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

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TIGER CHESS THEMED TRAINING TOURNAMENTS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

OPENING REPERTOIRE INCONSISTENCIES

I previously examined the issue of move orders back in May, but it's worth revisiting because of the breadth and complexity of the topic. One area in which move orders can be very important is when you are creating an opening repertoire and need the different parts of it to fit together.

Some good examples of this can be seen in openings such as the Alapin Variation of the Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.c3), someone may have a good line in this particular position (for example 2...d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bg4), but what if their favourite line involves meeting 2.Nf3 with 2...e6? In this case their chosen defence against the Alapin will no longer work because they've already shut their c8 bishop in and will not be able to bring it out to g4.

How can this be handled? One approach can be to review your lines with an opening tree of the type that can be found at Chess Tempo or Chessbase. It might take some time, given the sheer scale of modern theory, but if done properly it will provide a good sense of your repertoire layout and help pick up any inconsistencies.

Training Tournaments

The training tournaments this week will feature two more Queen's Pawn Openings, the Colle (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 and now 3...g6 for Black) and the Trompowsky (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 and now 2...e6 for Black). I gave 3...g6 against the Colle in my Building an Opening Repertoire course, 2...e6 is a solid answer to the Trompowsky which can nonetheless unbalance the game:

Sunday November 9th at 5pm UK Time: Colle with 3...g6

Sunday November 9th at 6.15pm UK Time: Trompowsky with 2...e6
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off my flagship Building an Opening Repertoire course, using the code 'nov7to15' when you buy it. This acclaimed 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. There are no elaborate computer generated variations, just plans and ideas.

Last week's discount was 40% off buying my series on Understanding Strategy & Planning, please use the code 'oct31nov8' when buying. Strategy and planning are two of the most difficult chess skills to master and most players never do. This video series presents a systematic way of approaching these areas by learning how to play different pawn structures and the plans and ideas they contain.

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

QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, QUEEN'S PAWN GAMES, TIGER CHESS THEMED TRAINING TOURNAMENTS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

GETTING WINNING CHANCES WITH SOLID OPENINGS

There's often a temptation to play sharp opening because they seem to offer more winning chances. Yet Magnus Carlsen and others have repeatedly shown that solid openings are also OK, you just have to get used to playing on and seeking out chances later in the game.

For older players stamina might be a problem, especially if they have to play more than one game in a day, so that is something that would need to be managed with energy saving strategies. My latest experiment has been to avoid preparing because this just adds to the potential for exhaustion. Getting plenty of sleep is another issue, and here too some strategies need to be in place. Yet another helpful thing is to automate as much of your game as possible, and here a good knowledge of your openings and good endgame technique can help a lot.

What are the best openings for this approach? Basically you can use any of the normal unsexy opening lines that are viewed as rock solid, such as meeting 1.e4 with 1...e5 (the French and Caro are also suitable) and meeting 1.d4 with the Queen's Gambit Declined, Slav or Nimzo-Indian. As White you can play any first move but then it's best to follow up with quiet positional lines. So forget the Morra and Evans Gambits, these just don't fit the bill!

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the London System and Torre Attack, which have featured in several of my books and videos and with both colours. I recommend and play both these openings as White, these days I tend to recommend that Black plays a line based on ...b7-b6 and ...Bc8-a6, exchanging light square bishops so as to reduce White's attacking chances:

Sunday November 2nd at 5pm UK Time: London System

Sunday November 2nd at 6.15pm UK Time: Torre Attack
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying my series on Understanding Strategy & Planning, please use the code 'oct31nov8' when buying. Strategy and planning are two of the most difficult chess skills to master and most players never do. This video 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 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.

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, 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

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, FRENCH DEFENCE, OPENINGS, PATTERN RECOGNITION, TIGER CHESS WEBINARS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

HOW TO MOVE ON FROM PET OPENINGS

In this week's Chess Questions Answered video I answered a question about giving up pet openings. Replacing former favourites with better lines can be an important part of a player's development, for example my chess improved considerably when I no longer played the Modern Defence (1...g6 against everything) exclusively. I switched instead to more solid options, including the Nimzo-Indian and meeting 1.e4 with 1...e5.

What's the right time to do this? There can be various indicators, for example your results with your pet opening may have become worse, or you no longer feel you enjoy playing it (often these things will go together). Such times suggest a rethink, perhaps extending to your whole game. Alexander Kotov recommended doing this once in a while in his famous book, Think Like a Grandmaster. I've made a practice of this myself, and now tend to make minor adjustments as new information comes in.

What openings should you switch to? It makes sense not to change too much too quickly, and it might be best to go for positions in which you have some experience and understanding. I cover this topic in my video series, Crafting Your Own Opening Repertoire, which is discounted this week.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in unusual lines of the French Defence, namely 2.b3 and 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5. These are covered in my Building an Opening Repertoire course as well as The French Defence.

Sunday October 5th at 5pm UK Time: French 2.b3

Sunday October 5th at 6.15pm UK Time: French 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5
 

Video Discounts

This 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. 

Last week's discount was 40% off buying Mastering Key Pawn: The Classical Centre, using the code 'sep26tooct4' and is valid until tomorrow. This video series considers the classical centre, which can arise from a very large variety of chess openings including the Semi-Tarrasch and Gruenfeld Defences, plus many others..

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

FRENCH DEFENCE, ITALIAN GAME, OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

HOW HARD IS IT TO LEARN 1.e4 e5?

I tend to recommend the French (1.e4 e6) to people who are looking for a defence against 1.e4, partly because it's relatively easy to learn and partly because it can teach a lot about chess strategy via the clear pawn structures it contains. Yet occasionally I get students who like open lines for their pieces, and they find the French too closed and restrictive. They like the sort of game you get after 1.e4 e5, but how hard is it to learn to play like that?

The answer depends on a number of factors, not least of which is the time someone has available for study. White has a lot of options after 1...e5, some being quite quiet and others being wild, for example after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, White has both razor sharp approaches and quite ones based on d2-d3 and c2-c3. Another factor will be age, there's no doubt that younger players tend to find it easier to learn new things. Then there's the level at which you plan to use 1...e5, playing it in club chess is a very different matter to playing it against IMs and GMs.

At the same time there are exciting ways to play the French, for example after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 there are some very sharp lines in the Winawer (3...Bb4) and MacCutcheon (3...Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4) variations. This is true of most openings, you have a choice about how sharp you want to make things. Admittedly the potential for early hand to hand combat may not be quite as great as with 1.e4 e5. 

As with many such questions, a good way to proceed is to test the waters before diviing in. Learning a bit about 1.e4 e5, and trying it in online games, will give you valuable feedback about whether it is really for you. If you play it and feel comfortable, it may be worth a bigger time investment. If it turns out that you hate it, there's always the option of walking away.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments return to the Colle System, with Black meeting 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 with 2...g6. The first one will feature the King's Indian style 3.e3 d6 positions and the second the Gruenfeld style 3...d5; both were covered in my Building an Opening Repertoire course:

Sunday September 28th at 5pm UK Time: Colle vs King's Indian 

Sunday September 28th at 6.15pm UK Time: Colle vs Gruenfeld
 

Video Discounts

This week's discount is 40% off buying Mastering Key Pawn: The Classical Centre, using the code 'sep26tooct4'. This video series considers the classical centre, which can arise from a very large variety of chess openings including the Semi-Tarrasch and Gruenfeld Defences, plus many others..

Last week's discount was 40% off buying the Mastering Key Pawn Structures: The Carlsbad Formation, using the code 'sep19to27', and it is valid until close of play tomorrow. This is a key pawn structure which I think can be used as a touchstone for understanding positional play. It occurs in several of my openings courses, this one is devoted fully to the topic.

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

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