{"id":1631,"date":"2022-12-07T14:09:21","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T14:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/?p=1631"},"modified":"2023-02-24T12:05:32","modified_gmt":"2023-02-24T12:05:32","slug":"author-spotlight-gm-davorin-kuljasevic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/author-spotlight-gm-davorin-kuljasevic\/","title":{"rendered":"Author Spotlight: GM Davorin Kuljasevic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Hey guys, this is Davorin Kuljasevic, a Croatian Grandmaster, chess author, and coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, I\u2019d like to give you a sneak peek into my first two books <strong><em>Beyond Material<\/em><\/strong> and <strong><em>How to Study Chess on Your Own<\/em><\/strong>. Both made the FIDE Book of the Year shortlist in 2019 and 2022, respectively, and were bestsellers for New in Chess.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\" id=\"author\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Davorin-Chess-171-1-1024x697.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1676\" width=\"417\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Davorin-Chess-171-1-1024x697.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Davorin-Chess-171-1-300x204.jpg 300w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Davorin-Chess-171-1-768x523.jpg 768w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Davorin-Chess-171-1-1536x1045.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Davorin-Chess-171-1-2048x1394.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Davorin-Chess-171-1-130x90.jpg 130w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Davorin-Chess-171-1-150x102.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 417px) 100vw, 417px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color:#e57b02;font-size:30px\">Beyond Material<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever grabbed a pawn in the opening only to regret it later? Or talked yourself out of making a piece sacrifice that would promise you long-term compensation or attack? If you have, you are not alone. There is a reason why such situations tend to occur.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chess is a game in which our materialistic nature is often exposed, for better or worse. However, sometimes the best moves and ideas in a position defy our preconceived notions about the value of the material. Time, space, and psychology can play just as, or even more, essential roles in a chess game as how many pieces and pawns we win or lose. In \u2018Beyond Material,\u2019 I explore and explain the interplay between these four factors in six chapters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me give you a few fresh examples to illustrate this. (Note: these are not from the book).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerBefore\"><\/p>\n\n<div id=\"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-1\" class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgame\">\n    <noscript>\n        <div class=\"rpbchessboard-javascriptWarning\">\n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        <\/div>\n    <\/noscript>\n    <div class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor\"><\/div>\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        jQuery(document).ready(function($) {\n            var selector = '#' + \"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-1\" + ' .rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor';\n            RPBChessboard.renderPGN($(selector), {\"pgn\":\"[Event \\\"1000 GM Hollywood Masters\\\"]\\n[Site \\\"?\\\"]\\n[Date \\\"2022.10.27\\\"]\\n[Round \\\"4\\\"]\\n[White \\\"Beukes, Dante\\\"]\\n[Black \\\"Tiglon, Bryce\\\"]\\n[Result \\\"1-0\\\"]\\n[ECO \\\"B51\\\"]\\n[WhiteElo \\\"2299\\\"]\\n[BlackElo \\\"2475\\\"]\\n[Annotator \\\"Kuljasevic, Davorin\\\"]\\n[PlyCount \\\"109\\\"]\\n[EventDate \\\"2022.07.31\\\"]\\n\\n1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. c3 Ngf6 5. Qe2 a6 6. Ba4 b5 7. Bc2 Bb7 8. d4 e6 9. O-O Be7 10. Re1 Qc7 11. a4 O-O 12. Bg5 Rab8 13. axb5 axb5 14. Nbd2 e5 15. Nf1 h6 16. Bh4 Rfe8 17. Ne3 exd4 18. cxd4 Bf8 19. d5 Nxe4 20. Bxe4 Rxe4 21. Qd3 Rbe8 22. Qxb5 Rb4 23. Qd3 Nb6 24. Bg3 Rxb2 25. Nf5 Rd8 26. Bh4 {White lost a pawn a few moves earlier and is looking to create some counterplay on the kingside. As Kasparov famously said, the unchallenged knight on f5 is often worth a pawn due to its attacking potential. With his last move, White also threatens to win the exchange on d8. In &#8216;Beyond Material, &#8216; you will learn that the previous paragraph can be roughly simplified into &#8221;Black has a material advantage while White has a lead in time (the initiative)&#8221;. Which one is more important in this position? We will soon find out.} Rb8 $2 {This natural reaction is a mistake. Tiglon preserves his material advantage but doesn&#8217;t appreciate that he simultaneously allows his opponent to increase his initiative.} ({Instead of holding onto the material advantage, he should have &#8216;exchanged&#8217; it for the opponent&#8217;s time advantage by playing} 26... Nxd5 $1 27. Bxd8 Qxd8 {With an exchange for two pawns, the material is nominally balanced, so Black lost his material edge. However, this little operation has allowed him to neutralize White&#8217;s attack while improving his piece coordination by bringing his knight and light-squared bishop into the game. As a matter of fact, if you look at the position more carefully, you will realize that Black has another latent positional advantage: his powerful mobile pawn center. In the book, I use the umbrella term &#8216;space&#8217; to describe positional benefits such as greater piece mobility, superior piece coordination, control over outpost and square complexes, etc. In this instance, the black position checks many of these boxes; thus, he is better!}) 27. Re7 $1 {White plays his trump card. With another &#8216;tempo&#8217; move, he creates new threats and edges closer to the opponent&#8217;s king. Moreover, the psychological momentum has undoubtedly shifted in his favor. The attacker usually has an advantage over the defender, regardless of the material balance on the board. IM Tiglon&#8217;s response proves that point.} Bxe7 $4 {When under pressure, people typically resort to their instinctive behaviors. And what is more natural than capturing &#8216;free&#8217; material? Unfortunately, Black did not think this one through. His king will be in dire straits as his only defender (Bf8) is gone, and it is left alone to the mercy of four white pieces.} ({Once again, the solution was in giving material, not taking it! Black could have survived the worst with} 27... Qc8 $1 28. Nxd6 Qg4 $1 {since} 29. Rxb7 {could be met by} Bxd6 {with a level position.}) 28. Nxe7+ Kh8 29. Ng5 $1 {Beukes recognizes that he should immediately exploit the black king&#8217;s vulnerability by destroying the only thing that has kept him safe &#8211; his pawn shield. That&#8217;s the value of time in chess. In the attack, it often overrides material considerations.} (29. Bf6 $5 {was another way to do it, since} gxf6 {allows} 30. Qe3 Kg7 31. Nf5+ {and the black king is in the mating net.}) ({On the other hand, a slower &#8216;preparatory&#8217; move like} 29. Re1 $2 {would give Black just enough time to prevent the attack with} Nxd5 $1 30. Nxd5 {and even start his own counterplay by inserting} c4 $1 31. Qd4 Bxd5 32. Qxd5 c3 {When we are up on material, one of the most successful defensive strategies is to give some of it back to repel the opponent&#8217;s attack.}) 29... hxg5 30. Bxg5 {There is no good defense against the mate on the h-file via Qh3+ or Qg3-h4\\\/Qf3-h5 for Black.} Qd7 31. Qf3 Qxe7 {Black ends up having to sacrifice material to stop White&#8217;s attack, after all. However, his material loss is too big now to compensate it in any other way.} 32. Bxe7 Bxd5 33. Qh5+ Kg8 34. Bxd6 { White eventually converted his material advantage without much trouble.} Rc8 35. Be5 Ra2 36. Rb1 Rc6 37. h3 Rg6 38. Bg3 Rd2 39. Qe5 Nc4 40. Rb8+ Kh7 41. Qh5+ Rh6 42. Qf5+ Rg6 43. h4 Ne3 44. fxe3 Rxg2+ 45. Kf1 R2xg3 46. Qxd5 Rf6+ 47. Ke2 Kg6 48. h5+ Kh7 49. Qe4+ Kh6 50. Rh8+ Kg5 51. Rg8 Kh6 52. Rh8+ Kg5 53. h6 gxh6 54. Rg8+ Rg6 55. Rxg6+ 1-0\",\"pieceSymbols\":\"native\",\"navigationBoard\":\"scrollLeft\",\"withFlipButton\":true,\"withDownloadButton\":true,\"nboSquareSize\":32,\"nboCoordinateVisible\":true,\"nboTurnVisible\":true,\"nboColorset\":\"original\",\"nboPieceset\":\"cburnett\",\"nboAnimated\":true,\"nboMoveArrowVisible\":true,\"nboMoveArrowColor\":\"r\",\"idoSquareSize\":32,\"idoCoordinateVisible\":true,\"idoTurnVisible\":true,\"idoColorset\":\"original\",\"idoPieceset\":\"cburnett\"});\n        });\n    <\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerAfter\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerBefore\"><\/p>\n\n<div id=\"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-2\" class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgame\">\n    <noscript>\n        <div class=\"rpbchessboard-javascriptWarning\">\n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        <\/div>\n    <\/noscript>\n    <div class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor\"><\/div>\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        jQuery(document).ready(function($) {\n            var selector = '#' + \"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-2\" + ' .rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor';\n            RPBChessboard.renderPGN($(selector), {\"pgn\":\"[Event \\\"New York Spring GM-A\\\"]\\n[Site \\\"New York\\\"]\\n[Date \\\"2022.04.15\\\"]\\n[Round \\\"3\\\"]\\n[White \\\"Wang, Kevin A\\\"]\\n[Black \\\"Guo, Arthur\\\"]\\n[Result \\\"0-1\\\"]\\n[ECO \\\"D38\\\"]\\n[WhiteElo \\\"2389\\\"]\\n[BlackElo \\\"2432\\\"]\\n[Annotator \\\"Kuljasevic, Davorin\\\"]\\n[PlyCount \\\"154\\\"]\\n[EventDate \\\"2022.04.14\\\"]\\n[EventType \\\"tourn\\\"]\\n[EventRounds \\\"9\\\"]\\n[EventCountry \\\"USA\\\"]\\n[EventCategory \\\"8\\\"]\\n[SourceTitle \\\"Mega2022 Update 25\\\"]\\n[Source \\\"Chessbase\\\"]\\n[SourceDate \\\"2022.04.21\\\"]\\n[SourceVersion \\\"1\\\"]\\n[SourceVersionDate \\\"2022.04.21\\\"]\\n[SourceQuality \\\"1\\\"]\\n\\n1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Bd7 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Qc2 O-O 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 Qe7 12. e3 Bg4 13. Bd3 Qe6 14. O-O Bxf3 15. gxf3 Ne7 16. c4 Rac8 17. cxd5 Nfxd5 18. Bg3 c6 19. Rab1 b6 20. Rfe1 Nf6 21. e4 Nh5 22. Rbd1 Qf6 23. Be2 Nf4 24. Bf1 Ne6 {We have an imbalanced middlegame with the bishop vs. knight pair. White enjoys a space advantage, although his damaged kingside structure provides Black with solid outposts on f4 and h4. With his last move, IM Arthur Guo made a discovered attack on the f3-pawn. Should White defend it? His opponent, IM Kevin Wang, provides the answer} 25. Be5 $1 {Of course not! Instead of holding onto a weak pawn, White is happy to give it away to activate his pieces.} Qxf3 $2 {A consistent yet utterly wrong decision. As a result, White gains an enormous initiative for a mere doubled pawn.} ({Black should have avoided the temptation and played} 25... Qg5+ 26. Bg3 Ng6 {This way, he would keep his knights happy and coordinated while not letting his opponent launch the kingside attack with full force.}) 26. Re3 {Starting with this rook lift, White plays several tempo-winning moves in a row to force the black queen into a very poor position.} Qh5 27. Rh3 Qg6+ 28. Rg3 Qh7 29. Bh3 $1 {The bishop pair comes to life. White is entirely in the driver&#8217;s seat now.} Ng6 30. Bf5 {Black&#8217;s greed on move 25 got the better of him. Consequently, his queen is now worthless on h7.} Rfe8 31. Qb3 { Each of White&#8217;s moves in the previous sequence has come with a tempo. The black position looks sad, particularly if we compare it to the one 5-6 moves ago. By contrast, look at the powerful positions of the white pieces! Despite being down a pawn, all the other types of advantages: space, time, and psychological are on his side. In more concrete terms, he threatens to win on the spot with 32.Rxg6 and 33.Bxe6. Out of desperation, Black plays} Nef8 {White can take a free exchange and secure a material advantage. Should he do it?} 32. Bxc8 $6 {Technically, this move is not wrong since White is still winning. But I strongly argue that it is conceptually wrong. Let&#8217;s think about it this way: in the simplest terms, we were all taught that bishops are worth 3 points and rooks 5 points. However, a chess player needs to realize that these values are not fixed or absolute; they can fluctuate depending on many factors in a given position. In this instance, the bishop on f5 is worth more to White than the lucrative two points gained in exchange for the (actually pretty useless) rook on c8. It pins the g6-knight, thus holding the strongest black piece, his queen, in prison. Sadly, the White player did not appreciate this, so he decided to cash in.} ({Had Wang played a non-materialistic move like} 32. Kh1 $5 {, preparing to enlist the help of the other rook on the g-file, followed by h4-h5, for example, the game would have been over very quickly since Black could do close to nothing to challenge this plan. Making such a &#8216;long-term&#8217; decision and overriding our instinct to win an exchange immediately requires a broader perspective on chess beyond the materialistic one!}) 32... Rxc8 33. Bd6 Ne6 34. Qe3 $2 {With this bland move, White starts losing the thread of the game.} ({The only continuation that would keep him on the winning path is} 34. d5 cxd5 35. exd5) 34... Rd8 $1 35. e5 $2 {When the psychological momentum in the game shifts, mistakes tend to come in spades. By trying to preserve material and space advantage, Wang gives away important outposts and allows his opponent to activate his forces fully.} Ngf4 36. Re1 Qf5 {Please compare this position to the one on the previous diagram. In the first position, materially speaking, White was down a point; in this one, he is up a point. However, if we evaluate the pieces&#8217; quality, not the quantity, we will understand that somewhat paradoxically, the white position here is much less promising than the first one. Not surprisingly, Guo proceeded to increase the positional pressure and eventually converted his advantage in the endgame, primarily thanks to the strong f4-knight.} 37. Kh1 Rc8 38. Qe4 Qh5 39. Qf3 Qxf3+ 40. Rxf3 g5 41. Rd1 Kg7 42. Rd2 Nd5 43. Kg1 Kg6 44. Kf1 Nef4 45. Rc2 Kf5 46. e6 fxe6 47. Bxf4 Nxf4 48. Re3 Rd8 49. Re5+ Kg4 50. Re4 Rd6 51. Rc3 Kf5 52. f3 h5 53. Kf2 h4 54. Rc4 Kf6 55. Ke3 c5 56. Rc2 Rd5 57. a4 Ke7 58. Rd2 Kf6 59. Rc2 h3 60. Rd2 cxd4+ 61. Rdxd4 Rc5 62. Rc4 Rd5 63. Red4 Re5+ 64. Re4 Ra5 65. Rc8 Rd5 66. Rf8+ Ke7 67. Rh8 Rd3+ 68. Kf2 Rd2+ 69. Kg1 Rd1+ 70. Kf2 Rd2+ 71. Ke3 Rxh2 72. Rh7+ Kf6 73. Kd4 Kg6 74. Rh8 Kg7 75. Ra8 Rd2+ 76. Kc4 Rd1 77. Rxa7+ Kg6 0-1\",\"pieceSymbols\":\"native\",\"navigationBoard\":\"scrollLeft\",\"withFlipButton\":true,\"withDownloadButton\":true,\"nboSquareSize\":32,\"nboCoordinateVisible\":true,\"nboTurnVisible\":true,\"nboColorset\":\"original\",\"nboPieceset\":\"cburnett\",\"nboAnimated\":true,\"nboMoveArrowVisible\":true,\"nboMoveArrowColor\":\"r\",\"idoSquareSize\":32,\"idoCoordinateVisible\":true,\"idoTurnVisible\":true,\"idoColorset\":\"original\",\"idoPieceset\":\"cburnett\"});\n        });\n    <\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerAfter\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:18px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the two examples above, all protagonists were titled players, International Masters. Based on the mistakes such strong players made, it is evident that mastering the non-materialistic way of thinking is far from trivial. As with many other skills in chess, to get better at it, one is well-advised to study many instructive examples, such as those presented in \u2018Beyond Material\u2019 in a systematic manner. The ultimate reward is the ability to play better and, what\u2019s more, more beautiful and inspired chess. For instance, one happy reader sent me a game, played a few days after he began reading the book, in which he nicely sacrificed an exchange to obtain positional domination in the endgame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example 3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerBefore\"><\/p>\n\n<div id=\"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-3\" class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgame\">\n    <noscript>\n        <div class=\"rpbchessboard-javascriptWarning\">\n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        <\/div>\n    <\/noscript>\n    <div class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor\"><\/div>\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        jQuery(document).ready(function($) {\n            var selector = '#' + \"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-3\" + ' .rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor';\n            RPBChessboard.renderPGN($(selector), {\"pgn\":\"[Event \\\"online game\\\"]\\n[Site \\\"?\\\"]\\n[Date \\\"2021.05.09\\\"]\\n[Round \\\"?\\\"]\\n[White \\\"Holloway-Nahum, Aaron\\\"]\\n[Black \\\"N.N.\\\"]\\n[Result \\\"*\\\"]\\n[Annotator \\\"Kuljasevic, Davorin\\\"]\\n[SetUp \\\"1\\\"]\\n[FEN \\\"r4rk1\\\/pb3pp1\\\/8\\\/2ppPP1p\\\/3n4\\\/PP4PB\\\/1K1B3P\\\/3RR3 w - - 0 1\\\"]\\n[PlyCount \\\"17\\\"]\\n[EventDate \\\"2021.??.??\\\"]\\n\\n{ White has a bishop-pair advantage, centralized rooks, and the potential to create a passed pawn on the e-file quickly. However, Black threatens to throw a spanner in the works with 1&#8230;Nf3, followed by &#8230;d5-d4, etc. How should White deal with this threat? Aaron played the best move} 1. Be3 $1 (1. e6 $6 {would be premature due to} fxe6 2. fxe6 Rf2 $1 3. e7 Bc6 {with counterplay for Black.}) (1. Bf4 {is not bad, although it feels a bit slow. Black manages to consolidate a bit with} Nf3 2. Re2 Rfe8) 1... Nf3 2. Bxc5 $1 (2. Re2 $6 {looks safe, but it allows Black to obtain counterplay with} Ba6 3. Rc2 d4) 2... Rfc8 3. b4 $1 {This exchange sacrifice was the point behind 1.Be3.} ({Instead,} 3. Re3 $2 {would be a major blunder on the account of} Ng5 $1 {Oops!}) 3... Nxe1 4. Rxe1 { Let&#8217;s see what White has gained in return for the &#8216;one-point&#8217; loss of material. Firstly, he has improved the position of his dark-squared bishop significantly. On c5, it supports the unstoppable advance of his e-pawn. Secondly, he eliminated the tricky knight and one of the connected central pawns, thus completely neutralizing Black&#8217;s counterplay. The second player is left with passive rooks, a bad bishop, and an isolated pawn on d5. When you put all these positional factors together, you soon realize that his chances to hold the endgame are slim, despite the nominal material advantage. For instance:} a5 5. e6 axb4 6. axb4 fxe6 7. fxe6 Bc6 8. e7 Rcb8 9. Rf1 {and White should eventually win due to his powerful passed pawn.} *\",\"pieceSymbols\":\"native\",\"navigationBoard\":\"scrollLeft\",\"withFlipButton\":true,\"withDownloadButton\":true,\"nboSquareSize\":32,\"nboCoordinateVisible\":true,\"nboTurnVisible\":true,\"nboColorset\":\"original\",\"nboPieceset\":\"cburnett\",\"nboAnimated\":true,\"nboMoveArrowVisible\":true,\"nboMoveArrowColor\":\"r\",\"idoSquareSize\":32,\"idoCoordinateVisible\":true,\"idoTurnVisible\":true,\"idoColorset\":\"original\",\"idoPieceset\":\"cburnett\"});\n        });\n    <\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerAfter\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/beyond-1-1-1024x682.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1668\" width=\"631\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/beyond-1-1-1024x682.png 1024w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/beyond-1-1-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/beyond-1-1-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/beyond-1-1-1536x1024.png 1536w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/beyond-1-1-150x100.png 150w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/beyond-1-1-272x182.png 272w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/beyond-1-1.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 631px) 100vw, 631px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/sample\/beyond-material\" style=\"background-color:#e57b02\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">View the free sample here<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:35px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color:#e57b02;font-size:30px\">How to Study Chess on Your Own<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I started playing chess in the 1990s, life was much simpler. High-quality chess books and magazines, strong chess engines, and opening databases were luxury items for most. The online chess scene, with its excellent study resources available today, was virtually nonexistent. Back then, to study chess on your own, you would usually get your chess board out and explore whatever scarce resources you had.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast forward 25 years into the digital era, and paradoxically, everyone seems confused about the optimal way to study chess. Due to an absolute explosion of information and resources available to virtually anyone on the globe, we have reached the point where ambitious young players and adult improvers seem to drown in abundance and often wonder how to resolve this \u2018paradox of choice\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I tried to address this issue with \u2018How to Study Chess on Your Own.\u2019 It is a multi-faceted book that advises on employing the right study mindset and learning processes, identifying your study priorities, picking appropriate study resources, creating study plans and schedules, and more. I have drawn on my fairly extensive playing and coaching experience to produce numerous helpful tables that facilitate the better organization of your studies, such as the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Table-2.1-Study-methods-and-quality-criteria-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1653\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Table-2.1-Study-methods-and-quality-criteria-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Table-2.1-Study-methods-and-quality-criteria-1-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Table-2.1-Study-methods-and-quality-criteria-1-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Table-2.1-Study-methods-and-quality-criteria-1-150x113.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Table 2.1: Study methods and quality criteria<\/strong><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides the high-level advice mentioned above, the book also contains plenty of actionable ideas that help you to conduct your chess training on the \u2018micro\u2019 level. You will learn how to study opening tabiyas properly, memorize important variations with the help of logical steps and key images, explore typical middlegame structures efficiently using the Chessbase software, and much more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me give you a concrete example from the chapter \u2018Make your endgame study more enjoyable\u2019, one of the readers\u2019 favorites. In it, I suggest that studying endgames doesn\u2019t have to be a tedious chore. One can develop a particular interest in the final part of the game by combining the study of theoretical textbook material, endgame studies, and practical examples that cover the same endgame topic or principle. Let me provide one example from that chapter here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Knight vs Rook&#8217;s Pawn Example 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerBefore\"><\/p>\n\n<div id=\"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-4\" class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgame\">\n    <noscript>\n        <div class=\"rpbchessboard-javascriptWarning\">\n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        <\/div>\n    <\/noscript>\n    <div class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor\"><\/div>\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        jQuery(document).ready(function($) {\n            var selector = '#' + \"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-4\" + ' .rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor';\n            RPBChessboard.renderPGN($(selector), {\"pgn\":\"[Event \\\"?\\\"]\\n[Site \\\"?\\\"]\\n[Date \\\"????.??.??\\\"]\\n[Round \\\"?\\\"]\\n[White \\\"Theoretical endgame position\\\"]\\n[Black \\\"Knight vs. rook's pawn\\\"]\\n[Result \\\"*\\\"]\\n[Annotator \\\"Kuljasevic, Davorin\\\"]\\n[SetUp \\\"1\\\"]\\n[FEN \\\"8\\\/n1K5\\\/P7\\\/8\\\/8\\\/8\\\/8\\\/7k w - - 0 1\\\"]\\n[PlyCount \\\"17\\\"]\\n[EventDate \\\"2001.06.01\\\"]\\n\\n{ In endgames with knight versus the rook&#8217;s pawn, one of the basic rules is that if the knight gets into the a7-c8-d6-b5 circuit before white pawn reaches the seventh rank, it does not need king&#8217;s help to draw the game. A sample line is:} 1. Kb6 Nc8+ 2. Kb7 Nd6+ 3. Kc6 Nc8 4. Kc7 Na7 5. Kb7 Nb5 6. Kb6 Nd6 $1 7. a7 Nc8+ 8. Kb7 Nxa7 9. Kxa7 {Draw.} *\",\"pieceSymbols\":\"native\",\"navigationBoard\":\"scrollLeft\",\"withFlipButton\":true,\"withDownloadButton\":true,\"nboSquareSize\":32,\"nboCoordinateVisible\":true,\"nboTurnVisible\":true,\"nboColorset\":\"original\",\"nboPieceset\":\"cburnett\",\"nboAnimated\":true,\"nboMoveArrowVisible\":true,\"nboMoveArrowColor\":\"r\",\"idoSquareSize\":32,\"idoCoordinateVisible\":true,\"idoTurnVisible\":true,\"idoColorset\":\"original\",\"idoPieceset\":\"cburnett\"});\n        });\n    <\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerAfter\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Knight vs Rook&#8217;s Pawn Example 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerBefore\"><\/p>\n\n<div id=\"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-5\" class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgame\">\n    <noscript>\n        <div class=\"rpbchessboard-javascriptWarning\">\n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        <\/div>\n    <\/noscript>\n    <div class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor\"><\/div>\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        jQuery(document).ready(function($) {\n            var selector = '#' + \"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-5\" + ' .rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor';\n            RPBChessboard.renderPGN($(selector), {\"pgn\":\"[Event \\\"?\\\"]\\n[Site \\\"?\\\"]\\n[Date \\\"1932.??.??\\\"]\\n[Round \\\"?\\\"]\\n[White \\\"Endgame study: knight vs pawn\\\"]\\n[Black \\\"Grigoriev, N.\\\"]\\n[Result \\\"*\\\"]\\n[Annotator \\\"Kuljasevic, Davorin\\\"]\\n[SetUp \\\"1\\\"]\\n[FEN \\\"8\\\/4K2n\\\/8\\\/8\\\/P7\\\/8\\\/8\\\/6k1 b - - 0 1\\\"]\\n[PlyCount \\\"13\\\"]\\n[EventDate \\\"2018.??.??\\\"]\\n\\n{ The prolific Russian composer Nikolai Grigoriev composed a wonderful study that nicely demonstrates our first theoretical endgame. Black, naturally, has to start with:} 1... Ng5 {Now, the most challenging winning attempt is} 2. Kd6 {trying to shoulder the knight away from the central squares.} ({The first point of the study is that the direct} 2. a5 {does not work in the view of} Nf3 $1 3. a6 Nd4 {catching the pawn before it reaches the seventh rank.} 4. Kd7 (4. a7 {allows Black to fork the king and pawn with} Nc6+ $11) 4... Nb5 5. Kc6 Na7+ $11 {and the knight gets to the promised land.}) 2... Nf3 $1 {This precise move gives black knight the most flexibility with potential routes toward the pawn.} (2... Ne4+ {is met by} 3. Kc6 $1 {when the knight is completely helpless against the march of the a-pawn.}) ({while in case of} 2... Nf7+ 3. Kd5 $1 {the board is too narrow for the knight to maneuver its way to the a7-square:} Nd8 4. a5 Nb7 5. a6 $18) 3. Kd5 { It is well-known that diagonal king-knight opposition is the most unpleasant for the short-legged knight since it takes it several moves to &#8216;reset&#8217; in order to give a check or find another available route. With such a dominant central position of white king, and black king so far away, it might seem like it is all over for Black, but the versatile knight shows its full potential with:} Nh4 $3 {This unlikely saving move is the second and main point of the study.} ({It would seem the most natural to approach the pawn from the center, but these attempts fail, as we can see in the following variations:} 3... Kf2 4. a5 Ke3 5. a6 Nd4 6. Kc5 $1 {Avoiding the last trick.} (6. a7 $2 Nb5 $1 7. a8=Q Nc7+ $11) 6... Ne6+ 7. Kb6 $18 {and the knight cannot reach the safety zone.}) ({and} 3... Ne1 4. a5 Nc2 5. Kc5 $1 $18) 4. a5 ({If white king continues chasing the knight with} 4. Ke4 {it wiggles out via} Ng6 5. a5 Ne7 6. a6 Nc6 $11) 4... Nf5 $1 { The f5-square turns out to be the perfect springboard for the knight as it provides access to two quickest routes toward the key a7-square: f5-e7-c8 and f5-d4-b5. Black king is simply unable to close them both down.} 5. Kc6 $5 {This is White&#8217;s best practical attempt.} (5. Ke6 Nd4+ 6. Kd5 Nb5 $11) (5. Ke5 Ne7 6. Kd6 Nc8+ $11) 5... Nd4+ $1 ({It would be wrong to play} 5... Ne7+ $2 {due to} 6. Kd7 Nd5 7. a6 Nb6+ 8. Kc7 Nd5+ 9. Kb7 $18) 6. Kb6 { White has achieved diagonal opposition and covered the b5-square, but the knight can be successfully reset toward the other route with} Nf5 $1 7. a6 Nd6 $11 {reaching the safety zone just in time to threaten the fork on c8 should White push his pawn forward.} *\",\"pieceSymbols\":\"native\",\"navigationBoard\":\"scrollLeft\",\"withFlipButton\":true,\"withDownloadButton\":true,\"nboSquareSize\":32,\"nboCoordinateVisible\":true,\"nboTurnVisible\":true,\"nboColorset\":\"original\",\"nboPieceset\":\"cburnett\",\"nboAnimated\":true,\"nboMoveArrowVisible\":true,\"nboMoveArrowColor\":\"r\",\"idoSquareSize\":32,\"idoCoordinateVisible\":true,\"idoTurnVisible\":true,\"idoColorset\":\"original\",\"idoPieceset\":\"cburnett\"});\n        });\n    <\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerAfter\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Practical Endgame Example<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerBefore\"><\/p>\n\n<div id=\"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-6\" class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgame\">\n    <noscript>\n        <div class=\"rpbchessboard-javascriptWarning\">\n            You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.        <\/div>\n    <\/noscript>\n    <div class=\"rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor\"><\/div>\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n        jQuery(document).ready(function($) {\n            var selector = '#' + \"rpbchessboard-6adf67fe221aa-6\" + ' .rpbchessboard-chessgameAnchor';\n            RPBChessboard.renderPGN($(selector), {\"pgn\":\"[Event \\\"EU-ch 2nd\\\"]\\n[Site \\\"Ohrid\\\"]\\n[Date \\\"2001.06.13\\\"]\\n[Round \\\"12\\\"]\\n[White \\\"Miles, Anthony John\\\"]\\n[Black \\\"Lautier, Joel\\\"]\\n[Result \\\"1\\\/2-1\\\/2\\\"]\\n[ECO \\\"D02\\\"]\\n[WhiteElo \\\"2562\\\"]\\n[BlackElo \\\"2658\\\"]\\n[Annotator \\\"Kuljasevic, Davorin\\\"]\\n[SetUp \\\"1\\\"]\\n[FEN \\\"8\\\/5p2\\\/6k1\\\/8\\\/8\\\/P6P\\\/1P1n2P1\\\/5K2 w - - 0 54\\\"]\\n[PlyCount \\\"51\\\"]\\n[EventDate \\\"2001.06.01\\\"]\\n[EventType \\\"swiss\\\"]\\n[EventRounds \\\"13\\\"]\\n[EventCountry \\\"YUG\\\"]\\n[SourceTitle \\\"CBM 084\\\"]\\n[Source \\\"ChessBase\\\"]\\n[SourceDate \\\"2001.09.13\\\"]\\n[SourceVersion \\\"1\\\"]\\n[SourceVersionDate \\\"2001.09.13\\\"]\\n[SourceQuality \\\"1\\\"]\\n\\n{ White is the only one that can win this endgame because of his queenside pawns. Truth be told, one of them is bound to fall since Black is about to play 54&#8230;Nc4 next, but then we get the familiar endgame where the knight has to catch the a-pawn. With this in mind, White should try to advance his a-pawn as far as possible, preferrably not allowing the knight to block it on a7. However, GM Anthony Miles lost sight of this important detail when he played} 54. Ke2 $2 {What can be more natural than centralizing the king? Well, as we saw in games 10 and 11, exceptions to this conditioned reflex definitely exist and we will see another one now. Black will use exactly the unfortunate position of the king on e2 to reach the a7-square just in time.} ({Instead, the paradoxical} 54. Kg1 $3 { would win because black knight could not use c3-square as a springboard as he did in the game. On g1, the king is safe from all possible checks (e1 and f2 would also allow the knight to catch the pawn in time with the help of &#8230;Nd3+), so if Black plays} Nc4 {then White continues} ({Alternatively,} 54... Nb3 {provides only a temporary blockade. White recentralizes his king:} 55. Kf2 f5 56. Ke3 Kg5 57. g3 $18 {and gradually wins by pushing his queenside duo.}) 55. a4 Nxb2 56. a5 Nc4 57. a6 f5 58. a7 Nb6 59. g3 Kf6 60. Kf2 $18 {etc. with an easily winning position since the knight cannot hold the a-pawn on its own and White has another outside passed pawn on the h-file.}) 54... Nc4 55. a4 Nxb2 56. a5 Na4 $1 { Miles probably missed this nice move which is reminiscent of &#8230; Nf3-h4!! in Grigoriev&#8217;s study. Knights are tricky pieces that often use unusual angles to get to their final destination.} 57. a6 Nc3+ 58. Kd3 Nb5 {The knight is in the right circuit and the endgame is drawn regardless of the kingside pawns. The point is that the knight can hold the a-pawn on its own, allowing black king to defend his pawn and block the h-pawn. Lautier held it easily, as we can see in the remainder of the game:} 59. Kc4 Na7 60. Kd5 Kg5 61. Ke5 f5 62. g3 Nc6+ 63. Kd6 Na7 64. h4+ Kg4 65. Ke5 Nc6+ 66. Kd6 Na7 67. Ke6 f4 68. gxf4 Kxf4 69. Kd6 Kg4 70. Kc7 Kxh4 71. Kb7 Nb5 72. Kb6 Nd6 73. Kc6 Nc8 74. Kc7 Na7 75. Kb7 Nb5 76. Kb6 Nd6 77. a7 Nc8+ 78. Kb7 Nxa7 79. Kxa7 1\\\/2-1\\\/2\",\"pieceSymbols\":\"native\",\"navigationBoard\":\"scrollLeft\",\"withFlipButton\":true,\"withDownloadButton\":true,\"nboSquareSize\":32,\"nboCoordinateVisible\":true,\"nboTurnVisible\":true,\"nboColorset\":\"original\",\"nboPieceset\":\"cburnett\",\"nboAnimated\":true,\"nboMoveArrowVisible\":true,\"nboMoveArrowColor\":\"r\",\"idoSquareSize\":32,\"idoCoordinateVisible\":true,\"idoTurnVisible\":true,\"idoColorset\":\"original\",\"idoPieceset\":\"cburnett\"});\n        });\n    <\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"rpbchessboard-spacerAfter\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:32px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>With a little extra effort, you can collect instructive examples like these from various sources (endgame manuals, articles, database search) and save them to your endgame databases. Something similar can be done with middlegame themes or model games in the opening. One of the main tenets of the book is to do as much independent work as possible. Gathering and systemizing knowledge in this fashion make learning more enjoyable and effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018How to Study Chess on Your Own\u2019 was one of the most popular chess books during the COVID-break in 2020 and 2021 when most in-person chess tournaments were canceled. Chess players had to spend more time at home than ever, leaving them with more time to reflect on and study chess, and this book came as a perfect guide and inspiration to many. I believe that the fundamental approaches laid out there will stand the test of time and be helpful to future generations of chess players.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/study-1024x682.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1669\" width=\"631\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/study-1024x682.png 1024w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/study-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/study-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/study-1536x1024.png 1536w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/study-150x100.png 150w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/study-272x182.png 272w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/study.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 631px) 100vw, 631px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-layout-2 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/sample\/how-to-study-chess-on-your-own\" style=\"background-color:#e57b02\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">View the free sample here<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:27% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"240\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DKuljasevic2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1644 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DKuljasevic2-1.jpg 240w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DKuljasevic2-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/DKuljasevic2-1-96x96.jpg 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><strong>Davorin Kuljasevic<\/strong> is a Croatian Grandmaster, FIDE trainer, and author. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">He has trained many talented youths worldwide and has an extensive record of instructive chess content publications. Some of his top achievements include 4th place in World Youth U16 in 2002, and gold in many international tournaments including; SPICE Spring 2011, Zupanja 2011, Mediteran 2011, Split 2013, and Castelfranco 2014. Besides chess, he also graduated with a Masters&#8217;s degree in Finance from Texas Tech University in 2011.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:39px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hey guys, this is Davorin Kuljasevic, a Croatian Grandmaster, chess author, and coach. Today, I\u2019d&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":2017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,16],"tags":[27],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1631"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1631"}],"version-history":[{"count":40,"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1941,"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1631\/revisions\/1941"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}