Monday, December 11 IM Bill Paschall Euro Team Gems 2017, Part 2 (opening, tactics)
During the 2017 European Team Championship, Shakriyar Mamedyarov reached number 2 in the world according to FIDE ratings. In round 5, against the Czech Republic, Shak uses a rare line against the Queen’s Gambit Accepted based on some obscure correspondence games. Navara and Mamadyarov both make some small mistakes in the opening, but finally Navara errs tactically and leaves white with a serious initiative.
Tuesday, December 12 IM David Vigorito A Devious and Deep Opening Trap (tactics)
This game contains a beautiful trap that I discovered myself playing blitz. there is nothing new under the sun, so when I checked the line I found that it had been played before. I decided to look at it deeply, because it is quite beautiful. the shot that Black finds in this game looks crushing, and in practice Black has won all of the games very quickly, but I did find an amazing resource for White that puts up a lot of tactical resistance, although even here Black can gain the upper hand with creative play. I think this trap is a real treat!
Wednesday, December 13 FM Dennis Monokroussos The Collapsing Center (tactics)
Last time we saw Ding Liren playing almost super-human chess; this time we see that he is indeed human, like all of us – even his conqueror in this game Magnus Carlsen. Ding plays aggressively, and it seems to be justified as the center seems stable. The emphasis in both cases is on the word “seems”: Carlsen does a great job of blowing up the center, demonstrating that the stability of White’s position is an illusion. It’s a good model for all of us illustrating the need for the aggressor to make sure that the center really is under control.
Thursday, December 14 GM Nadya Kosintseva Attack at the Strongest Point (tactics)
Often there are situations when you don’t consider certain moves just because the opponent’s pieces control certain parts of the board, or more specifically, certain squares. For example, if Black has pawns standing on e6 and c6 it is difficult to put a piece on d5. However, often such moves are possible and can quickly decide the result of the game. So, again, try not to rely on general understanding – be creative and always consider the unique characteristics of each position.
Friday, December 15 GM Bryan Smith Carlsen in the Open, Part 1 (openings, strategy, tactics)
With this video, GM Bryan Smith begins a new series, covering World Champion Magnus Carlsen’s games from the Isle of Man Open. In this series, we get to see how Carlsen deals with a variety of opponents, from amateur level players, to average grandmasters, to super-grandmasters. To begin with, we see his round one win against Bardur Birkisson.