Monday, March 6 IM Valeri Lilov Gaining Momentum II (middlegame)
In the second part of IM Lilov’s lectures on gaining momentum, you will learn how to advance your play after you have already prepared your forces and taken all the right steps towards getting a better middlegame.
Tuesday, March 7 IM Bill Paschall (tactics)
Playing for a win as black at the Grandmaster level is no easy task. The fact that white is a highly aggressive player made the job easier for Ilya Smirin to win with black in this game using the Modern Defense, 1…g6 . Black gave white room to attack in a complex position,conducting himself like a bull fighter , waving the red flag. Smirin encouraged white with his hyper-modern defense, but then played an incredibly accurate game,picking up the full point when Van Foreest missed his only chance to hold.
Wednesday, March 8 FM Dennis Monokroussos Meet the 3.f3 Gruenfeld with 3…Nh5! (openings)
The young Hungarian GM Benjamin Gledura won a fantastic game last year, and his insanely clever opening idea was part of it. He didn’t invent the 3…Nh5 system, but in this game he plays this rare line to perfection. White may have a path to an edge, but it’s not obvious to someone facing this line for the first time over the board, and it’s not surprising that even a strong grandmaster like Daniele Vocaturo was unable to cope. Gledura parlayed his massive initiative into an attack, and won a great game.
Thursday, March 9 GM Eugene Perelshteyn Typical Counterplay in the Paulsen Sicilian for Black (opening, middlegame, strategy)
Do you play the Sicilian? If so, this video is a must-see! GM Perelshteyn explains all the key ideas for Black including the prophylactic …Re8 move, the importance of the e5 outpost, queen-side counter-play and many other ideas. Most importantly, remember how to stop White’s attack with a quick counter-play in the center!
Friday, March 10 GM Bryan Smith Dynamics Vs. Structure (tactics)
This game shows a clear illustration between the battle between an apparent structural weakness and short-term dynamic features.