BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

KARPOV AND PAWN ISLANDS

During my chess career I've experienced a number of revelations, as things gradually became clear to me. One of these was an understanding of Anatoly Karpov's playing style, which at one time I didn't understand at all. Eventually I started to see that one of his main strengths was a very subtle handling of pawn structures, gradually gaining the better position despite his opponents' apparent activity.

One of the moments of revelation was when I was watching his Candidates final game against Andrei Sokolov back in 1987. I was amazed at how he allowed Sokolov to get his pieces so active whilst gradually building the better pawn structure. Finally it became clear that Karpov's position was clearly better and he went on to win.

After this I took a renewed look at his games with just pawn structure in mind, and found that this was highly characteristic of his play. At first sight it would seem that he was doing very little, but as the game progressed he would achieve the better structure. This would then be converted in the late middlegame or endgame.

I was not very successful in implementing such techniques myself, I think I came to them rather too late. Having said that, Karpov's example helped me become more patient and at least try to play for long term advantages. I also started to realize when my opponents were doing this to me.

Training Tournaments

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

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

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

Sunday January 25th, 5pm UK Time King's Indian Attack French

Sunday January 25th, 6.15pm UK Time: French Classical

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 Learning from the Greats: Anatoly Karpov using the code 'jan16to24'. Anatoly Karpov is widely acknowledged as having been one of the greatest players in history, in this series of videos I examine Karpov's style and strengths, showing what can be learned from him.

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

Upcoming Events

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

January 23-30: Nova Gorica

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

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

THE JOYS OF SIMPLICITY

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

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

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

Training Tournaments

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

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

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

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

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

Video Discounts

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

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

My Upcoming Events

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

January 23-30: Nova Gorica

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

PSYCHOLOGY, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

HABITS INSTEAD OF RESOLUTIONS

This week's Chess Questions Answered video addressed the issue of framing New Year resolutions. In fact it's well documented that resolutions are normally dropped after a few weeks, so instead I suggest the adoption of well crafted habits.

I recently started a few daily chess related habits that I hope will have a beneficial effect on my game. Basically it's solving a few tactics positions, a few endgames, doing some opening work and playing a few blitz games. Most days the blitz games are online, today I had a few games with my son Sam. He thought that I had become much sharper tactically, which confirms my sense about how things are progressing.

How should habits be formulated? Basically they should be doable on a daily basis, so using a phone for tactics and endgame exercises is a good start. There are various habit trackers around if that helps, I prefer keeping a mental note to keep my admin duties down to a minimum. I also make the tactics and endgame puzzles a priority and see the blitz games and opening training as an optional extra.

Training Tournaments

As I want to spend more time on content creation, writing, teaching and playing, I've handed the running of the training tournaments over to a couple of team members who regularly participate. You can find details of any events here. 

Video Discounts

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

Last week's discount is 40% off Endgame Mastery using the code 'dec26jan3'. In this series of videos I show how you can improve your endgame play and use this stage of the game to notch up valuable points.

My Upcoming Events

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

January 23-30: Nova Gorica

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BOOKS, BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

GETTING MORE FROM READING CHESS BOOKS

It's not enough to read a chess book, you also need to engage! I've previously recommended using any games presented as a 'guess the move' exercise, this week's Chess Questions Answered video explained another approach. Essentially you try to supplement any material presented with extra games, making you a kind of co-author. This should considerably enhance engagement and attention levels.

In the run up to getting the Grandmaster title in 1993, I did this with Mikhail Shereshevsky's Endgame Strategy. I looked for supplementary games for the different themes and noted them down at the end of every chapter. Wherever possible I would use my own games, though mainly they were examples from annotated games collections of great players.

What was the result? Well around this time my play improved a lot, and in particular my endgame play. This in turn had an effect on how I played the middle games, essentially I became more patient and was OK with exchanging pieces. Working on your endgame can produce great dividends, and I should add that Jonathan Hawkins, who tragically died this week, reported using such an approach in his book From Amateur to IM.

Training Tournaments

Sunday's training tournaments are in the Meran Variation (first of all 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 c6 5.e3 Bd6), which is one of the recommended lines for Black in the Building an Opening Repertoire course. The second features the move 5...a6, which I think is an interesting and less explored options.

Sunday December 28th at 5pm UK Time: Meran with 5...Bd6

Sunday December 28th at 6.15pm UK Time: Meran with 5...a6
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off Endgame Mastery using the code 'dec26jan3'. In this series of videos I show how you can improve your endgame play and use this stage of the game to notch up valuable points.

Last week's discount was 40% off Mastering Key Pawn Structures: ZOOM Formations, using the code 'dec19to27', and is still valid until tomorrow. 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'.

My Upcoming Events

I'll be playing in Nova Gorica, in Slovenia this coming month, one of my favourite tournaments in one of my favourite countries. I'm also hoping to play in the World Senior Team Championships in April, but would need to be invited!

January 23-30: Nova Gorica

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, OPENINGS, POSITIONAL PLAY, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

STUDYING OPENINGS WITHOUT DATABASES

This week's Chess Questions Answered video explained an alternative way to use HIARCS Chess Explorer without recourse to a database of games. By using an online book and an engine, you already have enough to build your opening repertoire, and I understand that this kind of approach is the way things are heading amongst professional players. I did add that databases of correspondence games can be a useful addition, provided these games were played with the use of engines.

So is there any use at all for games databases? Most definitely there is, but mainly selecting some well played games and going through them to understand middlegame strategy. One thing that I've often done is to print out a bunch of games in an opening I wanted to play, and then play through them using an actual chess set. This makes the experience far more memorable than playing through them using the right hand arrow button in a computer database.

Are databases the only way to select such games? Certainly they make it easy to find interesting games in a particular opening, but chess books (the kind made of paper) have their advantages too. One of the biggest ones is that they will often have been annotated by famous players, and as a labour of love.

Training Tournaments

Sunday's training tournaments are in the Catalan (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7) and King's Indian Attack (1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 Be7), this King's Indian Attack set-up also having the potential to reach a Catalan. These lines were covered from Black's perspective in the Building an Opening Repertoire course and the Black Queen's Gambit Declined Repertoire.

Sunday December 14th at 5pm UK Time: Catalan

Sunday December 14th at 6.15pm UK Time: King's Indian Attack
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off Mastering Key Pawn Structures: ZOOM Formations, using the code 'dec19to27'. 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 was 40% off buying the Black Queen's Gambit Declined Repertoire using the code 'dec12to20' on checkout, and it is still valid until 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 and extended.

My Upcoming Events

I'll be playing in Nova Gorica, in Slovenia next month, one of my favourite tournaments in one of my favourite countries. I'm also hoping to play in the World Senior Team Championships in April, but would need to be invited!

January 23-30: Nova Gorica

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

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

ENDGAMES, OPENINGS, TRAINING

PLAYING ENDGAME OPENINGS

One of the most useful things for players to do is to adopt openings which often lead to endgames. Playing more endgames is a great way to improve your play because it gets you to pay attention to small details and the strategic elements of a position. Being good at endgames means that you don't fear exchanges and will play logical moves rather than try to force an attack. They also tend to be a weak spot for amateur players, which means that competence there can give you a considerable edge.

Many classical openings can lead to an exchange of queens, some more than others. Usually there's no need to force the queens off, just playing good moves can lead to situations in which a queen exchange is the right thing to do. On the other hand there are openings in which the exchange of queens is less likely to happen, for example in the Dutch and Benoni Defences. Such openings might be considered combative, but their soundness is often questioned.

How should someone get started with reaching more endgames? Just play normal classical openings, such as the Queen's Gambit Declined, and allow the position to simplify. Then rather than agree a draw, just keep playing. Don't worry about the exchange of queens and other pieces, just keep going. If nobody gets checkmated, at some point an endgame is going to arise. 

Training Tournaments

The training tournaments this coming Sunday are in the 3.e3 lines of the Dutch Defence, 1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 and now 3...e6 and 3...g6. This is a simple plan based way to meet the Dutch that I recommend in both my Building an Opening Repertoire course and the White 1.d4 Repertoire.

Sunday November 30th at 5pm UK Time: Dutch with 3.e3 e6

Sunday November 30th at 6.15pm UK Time: Dutch with 3.e3 g6
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying my Endgame Openings series, 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.

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

My Upcoming Events

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

December 7: Bolton Rapidplay

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

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

CREATING A REALLY SIMPLE OPENING REPERTOIRE

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

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

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

Training Tournaments

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

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

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

Video Discounts

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

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

My Upcoming Events

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

December 7: Bolton Rapidplay

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, TRAINING

LEARNING CRITICAL LINES

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

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

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

Training Tournaments

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

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

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

Video Discounts

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

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

My Upcoming Events

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

December 7: Bolton Rapidplay

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

Have a good weekend.

Nigel

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