There comes a moment in every chess player’s game preparation when he is faced with a variation he would not really like to see on the board. Let us take as an example the situation when a King’s Indian player faces the prospect of playing against the Exchange Variation. In such a situation the player has two choices – he can either allow the annoying variation or he can change his usual choice of 6…e5 (let us assume the player’s repertoire is the Mar del Plata variation where he enjoys his rich attacking chances) and play something like 6…Nbd7 or 6…Na6 (after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 Be2).
Preparing for a game has become an important factor in today’s tournament practice. In times where the level of the average chess player has increased drastically, the pre-game preparation is considered a key step towards the desired outcome: the victory.
Of course, times have changed and nowadays this task is more difficult every day.
It is not easy to achieve positional mastery.
The reason is that in order to do so one must follow the path of the development of chess since Morphy up until today.
To give you a better idea here is a very brief description of what you would learn.
Here is an (in)complete list to what’s covered in the following article – to a various extent of depth 🙂
In our previous article, we have been talking about situations when you should play dynamically and which features of the position can help you decide to go for this type of play.
In this article we are going to talk about the static play and when it’s time for you to show your positional skills.
As usual, you will have to pay close attention to the position you have in front of you and its particularities, but the following factors are usually indicators of static play.
One of the questions we receive most often from our students is “when do I know when to play for an attack and when to stay quiet and follow the strategic path?”
The answer to this question is always contained in the position you have in front of you.
There is no rule that tells you when to do one or the other, but there are certain things in the position that usually point to the path you have to follow during your game.
One of the most difficult and probably most important moments in a game is finding a right plan that suits your position and helps you improve it.
You have to assess the position, identify what you have to play for and what can be improved in your position and find the right move that helps you achieve your goal. There are many factors that have to be taken into consideration in these moments, from the pawn structure to the position of the pieces and weaknesses.
Magnus Carlsen has won 3-0 in the playoff and secures the World Chess Championship title until 2020! By winning in London he joins legends such as Wilhelm Steinitz and Alexander Alekhine with 4 classical WC titles. In all the games in the rapid, he proved his advantage. In game one Caruana could make a draw in the rook endgame after he managed to fight back almost lost position but then missed his chance.
The 12th game finished in a draw and the score is level after the regular twelve games. The tie-break will be played on November 28th. The first symbolic move in the 12th game was made by Aldo del Bo, Head of Global Partnerships and Sponsorships of Kaspersky Lab, in presence of FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.
Today was the last white game of the World Champion so many expected him to push for a win. Sadly it was the most boring game in the match. Carlsen’s opponent from 2016 Sergey Karjakin made the first move and he took everyone by surprise, didn’t even ask Carlsen and just played 1.b4.
Game 10 turned out to be one of the most entertaining so far in the match. Tom Hollander, the famous English actor, was the honored guest for the First Move today. Once again Carlsen has replied 1…c5. You have to give him credit for this, although many think it does not suit his style he is insisting with the Sicilian.