The Art of Sacrifice in Chess
"A sacrifice is the natural product of the initiative." - GM Ivan Sokolov "Only the player with the initiative has the right to attack." - Wilhelm Steinitz (Former World Champion,…
The Center: A Modern Strategy Guide
"The nature of the central pawn structure determines the direction of the fight and the choice of strategy." - GM Alexander Kotov "I earned my first IM norm after studying…
Amateur to IM: Proven Ideas and Training Methods
“In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else, for whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and the…
My First Chess Opening Repertoire for Black
"... I feel that the main reasons to buy an opening book are to give a good overview of the opening, and to explain general plans and ideas. ..." -…
Getting better at problem solving: Observation and Pattern Recognition
Imagine a Grandmaster, say our favorite former World Chess Champion Mikhail Tal, staring at his chess board with a tilted head and hands on his cheek, contemplating his position for…
The Curious Case of a black sheep: Piece Coordination and teamwork.
Imagine winding up your office work earlier to get back home for a crunchy cup of popcorn, the warmth of a comfortable couch, your family around you and your favorite…
Kings of the Chessboard
Our BOOK OF THE WEEK is Kings of the Chessboard by Paul van der Sterren. This book is about the greatest chess players who ever lived, who dominated their era and…
Getting Better at Problem Solving: Thinking backwards
It is wrong to use a hammer for a job that requires a wrench. It is the same with problems, from the ones we face in our hardbound puzzle…
Attacking with g2-g4
"I believe that without the g2-g4 thrust I would never have achieved success as a player and trainer." - GM Dmitry Kryakvin Our BOOK OF THE WEEK is Attacking with…
Chess Tactics Simplified: The Zwischenzug!
Zwischenzug - A tongue twister for most Chess players hearing this term for the first time, is a German word which means "in-between" move. The concept was known for a…