We live in the days where openings are the most studied part of the game and it is almost impossible to win a game out of the opening anymore. Everybody knows the tricks and almost every player, no matter the level, is able to blitz you out 20 moves of recent theory.
The difference in strength between two players is rarely made in this phase of the game anymore, but it does show when it comes to middlegames and endgames.
In our last article, we have outlined a few important ideas that can help you decide which minor piece is better, depending on the position you have on the board. To show how the power of the bishop works, we have selected an instructive endgame where its cooperation with the rook was superior to that of the knight’s. In this article, we are going to look a bit into the knight’s superiority and how, together with the rook, it can dominate the bishop in certain situations.
Which minor piece is better, the bishop or the knight? This is an endless debate; from a very early age, we tend to choose our favorite, choice that’s not necessarily based on facts, but rather on feelings. Our preference may change with the years and we may even play better with one than the other, but what’s important to understand is that things are never either black or white. In this case, they are rather grey.
The initiative is a term we don’t get tired of repeating and it should already be very familiar to our readers.
To be in control, to take the game towards what you want and force your opponent to stay alert all the time is something you should strive for in every game.
Symmetrical positions can be tricky and difficult to evaluate. At first sight they may look equal – after all, there are no visible differences between the two sides – and less experienced players are tempted to think that a draw will be easy to achieve.
While a draw is likely to happen in a game between two strong players, it is also often that we see experienced players scoring great results in this type of positions.
In order to improve at chess, it is essential that you have a good endgame knowledge. As important as the middlegame and opening phases are, they can become useless if you end up making a huge mistake in the endgame.
Many club players play a good game and even manage to obtain a slight advantage, but throw it away in the final phase of the game. In this article, we are going to give a few tips on how to study endgames and some general guidelines you can apply during the game.
Rook endgames are probably the type of endgames that are most seen in over the board games. They are complicated and require a lot of patience to learn, but we hope that these short articles will help you get a better idea of the defensive and active ideas you need to be aware of in specific positions. In this article, we are going to approach another common endgame, where one of the sides emerges with an extra passed pawn on the queenside, while the kingside structure is balanced.
Rook endgames are a complicated category, even for the most experienced players. They are tricky and It is easy to go wrong, especially under the pressure of a game. A well-known saying among chess players is that all rook endgames are drawn, which indicates the complexity of these endgames, but even when it comes to drawing a drawn position, things are not that easy to achieve. However, you shouldn’t get discouraged. This is not something seen at club level only, but strong players have faltered many times as well. You have to add the study of rook endgames to your daily routine and keep practicing as much as possible.
I would like to investigate a topic, that I find extremely important, yet it feels like it’s ignored and misunderstood by most club chess players. What is the fortress, how to build one, and how can this knowledge help from the practical point of view?
First, let’s define, that a fortress is a position with the defending side down in material, yet impossible for the stronger side to make any decisive progress.
The Grunfeld Defense is one of the main weapons these days against 1.d4 and is employed by the best of the best in the chess scene, to Grandmasters, Masters, and amateurs. It is nearly impossible that one doesn’t fall captivated by the dynamism and richness of one of the greatest choices against the Queen’s Pawn Opening.
