Monday, November 27 IM David Vigorito Endgame Trifecta (endgame)
In this game I am faced with the unpleasant task of holding an endgame that I have won myself many times before – rook + opposite colored bishop. First I show a couple of short snippets from my own practice, before showing how difficult it can be to hold such and endgame. I face several challenges and then, when the draw was finally there for the taking, I stumbled at the last hurdle. Let go of what you’ve been taught about the drawish nature of opposite colored bishops!
Tuesday, November 28 IM Bill Paschall An Attacking gem from the European Club Cup 2017 (opening, tactics)
Facing a capable opponent , the rising Russian star Fedoseev plays 1…g6. Using hypermodern systems is a good way to ensure a complicated game and Black does his best to keep pieces on the board and play for a win. Lagarde does not seek exchanges, but fails to coordinate well or find any serious threats and soon falls into a classic King’s Indian type situation where White is on the defensive. Black finishes the game with an elegant sacrificial series of moves.
Wednesday, November 29 FM Dennis Monokroussos Improving the Worst-Placed Piece (tactics)
Aron Nimzowitsch and Akiba Rubinstein were two of the greatest players of the first third of the 20th century. Not only were they great players, they made great contributions to our understanding of the game. In this game – one that used to be very well-known – it was Nimzowitsch whose ideas shone more brightly. A wag once wrote that positional play is what to do when there’s nothing to do, and Nimzowitsch found a terrific idea in just such a position. It’s unlikely that we’ll be able to replicate his maneuver, but the principles behind it and the impetus that allowed him to discover are available to us as well.
Thursday, November 30 GM Nadya Kosintseva Creativity in the Process of Calculation, Or Why It’s Important to Keep Track of the Entire Board (tactics)
This lecture contains multiple examples that illustrate how important it is to have an overview of the whole board. Even though the attack is supposed to occur on one side, the introductory move often happens on the other side of the board. To be able to find such moves, it is important to be creative and think outside the box.
Friday, December 1 GM Bryan Smith 6.h3 Against the Najdorf, Part 4 (tactics)
In Part 4 of the series, GM Smith shows another game with the white pieces in the 6…e5 7.Nde2 h5 line. Black’s opening inaccuracy gives White a very good position, but it is the long combination later in the game which makes it special.