“Castling is safe. Castle early while you still can.” Isn’t that what everyone says? Guess what – they are WRONG! Take a look at how Kasparov destroys Mephisto (the computer engine) and his castled king in this game in 1985...

One of the most difficult challenges for those who play 1.e4 is what to do after 1…e5. White’s mainstream options require deep understanding and good memory, nevertheless, Black gets solid positions in all of them. Learning tons of modern theory becomes not only difficult but also not very effective. Then why should we go for that at all?

The Art of Exchanges is one of those under-the-radar 'super skills' that all the strong players possess, and the rest doesn't quite get. It is perhaps the most important, very underestimated SKILL in chess. Few players, other than IMs and GMs realize how powerful that skill really is. Needless to say, over 95% of club players do not put much thought when it comes to exchanging their pieces or pawns. If the exchange looks "fair" or "equal" why not swap a pair of bishops, trade the knight, or few pawns?