Monday, May 27
IM Bill Paschall – Great Matchups: Smyslov vs Botvinnik, Part 2 | Opening, Tactics
A classic battle between two enduring World Champions. Botvinnik later claimed he was suspicious that his preparation has been leaked by his team. Smyslov quickly uncorked a very strong temporary piece sacrifice on with 11…exd4! and Black created a dynamic imbalance. In reality, it seems that White’s position is fine with rational analysis and there have been subsequent games in this line, notably Yusupov vs Kasparov 1992, which also was decided in Black’s favor. It seems Botvinnik lost his concentration and was unable to play at his best after the surprise in the opening. The game ends in a beautiful win for Vassily Smyslov!
Tuesday, May 28
FM Dennis Monokroussos – A Difficult Rook and 3 Pawns vs. Rook and 2 Pawns Ending, Episode 2 | Endgame
From the same tournament as the Mamedyarov-Navara game – and in fact settled while that video was being recorded(!) – another ending with the same material, again with all the pawns on the kingside but distributed in a non-stereotyped way, arose. This fascinating endgame took place in two acts. In act 1, Ding Liren tried to make something of his extra pawn, and Veselin Topalov’s shaky defense allowed the game to transform itself into a pawnless ending of rook vs. knight. Normally that’s a trivial draw, but Topalov’s position was precarious and required some accuracy. Ding kept the pressure on him, and he finally snapped. Ding made one subsequent error that gave Topalov a chance to save himself, but he missed it and the Chinese super-GM converted the advantage. It was a very impressive win for Ding, who managed to squeeze something out of practically nothing, and the game was tremendously instructive for us. Have a look!
Wednesday, May 29
GM Eugene Perelshteyn – A Flash of Genius from the Young Kramnik: Win Right Out of the Opening with No Prep! | Opening, Tactics
What happens when Kramnik’s laptop breaks down? A stroke of genius – and one of the world’s top GM goes down in flames! Learn a new concept by attacking your opponent in his stronghold in the center!
Thursday, May 30
GM Nadya Kosintseva – Facing the Maroczy Bind in the Accelerated Dragon, Part 3 | Stategy
“White Keeps All Minor Pieces on the Board.” In the last part of the series, we will consider the system when White removes his centralized d4-knight to c2 in order to avoid trades and keep more pieces on the board. As for me, it is the best choice for White, after which the price of every move increases for Black. His main counter play will be aimed at the queen side – specifically pawn play with b5. We will learn different tactical tricks and strategic maneuvers for Black that can allow him to get more room – either forcing some trades or breaking through with pawn advances. If Black is prepared, he has good chances to overcome White’s pressure and get counter play.
Friday, May 31
IM Valeri Lilov – Carlsen’s Dominative Secret | Strategy
Ever wonder how Carlsen builds up his positions until all the power is there and all he needs is a small push to bring it all down on his opponents? Well, check out IM Lilov’s video to find out his real secret!