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

Easy Guide to the Ruy Lopez - 10 Chapters

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

Birds Defense Chess Trap Videos

Spanish Bird Variation - The Birdsnathcer (trap no. 143) - 5 Min
Chess Gambit for Black that I LOVE (Against the Bird's Defense) - 8 Min NM  Lei

Birds Defense Game Videos w/analysis

Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defense: Grandmaster Leonid Shamkovich vs Bruce Carlley - 4 Min
LIVE Blitz Chess Commentary #163: Ruy Lopez - Bird's Defense - 12 Min
Gata Kamsky vs Vassily Ivanchuk (C61 Ruy Lopez Bird's Defence Tilburg - 8 Min
Ruy Lopez: Samuel Standidge Boden vs Henry Edward Bird - 6 Min  Chess School

PGN Game Downloads

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

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!

Wikipedia Back Rank CheckMate Page 

 General Knowledge and info

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Backrank Weakness Chess Articles

• A Common Tactic - The Back Rank Problem - Lesson On the USCF Site by Susan Polgar - Master the basics from a chess legend.
  
  
• CHECKMATE PATTERNS: THE BACK RANK MATE - PawnBreak Article
  
  
• Back-Rank Mate - Chess.com - Explore the definition, explanation, and examples of back rank mates.
  
  
• Back-Rank Mate – Checkmate Patterns - Short Article w/ couple examples and talks about prevention.
  

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

•  The Back Rank Mate Simple Cases. - 6 pages of Simple Cases (beginner)
•  The Back Rank Mate - Interpositions - 6 Pages of Interpositions - Here is a different problem to consider: he may be able to interpose a piece on the back rank, sticking it between your attacker and his king. Sometimes such interpositions will derail your plans; sometimes they won’t. 
  
•  The Back Rank Mate - Sealing off King Flight Square - 6 Pages
•  The Back Rank Mate - Drawing Defenders Forward - 5 Pages - When the enemy king’s position is well-fortified a sacrifice may be needed to loosen it up.
  The Back Rank Mate - The Role of the Bishop I: Pinning Defenders. -
• The Back Rank Mate - The Role of the Bishop I: Pinning Defenders. - 5 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - The Role of the Bishop II: Preventing a Recapture. - 4 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - The Role of the Bishop III: Driving Back the King - 7 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - Applying Pressure up Close - 9 Pages - The same technique we have been studying can work well up close: your bishop or queen makes a capture on f7 or an equivalent square in front of the king. Since your capturing piece has protection the king must retreat, leaving it unable to defend itself and resulting in mate.
  
• The Back Rank Mate - Combining Back rank Themes w/ Forks - 4 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - Combining Back rank Themes w/ Discoveries - 4 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - Combining Back rank Themes w/ Pins - 3 Pages
• The Back Rank Mate - Combining Back rank Themes w/ Removal of the Guard - 5 Pages

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Backrank Puzzles

• 20 Back Rank Problems & Exercises  - Printable PDF
  
  
• 29 Back Rank Mate Examples from Games - Games from Alekhine ,Bird and even Polgar
  
  
• Back Rank Mates. - 8 Page PDF -  20 Detailed Examples - w/ 9 Tests and 9 Exercises

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)

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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.

• Back Rank Mates  - 24 Chapters - 6 Lessons of Different types of Backrank mate w/ 19 puzzles
  
  
• Back rank weakness: - 32 Chapter - 32 Puzzles to solve
  
  
• Back Rank Combination - 33 Chapters - 33 back rank positions

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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 February - WIM 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 Lawrence - In 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 Min - he 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

• Back-Rank Checkmate - Beginner Breakdown - 2014.06.17  - 42 Min -  a lecture for chess beginners on how to recognize, avoid and execute back-rank checkmate.
• Exploring Back-Rank Checkmate - GM Yasser Seirawan - 2013.07.31 - 39 Min - explores the idea of back-rank check mate in an intermediate-level
• Combinations on the Back Rank | Puzzler's Paradise - IM Vitaly Neimer - 34 Min - goes over increasingly complicated combinations that attack the back rank.
• Find the Under-Defended Back Rank Weakness | Tactics Time! - 36 Min  - National Master Jim McLaughlin shows puzzles and positions from Siegbert Tarrasch that mainly deal with back-rank checkmates and attacks.
• Combinations | Beginner Breakdown - 62 Min - Alex Moellering discusses common mating combinations that exploit weaknesses on the back rank. Solve tactics with the mysterious masked Alex!

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

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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

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Fried Liver Attack LiChess Studies

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

• The Fried Liver Attack Guide - 8 Chapter Study - Tactics, Defenses  and Some Middlegame Ideas
  
  
• Defenses against Fried Liver - 3 Chapter Study - Three detailed Defenses from Casual to You Punish from the get go.
  
  
• The Fried Liver Attack Guide _ 6 Chapter Study (900+ hearts)

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Games Databases

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

Chessgames.com

• Fried Liver Attack Games - 8 Example Games
• Fried Liver Attack Games - 49 Example Games

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

Annotated Games
Pratt vs Wolford 1976
Morphy vs NN 1858

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Fried Liver Attack Video Lessons

Ben Finegold

• The Fried Liver Attack with GM Ben Finegold- 50 Min - Goes through a variety of games in history involving the Fried Liver Attack.
• The Advanced Fried Liver Attack (Traxler Variation), with GM Ben Finegold - 52 Min - A variety of games in history involving the Fried Liver Attack (Traxler variation), using a different set of games for the over 1400 class
• GM Ben Finegold goes on a Fried Liver Rant - 17 Min -  Humorously critiques common misconceptions about chess openings, particularly the Fried Liver Attack, while reviewing a chess game.
  
  

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 | Italian Game Theory - 13 Min - Hanging Pawns

10 Fried Liver Attack instructional Videos - from ChessKid.com
 -This in-depth series covers one of the most common opening weapons in scholastic chess

Fried Liver Attack Chess Traps

• Alekhine Fried Liver Trap - 7 min 
• The Fried Liver Attack - Explained -Tricks and Traps of Chess Openings - 8 Min
• How To Fry The Fried Liver Attack || Counter The Trap With A Trap - 9 min
• Fried Liver Attack | Attacking Gambit in the Italian | Chess Opening Tricks and Traps to Win Fast - 10 Min IM Astaneh

Playing Black

• How To Win As Black Against The Fried Liver Attack! - 26 min NM Lopez
• How to destroy the Fried Liver Attack!! - 8 Min
• Best Defense Against The Fried Liver Attack - 4 Min
• WIN IN 7 MOVES | Traxler Counter-Attack - 18 Min IM Rozman
• Never Let White Play the Fried Liver | Chess Openings Explained - 59 Min - St Louis CC Lesson

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

"The Fried Liver Attack: A delicious dish best served cold... to your opponent's king." - Anonymous

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!

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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 Article - Jan 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.

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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:

• Bishop pair - 3 Chapter Study -  Analyze famous games featuring the bishop pair in action.
  
  
• Chess strategy for club players: Bishop Pair - 13 Chapter Study - Combine exercises and annotated games to solidify your bishop pair understanding.
  
  
• Bishops | Slice through the opposition - (Real Nice, 19 Chapters): Dive deep with this in-depth interactive study exploring bishop pair concepts.
  
  
• Bishop Pair Endgames - 17 Chapter Study - Test your endgame technique in these famous games showcasing the bishop pair's power (no annotations).

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.

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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 Givon - utilizes 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

• Unfolding the Full Potential of the Bishop Pair | Positional Play - 17 Min -  The importance of the bishop pair and in which situations they can unfold their full potential.
• The ineffective Bishop Pair | Positional Play | GM Sam Shankland - 14 Min - take a look at a master game and will discuss when the bishop pair does not matter at all, because it was unable to become active.
• How the Bishop Pair can decide the Game - 16 Min - See how the potential of the bishops can be maximized.

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