Category Archives: FRENCH DEFENCE

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, EXERCISE, FRENCH DEFENCE, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

STAMINA AND EXHAUSTION

This week's Chess Questions Answered video discusses the role of stamina in chess, late mistakes are often explained by sheer exhaustion. This certainly played a role in this week's Candidates tournament game between Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, in which both players made mistakes late on in the game. Another case was the game between Wei Yi and Nakamura, 

How do you avoid becoming exhausted? Certainly fitness plays a role, but also someone's general stress levels can be a factor. Ideally players should be well rested and relaxed throughout a game and tournament, but this is often easier said than done. Ideally there will be no external concerns when someone goes in for a tournament, such as waiting for your solicitor to call to let you know your house sale is going through. It's also good to reconcile concerns about your chess, for example by being well prepared, you should also make sure you're well hydrated!

There are tactics which are designed to exhaust opponents, for example by improving your position very slowly in an endgame and perhaps doing a twofold repetition. In matches against a single player, a policy of exhausting an opponent can bear fruit, especially if one of the players believes he has greater physical and emotion reserves. An example of this was the first match between Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov in which the challenger, Kasparov, played to extend the match as long as possible, something that eventually started to bear fruit.

Certainly this is a big part of chess, so make sure you are ready and use your energy reserves wisely!

Training Tournaments

Here are the latest scheduled events:

Sunday April 5th, 5pm UK French Exchange

Sunday April 5th, 6.15pm UK Old Indian Tartakower

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying Understanding Strategy and Planning, using the code 'april3to11'. This series presents a systematic way of approaching these areas by learning how to play different pawn structures and the plans and ideas they contain.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying my French Defence course using the code 'mar27apr4'. This is a stand alone opening course which builds on the treatment of the French presented in the Building an Opening Repertoire course. It features over 11 hours of video which explain key games and ideas plus a pgn (portable game notation) file of recommended variations.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now. I'm hoping to get invites to the British Championships (August), European Senior Team Championships (late August) and English Senior Championships (October), but there's nothing definite as yet.

April 3 - 6: 4NCL Easter Congress, Daventry

I should have finished the first round  4NCL Congresses by the time this goes out. This one is 7 rounds, and played over Easter weekend.

April 18 - 29: World Senior Team Championships, Durres, Albania
I've had confirmation that I'll be in the 50+ first team for this one.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, TRAINING

ROBUST OPENING CHOICES

In this week's Chess Questions Answered video I discuss why it's better to choose openings that are robust. What gives an opening choice robustness? Basically it should be not be possible for it to be refuted and you should have plenty of alternative ways to play it.

Why is this a good thing? For one thing you will be able to play this opening over a long period of time, gradually deepening your understanding even if the lines you play need to be changed now and then. This is much better than having to scrap an entire opening system because a single key line becomes difficult or unplayable.

An example of such an opening is the French Defence, which has long been a recommendation of mine at Tiger Chess. There are so many playable options for Black that it can be used for a lifetime, added advantages being that it is relatively easy to learn and can help foster positional understanding. It's true that it may not be everyone's cup of tea, yet players of very different styles have used it extensively, from Viktor Korchnoi to Tigran Petrosian and Alexander Morozevich. 

Training Tournaments

Here are the latest scheduled events:

Sunday March 29th, 5pm UK French Exchange

Sunday March 29th, 6.15pm UK Old Indian Tartakower

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying my French Defence course using the code 'mar27apr4'. This is a stand alone opening course which builds on the treatment of the French presented in the Building an Opening Repertoire course. It features over 11 hours of video which explain key games and ideas plus a pgn (portable game notation) file of recommended variations.

Last week there was a 40% discount off my Endgame Mastery series, using the code 'mar20to28'. In this series I show how you can improve your endgame play and use this stage of the game to notch up valuable points.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now. I'm hoping to get invites to the British Championships (August), European Senior Team Championships (late August) and English Senior Championships (October), but there's nothing definite as yet.

April 3 - 6: 4NCL Easter Congress, Daventry

I try to make most of the 4NCL Congresses because I like them so much. This one is 7 rounds, and played over Easter weekend.

April 18 - 29: World Senior Team Championships, Durres, Albania
I've had confirmation that I'll be in the 50+ first team for this one.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

ENDGAMES, FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS

WINNING WITH THE RUBINSTEIN STRUCTURE

In this week's Chess Questions Answered video I looked at how Black can win games in the Rubinstein structure in the French, which is reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 and now 4...Nd7 is the Rubinstein and 4...Bd7 is the Fort Knox. How is it done? Basically you need to be good at the endgame, like Uruguayan GM Georg Meier, who formerly represented Germany. Meier is the World's leading specialist in the Rubinstein, and he wins a lot of games in this opening.

Unfortunately this makes it a tough sell for most players, who would much prefer to crush their opponents with a sharp attack, for example in the Sicilian Dragon. Yet studying and playing the endgame is a sure-fire way for players to improve, it offers an extra dimension and way to win, plus the needed attention to detail can improve a player's thinking process.

Interestingly there are endgame options in many openings, without needing too much theoretical knowledge or having to take risks. This can make your chess life considerably less time consuming and stressful, though there is a need to play these endgames out!

Training Tournaments

Here are the latest scheduled events:

Sunday March 22nd, 5pm UK London System

Sunday March 22nd, 6.15pm UK French Wing Gambit

Video Discounts

This week there's a 40% discount off my Endgame Mastery series, using the code 'mar20to28'. In this series I show how you can improve your endgame play and use this stage of the game to notch up valuable points.

Last week's discount was 40% off purchasing Learning from the Greats: Akiba Rubinstein, using the code 'mar13to21'. Rubinstein was probably the best player in the World in 1911, but did not manage to secure a match for the title. Despite this he earned his place in chess history through his elegant games, phenomenal endgame technique and multiple discoveries in the opening. In this video series I examine different aspects of Rubinstein's play and show what can be learned from him

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now. I'm hoping to get invites to the British Championships (August), European Senior Team Championships (late August) and English Senior Championships (October), but there's nothing definite as yet.

April 3 - 6: 4NCL Easter Congress, Daventry

I try to make most of the 4NCL Congresses because I like them so much. This one is 7 rounds, and played over Easter weekend.

April 18 - 29: World Senior Team Championships, Durres, Albania
I've had confirmation that I'll be in the 50+ first team for this one.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

THE JOYS OF SIMPLICITY

This week I briefly presented the 3...h6 Queen's Gambit Declined (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 h6) in the Chess Questions Answered video, having been asked about a simple defence against 1.d4. This line fits in with my other recommendations for club players, who often have limited time to study and should probably focus on the basics (tactics, strategy and endgames) rather than burden themselves with intricate opening lines.

This Queen's Gambit line is just one good example, others include the Fort Knox French and indeed my entire Building an Opening Repertoire course. The latter series has proven to be very popular with players who were just fed up with the intricacy of most opening videos and courses. I have also struggled to get to grips with many of today's offerings, and I don't believe it's because I have a particularly poor memory or ability to learn.

Are there other suitable openings? Yes indeed, for example the London System (1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.Bf4 or even 2.Bf4) is a long-time favourite at club level and can be played in a no frills way. On the other hand it has become so popular that a large body of theory has build up around it, with some variations going well into the middle game.

Training Tournaments

Richard is doing a great job of running these, introducing a slightly longer time limit and starting some of them from the initial position or just a single first move. Here are the ones that are currently scheduled:

Sunday January 11th, 5pm UK Time: Catalan 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3

Sunday January 11th, 6.15pm UK Time: Standard Position

Sunday January 18th, 5pm UK Time: Slav 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6

Sunday January 18th, 6.15pm UK Time: 1.e4 Only
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying my flagship Building an Opening Repertoire course using the code 'jan9to17'. This course is built around using the moves 1.d4, 2.Nf3 and 3.e3 as White together with a similar formation as Black against pretty much everything. Whilst the early moves are quite simple there is still the opportunity for an interesting game, and a great many plans and ideas.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying my Creating an Improvement Plan series using the code 'jan2to10', but this is still valid until close of play tomorrow. Many players would like to improve but have little idea how to do it. In this series of videos I draw on decades of coaching experience to show how players can diagnose their strengths and weaknesses, then target the most important areas to make the most effective use of their efforts.

My Upcoming Events

I'll be playing in Nova Gorica, in Slovenia shortly, one of my favourite tournaments in one of my favourite countries. I'm also hoping to play in the World Senior Team Championships in April, but would need to be selected. Apart from that I might take part in a few local weekend events.

January 23-30: Nova Gorica

A very nice and well organized event, details can be found here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, QUEEN'S PAWN GAMES

CREATING A REALLY SIMPLE OPENING REPERTOIRE

Most amateurs have the problem that they lack time for chess study, often through other commitments such as a job, family and pets. For those in this situation it makes sense to have the simplest possible opening repertoire and then focus their efforts on general chess improvement. So what elements would such a repertoire include?

With White it makes most sense to play a Queen's Pawn Game such as the Colle, which is why I included it in my Building an Opening Repertoire course. This also offers good options as Black, including the Queen's Gambit Declined and French Rubinstein. I could add some other suggestions to this including the Fort Knox French (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7) and the Queen's Gambit Declined with ...h7-h6 (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 h6).

A further possibility for White is the London System, in which White plays 1.d4 followed by bringing the bishop out to f4. This is often played by Magnus Carlsen himself, the only problem with this line is that many London players just trundle out e2-e3 and c2-c3 without taking account of what Black has done.

Training Tournaments

The training tournaments this coming Sunday are again in the French Defence, and after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 (or 3.Nd2), they will feature the Fort Knox (3...dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7) and Rubinstein  (3...dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7) variations. The latter is feature in my Building an Opening Repertoire course.

Sunday November 23rd at 5pm UK Time: French Fort Knox

Sunday November 23rd at 6.15pm UK Time: French Rubinstein
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying Learning from the Greats: Akiba Rubinstein which looks at different aspects of Rubinstein's play and what can be learned from him. Just use the code 'nov21to29' on checkout.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying my French Defence course, using the code 'nov14to22' on checkout. This is is an advanced, stand-alone opening course which builds on the treatment of the French presented in the Building an Opening Repertoire course. It features over 11 hours of video which explain key games and ideas plus a pgn (portable game notation) file of recommended variations.

My Upcoming Events

I don't have definite plans to play anywhere right now, but I might play in the Bolton Rapidplay in December and then Nova Gorica in Slovenia in January:

December 7: Bolton Rapidplay

One of my local tournaments, details can be found here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, TRAINING

LEARNING CRITICAL LINES

Earlier this week, one of my students asked me what the best line for White was after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4, the Queen's Gambit Accepted. I'm fairly sure that it's 3.e4, but the issue with this move is that it's highly theoretical and will be difficult to learn and play with confidence. Accordingly I suggested that he stick to my recommended Furman Variation with 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.Qe2, at least for the time being.

This kind of question is actually quite common, and for very good reason. We all want to play the most principled and dangerous moves, but it can come at a heavy cost in terms of study time. Generally speaking I'd say that only full time professionals will have the time and motivation to play the sharpest variations, for most amateurs it's better to aim for a playable middlegame in a position type that you like.

Have I ever played very sharp lines? Well there was a period in the 1990s in which I studied some sharp lines for White, namely that Catalan Gambit and the Botvinnik Variation of the Semi-Slav. The results were actually quite mixed, and probably not much better than playing more quietly in the opening. Shifting the emphasis of the struggle to the middle and endgame is not a bad idea because it can help make us into better chess players..

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments return to the Advance Variation of the French, with 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 being the starting point of the first tournament and then the additional moves 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nge7 featuring in the second. These lines occur in both Building an Opening Repertoire and the more advanced French Defence course.

Sunday November 16th at 5pm UK Time: French Advance with 3.e5 c5

Sunday November 16th at 6.15pm UK Time: French Advance with 5...Nge7
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying my French Defence course, just use the code nov14to22 on checkout. This is is an advanced, stand-alone opening course which builds on the treatment of the French presented in the Building an Opening Repertoire course. It features over 11 hours of video which explain key games and ideas plus a pgn (portable game notation) file of recommended variations.

Last week's discount was 40% off my flagship Building an Opening Repertoire course and it's still valid until tomorrow. Just use the code 'nov7to15' when you buy it.

My Upcoming Events

I don't have definite plans to play anywhere right now, but I might play in the Bolton Rapidplay in December and then Nova Gorica in Slovenia in January:

December 7: Bolton Rapidplay

One of my local tournaments, details can be found here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TIGER CHESS THEMED TRAINING TOURNAMENTS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

OPENING REPERTOIRE INCONSISTENCIES

I previously examined the issue of move orders back in May, but it's worth revisiting because of the breadth and complexity of the topic. One area in which move orders can be very important is when you are creating an opening repertoire and need the different parts of it to fit together.

Some good examples of this can be seen in openings such as the Alapin Variation of the Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.c3), someone may have a good line in this particular position (for example 2...d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bg4), but what if their favourite line involves meeting 2.Nf3 with 2...e6? In this case their chosen defence against the Alapin will no longer work because they've already shut their c8 bishop in and will not be able to bring it out to g4.

How can this be handled? One approach can be to review your lines with an opening tree of the type that can be found at Chess Tempo or Chessbase. It might take some time, given the sheer scale of modern theory, but if done properly it will provide a good sense of your repertoire layout and help pick up any inconsistencies.

Training Tournaments

The training tournaments this week will feature two more Queen's Pawn Openings, the Colle (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 and now 3...g6 for Black) and the Trompowsky (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 and now 2...e6 for Black). I gave 3...g6 against the Colle in my Building an Opening Repertoire course, 2...e6 is a solid answer to the Trompowsky which can nonetheless unbalance the game:

Sunday November 9th at 5pm UK Time: Colle with 3...g6

Sunday November 9th at 6.15pm UK Time: Trompowsky with 2...e6
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off my flagship Building an Opening Repertoire course, using the code 'nov7to15' when you buy it. This acclaimed course shows how to use simple opening lines to develop middle game understanding by reaching key pawn structures. The lines presented here (French and Queen's Gambit Declined as Black, 1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.e3 as White) are easy to learn and remember. There are no elaborate computer generated variations, just plans and ideas.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying my series on Understanding Strategy & Planning, please use the code 'oct31nov8' when buying. Strategy and planning are two of the most difficult chess skills to master and most players never do. This video series presents a systematic way of approaching these areas by learning how to play different pawn structures and the plans and ideas they contain.

My Upcoming Events

I don't have definite plans to play anywhere right now, but I might play in the Bolton Rapidplay in December and then Nova Gorica in Slovenia in January:

December 7: Bolton Rapidplay

One of my local tournaments, details can be found here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, PATTERN RECOGNITION, TIGER CHESS WEBINARS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

HOW TO MOVE ON FROM PET OPENINGS

In this week's Chess Questions Answered video I answered a question about giving up pet openings. Replacing former favourites with better lines can be an important part of a player's development, for example my chess improved considerably when I no longer played the Modern Defence (1...g6 against everything) exclusively. I switched instead to more solid options, including the Nimzo-Indian and meeting 1.e4 with 1...e5.

What's the right time to do this? There can be various indicators, for example your results with your pet opening may have become worse, or you no longer feel you enjoy playing it (often these things will go together). Such times suggest a rethink, perhaps extending to your whole game. Alexander Kotov recommended doing this once in a while in his famous book, Think Like a Grandmaster. I've made a practice of this myself, and now tend to make minor adjustments as new information comes in.

What openings should you switch to? It makes sense not to change too much too quickly, and it might be best to go for positions in which you have some experience and understanding. I cover this topic in my video series, Crafting Your Own Opening Repertoire, which is discounted this week.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in unusual lines of the French Defence, namely 2.b3 and 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5. These are covered in my Building an Opening Repertoire course as well as The French Defence.

Sunday October 5th at 5pm UK Time: French 2.b3

Sunday October 5th at 6.15pm UK Time: French 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying the Crafting Your Own Opening Repertoire series, using the code 'oct3to11. In the four parts I include coverage of opening selection, choosing sources and assembling your lines. 

Last week's discount was 40% off buying Mastering Key Pawn: The Classical Centre, using the code 'sep26tooct4' and is valid until tomorrow. This video series considers the classical centre, which can arise from a very large variety of chess openings including the Semi-Tarrasch and Gruenfeld Defences, plus many others..

My Upcoming Events

After 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

FRENCH DEFENCE, ITALIAN GAME, OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

HOW HARD IS IT TO LEARN 1.e4 e5?

I tend to recommend the French (1.e4 e6) to people who are looking for a defence against 1.e4, partly because it's relatively easy to learn and partly because it can teach a lot about chess strategy via the clear pawn structures it contains. Yet occasionally I get students who like open lines for their pieces, and they find the French too closed and restrictive. They like the sort of game you get after 1.e4 e5, but how hard is it to learn to play like that?

The answer depends on a number of factors, not least of which is the time someone has available for study. White has a lot of options after 1...e5, some being quite quiet and others being wild, for example after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, White has both razor sharp approaches and quite ones based on d2-d3 and c2-c3. Another factor will be age, there's no doubt that younger players tend to find it easier to learn new things. Then there's the level at which you plan to use 1...e5, playing it in club chess is a very different matter to playing it against IMs and GMs.

At the same time there are exciting ways to play the French, for example after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 there are some very sharp lines in the Winawer (3...Bb4) and MacCutcheon (3...Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4) variations. This is true of most openings, you have a choice about how sharp you want to make things. Admittedly the potential for early hand to hand combat may not be quite as great as with 1.e4 e5. 

As with many such questions, a good way to proceed is to test the waters before diviing in. Learning a bit about 1.e4 e5, and trying it in online games, will give you valuable feedback about whether it is really for you. If you play it and feel comfortable, it may be worth a bigger time investment. If it turns out that you hate it, there's always the option of walking away.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments return to the Colle System, with Black meeting 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 with 2...g6. The first one will feature the King's Indian style 3.e3 d6 positions and the second the Gruenfeld style 3...d5; both were covered in my Building an Opening Repertoire course:

Sunday September 28th at 5pm UK Time: Colle vs King's Indian 

Sunday September 28th at 6.15pm UK Time: Colle vs Gruenfeld
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying Mastering Key Pawn: The Classical Centre, using the code 'sep26tooct4'. This video series considers the classical centre, which can arise from a very large variety of chess openings including the Semi-Tarrasch and Gruenfeld Defences, plus many others..

Last week's discount was 40% off buying the Mastering Key Pawn Structures: The Carlsbad Formation, using the code 'sep19to27', and it is valid until close of play tomorrow. This is a key pawn structure which I think can be used as a touchstone for understanding positional play. It occurs in several of my openings courses, this one is devoted fully to the topic.

My Upcoming Events

After 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

FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, Uncategorized, UPDATES

BEYOND THE POST POST-MORTEM

In last week's post I discussed Alex Fishbein's post post-mortem that he discussed in a Perpetual Chess Podcast edition. This exercise (trying to find mistakes in the notes of great players from the past) bears similarities to the Kotov analysis exercise that I gleaned from his book, Think Like a Grandmaster. This is something I practiced extensively as a teenager, along with another Fishbein recommendation, trying to guess the moves in Grandmaster games.

There's no doubt in my mind that this form of active study is a very useful one, and it also recalled how Lubosh Kavalek had Nigel Short train during Short's best years, namely by setting up a key opening position and then having him study it without moving the pieces. The Kavalek version seems very interesting to me as essentially you are killing two birds with one stone. Similarly I think that guess the move games might also be chosen from your opening repertoire rather than via other criteria. 

I'm sure there are other variants too, but these strike me as interesting for those who want to train as efficiently as possible. I will be trying them myself before reporting back.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the French Defence, the King's Indian Attack (1.e4 e6 2.d3 c5) and Chigorin (1.e4 e6 2.Qe2 c5) variations. These lines appear in my Building an Opening Repertoire and French Defence courses. 

Sunday August 31st at 5pm UK Time: French KIA

Sunday August 31st at 6.15pm UK Time: French Chigorin
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off Learning from the Greats: Mikhail Botvinnik. Botvinnik was a major influence on my development as a player and introduced many new ideas into the game. Please use the code 'aug29sep6' if you want to buy this series.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying any of my four Analysis Training Courses, which provide material for a similar exercise to Fishbein's. The code is 'aug22to30', meaning they are valid until close of play tomorrow, and they can be found at the following links:

Analysis Training 1
Analysis Training 2
Analysis Training 3
Analysis Training 4
 

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. So now there are two events on the horizon:

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:

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