Articles

In the opening, many different moves are possible. You cannot memorize them all, but you can learn the opening systems you would like to play. An opening system is a specific type or style of opening, and the ideas and the strategies that go with it. Each opening system has its own typical moves and […]

Now that you know about strong pawns and weak pawns, you are ready to learn about pawn advances and pawn exchanges. The pawn structure changes every time you or the opponent moves or captures a pawn. Naturally, you want the changes to be in your favor, not in the opponent’s favor. Always consider the changes […]

Strong Pawns Pawns that work well together are called strong pawns. They are hard to attack and easy to defend. You should try to make your pawns strong, and try not to make the opponent’s pawns strong. Strong pawns usually become stronger in the endgame.

I have outlined in the Chess Training Program Outline (for up to 2100 ELO) that tactics is an important part of the chess player’s preparation and it is recommended to practice it on regular basis (our program recommends 20 hours of tactics training). I also published various chess tactics studies which should help sharpen your […]

There are three things you should try not to do in the opening. They will hurt your game rather than help it. There are some exceptions, but generally these are mistakes you should avoid.

Today’s article is somewhat a continuation of the last week’s chess saga about finding strengths and weaknesses of your chess. We will talk about developing a chess study program that would suits individual needs for players it’s designed for. What is the most important in the chess program? Of course it needs to be effective, […]

Opening pawn centers arise as both players develop their pieces and fight for control of the center. The center pawns form a framework or structure around which the pieces move. It is important to understand the different types of pawn centers that can occur, and how to play them. The pawn center determines the style […]

The topic of today discussion is endgames. I know most chess players don’t like studying endgames. They spend all their dedicated chess time memorizing 10th and 11th moves of one of the lines in Closed Sicilian or some other opening.Then, after losing the game, after game after game, they are very disappointed and say something […]

Pawn Maneuvers Pawns are the weakest pieces on the chess board. They are slow moving and unable to retreat because they cannot move backward. They can be easy to attack and difficult to defend. It is no wonder that many beginners completely ignore their pawns and concentrate on their more valuable pieces. Yet, pawns are […]

Many people ask me over and over again how to improve their chess game. I have written multiple articles on this theme including How to get better at chess: guide for all levels and Chess self improvement guide (if you haven’t yet, you may read them as well). Today I will give you some practical […]