The Halloween Gambit is surely the spookiest way to start a chess game. If you're a conservative chess player who doesn't like to give away pieces, it may indeed be "2 spooky 👻4 u." Could this early knight sacrifice be a legitimate opening? No, ...
In past articles we've discussed why people play bad openings and how to deal with such dubious lines. Are these openings really that bad for your chess? While the answer might seem quite obvious, the reality is not that simple. Let me giv...
One of the first things everyone learns playing chess is that the queen is the strongest piece on the board. Her power is amazing! She's worth nine pawns; she's majestic, extremely agile and has seemingly unlimited powers. Then, however, comes t...
I am sure that you've encountered the situation where your opponent played an opening move that breaks all known chess rules. What is your second thought when this happens? (I assume that the first thought is usually: "You gotta be kidding me!")...
The Petrov Defense is one of the most hated openings in chess. Probably only the Ruy Lopez Berlin Defense is hated more by chess fans. Both openings are the weapons of choice in many super tournaments where the main goal of many participants playi...
"What a stupid question!" I bet this is the natural reaction of many readers once they see the title of this article. Indeed it is a dream of any chess fan to play like Magnus Carlsen. OK, let me rephrase the original question: Should ...
When I hear the word gambit, the first thing that pops up in my mind is the King's Gambit. Yes, I am well aware that a gambit means a sacrifice to achieve certain benefits like initiative or an outright attack, and there is more to it than just ...
In his famous comedy routine, Richard Pryor tells a story about being caught cheating with another woman by his wife. Since the wife entered the room at the worst possible moment, it was pointless to deny the fact of cheating and yet, he tried his...
Last year, I wrote about the French Defense. I am bringing this up because this new article is all about the French Defense and many of you will learn a lot if you read the old one too. You can find it here. During the Batumi Olympiad in 2018 I ...
The Austrian chess master Heinrich Wolf (1875-1943) is not exactly a household name for most chess players these days. Yet he is father to one of the most profound concepts in modern opening theory. If people have heard of Wolf at all, it is usu...
The end of 1970s and the beginning of 1980s were definitely the peak of Anatoly Karpov's chess career. He was larger than life in the Soviet Union! His wedding with Irina Kuimova (you see, 40 years later I still remember the name of Karpov...
How do you respond to 1.e4? Have you ever tried the Philidor Defense? GM Ben Finegold explores the main lines and sidelines of this lesser-used opening! He will load you up with all the key lines and ideas you need to know, as well as possib...
This is a quick guide to a video series by IM Keaton Kiewra. This series shows ideas that white can use in the Trompowsky Attack. Learn how to play this creative and bold opening without getting bogged down in too much theory. Skip Ahead To The ...
Get ready to learn everything you ever wanted to know about the Grunfeld Defense! IM Valeri "Tiger" Lilov reviews the main lines of this dynamic opening. Not what you were looking for? Back to the video guide. Introduction Get read...
In last year's article about chess insults, I mentioned a funny episode that happened in the game between two chess legends, Tarrasch and Nimzowitsch. The game barely started when GM Tarrasch loudly announced: "Never in my life have I ha...
When selecting your opening repertoire as a beginner, you have to choose lines you like to play. IM Valeri "Tiger" Lilov helps you with this video series to find openings that suit your playing style. Not what you were looking for? Back t...
I recently read an interesting article in Time, written in 2008 by then-world champion Viswanathan Anand, in which he argues that chess originated in India, and then traveled westward to Persia and ultimately to Spain. In the elegant f...
In one of my first tournament games I fell into a well-known opening trap and lost very quickly. My very considerate opponent waited till the mandatory crying was over and came to me. "Don't be upset, Greg", he said. "The move I played in the op...
One of the most interesting aspects of the recent chess960 matches (featuring Garry Kasparov) in St. Louis, was their potential to develop some kind of rudimentary opening theory. It appears that the players enjoyed this opportunity as well. As ...
Petrov's Defense is not a common opening in club tournaments. It almost doesn't exist in scholastic tournaments, either. The reason is the opening is not very exciting, and in most lines leads to slow, positional play. Therefore, as Wikipedia pu...
I love reading member comments to my articles! It is a pleasure to see how smart and intelligent our chess community is. Unlike commenters in many internet forums, Chess.com members are polite and helpful. Take for example one of my most re...
What's the weakest spot on the chessboard? Surely it must be the f7 square. Only protected by the black king, the poor pawn on f7 has been a classic victim of tricks and attacks. It's fair to say chess players have been obsessed with f7 sin...
On March 24, 1937, the leading Soviet chess magazine 64 published a theoretical article about a new opening system the magazine called the "Panov Defense." I challenge you to identify the moves of this opening line. Yes, you can Google it ...
The English Opening starting with 1.c4 is a modern way to handle the opening phase of the game. This opening is a "flank" opening since it starts with a side pawn rather than the central 1.e4 or 1.d4 moves. Many players from chess history and toda...
