Monday, September 26 IM Valeri Lilov Pressure and Trades (strategy, middlegame)
Inducing pressure through exchanges is a tough job. One of the reasons if the difficulty to evaluate all the resulting imbalances that come with the exchange. In his new lecture, IM Lilov will teach you how to decide on keeping the pressure and when you should trade pieces in such positions.
Tuesday, September 27 IM Bill Paschall Avoiding the Berlin Defense : Classic Games, Part 6 (opening, strategy)
GM Naiditch uses an older variation played by legends Duras and Bronstein with 5.c4 . This positional line allows white to gain a space advantage and channel positions into lines more similar to the King’s Indian Defense. White uses pawn structure concepts very well in this game and also exploits weaknesses in the Black king position. Of particular note is white’s use of the move 20. a4 , shutting down any counterplay black might have on the queenside. Zaja was given some counter chances, but missed his tactical opportunity. Although 5.c4 is objectively not dangerous, it may lead the Black player into structures where he is not comfortable, and therefore remain a practical choice for White.
Wednesday, September 28 FM Dennis Monokroussos A Typical Battle Over White’s Center in the Gruenfeld (opening, tactics)
Leonid Shamkovich was a Russian grandmaster who came to the USA in the 1970s, while John Fedorowicz is an American grandmaster who was still an international master at the time of this game. With White in a Gruenfeld Fedorowicz built up a big pawn center, and as one expects from this opening Black set siege to it. It was a classic, thematic battle, and the result of this spectacular game…is something you’ll see in the video.
Thursay, September 29 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Accelerated Dragon Repertoire: How To Avoid Smith-Morra Gambit (opening, endgame)
Friday, September 30 GM Bryan Smith A Scheme in the Reti (tactics)
The defense against the Reti involving an early …d5 and …Bg4 is considered to be very solid. Here, however, GM Bryan Smith shows a good method of combating it.