Middle Game

WGM Raluca Sgircea, IM Renier Castellanos
07.24.2015

In chess, the f7 (f2) square is well known as the “Achilles Heel” of the position. The name has been given from the fact that this is the weakest point in each player’s camp. If you take a look at every initial pawn square, you will notice that this one is the only one that’s […]

WGM Raluca Sgircea, IM Renier Castellanos
07.23.2015

Continuing our series of typical sacrifices in the middlegame, we are going to present you in this article the double bishop sacrifice. It starts out as a classical bishop sacrifice on h7 (h2), but giving up the other bishop too on g7 (g2) can prove devastating for the king’s security.

WGM Raluca Sgircea, IM Renier Castellanos
07.20.2015

Today we are going to discuss a theme that can occur relatively frequently during the games of any chess player. Commonly known as the classical bishop sacrifice, or the Greek gift sacrifice, it can turn out to be a lethal weapon. No matter how easy it might look, this tactical idea still needs a decent […]

WGM Raluca Sgircea, IM Renier Castellanos
07.08.2015

In chess, the positional struggle is based on the accumulation of small advantages. There are several elements that a chess player must take into consideration in order to unbalance the game in his favor. These elements are well known: pawn structure, bishop pair, weak squares, piece coordination, and king safety, just to name a few […]

WGM Raluca Sgircea, IM Renier Castellanos
07.03.2015

Opposite flank attacks are a common element in chess. In the most popular openings like Sicilian – Najdorf, Classical, or the Dragon, it is very often that white chooses to castle queenside in order to launch an attack against the black king located on the opposite flank.

WGM Raluca Sgircea, IM Renier Castellanos
06.29.2015

A very common element in chess is the concept of SPACE. Very often we hear masters talking about the importance of space in today’s chess. Along with the concept of the bishop pair, the concept of space advantage has become one of the most important factors when it comes to evaluating positions and making decisions […]

WGM Raluca Sgircea, IM Renier Castellanos
06.22.2015

In the first part of this article, we have presented a few elements that should ring an alarm and help you realize that it might be time to launch an attack against your opponent. In general, the ideas we mentioned can be applied in other circumstances as well, not only when our opponent’s king is […]

WGM Raluca Sgircea, IM Renier Castellanos
06.20.2015

The king in the center is always a questionable factor during a chess game. It always raises doubt about whether it’s safe or not. Sometimes bravery can be easily confused with imprudence and a player can find himself under an unstoppable attack against his king. The basic principles of the opening, in 90% of the […]

Yury Markushin
06.05.2015
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Yury Markushin
06.05.2015

Things to Avoid: Chess is a very complex game. It is based on certain rules, or principles if you wish, that can significantly simplify your job as a chess player. Today we will cover five things that you should avoid in your games to stay out of trouble. Each of these things was time tested […]

Yury Markushin
06.03.2015
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Yury Markushin
06.03.2015

We have previously covered some of the most important defensive principles of chess. Today we will talk about the most exciting topic – the attack. Keep in mind that attack is the best form of defense. In order to attack well you need to be familiar with these seven very important attacking principles (they will […]