Monday, February 27 IM Valeri Lilov Gaining Momentum I (middlegame)
The concept of gaining momentum is the most important for any middlegame strategy we choose to implement. How do we build a position strong enough to sustain our plan and bring us success? Check out IM Lilov’s new lecture to learn more!
Tuesday, February 28 GM Leonid Kritz Strategic Battle with Tactical Complications (openings, tactics)
This game is interesting from the very beginning until the end. Aronian goes for a sharp line with 7….d5 allowing White to create pressure against pawn e5, but somehow he gets it all straight and equalizes pretty easily. However, at some point Black overextends and makes some mistakes, allowing White to get a serious advantage and eventually the whole point.
Wednesday, March 1 FM Dennis Monokroussos A Great Win…Almost (tactics)
Young Hungarian GM Richard Rapport is one of the most creative and combative members of the 2700 club, capable of beating anyone on his best day. In this game he plays brilliantly with Black, outplaying world #4 Wesley So and achieving a winning position. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to bring the point home. So defended resiliently, and at a key moment (possibly in time pressure) Rapport may have thought he had a brilliant win. If so, he fell into a devious trap, and when the tactics had ended and the time control was made So wound up with a winning position. Rapport had the flashiest highlights, but So earned the full point.
Thursday, March 2 IM Bill Paschall Better To Be Lucky AND Good! (openings)
Jeffery Xiong surprises Nils Grandelious with the Qd6 variation of the Scandinavian, instead of his usual Najdorf Sicilian. Grandelious plays an interesting and aggressive setup with 5. Bg5 and 6. Qd2 and achieved a winning position, but fails in the key moment. Black counterattacks with amazing energy and coordination to win in brilliant fashion! Perhaps this new idea of Bg5 by Grandelious is a good answer against the popular Qd6 Scandinavian.
Friday, March 3 GM Bryan Smith Berg Slays the French Defense (tactics)
Here we will see a wonderfully creative game by GM Emanuel Berg, where a deeply-calculated and spectacular combination was carried out.