Monday, September 8 IM Valeri Lilov Typical Mistakes in the Attack (openings, middlegame)
Often chess players need to follow an attack. The problem is that they make mistakes and often get confused on how to balance the positional preparation and tactical combinations. Learn how to plan your attacks better in this lecture!
Tuesday, September 9 IM Bill Paschall Bolt from the Blue in the Sicilian (openings, tactics)
GM Jobava plays a very rare variation of the Sicilian against the well prepared GM Sutovsky. Jobava plays the unnatural retreat 8…Be6, instead of the normal move 8…e6 which would leave white with a small but lasting advantage. In the game, black’s development is hampered and he falls victim to a sacrificial shot 17. Nd6+ !! The attack that follows hinges on Sutovsky’s followup idea of 19. e6 !! which was surely overlooked by Black!
Wednesday, September 10 FM Dennis Monokroussos Olympic Miniatures (tactics)
The Chess Olympics brings together practically all of the world’s best players every two years, and many more grandmasters besides. Some fantastic chess is played there, but with so many players involved – including a fair number of amateurs as well, representing countries with nascent chess programs – some short and even embarrassing games are played as well. This time around we’ll take a look at three very short games, averaging a total of 12 moves each. The games are amusing, yes, and can cheer us up when we remember our own foibles, but they are also instructive. Have a look, and let’s learn from others’ errors and not just our own.
Thursday, September 11 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Learning Patient Position Play from a Youngster! (middlegame, tactics)
White chooses a solid Exchange Slav in order to outplay his younger opponent using position nuances. However, the youngster shows patience and positional understanding beyond his age! Watch and learn how Black finds all the best defensive moves and then goes on the offensive. White has to scramble and find a creative way to draw.
Friday, September 12 GM Bryan Smith A Complicated Endgame by Alekhine (endgame)
In this video, GM Bryan Smith shows a game between Alekhine and Tartakower, where we encounter both psychological considerations involving playing with a stronger or weaker opponent as well as some intricate and brilliant calculation.