IM Zaur Tekeyev - Author at TheChessWorld Blog
Zaur Tekeyev is an International Master rated 2425 FIDE. He is an active player, participating in tournaments all over the world.
Zaur has been coaching chess players of different ages and levels for many years.
As a player, he has won multiple tournaments, one of the best results being 1st place in the Moscow Open 2017.
Zaur is also a big online blitz player, with an online rating of over 2800. IM Tekeyev is a chess author and coach.
Chess Articles by IM Zaur Tekeyev
King’s Indian Defense: 5 Reasons to Play It in Must-Win Situations
King’s Indian Defense is an aggressive opening with a rich history. In the middle of the last century, it was popularized by great Soviet chess players such as Smyslov, Geller, Boleslavsky, Bronstein, Stein, and others. Later, it became the main weapon of the greatest chess players of all time Robert Fischer and Garry Kasparov. Chess […]Benko Gambit: 10 Reasons to Play It
Benko Gambit is quite different from usual Gambits in chess which are usually associated with ferocious attacks, mating threats, and opening traps. In Benko Gambit, Black does not get any immediate reward for the sacrificed pawn. Instead, the main idea is to clear files for their pieces for the future play on the queenside.10 Reasons Why Chess Psychology is a Must for Club Players
Many people think their results depend only on how much time they had invested in studying chess. They can learn openings, solve tactics, analyze masters’ games, and all of that is, of course, extremely useful and necessary for improvement. But many players still perform in real games worse than they should have. Quite often the […]Pattern Recognition and Calculation Skills: How to Train Them
Pattern Recognition and Calculation Skills: Everyone knows how important it is to be good at tactical play. It helps to find beautiful combinations and avoid blunders. Apart from that, excelling at tactics often helps compensate for other chess weaknesses. When you have a bad position, you can exploit the opponent’s tactical inaccuracies to eventually come […]Queen’s Gambit Declined: 10 Reasons to Play It
Queen’s Gambit Declined is one of the most classical and solid chess openings. It starts with the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 when Black strengthens the center with a pawn and prepares the development of the kingside. Later, Black can opt for different schemes of development but all of them promise stability and safety. This […]Owen’s Defense: 10 Reasons to Play It
Owen’s Defense starts with the moves 1.e4 b6 or 1.e4 e6 2.d4 b6 when Black is going to fianchetto the light-squared bishop. This is a bit slow and allows White to occupy the center but Black is hoping to attack it later with pieces and pawns. This system is not going to equalize any quickly, […]Fried Liver Attack: The Complete Guide
Fried Liver Attack is one of the oldest and at the same time most popular opening lines at the beginner level. You can see it played even by grandmasters sometimes but usually experienced players tend to avoid it as Black. Of course, it is not only because the Fried Liver Attack sounds scary (friendly internet […]Grunfeld Defense: 10 Reasons to Play It
Grunfeld Defense is one of the most dynamic and sound chess openings. It starts after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5, when Black opens files and diagonals for their pieces to target White’s center. This unusual system of development started gaining popularity in the 1920-s. It happened after Ernest Grunfeld successfully employed it […]Kalashnikov Sicilian: 10 Reasons to Play It
Kalashnikov Sicilian variation is not something you would usually hear a lot about, but it is an interesting line and quite a great practical choice for Black. It was used by La Bourdonnais against McDonnell back in 1834 but was not really popular until recent years. The reason is that similar to the Sveshnikov, it […]Najdorf Sicilian: Why You Should Play It
Najdorf Sicilian is one of the most played opening variations and is popular at all levels. The favorite of Fischer and Kasparov, it usually leads to exciting dynamic positions and suits active players’ styles. In this article we will deep dive into why you should play the Najdorf.
