Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The Ponziani: Free Chess Opening Resources (C44) - Opening Theory

 

Unlock the Power of the Ponziani 



The Ponziani Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3) is a flexible chess opening for White that offers a solid foundation for an active and dynamic middlegame. It's perfect for players who enjoy fighting for central control and creating tactical opportunities.

Here are some key reasons to study the Ponziani:
  • Solid and Flexible: The Ponziani offers a safe opening structure that can be adapted to various playing styles.

  • Rich in Tactics: The Ponziani often leads to unbalanced positions with hidden tactical opportunities for both sides.

  • Surprise Weapon: Less common than other openings, the Ponziani can catch your opponents off guard and give you an edge.

Let's delve into this comprehensive collection of resources to help you master the Ponziani Opening!

Wikipedia Page 
General Opening Info and History. 
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc3 3.c3

 

BOOKS (Free)

Ponziani Opening: How to Win This Chess Opening - Free 7-page PDF guide exploring key variations of the Ponziani Opening.


The Devious Ponziani - FREE Chessable Course -Master over 70 Ponziani variations with 56 interactive training exercises using the Move Trainer.


Ponziani Chess Articles

Ponziani Opening – How to Play as White & Black Comprehensive Guide by Shawn Sedice on The Chessable Blog - This in-depth guide explores Ponziani variations, provides model games, and offers strategic tips for both White and Black players.

Ponziani Opening -  This article introduces the Ponziani Opening, explaining key variations and showcasing example games to help you get started.


Games Databases

365Chess.com Links To Games 

 

  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 
  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 d5 4. Qa4 Bd7 
  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 d5 4. Qa4 Nf6 
  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 d5 4. Qa4 f6 
  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 
  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 Nxe4 5. d5 Bc5 
  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nge7 
  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Be7 
  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 f5 
  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 f5 4. d4 d6 5. d5 
  • 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 f5 4. d4 d6 5. d5 fxe4 6. Ng5 Nb8 7. Nxe4 Nf6 8. Bd3 Be7

 


 

Ponziani 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.

  • The Ponziani Guide: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6  - 35 Chapter Study (288 Hearts) - Explores 17 critical variations arising after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3, with analysis and 15 annotated model games.

  • Ponziani Traps - 10 Chapter Study - Each Chapter is Detailed Trap analysis. Master 6 Ponziani Traps.

  • PONZIANI OPENING - 10 Chapter Study ( 1500 Hearts) - Unravel Black's Defenses: A detailed exploration of common Black replies to the Ponziani

LISTUDY Ponziani Page

Ponziani Opening - 2 Studys -Utilize the LISTUDY Move Trainer to interactively learn and practice Ponziani variations.

 

Ponziani Chess Video Lessons


The Ponziani Series - 11 Videos Playlist - Combined almost 2 hrs  

  • Ponziani Deep Dive: Master the Ponziani Opening with strategic insights, potential traps, and variations. (The Chess Giant)


Chess Opening: Ponziani Opening - 33 Min - chesswebsite 
Ponziani 101: Learn key strategies, traps, and counterplays in the Ponziani Opening.

The Ponziani Scheme: It's Legal | Chess Openings Explained - 55 Min - St.Louis CC
Understand the Ponziani's core ideas and principles, not just memorization.
 
More on the Ponziani Pt2 - 9 Min Video I go over a couple more lines of the Ponziani, as well as black's main refutation.

Ponziani Opening: Instructive Winning Strategy - 18 Min IM Rosen - instructive chess game in the Ponziani Opening.

A Beginner Lesson in the Ponziani Opening - 25 Min IM Rosen
  • Getting Started with the Ponziani: A beginner-friendly lesson on playing the Ponziani for White.

The Ponziani Opening Explained - 20 min - GM Sune Berg Hansen
  •  Ponziani Masterclass: GM Hansen walks you through the most important lines after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3.

How to Crush an Olympic Medallist with the Ponziani! | Grandmaster's Choice - GM Denes Boros - 71 Min - GM Denes Boros 
(New - 6/1/24)
  •  Ponziani Middlegame Mastery: Learn practical middlegame strategies with GM Boros using 2 example games.

Play Against the Ponziani

Ponziani Chess Trap Videos

Ponziani Game Videos (w/Analysis)

 PGN Downloads 

 Ponzpq.zip - 665 Games (U Pitt ftp Server)


Image inside an Image of a man sitting looking at a chess board on a beach in surreal Image.
"The purpose of playing is to win;
 the purpose of practice is to learn." - Siegbert Tarrasch 

 

 

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