blitz - tag
Alekhine Defense is the most famous example of a provocative opening. Black meets 1.e4 with 1…Nf6, attacking the central pawn on move 1 and inviting it to move farther. It is well-known pawns cannot go backward and hence leave weaknesses behind themselves. Still, it is quite a common scenario when White starts pursuing that knight […]
Modern Defense, starting with 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7, follows any other hypermodern openings and is highly provocative and dynamic—as much as an opening can get. Black fianchetto a bishop early on the g7-square eyeing on the long dark-squared diagonal running from h8 to a1.
When you are playing a rapid or a blitz game, the idea should be to put pressure on your opponent, both in the position and on his clock! That means while you are expected to play the best move in a classical game, you are better off playing a more complex line that amplifies the […]
Smooth Chess: After the closing ceremony of the European Individual Championship that crowned him a champion, I had a chance to talk with the rising Russian star Vladislav Artemiev. A humble fellow, but one that knows his talents. He knows he is good, though he also knows he needs to work more if he is […]
Chess clubs are often the first place to visit once a kid or even grown-up falls in love with the game of chess. One does not look immediately for advanced guidance, coach or start reading books; we look for the nearest chess club and check out their schedule and we go to that magic place […]
One of the most important aspects of the life of every chess player with a bit of ambition is training. Constant self-improvement has always been the engine that keeps a player going. Training, like in any other sport, requires patience, discipline, and a strong will to work hard. If you have a coach or colleague […]
In my 15 years’ experience as a chess coach, I have always been learning about the best methods to improve the level of my students in the shortest possible time. Of course, I have been learning on the road; my own experience serves me well to understand things that are important to teach to an […]
In blitz, the knight is stronger than the bishop. ~ chess quote by Vlastmil Hort Yes, I have played a blitz game once. It was on a train, in 1929. ~ chess quote by Mikhail Botvinnik It is very difficult to play a single blitz game! You want to play for a long time. So […]
