Category Archives: Uncategorized

MEMBERS ONLY, PATTERN RECOGNITION, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, Uncategorized

BORROWING GRANDMASTER OPENING RESEARCH

In this week's Chess Questions Answered video, I explained how we can borrow ideas from great players by paying close attention to their games. They'll often devote a lot of time and energy to solving particular opening problems, so it's well worth seeing what they play in positions which might have given us cause for concern. A related approach is to copy the opening repertoire of a player whose style we like, watching for any new games that they play.

I've never been someone who has played topical and critical lines, but I have borrowed ideas from players I've admired. I have used many Paul Keres ideas, particular as Black in the Ruy Lopez. In many cases it has been lesser known players who played something that appealed to me, and the advantage there is that it might not be as fashionable.

One opening that I've played quite a lot is the Torre Attack, but only after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 and now 3.Bg5. Keres played this and Smyslov too. It probably doesn't give White anything if Black plays well, but the same is true of many sharp main lines. In my Torre studies I will look for other players who specialize in it and take careful note of the lines they play.

A good place to start with this approach is to find a player whose games you like. Can you also play some of their openings? If you can then give it a go!

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 February 1st, 5pm UK Time Colle System

Sunday February 1st, 6.15pm UK Time: Torre Attack

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off Mastering Key Pawn Structures: ZOOM Formations using the code 'jan30feb7'. This video series will consider ZOOM formations, which typically arise from the Gruenfeld Defence and Catalan Opening, and which were covered by Stefan Zeuthen and Bent Larsen in the classic book 'ZOOM 001: Zero Hour for Operative Opening Models'.

Last week's discount is 40% off Learning from the Greats: Mikhail Botvinnik using the code 'jan23to31'. Botvinnik was a great master of the endgame and introduced a number of new methods including deep research into different opening systems. These insights would later to transmitted to one of his students, the formidable Garry Kasparov.

Upcoming Events

The final round of the HIT Open in Nova Gorica took place today, so I'm coming home tomorrow. I've signed up for a 4NCL Congress over Easter, and now understand that I'll be playing for the England 50+ first team in the World Senior Team Championships in April. I might look for another weekend event in February or March.

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

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

Uncategorized

STUDY SKILLS

On many occasions I've noticed that a number of older players take an organized and disciplined approach to improving their chess. It's what they've done in their academic/professional careers and when they get the time, they then apply it to the game they love. At the English Senior Championships, that finished last Monday, several of my opponents were very professionally prepared. They had well worked out and rather complete opening repertoires that were difficult to find flaws in.

Are there any drawbacks to this approach? It is certainly no substitute for the intuition borne of massive experience, but it's an efficient way to get through the early stages with a good position. Back in the 1980s and 90s it was possible for professionals to bamboozle their less experienced opponents in the opening, not any more. 

I suspect they were inspired by well prepped juniors, if kids can do it then why shouldn't older players? There is one problem, that the ageing brain may be less good at remembering things. On the other hand a player with experience can hope to hang their memories on hooks of understanding, a modified but effective version of memorizing opening moves. This also means that they know what to do when the middle game is under way!
 

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the Queen's Gambit Accepted, the Furman Variation (1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.Qe2 a6) and then the 4...Bg4 line. 

Sunday May 4th at 5pm UK Time: QGA with 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.Qe2 a6

Sunday May 4th at 6.15pm UK Time: QGA with 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4  

My Upcoming Events

I came second in the English 50+ Championships and gained a little more rating. This has given me some enthusiasm for future events too, my diary now looking like this.

Here is how things look right now:

May 10 - 11 2025: Nottingham Congress

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

June 21-22 2025: Ilkley Congress

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

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

August 21 - 30 2025: Maia Chess Festival (?)

I've played in the last couple of events and I'm hopeful that I'll be asked back. The dates are now out.

September 5-7: Hull 4NCL Congress

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

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

Twitch Channel

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

OPENINGS, TACTICS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, Uncategorized

ENERGY, FOCUS & CALCULATION SKILLS

It was good to see that Arjun Erigaisi recovered somewhat in the Tata Steel Masters, in the process inflicting the first defeat on Gukesh Dommaraju in a classical game, since he became World Champion. I'm quite sure that this will be just a blip on a great career for Erigaisi, that might well include becoming World Champion himself.

I have been looking at some Erigaisi games of late, partially in an attempt to understand the young generation players who almost effortlessly storm the ranks. From what I can tell they bring together a potent combination of energy, focus and calculating skills. If you play against a good calculator you are under tremendous pressure to avoid mistakes, one slip can be the end of you.

One of Erigaisi's interesting choices on the opening has been the ZOOM Scandinavian, and a couple of his games appeared in the webinar devoted to the Tigerchess.com Themed Training Tournaments. I think he sees it as a line that gets White thinking early on, with the pawn structure offering him chances to outplay his opponent. This series is on special offer this week and it also features in the training tournamets.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments feature the French Defence, and the basic positions in the Classical and Tarrasch Variations:

Sunday February 9th at 5pm UK Time: ZOOM Scandinavian with 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 g6

Sunday February 9th at 5pm UK Time: ZOOM Scandinavian with 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.d4 Nc6

My Upcoming Events

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

February 16-27, 2025: World Senior Team Championship
I've accepted a place in the 50+ second team which means I'll play a much stronger field than on bottom board of the first team. Although this diminishes my chances of winning a medal I'm looking forward to the challenge.

April 4-14 2025: European Senior Team Championship

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

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

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

Twitch Channel

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

Uncategorized

DECEMBER 2022 CLINIC

December's clinic features games in the Dutch Defence, starting after the moves 1.d4 f5. The set-up I recommend for White here is simply 2.Nf3 followed by 3.e3, but this plan was not played in all the games. One particularly interesting and instructive moment arose in the position in the diagram below:
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is DanStaples_Dandanmian.jpg
DanStaples - Dandanmian, White to play
White played the quiet 13.Nd2 intending 14.Bf3, and this is not a bad idea. There was, however, a much stronger idea in 13.d5!, the idea being that after 13...e5 White has 14.Nxe5! and 13...exd5 14.Nd4 is also strong. Tigerchess.com Themed Training events are a great opportunity to practice key positions from regular openings, and are open to everyone who joins the Tiger Chess Team. Participating in these events helps players develop an insight into the openings played, above and beyond looking at them in a book or on a video. Nigel Davies