There are basic rules of chess strategy that we learn as soon as we start playing chess. One of the most fundamental premises is the importance of the center. We quickly learn that one of the major goals of positional chess is control ov...
The Chess.com member kergnou said: “Can you take a look at my games and give me some advice?” Jeremy Silman: Okay, I’m going to review one game that shows many of your weaknesses. However, this game is actually one of the ...
The Chess.com member Mornarben wrote: “My question is about the initiative. I seem to be able to play well in the beginning, getting positions with good central control, but [I] never see a good way to launch an attack to seize the initiativ...
When you see a good move, don't play it. Look for a better one. This is the number-one principle in chess. Over the years, I have also told my students: You are trying to find the best move you can in a reasonable amount of time. I...
What is dynamic chess? You'll find out here as GM Melik Khachiyan teaches you to compound your advantages and really put pressure on opponents. There's nothing like learning from in-game examples. Watch a great teacher break down dynamic chess fro...
Defense wins championships! The old cliche may not always apply to chess, but great defenders have certainly made a name for themselves. Tigran Petrosian and Vladimir Krammnik knew one thing for sure, if your opponent keeps crashing into a brick w...
We all have our favorite areas to study. In this series, you'll get to enjoy two of IM Keaton Kiewra's favorites: kingside attacks and queen endgames. As usual, coach Keaton has found some of the more exciting games on Chess.com for his lectu...
Seizing the initiative is not something that just happen. There's a strategy to gaining the initiative. However, the importance of playing aggressively doesn't justify reckless abandon. In this series, learn how to properly fight for the init...
Sometimes the best way to learn is over the board, sitting across from your teacher and analyzing a recent match. GM Dejan Bojkov has had many students excel greatly under his watch. In this series, you'll get to learn vicariously through Coach De...
If you're reading this, chances are you've been trying to crack the rating threshold to finally claim the "expert" title. This series is designed to help you do just that. Learn from one of chess' most accomplished coaches what it takes to re...
Have you ever wondered how grandmasters know when and how to attack? The key is pawn structure! Pawn chains are some of the most important attacking structures. In this series, learn the core concepts of furious pawn chain assaults in s...
In last week's column we talked about the chess heritage of Francois Andre Danican Philidor. While his three endgame positions are truly a cornerstone of the endgame play, Philidor's most quoted saying that pawns are the soul o...
The chess heritage of Francois Andre Danican Philidor is enormous. There is an opening named after him (1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6) and three endgame positions all called "the Philidor Position"! The Philidor position in rook endgames is o...
When you think of the word "threat," what comes to mind? A threat of checkmate, perhaps? A threat to trap your piece? An indirect threat against your queen? Whatever your specific mental representation, it is most likely tactical...
People spend too much time reading opening books. There you go, I have said it. Think what you may of this statement, but it seems to me that the chess market is saturated with opening books. So many people will blindly buy a book, add to their ...
You may be winning, but you haven't put the game away yet! In this series, you'll see what might lead you to fall short when possessing a material advantage. Make sure you've fine tuned your technique and are accurately evaluating your oppo...
You've pushed relentlessly to gain an advantage. Finally, you're in the endgame and slightly better, but you are facing a strong opponent. How do you sustain the mental toughness to close it out? Use the principle of two weaknesses! In this...
The Chess.com member JN wrote: I took up chess about a year ago when a friend introduced me to the game. Since then, he and I have taken to playing quite often; we typically play about four or five days a week, two or three games in a sitting. ...
His whole life, Robert James Fischer was fighting against someone or something. Thousands of books, articles and videos have been produced to describe the outlandish behavior of the chess genius. It is difficult to count all the social, moral...
Many a myth has been discussed about the "superhuman" power that a grandmaster holds over the chessboard. Amateur players tend to look at us GMs as untouchable geniuses that cannot put a foot wrong when shuffling our pieces about. I am now going...
Some time ago we discussed in this article the identical positions that can happen in endgames. I concluded the article with the statement "Deja vu is good for your chess!" Which of course means that the knowledge of certain positions, tec...
The last year was tough for the world champion, Magnus Carlsen. Not only did he lose a lot of rating points, but also some people questioned the gap between Carlsen and the other chess players from the world's top 10. I saw a chess article where...
Do you ever see a chess position and have a strong feeling that you've seen it before? No, I am not talking about opening positions, that you see again and again and again in every single tournament (damn you, the Berlin variation!). And I am no...
My childhood happened at the time when kung fu was all the rage. All the kids were discussing the latest martial arts movies and the "Kung Fu Fighting" song was at the top of the charts. The legends about the Shaolin monks were fascinating. Some...
