Mastering the Halloween Gambit - Unleash the Spooky Surprise! (C46)

"Chess is a fairy tale of 1001 blunders." - Savielly Tartakower 

 

Beyond the Pawn Gambit
 The Halloween Gambit's Knight Sacrifice

The Halloween Gambit isn't your typical chess opening. Instead of a pawn, White offers a knight early on for a single pawn in the Four Knights Game. This aggressive gambit aims to shock opponents and gain a lasting advantage in development and control of the center.

Overview

White initiates the Halloween Gambit by sacrificing a knight on move four (4.Nxe5). This bold move aims to chase away Black's knights and gain significant space for White's pieces. Typical continuations for White after 4...Nxe5 include 5.d4 and 5.f4, striving for a quick development lead and central control.

The gambit remains a popular choice at club level, where it can lead to extremely complicated and difficult to calculate positions.

Explore the Halloween Gambit's Dark Secrets

Halloween Gambit Wikipedia Page 

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Books (Courses) Free

• Surviving the Halloween Gambit - Free Chessable Course - 9 Trainable Lines - equips you with 9 trainable lines to handle the Halloween Gambit with confidence.
  
  
• Thematic Tactics: Halloween Edition - Free Chessable Course -  16 Tactical Lines - Inside this free little mini-course there are 13 Halloween themed tactics puzzles

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Halloween Gambit Articles

Delve into the theory, history, and key variations of the Halloween Gambit.

• Halloween Gambit (Opening Guide for White & Black) - Chessable Blog Guide (In- Depth) - Quick overview to the gambit , history and main ideas for both sides.
  
  
• A Deep Dive: The Halloween Gambit Analyzed by Tim Krabbé - Nice Article on Chess Cafe  -Irish and Halloween gambits. In-depth look at these unusual openings and their place in both online and over-the-board chess play.
  
  
• Tricks and Treats in the Halloween Gambit  -  Another Good Article - The article invites readers to explore the Halloween Gambit
  
  
• Black to Move: A Guide to Countering the Halloween Gambit -  Short but sweet Article - Couple LiChess Studies Showing the finer points of countering this gambit.

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Halloween Gambit LiChess Studies

Explore interactive training tools to solidify your understanding of the opening's concepts.

• The Halloween Gambit Refuted - Short study with 3 Refutations
  
  
• The Halloween Gambit - 8 Chapter Interactive  Study - Nice Explanation with 4 different Variations to Practice interactively.
  
  
• The Halloween Gambit - 7 Chapter Study - Shows Different lines w/ nice Explanations.
  
  
• Halloween Gambit - 12 Chapter Study (Well Done) - Shows 10 different Variations from move 4 with nice detailed Explanations.

LiStudy Page. (LiChess Movetrainer Page)

• Halloween Gambit - (Interactive Page to Practice opening Lines)

New to Lichess studies? These interactive tools allow you to explore chess concepts and variations move-by-move, perfect for testing your understanding and deepening your knowledge.

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Games Databases

Analyze real-life games featuring the Halloween Gambit and see how it's played in practice.

Chessgames.com (Collections)

• 8 Halloween Gambit Games 
  
  
• Halloween Gambit -Let's Sack a Knight on Move 4 -  80 games
   (Links at top of Page to Many More Games and Halloween Gambit Resources)

ChessTempo.com

Four Knights Game, Halloween Gambit (C46) - 172 games

365Chess.com

C46: Four knights, Schultze-Mueller gambit 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 -53 Games 

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Halloween Gambit Chess Videos

Learn from chess masters in video tutorials that explain the Halloween Gambit's key ideas and strategies.

• Halloween Gambit: How Scary Is It? | Chess Openings Explained - 39 Min - St. Louis CC - Nice Lesson for Beginners on the Halloween gambit by Johnathan Schrantz.
  
  
• Chess Openings- Halloween Gambit - 11 Min Video  - Chess Web Site - We look at the different options white has and how black can defend correctly. We also look how bad things can get for black if he does not defend correctly.
  
  
• Halloween Gambit ReCharged!! - 16 Min - IM Miodrag Perunovic - In-depth analysis of the Halloween Gambit in chess, exploring tactical ideas, refutations, and variations.
  
  
• The Halloween Gambit - Ideas and Concepts | The Best Win Rate in the Four Knights Game! - 15 Min - NM Nelson Lopez -  In this video I'll break down the ideas and concepts behind the Halloween Gambit and why you should give it a try!
  
  
• Dangerous & Rare Chess Opening | Halloween Gambit - 12 Min Video - GM Igor Smirnov - Explore the Halloween Gambit, its uncanny effectiveness, and the devastating attacks it unleashes on unsuspecting opponents.
  
  
• The Halloween Gambit | Four Knights Game | Chess Openings | Gambits - 12 Min - IM Andrey Ostrovskiy brings to you the Halloween Gambit, which arises out of the Four Knights Game.

Reverse Halloween Gambit

GM Ben Finegold Demonstrates the Reverse Halloween Gambit - 9 min - Ben Claims it is the most Unsound opening ever and he invented it.

Refuting Halloween Gambit

• Refuting unsound Gambits | Halloween Gambit - 12 Min IM Andras Toth - In this series I will show you how to play correctly against gambits which I consider to be unsound.
  
  
• Halloween Gambit and Holiday - REFUTED! - 27 Min - Provides three solutions to refute it, emphasizing practical ideas that give back the piece to gain a better or equal position and an all-out refutation where one keeps the piece and tries to win.
  
  
• Halloween Gambit refutations [Advanced chess lesson] - 14 Min - Coach Robert - Two main lines, the second of which is objectively stronger but slightly more difficult to remember than the first lazy line.

Game Videos w/Analysis

IM Eric Rosen

• Beating Strong Players with the Reversed Halloween Gambit 14 Min IM Rosen
  
  
• The Scariest Halloween Gambit... - 10 Min - IM Eric Rosen - I play the black side of a Halloween Gambit against ChessWeeb (GM Denes Boros) (New - 6/15/2024)
  
  
• DOUBLE Halloween Gambit - 15 Min IM Rosen
  
  
• Beating People Quickly with the Halloween Gambit - 40 min - Three games in a row, all of which featured some version of the Halloween Gambit.

Hikaru plays the Halloween Gambit👻 - 64 Min GM Nakamura

Magnus Carlsen SHOCKED his opponent with the Halloween Gambit! - 12 Min

Toughest Game Yet!! Danya Is Sweating?!! | Halloween Gambit | The Sensei Speedrun | GM Naroditsky - 39 Min

Winning in 12 moves with the Halloween Gambit - 5 Min - Johnathan Schrantz - Blitz game

PGN Game Downloads 

HWeen-pg.zip - 3308 Games (U Pitt FTP Server)

Back Rank Weakness - Chess Tactic

Backrank Weakness:
The Most Common Chess Checkmate You NEED to Master!

This comprehensive guide equips you with the knowledge and resources to exploit and defend against a critical chess concept: the back rank weakness.

Why Learn Back Rank Weakness?

• Master the Most Common Checkmate:Backrank mates are the single most prevalent checkmate on chess training platforms like LiChess, with a staggering 94,250 problems compared to just 19,000 for all other checkmate themes combined.
  
  
• Sharpen Your Mating Skills: Learning to identify and exploit backrank weaknesses equips you to deliver swift checkmates and dominate the game.
  
  
• Fortify Your Defenses: Understanding BackRank threats empowers you to build a secure home for your king, preventing similar attacks from your opponent.
  
  
• Essential First Step: Mastering backrank weakness is a critical foundation for any chess player looking to improve their tactical prowess.

Your One-Stop Back Rank Weakness Chess Resource Hub!

Wikipedia Back Rank CheckMate Page 

 General Knowledge and info

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Backrank Weakness Chess Articles

• A Common Tactic - The Back Rank Problem - Lesson On the USCF Site by Susan Polgar - Master the basics from a chess legend.
  
  
• CHECKMATE PATTERNS: THE BACK RANK MATE - PawnBreak Article
  
  
• Back-Rank Mate - Chess.com - Explore the definition, explanation, and examples of back rank mates.
  
  
• Back-Rank Mate – Checkmate Patterns - Short Article w/ couple examples and talks about prevention.
  

Predator at the Chessboard - (54 Pages Total)
Deep-Dive

•  The Back Rank Mate Simple Cases. - 6 pages of Simple Cases (beginner)
•  The Back Rank Mate - Interpositions - 6 Pages of Interpositions - Here is a different problem to consider: he may be able to interpose a piece on the back rank, sticking it between your attacker and his king. Sometimes such interpositions will derail your plans; sometimes they won’t. 
  
•  The Back Rank Mate - Sealing off King Flight Square - 6 Pages
•  The Back Rank Mate - Drawing Defenders Forward - 5 Pages - When the enemy king’s position is well-fortified a sacrifice may be needed to loosen it up.
  The Back Rank Mate - The Role of the Bishop I: Pinning Defenders. -
• The Back Rank Mate - The Role of the Bishop I: Pinning Defenders. - 5 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - The Role of the Bishop II: Preventing a Recapture. - 4 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - The Role of the Bishop III: Driving Back the King - 7 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - Applying Pressure up Close - 9 Pages - The same technique we have been studying can work well up close: your bishop or queen makes a capture on f7 or an equivalent square in front of the king. Since your capturing piece has protection the king must retreat, leaving it unable to defend itself and resulting in mate.
  
• The Back Rank Mate - Combining Back rank Themes w/ Forks - 4 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - Combining Back rank Themes w/ Discoveries - 4 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - Combining Back rank Themes w/ Pins - 3 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - Combining Back rank Themes w/ Removal of the Guard - 5 Pages

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Backrank Puzzles

• 20 Back Rank Problems & Exercises  - Printable PDF
  
  
• 29 Back Rank Mate Examples from Games - Games from Alekhine ,Bird and even Polgar
  
  
• Back Rank Mates. - 8 Page PDF -  20 Detailed Examples - w/ 9 Tests and 9 Exercises

Lichess Blog

(Breaking Down the Back rank Mates into Specific types of Tactics Used)
Back Rank mate (Using X-Ray Tactic)  -  7 Puzzles 
BackRank Mate - (Queen Sac, Bishop - Rook Combo) -  12 Puzzles 
BackRank Mate (Double and Single Knight helper) - 13 Puzzles
Back Rank mate (Bishop Helper)  - 16 Puzzles
BackRank Mate - (Queen Sac, Knight - Rook Combo)  - 6 Puzzles
Back Rank mate (Attacking the a or h File)   -  8 Puzzles
Back Rank mate (Unpinning your Rook to Mate) - 7 Puzzles
Back Rank mate (High Level Puzzles)  - 17 Puzzles    (2200 - 2650 Rated Assorted Puzzles)

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Backrank Lichess Studies

New to Lichess studies? These interactive tools allow you to explore chess concepts and variations move-by-move, perfect for testing your understanding and deepening your knowledge.

• Back Rank Mates  - 24 Chapters - 6 Lessons of Different types of Backrank mate w/ 19 puzzles
  
  
• Back rank weakness: - 32 Chapter - 32 Puzzles to solve
  
  
• Back Rank Combination - 33 Chapters - 33 back rank positions

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BackRank Chess Video Lessons

Back Rank Mate - 16 Video playlist - Chessbase India (Lessons and Games)


Understanding Back Rank Checkmates | How to Spot & Exploit Back Rank Weaknesses? - 32 Min -  Covering the topic of back rank mates from the beginner level going up to the intermediate level. The video covers five powerful techniques that one must learn in order to successfully deliver back rank checkmates or gain tremendous advantage in the game because of weaknesses in the back rank. To make these techniques, easy to understand and get a through practice of the same, each of these 5 techniques is explained with the help of 5 examples taken from the games of players who played in the tournament. That means, you will get to learn from 25 different chess positions.

Learn tactics around the Back Rank | Chess Tactics 101 - 14 Min - shows Motif plus 5 guess the move type problems to solve.

Back Rank Mate Concepts + Intermediate/Advanced Exercises To Test Your Knowledge Of This Tactic -  15 Min  NM Nelson Lopez

Grandmaster Lesson 3 - 6 Min - GM Lev Alburt (Examines a weak back rank) Real Old Video - is aimed at players ready for ideas that are a bit more complex. Alburt examines the problem of a weak back rank and the tactic that often capitalizes on this weakness—deflection. Alburt also discusses good and bad double attacks and points out that sacrifices require concrete calculation-visualization at every step. He teaches some of the red flags that indicate when and where to look for tactics,

Learn Tactics #7: Back-rank Mate - 73 Min WIM Jesse February - WIM Jesse February discusses the concept of back-rank checkmates in chess, using examples from recent and historical games. includes a detailed analysis of specific chess positions where back-rank checkmates are a key factor, and Jesse provides insights into the thought processes behind certain moves.

 Back Rank Checkmates: Lecture by GM Ben Finegold-50 Min - a lecture on back rank checkmates, explaining the concept and demonstrating it through various examples and puzzles.

Trent's Tactics - Back-rank checkmate - 41 Min  IM Trent Lawrence - In this episode, Lawrence will show us different tactics about the back-rank mate. And even though we know the motif now, some of the examples which Lawrence picked are still very challenging!

Master Back-Rank- Mates with IM Sopiko Guramishvili - 14 Min - he most typical checkmate with rooks, very common in amateur and master games alike. Many teachers advice, with reason, to don't move the pawns in front of your castle, to avoid creating weaknesses around the king. But this leads to different types of back-rank mates.

St. Louis Chess Club  Video Lessons

• Back-Rank Checkmate - Beginner Breakdown - 2014.06.17  - 42 Min -  a lecture for chess beginners on how to recognize, avoid and execute back-rank checkmate.
• Exploring Back-Rank Checkmate - GM Yasser Seirawan - 2013.07.31 - 39 Min - explores the idea of back-rank check mate in an intermediate-level
• Combinations on the Back Rank | Puzzler's Paradise - IM Vitaly Neimer - 34 Min - goes over increasingly complicated combinations that attack the back rank.
• Find the Under-Defended Back Rank Weakness | Tactics Time! - 36 Min  - National Master Jim McLaughlin shows puzzles and positions from Siegbert Tarrasch that mainly deal with back-rank checkmates and attacks.
• Combinations | Beginner Breakdown - 62 Min - Alex Moellering discusses common mating combinations that exploit weaknesses on the back rank. Solve tactics with the mysterious masked Alex!

Learn & Practice Skewer Tactics: Sharpen Your Chess Game

 

   

Master the Skewer: Essential Chess Tactics Guide & Resources

Sharpen your chess vision! The skewer is a powerful tactical weapon that can win you material and turn the tide of the game. Learn how to identify, execute, and defend against skewers with this comprehensive resource guide.

A skewer is an attack upon two pieces in a line and is similar to a pin.
 In fact, a skewer is sometimes described as a "reverse pin".

 In a skewer, a valuable piece is attacked and forced to move to avoid being captured, leaving a less valuable piece behind it free for capture.
 
Like pins, skewers can only be created by the long-range pieces (queen, rook and bishop).
 
  Wikipedia Skewer Page
 General info and a few examples

 

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BOOKS (Free)

English Chess Federation - The Skewer - 6 page PDF - This concise 6-page guide provides a clear explanation of skewers with illustrative diagrams.

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Skewer Articles 

Level Up Your Chess Tactics: In-Depth Articles on Skewers

Skewer - Chessfox - Unravel the Secrets of the Skewer! Deepen Your Chess Tactics: Dive into a comprehensive guide on the skewer tactic by Chessfox.

The Skewer in Chess a Deadly Tactic - Unleash the Power of Skewers! In-Depth Guide - Another Nice Article

The Skewer Tactic explained by a Grandmaster!  - This in-depth guide by GM GABUZYAN_CHESSMOOD provides a comprehensive understanding of skewer tactics.

Tactics: The Skewer! - ChessKid: Skewers  - This interactive article from ChessKid uses puzzles and explanations to introduce the skewer concept to young learners.

Skewer - Beginner-Friendly Guide to Skewers: Learn the fundamentals of the powerful skewer tactic with clear explanations and diagrams from Chess.com. 

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LiChess Studies

Sharpen Your Skills: Practice Skewer Puzzles on Lichess

Skewer Puzzles - 15 Puzzles (LiChess Practice Area)

LiChess Puzzle Themes

• Skewer Puzzles - 87,000 Puzzles

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Games Databases

Real-World Examples: Analyze Skewers in OTB Games

chessgames.com

• Skewer Tactic - OTB Examples  - 32 games -Lesson on Different types of Skewers (Type of Skewer next to each Game)
  
  
• Skewer goes all the way through (ESS) - 24 games 
  
  
• Skewer Check Tactic-- OTB Examples - 8 Games 

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Skewer Chess Videos

Win More Games with Skewers! Learn powerful chess tactics with these video guides on the skewer tactic. 

This Thanksgiving, Try a Skewer! | Beginner Breakdown - 60 Min - St.Louis CC - Alex Moellering teaches a beginner chess class on skewers

Chess Tactics: 5 Skewers You Must Know! - 8 Min - A fast-paced introduction to 5 essential skewer patterns. Great for beginners and intermediate players. Master the Skewer Chess Tactic in 11 Minutes - 11 min - Chess Nerd - A comprehensive guide to mastering the skewer. Learn how to identify and exploit skewer opportunities to gain the upper hand. (New 5/29/24)

Why The Skewer Chess Tactic Is More Important Than You Thought - 13 Min - NM Nelson Lopez - a comprehensive guide on the skewer chess tactic, explaining its importance and demonstrating various examples ranging from basic to master level.  (New 5/29/24)

The absolute and relative Skewer | Chess Tactics | IM Alex Astaneh - 19 Min Video -Dive deep into the concept of absolute vs. relative skewers with International Master Alex Astaneh.

How the Skewer can decide your Rook Endgame | Beginner Level | GM Alex Ipatov - 9 Min - Unlock the secrets of using skewers in rook endgames with Grandmaster Alex Ipatov. Perfect for beginners! 

Introduction to basic tactical themes- Pins and Skewers - 6 min Video - Learn the fundamentals of pins and skewers, two powerful tactical weapons in chess. 

Rook Endgame Skewer - 2 min Video  - A quick and effective lesson on utilizing the skewer in rook endgames.

Chess tactics | Pins vs Skewers | Learn how to play Chess the right way - 10 Min - Sharpen Your Chess Vision: Pins vs Skewers with NM Robert Ramirez

 Ready to unleash the power of the skewer? Dive into the resources listed above and start practicing! With dedication and study, you'll be skewering your opponents in no time.

 

 

Interference - Chess Tactic

Burn's Brilliant Queen Sacrifice!

In a stunning turn of events, Burn played the incredible 33...Qg4!! This daring move leaves his queen seemingly hanging, threatened by three of White's pieces! However, this is a cunning trap.

If White falls for the temptation to capture the queen with 34.Bxg4 or 34.hxg4, Black immediately wins a piece with 34...Bxd2.

Another tempting capture, 34.Qxg5+, also backfires after 34...Qxg5 35.Rxg5+ Kh6. Black escapes with a piece up thanks to the king's flight to h6.

MacDonald, realizing the danger, chose 34.Rxg4 instead. However, even after this defense, Burn continued his precise play with 34...Nf3+ 35.Kg2 Nxd2 36.Rxg5+ Kh6 37.h4 Nxb3 38.Rf5 Nxa5. While a pawn down, Burn's strong position ultimately led to victory in just 11 more moves.

Sharpen Your Chess Vision
 Mastering the Interference Tactic

Is an opponent's piece seemingly untouchable? Don't give up!
 The interference tactic can be your secret weapon.

This powerful move involves sacrificing a piece to block your opponent's defenders, opening up unexpected opportunities to capture that valuable piece. Think of it as a strategic "distraction" that allows you to gain the upper hand. New to chess? This tactic might seem counterintuitive, but it can be incredibly effective!

  Let's explore some fantastic free resources to help you master interference and elevate your chess game.


Wikipedia Interference Page
General Info on this tactic with examples.

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Interference Chess Articles

• Interfering in Chess: How To Block Defenders - Chess Journal - lesson will be focused on Interference, also known as blocking the defender w/ 3 detailed Examples.
  
  
• What Is Interference in Chess? - Nice Explanation with showing it in action and where to find opportunities.
  
  
• Do You Know This Rare Chess Tactic? -  GM Gserper Blog - Article on Interference w/ 6 Game examples 
  
  
• Grimshaw - A type of interference where two black pieces arriving on a particular square mutually interfere with each other. Wikipedia page with description and examples.
  
  
• Novotny(Nowotny) - A Grimshaw brought about by a sacrifice on a particular square where it could be captured by 2 opposing pieces. Wikipedia page with description and examples.

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Interference LiChess Studies

Explore interactive training tools to solidify your understanding of the Tactic's concepts.

• Interference Study - 7 interactive Problems
• Interference: Two ways to Interfere - 6 Chapter - Educational Study
• Interference Lessons  - 17 Chapter Study

Puzzles

Practice Puzzles Interference - Very Nice Site with 30 Interactive Puzzles

Interference Puzzles - ChessGo.in  -  7 Levels of Difficulty - (9 Puzzles per page) Can print each page as well. (63 Puzzles)

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Games Databases 

Explore Real Chess Battles Featuring Interference Tactics!

Here, we delve into real games where chess masters have wielded the interference tactic to their advantage.

Chessgames.com

• OTB Games with interference Tactic   6 Games
  
  
• Anthoney Miles vs Craig William Pritchett 1982 - Another OTB game with a nice Novotny as the last move.
  
  
• Novotny, Plachutta and other interferences - 11  Games 
  
  
• Interference or Obstruction - 54  Games 

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Interference Chess Video Lessons

Secrets of Chess Tactics | Interference Tactic Stunningly beautiful secrets - 27 Min - Kingscrusher - his video delves into the core concept of interference, explaining how disrupting the connection between two squares can unlock winning opportunities and even checkmate!

AMAZING INTERFERENCE TACTICS! - 10 Min - chess diagnostic - Sharpen your problem-solving skills with this video that explores interference tactics as a method to decipher complex chess positions. This lays a solid foundation for tackling even more challenging puzzles later on.

Obstruction or Interference: the most elegant Chess tactic you will learn - 15 Min - NM Robert Ramirez - Want a concise yet informative lesson? This video by NM Robert Ramirez offers a clear explanation of interference tactics with 5 practical exercises to solidify your understanding.

Closing out those lines to your advantage | Interference | Chess Tactics 101 - 13 Min - Lesson w/ 5 GM game examples.

Interference Tactics | Chess Tactics | Line Closing | Cutting The Lines Of Communication - 17 Min - Chess Shaastra -This comprehensive guide from Chess Shaastra provides in-depth explanations and a variety of examples to showcase the power of interference in various chess positions.

Most SPECTACULAR Interference Ever ⚠️ SERIOUSLY | Chess Puzzles -7 Min

10 Levels of Tactics: The Interference - 32 Min - The Chess Nerd - This comprehensive guide offers a structured approach to learning interference tactics. The video features ten levels, each catering to a specific ELO range, with numerous chess problems to practice your newfound skill.Video Below

Interference Game Videos w/ analysis 

Greatest Interference Chess Move Of All Time?! Koskinen vs. Kasanen, 1967  - 2 Min

Pin to Win: The Ultimate Guide to Chess Pin Tactics"

Chess Pins:
 Learn, Practice, and Master the Pin

The pin is a powerful chess tactic that restricts your opponent's options and unlocks winning opportunities.

 When an attacking piece puts pressure on a defending piece, pinning it to a more valuable piece behind it, the defender faces a dilemma: move and expose the valuable piece, or stay put and remain limited. Pins can win material, deliver checkmate, or simply disrupt your opponent's plans.

Let's delve into the world of pins and explore the resources that will turn you into a pin-pointing pro!

Pin (chess)
 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  

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BOOKS (Free)

• The Pin - 7 page PDF -English Chess Federation 
  
  
• PIN and WIN - 2 Page PDF- WorkSheet
  
  

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Pin Chess Articles

• The Pin - Nice Article on Chess Trainer Blog
  
  
• Typical Patterns Everyone Should Know : Pin, unpin... - Nice Chess.com Article
  
  
• Pin Tactics - Chess Fox Guide (Very In-Depth Guide)
  
  
• The Pin Tactic in Chess Explained by a Grandmaster [For Beginners] -  LiChess Blog Post (Chessmood )
  
  

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LiChess Pin Studies

LiChess offers a wealth of interactive studies designed to sharpen your pin tactic skills. Here's a curated selection to elevate your chess game:

• The Pin - LiChess Tactic Practice Area - 8 Problems
  
  
• Pin tactics patterns exercises - 25 Chapter Study - Many different styles of Pin Exercises mostly all Mates.
  
  

Interactive Studies

• PINS (Absolute + Relative): LESSON - 25 Chapter Interactive Study - 6 lessons on absolute and relative pins w/ 18 interactive puzzles.
  
  
• PINS! 📌 - 10 Chapter Interactive Study (Guide on Pins)
  
  
• Pins  - 11 Chapter Interactive Study (Nice Lesson) 
  
  
• Piling on the pin  - 11 Chapter Interactive Study

New to Lichess studies? These interactive tools allow you to explore chess concepts and variations move-by-move, perfect for testing your understanding and deepening your knowledge.

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Pin Puzzles

Test your pin-solving skills with a variety of puzzles designed to challenge your ability to identify and exploit pin tactics. 

WTHarvey

• 24 Pin Puzzles

Expert Chess Strategies 

• 10 Chess Problems - Defend Against the Pin 
• 10 Chess Problems - Pinning Chess Pieces

LiChess Puzzle Themes

• LiChess Pin Puzzles - 220,000+ Puzzles - Explore a vast library of  puzzles on Lichess to hone your pin-solving skills.

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PIN Video Lessons

Secrets of Chess Tactics | Chess Pins | Stunningly beautiful secrets revealed  - 17 Min - kingscrusher goes over the Pin chess tactic with numerous pinning examples

2 MOST Important Chess Tactics You Should Know | Tactics Training - 15 Min GM Smirnov - Pins and Forks - He starts from simple positions and gradually increases the complexity, going for more advanced level chess tactics.

The 4 most important Pins in Chess | Chess Tactics | IM Alex Astaneh - 24 Min -  Based on practical examples, you will get a basic understanding of the absolute pin, the relative pin, the situational pin and the partial pin.
The Power of the Pin - Beginner to Chess Master #14 - 37 Min - Discussed is what makes a pin so powerful in a chess game.

How To Deal With Pins On Your Knights - 19 Min NM Lopez  - Practical advice on what to do when your knight gets pinned by a bishop.

ST Louis Chess Club

• Pins! | Chess for Beginners - WGM Jennifer Shahade - 33 Min
  
  
• Pins: Absolutely No Way to Move | Tactics Time! - 27 Min - NM Jim McLaughlin - National Master Jim McLaughlin introduces pins to the beginner class. See if you can find out how to "pin it to win it."
  
  
• Create and Utilize Pins | Beginner Breakdown - NM Ralph Tan - 59 Min - Maybe you can spot a pin in a puzzle, but how do you set up a pin in a real game? 8 Game Examples (New - 5/29/24)
  
  
• Absolute & Relative Pins | Kids' Class - GM Ben Finegold - 33 Min Video Below

Tactic the Pin - 11 Min Video 

The Power of the Pin - 9 Min Video 
Chess Puzzle Nasty Pin - 2 min Video
The 5 Most Amazing Pins in Chess - 10 Min GM Simon Williams 

Zwischenzug (Intermezzo): The Surprise Weapon in Your Chess Arsenal

"When you see a good move, look for a better one." - Emanuel Lasker

 
Zwischenzug Chess Resources

Have you ever been outmaneuvered in chess, feeling like your opponent pulled a rabbit out of a hat?

That surprise move might have been a Zwischenzug (pronounced "tvee-SHEN-tsoog"), also known as intermezzo, a powerful chess tactic that throws a curveball into your opponent's plans.

  Instead of making the expected move, like capturing a piece, a Zwischenzug inserts an unexpected move that creates a new threat or disrupts your strategy. Mastering this tactic will transform you from a predictable player to a cunning strategist, allowing you to exploit unexpected opportunities and gain a significant advantage.

Zwischenzug Wikipedia page
 With explanations and examples

German "in-between move". An unexpected move tossed into an expected series of moves.

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BOOKS (FREE)

ZWISCHENZUG – GERMAN; INTERMEZZO; ITALIAN IN-BETWEEN MOVE - 2 Page PDF Handout - Couple Examples w/ 6 Puzzles

Chess Tactics and Combinations - 84 Page PDF - Exeter Chess Club - Short Violent Games of Chess Organized by Theme. (Page 34 Intermezzo)

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Zwischenzug Chess Articles 

Gain a comprehensive understanding of Zwischenzug with informative articles that explain the concept, showcase examples, and offer strategic insights.

• Chess Tactics Simplified: The Zwischenzug! - Nice Article with Examples at Bottom
  
  
• ZWISCHENZUG: THE TACTICAL PATTERN THAT CAN SAVE YOU - Article with examples
  
  
• Tactics 101: The Incredible Intermezzo (a.k.a. Zwischenzug) - Nice Article
  
  
• Zwischenzug: An Unexpected Tactic of Grandmasters - The Chess Journal Article
  
  
• Zwischenzug - Chess Kid Article w/ Embedded Video
  
  
• Zwischenzug – the intermediate move - Chessbase Article - Nice Explanation w/ 8 Annotated games with this tactic. (Nice)

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Annotated Game Databases

Analyze real-world applications of Zwischenzug by studying annotated games from renowned players, featuring both winning and defensive maneuvers.

 FM Asa Hoffman vs NM Jim West - From Jim West's Blog (Annotated by both players)

Chessgames.com

• Chess Games with a Zwischenzug - 43 games (Some nicely annotated games here)
• Chess Games with a Zwischenzug -  14 Games
• In-Between Move Tactic-- OTB Examples - 25 Games 

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Lichess Studys

Test your newfound knowledge and sharpen your tactical vision with interactive LiChess studies that present a variety of Zwischenzug scenarios.

• LiChess Zwischenzug Study - LiChess Basic Tactics Area 
  
  
• Zwischenzug - 9 Chapter Study w/ Instruction - Well Done
  
  
• Intermediate: Tactics Internalized - Zwischenzug - 5 Chapter Interactive Study
  
  
• In between/ Zwischenzug/ Intermezzo - 29 Chapter Study -  All Positions
  
  
• The Intermezzo Practice Set - 26 Chapter Interactive Study - Broken into Themes - Save, Sacrifice, Threaten and Trade

New to Lichess studies? These interactive tools allow you to explore chess concepts and variations move-by-move, perfect for testing your understanding and deepening your knowledge.

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Zwischenzug Puzzles

Put your skills to the test with challenging puzzles designed to hone your ability to identify and execute Zwischenzug opportunities.

ChessGo.in

• Intermezzo Puzzles - 72 Puzzles (Broken into 8 Pages - by Difficulty) Printable

LiChess Puzzles

• Intermezzo - 55,425 Puzzles
  
  

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Zwishenzug Video Lessons

Learn from the best! Renowned chess instructors take center stage in video lessons, offering clear explanations and practical guidance on mastering Zwischenzug.

• Zwischenzug – Winning with in-between moves - 20 Min - A very important tactical motif in the middlegame – the zwischenzug.
  
  
• The Volatility of In-Between Moves - 9 Min  IM John Bartholomew -  Game between IM Jha Sriram and GM Rajaram Laxman (from the excellent book "Mastering Chess Strategy" by GM Johan Hellsten)
  
  
• Chess Lesson # 44: Zwischenzug | Learn & Master In-between Moves | Intermezzo | Intermediate Moves - 14 Min NM Rober Ramirez - In this lesson, you will learn this tactic and then apply your knowledge by solving some exercises.
  
  
• Zwischenzug | Can you find the solutions to these five positions? - 15 min - GM Daniel King gives you five puzzle positions to solve. (New 6/20/2024)

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St. Louis Chess Club Videos

• Chess for Beginners with GM Ronen Har-Zvi (Intermediate Moves | Forcing Moves) - 32 Min - Discusses intermediate and forcing moves in chess, focusing on the concept of intermediate moves. He uses puzzles to illustrate how these moves can be used to gain material advantage.
  
  
• In-Between Moves and Zwischenzugs - WGM Jennifer Shahade -53 Min - Explores in-between moves in a lecture for intermediate level players.
  
  
• Zwischenzug | Puzzler's Paradise - IM Vitaly Neimer -  35 Min - International Master Vitaly Neimer presents puzzles with a theme of zwischenzug
  
  
• Intermezzo: Put Your Plans on Hold! | Beginner Breakdown -  61 Min - Talks about the Zwischenzug, also known as an "intermezzo" or "intermediate move," which describes a move that is played instead of and before the expected move and poses an immediate threat that the opponent must answer.

Game Video's w/ Analysis

Chess Tactics: Zwischenzug: Lichtenhein vs Morphy - 5 Min

Zwischenzug! || Nakamura vs Carlsen - 10 Min