Monday, April 20, 2009

PGN Game Downloads & Annotated Databases

 

Dive into a Sea of Chess Games:

 Top PGN Download Sites

Chess players rejoice! This comprehensive guide equips you with a treasure trove of websites offering PGN (Portable Game Notation) downloads. Whether you're a seasoned strategist or a budding beginner, having access to a vast library of games can significantly enhance your chess journey.


Major International PGN Download Sites

 FICS Games Database 

  Giant Database with intricate search functions.

363,829,838
games counted
260,741,991
games stored
583,627         
players stored
1,531 computers stored
18,515 tournaments
 
FICGS correspondence chess database - 85,000 Game PGN  Download


IECC - International E-mail Chess Club  - PGNs of Games from 1995 -2021

International E-Mail Chess Group - 1995-2010  166,000 Games   PGN       CBV

Chess Mail - Correspondence Chess - 2005 - 2007  40,400 Games  PGN (Zipped)
 
Brunos
Grandmaster games (8k games) and a hand full of Openings (17k games) here with game downloads.
 
 
Small Chess  - Thousands of games (Many Recent)
 
15 Million Game Database -Database is categorized into 6 parts, to learn which one you need please browse all files and read description.
In addition a huge collection of opening books for chess engines and Arena.
As well as other chess resources, to download separate packages please browse "all files


Encyclopedia of Chess Openings - Click any ECO code link here and download a PGN of games of that opening ranging in size from 2000-20,000 games. (From Bookuppro.com)
 
FIDE Tournaments Archive - Pick a country and a month to see a list of Tournaments. Click INFO tab and many Tournaments Bring back a PGN download Link.  
 
OLIMPBASE - The Encyclopedia Of Team Chess  (Team Chess Events from around the World have their Games Stored here. )  Olympiads, Leagues , Club Championships (Lots)
 
LiChess Elite Database -  (standard) games from lichess by players rated 2400+ against players rated 2200+  (Millions of Games Here)

LiChess.org Open Database  -   Over 4.1 Billion Standard rated games  (Also Variants and Puzzles located here as well)

PGN Mentor  - Organized PGN Files By Opening, Players or Events  (One of the Best Sites around)

Lumbra’s Giga Base - 13.2 Million Games - Updated monthly (2500+ vs 2300+) is the Low limit. The week in chess, Lichess Elite database. All Curated w/ no duplicates or games under 10 half moves. (Top Free Resource)


Periodicals with Free Game Downloads.

 
   The Week In Chess - Daily Chess News and Games. Weekly digest for download. By Mark Crowther. Started back in 1994   A year of PGN Game Files
   
 USCF  Chess Life Magazine Each Monthly Issue Has All the Games and Puzzles in a Free Download Going back Quite a ways.  Many of these Games are Highly Annotated by Top GM's.
 



National PGN Download Sites


Australian Chess Games Archive  -  43,000 Games From Chess Tourneys All Over Australia 2000- 2022 (Very well Organized)
South Australian Chess Association -  PGN Downloads  Tourneys 1864  to 2023 
Chess Association Western Australia - PGN Downloads (Tourneys  1906 - 2023)


British   - National Archive of British Games (Pre-1920's -2010)
              - BritBase - (Everything British is Here!! )
Canada -  National Archive of Canadian Games (1873-2013)  169,000 Games
       ----British Columbia - Archive  of Games 20k British Columbia Chess Federation Page
Denmark - Danbase - a collection of Danish chess games - 116,000 Games (Very well Organized)    
Finland - Well Organized Database (By Year and Tourneys)
France - French Download Page (In French) 
Germany -  200,000 Games from High Ranked German Leagues
Greece - 1984-Today Download Games from Greek Tourney and play

Italy -  Italian Chess Federation -Well organized Intensive Game Archive
Netherlands -  1800-2002 Database of Tourneys  (51,000 Games)
Norway -  1989 - 2015 Games 
PolandGames from Cuiavia Region -  1999- 2010
Russia - Huge Organized Database of Everything Russian (Start at bottom of page and click on a chapter your interested in)
          ---- Chess Siberia - Download Page
Scotland -  Large Scottish Tourney Download Page (Games from 1893 - 2016)
Slovakia
Games from team tournaments in Slovakia, opens and more.
          ---- Correspondence Chess Tourney Downloads.  (Some Annotated)
Ukranian - Downloads of Championships  1924 - 2009

United States
   --- CalChess  - 36,000 Games   California
   --- Dallas Chess Club - PGN and CBV (w/Fritz Annotations) Texas Tournaments
   --- The Massachusetts Chess Association - 10,000 Games from 1999 - 2003
   ---  Metro West Chess Club - PGN and CBV  (1983 - Present)  (New England - Boston)
   ---  Southern California Chess Federation - Tourneys and Games 2003 - 2022
   ---  United States Correspondence Chess Championships (USCCC) - 2004-2008

 

Annotated Chess Games


Anglefire Archive  -  Over 4000 Annotated Games


 
Picture of Computers with Binary numbers lit behind a row of chess pieces.



Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Scandinavian Defense (Center Counter Defense) (B01) - Opening Theory

 

Scandianavian Defence (Center Counter Defense) Resources

Wikipedia Page 

The Scandinavian Defense, also known as the Center Counter Defense, is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1.e4 d5. It is a hyper-modern defense, meaning that it aims to control the center with pieces rather than pawns. This defense is characterized by the move d5, which aims to support the pawn on e5, and it is a good choice for players who like to play aggressively and counterattack.

The main idea of the Scandinavian defense is for Black to gain space in the center and try to attack the white pawns on e4 and d4. Black's pawn on d5 also aims to exert pressure on e4, which could become a weakness if not properly supported.

The most common continuations for Black after 1.e4 d5 are 2.exd5 Qxd5 and 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4. The first move allows Black to develop their queen early and apply pressure on e4, while the second move allows Black to develop their knight and gain control of d5.

The Scandinavian Defense can be a solid choice for Black, but it also requires a good understanding of the middle game and the ability to counterattack, as it can lead to complex and tactical positions.


BOOKS & Courses (Free)

Internet Archive

Center Counter Defense: The Portuguese Variation - 98 Page PDF


Chessable Courses (Free)

IM John Bartholomew's Scandinavian (FREE version) - (Teaches 56 Lines and you can use the Movetrainer to practice them.)

Short & Sweet: Scandinavian - 13 Lines w/37 Min Video - IM Robert Ris 

Short & Sweet: Scandinavian for White - 10 Lines w/ 53 Min Video - IM Miodrag Perunovic


Scandinavian Defense Chess Articles

Scandinavian Defense - Simplify Chess - Nice Article with the what, why and moves explained.
Beating The Scandinavian Defense – Beginner Chess Openings - Thorough Article with Several Embeded Videos. (Good read if you face this opening a lot)

Centre-Counter Tutorial - Chesscorner.com
The Anti -Portuguese System -by Michael Goeller
Annotated Recent Game Article - from Chess Publishing

CHESS PIECE: SCANDINAVIAN SECRETS - Blog post Refuting the Qa5 line of the Scandinavian by Bobby Ang
Scandinavian Defense – Kadas Gambit  - Remote Chess Academy Article w/embedded Videos
How To Play The Scandinavian Defense: 3…Qa5 - Hercules Chess Guide


Scandinavian Defense – How to Play As White and Black - Chessable Blog Opening Guide (Nice Guide)

Scandinavian Defense LiChess Studies 

Comprhensive Study Scandinavian - 15 Chapter Study  (400 hearts)
Scandinavian Defense (Traps for White) - 12 Chapter Study
Scandinavian opening traps  - 29 Chapter Study  (150 Hearts)
The scandinavian defence - 11 Chapter Study  (Just Showing all the Variations)
Scandinavian Defense (White)  - 13 Chapter Study 


LiStudy Scandinavian Page -  6 Studies (At Bottom of Page) Set up to use the Movetrainer here to Learn or Practice opening. Can also Play opening Against Computer.

GAMES DATABASES

Miniatures in the Scandinavian - 16 Games
Annotated Recent Game Article - from Chess Publishing


365Chess.com

B01: Scandinavian (centre counter) defence 1. e4 d5 - 62,000 Games ( Broken down to 13 Sub Variants) 

Chessgames.com

Scandinavian (B01)  - 36 Annotated Games

chesstempo.com

Scandinavian Defence, General, B01  - 19,500 Games


Scaninavian Defense Video Lessons

Lessons

Scandinavian Defense Opening Theory -6 Video playlistHanging Pawns  (About 3 hrs)


How to Play the Scandinavian Defence | Grandmaster Repertoire - 32 min GM Moulthun
How To CRUSH Opponents with the Scandinavian Defense! - 33 Min IM Rozman
Play Scandinavian Defense - 33 Min  - IM Marcin Sieciechowicz

Playing Against

Crush the Scandinavian Defense - 10 Min IM Rosen
Finally! An Answer to the Scandinavian Defense by GM Bryan Smith - 36 Min
Hacking the Scandinavian - GingerGM's Spicy Openings and Gambits - 18 Min
PUNISH THE SCANDINAVIAN DEFENSE | IM Miodrag 'The Butcher' Perunovic - 106 min
This ONE Move CRUSHES The Scandi | Dojo Lessons feat. DeanG - 14 min
How to beat the Scandinavian Defense-Part-1  -  10 Min GM Arun

Three POWERFUL Attacking Ideas to CRUSH the Scandinavian Defense - 16 Min - GM Jose Gonzales -
The strategies presented in this video are well-known to strong players. Adopt these powerful lines to effectively counter this solid defense. (New 5/29/24)


St Louis Chess Club

The Scandinavian Defense: Solid, Sharp, or Suspect? - Chess Openings Explained - 48 Min
Fallout from Scandinavian Defense Tournament - Beginner Breakdown - 38 Min


Scandinavian Opening Traps

7 Best Chess Opening Traps in the Scandinavian Defense - 28 Min 
op 5 Chess Opening Traps in the Scandinavian Defense [White & Black] - 16 Min
Traps against the Scandinavian defence aka "Center-Counter" opening -12 Min


Scandinavian Game Videos (W/analysis)

Scandinavian defense - 17 Video Playlist - Agadmantor
Scandinavian Defense - 33 Video Playlist - Chess School
PLAY ALL Scandinavian Defence (Center Counter) - Chess Opening - 74 Video Playlist - kingscrusher

Magnus Carlsen Plays His Old Favourite Blitz Opening; Scandinavian Defense 
Scandinavian Defense - 33 Video Playlist - Chess School
PLAY ALL Scandinavian Defence (Center Counter) - Chess Opening - 74 Video Playlist - kingscrusher


Magnus Carlsen Plays His Old Favourite Blitz Opening; Scandinavian Defense - 7 Min
Dmitry Andreikin vs Fabiano Caruana 2014 - 30 Min
Vishy Anand vs Loek Van Wely - Tata Steel (2013) - Scandinavian Defense (B01) - 33 Min


GM Naroditsky

How To CRUSH The Scandinavian Defense | The Sensei Speedrun |- 16 Min
Attacking The Scandi Kingside | The Sensei Speedrun  - 16 Min
Natural Developing Moves | Scandinavian Defense: Modern | - 30 Min
The Risks of Queenside Castle | Scandinavian Defence | The Sensei Speedrun - 37 Min
Master Class | Scandinavian Defense | Chess Speedrun - 38 Min
Master Class | Scandinavian Defense | Chess Speedrun  - 40 Min


IM John Bartholomew (Well Annotated Games)

Recent Theory Practice in the 3...Qd8 Scandinavian - 47 Min
 GM Z-Integrator vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 21 Min
IM Bartholomew vs. TOuchlighter (Scandinavian Defense) - 28 Min
Aruminos vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 18 Min
hek vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 36 Min
Belalugosi vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 36 Min
GM Humpy Koneru vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 44 Min
SnapCracklePop vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 48 Min
IM MWeston vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 18 Min
alakhine101 vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 45 Min
Twin Ports Open [Round 1]: Pratik Nehete vs. IM Bartholomew  - 28 Min
NM Andrew Titus vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 78 Min
GM Stefan Kristjansson vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 19 Min
GM Eric Lobron vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 16 Min
GM narkissos vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 15 Min
IM Luca Shytaj vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 20 Min
stalyansky vs. IM Bartholomew (Scandinavian Defense) - 37 Min


PGN Game Downloads

scand-pg.zip -(1.e4 d5) - 4905 Games (U.of Pitt Archive)

Monday, April 6, 2009

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

An eerie chess match between a gaunt, Victorian-era chess player and a menacing pumpkin-headed ghoul wielding a scythe. The dimly lit room features an old wooden chess board with pieces arranged in starting positions. Wisps of fog and deep shadows create an unsettling atmosphere, with the white pieces emitting a faint glow and the black pieces absorbing the limited light. The supernatural opponent's glowing eyes and the player's intense concentration heighten the sense of impending doom in this haunting Halloween-themed chess scene.
"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


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



Halloween Gambit Articles

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



Halloween Gambit LiChess Studies

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


LiStudy Page. (LiChess Movetrainer Page)


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.



Games Databases

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

Chessgames.com (Collections)

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 



Halloween Gambit Chess Videos

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


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


Game Videos w/Analysis


IM Eric Rosen


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)

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Nimzo-Indian Defense Arsenal: Strategies & Resources for Black and White


Demystifying the Nimzo-Indian
 A Resource Guide

New to chess openings?
The Nimzo-Indian Defense offers a flexible and dynamic approach for Black, perfect for controlling the center and launching attacks.

Experienced players can sharpen their repertoire with in-depth articles, strategic breakdowns, and video lectures from Grandmasters. This archive equips Black and White players with the knowledge to master this exciting opening.

Nimzo-Indian Wikipedia Page

 General opening theory, History and Variations


BOOKS (Free)

Free Nimzo-Indian Defense  Chessable Courses



Nimzo-Indian Chess Articles

The Nimzo-Indian: An Essential Guide to One of the Best Chess Openings - Huge Article with 6 Imbedded Videos done By several GM's   (Very Nice Place to Start)

How To Play The Nimzo Indian Defense Chess Opening - Hercules Chess

A Pawn Sacrifice Revisited - IM Andrew Martin

Nimzo-Indian Defence  - Simplify Chess Opening Guide 

Nimzo-Indian Defense  - Opening Guide by IM Alberto Chueca


Nimzo-Indian Defense: Play, Attack, and Counter as White & Black  - Chessable Blog Opening Guide ( very nice)



Nimzo-Indian LiChess Studies

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





Games Databases

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

365Chess.com


Chessgames.com


Annotated Nimzo-Indian Games

Bacrot, E. vs Anand, V. (E20) - Boris Schipkov
Lautier, J. vs Korchnoi V. (E20) - Boris Schipkov
Timman vs Karpov (E21) - Inside Chess GM Yasser Seirawan
Volkov, S. vs Sakaev, K (E25) - Boris Schipkov
Khalifman, A vs Anand, V. (E42) -Boris Schipkov
Malakhov, Vladimir - Nielsen, Peter Heine [E46] - Boris Schipkov
Aleksandrov, Aleksej (2630) - Lugovoi, Alexei (2540) [E48]
Van Wely, Loek (2681) - Acs, Peter (2591) [E48]
Lugovoi, Aleksei - Balashov, Yuri [E52]
Aleksandrov, A. (2620) - Adams, M. (2745) [E55]
Khalifman A vs Anand V [E55]
Goldin, Alexander (2618) - Ye Jiangchuan (2676) [E61]



Nimzo Indian Chess Video Lessons


Playlists


I Played This Aggressive Opening For 20 Years And Even Defeated GMs -  24 Min - GM Igor Smirnov reveals a secret variation that serves as a solid opening system for Black. This variation eliminates the need to master the complex theories of the Nimzo-Indian Defense and can be played against all of White's responses. It also offers the opportunity to launch a powerful kingside attack.

WIN GAMES with the Nimzo-Indian Defense! - 37 Min IM Rozman  - In-depth look at the Nimzo-Indian Defense. Explains the key moves and strategies, emphasizing that this defense is not a quick-win scheme but a solid and strategic approach. The video covers various lines and responses, including the main lines with e3 and queen c2, and offers practical advice on how to handle different situations that may arise during a game.

 St Louis Chess Club


(f3 Nimzo Series) NM Caleb Denby


Nimzo-Indian Game Videos w/ Analysis

Playlists


GM Naroditsky


Ivanchuk vs Karpov - 11 Min Video
Anand vs Kramnik - 11 Min Video
Kasparov vs Chuchelov - 8 Min Video
Portisch vs Fischer - 8 min Video
Topalov vs Aronian - 11 Min Video
Reshevsky vs Donner - 9 Min Video
Morozevich vs Carlsen - 10 Min Video
Murshed vs Bradbury - 9 Min Video


Close up image of a chess piece on a wet board with Sun shining bright.