Sunday, March 29, 2009

Sicilian Defence (B70-B79) - Dragon - Opening Theory

 Sicilian Dragon Chess Resources

Sicilian Dragon Defence Wikipedia Page 
General Knowledge about this opening
   
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6


Bishops Bounty Sicilian Dragon Yugoslav Attack Page (B75-B79)
Bunch of Stuff below on Yugoslav (Made this other page awhile back)

BOOKS (Free)

The Sicilian Dragon (New and Revised) - 244 pg PDF
Chess Developments: The Sicilian Dragon by David Vigorito - 323 Page PDF 
Dismantling the Sicilian: A Complete Repertoire for White by Jesus de la Villa - 336 page PDF


Chessable   ( Free Sicilian Dragon Courses)

The Sicilian Dragon- Tournament Edition - 28 Variations (10 to 15 Moves Deep)
Short & Sweet: The Sicilian Dragon - 21 Trainable Variations
Short & Sweet: Dragon Sicilian - 24 Variations (41 Min Video) GM Anish Giri
     (Learn The Variations through the Course then Use the Move-trainer to practice them)


Sicilian Dragon Chess Articles

Sicilian Defense: How to Play the Sicilian Dragon - Article with a few Embedded Videos
Sicilian Dragon - Simplify Chess - How, Why , Every Move Explained and Variations.
The Sicilian Dragon Opening and Theory - Another Nice article with Embedded Videos.
Sicilian Dragon: Complete Guide - WGM Raluca Sgîrcea, IM Renier Castellanos
Dragon Sicilian Defense Guide! -  Simple Guide By IM Alberto Chueca
Basic Sicilian Dragon Lesson - Lesson with a few example games
How to Bust the Sicilian Dragon Sidelines - Article by IM Miodrag Perunovic 
Sicilian Dragon vs Fianchestto - Article by IM Miodrag Perunovic Chess.com Articles 
The Deadly Dragon - by GM Prasad and GM Panchanathan  & Silman 
Chess Opening Basics: The Sicilian Dragon - In-Depth guide Chessable Blog
Sicilian Dragon Theory - Website with Annotated games and Chessbase Downloads of Book. 


Sicilian Dragon LiChess Studies

Sicilian Dragon Quickstarter - 7 Chapter Study
Sicilian Dragon (The Complete Study) - 24 Chapter Study (329 hearts)
SicilianDragon/Yugoslav Attack: Variation -  10 Chapter Study
Sicilian Dragon  - 10 Chapter Interactive Study (6400+ Hearts)


Games Database

B70 - B79 Sicilian Dragon Page - 365Chess.com  (List of Variations and Links to games)
Sicilian Dragon Annotated Games -  28 Games - Chessgames.com
Annotated Games 
Shahade,G vs Mezentsev V. (B77) - Annotated by Boris Schipkov 
Polgar J vs Kaidanov - Annotated by Susan Polgar C


Sicilian Dragon Chess Video Lessons

Sicilian Defense Theory - 22 Video Playlist - Hanging Pawns (10 hrs Video)
Dragon Playlist - 9 Video Playlist  - Japanese Tutor
Sicilian Dragon Masterclass - 9 Video Playlist - Chessgeek

Sicilian Defense Series - 22 Videos from Hanging Pawns (around 10 Hrs Worth)

Sicilian Dragon Chess Traps

EVERYONE falls for this opening TRAP in Sicilian Dragon - 12 Min


St Louis Chess Club

Ultra-Aggressive Sicilian Dragon, Yugoslav Attack - Chess Openings Explained - 45 Min
Unleash the Dragon | Kids' Class - IM Vitaly Neimer - 27 Min
Tame Your Dragon! | Chess and Psychology - IM Dorsa Derakhshani - 2 hr


Sicilian Dragon Game Videos (w/Analysis)

Sicilian Defense: Dragon  - 116 Video Playlist - Kingscrusher
Sicilian Dragon Chess Games - 38 Video playlist - Chess with Suren

  
 Games PGN Mentor Downloads 
SicilianDragonOther6.pgn
Sicilian, Dragon
Other 6th moves
4829 games
1.e4 c5 2.Knightf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Knightxd4 Knightf6 5.Knightc3 g6 6.g3, f4, f3, Bishopg5
SicDragon6Be2-6Bc4.pgn
Sicilian, Dragon
6.Bishope2 and 6.Bishopc4
5423 games
1.e4 c5 2.Knightf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Knightxd4 Knightf6 5.Knightc3 g6 6.Bishope2, Bishopc4
SicilianDragonYugoslav.pgn
Sicilian, Dragon
Yugoslav Attack
20738 games
1.e4 c5 2.Knightf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Knightxd4 Knightf6 5.Knightc3 g6 6.Bishope3 Bishopg7 7.f3



Monday, March 2, 2009

Free Online Chess Study Courses

Chess Course Resources Online 

Chess Books (Free)


Chess Teaching Manual by IM Tom O'Donnell -303 page PDF
    (Produced by the Chess Federation of Canada)

A Course In Chess Tactics by Dejan Bojkov, Vladimir Georgiev - 193 Page PDF

Chess Visualization Course - Book 1: General Tactics by Ian Anderson - 328 Page PDF

Silman's Complete Endgame Course - 543 Page PDF

101 Essential Chess Tips - 101 Page PDF

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Chess.com - Chock full of Free Beginner lessons.

Chessable Free Courses - Over 100 Free Courses. You set up an account and you can use any 5  FREE courses at one time. Also allows the use of Movetrainer.
(Hands Down one of the best Free Resources Online for Chess Study)  

Lichess Learn Lichess (Everything here is free) full of videos, interactive lessons and study plans.


Predator at the Chessboard - A field guide to chess tactics. Lots of Lessons on tactics with practical examples and quiz's. This is a really nice free site for anyone wanting to improve their tactics.


How to Get to 1900 - (A Rapid Improvement Chess Course for all Class Players)
by John Coffee
15 Steps From Intro - 1900. Each Step is broken into 3-5 parts.(Tactics, Opening, Endgame, Critical Positions and Reviewing Games) There is a great Deal of free info here for anyone trying to improve with Hundreds of problems and Lessons.


Building Chess Habits
 -  (Link is to 31 Video Playlist) A course on Improvement from 400 ELO - 2000 ELO    
31 Videos with over 60 Hours of FREE instruction by GM Aman Hambleton


Beginner Lessons

Chesskid.com  -  Offers Instruction to help Kids learn Chess (Lessons and Videos Very nice)
Chess Lab  - Basics are covered
US Chess Federation Beginner Course
Chess Corner Learn Chess Guide - Bunch of Very nice lessons right up to intermediate stuff.


Home of the Free Chess Course

ChessCourse.com - Beginner Course - 28 Lessons
ChessCourse.com Intermediate Course - 30 Lessons


Pretty General Lessons for the Beginning Player

Friday, February 27, 2009

Ruy Lopez (Birds Defense) (C61) - Chess Opening Theory


Ruy Lopez (Spanish) Birds Defense Resources


3....Nd4 - Bird's Defence
This variation from black is an attempt to avoid having the pinned knight which can be a bit of a problem for black. White now should exchange off the knight by playing 4. Nxd4 exd4


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4


BOOKS (Free)

The Modenized Ruy Lopez  Vol 1 A Complete Repertoire for White - 18 Page (Chap. 2 Birds)  PDF
500 Ruy Lopez Miniatures By Bill Wall  - 122 Page PDF
Easy Guide to Ruy Lopez by John Emms  - 74 Page PDF

Ruy Lopez (Birds Defense) Articles

Bird's Defense Bibliography (C61) - at the Kenilworthian Chess Club  
Huge amount of info and resources pointed at this opening 2008.) 
Ruy Lopez Bird's Defense (C61) Update (Updated Info from Kenilworthian)  

Bird Defense Opening Theory
   by NM Dana Mackenzie
6 Part Lesson
Bird by Bird Part 1
Bird by Bird Part 2
Bird by Bird Part 3A
Bird by Bird Part 3B
Bird by Bird Part 4
(Sunday Morning Analysis) - More Analysis on B by B Pt 3

Ruy Lopez (Birds Defense) LiChess Study

Games Databases

Chessgames.com

Ruy Lopez Bird Defence Games - 872 Games
Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defense (C61) - 3 Annotated Games


365Chess.com

C61: Ruy Lopez, Bird's defence 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 - 2400+ Games


Chess Puzzles by Opening

C61 - Bird Defence - 10 Puzzles  ( Work on those Opening Tactics )


Annotated Games

Adolf Anderssen - Max Lange, Breslau 1859 - 2 Page .Pdf Annotated move by move
Tudev Ujtumen (IM) vs. Anatoly Lein (IM) - 



Ruy Lopez (Birds Defense) Chess Video Lessons

Anderssen vs Lang - 5 Min 
Bird's Defense: Ruy Lopez Chess Opening - 12 Min
Mastering the Spanish (Ruy Lopez) - Bird Defence - 12 Min
A Short Romance - The Bird Variation (Ruy Lopez) - 14 Min GM Hansen



PGN Game Downloads

Ruy Lopez Bird Defence - 602 Games (Via Univ. Of Pitt Archives)


Colorful parrot on a Chess Set

Thursday, February 26, 2009

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!

 General Knowledge and info



Backrank Weakness Chess Articles




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



Backrank Puzzles


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)


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.



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 FebruaryWIM 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 LawrenceIn 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 Minhe 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



Saturday, February 21, 2009

Two Knights Defence - Fried Liver Attack (C57) - Chess Opening Theory


Fried Liver Attack Chess Resources

 A variation of the Two Knights Defense in which White sacrifices a Knight for a superficially impressive attack on the enemy king.

The Fried Liver Attack,
 also known as the Fegatello Attack ("dead as a piece of meat" in Italian!), is a legendary chess opening that injects pure adrenaline into the game.

 White sacrifices a knight early on, launching a ferocious assault on the black king. This gambit can lead to quick checkmates for White, but Black has defensive resources and counter-attacking chances too. Whether you crave an aggressive weapon with White or want to fortify your defenses against it, this comprehensive guide will equip you to master the Fried Liver Attack!


Fried Liver Attack Wikipedia Page
 General History and Knowledge
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7 Kxf7



Fried Liver Attack Chess Articles

The Fegatello Attack - By Paul Valle - Article in Unorthodox Openings Newsletter

Fried Liver Attack Guide at Simplify Chess - In-depth Guide to this Gambit (Each move explained)

Fried Liver Attack | Chess Opening - Chess.com Article w/ embedded Video - 3 Famous games


How to play the Fried Liver Attack - Very In-depth Article on Chessable Blog with Embedded GM Daniel King Video from one of their Courses.

How To Play the Fried Liver Attack - Chessable Blog Guide (For both Colors) Nice Guide (Pretty Indepth)

The Ultimate Guide in Fried Liver Attack (Fegatello) - Suffern Chess Club

GM Boris Altermans Blog
Fried Liver Lesson 1
Fried Liver Lesson 2
Fried Liver Lesson 3
Fried Liver Lesson 4
Fried Liver Lesson 5
Fried Liver Lesson 6



Fried Liver Attack LiChess Studies

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



Games Databases

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

Chessgames.com


Games Viewable Online (at Queensac.com)
Fried Liver Attack Games - 65 Games

Annotated Games
Pratt vs Wolford 1976
Morphy vs NN 1858



Fried Liver Attack Video Lessons


Ben Finegold
WIN IN 8 MOVES | The Fried Liver Attack - 22 Min IM Rozman (Gotham) - Showing you the Fried Liver attack with the White and Black pieces. This is a great chess opening for beginners which incorporates a quick attack to fork the enemy pieces and win a rook or a queen. Lots of tactics here.

Fried Liver Attack -  11 Min Video - ChessWebSite(Explanation of the Opening) - 

Fried Liver Redux - Beginner Breakdown - 31 Min Shows 4 games that support his case of the Attack being an ultimate devastation.


Fried liver Attack Game Videos (w/Analysis)

How Would The World Champion Defend Against The Fried Liver Attack | So vs Carlsen: Finals Thriller - 10 Min
I was forced to play against a Fried Liver Attack - 12 min IM Rosen
Crashing Counter Attack against the Fried Liver - Hollingsworth vs. Steensland
Shirov wins with Fried Liver Attack in 2014 Chess Olympiad! - 19 Min
Unbelievable! AlphaZero Goes For Fried Liver Attack - 8 Min
Fried Liver Attack | Analysis of a Super GM Game - 10 Min
John Bartholomew plays a Fried Liver Attack. - 7 Min
Morphy - Fried Liver Attack! - 9 Min


Two AI CReted Knight Chess Pieces in the style of Tiffany
"The Fried Liver Attack: A delicious dish best served cold... to your opponent's king." - Anonymous



Friday, February 20, 2009

Unlock the Bishop Pair Advantage: Essential Chess Strategy




Demystifying the Bishop Pair:
The Power of the Dynamic Duo! 


  • Dominate the Open Game: The bishop pair thrives in open positions, controlling both light and dark squares.
  • Long-Range Powerhouses: ♝♝ maneuver freely across any color, creating threats and opportunities.
  • Unleash Dynamic Attacks: Their versatility allows for both sharp tactics and powerful positional pressure.
  • Master for All Levels: Whether a beginner or seasoned player, this guide empowers you to harness the bishop pair's potential.
  • Demystify and Conquer: Learn winning strategies and transform your understanding of this dynamic duo!


  • Bishop Pair Articles


    The Bishop Pair Games - 17 Games on Chessgames.com - Games in Valeri Beim's "Lessons in Chess Strategy", chapter 7 on the bishop pair.


    How to use the Bishop pair (11 Key Concepts) - Article on ChessMood -
    Are you too quick to exchange your bishop pair, or struggling to unleash their full power? GM Gabuzyan shows 11 techniques to use to your advantage!

    What to do with the Bishop Pair - Chessbase ArticleJan Markos shows what you should do to convert the advantage of having the pair of bishops into a winning position.

    The Bishop Pair: 5 Things to Know - ChessWorld - WGM Raluca Sgircea, IM Renier Castellanos
    Playing Against The Bishop Pair: 6 Rules to Remember - ChessWorld

    The Art of the Two Bishops - GM Bryan Smith - The concept of the two-bishop advantage is explored, emphasizing how bishops can be more powerful when both are present on the board, complementing each other’s movements.


    Bishop Pair LiChess Studies

    Sharpen your bishop pair skills with these interactive Lichess studies! Perfect for all skill levels, these studies offer a variety of learning experiences:

    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.


    Bishop Pair Chess Video Lessons


    Power of the Bishop Pair | Chess Middlegames - 19 min - Hanging Pawns

    Winning with the Bishop Pair | Powerful Chess Strategy - 16 min - IM Asaf Givonutilizes practical games by himself and Tigran Petrosian to showcase the two-bishops advantage.

    The Bishop Pair Advantage | Powerful Chess Strategy - 19 Min -  IM Maximiliano Perez - elves into classic game examples demonstrating the bishop pair's power.

    The Advantage of the Bishop Pair - 25 Min  IM Astaneh

    Power of the Bishop Pair - Restricting the Opponents Mobility - 22 Min IM Astaneh - explores the bishop pair's edge, with a focus on restricting your opponent's mobility.

    The Bishop Pair, with GM Ben Finegold - 45 Min -
     Emphasizing their ability to control both color complexes and work harmoniously. He illustrates this through various game examples

    The Advantage of Two Bishops | Bishop Pair Strategy EXPLAINED - 7 Min - Coach kestony
    This is one of the best strategy lessons I have learned to win more games and play comfortably. (New 5/29/24)

    The Power of the Two Bishops - 11 Min - kingscrusher - Correspondence game analysis.

    The Pair of Bishops | Chess lesson # 111 - 27 Min NM Robert Ramirez - This comprehensive lesson by NM Robert Ramirez explores the core concepts of bishop pair play, making it ideal for players of all levels seeking to solidify their understanding.

    GM Sam Shankland


    Make Your Bishop Pair Stronger with a Simple Strategy - 6 Min GM Gabuzyan -
    Unlock a quick and effective strategy to boost your bishop pair's effectiveness.

    The Bishop Pair Advantage | Grandmaster's Choice - 60 Min GM Joel Benjamin -GM Benjamin presents a historical journey of the bishop pair advantage, showcasing games from Steinitz to Kasparov.

    GM Moun Le

    This series features three short videos by GM Moulthun Le, exploring various aspects of mastering the bishop pair.

    How to Master Your Bishop Pair #1 | Kramnik Does it Blindfolded - 7 Min
    How to Master Your Bishop Pair #2 | Utilising Tactics | Wang Hao vs Caruana - 6 Min
    How to Use Your Bishop Pair's Full Potential #3 | GM Moulthun Ly - 7 Min


    Painting of a Bishop pair on a Chess Board