Monday, January 22 IM Valeri Lilov Positional Sacrifice Sequence (middlegame)
Making a positional sacrifice may seem easy, though it always proves a difficult job for the attacking player. One reason is because the positional sacrifice does not bring any immediate tactics. Another is the fact that we have to follow our blind intuition to manage the different threats against the opponent. Either way, we need to know how pressure works, so your sacrifice can become successful.
Tuesday, January 23 IM Bill Paschall Steinitz-style Italian Game in the 21st Century (openings, tactics)
The Italian game has risen in popularity as the Spanish declines due to the Berlin Defense. In this amazing retro Italian game from the 2017-18 Bundesliga, the young Polish GM Duda plays in 19th century style. White simply does not castle and begins a kingside attack with 11.g4!? Although white’s plan may be objectively dubious , such a strong grandmaster as Pavel Eljanov could not hold off the offensive after white white dramatically sacrificed a piece in the opening.
Wednesday, January 24 FM Dennis Monokroussos A Dangerous Sac in the Karpov Variation of the Nimzo-Indian (tactics)
The Karpov Variation of the Nimzo-Indian (which can also arise through the Panov-Botvinnik Attack in the Caro-Kann) has been deeply explored, but this game displays an interesting new idea very early in the variation. In a variation that has arisen almost 3000 times in the databases, and a position that has arisen almost 100 times, White played a novelty, sacrificing a knight for a pawn and good attacking chances. While the sac appears to be good for no more than equality, Black must play very accurately to avoid serious trouble. In this game, Black did – whether as a result of doing his homework brilliantly or playing extremely high-level chess – and it was White who went astray and lost. Nevertheless, not all of us will play as well as Lalith Babu, so it’s a game worth studying. (And entertaining, too.)
Thursday, January 25 IM David Vigorito Outpreparing a Super-GM in a Specialty Opening
IM (now GM) Mackenzie Molner plays his favorite Pirc Defense against the strong GM Darmen Sadvakasov. It turns out that ‘Mac’ is better prepared than his esteemed opponent in the sharpest lines of this ‘inferior’ opening. This game shows that if you believe in your openings and prepare them well, you can score well.
Friday, January 26 GM Bryan Smith Carlsen in the Open, Part 4 (strategy, tactics)
In part 4 of the series on Magnus Carlsen’s games from the Isle of Man Open, we look at his instructive and purely positional demolition of the very strong Pavel Eljanov with the black pieces.