Friday, April 8, 2022

Sharpen Your Chess Skills with the Mechanics Institute Chess Room Newsletter (Free!)

 


 

Craving a free, weekly dose of chess improvement?

Look no further than the Mechanics Institute Chess Room Newsletter! This treasure trove of resources is designed to elevate your chess game to new heights – and it won't cost you a dime.

Take your chess journey to the next level with the completely FREE Mechanics Institute Chess Room Newsletter. Packed with expert insights, captivating interviews, and brain-teasing puzzles, this weekly publication delivers everything you need to refine your tactical skills, deepen your strategic understanding, and expand your chess knowledge – all without breaking the bank.

What Awaits You Each Week:

  • Tournament Dissections by Experts: Analyze recent Mechanics’ Institute tournaments with insightful breakdowns by seasoned tournament directors .

  • Annotated Games for All Levels: Deconstruct key moments from prestigious tournaments with Grandmasters like Nick de Firmian or International Masters like Elliott Winslow. Learn from the best and apply their winning strategies to your own game.

  • Unveiling Chess Brilliance: Explore past masterpieces with IM John Donaldson's analysis of  brilliancy prize winners. Discover the secrets behind these stunning victories.

  • Inspiring Interviews: Get to know fascinating figures within the chess community through captivating interviews. 

  • Test Your Mettle: Challenge yourself with Tony's Teaser, the weekly chess puzzle that will sharpen your tactical vision and problem-solving skills.

  • Curated Content Powerhouse: Stay ahead of the curve with FM Paul Whitehead's expertly curated list of captivating chess articles from across the web. Discover fresh perspectives, groundbreaking ideas, and insightful analysis.  (This alone is worth Looking through it.)


(On Top Of that This link takes you to their back issues. 1012 as of this moment )

CHESS ROOM NEWSLETTER               

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Visualization and Blindfold Chess

A chessboard sitting in a raging ocean of ideas with a head comming out of the ocean observing it with a blindfold on.

See the Game Within
 Blindfold Chess and Visualization Techniques

This comprehensive Archive unlocks the secrets of chess visualization and blindfold chess, empowering you to see the board in your mind's eye and elevate your game to new heights.


Blindfold Chess BOOKS (Free)


Blindfold Chess: History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records, and Important Games by Eliot Hearst, John Knott -  446 Page PDF -T
he book offers a deep and detailed exploration of blindfold chess, making it a valuable resource for chess enthusiasts and anyone interested in the psychology of memory and visualization.

Improve your chess now by Tisdall, Jon - 226 Page PDF
(Chapter 2 on Blindfold Chess)


Websites (With Visualization Trainers)

Listudy is a website to use spaced repetition learning on PGNs. The site runs a Tactics Trainer and an Endgame Trainer.

The site is free open source software. 

    The Site also runs 3 Chess Visualization Exercise Apps.

   
 1.Blind Tactics

Blind tactics is about solving tactics while seeing the chessboard from 2 moves before. This means that you have to visualize for yourself how the chessboard has changed since then and how this enables tactics.

   2. Pieceless Tactics

Pieceless tactics go one step further. Here there are no pieces on the chessboard. It is indicated next to the board where the pieces should be.

These are small tactics with up to six pieces. The difficulty here is to place all the pieces correctly in your mind on the correct placed on the board.

   3. Lichess Blindfold Chess

You can play on Lichess in blindfold mode. You can set this in the game display settings. There you will find the setting “Blindfold chess (invisible pieces)”. With this setting turned on the pieces will be invisible during game play.

You will still see the history of moves and the outline of the last move. Although this makes it easier it is a good step towards being able to play completely blind.


ChessVideos.tv   -   (Visualization Quizzes)

thechessdrum.net  ( Three 55 Question Tests on Board Vision)
Square Dancing #1 (10 questions, 10 seconds per question)
Board Stretch #1 (10 questions, 32 seconds per question)
Board Geometry #1 (15 questions, no time limit)
Blindfold Chess #1 (20 questions, no time limit)
Board Vision Test #1 (55 questions)  
Board Vision Test #2 (50 questions)
Board Vision Test #3 (50 questions)

Chess Board Visualization Training - 8 exercises to Practice


Visualization Videos Lessons

Chess Visualization Training | 2D | - 15 Video Playlist - IM Alex Astaneh - (Almost 3.5 Hrs of Videos)

Chess Visualizing: How To Remember Squares - 19 Min IM Rozman (Gotham Chess) - a comprehensive guide on chess visualization, focusing on the skill of remembering squares and visualizing moves without the aid of a physical board. The instructor breaks down the process into three parts: understanding the chessboard, practicing visualization exercises, and applying these skills in real game scenarios.

How To Improve Your Chess Visualization - 12 min IM Rensch - provides practical advice, lists some of his favorite drills known to improve your full board awareness and calculation skills

Chess Visualization Training | Simple Exercise To Improve Your Skills - 11 Min - GM Igor Smirnov -  teaches how to do an interesting exercise of visualizing 3 moves ahead. It is important an skill to be able to visualize 3 moves because most of the chess calculations and tactics involve at least 3 moves.

The Top 3 Methods to improve your Visualization | Beginner Level | IM Kostya Kavutskiy - 15 Min - 
will show you how to specifically work on your visualization skills and explain you several methods which help you to train your visualization abilities.

How to visualize and exploit Poorly Protected Pieces | Beginner Level | IM Kostya Kavutskiy - 20 Min -  bringing to you the topic of visualization and how you can use it to identify and exploit poorly protected pieces.

IM Andrey Ostrovskiy: Chess Visualization Training Series Comprehensive tutorials focusing on chess visualization and calculation training for beginners, emphasizing board visualization and strategic move evaluation from a master games.



Blindfold Chess Training:
 Exercises and Resources

This section focuses on practical ways to hone your blindfold chess skills. While some resources overlap with the previous sections, they offer specific training methods.

Blindfold Chess Exercises

Blindfold Trainer - NoirChess .com - This online platform provides 9 different games specifically designed to improve your board visualization skills.

blubbie Blindfold Trainer -  Another online option with 7 unique exercises to challenge your visualization in various ways.

Blindfold Chess Program Online
- Play a game against the computer. Real simple and easy to use Setup. Just go as far as you can and then look at board when you need to.

Blindfold Chess Articles

7 Levels of Blindfold Chess Exercises for Everyone - chess.com article

Learning to play blindfold with Fritz 16 - Chessbase Article

The benefits of Blindfold Chess - Chess Improver 

Blindfold Chess Video Lessons

How to Develop Blindfold Chess Skill - 8 Min  - Chess House - shows you how to develop a skill of playing "blindfold chess". First he demonstrates the fundamentals and then gives you the steps to forming the mental capability of visualization.

The FASTEST way to learn BLINDFOLD CHESS, no one has ever mentioned or made a video on this method. - 6 Min - The speech feature on lichess was very useful to me while learning to play blindfolded so I decided to make this video

How to become a better blindfold player? Tips from the best blindfold player in the world! - 20 Min - Chessbase India - At the parents interaction session held by IM Sagar Shah, Timur Gareyev speaks about how blindfold chess helps one to become a stronger chess player. He also shares his story of how playing blindfold chess helped him improve at the game.

IM David Pruiss (Chess Dojo)
This series offers in-depth training on blindfold training and how to "read" chess books without a physical board, further strengthening your visualization skills.

  1. Blindfold Training | How to Read Chess Books Without a Board - 2.5 Hr 

  2. Blindfold Training | How to Read Chess Books Without a Board Part 2 - 3.5 hr

 By combining these resources and exercises with regular practice, you can strengthen your visualization abilities and take your blindfold chess skills to the next level.    

Saturday, April 2, 2022

Vienna Gambit (C29) Opening Theory

Vienna Gambit: A Comprehensive Guide to the Aggressive King's Pawn Opening

1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 f4

This is a gambit in which white sacrifices a pawn to gain bold control over the center of the board. The Vienna Gambit gains a slow advantage over time.

C29 Sub-variants:

Vienna gambit 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 

Vienna gambit, Kaufmann variation1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Qe2 

Vienna gambit, Breyer variation1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Nf3 Be7

Vienna gambit, Paulsen attack 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Qf3 

Vienna gambit, Bardeleben variation1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Qf3 f5

Vienna gambit, Heyde variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Qf3 f5 6. d4 

Vienna gambit 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. d3 

Vienna gambit, Wurzburger trap 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. d3 Qh4+ 6. g3 Nxg3 7. Nf3 Qh5 8. Nxd5

Vienna gambit, Steinitz variation1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. d3


Vienna Gambit Articles

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



Vienna Gambit LiChess Studies

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


Games Databases

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


Chessgames.com


365chess.com


Vienna Gambit Video Lessons

Lessons

WIN WITH 1. E4 | The Vienna Gambit - 25 Min IM Rozman I analyze the Vienna Attack in full depth. It's excellent for beginners, intermediates, and advanced players.

Win With 1.e4, Aggressive Chess Opening | Vienna Gambit - 18 Min - Gm Igor SmirnovYou will learn how to play against Black's common responses including 2...Nf6, which is known as the Falkbeer Variation, 2...Nc6 called the Max Lange Defense. You will also learn how to punish Black's mistakes which are the most-played, natural-looking moves

Chess Openings: Learn to Play the Vienna Gambit!
- 16 Min Chess Giant - Guide to the strategy and Tactics of this opening.

How to Play The Vienna Gambit | Grandmaster Repertoire - 32 Min GM Moulthun Ly I will be giving you my recommendations in the Vienna Gambit for White.
Vienna Gambit | Win 90% of your games! (Probably) - 8 Min Earl Haig Chess ClubThis video introduces the Vienna Gambit, a chess opening strategy, and provides tips, tricks, and traps to help players win more games. 

Chess Openings: Vienna Gambit - Forgotten but Tricky!! - 28 Min IM Miodrag Perunovic - Guide on Blacks 4 Main Responses.

Adventures of a Chess Noob

Black Play Against The Vienna Gambit

Game Videos w/ Analysis

Vienna Gambit - 55 Video playlist- kingscrusher (Famous games)

Vienna Gambit || Bobby Fischer vs Steven Morrison || Simul 1964 - 11 MinOhhh! Vienna Gambit! Classical game analysis 3# - 12 Min
Master Class | Vienna Gambit | Chess Speedrun | Grandmaster Naroditsky - 23 Min
Master Class | GM's Blunder Too, Vienna Gambit | Chess Speedrun | Grandmaster Naroditsky - 25 Min
Schallopp vs. Gossip | Vienna Gambit - FM Aviv Friedman - 41 Min


Two Queens facing each other in a 1960's Style Chess poster


Friday, April 1, 2022

The Budapest Gambit: A Swashbuckling Chess Adventure A51 - A52

  

The Budapest Gambit (Defense )
 A Comprehensive Resource


Intrigued by aggressive chess openings?
Look no further than the Budapest Gambit, a daring gambit that injects excitement into your games from move one. This guide equips you with everything you need to master this dynamic opening, whether you're wielding White's central pawn control or wielding Black's potent piece play.

What is the Budapest Gambit?

With the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5, Black sacrifices a pawn for rapid development and attacking chances. This gambit has allured enterprising players for decades, offering sharp, unbalanced battles that test your tactical skills and strategic vision.

Why Play the Budapest Gambit?

  • Surprise your opponent: The Budapest Gambit is less common than other Queen's pawn openings, giving you an edge in preparation.
  • Sharp and attacking play: If you crave dynamic positions, the Budapest Gambit delivers! Black enjoys active piece play and excellent attacking prospects.
  • Deep strategic possibilities: Despite the early pawn sacrifice, the Budapest Gambit offers rich strategic opportunities for both sides.

Wikipedia Page 
(Sizable amount of Info Here covering this Gambit)


A51 Sub-variants:     Budapest defense declined

Budapest defense declined                 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5

Budapest, Fajarowicz variation           1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4

Budapest, Fajarowicz, Steiner variation   1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. Qc2

 

A52 Sub-variants:    Budapest Defense Accepted

Budapest Defence                          1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4

Budapest, Adler variation             1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Nf3

Budapest, Rubinstein variation   1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Bf4

Budapest, Alekhine variation        1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4

Budapest, Alekhine, Abonyi variation    1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 Nxe5 5. f4 Nec6

Budapest, Alekhine variation, Balogh gambit   1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 d6


Books & Courses (Free)

Internet Archive

 

Free Chessable Course 

Short & Sweet: Budapest Gambit 
-FM Kamil Plichta 
- Learn 25 Lines w/ 78 Min Video - 
use movetrainer to practice them. Ideal starter repertoire on the fearsome and fun Budapest Gambit. He took the essential knowledge from the repertoire, then boiled it down to just 25 core lines and 1 hour and 18 minutes of newbie-friendly video instruction.



Budapest Gambit Articles

The Budapest Gambit ignites dynamic battles on the chessboard, and a wealth of articles await you to explore its intricacies.


Beginner-Friendly Resources:

  • The Budapest Gambit - This guide by Simplify Chess delves into the opening with move-by-move explanations, making it easy to grasp the Budapest Gambit's core concepts. Learn about the three main variations and start building your understanding.

  • Chess Opening Basics: The Budapest Gambit - Chessable Blog Article - This article provides a solid introduction to the Budapest Gambit, outlining the basic opening moves and offering a general overview for beginner players.


Intermediate & Advanced Resources:


Additional Note:

  • Refutation of the Budapest Gambit -  Gm Alex Colovic -  Short Article Talking about the easiest way to defuse this Gambit. This short article discusses ways to counter the Budapest Gambit. It can be a helpful tool for players facing the Budapest Gambit as White.
 


PUZZLES and TRAPS

Sharpen Your Budapest Gambit Skills

wtharvy

Budapest Gambit A52 - 82 Puzzles 

LiChess Opening Puzzles

Indian Defense- Budapest Defence - 3928 Puzzles - 
Challenge yourself with a vast pool of puzzles on LiChess, encompassing all variations of the Budapest Gambit. This is a fantastic resource to continuously improve your overall tactical awareness in the opening.

 


Budapest Gambit Lichess Studies

LiChess Studies offer an interactive playground to delve into the Budapest Gambit's intricacies. Here are some exceptional studies curated to guide you through the opening's complexities:


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

Game databases are invaluable resources for studying the Budapest Gambit in action. Here are some prominent platforms to explore:


Chessgames.com

Budapest Gambit (A51) 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e5 - 418 games (Budapest Gambit Declined)

 Budapest Gambit (A52) 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 Ng4 - 1597 Games  (Budapest Gambit Accepted)

Budapest Gambit (A51-A52) - 3 Annotated Games
 

365Chess.com

A51: Budapest defence declined 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 - 9600 Games 

 A52: Budapest defence 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 - 6900 games 



Budapest Gambit Video Lessons

Learn the Budapest Gambit from some of the best chess educators and channels with these comprehensive video lessons:

 

St. Louis Chess Club

 

The Budapest Gambit · Chess Openings - 37 min Hanging Pawns - is quite a positional opening, in which pawn breaks are the most important factor. 

Simon Williams - The Exciting Budapest Gambit - 32 Min

How to play the Budapest Gambit | Main Ideas and Plans | Gambits | IM Andrey Ostrovskiy - 16 Min

Gambit a Pawn for Aggressive Piece Play! - GM James Plaskett - 11 Min - Talks about the main lines where Black always gets active piece play and compensation for the pawn being sacrificed early in the game.

I made the Budapest Gambit 100x MORE AGGRESSIVE - 43 Min - FM William Graif - Crazy, crazy, crazy sacrifices in this new chess opening variation of the Budapest Gambit! How to Play the Budapest Gambit | Grandmaster Repertoire - 20 Min - GM Moulton Li - recommendations in the Budapest Gambit.

Opening Basics #51: Budapest gambit - 37 Min - Jims Chess Channel - A comprehensive guide to the Budapest Gambit. It explores various lines and strategies, including the Adler and Rubinstein variations, and highlights the importance of piece activity and pawn structure. It also analyzes historical and modern games, demonstrating tactical ideas and common pitfalls in the gambit.


Boris Altermans Gambit Guide (Budapest Gambit) 
  Part 1 - 35 Min  ,   Part 2 - 28 Min,    Part 3 - 33 Min
 

IM Miodrag Perunovic

 

Budapest Gambit Traps


Opening Traps #3: Kieninger Trap with Jonathan Schrantz - 5 Min

Simple and Deadly Traps in the Budapest Gambit - 15 Min

Budapest Gambit Traps: Tricks to Win Fast | Best Checkmate Moves, Strategy & Ideas - 7 Min

5 Best Chess Opening Traps in the Budapest Gambit - 10 Min

Even More Tricks and Traps in the Budapest Gambit - 20 Min IM Rosen

9 CRUSHING Budapest Gambit Traps - 5 Min

 

Budapest Declined The Wandering King Trap - 4 Min

Budapest Declined Relative Pin Trap - 3 Min

Budapest - Opening Up the Floodgates - 3 min

Budapest - Hanging in Budapest - 3 Min

Budapest - The Fajorowitz Theme Trap - 3 Min

Budapest Fajorowitz - The Passing Fad Trap - 2 Min

Budapest Fajorowitz - The Clammy Sammy Trap - 4 Min

Budapest Fajorowitz - The Faj Queen Trap - 5 Min

Budapest - Another Hungary Black Trap - 3 Min

Budapest Hungary Horses - 3 Min

Budapest - White Holds the Pawn - 5 Min

Budapest - The Black Pawn Overload - 3 Min

Budapest - Queen on the Run - 4 Min

Budapest - Family Fork - 3Min

Budapest The Pest Control Trap 3 min

Budapest - Finally Winning a Piece 5 Min

Budapest The Poisonous Bait Trap - 3 min

Budapest Knights Fork Tango - 4 Min

Budapest Kieninger Trap - 3 Min

Budapest - Glutton for Punishment - 3 Min

Budapest - Unsound But Only Natural - 3 Min

 
Budapest Gambit Game Videos (w/ Analysis)


Playlists


Game Videos

Beating the Budapest Gambit | Blitz Game - 7 Min  (Model game Against Budapest)

Budapest Gambit: Attacking with Geometry - 7 Min IM Rosen

A Brilliant Budapest Gambit - Rubinstein vs. Vidmar - 15 Min

Chess Master Blitz...Fajarowicz Gambit as Black!! - 31 Mins  (Several Games)

Crush Your Opponents With The Evil Budapest Gambit - PROchess League - 10 Min

Longer Chess Games #51 A Lesson in the Budapest Gambit - 62 Min -Ginger GM


Colorful Image of 3d realistic painted chess pieces of Bright Colors
"The greatest compliment one can pay to the player of a gambit
 is to accept it."
- Emanuel Lasker