Category Archives: WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

THE ROBUST NATURE OF MAIN LINE OPENINGS

In today's Chess Questions Answered video I explained why I tend to recommend main line openings. The reason is fairly simple, it's about robustness. With sidelines there may be very few ways to play them whereas main lines will usually have a lot of playable alternatives. So if modern opening theory deals your main line repertoire a blow, it will be relatively easy to switch to another line. Sidelines, on the other hand, may get put out of business altogether by a new idea.

A good example is the Modern Defence (1...g6 against just about anything), which I played a lot in the 1980s. Unfortunately it has taken a hammering by modern engines, for example after 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 a6 5.h4 Nf6, White can play 6.h5! Nxh5 7.Rxh5! and obtaine a powerful attack for the sacrificed exchange. Maybe 5...h5 is playable but there's a danger of a White knight landing on g5, and Black's position is far from easy.

A few other openings are in a similar situation, modern engines have rendered them unattractive at best. Yet meanwhile the most classical and principled lines have fared well, so if you meet 1.e4 with 1...e5, 1...e6, 1...c6 or 1...c5, you will probably be able to fix any issues that arise rather than feel the need to abandon your favourite defence altogether.

Training Tournaments

This Sunday's training tournaments are in the Exchange Gruenfeld with 8.Be3 (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Be3 Qa5 9.Qd2 0-0), covered from White's perspective in the White 1.d4 Repertoire, and the Colle vs Gruenfeld with 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3 d5, covered in the Building an Opening Repertoire course.

Sunday December 14th at 5pm UK Time: 8.Be3 Exchange Gruenfeld

Sunday December 14th at 6.15pm UK Time: Colle vs Gruenfeld
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying the Black Queen's Gambit Declined Repertoire using the code 'dec12to20' on checkout. 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 and extended.

Last week's discount is 40% off The Why and How of Chess Annotations using the code 'dec5to13'. Annotating games can be a powerful improvement method if done in the right way. With this video series you will learn how to use a reflective process to improve how you play, going beyond computer annotations.

My Upcoming Events

I managed to finish equal first in last Sunday's Bolton Rapidplay, there's nothing else planned though I hope to play in Nova Gorica, Slovenia in January:

January 24-31: Nova Gorica

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

REFLECTIVE GAME ANNOTATIONS

How should you annotate your own games? I have covered this topic in The Why and How of Chess Annotations (discounted this week) and answered this question more briefly in today's Chess Questions Answered video. To do it in the most effective way the notes should indicate an actionable way to improve. This is easier said than done, but here are some brief guidelines.

First of all it's very useful to describe your feelings before, during and after the game. Were you prepared and ready for a fight? What were your observations during the game? What were your feelings immediately after the game? None of this can be detected by engines, but such information can give you vital clues as to how you can set about improving.

The next stage could be to check the game with an engine so as to find any obvious errors. Should the engine verdict confirm any of your earlier impressions, it could give a strong indication of what you might improve. From the perspective of the opening, it can also be useful to check how you varied from existing theory.

The final stage should be to see if your conclusions are similar to other games you've played, showing a pattern of error. If this is the case you'll have gained a lot of information and can set to work on any problem areas.

Training Tournaments

This Sunday's training tournaments are in the Queen's Gambit Accepted, the first being in the line 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4 and the second in 4...e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.Qe2 a6. Both these lines are covered from White's perspective in the White 1.d4 Repertoire.

Sunday December 7th at 5pm UK Time: QGA with 4...Bg4

Sunday December 7th at 6.15pm UK Time: QGA Furman
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off The Why and How of Chess Annotations using the code 'dec5to13'. Annotating games can be a powerful improvement method if done in the right way. With this video series you will learn how to use a reflective process to improve how you play, going beyond computer annotations.

Last week's discount, 40% off buying my Endgame Openings series, is still valid until tomorrow using the code 'nov28dec6' on checkout. Endgame openings enable players to go directly to the endgame after just a few moves. The value of such lines can be to negate an opponent's tactical ability, just as Vladimir Kramnik used them to defeat Garry Kasparov in their World Championship match. As such they represent an great option for experienced players whose main strength is in the endgame.

My Upcoming Events

I don't have definite plans to play anywhere right now, but I'll be playing in the Bolton Rapidplay on Sunday and then hopefully 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, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

SHOULD YOU CHANGE UP YOUR OPENINGS EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS?

This was the topic of this week's Chess Questions Answered video, and it's an interesting one to answer. One of the main arguments for changing is to spark creativity, but there are quite a few nuances depending on who is doing the changing.

The main one, for most amateurs, is the time needed to learn new openings, and whether this should take a higher priority than other forms of training. The situation will be particularly acute for those with a job, family and maybe a dog, there might be very little time available for chess study.

Retirees might seem to be in a better situation at first, but unfortunately it gets harder to learn new openings as you get older. Ideas based openings are certainly easier, but will they be as much fun? Balancing these various factors, together with someone's personal preferences, is quite a complex job!

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the Exchange Slav, which I recommend for White in the White 1.d4 Repertoire. After 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bf4, the two lines we'll practice are as follows:

Sunday October 26th at 5pm UK Time: Slav Exchange with 6...Bf5

Sunday October 26th at 6.15pm UK Time: Slav Exchange with 6...a6
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off the purchase of the White 1.d4 Repertoire using the code 'oct24nov1'. This is a stand-alone opening course which considerably extends the White lines presented in the Building an Opening Repertoire course. It has over 16 hours of video which explain key games and ideas plus a pgn (portable game notation) file of recommended variations that can be built upon.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying my series on the Eastern Clamp Sicilian, just use the code 'oct17to25' on checkout. Many different types of game can arise from this line, including ferocious attacks, queenless middlegames and positional squeezes. There is only one sharp line in which White sacrifices a pawn for a huge attack, most of the time it requires a knowledge of the ideas. This makes it perfect for those who have little time to study, or are simply bored with modern theory.

My Upcoming Events

After Tenerife cancellation, I've accepted an invitation to the Scarborough congress, and I'll have started my first game around the time you read this. This is the only thing I have planned right now, though I might also play in the Bolton Rapidplay in December.

October 24-26: Scarborough Congress
A popular event that is being played this weekend!

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

OPENINGS, PSYCHOLOGY, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TIGER CHESS THEMED TRAINING TOURNAMENTS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

SHOULD YOU HAVE A SEPARATE OPENING REPERTOIRE FOR BLITZ AND RAPIDPLAY GAMES?

There are a number of opening repertoires being produced just for blitz and rapidplay games. I understand that certain openings may be quite risky in standard time limits, especially amongst professionals, but I'm unconvinced that this applies at amateur level.

There are a few things to consider, first of all, playing quick games online can offer a unique practice opportunity for players with little time for chess. Would it not be better for them to practice their usual lines so as to get a better feel for them? There is one caveat in this argument, namely that their future opponents may have a rich source of their games to help them prepare, and for this reason I think it's better to keep your account name private.

For players who are obliged to make their account names public (both my Lichess and Chess.com names are public), there is a case for a separate blitz and rapidplay repertoire. In this case I would suggest openings that are enjoyable and easy to play. I would put the Old Indian Defence into this category (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7) as Black has some clear plans and relatively easy moves. On the other hand this is not something I'd want to play against very strong opponents in standard play games.

Another option, this time for White, would be the Jobava London (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4), which can give White fluent play without an especial need to prepare. Finally I've seen that one top blitz player, Olexandr Bortnyk, uses the Eastern Clamp Sicilian as White, and my video series on this will be this week's special offer.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in two forms of the Tarrasch Defence, the standard version with 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 (this is something we face in the White 1.d4 Repertoire) and the Semi-Tarrasch with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 (this is a recommendation in the Black Queen's Gambit Declined Repertoire):

Sunday October 19th at 5pm UK Time: Tarrasch Defence

Sunday October 19th at 6.15pm UK Time: The Semi-Tarrasch
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying my series on the Eastern Clamp Sicilian, just use the code 'oct17to25' on checkout. Many different types of game can arise from this line, including ferocious attacks, queenless middlegames and positional squeezes. There is only one sharp line in which White sacrifices a pawn for a huge attack, most of the time it requires a knowledge of the ideas. This makes it perfect for those who have little time to study, or are simply bored with modern theory.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying Mastering Key Pawn: The Carlsbad Formation, using the code 'oct10to18'. This structure can be seen as a touchstone for understanding planning and strategy, so learning more about it has great value.

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

HOW TO, OPENINGS, PAWN LEVERS, POSITIONAL PLAY, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

GUESSING THE MOVE WITH SOFTWARE

One of the best known training techniques is to try guessing the move of one of the players in well played games. In my youth I did a lot of this, using books and then covering up the next move. It's a way to engage with going through a game, rather than just playing through the moves.

Can this be done more easily with chess software? I believe that it can, though there's a danger that you can end up making superficial guesses to get the task over with quickly. Perhaps some people might be disciplined enough to slow down on purpose, others might need some assistance, for example by writing their moves and reasoning down. If you can slow down then the use of software can have distinct advantages, for example you can use an engine to guage the strength of your guess vs the one that was actually played.

Which software is best? Personally I'm a big fan of HIARCS Chess Explorer, and both the regular and pro versions are great for this kind of training. There's other software too, for example I understand that Fritz allows this kind of training as do various web sites (Chess Tempo and Chess Games, for example). I have not tested them myself, but perhaps they will work for you.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in slightly less usual lines of the Carlsbad structure, after 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 they will start from the positions after 5...Bb4 and 5...a6. This position type is covered in Mastering Key Pawn Structures: The Carlsbad Formation as well as the White 1.d4 Repertoire.

Sunday October 12th at 5pm UK Time: QGD Ragozin with 5...Bb4

Sunday October 12th at 6.15pm UK Time: QGD Janowsky with 5...a6
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount iss 40% off buying Mastering Key Pawn: The Carlsbad Formation, using the code 'oct10to18'. This structure can be seen as a touchstone for understanding planning and strategy, so learning more about it has great value.

Last 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. 

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

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

THE PROS AND CONS OF TAKING A BREAK

Chess players will sometimes take a break from the game, sometimes because life intervenes and they don't have enough time. Another scenario can be that they have not been doing as well as they hoped, perhaps through feeling stale, tired or unprepared, and they stop playing in tournaments for a while to regroup and refocus. So what are the pros and cons of taking a break?

Curtailing chess activity to focus on other pursuits can have obvious benefits in terms of career and family, so I won't dwell too much on this. On the other hand a break because of staleness can be a more complex issue, on the one hand you have time to learn new things but on the other you can get out of practice.

I took a largely involuntary break after my son was born in 2002. I did not stop all chess activity because I was still active in writing, making videos and coaching, but I stopped playing. Over the next couple of decades I had brief periods of activity, but without studying much for myself. In retrospect I can say that a lot of rust accumulated, I came back much older, and I also didn't keep up with the rate of change with regards computerization.

It's fair to say that this was not good for my standard of play, and it would have been better had I tried to keep a certain preparedness for a return competition by playing online, keeping up to date with new developments and doing some serious training exercises along the lines of Alex Fishbein's post post-mortem. On the other hand I did spend a lot time learning and practicing tai chi and qigong, which brought its own benefits. This outcome was not really planned for, but I can say it turned out reasonably well. On the other hand I might have worked harder on my chess, had I considered the effect of my prolonged absence from competition.

I'd say that breaks are OK, whether chosen or enforced by various life events. At the same time I'd suggest considering why you are taking one, and what you are doing to maintain your chess if one day you think you might return.

Next week I'll discuss what you should do to get back into shape after taking a break.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the 8.Be3 Exchange Variation of the Gruenfeld Defence, with 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Be3 Qa5 9.Qd2 0-0 and then 9...Nc6 This line is recommended for White in the White 1.d4 Repertoire course. 

Sunday September 7th at 5pm UK Time: Gruenfeld Exchange with 8.Be3 & 9...0-0

Sunday September 7th at 6.15pm UK Time: Gruenfeld Exchange with 8.Be3 & 9...Nc6
 

Video Discounts

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

Last week's discount was 40% off Learning from the Greats: Mikhail Botvinnik, and is still valid until close of play tomorrow. 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.
 

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. By the time you get this I'll have started play in Hull, so now there is just one event 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.

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

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

A RULE AND AN OBSERVATION

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

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

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

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

Training Tournaments

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

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

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

Video Discounts

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

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

My Upcoming Events

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

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

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

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

PSYCHOLOGY, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

STEPPING UP TO OTB CHESS

The advent of internet chess has led to many players who just playing online. Some of them then want to step up to over the board (OTB) chess and play in clubs and tournaments. This can be harder than it sounds, so let me address some of the issues.

The first thing to understand is that ratings on Chess.com and Lichess tend to be higher than OTB ratings, which can give us the impression of being better than we are. So keep an open mind about where you might stand in the OTB heirarchy, in order to avoid disappointment.

The second major issue is that most of the chess played on the internet has very fast time limits in which fast moves can be more efffective than good moves. It can take some time to adjust to slow time limits, and it might be worth starting out in a halfway house such as rapid play tournaments (typically 30 minutes per player per game).Here you will have a clock to press after each move, if you forget you might lose on time. After a while the process will become automatic, but at first it may seem unfamiliar.

In events with a standard time limit, you will also be required to write down the moves, which sounds easy in theory but can be stressful in practice. I suggest trying a few training games in which you write the moves down and press the clock, in this way you will soon get used to it.

Another major difference is that you will be playing against real people rather than internet accounts, which can be both a blessing and a curse. The chess scene is known for having weird and wonderful people, the likes of which may not have appeared in your life any earlier. I feel fortunate in that I have some lifelong friends in the chess scene, people I've known for half a century. There are also some that I'd prefer to avoid, or at least not have to spend too much time with.

Good luck if you decide to take the plunge, personally I enjoy playing OTB chess and have only played a few training games online.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the Slav Exchange, focussing on the two main moves for Black (after1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bf4) which are 6...a6 and 6...Bf5:

Sunday July 20th at 5pm UK Time: Slav Exchange, 6...a6

Sunday July 20th at 6.15pm UK Time: Slav Exchange, 6...Bf5
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is on the White 1.d4 Repertoire, you get 40% off its purchase (not rent) with the code 'july18to26. The idea behind this course is to help players develop a real 1.d4 repertoire with c2-c4 coming in many lines. At the same time the lines are kept as simple as possible and lead to important position types.

Last week's discount is still valid until tomorrow, you get 40% off the purchase of my Crafting Your Own Opening Repertoire series by using the code 'july11to19'. This series covers all aspects of creating an opening repertoire, from opening selection, to choosing sources and assembling your lines.
 

My Upcoming Events

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

Here is how things look now:

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

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

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

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

Chess Questions Answered

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, UPDATES, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

TRAVEL TIPS

How you get to a tournament or match can be a key factor in how well you do. Accordingly, I thought I would share some travel tips that I've picked up and/or developed over the years. The key factor is that you should start play as well rested and relaxed as you can be.

My first tip is to reduce the number of legs involved with your trip, one plane and one bus being far better than two planes, a train and two buses. This may sound obvious but it's amazing what people will sometimes put themselves through in order to make a small saving. I should add that if you have to fly, use a reliable airline. Some of the budget airlines have been known to cancel flights, which can spell disaster. It also makes sense to leave a LOT of time between connecting flights, way more than you think you will need. Flights are often delayed.

A habit that I've adopted over time is to travel light and only with cabin luggage. Suitcases regularly get delayed or lost and you never know when you might end up having to carry them. I will take travel wash if I can't pack enough clean clothes, alternatively I'll get them laundered at the hotel.

Do you need a laptop to prepare? I do, but I will only take a cheap second hand one when I travel. I would not want to leave an expensive one in my room or even risk damaging it in transit. If you want a powerful engine running then I suggest using a cloud based engine, these will give you way more power than even a top of the range machine.

Finally I suggest taking some essential medicines along, something for colds and flu and something to help you sleep. The tension of chess games can play havoc with sleep, so it's good to have something that can help. Nytol can work well as can melatonin, and melatonin can also help adjust your sleep cycle if you are playing in a different time zone.

Happy travels!

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the King's Indian Petrosian Variation, which is my recommendation in the White 1.d4 Repertoire. This creates a very important type of position which is one of the touchstones to learning plans and pawn levers:

Sunday April 6th at 5pm UK Time: King's Indian Petrosian with 7...a5

Sunday April 6th at 6.15pm UK Time: King's Indian Petrosian with 7...Nbd7

My Upcoming Events

By the time you read this I should be in Poland for the European Senior Team Championships. Meanwhile I've added another event to my schedule, I'm going to play in the 4NCL Congress in Hull in September where GMs get free entry and two nights hotel accommodation. I'm still hoping to invited to Maia in August.

This is how things look right now:

April 4-14 2025: European Senior Team Championship

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. Hopefully I can continue the good form from the World Senior Team Championships and help the team to one of the top places.

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

COACHING, OPENINGS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING, UPDATES, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

PUBLIC RELATIONS

This is not often talked about with regard to chess achievement, but being well thought of can be as important for a chess career as in more orthodox fields. There are countless examples of players being overlooked because they were thought to have the potential to misbehave, for example in the former USSR there were a number of very talented players who never got to play abroad because they indulged in the national passtime of drinking to excess. As a more recent example I think that Hans Niemann's lack of invitations is not because of the false accusations of cheating, it may stem from things he's said and done, for example trashing a hotel room. I think that Christopher Yoo will have similar difficulties when his ban has ended.

It's important, therefore, to present yourself well so as to avoid being thought of as a potential liability. Some players are very good at this and they tend to get a disproportionate number of invites, others are not so good and will tend to get sidelined. Sometimes someone is just so good that they can't be ignored, and Bobby Fischer was a prime example of this. When you're the best in the World at something you can get away with things that mere mortals can not, though even then it's probably better not to test the boundaries too much. 

What should someone do if they have a bad rep? Basically they need to get their act together and then keep it together through thick and thin. If I had to advise Niemann I'd suggest that he should consider learning some form of anger management and then think very carefully about how he interfaces with chess authorities, the media and social media. He's clearly a very talented and passionate player, and his work ethic looks like something that could take him to the top. But it would help him a lot if his PR was better.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the Colle, which features in two of my courses, the White 1.d4 Repertoire and Building an Opening Repertoire. White can basically opt for two different set-ups, the Zukertort set-up (including b2-b3) or the Koltanowski set-up (without b2-b3):

Sunday March 30th at 5pm UK Time: Colle with 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 d5

Sunday March 31st at 6.15pm UK Time: Colle with 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 b6

My Upcoming Events

I try to plan tournaments in advance but sometimes it's difficult.The most recent development is that I've stopped waiting for invitations from the ECF, for example to the British Championships or English Senior Championships. I don't think it's because of poor PR, or that my relations with chess authorities have been bad, it might be more a case that the ECF are strapped for cash. So I've entered the British Championships anyway, as I can travel to Liverpool from home, the English Seniors is not something I want to do without getting the standard GM arrangement of the hotel being paid for.

This is how things look right now:

April 4-14 2025: European Senior Team Championship

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. Hopefully I can continue the good form from the World Senior Team Championships and help the team to one of the top places.

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 31st - 10th August 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 2025: Maia Chess Festival (?)

I've played in the last couple of events and I'm hopeful that I'll be asked back. There are no details as yet, but I'll definitely play if I get invited.

This should be enough to stay 'match fit' through to September, though trying to play seriously also involves quite a lot of time and expense on training.

Twitch Channel

My new Twitch channel will in theory have 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