IM Milovan Ratkovic - tag

In the previous post, I shared the opening that IM Ratkovic found to work exceptionally well for his students. Quick reminder… Four Knights Game Scotch Variation (FNGSV).

I have some VERY interesting insight to share with you today… that will make opening play whole a lot simpler for you. IM Milovan Ratkovic was going behind the scenes into the opening preparation of his students.

When someone asks something like, “Hey, I just want to have some fun—and still win games. Which opening should I learn?”… The answer is usually to AVOID the great, old Sicilian or the totally unoriginal King’s Pawn, or any of the popular openings that you constantly hear about for that matter.

King’s Indian Defense (KID) is one of the most romantic and charming chess openings ever. It is the best weapon for those who want to play for a win with Black pieces against 1.d4. Black temporarily gives up the center to develop quickly and attack enemy central pawns later. This approach creates strategic imbalances from […]

The Pirc Defense is one of those openings you can easily fall in love with. It is one of the most charming ways of meeting 1.e4 and there are many fans of the Pirc among the players of any level. The reason is that Black often tries to play for something more than just equality.

If you are looking to take your positional understanding to the next level, the TCW Academy course on the Outposts is a definite must-take! IM Milovan Ratkovic starts out with the basics and quickly deep dives into the mechanics of the outpost play.