It has been a year now that I started researching and testing different techniques to take my chess skills to another level. While results may not have always been as expected, positive signs will certainly encourage me to persevere in my quest. Although I need to put aside the project for now, my work is certainly not finished… Read More »
As promised, here are the last valuable lessons from 2700+ players! 25 – Nakamura on recovering from a loss HN: The most important key to being a great chess player is the ability to kind of forget, or to compartmentalize a very bad game or a very bad loss, and to come back the next day and just… Read More »
Dear chess friends, Since I started this project, I had decided to collect progressively all the articles, videos and other selected pieces of advice from books that could be valuable to improve my chess level in a minimal amount of time. What I realized is that top GMs tend not to unveil their secrets so easily, as they… Read More »
Endings being really complex in nature, finding the right path to either win or save a half point is definitely no easy task. Hopefully, a few rules exist to help you navigate more safely into their meanders. So here are 10 endings rules you certainly must know! Unleash the King’s power The fewer the pieces on the board,… Read More »
The endgame is probably the toughest phase to study. The fewer the pieces left on the board, the more subtle it becomes to manoeuver and thus, the harder it is to create weaknesses in your opponent’s camp or to defend your position. Developing an ending technique is somewhat close to being an art. On top of that, you… Read More »
Which player has never heard that chess is all about tactics? Well, as the game requires also a good dose of strategy, we cannot say this claim is entirely true. But the thing is it is not totally wrong either. Indeed, until a certain level, let’s say 2000 Elo or so, most games are decided with a tactic… Read More »
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to watch the full games of the world chess championship of 2013 between Anand and Carlsen mainly to see how professional players act over the board. I decrypted their postures as well as their body language, but not only. I took advantage of this mini-experiment to note everything you can learn… Read More »
When you think about chess confrontation, you must think of preparation. Getting ready for your game against a specific opponent can give you a tremendous advantage over the board; under the condition that you do it efficiently. So here are all the steps to follow in order to get the most out of your chess preparation, as well… Read More »
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristote It is well-known that one of the quickest ways to develop a skill is to learn from the best. Consequently, I thought it would be interesting to analyze as much information as possible about what Magnus Carlsen does to improve his game… Read More »