Blunder Check!

Do you want to improve your chess game and avoid blunders? Here’s some help. Continue reading →

Study Main Lines

IM Andrew Martin suggests beginning players study the main lines of openings — NOT quick fixes, shortcuts, and opening “systems.” Here’s his video on the Ruy Lopez (C99) using a game from Corus 2005 between Peter Leko as white and Lazaro Bruzon as black. Continue reading →

Karpov’s Endgame Mastery for Beginners

Here’s a good beginner video with former World Champion Anatoly Karpov and Roman Dzindzichashvili explaining Continue reading →

Happy Halloween – Gambit Style

Everyone likes to pull these out on All Hallow’s Eve (aka Halloween). So I will post videos and links for more reading on these interesting gambits. The Halloween Gambit You can read more about the Halloween Gambit via Wikipedia, The Chess Website, and Chessville. And here is another ghoulishly fun gambit: Dracula Gambit: You can read … Continue reading →

Lucena Position

The Lucena Position is a very important endgame position that everyone should know and understand. It involves a  King, Rook, and Pawn vs. a King and Rook. If you understand this position you will be able to win it every time, even if you are playing a grandmaster! Here’s a video lesson that will help you … Continue reading →

Learn Chess Or Call Me An Idiot!!

Are you new to chess? Still trying to learn how the pieces move and some basic strategy and tactics? This e-book is for beginners. I’ve downloaded it and installed it and it looks pretty good — if you’re a beginner. Written by International Master Javier Gil, this is a great FREE e-book that will help you … Continue reading →

How Do Grandmasters Blunder?

Here’s an instructive video by GM Maurice Ashley explaining how a GM blunders:

Houdini vs Rybka recent match, Game 4

A nicely annotated game, by Kingscrusher (aka Tryfon Gavriel) between the two chess engines Houdini (as white) and Rybka (as black). Note that the YouTube video is titled “Rybka vs Houdini” but I’ve changed this post’s title to reflect the correct colors for this game.  

The Most Common Mistake

Here is a nice instructional video from GM Igor Smirnov. His website is http://chess-teacher.com.

How Do You Resign a Chess Game?

In an article in the 1950 Chess Review, Reinfeld and Kmoch writing about the game between Alekhine and Grünfeld, Vienna 1922, that, “Alekhine resigned – by taking his king and throwing it across the room”. Kmoch was a participant at the 1922 Vienna tournament. I hope none of you have resigned in this fashion. But, … Continue reading →