Category Archives: BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, OPENINGS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TACTICS

COMING BACK AFTER A BREAK

Last week I discussed the pros and cons of taking a break, this week I want to look at how you can get back into the game if and when you come back to it? This is something I can talk about from personal experience, as I played very little from when my son was born in 2002 until 2021. 

The first issue is just remembering how the pieces move! By that I don't mean the legal moves they can make, but rather how they interact during a game. To a large extent this can be remedied with puzzles and training games, playing online now being the default option for training games. After doing this for a while it's worth dipping your toe into over the board tournaments because it's very different when playing someone sitting opposite you and having clerical duties such as writing down the moves. Eventually the rust should come off, though things may not be the same as when you quit.

Personally I struggled with how much the game had changed, largely because of powerful engines, extensive databases and tools designed for the rapid memorization of opening variations. At one time good opening knowledge was the preserve of full time professionals, these days I've found that many young players have extensive and computer checked repertoires. It's easier to remember things when you're young, so this works very well for young players. It gives them a distinct advantage over older players who struggle with memorization, and removes what was once a vulnerability.

It has taken me a while to fully adjust to these changes, at one time I assumed 'experience' would carry me through. There are points in the game where experience and intuition can help, but not so much in the opening any more. A good approach is to switch the emphasis of the struggle to the middle game and endgame, which explains why good endgame players have fared relatively well.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the Meran Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. The first one, with 5...Bd6, features the line given in my Building an Opening Repertoire course. The second is with 5...a6, a move I've been looking at lately, and in fact used it in my win against Stephen Gordon in the British Championships.

Sunday September 14th at 5pm UK Time: QGD Meran with 5...Bd6

Sunday September 14th at 6.15pm UK Time: QGD Meran with 5...a6
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying the Move Order Tricks series, using the code 'sep12to20'. The importance of move orders in the opening is often underestimated, yet they can be used to bamboozle an opponent out of their favourite lines. In this series of videos I explains the issues, how to use cunning move orders and how to fight against them.

Last week's discount was 40% off the Learning from the Greats: Akiba Rubinstein, using the code 'sep5to13'. Rubinstein is one of the most influential players in history, largely because of his wonderful endgame play and profound strategic insights. He also came up with many new ideas in the opening.

My Upcoming Events

In the wake of the Tenerife cancellation, I've accepted an invitation to the Scarborough congress, largely because my wife enjoyed going there last year. This is the only thing I have planeed right now, though I might also play in the Bolton Rapidplay in December.:

October 24-26: Scarborough Congress
I played in this last year and it's a popular event. Details can be found here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, TIGER CHESS THEMED TRAINING TOURNAMENTS, TOURNAMENTS, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

A RULE AND AN OBSERVATION

At the time of writing I'm playing in the British Chess Championships. I've sometimes mentioned the importance of keeping notes during a tournament, mainly because battle conditions make everything real and focus the mind. I've been doing this, as usual, and can report on my findings. I have a rule and an observation that I can discuss.

Before the event started I made a rule for myself about not offering any draws. This simplifies the job of playing because it's one less thing to think about, but at the same time you can lose an important weapon. I decided that I'm far too prone to draw offers, and going cold turkey on this wouldn't do me any harm. So far I've kept to it, and would like to continue to the end.

My observation, meanwhile, is that having good background opening preparation makes it much easier to prepare for the games. Starting from scratch with a new opening is a big ask, especially if your opponent has a lot of experience in what you want to face them with. I tend to be a jack of all trades in the opening, knowing a bit about lots of things but without being an expert in anything. I would like to change this because of the potential saving of energy before the games.

This is very much a work in progress for me, but I would like to have such a thing for the first time in my chess career. Part of the problem has been a short attention span, I would look at something and then move on before acquiring the necessary expertise. The professional approach is to specialize in a good and solid set of openings, become a great expert on the, and then expand this repertoire for specific tournament situations. I think I've been laying a decent foundation, the next step will be to hone these weapons and add new ones.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the Dutch Defence, featuring the positions after 1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 and 1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 g6. These lines feature in both the Building an Opening Repertoire course and the White 1.d4 Repertoire, so this is an ideal opportunity to practice what you have learned:

Sunday August 10th at 5pm UK Time: Dutch with 3...e6

Sunday August 10th at 6.15pm UK Time: Dutch with 3...g6
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying The Why and How of Chess Annotations series, using the code 'august8to16'. This four hour series explains how you can use this reflective process as a powerful improvement tool.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying my Endgame Mastery series, and is still valid until close of play tomorrow using the code 'aug1to9'. This four hour series explains how to master this stage of the game, explaining the principles and properties of endgames and showing you how to go about mastering this stage of the game.

My Upcoming Events

There's still nothing new from last week and I have a new project that I'll be working on from September. I will keep playing, but it will move down my list of priorities for a while.

Here is how things look now, with the British Championship ending in a couple of days:

August 23 - 30 2025: San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
This looks like a great event and I'm really looking forward to it. Travelling back is a bit tricky because the direct flights were very expensive, finally I found a flight back to Glasgow from where I can take a train!

September 5-7: Hull 4NCL Congress
I'm a big fan of 4NCL Congresses because they are played in nice venues, they're invariably well organized and they offer free entry and accommodation to GMs. You can find details here: 

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BOOKS, BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, FRENCH DEFENCE, TIGER CHESS THEMED TRAINING TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

HOW MANY OPENINGS SHOULD YOU PLAY?

Something that players often wonder is how many openings they should play. Typically they wonder about a switch after a loss with their current choice, sometimes they just fancy something different.

Some very good advice on the matter was given in Alexander Kotov's Think Like a Grandmaster, which suggested knowing something about everything and everything about one thing. These days that is already quite a chore, so for amateur players I would suggest that this one thing is relatively low maintenance. I would also suggest that it's a sound choice, if you only have one opening you don't want it to become a liability and target for your opponents.

I went into more detail on this matter in this week's Chess Questions Answered videa now up on Tiger Chess. Yet these two guidelines of low maintenance yet high quality guided me in my recommendations of the French Defence and Queen's Gambit Declined as Black, plus a simple 1.d4 repertoire as White. From this solid basis it's healthy to experiment with other openings, especially in casual online games, to know something about everything. Yet the solid basis should be in place first.

Have I always followed my own advice? Sadly no, but partly because it's only now that I have achieved a good level of clarity. In the 1980s I was mainly playing the Modern Defence (1...g6 against everything) as Black, and this was not very good for my results. Had I played the French and Queen's Gambit Declined as my main options, and kept the Modern for just occasional outings, I feel I would have done much better.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the Advance Variation of the French, featuring the positions after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 and 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nge7. These lines feature in both the Building an Opening Repertoire course and French Defence, so this is an ideal opportunity to practice what you have learned:

Sunday August 3rd at 5pm UK Time: French Advance

Sunday August 3rd at 6.15pm UK Time: French Advance with 5...Nge7
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying my Endgame Mastery series, using the code 'aug1to9'. This four hour series explains how to master this stage of the game, explaining the principles and properties of endgames and showing you how to go about mastering this stage of the game.

Last week's discount is still valid until tomorrow, you get 40% off the purchase of Tiger Chess Strategy Course, part 1 by using the code 'july25august2'. This four part course is designed to provide a thorough education in positional chess. Different aspects of chess strategy are broken down and explained, helping you understand a broad range of concepts that will provide a whole new dimension to your play.

My Upcoming Events

There's still nothing new from last week and I have a new project that I'll be working on from September. I will keep playing, but it will move down my list of priorities for a while.

Here is how things look now, with the British Championship starting tomorrow:

August 2 - 10 2025: British Championships
As mentioned I've gone for the Championship itself rather than one of the old folks sections. Obviously this will be full of underrated juniors, I'll just have to play better against them this time! You can find details here.

August 23 - 30 2025: San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
This looks like a great event and I'm really looking forward to it. Travelling back is a bit tricky because the direct flights were very expensive, finally I found a flight back to Glasgow from where I can take a train!

September 5-7: Hull 4NCL Congress
I'm a big fan of 4NCL Congresses because they are played in nice venues, they're invariably well organized and they offer free entry and accommodation to GMs. You can find details here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, CHESS SOFTWARE, OPENINGS, TRAINING

LIFE BEYOND CHESSBASE?

Since the late 1980s, Chessbase has been considered essential software for serious players. Using it, instead of books and magazines, took chess study and preparation to a whole new level. There have been alternatives, such as Chess Assistant and SCID vs PC, but they've never been considered quite as good.

Is Chessbase still so essential today? There are many players who would say that it is, but to my mind there are now some excellent alternative approaches. My favourite chess database is now HIARCS Chess Explorer Pro, which if used with its opening book and a good engine (for example a cloud engine from Chessify) is difficult to beat as far as working out opening lines is concerned. You don't need to include lots of games in your files, you just need to see what's been played and have a powerful engine running. This represents a fundament departure from the old method of studying openings, which was founded on copying the moves of strong players.

As far as preparation is concerned, Chessbase certain gives you access to a lot of games, though these tend to be the games of notable players. Here too there are alternatives such as Yotta Base and Opening Tree, the latter being particularly scary for anyone whose Lichess or Chess.com handles are known. Basically my advice would be to keep them private or have an alternative opening repertoire for your online games, you don't want people knowing exactly what you play, if this can possibly be avoided.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in Queen's Pawn Games, the London System (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 c5) and Torre Attack  (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 c5).

Sunday July 13th at 5pm UK Time: London System

Sunday July 13th at 6.15pm UK Time: Torre Attack
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is on my Crafting Your Own Opening Repertoire series, you got 40% off its purchase (not rental) by using the code 'july11to19'. This series covers all aspects of creating an opening repertoire, from opening selection, to choosing sources and assembling your lines.

Last week's discount was for the Black Queen's Gambit Declined Repertoire, you got 40% off its purchase (not rental) by using the code 'july4to12'. Based around the Queen's Gambit Declined Tartakower Variation, and the Semi-Tarrasch, it represents a straightforward but high quality repertoire against 1.d4 and Flank Openings.

My Upcoming Events

There's still nothing new from last week and I have a new project that I'll start work on from September. I will keep playing, but it will move down my list of priorities for a while.

Here is how things look now:

July 31 - August 10 2025: British Championships
As mentioned I've gone for the Championship itself rather than one of the old folks sections. Obviously this will be full of underrated juniors, I'll just have to play better against them this time! You can find details here.

August 23 - 30 2025: San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife

This looks like a great event and I'm really looking forward to it. Travelling back is a bit tricky because the direct flights were very expensive, finally I found a flight back to Glasgow from where I can take a train!

September 5-7: Hull 4NCL Congress

I'm a big fan of 4NCL Congresses because they are played in nice venues, they're invariably well organized and they offer free entry and accommodation to GMs. You can find details here:

I'll be looking for things after September, not sure when or where!
 

Chess Questions Answered

I'll just be posting my Chess Questions Answered videos on Tigerchess from here on, though I might be putting some of them on Youtube in due course. I don't think I'm cut out to be a streamer, for one thing I don't have time and for another I'm not beautiful enough!

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BOOKS, BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, FRENCH DEFENCE, HOW TO, MIDDLEGAMES, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

STUDYING THE GAMES OF GREAT PLAYERS

One of the things I did a lot as a teenager was to study the games of great players. I have literally dozens of biographical games collections and have been through the vast majority of them. I did not have the opportunity for formal chess lessons but these books provided a unique and valuable alternative.

How did I go through them? It wasn't just a case of playing through the moves, I would cover up the winners moves with a piece of paper and try to guess what he did. Sometimes I would stop at a particular position and use it as an analysis exercise, as explained in Think Like a Grandmaster by Alexander Kotov. To this day I think this is a great approach to learning and training.

Which players did I choose? Paul Keres was my favourite, also Mikhail Botvinnik, Bent Larsen, Leonid Stein, Tigran Petrosian, Mikhail Tal, Efim Geller, Boris Spassky, Jose Raul Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine and many others. Sometimes I went through tournament books, for example Emanual Lasker's book on St. Petersburg 1909 is one that I went through from cover to cover. Sometimes books on chess strategy were also good for this purpose.

Are there technology based ways of doing something similar? Not really, sitting down with a book and chess set has some unique attributes which can't be emulated on a computer screen. Computers and other technology might seem convenient, but they also fall short in certain respects.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the French Defence (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5), both the Advance (3.e5) and the Exchange Variation (3.exd5). These lines were covered in two of my video series, Building an Opening Repertoire and French Defence:

Sunday June 29th at 5pm UK Time: French Advance
Sunday June 29th at 6.15pm UK Time: French Exchange 

My Upcoming Events

There's nothing new from last week and I have a new project that I'll start work on from September. I will keep playing, but it will move down my list of priorities for a while Here is how things look now:

July 31 - August 10 2025: British Championships
As mentioned I've gone for the Championship itself rather than one of the old folks sections. Obviously this will be full of underrated juniors, I'll just have to play better against them this time! You can find details here.

August 23 - 30 2025: San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
This looks like a great event and I'm really looking forward to it. Travelling back is a bit tricky because the direct flights were very expensive, finally I found a flight back to Glasgow from where I can take a train!

September 5-7: Hull 4NCL Congress
I'm a big fan of 4NCL Congresses because they are played in nice venues, they're invariably well organized and they offer free entry and accommodation to GMs. You can find details here:

I'll be looking for things after September, not sure when or where!
 

Twitch Channel

My Twitch channel has new content every Monday ('Chess Questions Answered), the Webinar on training tournaments and games is up on Fridays. Please follow it if you'd like to get updates etc, all the shows will be available to Premium members in the Tiger Chess members area, even when they are no longer available on Twitch.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

WHY COMPETITIVE CHESS IS GOOD FOR YOU

One of the ways in which competitive chess is good for you is that it can cause you to strive to be a better version of yourself. Since I've gained a renewed enthusiasm for touraments, I've found myself doing regular aerobic exercise. Our brains need a free flowing blood supply, so any improvement in its circulation can only be a good thing.

Shouldn't someone do this anyway, to stave off things like death? Well yes, but when goals are framed so negatively they become less appealing. A major key to motivation is to frame goals that are attractive, and what could be more appealing to chess enthusiasts than winning tournaments and improving their rating?

The allure of success in tournaments has also caused me to do other stuff. I previously reported doing regular tactics and endgame practice, and I have a couple of apps that make this convenient. Meanwhile I've started the process of refurbishing my opening repertoire, mainly with lines I've played before but got scared to play them because I hadn't kept up-to-date with theory. 

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the Colle vs the King's Indian and Gruenfeld, as presented in my flagship Building an Opening Repertoire course. 

Sunday June 15th at 5pm UK Time: Colle vs KID

Sunday June 15th at 6.15pm UK Time: Colle vs Gruenfeld
 

My Upcoming Events

There's still nothing new from last week.I'm still thinking about playing in the World Senior Championships in Gallipoli in October, if I win enough money to fund it.

Here is how things look now:

June 13-15 2025: South Lakes Congress
I've added this one to my schedule, mainly as a warm-up for Cesme. You can find details here.

June 23-29 2025: 11th Cesme International Open
This strong open event, in Izmir in Turkey, promises to be a real challenge. I'll be going a couple of days early because I can get a cheap flight, but the city looks very interesting and well worth a visit.

July 31 - August 10 2025: British Championships
As mentioned I've gone for the Championship itself rather than one of the old folks sections. Obviously this will be full of underrated juniors, I'll just have to play better against them this time! You can find details here.

August 23 - 30 2025: San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
This looks like a great event and I'm really looking forward to it. Travelling back is a bit tricky because the direct flights were very expensive, finally I found a flight back to Glasgow from where I can take a train!

September 5-7: Hull 4NCL Congress
I'm a big fan of 4NCL Congresses because they are played in nice venues, they're invariably well organized and they offer free entry and accommodation to GMs. You can find details here:

I'll be looking for things after September, not sure when or where!
 

Twitch Channel

My new Twitch channel will have new shows every Monday ('Chess Questions Answered), the Webinar on training tournaments and games is up on Fridays. Please follow it if you'd like to get updates etc, all the shows will be available to Premium members in the Tiger Chess members area, even when they are no longer available on Twitch.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, OPENINGS, POSITIONAL PLAY, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

THINGS ARE DIFFERENT AT CLUB LEVEL

One of the problems with many chess products is that they are pitched at the wrong level for the intended audience. Club players, for example, fall largely in the 1400 to 2000 bracket, with some outliers on either side of this. The authors, on the other hand, fall largely in the 2300 to 2700 bracket, again with some outliers on either side. This kind of gulf is obviously going to be a problem unless the authors have a very good understanding of what their audience needs. It should be clear that it isn't 30 moves of theory, but all too often that's what their books and videos contain.

I am also guilty, at least to some extent. When commissioned to write books, for example, I've often gone beyond what the target audience needs. Yes I try to provide explanations and present simpler lines where possible, but I know only too well that I'm not addressing the lines that club players will face in their games. In the Sicilian, for example, it's rare for club players to play the open lines with 2.Nf3 and 3.d4. Far more likely is the Grand Prix Attack, with 2.Nc3 and 3.f4, or maybe the Alapin with 2.c3. The 3.Bb5 lines have received a lot of coverage in different opening repertoires, so these are also played quite a lot.

What will you find in the books? Well my new book on the Accelerated Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6) was devoted mainly to the open lines (2.Nf3 and 3.d4) but just a few pages to 2.Nc3 and 3.f4 and the other sidelines. What's my excuse for this imbalance? Well actually it's unusual to devote any space to sidelines, readers will usually be directed to another book. I'm also guilty of presenting some long variations in my section on the Maroczy Bind (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.c4), but I'd argue that Black's best defence demands this level of coverage. Not that any of this will happen in club games.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the French Defence, one of the most solid defences to 1.e4 which also offers chances of counterplay:

Sunday June 1st at 5pm UK Time: QGD 5.Bg5 Be7

Sunday June 1st at 6.15pm UK Time: Meran 5.e3 Bd6

My Upcoming Events

There's nothing new from last week.I'm still thinking about playing in the World Senior Championships in Gallipoli in October, if I win enough money to fund it.

Here is how things look now:

June 13-15 2025: South Lakes Congress
I've added this one to my schedule, mainly as a warm-up for Cesme. You can find details here.

June 23-29 2025: 11th Cesme International Open
This strong open event, in Izmir in Turkey, promises to be a real challenge. I'll be going a couple of days early because I can get a cheap flight, but the city looks very interesting and well worth a visit.

July 31 - August 10 2025: British Championships
As mentioned I've gone for the Championship itself rather than one of the old folks sections. Obviously this will be full of underrated juniors, I'll just have to play better against them this time! You can find details here.

August 23 - 30 2025: San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
This looks like a great event and I'm really looking forward to it. Travelling back is a bit tricky because the direct flights were very expensive, finally I found a flight back to Glasgow from where I can take a train!

September 5-7: Hull 4NCL Congress
I'm a big fan of 4NCL Congresses because they are played in nice venues, they're invariably well organized and they offer free entry and accommodation to GMs. You can find details here:

I'll be looking for things after September, not sure when or where!
 

Twitch Channel

My new Twitch channel will have new shows every Monday ('Chess Questions Answered), the Webinar on training tournaments and games is up on Fridays. Please follow it if you'd like to get updates etc, all the shows will be available to Premium members in the Tiger Chess members area, even when they are no longer available on Twitch.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, OPENINGS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TRAINING

MOVE ORDERS

Move orders in the opening are a big issue that is often underestimated at amateur level. Players can be attracted to the Sicilian Najdorf (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6) but face a problem against 2.Nc3 because 2...d6 can be met by the dangerous 3.f4. Playing the Gruenfeld against 1.d4 (1...Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5) can similarly seem like a great idea, but what if White plays 1.c4 or 1.Nf3? You can play 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 (2...g6 3.e4), 3.cxd5 Nxd5, but this is not the same thing because White has not committed himself to d2-d4.

There are some openings which are relatively free of move order issues, for example the Queen's Gambit Declined (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6) can be used against flank openings too. The King's Indian is also quite adaptable, against 1.Nf3 you play 1...Nf6 2.c4 g6 and 1.c4 can be met by 1...g6. On the other hand there will be no Benko Gambit against 1.c4, and no Queen's Gambit Accepted either.

It's important to consider such things when constructing an opening repertoire, you need to have everything covered. For this reason I tend to believe that some slightly less sexy choices may be more appropriate for most players.

To give you an example, the Classical Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6) seems to me to be a better practical choice than the Najdorf because you have better options against the Anti-Sicilians. If White plays 2.Nc3 you can merrily play 2...Nc6 (part of your set-up) without having to worry about White reverting to an Open Sicilian with 3.Nf3 and then 4.d4. Similarly I'd recommend the Queen's Gambit Declined to players who want to be solid, not get move ordered by flank openings and do not want to study a lot.

If you want to create move order issues for your opponent, then meeting 1.d4 with 1...e6 can be a nice idea, then if they play 2.c4 you have annoying options such as 2...Bb4+, 2...b6 and even 2...c5. All these moves can take White out of his usual schemes and into territory he might not have studied too much.

These are just a few examples, there are countless move. Happy move-ordering!
 

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the Scandinavian Defence, an opening in which White is a:

Sunday May 18th at 5pm UK Time: ZOOM Scandinavian with 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 g6

Sunday May 18th at 5pm UK Time: Scandinavian with 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.d4 Nc6 

My Upcoming Events

The latest development is that I've been invited to a strong international open in Tenerife, at the end of August. I had been hoping to be asked to play in Maia at this time, but I hadn't heard anything when this came in. 

Here is how things look right now:

June 23-29 2025: 11th Cesme International Open

This strong open event, in Izmir in Turkey, promises to be a real challenge. I'll be going a couple of days early because I can get a cheap flight, but the city looks very interesting and well worth a visit.

July 31 - August 10 2025: British Championships
As mentioned I've gone for the Championship itself rather than one of the old folks sections. Obviously this will be full of underrated juniors, I'll just have to play better against them this time! You can find details here.

August 23 - 30 2025: San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife

This looks like a great event and I'm really looking forward to it. Travelling back is a bit tricky because the direct flights were very expensive, finally I found a flight back to Glasgow from where I can take a train!

September 5-7: Hull 4NCL Congress

I'm a big fan of 4NCL Congresses because they are played in nice venues, they're invariably well organized and they offer free entry and accommodation to GMs. You can find details here:

I'll be looking for things after September, not sure when or where! But if I manage to play well enough to win sufficient funding, I might go for the World Senior Championships in Gallipoli in October.
 

Twitch Channel

My new Twitch channel will have new shows every Monday ('Chess Questions Answered), the Webinar on training tournaments and games is up on Fridays. Please follow it if you'd like to get updates etc, all the shows will be available to Premium members in the Tiger Chess members area, even when they are no longer available on Twitch.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, TRAINING

LEARNING NEW OPENINGS

I am currently trying to learn some new openings, as well as reinvigorate some of those that I've used in the past. This is vital work for competitive chess players, especially in this day and age. A good opening repertoire fosters one of the most important attributes for competitive chess, self-confidence.

How am I going about it? Essentially I'm following the advice I gave in Crafting Your Own Opening Repertoire, though I'm also consulting expert sources that make extensive use of powerful engines. This is not really needed at amateur level, but above 2200 FIDE there's no escaping its importance.

Which openings am I working on? Unfortunately I have to keep that private, though generally speaking I'm sticking to things I've played before. This is because I'll have a better understanding of the positions they lead to than if I went to something new. If you do play a new opening, it makes sense to play training games with it prior to launch, against a friend, coach or by playing the first 10-15 moves against a computer.

Will it work? Yes, I think so, but only as long as I do the job properly. If you do a half-baked job, and you know that you haven't been thorough enough, it still won't develop the self-confidence that is one of the major goals.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the French Defence, the King's Indian Attack and 2.b3.The French has been my main recommendation for those who want a solid and economical defence against 1.e4 and is covered in the Building an Opening Repertoire course as well as The French Defence.

Sunday April 27th at 5pm UK Time: King's Indian Attack with 1.e4 e6 2.d3 c5 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.Nf3 Be7 6.0-0 0-0

Sunday April 27th at 6.15pm UK Time: French with 1.e4 e6 2.b3 d5

My Upcoming Events

I'm currently playing in the English Senior Championships, meanwhile there's nothing new on the horizon. I'm still hoping to invited to Maia in August but I've yet to hear back.

Here is how things look right now:

May 10 - 11 2025: Nottingham Congress
I've entered this one because they offer free entry for GMs, plus if I take a bye in the first round I can get away with one night in a hotel. You can find details here.

June 21-22 2025: Ilkley Congress
As with Nottingham this is just two days, I was given a free entry and I can take a first round bye. So I'll manage to keep my costs down to one night in a hotel and petrol for getting there, this stuff is important. You can find details here.

July 31 - August 10 2025: British Championships
As mentioned above I've entered without an invite. I've also gone for the Championship itself rather than one of the old folks sections. Obviously this will be full of underrated juniors, I'll just have to play better against them this time! You can find details here.

August 21 - 30 2025: Maia Chess Festival (?)
I've played in the last couple of events and I'm hopeful that I'll be asked back. The dates are now out.

September 5-7: Hull 4NCL Congress
I'm a big fan of 4NCL Congresses because they are played in nice venues, they're invariably well organized and they offer free entry and accommodation to GMs. You can find details here:

I'll be looking for things after September, not sure when or where!

Twitch Channel

My new Twitch channel will have new shows every Monday ('Chess Questions Answered), the Webinar on training tournaments and games is up on Fridays. Please follow it if you'd like to get updates etc, all the shows will be available to Premium members in the Tiger Chess members area, even when they are no longer available on Twitch.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEAM?

At the time of writing I'm at the World Senior Team Championships in Prague, playing top board for the England 50+ second team. We don't have a realistic chance of a medal, so there's a more relaxed atmosphere than in the first team. The event is also becoming stronger, newcomers this time round being a Kazakhstan men's and women's team.

What makes a good team? First off it's having good players, all other things being equal the best team will have the best chance of winning. Above and beyond that it does help to have players who get on with each other and are motivated to get the best possible result for the team. I think this explains how Kazakhstan and India have outperformed in recent Olympiads, they were teams of young players who were highly motivated, and this can offset minor differences in strength.

Who will win this year's Senior 50+ Championship? I think that the powerful US team has to be the favourite, but the Kazakhstan men's team is also in with a shot. They seem highly motivated and well prepared, which goes a very long way. This time next week we'll know if I am right.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments return to a couple of lines from the Building an Opening Repertoire Course:

Sunday February 23rd at 5pm UK Time: QGD Meran with 5.e3 Bd6

Sunday February 23rd at 6.15pm UK Time: QGD with 5.Bg5 Be7

My Upcoming Events


Here's my schedule over the coming months, though it is subject to change. I often don't know until fairly late in the day:

April 4-14 2025: European Senior Team Championship

I finally got confirmation that I'll be in the 50+ 1st team, apparently on board 3 of a team that includes Michael Adams, John Emms, myself, Steve Dishman and Graeme Buckley.

April 24-28 2025: English Senior Championships

I'm hoping to be invited to these and may now be eligible for either section. You can find details here. 

July 31st - 10th August 2025: British Championships
These have now been confirmed for Liverpool on these dates, you can find details here. If I get invited to play in the main Championships, I'll probably accept. Otherwise I'm eligible for both the 50+ and 65+ sections, and should have a chance of doing well in either.

There will probably be one or two events between April and the end of July, it's important to keep playing in order to maintain good form.

Twitch Channel

My new Twitch channel has new shows every Monday ('Chess Questions Answered), the Webinar on training tournaments and games is up on Fridays and another weekly coming soon. Please follow it if you'd like to get updates etc, all the shows will be available to Premium members in the Tiger Chess members area, even when they are no longer available on Twitch.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel