Category Archives: TOURNAMENTS

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

OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

HOW DEEPLY SHOULD YOU KNOW YOUR OPENINGS?

The 4NCL Easter Congress did not go well for me, basically because I lost two bad games against young players who played 1.e4. In one game I stood worse out of the opening and in the other I was pretty much lost. What had happened? As I discuss in this week's Chess Questions Answered video I did not know the openings I used in sufficient depth, whereas my opponents were very thoroughly prepared. I have been trying to learn some new things but I lack the time needed to compensate for my ailing memory.

Another issue is that particular openings can require greater precision because their risky nature may mean that you have to play a series of only moves. Obviously this will be the case with lines like the Sicilian Dragon, but in this age of high powered engine preparation even tamer lines can need great precision.

This is less the case in club and amateur chess, for example with players below 2000. Having said that,  another of my young opponents was clearly ready for something I had played before and disappointed when I avoided what he had in mind. Today's chess is certainly very different from what it was in the 1990s and I need to have another rethink.

Training Tournaments

Here are the latest scheduled events:

Sunday April 12th, 5pm UK Colle Zukertort

Sunday April 12th, 6.15pm UK King's Indian Simagin

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 offer is 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.

Last 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.

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 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

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

OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

TRANSITIONING FROM ONLINE TO OTB CHESS

In my Chess Questions Answered video this week, I discussed how players can transition from online to over-the-board (OTB) chess. This migration happens quite frequently these days as many players start out online and then migrate to OTB chess. Others might start out playing over-the-board, migrate to online chess because of job and family issues, and then want to return after a long gap.

There are a number of adjustments that need to be made but one of the main ones is the amount of thinking time available. Most online chess is played with a very fast time limit in which speed will outweigh the quality of the moves. Over time this can develop into a deeply rooted habit that will then need to be changed. In my video I explain a couple of methods of doing so.

Is it worth switching to OTB chess? Certainly it's much more of a time investment, it can also be quite expensive depending on where you play. I enjoy travelling to OTB events, particularly if they're held somewhere I like or to a new country I've wanted to visit. In my case, as a Grandmaster, I will normally get some help from the organizers, for example they might provide the hotel, yet even so it can get costly.

Training Tournaments

Here are the latest scheduled events:

Sunday March 8th, 5pm UK Queen's Indian

Sunday March 8th, 6.15pm UK QGD Tartakower

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off the purchase of A Practical Tournament Guide using the code 'mar6to14'. Managing the tournaments you play in is a subject that has received little attention, despite its importance. This video series covers four key aspects of competition, tournament selection, preparation, participation and the aftermath, explaining how to learn effectively from each event you play in.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying Surviving Computerized Opening Preparation using the code 'feb27mar7', and it is still valid until tomorrow. Drawing on my experience as a player and coach, I shows different ways in which the effects of computer preparation can be mitigated so that players can just sit down and play a chess game.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now and there's nothing new since last week. 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.

March 22nd: Manchester Rapidplay, Bolton
A local event for me with pretty good prizes. You can find details and enter here.

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

 
OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, UPDATES

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LONDON

In my Chess Questions Answered video this week, I looked at some developments in the London System since the days of my Chessbase videos on it. As with all openings, the exposion of information and analytical methods, most notably strong engines, has changed and developed the theory quite a bit. What used to be a nice way to get a playable position is now littered with theoretical mines.

This is also the case with other solid openings, but there are usually ways to just get a playable position. In one way the effect of high powered engines has been good, as the most ambitious openings are petering out to a draw or dull equality, why not have play something in which you just trundle your pieces out?

Are there top players who are using this approach? Well Magnus Carlsen is for starters, and he's played some really oddball stuff, especially at faster time limits. An example of this is his choice of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.a4 in a couple of games, another is 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6 intending 3.e5 Nh5. One thing we need to watch out for are chess products on these lines in which the publisher claims they're Magnus Carlsen's secret weapons. They're not, but they do get his opponents on their own resources.

Training Tournaments

Here are the latest scheduled events:

Sunday March 1st, 5pm UK King's Indian Attack

Sunday March 1st, 6.15pm UK French Alapin

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying Surviving Computerized Opening Preparation using the code 'feb27mar7'. Drawing on my experience as a player and coach, I shows different ways in which the effects of computer preparation can be mitigated so that players can just sit down and play a chess game.

Last week's discount was 40% off the Eastern Clamp Sicilian using the code 'feb20to28', and this is valid until tomorrow. This is a non theoretical approach to beating the Sicilian based on a clamping strategy, pioneered by Canadian IM Lawrence Day. It also features a refined move order developed by Mikhail Shereshevsky, a famous coach, and adopted by his students together with GMs Yuri Balashov and Victor Kupreichik. More recently it has been adopted by a new generation, including Hrvoje Stevic and Alexei Fedorov.

Upcoming Events

This is how things look right now and there's nothing new since last week. 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.

March 22nd: Manchester Rapidplay, Bolton
A local event for me with pretty good prizes. You can find details and enter here.

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