General Information
Improving at chess takes a lot of hard work and dedication. You have to give it some daily time, even if it is only one hour a day. However, you have to be constant and fully concentrated on your training. It is important to analyze your weaknesses (and be fair to yourself here) and then […]
Nowadays it is obviously very important to know theory and get out of this phase with some slight advantage or at least an equal, playable position. However, besides learning your lines well, it is useful to know how to play common structures and patterns that arise from different openings. Knowing the plans and the ideas […]
Mistakes are part of the learning process, they say. We have to go wrong in order to get better. However, it is safe to say that in chess everybody prefers to avoid mistakes, or at least make as little as possible. It can be frustrating to see how a good game turns into a nightmare […]
Defense is perhaps one of the most important chess skills you can have. World Championships and major tournaments are always won with a help of outstanding defense. Ability to play well in inferior positions and don’t collapse under pressure is the trait shared by all World Champions and greatest chess players. If you want to […]
Garry Kasparov is the legend among the legends. His playing style is a hybrid between Alekhine’s, Tal’s and Fischer’s. He is a very dynamic player with extensive opening knowledge and aggressive play. Kasparov is perhaps the most titled and awarded player that ever lived. He played a total of ~2500 rated games winning 55% of […]
Siegbert Tarrasch was one of the world’s best chess players in the early 1890s. He had a “+3” score against Wilhelm World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz but never faced him in the Match because of Tarrasch’s full-time job as a doctor. Tarrasch was an influential contributor to opening and endgame theory. One of his famous principles […]
The best way to learn something new is by observing how that’s done by professionals. Chess is no exception. There is no need to stress about the importance of tactics, especially for under 2200 rated players. Ability to find tactics, and survive complication is often a decisive factor in an amateur game. If you want […]
Studying chess combinations is one of the sure and proven ways to improve your games. By simply observing and understanding how Grandmasters were able to pull out one tactics trick after another, it is possible to learn and start applying those in your own games. If you combine this exercise with rigorous tactics drills you […]
One of the best ways to learn chess is by closely observing how Masters and Grandmasters play the game. If you want to improve, you should spend a certain amount of time analyzing and going over the games of strong players every day. The key is to understand why the moves were made, what was […]
An opening is the first, most fundamental stage of the game. Opening play often decides how the game progresses into the middlegame and then into the endgame. Typically, slight opening inaccuracies and mistake don’t lead to instant defeat. However, when the mistake is serious enough and the opponent is strong a single opening mistake can […]
