Monday, September 22 IM Valeri Lilov Planning by Najdorf (strategy)
Most chess players know GM Najdorf for the excellent opening he has developed. Yet he has been one of the greatest masters of planning for his time and learning from him is always a privilege!
Tuesday, September 23 IM Bill Paschall This Bird’s Can’t Fly (openings, middlegame)
Wednesday, September 24 IM Dennis Monokroussos Caruana Shows the Timing’s Off Svidler’s Taimanov (openings)
Fabiano Caruana recently became the seventh player in chess history to officially achieve a 2800 rating, and it’s great games like this that show why he’s there. His opening preparation is very deep, and once it’s over he proves adept at playing both a wild middlegame and the technical endgame phase as well. In addition to his all-around skill as a player, he is resilient and consistent, and not afraid of anyone in chess – not even Magnus Carlsen, whom he has thrice defeated since 2012. Unseating Carlsen will be a difficult task for any challenger, but Caruana looks as likely as anyone in the chess world to do so.
Thursday, September 25 GM Leonid Kritz Unfortunate compensation (openings, tactics)
A very tough opening as well as tactical fight. It is unclear whose preparation turned out to be better, but it looked like white has an excellent compensation for the sacrificed pawn. There was no obvious way to a win, however, and so, slowly, step by step, Kramnik allowed Grischuk to overtake the initiative and convert it into a full point. The game is interesting to analyze because of its nonstandard development.
Friday, September 26 GM Bryan Smith Battle for Space in the Middlegame (middlegame, strategy)
The control of space is a very important factor leading to success in chess. In this video, GM Bryan Smith examines the battle for control of squares in the context of a game from a recent tournament, the Washington International.