Category Archives: TOURNAMENTS

OPENINGS, PSYCHOLOGY, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

SLEEP ISSUES DURING TOURNAMENTS

Something that I've often sruggled with during tournaments is sleep, especially if I've just had a tough game. This is a very big deal because none of us will think as clearly when deprived of sleep. There are a few things that can be tried and hopefully some combination of these will work.

The first is medication, for example Nytol offer a variety of sleep aids which will hopefully bring results. There are a number of similar drugs sold by Tesco and Boots, but your options are quite limited in the UK. Unfortunately we can only get melatonin on prescription, unlike the US where it is sold over the counter.

A second major area is that of sleep routines, for example you might avoid looking at an electronic screen a few hours before going to bed. Avoiding any caffeinated drinks after 2 or 3pm is also a good idea, leaving at least 8-10 hours before going to bed. Keeping your bedroom cool is also supposed to be effective as is having a wind-down routine which might include dimming lights and reading.

Finally there are methods such as those used by the US marines which were developed because of the importance of getting a good night's sleep. Here's a good description of the kind of thing that is involved, and no doubt variations on this are also good. Sweet dreams!

Vimeo Closing Its Video On Demand

Unfortunately Vimeo is closing its Video On Demand service in November, so I'll no longer be offering any titles through them. Those who have purchased one of my videos on this platform will be able get access to the materials at Tiger Chess by sending me their receipts, these are available here when you are logged onto your Vimeo account.

Sam's Youtube Chanel

My son Sam runs a Youtube channel in which he streams his live games on chess.com. This shows considerably more bravery than I'm able to muster, so please check it out and subscribe. I think he's doing a nice job.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now having withdrawn my availability for the European Senior Team Championships. I might get invited to the English Senior Championships in October, in which case I will probably play:

August 1-9: British Championships, Coventry, UK
I've accepted an invitation to this one (the Championship itself) and look forward to playing.

August 21-23: Manchester Summer Congress, Bolton UK
This is a long standing event which is now run in a nice venue and with good prizes. Details can be found here.

September 25-27: Hull 4NCL
The 4NCL Congresses are always well run, so I'll be playing in this one. Details can be found here.

October 23-25: Scarborough Congress
I'm intending to play in this one if I can. Details are here.

October 26-31: English Senior Championships, Peterborough
This is also up in the air unless and until I get invited. Details can be found here. 

Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis at Lichess, featuring selected opening variations. You can check out what's coming up here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

FRENCH DEFENCE, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

CHOOSING TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES

A major factor for older players is the tournament schedule they sign up for. Organizers have discovered that playing nine games in five days saves money on the venue, and many players will also appreciate the condensed format because they can save on hotel costs and the number of days off they have to take. Yet for older players, who may have less stamina, such formats can be a kiss of death.

Even in a single game, older players can tire after a few hours. If there are two games in a day this tiredness is going to be amplified, and if this happens for a number of consecutive days you can expect to be exhausted. A faster time limit might help a bit, four hour games are considerably less exhausting then those which can last for seven. Also the strength of opposition can be a factor, playing stronger opposition is going to be considerably harder.

What schedules will I go for? Generally I'm OK with a typical weekend tournament of a game on Friday night and then two on Saturday and Sunday. Nine games in six days is also OK, it means three double round days and three with just one. Yet I'd still say that my favourite format has to be nine games in nine days and maybe having a rest day if it's taking part in an interesting place.

Vimeo Closing Its Video On Demand

Unfortunately Vimeo is closing its Video On Demand service in November, so I'll no longer be offering any titles through them. Those who have purchased one of my videos on this platform will be able get access to the materials at Tiger Chess by sending me their receipt.

Sam's Youtube Chanel

My son Sam runs a Youtube channel in which he streams his live games on chess.com. This shows considerably more bravery than I'm able to muster, so please check it out and subscribe. I think he's doing a nice job.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now having withdrawn my availability for the European Senior Team Championships. I might get invited to the English Senior Championships in October, in which case I will probably play:

August 1-9: British Championships, Coventry, UK
I've accepted an invitation to this one (the Championship itself) and look forward to playing.

August 21-23: Manchester Summer Congress, Bolton UK
This is a long standing event which is now run in a nice venue and with good prizes. Details can be found here.

September 25-27: Hull 4NCL
The 4NCL Congresses are always well run, so I'll be playing in this one. Details can be found here.

October 23-25: Scarborough Congress
I'm intending to play in this one if I can. Details are here.

October 26-31: English Senior Championships, Peterborough
This is also up in the air unless and until I get invited. Details can be found here. 

Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis at Lichess, featuring selected opening variations. You can check out what's coming up here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

CHESS SOFTWARE, OPENINGS, PSYCHOLOGY, TOURNAMENTS

POSITIONS FOR ENGINES ONLY

There's a growing awareness that it's not at all simple for humans to follow computer recommendations, both in the openings and elsewhere. The massive calculating power of engines means that they can find brilliant moves that make little sense to humans, and then follow them up with more brilliant but strange moves. Eventually it becomes clear that the concept has worked but only an engine can make it work.

This is the problem with many engine driven openings books and courses, engines find improvements everywhere but with moves that make no sense to humans. Let's say that you remember a brilliant new move out of the hundreds of brilliant new moves suggested. Will you then remember the follow-up, potentially consisting of another ten brilliant moves that you couldn't possibly work out on your own. My contention is that this will be difficult if not impossible.

What is the solution? We certainly shouldn't abandon engines because we can't keep up with them, but we can manage how we use them. I suggest investing heavily in understanding the logic behind the moves but then have the engine run in the background. If the engine improvements make sense then great, if they don't make sense then either study the position until they do or go with the option that makes sense to you. Sometimes you may find that an entire line depends on brilliant engine moves and in this case I personally would be likely to look elsewhere.

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off Surviving Computerized Opening Preparation using the code 'june19to27'. With the advent of databases and high powered engines, computerized chess opening preparation has become a menace to players at every level of competition. Drawing on his extensive experience as a player and coach, Nigel shows different ways in which the effects can be mitigated so that players can just sit down and play a chess game.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying the Building an Opening Repertoire course with the code 'june12to20' on checkout, and this is still available until close of play tomorrow. 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.

Sam's Youtube Chanel

My son Sam has started a Youtube channel in which he streams his live games on chess.com. This shows considerably more bravery than I'm able to muster, so please check it out and give him a like, I think he's doing a nice job.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now having withdrawn my availability for the European Senior Team Championships. I might get invited to the English Senior Championships in October, in which case I will probably play:

July 7-12: South Wales International, Bridgend, Wales
I've accepted an invitation to this event and look forward to playing! 

August 1-9: British Championships, Coventry, UK
I've accepted an invitation to this one (the Championship itself) and look forward to playing.

September 25-27: Hull 4NCL
The 4NCL Congresses are always well run, so I'll be playing in this one. Details can be found here.

October 23-25: Scarborough Congress
I'm intending to play in this one if I can. Details are here.

October 26-31: English Senior Championships, Peterborough
This is also up in the air unless and until I get invited. Details can be found here. 

Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis at Lichess, featuring selected opening variations. You can check out what's coming up here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

SHOULD YOU PLAY THE MAIN LINES?

Quality Chess, one of the leading chess publishing companies, started putting this question and answer on the front of their books: "Tired of bad positions? Try the main lines!" There's certainly a case for playing logical and well motivated moves rather than obscure and dubious ones, and in general these moves will be the main lines. Yet this is not always the case and in these days of high powered engines some lines that were formerly considered good have been brought into question. At the same time many players have sought fresh pastures with less critical developing moves, a prime example being the Jobava London with 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4.

The opening recommendations I make are based on slightly different criteria. I think there should a basic level of soundness, clear plans and not be reliant on a knowledge of computer generated analysis. Good examples can be found in my flagship Building an Opening Repertoire course, which gives the French and Queen's Gambit Declined as Black and the Colle System (1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.e3) with White. From this basis players can build a more elaborate repertoire but with a solid foundation in certain typical plans and ideas.

Is there any place for gambits? Yes or course! Yet I see gambits as being more in the chess for fun category, in which players are not really trying to improve but rather have exhilarating games. I wrote my Gambiteer books for Everyman with this in mind and it's a perfectly valid approach. At the same time I don't believe this is a great way for someone to build up their chess, especially if any repairs use up the time which would be better spent on the endgame.

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying the Building an Opening Repertoire course, just use the code 'june12to20' on checkout. 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 Mastering Key Pawn Structures: Blocked Positions using the code 'june5to13', and this is still valid until tomorrow. Mastering key pawn structures is the most effective way to learn positional play. This video series will consider positions in which the centre is blocked and play is generally conducted on the flanks.

Sam's Youtube Chanel

My son Sam has started a Youtube channel in which he streams his live games on chess.com. This shows considerably more bravery than I'm able to muster, so please check it out and give him a like, I think he's doing a nice job.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now having withdrawn my availability for the European Senior Team Championships. I might get invited to the English Senior Championships in October, in which case I will probably play:

July 7-12: South Wales International, Bridgend, Wales
I've accepted an invitation to this event and look forward to playing! 

August 1-9: British Championships, Coventry, UK
I've accepted an invitation to this one (the Championship itself) and look forward to playing.

September 25-27: Hull 4NCL
The 4NCL Congresses are always well run, so I'll be playing in this one. Details can be found here.

October 23-25: Scarborough Congress
I'm intending to play in this one if I can. Details are here.

October 26-31: English Senior Championships, Peterborough
This is also up in the air unless and until I get invited. Details can be found here. 

Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis at Lichess, featuring selected opening variations. You can check out what's coming up here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

OPENINGS, PATTERN RECOGNITION, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

A SEPARATE REPERTOIRE FOR BLITZ?

This week's Chess Questions Answered I looked at whether or not someone should have a separate repertoire for blitz and rapidplay games. I think it depends on whether you use blitz for training purposes, as I do, or enter online events in the hope of winning money. If you're playing for training purposes then you should use the same openings you intend to play in standard games, and by doing so get some invaluable experience. If you're trying to win money the dynamics are quite different, and in this case it can make sense to have a separate repertoire.

A few years back I spoke to the young Italian GM Luca Moroni who told me that he reserved the Modern Defence (1...g6 against anything) for his online games. I checked them out and found that he had some interesting and noteworthy ideas, coming close to beating Magnus Carlsen with Black in one Titled Tuesday encounter. The Modern Defence is just one example of a blitz repertoire for Black, in fact you can play all sorts of stuff that has a slightly shady reputation.

What's the problem with playing your standard time limit repertoire in blitz? Essentially you are giving your opponents valuable information which they might be able to capitalize on with sufficient time to prepare. This is not a problem if you play under a pseudonym, but many titled players do not have this opportunity if they want to enter events such as the Titled Tuesday tournaments. In this case it makes perfect sense to have a separate repertoire, though even here there's a case for using such tournaments as additional training and reinforcement.

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying Mastering Key Pawn Structures: Blocked Positions using the code 'june5to13'. Mastering key pawn structures is the most effective way to learn positional play. This video series will consider positions in which the centre is blocked and play is generally conducted on the flanks.

Last week's discount was 40% off my series on Crafting Your Own Opening Repertoire using the code 'may29june6', and this is still valid until tomorrow. Developing an opening repertoire is a key aspect of any player's development, and the most effective way to do this is to craft your own. This video series demonstrates how to go about this, covering opening selection, choosing sources and assembling your lines.

Sam's Youtube Chanel

My son Sam has started a Youtube channel in which he streams his live games on chess.com. This shows considerably more bravery than I'm able to muster, so please check it out and give him a like, I think he's doing a nice job.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now having withdrawn my availability for the European Senior Team Championships. I might get invited to the English Senior Championships in October, in which case I will probably play:

July 7-12: South Wales International, Bridgend, Wales
I've accepted an invitation to this event and look forward to playing! 

August 1-9: British Championships, Coventry, UK
I've accepted an invitation to this one (the Championship itself) and look forward to playing.

September 25-27: Hull 4NCL
The 4NCL Congresses are always well run, so I'll be playing in this one. Details can be found here.

October 23-25: Scarborough Congress
I'm intending to play in this one if I can. Details are here.

October 26-31: English Senior Championships, Peterborough
This is also up in the air unless and until I get invited. Details can be found here. 

Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis at Lichess, featuring selected opening variations. You can check out what's coming up here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

HOW TO LEARN A NEW OPENING

In this week's Chess Questions Answered I described how I am trying to learn a new opening, namely a defence against 1.e4. For me it's not a question of memorizing variations, instead I want to start with a good conceptual framework through a book or video that explains the ideas. After that I will want to get some experience in actually playing it, as Ernst Schumacher once put it: "An ounce of practice is generally worth more than a ton of theory.”

Where should you gain this practical experience? The best way is by playing online, and hopefully enough of your opponents will cooperate so that you get the opening you want. You can also arrange to play games against a friend or training partner and start from the opening you want to reach. As most online games seem to start with 1.e4, it should not be a problem getting experience in a Black defence against this, though you might also face some weird 2nd or 3rd moves.

After you've gained some first hand experience it can be time to start clothing the conceptual framework with specific variations. Why only now? Because you want such variations to be aligned with what you have come to understand. This makes remembering things far easier because you will be able to reconstruct the variations using reason and logic. If your understanding develops and changes, the variations you play might also change.

How long should this process take before becoming an expert? Clearly this will depend on many factors, but I think I should be fairly competent after a few months and quite expert after a year.

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off my series on Crafting Your Own Opening Repertoire using the code 'may29june6'. Developing an opening repertoire is a key aspect of any player's development, and the most effective way to do this is to craft your own. This video series demonstrates how to go about this, covering opening selection, choosing sources and assembling your lines.

Last week's discount is 40% off buying Building an Opening Repertoire using the code 'may22to30', and it is still valid until tomorrow. This acclaimed openings 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.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now having withdrawn my availability for the European Senior Team Championships. I might get invited to the English Senior Championships in October, in which case I will probably play:

July 7-12: South Wales International, Bridgend, Wales
I've accepted an invitation to this event and look forward to playing! 

August 1-9: British Championships, Coventry, UK
I've accepted an invitation to this one (the Championship itself) and look forward to playing.

September 25-27: Hull 4NCL
The 4NCL Congresses are always well run, so I'll be playing in this one. Details can be found here.

October 23-25: Scarborough Congress
I'm intending to play in this one if I can. Details are here.

October 26-31: English Senior Championships, Peterborough
This is also up in the air unless and until I get invited. Details can be found here. 

Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis at Lichess, featuring selected opening variations. You can check out what's coming up here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

AVOIDING GRATUITOUS COMPLEXITY

One of the major problems with contemporary material on the opening is that it is almost way too complicated. I think it must be very tempting to include razor-sharp computer lines, not least because it can look spectacular. Yet many of us struggle to remember this lines, even for a few hours. After a few days they'll be gone forever.

What is the answer? In this week's Chess Questions Answered I discuss how you can simplify your opening preparation by making good choices. In the past I've talked about how the choice of your initial move can make a big difference, but you can make simpler and more practical choices in many openings. To demonstrate my point I show how a Sicilian Najdorf repertoire can be simplified just be steering clear of gratuitous complexity and going for plan based solutions. 

Can you do this with the Gruenfeld Defence? Yes of course! How about the Sicilian Dragon? Yes sure, there are lines in which Black delays castling and plays ...h7-h5. What about the King's Indian Defence? Again you can avoid massive amoungs of theory, and in this case I would suggest an Old Indian move order with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 after which 4.Nf3 Nbd7 cuts out most of White's systems and avoids gratuitous complexity.

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying Building an Opening Repertoire using the code 'may22to30'. This acclaimed openings 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.

Last week's discount was 40% off Mastering Key Pawn Structures: Carlsbad Formations using the code 'may15to23', and this is still valid until tomorrow. This video series will consider the Carlsbad formation, an ideal structure for learning planning and positional play.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now having withdrawn my availability for the European Senior Team Championships. I might get invited to the English Senior Championships in October, in which case I will probably play:

May 24: Warrington Rapidplay
This one is local and I need the practice. Details can be found here.

July 7-12: South Wales International, Bridgend, Wales
I've accepted an invitation to this event and look forward to playing! 

August 1-9: British Championships, Coventry, UK
I've accepted an invitation to this one (the Championship itself) and look forward to playing.

September 25-27: Hull 4NCL
The 4NCL Congresses are always well run, so I'll be playing in this one. Details can be found here.

October 23-25: Scarborough Congress
I'm intending to play in this one if I can. Details are here.

October 26-31: English Senior Championships, Peterborough
This is also up in the air unless and until I get invited. Details can be found here. 

Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis at Lichess, featuring selected opening variations. You can check out what's coming up here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

WHAT MAKES A POSITIONAL PLAYER?

Players at club level will often describe themselves and others as either 'positional' or 'attacking', depending on the way they like to play. To be honest I think that this is rather too simplistic to provide particularly useful information, for example a way that they might try to improve. In my experience the choice between these two descriptions depends largely on innate tactical ability, those who have it will often try to use it at every opportunity by creating direct threats, those without it may avoid positions in which tactics can erupt.

Amongst International Masters and Grandmasters the question of style becomes more subtle and depends on many variables. One of the most important is an appetite for risk, will someone decide to keep their position safe or will they take a chance in incalculable complications? Most top players will play the same move in a given position regardless of their supposed style, occasionally they will make different choices after considering a more or less risky option.

Is it easy to know our own style of play? Not especially because there can be a distinct lack of objectivity, so it's often a good idea to listen to trusted advisors. I've been described as an 'active positional player', which I now think is a fair assessment. At one time I fancied myself as an attacking player along the lines of Leonid Stein, but this was more fantasy than reality and I might have hobbled myself by trying to live up to this impossible dream.

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off Learning from the Greats: Anatoly Karpov using the code 'may8to16'. Anatoly Karpov is widely acknowledged as having been one of the greatest players in history. In this series of videos Nigel examines Karpov's style and strengths, showing what can be learned from him.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying the Black Queen's Gambit Declined Repertoire using the code 'may1to9', and this is still valid until close of play tomorrow. This is an advanced, stand-alone opening course based around the Tartakower Variaton (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Nf3 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 b6) and the Semi-Tarrasch Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 or 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 c5). It features 14 hours of video which explain key games and has a pgn (portable game notation) file of recommended variations that can be built upon, extended and memorized.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now, with the World Senior Team Championships behind me. I've said I'm available for the European Senior Team Championships (August 26 to September 5) but don't know if I'll be selected for any of the teams.

July 7-12: South Wales International, Bridgend, Wales
I've accepted an invitation to this event and look forward to playing! 

August 1-9: British Championships, Coventry, UK
I've accepted an invitation to this one (the Championship itself) and look forward to playing.

Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis at Lichess, featuring selected opening variations. You can check out what's coming up here.

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

THE RAPID RISE OF SINDAROV

Throughout the Candidates tournament I kept wondering how Javokhir Sindarov became so good, breaking through in such a spectacular way. There were some answers here in an interview he did with Leontxo Garcia, and a few more here with Sagar Shah interviewing his trainer. What comes through to me is that Sindarov was trained for what he's doing from an early age, and considerable resources were invested in his progress.

Obviously this is not available to most of us, in the case of myself, and many other English Grandmasters, we devoted ourselves to chess from an early age and did what we could. I didn't have a trainer but worked with a few friends on an ad hoc basis whilst being pestered by my parents to do something that would make a living! I finally got the GM title at 33, Sindarov got his at 12!

What about chess amateurs who often have to balance any chess training with things like making a living and family commitments? There's no doubt that it's going to be tough, though I have met some remarkable individuals who organize chess improvement activities alongside a normal life. I think the key is to be very organized, in the way that Max Euwe was on he way to beating Alexander Alekhine. Apparently Euwe ran his life like a railway timetable and managed to fit everything in, as well as being one of the most prolific and interesting authors. Not all of us will manage this but we can try!

Training Tournaments

Here are the latest scheduled events:

Sunday April 26th, 5pm UK Colle Dutch Stonewall

Sunday April 26th, 6.15pm UK French Fort Knox

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off Creating an Improvement Plan using the code 'april24may2'. In this series of videos I draw on my 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.

Last week's discount is 40% off the purchase of the White 1.d4 Repertoire using the code 'apr17to25', and this is still valid until tomorrow. This is a stand-alone opening course in which White is still playing 1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 but will then follow up with 3.c4 against most of Black's defences. A particularly important aspect of this course for the developing player is the inclusion of openings which act as touchstones for the understanding of positional play, including the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation (1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5) and King's Indian Petrosian System (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.d5). These openings are particularly rich in plans and pawn levers, which helps students develop a deeper positional understanding.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now, with the World Senior Team Championships currently taking place. 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 18 - 29: World Senior Team Championships, Durres, Albania
I've had confirmation that I'll be in the 50+ first team for this one.

July 7-12: South Wales International, Bridgend, Wales
I've accepted an invitation to this event and look forward to playing! 

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

MIDDLEGAMES, OPENINGS, PATTERN RECOGNITION, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

THE BEST OPENINGS FOR LEARNING STRATEGY

One of the main revelations in my approach to chess training was that choosing particular openings can help a lot. Studying different pawn structures is one thing, actually playing them is a way to learn actively, with heightened attention levels during the games in which they are employed. Another factor is that they should have relatively low maintenance, by which I mean that they shouldn't overburden a player's memory or require constant study to keep up to date. The main reason for this is that there are lots of aspects of chess that need to be studied, and openings are only one small part of this.

What are some good examples of such openings? Against 1.e4 I have tended to recommend the French Defence, and in particular the lines with ...dxe4 such as the Rubinstein (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7). This creates a pawn structure known as the little centre, which together with the Exchange Variation (3.exd5) and Advance Variation (3.e5) provides three important position types that players can learn from. Similarly there is the Caro-Kann (1.e4 c6) which can lead to a little centre (2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4), a blocked centre (2.d4 d5 3.e5), a Carlsbad formation (2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3) or an isolated d-pawn (2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4). These are all excellent positions to learn from and I discuss the Caro in this week's Chess Questions Answered video.

There a similarly good choices against 1.d4, such as the Queen's Gambit Declined (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6) and Nimzo-Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4) whilst with White I've long felt that 1.d4 is the simplest approach to creating an opening repertoire with a good range of typical positions. Such openings form the backbone of the repertoires I suggest and can help take your positional play to the next level.

Training Tournaments

Here are the latest scheduled events:

Sunday April 19th, 5pm UK Catalan

Sunday April 19th, 6.15pm UK French Rubinstein

Sunday April 26th, 5pm UK Colle Dutch Stonewall

Sunday April 26th, 6.15pm UK French Fort Knox

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off the purchase of the White 1.d4 Repertoire using the code 'apr17to25'. This is a stand-alone opening course in which White is still playing 1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 but will then follow up with 3.c4 against most of Black's defences. A particularly important aspect of this course for the developing player is the inclusion of openings which act as touchstones for the understanding of positional play, including the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation (1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5) and King's Indian Petrosian System (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.d5). These openings are particularly rich in plans and pawn levers, which helps students develop a deeper positional understanding.

Last week's offer was 40% off buying Crafting Your Own Opening Repertoire using the code 'apr10to18'. Developing an opening repertoire is a key aspect of any player's development, and the most effective way to do this is to craft your own. This video series demonstrates how to go about this, covering opening selection, choosing sources and assembling your lines.


Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now, with the World Senior Team Championships starting on Sunday. 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 18 - 29: World Senior Team Championships, Durres, Albania
I've had confirmation that I'll be in the 50+ first team for this one.

July 7-12: South Wales International, Bridgend, Wales

I've been invited to this event and will be accepting. 

Have a good weekend.

Nigel