Alekhine's Defense - 4 Pawns Attack B03

Created A page for this Variation and have added a link to it on my Alekhine's Defense Page.

Alekhine's Defense - 4 Pawns Attack B03

Alekhine's Defense B02 - B05 

 Link On Sidebar under Opening Theory links

Demystify the Chess Middlegame (FREE Resources!)

 Conquering the Middlegame
 Essential Chess Resources to Sharpen Your Skills

The middlegame, the heart and soul of chess, is where strategies unfold, tactics unleash their fury, and the entire game's course can shift dramatically. Mastering this dynamic phase is crucial for chess players of all levels.

This comprehensive guide equips you with a treasure trove of valuable resources to elevate your middlegame prowess. We've categorized them for easy navigation, catering to both beginners seeking fundamental concepts and seasoned players aiming to refine their strategic thinking.

Why Focus on the Middlegame?

• Strategic Planning: The middlegame is your canvas to craft a winning strategy. You'll learn to exploit weaknesses, control key squares, and create imbalances favoring your piece activity.
• Tactical Awareness: Sharp tactics often come to the forefront. You'll develop your ability to identify and execute powerful tactical opportunities like forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks.
• Positional Understanding: Chess isn't just about brute force. The middlegame hones your positional understanding, teaching you the value of piece placement, pawn structure, and king safety.

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Books (Free)

Chess blueprints : planning in the middlegame by Yakovlev, Nikolay  - 282 page PDF

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Chess Middlegame Articles

• Chess Middlegame Strategy: The Ultimate Guide For Beginners  - Really Nice Guide (In-Depth) - This comprehensive guide, perfect for beginners, dives into the fundamentals of middlegame play. Learn where to best position your pieces and gain valuable general tips to build a strong foundation for success.
  
  
• General Middlegame Advice  - Nice in-depth Guide By Exeter Chess Club - Feeling overwhelmed by middlegame complexity? This guide, compiled from beginner's chess books, offers practical strategies to simplify your decision-making process.
  
  
• 16 tips on how to improve your middlegame in chess  -  Chess delights - Consider this a handy cheat sheet packed with actionable tips to elevate your middlegame prowess. Quickly reference these pointers to make informed choices during your next game.
  
  
• 9 Middlegame Concepts You Must Know - TheChessWorld - Overview of all the Major Middlegame Concepts w/ 40 min Embedded Video

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Middlegame 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.

• Middlegame Strategies  -  11 Chapters  (495 hearts) - This comprehensive study delves into each piece's role, guiding you through the process of making a plan and exploiting an exposed king.
  
  
• The Art Of The Middle Game  - 11 Chapters (295 hearts) - Based on the renowned work by Alexander Kotov & Paul Keres, this study condenses the wisdom of the masters, teaching you how to form a plan and effectively attack your opponent's king in a castled position.
  
  
• How to WIN in the Middlegame - 9 Chapter Study  (777 hearts) - Harness the winning techniques employed by GM Igor Smirnov through this study, packed with insights gleaned from his video lectures.
  
  
• 11 Middle Game Plans - 12 Chapter interactive Study -Dive into an interactive learning experience where you'll learn a valuable lesson and plan from each carefully chosen position.
  
  

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Chess Middlegame Video Lessons

Playlists

• Chess Middlegame - 53 Video playlist  - Remote Chess Academy
  
  
• Chess Middlegame Ideas - 50 Video Playlist  - Hanging Pawns
  
  
• The Middlegame in Chess - 35 Video playlist  - Jim's Chess Channel
  
  
• Learn Chess - Middlegame Strategy - 9 Video Playlist  - Chess Explained
  
  
• Miss Strategy's Middlegame Show  - 48 Video Playlist  - IM Anna Rudolph
  
  
• 50 middlegames master class - 23 Video Playlist - Gotham Chess

Lessons

The 10 Best Chess Plans For The Middlegame - Chess Strategy For The Middlegame - Midgame Strategy - 13 Min - NM Nelson Lopez - several examples of types of chess plans and strategies that you can use in your next game!

How To Use Pawns In Chess Middlegames - 15 min - IM Levy Rozman

Creating Strategic Plans | Chess Middlegames  - 28 Min - Hanging Pawns

Middlegame strategy - Using all pieces in the middlegame - 17 min Jozarov's Chess Channel - Today's theme is again the middlegame strategy with the principle of using all of your pieces in the attack.

Finding the best Squares for your Pieces with Maneuvering | Chess Middlegame | GM Sam Shankland - 16 Min - GM Sam Shankland will show you how to improve the placement of your pieces.

The Influence of centralized Pieces in the Middlegame | Chess Strategy - 15 Min IM Ostrovskiy - learn the influence of centralized pieces in the position based on practical examples.

The Golden Rules for the Middlegame |  IM Andrey Ostrovskiy - 27 Min - IM Andrey Ostrovskiy is teaching to you the golden middlegame rules that every chess player needs to know. (Video below)

Tactical Motifs MiddleGame

Middlegame Tactical Motifs | Full Lesson | Oxford University Chess Club - 61 Min

Secrets of the Middlegame 🕵 Unexpected Tactical Chess Opportunities - GM Danny Gormally - 40 Min - In this sample from his course Danny looks at the unexpected tactical opportunities that can arise in every game.

Middlegame Mistakes

Most Common Middlegame Mistakes of Club Players [FM Viktor Neustroev]  - 47 Min - Learn How to Avoid Mistakes in the Middlegame and Improve Your Performance! Covers Many middlegame topics.

Typical Mistakes in Practical Middlegame and Endings - 5 Min

NM Robert Ramirez

• Chess lesson # 91: Middlegame Strategy - 35 Min
• Chess Lesson # 118: Middlegame Mastery  - 23 Min
• Chess Lesson # 138: Master The Middlegame - 13 Min
• Chess Lesson # 101: Middlegame Strategy Playing VS The Isolani Pawn Structure - 46 Min
• Chess Lesson # 149: Middle-game Strategy Tip  - 14 Min
• Easy Opening With Easy Middlegame Plan | Chess Lesson # 191 - 16 Min

St.Louis Chess Club

Playlists

• Mastering the Middlegame Lectures  - 15 Video playlist - Ben Finegold 
• Saint Louis Chess Club | Mastering the Middlegame  -  47 Video Playlist - Assorted Speakers 

Middlegame Planning | Mastering the Middlegame - GM Josh Friedel  - 46 Min 
Develop a Middlegame Plan - FM Aviv Friedman - 2014.10.22  - 49 Min
The Early Middlegame: What to do?! | Road to 2000  - 52 min  NM Caleb Denby
Restriction: Shutdown of Pieces | Mastering the Middlegame - GM Cristian Chirila - 49 Min
Two Bishops in the Middlegame - GM Eric Hansen  - 47 Min
Endgames & Middlegame Exercises | Grandmaster's Choice - GM Yuniesky Quesada - 66 Min
Akobian at the 2014 Olympiad | Mastering the Middlegame - GM Varuzhan Akobian - 37 Min
My Great Middlegames of 1987 & 1988 - GM Ben Finegold - 41 Min
Ben's Wild European Days | Mastering the Middlegame - GM Ben Finegold - 43 Min
Thanksgiving Open Middlegames - GM Ben Finegold  - 45 Min

Game Videos (Emphasis On Middle-game Plans)

Developing a Plan in the Early Middlegame | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. trhdude (1844) - 31 MIN

Middlegame Strategy of Anatoly Karpov by GM Ben Finegold  - 50 min - Analysis of 3 of Karpov's games

"Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do; strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do." - Savielly Tartakower

Italian Game, Rousseau Gambit C50 Opening Theory

 Rousseau Gambit Resources

Wikipedia Page
The Rousseau Gambit (or Ponziani Countergambit)
is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 f5
White has three main choices in the Rousseau Gambit:
1. Defend the e4 pawn with d3 and trust the extra tempo will make itself felt.
(With This move Black can Transpose into the Lucchini Gambit)
2. Accept the gambit with 4.exf5.
3. Strike back in the center with 4.d4.

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Rousseau Gambit Chess Articles

Rousseau Gambit in the Italian Game - Guide w/ Embedded video by GM Igor Smirnov
Rousseau Gambit: Where Italian Game and King’s Gambit Meet - Chessable Blog Opening Guide
Lucchini Gambit: A Little Known Chess Opening - Chessable Blog Opening Guide

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Rousseau Gambit LiChess Studies

Rousseau Gambit - 12 Chapter Study (at Top)
Rousseau Gambit - 11 Chapter interactive Study (80 hearts)
Rousseau Gambit vs. Italian - 25 Chapter Interactive Study
Super Cool Rousseau Gambit Traps! - 5 Chapter Study
Rousseau Gambit in the Italian Game - 5 Chapter Study (Just 5 games Played By Guys 2000+)

Lucchini gambit - 4 Chapter Study (1100 hearts)

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Game Databases

Chessgames.com

Italian Gambits (C50-C55 actually) - 2 Games in this collection

365Chess.com

C50: Rousseau gambit 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 f5 - 104 games

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Rousseau Gambit Video Lessons

Learn This INSANE NEW Gambit!! - 26 min - Gotham Chess
The Rousseau Gambit | Risky Opening Choice for Black in the Italian Game | IM Alex Astaneh - 10 Min
The MOST AGGRESSIVE Gambit Ever? - 34 min - Johnathan Schrantz
The BEST Chess Opening Against 1.e4 - Every Move is a Trap! -19 min GM Igor Smirnov
The BEST Chess Opening Against 1.e4 | TRAPPIEST Gambit for Black - 14 Min GM Igor Smirnov

Lucchini Gambit

(If White Plays Rousseau Gambit Declined. and on move 4.d3 black can transpose to this Gambit)
Lucchini Gambit - Every Move is a Trap - 16 min - TheChesswebsite
Lucchini Gambit - Accepted Variation - 13 min -TheChesswebsite
Top 10 Traps in the Lucchini Gambit | Chess Opening Tricks, Moves, Strategy & Tactics - 9 Min

Rousseau Gambit Chess Traps

Italian - Rousseau Gambit - Equal but in Chains (trap no. 58) - 4Min

Rousseau gambit Game Videos (W/Analysis)

Facing the Rousseau Gambit (3...f5?!) | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. artur74blef - (1376) - 35 Min IM John Bartholomew
Morphy vs the Rousseau Gambit | Learn Giuoco Piano Ep.1 - 10 Min
Discovering a New Opening Trap | Lucchini Gambit - 4 Min - Im Eric Rosen
Lucchini Gambit || Stockfish 8 vs Stockfish 14 - 8 Min

Carlsbad Pawn Structure - Chess Strategy

Unlocking the Carlsbad Pawn Structure:
A Comprehensive Resource Hub

Discover an extensive collection of resources dedicated to the Carlsbad pawn structure.

From articles and video lessons to annotated games and studies , delve into the nuances of this strategic framework and elevate your understanding of chess strategy.

Bishops Bounty Main Pawn Structures Page - Here
Bishop's Bounty Minority Attack Page - Here

Carlsbad Chess Articles

• The Carlsbad Structure – Complete Lesson - The Chess World
  
  
• PLANNING IN THE CARLSBAD STRUCTURE – BOTVINNIK-KERES 1952 (1) - Pawn break
  
  
• Carlsbad Pawn Structure - Chess.com Article - The article highlights the importance of the Carlsbad structure due to its rich possibilities for both sides and its occurrence in multiple openings, including the Nimzo-Indian, Caro-Kann, and Scandinavian defenses. Key plans within this structure include the minority attack, the central break with e3-e4, and the Pillsbury Attack.
  
  
• Mastering Mini-games - FM Nate Solon - Article on Why The Minority Attack is not The Most Important Thing to Learn with the Carlsbad
  
  
• THE MINORITY ATTACK BY NIGEL DAVIES - Chess Cafe Article - explains the minority attack, a crucial middlegame plan in chess.
  
  
• Who's afraid of the Big Bad Minority attack? - Long Exeter Chess Club Article - The article provides examples of games where the minority attack was effectively used and discusses various defensive strategies to counter it.
  
  
• Pawn Structure 101 - Part 2: The Minority Attack - Chess Kid Video - 13 min
  
  

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LiChess Studies

• Carlsbad Structure - 5 Chapter Study (Info and Annotated games)
• Minority Attack - 7 Chapter Study
• Carlsbad `pawn Structure` ' - 16 Chapter Study (Top of Page)
  
  

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Games Databases

Chessgames.com

• Pawn Structures - 246 Games - 16 Carlsbad games (Incredible Collection with many Pawn Structures)
  
  
• Middlegame Strategy - 177 games (With the Carlsbad Structure)

365Chess.com

• D17: Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Carlsbad variation - 1344 games

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Carlsbad Video Lessons

Advanced - 6.Unit: Carlsbad Structure - 6 Video Playlist - GM Alex Lenderman
Carlsbad Structure - 17 Video playlist - GM Sune berg Hansen - amazing playlist

• Master the Carlsbad Pawn Structure - The Full Course with GM Sune Berg Hansen - 3 Hrs - a comprehensive guide on the Carlsbad Pawn Structure. It is a collection of edited videos by GM Sune Berg Hansen, providing detailed instruction on this chess strategy.
  
  
• GM Neiksans Boot Camp #32 - Carlsbad Structure - 2 Hr - provides an in-depth analysis of the Carlsbad structure, a crucial pawn structure in chess that has been tested for over a century.
  
  
• Lesson on the Carlsbad Pawn Structure - 8 Min - NM Bryan Tillis - This pawn structure often occurs from the Exchange Queen's Gambit, Exchange Caro-Kann, and in this game, it came from an Alekhine Defense
  
  
• Top Ten Middlegame Ideas #4: Minority Attack - The Carlsbad structure - 35 Min - Jim's Chess Channel - Key ideas of the Minority Attack, focusing on the Carlsbad structure. It uses historical games, such as Flohr-Euwe 1932, to illustrate these concepts.
  
  
• Carlsbad pawn structure / Chess strategy explained - 12 Min - Bad Bishop Channel - an explanation of the Carlsbad pawn structure, a well-known structure in chess theory
  
  

St.Louis Chess Club

• Queen's Gambit Declined, Exchange | Carlsbad Structure - Chess Openings Explained - 39 Min - the Carlsbad pawn structure, a common formation in the Queen's Gambit Declined.
  
  
• Minority Attack! | Pawn Structure - GM Yasser Seirawan - 32 Min St.Louis Chess Club - Delves into the five structural elements of chess: Space, Material, Time (Development), Pawn Structure, and King Position. The focus is on the importance of the minority attack within pawn structures.
  
  
• Minority Attacks in the Carlsbad Structure | Road to 2000 - 64 Min - Caleb Denby discussing minority attacks within the Carlsbad pawn structure w/ three famous GM games.
  
  
• Heavy Piece Carlsbad Endgames | Insane in the Endgame - GM Denes Boros - 55 Min - Dissects two major piece endgames by Anatoly Karpov and Harry Nelson Pillsbury from the Carlsbad structure.
  
  

Chess Dojo

• Why the Minority Attack is for Commoners w/ Kaspar/SuperBaguette33 | Dojo Lessons - 24 min - reviewing a game played in the Dojo. The video discusses the Minority Attack
  
  
• Two Games in the Carlsbad Structure | GM Kraai's Game Review #19 - 16 Min
  
  
• Kaspar's Karlsbad | Dojo Lessons - 23 Min
  
  
• IM Kassa Korley: Dissecting the Carlsbad | USCS Class 11.10.20 - 90 Min - He goes over several instructive games in the Carlsbad structure of the Queen's Gambit Declined.
  
  
• IM Kassa Korley: Revisiting the Carlsbad | US Chess School 4.07.2021 - 56 Min - He analyzes several instructive games, highlighting key strategies and tactics that can be employed within this pawn structure.
  
  

Carlsbad Game Video Lessons

• What Is The Carlsbad?? | Queens Gambit Declined | The Sensei Speedrun | GM Naroditsky - 37 Min - In-depth analysis of the Carlsbad pawn structure within the Queen's Gambit Declined. GM Naroditsky explains the key concepts and strategies associated with this structure, making it accessible for players of all levels.
  
  
• AlphaZero g-pawn attack against the Queen's Gambit Carlsbad structure - Opening Strategies #7 - 14 Min
  
  
• Blitz Chess #4592 vs Johnhendra QGD Exchange Carlsbad White - 11 Min IM Christof Sielecki
  
  
• Magnus Carlsen vs Wesley So / Caro-Kann: Exchange variation / Carlsbad structure - 12 Min
  
  
• A masterpiece chess miniature! || Caro-Kann: Two knights attack (Carlsbad structure) - 15 Min