In the course of updating the Caxton Named Opening list I have been reading both the New in Chess Yearbooks and SOS series. Opening novelties are not dead. New ideas have been aided by computer tools, which have also rescued many obscure old ideas...
This is a quick guide to a video series. This series by IM Pruess, designed for intermediate (1300-1700 USCF) players, teaches about: the key opening principles how to use them to guide your opening play how to balance and compare them to ...
No time to study opening theory? Shock your opponent with an SOS! With an SOS you deviate early (usually before move 6!) from regular lines in mainstream openings. So you will reach positions you have actually studied without having memorized...
No time to study opening theory? Shock your opponent with an SOS! With an SOS you deviate early (usually before move 6!) from regular lines in mainstream openings. So you will reach positions you have actually studied without having memorized...
No time to study opening theory? Shock your opponent with an SOS! With an SOS you deviate early (usually before move 6!) from regular lines in mainstream openings. So you will reach positions you have actually studied without having memorized...
No time to study opening theory? Shock your opponent with an SOS! With an SOS you deviate early (usually before move 6!) from regular lines in mainstream openings. So you will reach positions you have actually studied without having memorized...
We contintue our exploration of the From Gambit.
The From Gambit (1.f4 e5) is an exciting reply to Bird's Opening. I wrote a book about it in the early 1990s but a lot has hapened since then so here is an update. This article covers the main lines with 5.ge.
![Megatheory 16: Spanish Closed: Zaitsev [Event "Analysis"] [Site "Mountain View"]](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/8814.fdf64cd4.300x169o.915a4d0aae9d.jpeg)
The aitsev Variation of the Closed Ruy has been played over 8000 times and the theory runs very deep. Here is a look at the main lines.
No time to study opening theory? Shock your opponent with an SOS! With an SOS you deviate early (usually before move 6!) from regular lines in mainstream openings. So you will reach positions you have actually studied without having memorized tons...
"The other day someone was talking about how an opening I played "transposed" to another opening. What does this mean?" Dear Reader, Transposition is one of the easier concepts in chess and yet it can be really painful if you do not understand...
Some people wonder why White doesn't respond to the Nimzo-Indian pin 3...Bb4 with 4.Bd2, breaking the pin. The plan was tried long ago by several strong players, but was abandoned and has no followers in the professional ranks. Basically, it allow...
This is a survey of the literature on the Morphy Gambit, an excellent weapon for White that begins 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Nc3. It is also a nice sharp reply to the boring Petroff. I present the views from the following sources with many k...
The stronger the player, the more important it is that they know the opening well. The number of lines also increases tremendously. While beginners may get away with knowing just the basics, elite players have to analyze and memorize huge amounts ...
Against the Yugoslav Attack, Black has usually used the c-file as the main route of the attack, but recently a b-file attack has surged in popularity. It has been scoring quite well.
Garry Kasparov was famous for his handling of the Sicilian as Black, but he was also brilliant in his use of the Caro-Kann.
I have used the Pterodactyl against many strong players. I don't always win, of course. Better players usually win , especially as White. But I have scored some upsets and have proven that the Pterodactyl can be a scary beast! Here are a few of my...
In Ivan Sokolov's brilliant new book "Ruy Lopez Revisited" he brings out his personal experience in sidelines such as the Schliemann Defence 3...f5, an old favorite of mine. Let's see what he says about one discarded variation and try to find some...
Paul Keres and Boris Spassky met in the quarterfinals of the Candidates’ Matches in 1965. It was to be the last campaign Keres made to reach the world championship. For Spassky, it was his first drive that achieved a match with the world champion,...
At the tournament in Stockholm held in 1966-67, Paul Keres finished in clear first place with a score of 7/9. In doing so, he produced a number of fine games. The following example of his style and talent shows his handling of the white pieces aga...
Alisa Maric and Mirjana Maric were born January 10, 1970 in New York. They moved to Belgrade and each became a Woman Grandmaster. In addition, Alisa became an International Master. Alisa has been a candidate for the Women’s World Championship. She...
What would you say if it was the last word you were to speak? What would you do if it was the last thing you were to do? What opening would you write about if it was your last opening column you were to write? That was a little too dramatic for a ...
In 1951, David Bronstein was the challenger seeking Mikhail Botvinnik's title as World Champion. The rules provided for a match of 24 games with the champion retaining the title with a score of 12-12 or better. In game 21, Bronstein had the black ...
Continuing our study of important pawn breaks, we will take a look at some important ideas in the Sicilian Defense. We did have some comments about studying pawn breaks in other openings, and we can guarantee our viewers that we are definitely goi...
