There is no need to study extra opening theory if you can find a shortcut. The Torre Attack is a shortcut that does not sacrifice strength. Often when you deviate from the mainlines of 1.d4 2.c4 to avoid a defense, you sacrifice attacking potential. When you play the Torre Attack, you avoid the Nimzo-Indian, Queen’s Indian, and Bogo-Indian Defense but without comprising your winning chances. Apart from avoiding these openings, the Torre Attack poses challenges for Black that will be new for many of your opponents. Here is IM Valeri Lilov to share more about this attacking opening for white ..read more

The Nimzowitsch Defense (1.e4 Nc6) is a surprising opening in many ways. This chess opening offers a robust defense to 1.e4, where you will often find yourself better prepared than your opponent. Yes, it is an excellent way to cut down on the amount of opening theory you must learn. Still, GM Christian Bauer has experienced success playing the Nimzowitsch Defense against titled players. Many lines in the Nimzowitsch Defense lead to exciting, unbalanced positions where you can play attacking chess. In the Nimzowitsch Defense, you develop a piece on the first move! The only way for White to tak ..read more

From 2007 until 2022, we’ve had two World Chess Champions – Magnus Carlsen and Vishy Anand. Despite losing the title of world chess champion in 2013, Vishy Anand remains one of the strongest players in competitive chess today. In fact, entering 2023, Vishy Anand is ranked number 9 in the world, a ranking many much younger chess players would love to have, never mind players in their fifties. Well-liked and respected by almost all of his contemporaries, Vishy Anand is living proof that you can be nice and do well in a competitive setting. A strong work ethic and the willingness to prepare ahea ..read more

Despite only holding the title of World Chess Champion for three years, Boris Spassky is regarded as possibly the most gifted of all Soviet chess players. Unlike many of his predecessors, Boris Spassky was unique in his playing style and is considered the first universal player. An excellent attacking player, Boris Spassky was equally capable of playing positional chess against the world’s best players. The Second World War nearly deprived the world of his chess talent. He learned to play chess on a train evacuating the siege of Leningrad when he was five years old. By the time he was six yea ..read more

The Winawer variation of the French Defense will have you wondering why the French Defense is considered boring by so many chess players. The position becomes unbalanced early, and Black is always ready to sacrifice a knight on e5. Although it got named after the Polish player Simon Winawer in English-speaking countries, it is sometimes called the Nimzowitsch Variation in many others. The similarities between the Winawer and Nimzo-Indian Defense are easy to see. Fortunately, for those looking to play the French Defense, knowing the strategic ideas and thematic sacrifices in the Winawer are of ..read more

We all want to win our chess games, but sometimes draws in chess can help you earn a crucial half-point. If we make a mistake during the game, it is nice to know we can still play for a draw. Going behind in material and fighting back to draw the game can be highly satisfying. Obtaining draws in chess requires skill and a sound strategy. If your opponent is ahead in material, they are unlikely to accept your draw offer until you create a drawn position on the board. You can also use draws to give you the confidence to begin an attack with a sacrifice. Knowing you have a way to draw if your op ..read more

Tigran Petrosian, like Tal, was a world chess champion who dealt with poor health throughout his life. However, the challenges he faced as a child helped him forge the strength of character needed to become a world champion. A stout defender and master of the exchange sacrifice, Tigran Petrosian was known as a player who was incredibly difficult to defeat. Some believe his ability to defend and earn draws might have even held him back. There was nothing flashy about Tigran Petrosian’s play, but it brought him something not many have ever obtained – the title of World Chess Champion. One of th ..read more

When you mention a passed pawn, many chess players immediately think of the endgame. This is unsurprising because a passed pawn is vital in winning endgames. Starting with the endgame can help you play better middlegames, where you can harness the power of a passed pawn to set up a win in the endgame. Another excellent way to use the passed pawn in the middlegame is to tie down your opponent’s pieces. The further advanced the passed pawn gets, the more powerful it becomes. However, you do not want to advance it too far if you cannot keep it defended! Time spent learning how to create a passed ..read more

There is no reason not to play for the win with black. The Grunfeld Defense and Sicilian Dragon are two excellent, dynamic chess openings as black that give you every chance to win. There are enough standard features and strategies to make learning both openings easier. For example, both openings feature a kingside fianchetto and have the …d5 advance in common. These two positionally sound openings offer plenty of tactics for attacking players to enjoy. You will find yourself playing many exciting chess games once you include these chess openings as black into your repertoire. Take a look at ..read more

We all know about the famous world championship match that resulted in Bobby Fischer becoming World Champion, but many people do not know the incredible effort and high-quality play it took for Bobby Fischer to earn the right to play Boris Spassky in the first place. Along the way, he needed to defeat two powerful Soviet chess players, including a former world chess champion, and one of the strongest players outside the Soviet Union. The ease with which he disposed of these three top players can mislead us into thinking they were not very good. Nothing could be further from the truth, and all ..read more