Monday, March 28 IM Valeri Lilov Quiet Moves (middlegame)
Have you ever been carried along in the flow of an attack, relentlessly striking at your opponent, but finding that you are missing just one little thing? Maybe you should stop and think about it, and you may find a quiet move in the position. The quiet moves are the most difficult. The flashy sacrifices and bold attacks that fill chess columns and magazines are a relatively easy part of technique compared with finding the right moves when there are no tactical solutions.
Tuesday, March 29 IM Bill Paschall The Genius of Michael Adams Part 5 (middlegame, tactics)
This gem features a classic Adams attack with White in the Sicilian Defense . Adams’ king is completely safe , whilst it’s counterpart come under a sacrificial attack. Unlike, many players who insist on opposite side castling in the Sicilian, Mickey manages to whip up attacks with little or no risk to his own king. Black wasted some time with the maneuver Na5 and back to c6 in the late opening. This enabled Adams to get in a favorable e5, and the strong sacrificial attack that followed it with 22.f5
Wednesday, March 30 FM Dennis Monokroussos Outfoxing Najdorf Players with 2.Nc3 and 3.Nge2 (openings, opening traps)
When White meets the Sicilian with 2.Nc3 it might mean that he wants to play the Closed Sicilian or the Grand Prix Attack, but there’s a third possibility: it might be a move-order trick aimed at those who prefer certain sorts of Sicilian lines, especially the Najdorf. In this recent game from the Challengers’ event in Wijk aan Zee Jorden Van Foreest played 2.Nc3 d6 3.Nge2 against the Sicilian, and Sam Sevian’s attempts to maintain a Najdorf-style position backfired horribly. He was probably lost within ten moves, and this despite playing all natural and sensible-looking moves. This is an opening trap worth attending to, especially if you’re a Najdorf player!
Thursday, March 31 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Testing a New Idea in the Queen’s Indian Defense (openings, tactics)
Can you play a relatively new idea on move 5 in a position with over 6,000 games? The answer is yes! Watch and learn how to make QID more dynamic with 5…g6!? White reacts well to the new move, but misses an important idea and finds himself struggling for a plan.
Friday, April 1 GM Bryan Smith The Dazzling Tactics of Alekhine (openings)