenger Chigorin quite handily.

Wednesday, May 17 FM Dennis Monokroussos When Grandmasters are Underdogs (tactics)
Alexander Tolush (1910-1969) was a fine player in his own right – a grandmaster and one of Boris Spassky’s mentors on the latter’s way to the world championship. But compared to a legend like Mikhail Botvinnik, Tolush was very much an underdog this 1944 game against the “Patriarch” of Soviet chess. Sometimes underdogs play scared or at least with “proper” respect and reverence. Tolush did no such thing in this game, staying true to his sharp, swashbuckling style, and he defeated his great opponent in a wild, imperfect game. Both sides made mistakes, but as Tolush managed to drag Botvinnik into the kind of messy position he (Tolush) thrived on, it gave him his best chance to win, and he did.

Thursday, May 18 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Cool Tactics in the Maroczy Bind Endgame 9.Bg5 (openings)
Are you an Accelerated Dragon player and dreading facing the Maroczy Bind? Then watch this video with exciting original analysis by GM Perelshteyn. Don’t be afraid of sacrificing the pawn on e7! As a matter-of-fact White has to play only moves to stay in the game!

Friday, May 19 GM Bryan Smith Beating the Alekhine Defense, Part 1 – Alburt Variation (tactics)
This four part series shows how to fight against the tricky Alekhine Defense using the classical 4.Nf3 move. Part one deals with how to meet the variation with 4…g6, which was made popular by Alekhine Defense legends such as Lev Alburt.

Monday, May 8 IM Valeri Lilov Punishing Bad Development (middlegame)
We have all had moments where we see the opponent delaying his development and yet, we are not certain how to exploit it. Punishing bad development is a matter of crafting the best strategies and knowing the right principles to do so. Let IM Valeri Lilov teach you more in this lecture.

Tuesday, May 9 IM Bill Paschall The Young Nimzovich, Part 1 (middlegame, strategy)
The young Nimzovich shows both talent and inexperience in this early game. He draws from great creativity, playing in modern style in the opening and with original maneuvers in the middlegame. Despite showing some signs of immaturity at this stage, a win against Schlechter at age 21 is truly impressive.

Wednesday, May 10 FM Dennis Monokroussos A Wild Najdorf in the PRO League Quarterfinals (tactics)
Black doesn’t go allow the English Attack against the Najdorf/Scheveningen Sicilian very often in recent years, and it’s games like this that illustrate why. While it was ostensibly Yaroslav Zherebukh who was better prepared, playing something new on move 16, it was Ray Robson who wound up with the advantage. Robson made a couple of inaccuracies along the way, but his powerful and imaginative attacking play still overwhelmed poor Zherebukh, who may have forgotten that it’s easier to attack in chess than to defend. Defensive technique has gotten much better over the generations, but in a game/15 event like this one simply doesn’t have the time to put out all the fires, and Robson won convincingly. It’s a very fine win for White, especially given the time control!

Thursday, May 11 GM Leonid Kritz Important Ideas In A Popular Theoretical Position (strategy)
The position after move 10 has been played many times at the highest level, and still Black finds new ways how not to equalize. This game has certain theoretical importance, and besides it is very interesting from the strategic point of view and shows the strength of a passed pawn in the center.

Friday, May 12 GM Nadya Kosintseva How To Avoid A Long Theoretical Discussion In The French Winawer (openings)
In this lecture, I introduce to you the positional system that can be used for the white side to reduce the burden of memorization in one of the most principled variations of the French Defense while keeping a tough, interesting game. The Winawer variation, that starts with 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4, is a very sharp opening that requires a bunch of theoretical knowledge and precise analyses if it goes to the mail line of 4.e5 c5 5.a3. At the same time, if you are looking for repertoire options to avoid learning lots of theory and going into a competition of computer’s moves, you may be interested to practice a lesser known path of 5.Bd2, that sufficiently reduces the amount of theory needed and focuses on understanding ideas and principles of chess.

Monday, May 1 IM Valeri Lilov The Structure of Attack (middlegame, strategy)
The structure to any attack is a widely-discussed topic that most chess players don’t fully understand. They know the importance of it, but how it actually works and what makes a good structure that leads to a successful attack often remains a mystery. In this video, IM Valeri Lilov provides an answer to that question.

Tuesday, May 2 IM Bill Paschall Beating the Trompowski : A Practical Example (opening, strategy)
IM Paschall presents a modern example of his anti-tromp lines previously recommended here at chesslecture. In this example , a strong grandmaster is effortlessly derailed in the 2..d5 line of the Trompowsky. It seems that no advantage is possible for white after 2…d5 and Black can easily win in this opening if White is too ambitious or reckless , as was the case here.

Wednesday, May 3 FM Dennis Monokroussos Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good Chess Players? (tactics)
Wei Yi is one of the strongest and most promising chess players in the world, but his resume did nothing to help him avoid losing in just 19 moves to an IM. How in the world did this happen? Watch the video, and you’ll see not just what happened over the board, but also what happened at a more fundamental level and what we can do to avoid getting upset when we’re big favorites in a given game.

Thursday, May 4 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Intro to Tunnel Calculation Approach – Calculate like Tal! (middlegame, tactics)
Ever wonder what is the secret behind top notch calculation? GM Perelshteyn introduces a new concept called Tunnel Calculation approach. Don’t get side-tracked with tons of variations and side-lines, just focus on the main line and calculate as deep as you can along the forcing moves! Try this approach and play like Tal!

Friday, May 5 GM Bryan Smith Carlsen Wins Out Of Nothing (endgame)
A pure minor piece endgame where White has the two bishops turns surprisingly dangerous when Magnus Carlsen foresees the hidden river of forks that is coming.

Monday, April 24 IM Valeri Lilov Piece Potential and Attacks (middlegame, strategy)
The most important characteristic of a strong attack is the good piece coordination. Essentially, it is the pieces that can pose problems to our opponent and make attacking in the long run possible. How do Grandmasters approach it? Check IM Lilov’s lecture to learn more!

Tuesday, April 25 IM Bill Paschall Essential Strategic Concepts, Part 5 – The Power of Blockade (strategy, openings)
The concept of blockade is not limited to defense. In the following masterpiece, Nimzovich illustrates the latent attacking possibilities linked to this strategic concept. The immobilization of black’s central pawns sets up a decisive and explosive undermining of his position.

Wednesday, April 26 FM Dennis Monokroussos Shirov Sets Smyslov’s Anti-Grünfeld System Ablaze (openings, strategy)
For those who like a big pawn center against the Grünfeld but hate all the theory of the main lines, Smyslov’s system with 5.Bd2 may be the way to go. It’s a little more solid than the main lines with 5.e4, but there’s still plenty of life to it, and the theoretical burden is far more manageable. Best of all, if Black doesn’t play sufficiently purposeful chess in reply he can get mauled by straightforward attacking play, as Shirov demonstrated. A moment of Shirov’s tactical brilliance was needed to finish the job, but even so it’s a system we can all use and which places a heavier burden on Black than on White.

Thursday, April 27 IM David Vigorito The Dzindzi Indian Repertoire IV (openings, strategy)
A modern example of the Dzindzi Indian from my practice. Black’s play is definitely risky, but when you want to win with Black sometimes you have to take chances. We also see how a Karpov game in the Nimzo-Indian influenced my play.

Friday, April 28 GM Nadya Kosintseva Non-Standard Exchanges in Chess (middlegame, strategy)
In a game between two world champions, Bobby Fischer trades a beautifully outposted knight for Tigran Petrosian’s slightly bad bishop – not an obvious choice, but in fact, he has traded one kind of advantage for another, opening a path to victory against an otherwise defensible position. In a super-GM battle, Mickey Adams surprisingly gives up his powerful fianchettoed bishop to impose a structural weakness in Veselin Topalov’s position. And in our third example, Topalov plays the weird-looking move … Ng4 – but he is about to demonstrate the lesson he learned in the loss to Adams from the previous example! Based on these examples, my advice to you is: Please be critical when you play the game, don’t take anything for granted, and just keep in mind that to every rule in chess there is an exception, and sometimes this exception can just make new rules.

Monday, April 17 IM David Vigorito The Dzindzi Indian Repertoire III (openings, strategy)
This game is an English Opening and colors are reversed, but it is related to the Dzindzi Indian repertoire. A good strategy is shown for playing against the doubled pawns in this type of structure.

Tuesday, April 18 IM Bill Paschall Essential Strategic Concepts, Part 4 The Principle of Two Weaknesses (strategy, middlegame)
In this Trompowski, White loses his advantage quickly and ends up facing a slightly worse ending. In order to solve his problems quickly, FM Mihok plays for tricks and tries to get black to go into an ending a pawn up that white can draw easily. Instead, Black puts white in a permanent pin from which there is no escape. The key for Black is to create a second weakness in order to win the game!

Wednesday, April 19 FM Dennis Monokroussos Busting a Najdorf Sideline (openings)
While many openings are forgiving when it comes to inaccuracies, the 6.Bg5 Najdorf is not one of them. Black’s opening experiment with 6…b5 may seem logical, as it’s a move Black often makes in the Najdorf. It prepares …Bb7, semi-threatens …b4, and stops Bc4 – all good points. And yet, two moves later Black was in trouble, three moves later he was losing or nearly losing, and after four moves resignation wouldn’t have been out of the question. Discovering why 6…b5 was such an unforgiving mistake is instructive, and can help those who play either side of the Najdorf or the Classical Sicilian to understand those lines better.

Thursday, April 20 GM Leonid Kritz How to Play Against Hanging Pawns (tactics)
This is a typical example of a game in which Black overestimated his chances and played too aggressively in the opening. Instead of 12….c5 he should choose a more solid way of playing. It looked like Black is getting some counterplay, but in reality the pawns in the center turned out to be weak and Mamedyarov showed very well how to play against them.

Friday, April 21 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Understanding QGD Carlsbad: Prophylactic Thinking in the Middlegame (opening, middlegame, tactics)
What do tactical tricks and mysterious rook moves have in common? Prophylactic thinking of course! Watch and learn a high-level game where prophylactic thinking dominates the middlegame decisions of both players. Nice bonus at the end: can you find a beautiful tactic for White?

Monday, April 10 IM Valeri Lilov Analyse Your Own Games (strategy)
Many players realize the importance of analyzing their own games as a tool to understand the mistakes and key weaknesses in their play. It is however, not so well known how to do it successfully. What are the core mistakes in our games and how to avoid them? Check out IM Lilov’s video to learn more!

Tuesday, April 11 IM Bill Paschall Essential Strategic Concepts, Part 3 – Playing Against the Isolated Queen Pawn (strategy, middlegame)
World Champion Karpov essays his favorite Tarrasch Variation against the French Defense and a classic isolated queen pawn or IQP position is reached. Karpov blockades the black pawn on d5 and then works to trade his “bad” dark squared bishop for Black’s “good” bishop. Eventually Karpov exchanges his structural advantage for activity and eventually prevails in an epic game against the strong French Defense expert Uhlmann.

Wednesday, April 12 FM Dennis Monokroussos Who is Reti to fight for the d4 square? (tactics)
When Black meets the Reti with 2…d4 3.e3 Nc6 a battle over the d4 square is in prospect. If White wins it, he’ll have an edge, but thanks to Black’s nice plan on moves 7-10 he won that battle instead. White was left with a hole on d4 and a backward pawn on d3, and Black did a great job of suffocating White’s position in the remaining moves, almost winning a miniature.

Thursday, April 13 GM Nadya Kosintseva Tactical Motif of Rook Sacrifice at the Corner of the Board (tactics)
Some experts suggest that solving puzzles is the best form of study for the purpose of improving tactical skills in chess. But for me, it only attacks the problem from one dimension. You can solve a variety of chess puzzles, but if you do it chaotically it will not really help you to recognize a tactical pattern in a real game. Personally, I believe that systematization of tactical patterns and creating one’s own classifications of chess combinations can seriously improve one’s technique of calculation. Thus, in this lecture I am going to show you how the separation of the tactical motif of rook sacrifice at the corner of the board from other types of sacrifice helped me to be more precise in the process of calculation.

Friday, April 14 GM Eugene Perelshteyn How to Win in Chess Using Understanding Alone (opening, middlegame, endgame)
What do you need to win in modern chess? A killer novelty? Amazing calculation skills? Not necessary! As the big Vlad shows you in this game, understanding alone is sufficient to win a game! Watch and learn how easily he beats a solid GM with simple concepts where at most he had to calculate 3 moves deep! Understanding still matters!

Monday, April 3 IM David Vigorito The Dzindzi Indian Repertoire II (opening, tactics)
In the midst of a bad tournament, I try the Dzindzi Indian against a strong GM and former US Champion. Alburt scores a brilliant win with a queen sacrifice – but do not lose hope, as there are several ways to improve Black’s play.

Tuesday, April 4 IM Bill Paschall Essential Strategic Concepts, Part 2 – Strongpoint! (strategy)
Nimzovich gives a master class, highlighting some of his most beloved concepts. In this game we see ideas such as the strong point, blockade and centralization. Black violated one of Nimzo’s most cherished principles, attacking the head of white’s pawn chain, or strong point at e5. The black king was never entirely safe in this game due to the powerful central positions held by the white knights. Black’s bishops could never reach their full potential against the master of blockade.

Wednesday, April 5 IM Valeri Lilov Grow a Space Advantage (middlegame, strategy)
Having a space advantage a sensible feeling of domination when we achieve it. The question is: How do we grow that advantage to the point of creating enough threats and eventually inflicting damage to our opponent’s position? IM Lilov will try to answer this question in this video!

Thursday, April 6 GM Eugene Perelshteyn What Happens When Your Opponent Plays for a Draw from Move One… (strategy, endgame)
We all have faced opponents who just like to trade pieces and make a draw. Watch and learn how to use it to your advantage! Remember that with every trade your opponent may give you a concession. In this example, GM Perelshteyn shows how a good bishop can outplay a knight in a seemingly equal position. Learn the powerful endgame techniques along the way!

Friday, April 7 GM Bryan Smith Sadistic Maneuvering In The Spanish
GM Michael Adams gives a great demonstration of the so-called ‘Spanish Torture’ in this game.