Silman Article Archive Part 10 - Random Lessons

  Silmans Articles on Chess.com

 Treasury of  FREE Chess Articles By IM Jeremy Silman

501 Chess Articles from 2009 - 2023

So many of these Articles are Lessons, Games and Positions to Test and Teach the Reader.

Random Lessons  

Most of the Titles Explain the Lessons

Tales Of Bishops And Knights - Lesson Comparing The strength and Weaknesses of Both.

The Time-Trouble Blues - Lesson About Time Troubles and Reasons

The Joy Of Reviewing Chess Games - Great lesson, 4 games , 2 Puzzles , History

Fixing Your Weaknesses - Couple games , Lesson

Knowing When to Pull the Trigger - 3 Puzzles, 6 Master Games -  analyzing a student's game in a Closed Sicilian opening. The importance of properly assessing winning and losing positions psychologically. He stresses tactics, imbalances, threat awareness, and cultivating the right mindset to find knockout blows in dynamic positions. The game serves as an example of seizing winning chances versus passivity.

If The Board Says ATTACK, Then ATTACK! - One game , (Lots of lessons from Opening to Endgame)

The Man Who Wouldn't Castle -   3 Master Games - Analyzes an exciting Najdorf Sicilian, Instructive game demonstrating critical lessons like choosing suitable openings, the vital need to castle, and avoiding unfocused attacks. Also highlights some common strategic errors and the importance of understanding your opponent's ideas.

Emotions vs. Cold Reason - 2 Master Games - Instructive game highlighting key skills like managing emotions, recovering from errors, deeply understanding opening structures, and converting winning positions. The game emphasizes the importance of objectivity, resilience, opening knowledge, and keeping things simple when ahead.

What Is The Initiative? - Lesson w/ positions

The Eye Of The Beholder - Lesson w/3 Games (seeking a way to come up with a creative move or idea that your opponent didn’t even imagine)

How To Play Multi-Purpose Moves - Lessons w/ 6 positions

Recognizing The Big Moment In A Game - game starts with a Center Counter opening but transposes into various other openings, creating an interesting and complex position. The author emphasizes the importance of recognizing key moments in a game where your opponent may be vulnerable or where you can seize the initiative.

Protecting Overprotection - Lesson w/ 3 example Games

The Difficult Opponent  - 3 games, 4 Puzzles (Players with equal ratings sometimes aren’t equal at all in battles against each other due to a players style)

Greed and Two King Hunts - 2 Puzzles - Lesson on Greed

Pawns, Greed, Pins, and the Center - 3 Puzzles - w/ 4 lessons (Strong Center, Pins, Greed, Pawn moves)

Rules, Homes, and a Big Decision - 2 Puzzles - w/ 3 lessons 

Space, Negativity, and Dreams  - Short Article on Space Advantage

Checks and Threats, Should You or Shouldn’t You - 6 Puzzles - Lesson on Checks and Threats


Material Imbalances, Opening Ideas, and Hanging Stuff - Lessons from 2 Amateur Games

Countdown to Mate - 3 Master Games -  analyzes a student's game, emphasizing the dangers of unnecessary checks and inactive pieces, while advising playing actively over reacting to threats.

Threats, Real & Imagined - 3 Puzzles , 3 Master games - analyzes a student's game, advising him to avoid over-responding to threats and instead play with confidence in his own position.

Cruise Control - 2 Puzzles, 1 Master Game -  analyzes a Sicilian game, advising the reader to avoid opening setup autopilot and overreaction to threats.

When Both Sides Try to Lose - Analysis of Amateur Game

Death by Dark Squares - 6 Puzzles - Analysis of Amateur Game

A Key Tactical Theme - 2 Puzzles - Deep Analysis of Amateur game

Fighting For Your Chessboard Rights! - 1 Puzzle - Analysis of Amateur Game.

Threats, Agendas, Demands, and Safety - 4 Positions from Reader games with a lesson from each.

Don't Play a Move If You Can't Back it Up! -  Detailed Analysis of reader game  (Long Article)

The Classic Bishop Sacrifice - 2 Puzzles, So in summary, while an Alapin Sicilian, the critical lessons are more general about seizing opportunities, handling defenses, and the importance of determination and resilience.

Know Your Position's Agenda - 3 Puzzles -  Analyzes a Caro-Kann game that turns into a Panov-Botvinnik, emphasizing knowing your position's needs and not reacting to superficial threats. Counterattack in the center when facing a wing attack.

Cruise Control - 2 Puzzles, 1 Master Game -  analyzes a Sicilian game, advising the reader to avoid opening setup autopilot and overreaction to threats.

Two Players, Two Different Fantasies - 3 Puzzles, (Amateur Game) The key overall messages are to adhere to opening principles, calculate responses diligently, castle early, coordinate your forces, and maintain a purpose behind each move. Rash attacks before development lead to disaster.

Cultivating a Positive Attitude  -  4 Puzzles , 3 games - Analyzes a game between two amateurs, highlighting the importance of confidence, calmness and avoiding unnecessary defenses.

Blundering

Blunders That Give Us Hidden Gold  - Great overall lesson covering all the mistakes (From opening to Endgame) of one game.

Having Fun With Blunders -  22 Puzzles,  Famous Players Blundering, Lesson on Blunders

The Rocky Horror Picture Blunder - Lesson on the use of symbols like "!", "!!", "?", and "??" , 10 Puzzles on assigning Symbols

Everyone, of Every Rating, Blunders - 5 Puzzles, 1 Game -  Lesson on Fighting from Inferior position, and Nice Endgame Lesson 

Return of the Blunder Gland, Part One -  2 Master Games - The opening was a Queen's Gambit Declined transitioning from a Caro-Kann Defense. Analyzes a beginner's game, emphasizing basic tactics like ensuring your pieces are safe and not hanging them.

The Blunder Gland: Playing Blind -  3 Puzzles -  Bunch of Lessons from an Amateur game.

Blunder Gland Redux: First Baby Steps, and Then The World - 2 Puzzles - Analysis and Lessons from Amateur game

Endgame Theory

The Two Faces Of Opposite-Colored Bishops -  Lesson w/ 4 Positions

Bishops Bounty Jeremy Silman Chess.com Article Archive - Main Page

Silman Article Archive Part 9 - Chess Puzzles

   Silmans Articles on Chess.com

Treasury of FREE Chess Articles By IM Jeremy Silman

501 Chess Articles from 2009 - 2023

So many of these Articles are Lessons, Games and Positions to Test and Teach the Reader. 

Puzzles
Group of Articles That are More Puzzle or Test focused.
(w/ Great Lessons)

A Rare And Brutal Rook Configuration - Deep Analysis of a Single game with 4 Puzzles, Tactical and Positional

Windows Of Chess Opportunity - 6 Puzzles (Tactical and Positional)

Another Important Chess Test - 5 Puzzles (Positional and Tactical)

Tests: Psychology, Tactics, And Strategy -  8 Puzzles (To test Positional and Tactical Knowledge) Lots Annotation

Test Your Tactical/Attacking Skills -  4 Puzzles , Each with a short Lesson to learn

Basic Formulas, Wonders of Defense, and King Safety  - 3 Puzzles - 3 lessons

Chaotic Chess Puzzles: Tactics Or Positional Play? -  4 Puzzles
Tactics Or Positional Play? A Beautiful Imagination! -  4 Puzzles 
Tactics Or Positional Play? The Ladies Return! - 5 Puzzles
Tactics Or Positional Play? The Ladies Teach Chess -  5 Puzzles

Parting With the Lady: Hanken's Ghost  - 11 Puzzles  (Queen Sacrifices)

Puzzle Potpourri -  14 Puzzles - Positional, Tactical, Endgame
Puzzle Potpourri, Part 2  - 10 Puzzles - Positional and Tactical Puzzles 

Balance Is Everything, Part 1 - 12 Puzzles , Positional and Tactical (Read Comments in each puzzle for Lessons)
Balance is Everything, Part 2 -  15 Puzzles , Positional and Tactical

Presents a series of chess puzzles from games that have won Brilliancy prizes.
The puzzles are meant to challenge readers and provide examples of remarkable tactics and attacks by various chess players.

Insane, Surprising, or Beautiful Finishes!   -  10 Puzzles
Insane, Surprising, or Beautiful Finishes, Part 2 -  10 Puzzles 
Insane, Surprising, or Beautiful Finishes, Part 3 -  10 Puzzles 

Bishops Bounty Jeremy Silman Chess.com Article Archive - Main Page

Silman Article Archive Part 8 - Chess Psychology

   Silmans Articles on Chess.com

Treasury of FREE Chess Articles By IM Jeremy Silman

501 Chess Articles from 2009 - 2023

So many of these Articles are Lessons, Games and Positions to Test and Teach the Reader.

Chess Psychology

The Huge Importance Of Chess Psychology - Lesson 4 games, 5 Puzzles

Chess Psychology - 1 game - Emphasizing  the critical role psychology plays in chess strategy. Analyzing an amateur game riddled with psychological pitfalls,  a masterclass on how to overcome fear, avoid mental rigidity, and stop reacting to threats

Chess Psychology 101 -  Lesson  , 4 Game positions

Deadly Mindsets: 'He Can't/I Can't'  - Interesting Lesson on under explained Chess Concept

Practical Chess Psychology -  Several position and 1 game - Lesson about having the right psychology to keep pushing your own plans, not overreacting to threats, being ready to punish errors, and avoiding "I must" thinking.

Highway to Chess Hell -  Discusses the critical importance of psychology and attitude in chess, advising the reader to stay confident and avoid negativity.

Dealing With Off Balance Opponents - “How Do You Deal With Opponents That Cheat or Are Mentally Ill?”

Rules of Chess Conduct - 2 Games - Crazy Stories of Weird Chess behavior 

Bishops Bounty Jeremy Silman Chess.com Article Archive - Main Page

Silman Article Archive Part 7 - Chess Tactics

  Silmans Articles on Chess.com

Treasury of FREE Chess Articles By IM Jeremy Silman

501 Chess Articles from 2009 - 2023

So many of these Articles are Lessons, Games and Positions to Test and Teach the Reader.

Chess Tactics

Mating Patterns

Beginner Mating Patterns Part 1 -  6 Puzzles - Lesson on Backrank, Mate on h7, Mate on g7, Smothered Mate
Beginner Mating Patterns - Part 2 - 7 Puzzles , Lessons (SCHOLAR’S MATE and the WEAKNESS OF F7) and (FOOL’S MATE – DEATH DOWN the h5-e8 DIAGONAL)
Beginner Mating Patterns Redux - Part 3 -  16 Puzzles to Test Your knowledge of first 2 Articles in Series

Tactic Type Lessons

X-ray - Chess Taser!  - 8 Puzzles , Detailed Lesson on the X-Ray Tactic
Pins - Sharp, Dangerous, and Effective! -  10 Puzzles , 4 Games , Detailed lesson on Pin Tactic
Double Attack - The Ultimate Tactical Concept - 6 Puzzles , 2 Games , Lesson on Double Attack tactic
The Dreaded Discovered Attack - 7 Puzzles , 1 game , Lesson on Discovered Attack
The Curse Of Undefended Pieces - Lesson

Forks

The Misunderstood Knight Fork - Part 1: Greed - 7 Positions, 9 Puzzles - Lesson on Knight Forks
The Misunderstood Knight Fork - Part 2: Attack -  8 Puzzles, 2 Games  -  Slaughter With the Knight Fork
The Misunderstood Knight Fork (Part 3) – Various - 5 Puzzles - 5 Other reasons to Set up a Fork
Pawn Forks: the David vs. Goliath of Chess - 8 Puzzles -  4 Pawn Fork Ideas
An Infestation of Forks - 13 Puzzles - looking at Bishop, Queen, Rook, and even King forks.

Attacking the Enemy King Oriented Tactics

The Classic Bishop Sacrifice - Part One -  8 Puzzles - to make this sacrifice a reality is a Queen, Knight, and light-squared Bishop aiming at h7 ( 3 Key defensive ideas for Black)
The Classic Bishop Sacrifice - Part 2 -  7 Puzzles , Lesson about exploring what happens after 1.Bxh7+ Kxh7 2.Ng5+ Kg8
The Classic Bishop Sacrifice - Part Three - 5 Puzzles , 6 game Positions , 1.Bxh7+ Kxh7 2.Ng5+  In Part Three, we’ll move on to 2…Kh6 and 2…Kg6, which often leads to far more complex positions than the previous King moves.
The Classic Bishop Sacrifice - Part Four - 17 Puzzles , (All Puzzles to see if you grasped Concepts from Articles 1-3 )
Sac the House and Have Some Fun! -  19 Puzzles , 1 game 
Oddities In The Classic Bishop Sacrifice - Lesson on Bishop Sacrifice

Brilliancy Prize Tactics

Unknown Chess Players Who Won A Prize - 6 Positions where a Brilliancy Prize was won.

Can You Solve These Old Time Chess Puzzles? - 6 Puzzles that won Brilliancy Prizes w/ Interesting History

Can You Solve These Brilliancy Prize Chess Tactics? - 6 Puzzles w/ History

Can You Solve These Tactics That Won Brilliancy Prizes? -  6 Puzzles w/ History of Players

More Brilliancy Prize Chess Tactics - 6 Puzzles w/ History

History, Brilliant Chess Tactics And You! - six chess puzzles, with each game being given a brilliancy prize w/ Interesting History for Each.

Brilliancy Prizes (Players)

Garry Kasparov's Brilliancy Prizes - 12 Full Games (Puzzle for each)

Who Has The Most Best Game Prizes? Tal - 15 Full games (Puzzle for Each)

Anatoly Karpov's Best Game Prizes  - 10 Fully Annotated Games

Rashid Nezhmetdinov's Best Game Prizes - 10 Annotated Games

Tactics and Combinations (Lessons)

Learning Chess Patterns Is Easy  - Lesson  (Tactics patterns, Attacking patterns , Opening Structure patterns)

Throwing Away Your Queen - 12 Puzzles - 4 games - Topic - Queen Sacs

Classic Combinations: The Good Old Days -  8 Puzzles , History 
Can You Find These Classic Combinations? - 9 Puzzles, History
The Deadly Attacks Of Romantic Chess -  9 Puzzles, History
Classic Combinations: Historic Attacks - 8 Puzzles , History
Classic Combinations -  10 Puzzles , History

Brutal Tactics and Positional Tactics - 1 Puzzles , 2 Games  (Replaying Tal's classic game against Gurgenidze)
Tactics, Tactics, Floating in the Air - 6 Puzzles - Single Bird's Opening Game Tactics Lesson
Raging Tactics and Geometric Beauty - 6 Puzzles - Full Analysis of an Amateur game
A Cascade of Tactics - 4 Games, 3 Puzzles  - Full Analysis of an Amateur game
Calculation
How To Improve Your Calculation -  Full Annotated Amateur Game - With lesson and Tips After.
Are Tactics The Same As Combinations?  - 3 Games  (Emanuel Lasker Games )

Bishops Bounty Jeremy Silman Chess.com Article Archive - Main Page

Silman Article Archive Part 6 - Positional Theory

 Silmans Articles on Chess.com

Treasury of FREE Chess Articles By IM Jeremy Silman

501 Chess Articles from 2009 - 2023

So many of these Articles are Lessons, Games and Positions to Test and Teach the Reader.

Positional Chess Theory

Little Things That Help Your Chess Game - Lesson w/ 5 Positional Puzzles w/Analysis
More Little Things That Help Your Chess  - 5 Positional puzzles w/Analysis
Even More Little Things To Help Your Chess Game - 5 Positional Puzzles w/ Analysis
Positional Pondering  -  2 Puzzles - Lessons focus on understanding the strategic trade-offs in a position - static versus dynamic factors, hole creation, piece centralization, and experience with structures.

A Critically Important Pattern -  2 Puzzles  - Middle-game Position To Know
No Guts, No Glory! - 2 Puzzles - Middle game Position Lesson from a Game.
An Infestation of Isolated d-Pawns - 6 Games - Lesson on Isolated d-pawn position

How To Build Winning Chess Positions -  10 Positions ( Dynamics, Pieces working together)

How to Evaluate Chess Positions (Example) -  2 Games
Timing, Your Move's Purpose, and a Hard Move to Find - 2 Puzzles - Studying 2 Positions

Exploring One of the Most Mysterious Moves in Chess - 7 Puzzles , 2 Games - The strategic idea behind the seemingly pointless Bh7+ move in chess.

Test Your Chess Understanding, Part 1 -  7 Puzzles w/ A Myriad Of Questions  (Gold)
Test Your Chess Understanding, Part 2 -  4 Puzzles + Bonus game
Test Your Chess Understanding, Part 3 -  3 Positions and You Must Answer a Myriad of Questions about  each position 

The Power of Positional Chess, Pt. 1 - Maneuvering -  1 Game - 4 Puzzles  Topic - Game by Petrosian to illustrate strong positional maneuvering.
The Power of Positional Chess (Part 2) - 5 Games, 5 Puzzles - Topic "Fetish Chess Moves"
The Power of Positional Chess, Pt. 3 -  1 Game , 7 Puzzles - Topic "Knight Retreat Maneuvers"
The Power of Positional Chess, Pt. 4 -  3 Games , 8 Puzzles - Topic "Open Files"
The Power of Positional Chess, Part 5 - 4 Games,  13 Puzzles - Topic "Closed Center Dueling Wings"
The dynamics of closed centers in chess and the importance of gaining space on the wings when the central board is locked. 

To Sacrifice Or Not To Sacrifice, That Is The Question - 2 games
How To Play Positional Sacrifices -  6 Games

How To Calculate Long-Term Advantages In Chess -  A lesson on Patterns (Positional and Tactical)

Positional Puzzles

Can You Pass This Positional Chess Test? - 8 Positional Puzzles
Test Your Positional Chess -  8 Positional Puzzles
Do You Really Understand Positional Chess? -  8 Positional Puzzles
Get Ready To Test Your Positional Chess Again - 8  Positional Puzzles
Can You Understand These Positions? -  4 Tests w/ 4 Games Positions Deeply Analyzed
What Does The Position Need? -  3 Puzzles  ,  Deep Analysis
Test Your Chess Understanding  - 4 Puzzles ,  Lots of Analysis

Mastering Squares, Part 1 -  Lesson , 1 game, 4 Puzzles (Deep Analysis)
Mastering Squares, Part 2 -  Lesson  , 1 Game , 3 Puzzles (Deep Analysis)
Mastering Squares, Part 3 -  Nice Lesson on Weak Squares , 1 Puzzle
Mastering Squares, Part 4 -  Another Advanced Lesson , 1 game
Mastering Squares, Part 5 -  Lesson , 1 Game, 1 Puzzle

You Have It, He Doesnt! Part 1 -  Understanding and Utilizing Dark Squares - 7 Puzzles
You Have It, He Doesnt! Part 2 -  Lesson On Weak Squares, Creating Holes  - 3 Puzzles

How to Train Your Brain!  - 4 Puzzles , Lesson on Weak Squares
Train Your Brain! Target Consciousness, Part 1 -  9 Puzzles , 2 games, Lesson on Weak Squares and Pawns
Train Your Brain! Target Consciousness, Part 2 -  9 Puzzles , 3 Games ,  Lesson on Weak Squares and pawns
Train Your Brain! Pushing the Lesson Home! -  10 Puzzles - On Weak Pawns or Squares

Patterns - Imbalances, Tactics, Positional Ideas, Pawn Structure
Dreams: The Secret Formula For Chess Success -  Imbalances and Patterns ,  2 Puzzles
Dreams: The Secret Formula For Chess Success, Part 2 -  2 Puzzles
Dreams: The Secret Formula For Chess Success, Part 3  - 2 Puzzles
Dreams: The Secret Formula For Chess Success, Part 4   - 2 Puzzles
Dreams: The Secret Formula For Chess Success, Part 5  -   1 Puzzles

Games That Teach Positional Concepts

More Of My Favorite Classic Chess Games  -   Lesson on Passed Pawn

Light Squares And Black's Magical a-Pawn - Lesson on Light Squares, Lesson on Annotating Games

Can a Thinker Out-think Himself? - 6 Games , 1 Puzzle - lessons are around combining positional and dynamic skills, avoiding overly complex plans, and the importance of actively improving your position rather than just reacting.

Not Letting Chess Engines Distract You From What's Important -  Nimzowitsch Game w/ Analysis from Reassess Your Chess Vol 3

Son of Nimzovich  - 2 Puzzles , 5 Master Games -  Analyzes a strong Positional game, advising readers to balance subtle maneuvers with tactical alertness and aggression when appropriate.

Imbalances - 2 Games - When to look

Weak Squares

I’m Passionate About Squares - In this article  the creation of weak squares is discussed.
I’m Still Passionate About Squares - However, the piece living in the weak square is sometimes so powerful 
Passionate About Squares: Oddities -  In this article we’ll take a look at "deep squares" (6th, 7th, and even the 8th!)
A Love Affair With Squares -  Article on Critical Squares

Positional   Lessons

The Eternal Battle: Bishops vs Knights -  In-Depth lesson on these two Pieces.
Should You Fear Symmetry? -  Short Lesson on Positional Symmetry
Beat Your Opponent By Retreating!  - 6 Puzzles

Bishops Bounty Jeremy Silman Chess.com Article Archive - Main Page

Silman Article Archive Part 5 - Opening Theory

 Silmans Articles on Chess.com

Treasury of FREE Chess Articles By IM Jeremy Silman

501 Chess Articles from 2009 - 2023

So many of these Articles are Lessons, Games and Positions to Test and Teach the Reader. 

Chess Opening Theory

Advanced Chess Books on Openings - Article about Book Strengths and List at end of recommendations.

Picking a Reptertoire  - Some Basic Advice on Different Opening Systems

Creating an Opening Graph - provides a blueprint for managing opening complexity - create an opening graph to identify key lines, variations, and ideas you need to know. This simplifies study and allows you to build an opening repertoire tailored to your style and memory.

Opening Prep And Troll Attacks -  Great info on Opening Prep
Opening Failures And How to Avoid Them - Beginner Lesson
Castling Early And Piece Coordination  - Beginner lesson
Opening Questions And A Dream Mate  - General Opening Questions from readers.
You Can't Always Get What You Want - 6 Games - Long Conversation about openings.
Picking an Opening by Style - 2 games - Short Article on Chess Style

You Must Know Your Opening Basics! -  1 game, 1 Puzzle -  Lesson on understanding your openings at a fundamental level, not just memorize moves. Learn the ideas behind plans so you can adapt when opponents deviate. Master games help cement this understanding.

Learning An Opening - 1 Game - Analysis and General Lesson on Learning an Opening.

Monster Opening Preparation -  6 Games - the page titled "Monster Opening Preparation" by IM Silman discusses the importance of thorough opening preparation for chess professionals. It highlights two main aspects of opening preparation:

1. Normal Opening Preparation: This includes the process of selecting and preparing new openings. It involves studying recent results, memorizing main lines, and understanding the tactical and positional patterns within the chosen system. For complex openings, players may invest significant time looking for fresh and explosive ideas. The article references a game from the 2008 World Championship Match between Kramnik and Anand to illustrate this point.

2. Opening Preparation Based on Desperation: Sometimes, opening study focuses on saving a favorite line that has been refuted by opponents. This requires faith in one's chosen system and a commitment to discovering ways to make it viable again. IM Silman shares a personal experience of dealing with an opponent's surprising opening line and subsequently developing a strong response to it.

The article highlights the need for in-depth preparation in chess and how strong opening knowledge can impact the outcome of games, as seen in various examples from World Championship matches and Silman's own games.

Of Non-Theory and Non-Memorization - 3 games - When facing the inevitable “leaving the theoretical pathways” move

To Master an Opening You Need to Embrace Defeat! - 6 Games , 13 Puzzles, King's Indian Defense

1.d4 Nc6 and the Philosophy of Odd Openings - Master game - Lesson on Any reasonably sound opening is quite playable at the club level, and that includes various gambits and some rather odd/bizarre systems of development – they all need to be taken seriously!

Advanced Lesson  1800 +  -  Choosing and playing a specific chess opening system.
Riding the Winds of Fashion, Part 1 -  4 Games, 9 Puzzles -  Hübner Variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense
Riding the Winds of Fashion, Part 2 -  11 Games , 8 Puzzles - the Hübner Variation of the Nimzo-Indian opening and its evolution in chess. In Part Two of the series,he explores the concept of keeping the center fluid while playing this opening. White has various ways to achieve this, aiming to utilize the power of the bishops. The article also discusses the pros and cons of embracing fashionable opening systems, highlighting the need to stay updated with rapidly changing theory.
Riding The Winds Of Fashion, Part 3  - 21 Games (Mostly About the  4.f3 Nimzo Indian)

Benoni
Chess Patterns Are For Everyone (Benoni) - 3 Benoni games 
The Mighty Benoni - 6 games , 3 Puzzles  -  Nice Lesson from a Full game

If You Putter, Your Game Will Sputter - 1 Puzzle , 8 Master games  - (Amateur game)(analysis focuses heavily on the Modern Benoni opening and the resulting middle-game positions.)  The key messages are to play purposefully, in accordance with your opening, avoid passivity, maintain pressure when ahead, find direct winning lines in endgames, and believe in your own skill. Overly complex or cowardly moves lead to trouble.

Black Knights Tango - The Mexican Defense - 3 games - Theory and some history on the Tango

Budapest Gambit
The Budapest!? - 2 Lines in the Budapest and Book Resources
The Budapest Gambit Revisited  -  Ideas for Black and White (3 Analyzed games)
The Blunder Gland and The Fajarowicz - 3 games w/ bunch of Analysis on the Fajarowicz (Budapest gambit)

Caro-Kann

Caro-Kann (Reaping The Whirlwind!) - Lots of Caro Stuff (Main Lesson on when Opponent Deviates in an Opening)
Caro-Kann (Swinging for the Fences) - Analysis and Lessons from a Full game (Advance Variation)
Caro-Kann Mega-Theory - 4 Master games - Lots of Analysis-  lesson appears to be a discussion about the challenges and intricacies of playing a highly theoretical and complex opening variation in chess, emphasizing the importance of staying updated with the latest theory to excel in such positions.
Kt Maneuvers Against the Advance Caro-Kann - 6 Games - STRATEGIC SUMMATION for 3…Bf5 in the Caro Advance w/ Knight Lessons
Caro-Kann Advance Variation - 2 Games - Short Article on a line in the Advance

Finishing Off A Wounded Opponent - 2 Puzzles, 5 Master Games - (Amateur Game) - A tactical Caro-Kann game illustrating key attacking ideas like striking decisively when ahead, calculating forcing variations thoroughly, and precisely converting winning endings.

The Tale of a Technical Wizard  - 3 Master Games -The article discusses some typical plans and ideas for both sides in the Caro-Kann Defense. Analyzes a student's love of bishops, advising him to know his strengths and have patience converting technical endings.

Apocalypse In the Caro-Kann - 8 Puzzles, 1 Master Game-  In-depth analysis of a Caro-Kann game highlighting common strategic errors like emotional decisions, underestimating minor pieces, and declining to trade queens. The game shows how inexperience and emotions can undermine performance despite creativity.

The Fog of War & The Caro 2 Kts - Advice on overcoming "calculation fog," Guides readers to better board vision via game study, pattern recognition, and using imbalances. Analyzing an instructive example gone awry, Silman emphasizes avoiding fixation on unsound tactical ideas. A deep dive into the Caro-Kann's Two Knights Variation concludes this rich offering.

Colle

Winning a Dead Won Game -  1 Puzzle, 1 Master Game - while containing general lessons on precision and calculation, the game specifically focuses on opening and middle-game concepts in the Colle System, making it an instructive example for those playing this solid 1.d4 opening.
Colle, Caro, Top 10 List - 1 game ,3 Questions (Colle Book recommendations)

Imbalances and the Exciting Chigorin Defense - 3 Games 

English Opening, Botvinnik System - Detailed Analysis of One game w/ many reference games. Lessons learned from game

French Defense

Playing Goliath: What Goes Wrong - Really In-depth French Defense lesson
The Deadly French Defense -  3 Games from 2018 Olympiad (Lots of Analysis and Puzzles)
The Pawn Center: Strength or Weakness? - 4 Games  - Lessons about the French and the pawn Center
The Right Way to Study an Opening (French) - 9 Games - Core Lesson is to truly understand your openings by absorbing key plans and ideas from master games. This leads to better middle-game play. (Long lesson , Over 20 pages)
Chess Earnings & the French Defense - 1 Game - Basic French Analysis

Grunfeld

A Rare Line in the Grunfeld - Analysis of Grunfeld line with 3 Games
The Opening That Didn't Like Bobby Fischer (Grunfeld) -  17 Fischer Grunfeld Games

The Jaenisch/Schliemann Gambit - 6 Games - In-Depth look at this Gambit

Has The King's Indian Attack Been Forgotten? -  18 Full Games w History

KID

The King’s Indian Defense: Too Hot For You? - 3 Full games , KID Basics Lesson
Knowing, and Following, the Opening’s Correct Plan - KID - 4 games.  Lesson of One Game from Opening to Endgame

Identical Twins: the KIA and the London System - 2 Puzzles , 1 master Game - An instructive London System Game highlighting key ideas like exploiting inaccuracies, precise move order, psychological draw offers, and resilient defending.

Latvian Gambit - SPLAT THE LAT? Not Quite! -  Analysis of Latvian Gambit Lines

Nimzovich Defense, the Swing! -  Analysis w/ 2 Games

The Fried Liver's Identical Twin (Two Knights- Philidor) -  2 games - Lesson on How Similar Openings have subtle but very important differences.

Philidor's Ghost Is Alive and Well -  2 Puzzles , 6 Master Games - Discover the fascinating world of the Philidor Defense in chess with this article. Explore its historical origins, key positions, and tactical intricacies. Learn how to use this opening effectively and avoid common mistakes as you delve into the captivating strategies of the Philidor Defense.

A Pirc Quirk - 3 Games - Some Pirc Opening Theory

Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez, Norwegian Defense - 6.Bxf7 sacrifice variation in the Ruy Lopez Norwegian Defence
Chigorin Ruy Lopez and the Mystery of Statistics - 3 games Analyzed (Fisher one also.)

Finnish Defense & Tournament Prep - 1 Game, 2 Questions - Scandy line, Tournament Prep

Sicilian Defense

Accelerated Dragon, Maroczy Bind  -  Quick look at this Opening
Death By Accelerated Dragon - 5 Games , 3 Puzzles - The lesson covers opening prep, greed, initiative versus material, passivity, endgame transitions, and stubborn defense. Proper middle-game understanding stems from fundamentals. (Over 20 Page Article)
Anti-Sicilian & Planning - an Anti-Sicilian Try
Singing Those Old Dragon Blues! - Yugoslav Attack 
Driving Down The Mega-Theory Highway (Najdorf) - THE PROS & CONS OF SICILIAN NAJDORF MEGA-THEORY
Najdorf 6.Bd3 & High Initial Rating - 2 Games , 2 Questions, - Opening Fashions
The Wrath of Too Many Kans - 4 Games - Kan Sicilian
Uncooperative Opponents & Computer Symbols - 4 games - White has many other ways to avoid black’s heavy preparation after 1.e4 c5.
More Maroczy & Making Master - 4 games - Sicilian Dragon Maroczy Bind

Tiptoe Through the Tulips - 3 Puzzles , 6 Master Games - (Strong Amateur Game) - A  Sicilian Game demonstrating the power of aggressive attacks as well as psychological factors like the draw offer. Keys include striking decisively with the initiative, challenging enemy threats, and precise conversion of advantages.

Smith-Morra Gambit  -  Shows 3 Lines for the Smith-Morra for Black 

Bishops Bounty Jeremy Silman Chess.com Article Archive - Main Page

Silman Article Archive Part 4 - Studying Old Master Games

 Silmans Articles on Chess.com

Treasury of FREE Chess Articles By IM Jeremy Silman

501 Chess Articles from 2009 - 2023

So many of these Articles are Lessons, Games and Positions to Test and Teach the Reader.

Master Games

The Point of Studying Master Games, Part One - 6 Games 
The Point of Studying Master Games, Part Two - 3 Games w/Deep Analysis
The Point of Studying Master Games, Part Three  - 2 games 

How Past Masters Can Help Your Game  - 6 Games w/ 6 Puzzles  , History

Who Was The Greatest Chess Theorist? - Positions and Games of the Old Masters , History
Chess Criminals And The Games They Play  - 11 games, History

When Men Were Men  - 3 games , 2 Puzzles, History

The Greatest Amateur Game of all Time -  The shocking brilliancy played by 1500 class player Micky Mills, leaving masters speechless with his intuitive attacking masterpiece. Shows how reading the classics and embracing their lessons can help amateurs create true chess art.

Fischer - Spassky 1992 -   3 Master Games - Debate over the quality of play compared to Kasparov's matches. Delve into a detailed analysis of a brilliant game from this historic encounter and discover valuable insights into endgame study and becoming a stronger chess player.

Monster Opening Preparation, Part 2 - 6 Games, 3 Puzzles,  (Lasker, Marshall, Capa, Pillsbury)

(Games That Taught a Lesson)

My Favorite Classic Games, Part 1 - Lesson from Rubinstein masterpiece (Positional magic) , 1 Game
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 2 -  Lessons from Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian Games , 2 Games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 3 -  Lesson on Good Bishop vs Bad Bishop , 1 Game
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 4 - Lesson on a Superior Minor Piece ,  1 Game
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 5 -  Lesson on Open Files and Rooks, 2 Games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 6 - Lesson on "Space" Games , 1 game (Lots of Annotation)
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 7 - Lesson on strategic " Knight Relocation" , 4 games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 8 -  Lesson on trading your fianchettoed “must-keep” dark-squared bishop , 3 Games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 9 -  Lesson on Massive Space Gains,  2 games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 10 - Lesson on The Big Pawn Center ,  3 Games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 11 -  Lesson on Battle of Mutual Imbalances ,  1 Game (Nimzowitsch)
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 12 -  Lesson on the 2 Bishops, , 2 Games
My Favorite Classic Games, Part 13 -  Lesson On Knights ,  2 Games 

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Old Masters
 (In Alphabetical order)

Adolf Anderssen, Mr. Slice And Dice! - 4 games, 13 Puzzles and Lots of History
Adolf Anderssen: More Slicing And Dicing! -  3 Games , 10 Puzzles , More History

Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine (Part 1): The Game of Death - 10 Puzzles
Alexander Alekhine (Part 2): Success and Despair -  13 Puzzles , 5 Games
Alexander Alekhine (Part 3): The New Plan -  19 Puzzles , 2 Games, History
Alexander Alekhine (Part 4): His Prime Years -  15 Puzzles, History
Alexander Alekhine (Part 5): Singing the Middle-aged Blues - 16 Puzzles , History
Alexander Alekhine (Part 6): His Worst “Combination” – Age + Booze -  12 Puzzles , 3 Games, History
Alexander Alekhine (Part 7): The Dark Years -  15 Puzzles , Bunch of History

Alekhine and Bogoljubow from October 1929

Who Was Henry Ernest Atkins? - 6 games w/  17 Puzzles (Bunch of History)

The Early Life Of Pal Benko  -  3 Pal Benko Compositions -   10 Annotated games (Notes by Pal benko) w/ History
Pal Benko: At Last, Freedom! -  4 Pal Benko Compositions -  12 Annotated games (Notes by Pal Benko)  w/History

Bisguier's Greatest Hits -  12 puzzles, One full game, Lots of History
More Of Bisguier's Greatest Hits - 14 Puzzles , One Full game , History

A Legendary Chess Zen Master Has Died (Steve Brandywine) - 2 games , Great History 

Seeking Chess Fame (Jimmy Buff) - 5 Puzzles , 1 Game  - Article about famous Blitz Player Back in the day.

A Short Look At The Great Mikhail Chigorin -  1 Annotated Amazing game - 9 Puzzles (Nice History)

Salo Flohr and the Fickle Winds of Fate -  17 Puzzles,  3 Games , History

IM John Grefe: Talent Isn’t Enough! -  1 Game - 11 Puzzles ,  History of 1973 US Champion

Kolisch: Unknown Tactical Monster -  4 Games - 22 Puzzles (Baron Ignatz von Kolisch (1837-1889)) Long Article 

George Koltanowski's Long Walk - 9 Game Positions w/ History

Positional Player vs. Tactical Player IM Cyrus Lakdawala - 5 Annotated games (By Silman and Cyrus)

Emanuel Lasker (Another Really Amazing Series)
Emanuel Lasker, Tactical Monster - Part 1 -  14 Puzzles , History
Emanuel Lasker, Tactical Monster - Part 2 -  15 Puzzles , 4 Full Games , History  (Pins and Forks)
Emanuel Lasker, Tactical Monster - Part 3 -  10 Puzzles , 1 Full Game w/ Great Analysis
Emanuel Lasker, Tactical Monster - Part 4 -  18 Puzzles , 2 Full games , Lots of History (Einstein Letter)
Key Moments In Time: Lasker’s Last Stand - 3 games , History
3 Of Emanuel Lasker's Greatest Hits - 3 Annotated games w/ History
Emanuel Lasker's Greatest Hits -  3 Annotated Games w/ History
How To Stomp Emanuel Lasker -   10 games from Simuls , 10 Puzzles
Let's Do The Lasker Stomp Again! - 8 Games From Simuls , 8 Puzzles

Capablanca and Lasker, Moscow, 1925

Frank Marshall  (This Series would actually Make a nice Book)
Frank Marshall: The Growth Of A Chess Champion -  12 Games w/ 6 Puzzles - History (Lots of Analysis)
Frank Marshall, Part 2: Fighting For The World Championship - 6 Games  w/ 2 Puzzles  - History
Frank Marshall, Part 3: Capablanca Takes The Stage  -  6 Games w/Analysis - 10 puzzles - History
Frank Marshall, Part 4: St. Petersburg 1914 And The Gods Of Chess - 5 Games w/ 3 Puzzles and History
Frank Marshall, Part 5: A Radical Change - 10 Games w/ 8 Puzzles - History

 Frank Marshall in 1907 title match against Emanuel Lasker. VIA ChessBase

The Brilliant, Young Samuel Reshevsky -  11 Full Games and Positions - History & Analysis w/Lessons
Samuel Reshevsky's Prime Years -  16 Full Games and Positions (Positional lessons) History (Real Nice Article)

Rudolf Spielmann, the Lethal Gentleman! -  22 Puzzles , 3 Games, History

Steinitz
Behold, The Austrian Morphy! (Steinitz) -  4 Full games w/Annotation & 19 Puzzles (Lots of History)
Steinitz Changes The Chess World -  5 Full games w/Annotation & 5 Puzzles  (Lots of History)
Steinitz: The Official World Chess Champion -  9 Full games and Quite the History lesson.

Tal's Tactical Tidal Wave  - 20 Puzzles , History (The article highlights the power of tactical play and the impact of Tal's style on the world of chess.)

The Great Siegbert Tarrasch: Puzzles And Games -  14 Game Positions and Some Interesting History.

The Downs And Ups Of GM Elmars Zemgalis (Silman's Last Article) - History and 11 Positions from His Games as Puzzles.

Johannes Zukertort, Master of Dynamics - 11 Puzzles - History


Bishops Bounty Jeremy Silman Chess.com Article Archive - Main Page