Saturday, November 25, 2023

Tension - Chess Strategy

Master Chess Tension: A Guide with Resources & Training Tactics 


In chess, "tension" refers to a situation on the board where there is a delicate balance or a critical interaction between pieces or pawns.
It often involves a threat or potential exchange that both players need to carefully consider.

Have you ever felt the thrill of a hanging piece in chess? That's tension. It's the invisible force that creates dynamic positions, challenges your strategic thinking, and separates grandmasters from beginners. Understanding and managing chess tension is crucial for influencing the board's flow and dictating the game's course.
Tension can exist in various forms, such as a standoff between two opposing pieces, a pawn structure that could lead to pawn exchanges, or a potential threat that requires both players to make strategic decisions.

In this comprehensive repository, we'll delve into the world of tension, equip you with valuable resources, and provide training tactics to hone your skills.

Players must navigate and resolve these tense situations by making moves that either alleviate the pressure or exploit the tension to their advantage.
 Understanding and managing tension is a crucial aspect of chess strategy, as it can influence the dynamics of the position and determine the course of the game.




Master Chess Tension with In-Depth Articles


Tension and Threats -  Chess Improver Blog Post

To take is a mistake - tension in the chess position - Exeter Chess Club Article



Sharpen Your Skills:
Interactive Lichess Studies on Tension


critical moments: tension in center - 41 Interactive Chapter Study

Pawn Tensions - 13 Chapter Study



Visual Learning:
Chess Video Lessons Demystifying Tension


Chess Tension Explained -  19 Min - Chess Goals (SmithyQ)

Tension | Chess Terms | ChessKid - 11 Min - ChessKid


How to play chess like a top grandmaster - Keeping the tension in complex middlegames - 20 Min - Jozarov's Chess Channel

Instructive Mistakes: Releasing the Tension | Dojo Lessons - 16 Min - Chess Dojo

How to improve your ELO quickly by learning how to handle central tension - 15 Min - Robert Plunkett's Chess Lab

STOP before you chop - Beginner to Chess Master #28 - 2.5 Hr - Chess Network

How to Handle the "Full Tension" in the QGD Structures. - 14 min - IM Andras Toth
The Amateur's Mind: Understanding The c4-d5 Pawn Tension in the Queens Gambit - 14 Min - IM Andras Toth

Improving Chess episode 3 | ft. Samay Raina | Keeping the Tension - 1.5 hr - Chessbase India

10 Concepts About Pawn Tension - 19 Min - NM Nelson Lopez - Video Below



Deconstructing Tension:
Chess Game Videos with Expert Analysis


Keeping the Tension | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. paluch666 (1633) - 27 Min - IM Bartholomew

INSTANTLY Raise YOUR Chess Rating - Leave the TENSION!! -  9 Min - Melbourne Chess Club

Handling Positional Tension in Chess | Bryan Annotates - 32 Min - Better Chess Training

Not "maintaining the tension" vs lower rated player - Sicilian Defense - 22 Min - kingscrusher

A cracked and aged fresco depicting two ancient Greek wrestlers locked in a tense struggle, with a chessboard displayed prominently in the foreground.

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Stonewall Pawn Structure - Chess Strategy

Mastering the Stonewall: Essential Resources & Training Materials

Unleash the Power of the Stonewall! This formidable pawn structure is a chess warrior's secret weapon.

The Stonewall Pawn Structure, characterized by pawns on d4, c3, f4, and e3, creates a solid and dynamic foundation for your chess strategy. It excels at controlling the center, restricting your opponent's piece mobility, and launching powerful kingside attacks.

Mastering the Stonewall empowers you to:

  • Solidify your position: Gain a firm foothold in the center and build a fortress for your king.
  • Control the flow of the game: Limit your opponent's options and dictate the pace.
  • Launch surprise attacks: Exploiting weaknesses created by the Stonewall's pressure can lead to decisive victories.

Dive into this comprehensive guide and unlock the secrets of the Stonewall Pawn Structure with a wealth of free resources, articles, Lichess studies, video lessons, and game collections!

Bishop's Bounty - Stonewall Dutch Page
Bishop's Bounty - Stonewall Attack Page

Stonewall Articles 


Pawn Structure 101: Stonewall Formation -  Chess Simplified Guide  (In-Depth)

The Stonewall Pawn Structure - Article w/ Plans, Ideas and some Games - WGM Raluca Sgircea, IM Renier Castellanos

Chess Structures in Practice – The Stonewall  - Annotated Game 


LiChess Studies


How to deal with the Stonewall -  4 Chapter Study (Lesson w/ 3 games)

Stonewall Dutch Defense - 7 Chapter Interactive Study (500+ Hearts)

Stonewall Structures  (Chess Structures : A GM's Guide Chapter 6) - 8 Chapter Study


Game Databases


Chessgames.com

Stonewall Structure - 3 Game Collection

PAWN STRUCTURE - 3 Famous Stonewall games

Dutch, Stonewall (A95) 1 d4 f5 2 c4 Nf6 3 g3 e6 4 Bg2 Be7 5 Nf3 O-O 6 O-O d5 7 Nc3 c6 - 328 Games


Stonewall Pawn Structure Video Lessons


Stonewall Structure | Must Know Pawn Formations #1 | GM Moulthun Ly - 15 Min

Pawn breaks: The Stonewall pawn structures - 1.5 Hr - Coach Robert

Pawn Structure 101 IM Daniel Rensch - 31 Min IM Daniel Rensch

Stonewall Dutch for chess beginners (explained) - 14 Min - Bad Bishop Chess Channel

The Amateur's Mind #12 : How to play rigid structures (Stonewall, Symmetrical English) - 28 Min - IM Andras Toth  Video Below


Monday, November 6, 2023

Sicilian Wing ( Portsmouth ) Gambit - B20 - Opening Theory

Portsmouth (Sicilian Wing ) Gambit Resources

Wikipedia Page - Wing Gambit
The most common Wing Gambit is in the Sicilian Defense


 (1.e4 c5 2.b4   or   1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. b4)




Sicilian Wing Gambit Chess Articles


Chess Opening Basics: The Sicilian Wing Gambit - Chessable Opening Guide
The Wing Gambit: Opening Guide for White & Black - Chessable Blog Guide

Dirty Opening TRICK to Win in 7 Moves [Sicilian Defense Trap] - GM Igor Smirnov - Embedded Video w/ Game
Magnus Carlsen Demolishes a GM Using Portsmouth Gambit - GM Igor Smirnov - Article w/Embedded Videos

The Sicilian Wing Gambit - Revisited - Indepth - Blog Post, Computer Lines, Traps, w/ Embedded Video (Nice)

Wing Gambits in Chess - This article by Edward Winter discusses the history and development of the Sicilian Wing Gambit in chess, including notable games and players associated with the opening. It traces the gambit back to Greco in the 17th century, looks at claims of authorship by Bird and Marshall, and includes analysis of sample games showing interesting ideas and theoretical developments over time. (Very Nice


Sicilian Wing (Portsmouth) Gambit LiChess Studies

Sicilian Wing's Gambit - 10 Chapter Study

Spicy Gambits: Sicilian Wing Gambit! - 22 Chapter Study - (22 Games - Wins , Losses and Draws)

Portsmouth Gambit | Opening: Sicilian Defense - 9 Chapter Study - In this study, we will go over variations of the Sicilian Defense: Portsmouth Gambit, and look at master games with this opening. (90+ Hearts)


Sicilian Wing Gambit Puzzles

LiChess Opening Puzzles 

Wing Gambit - 1320 Puzzles
Wing Gambit Deferred - 100 Puzzles


Sicilian Wing Gambit Game Databases


365Chess.com

B20: Sicilian, wing gambit 1. e4 c5 2. b4 - 1943 Games

ChessTempo.com

Sicilian Defense, Wing Gambit (B20) - 1007 Games

Chessgames.com (Game Collections)

wing gambit victories - 37 Games (Many Classic Games from Marshall, Alekhine, Keres)
Sicilian wing gambit - 9 Games - (Broken into Thematic Ideas)
Sicilian Wing Gambit for Black - 5 Games
Sicilian: Wing Gambit-2. b4-Black wins - 9 Games


Sicilian Wing (Portsmouth) Gambit Video Lessons


Tony Williams Portsmouth Gambit - 2 Hr - Camberley Chess

A Wild Line You Need To Learn - Sicilian Defense Counter (Tricky Gambit) - 20 Min - NM Nelson Lopez

The Wing Gambit | Dynamic Play against the Sicilian Defense | Chess Openings | IM Andrey Ostrovskiy - 17 Min

Crush Sicilian Players With The Wing Gambit!! - 53 Min - IM Miodrag Perunovic - Video Below

Remote Chess Academy - GM Igor Smirnov

Powerful Chess Opening Against the Sicilian Defense | Tricky Wing Gambit - 18 Min
Brutally PUNISH the Sicilian Defense (Carlsen Used This Tricky Gambit Opening) - 19 Min
Crush the Sicilian Defense: Unknown & DEADLY TRAP for White - 16 Min

Smirnov Gambit Part-1 | Powerful Chess Opening Against the Sicilian Defense - 27 Min
Smirnov Gambit Part-2 | Powerful Chess Opening Against the Sicilian Defense - 24 Min
Smirnov Gambit Part-3 | Powerful Chess Opening Against the Sicilian Defense - 25 Min

Anti Wing Gambit Videos

Beating ALL the Anti-Sicilian Systems! - GM Chris Ward - 16 Min

Taking Down the Wing Gambit!! | Deep Dive | Sicilian | GM Naroditsky's Theory Speed Run - 70 Mins (
Real Nice Lesson)

Facing the Anti Sicilians | Grandmaster Opening Repertoire - 56 Min - GM Moulthun Ly

GM Eugene Perelshteyn teaches you how to punish the Wing Gambit! - 9 Min



Sicilian Wing (Portsmouth) Gambit Games w/ Analysis


Magnus Carlsen Uses The Wing Gambit to Beat 5 GM's - 28 Min

GM Analysis #9: Williams vs Dragun: Sicilian Wing Gambit 2 b4!? - 26 Min - GM Simon Williams
Sharp play in the Wing Gambit | Standard Chess #294 - 55 Min - IM John Bartholomew
Daniil Dubov Plays Wing Gambit Against Sicilian Defense - 6 Min

Johnathan Schrantz
Win FAST with the Portsmouth Gambit - 3 Min
Surprise the Sicilian with the PORTSMOUTH GAMBIT - 8 Min
Holy Gambit Grail #14: Portsmouth Gambit - 10 Min
Sicilian Players Always Mess This Up - 9 Min
He Was Ready for the PORTSMOUTH GAMBIT - 10 Min
Somebody Fell Into My EVIL PORTSMOUTH GAMBIT Prep - 8 Min
Sicilian Players are NEVER Ready for This - 12 Min

Wing Gambit Graffitti painted on a wall, text and a chess board

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Queen's Indian Defense - E12 - E17 - Opening Theory

Queens Indian Defense Resources

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6

E12 – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6

E13 – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5

E14 – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.e3

E15 – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3

E16 – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7

E17 – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7

E18 – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Nc3

E19 – 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Nc3 Ne4 8.Qc2



Free Books / Courses Queen's Indian


Short & Sweet: Fernandez's Nimzo-Queen's Indian - Free Chessable Course - 10 Lines w/ 22 Min Video - GM Ernesto Fernandez

Queen's Indian Defense- Tournament Edition - 27 Lines - Free Chessable Course 

Short & Sweet: Accelerated Queen's Indian Defense - 25 Variations w/ 67 Min Video - Free Chessable Course - IM Yuriy Krykun



Queen's Indian Defense Articles


You Can Trust the Queen’s Indian Defense - Chessable Blog Opening Guide (Nice Article w/ Embedded Course Video)
Queen’s Indian Defense – Complete Guide - Chessworld Article w/ 33 Min Embedded Video

The Excellent Queen’s Indian Defense - IM Alberto Chueca - Opening Guide



Queen's Indian Defense LiChess Studies


Queen's Indian Defense -6 Chapter Study (400+ Hearts)
Queen's Indian: The Complete Guide - 13 Chapter Study (140 Hearts)

MASTER 🐱‍πŸ‘€πŸ˜ŽπŸ˜Ž Queen's Indian Defense - 14 Chapter Study (100+ Hearts) 6 Chapters on Pawn Structures



Queen's Indian Defense Puzzles


WTHarvey.com

Queen's Indian (ECO E15) - 15 Puzzles

LiChess Opening Puzzles

Queens Indian Defense - 1091 Puzzles (Broken Below into Variations)

Kasparov Variation - 201 Puzzles
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation - 115 Puzzles
Capablanca Variation - 40 Puzzles
Classical Variation - 186 Puzzles
Spassky System - 95 Puzzles
Fianchetto Variation - 159 Puzzles
Petrosian Variation - 46 Puzzles



Queens Indian Game Databases


Chessgames.com

Queen's Indian (E12) 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 - 10,600 Games

365Chess.com

E12-E19_Queen's_Indian_defence - (Page with all the Variations Outlined w/ Links)



Queen's Indian Defense Video Lessons


Queen's Indian Defense Opening Theory - 7 Video Playlist - (2.5 hrs)- Hanging Pawns

The Modern Queen's Indian: US Chess School w/ GM Hellsten - 71 Min - Great lesson

The Fridman Variation of the Queen's Indian Defense - 35 Min- GM Matthias Whals

Dominate with the Queen's Indian Defense ⚔ GM Jan Werle [ChessWorld] - 32 Min

Chess Openings: How to Play the Queen's Indian! - 9 Min - Chess.com

1.d4 Solid Repertoire: Queens Indian Defense - 10 Min - NM Bryan Tillis

Queen's Indian Defense: Lecture by GM Ben Finegold - 45 Min - Video Below




Queen's Indian Traps and Tactics


Small Opening Mistake | The imprisoned Bishop | Queen's Indian Defence - 5 Min - Chessbase India

Chess Trap 33 (Queen's Indian Defense) - 8 Min

Chess Tactics in the Queen's Indian with IM Hans Niemann - 28 Min



Queen's Indian Defense Game Videos w/ Analysis


Queen's Indian Defense - 15 Video Playlist- agadmator's Chess Channel (Games from Tal to Carlsen )

Queens Indian Defence - 63 Video Playlist- kingscrusher

Queen's Indian Defense Theory - 20 Video Playlist- Jozorov's Chess Channel

Queen's Indian - 17 Video Playlist - Chessbase India

Garry Kasparov - Crushing The Queen's Indian Defense - 16 Min 
Kasparov destroys the Queen’s Indian in 23 moves - 13 Min - Chess Network

Polugaevsky-Korchnoi Queen's Indian Defense - GM Dariusz Swiercz - 51 Min
Seirawan vs. Timman, 1990 | Queen's Indian Defense - GM Yasser Seirawan - 56 Min

Standard Chess #253: IM Bartholomew vs. Larsens_son (Queen's Indian Defense) - 42 Min
Standard Chess #62: fanta6 vs. IM Bartholomew (Queen's Indian Defense) - 41 Min

Sudden Impact! - Stockfish vs Seer - Queen's Indian Defense, Kasparov Variation - 15 Min
 
AI Generated Chess art with a knight charging a black Queenside of Chess pieces