How Can Older Players Improve?
IMPROVEMENT FOR OLD PLAYERS The Chess.com member jayzorac wrote: I have a question for you. Do you think “older” players can still improve to expert and master level? SILMAN: Mr. jayzorac wrote quite a bit about hi...
How To Improve Your Calculation
The Chess.com member Benjamin_Dubuque (rated 1288) wrote: I have a question about calculation. I often miss either simple intermediate moves or very quiet moves in my calculations, especially in complicated messes that I seem to find myself in...
Should You Fear Symmetry?
The Chess.com member Addu_Chess asked: I’ve read How to Reassess Your Chess, and I read about the various imbalances. But what if the position is symmetrical? JS: There are quite a few symmetrical openings, but it’s usually easy ...
Has The King's Indian Attack Been Forgotten?
The Chess.com member Kingdom_chess2 asked: “Why is the King’s Indian Attack less popular at the top level? Is there any specific reason?” JS: The KIA (King’s Indian Attack) was explored (by very strong players!) in the 19...
Noticing Change Or Opportunity On The Chessboard
At the beginning of a game the professional chess player understands the ins and outs of the opening he plays which, of course, has been deeply studied. He knows where his pieces should be, he is well-versed about the pawn structure’s needs,...
3 Of Emanuel Lasker's Greatest Hits
I’m back with three more of my favorite Emanuel Lasker games. Remember that they might or might not be his best games. All that matters is that they are games that affected me over the years. Though Lasker was one of the greatest tactician...
The King’s Indian Defense: Too Hot For You?
IvnKaramazov: I feel like one of my recent games demonstrates my problem quite well. I thought I was gaining a positional advantage and at first glance it seems so: by move 15 I had a bishop pair and an outposted knight (which couldn’t be ...
Reader Questions, Gripes, And Advice
I used to do a lot of reader question columns but, for some reason, I haven’t done it in a long time. Why, I don’t know. However, I’m finally in the mood to discuss some of the Chess.com members' thoughts. THE MAN WHO CAN&rsquo...
Emanuel Lasker's Greatest Hits
Everyone has a favorite chess player. People like players that are still alive, like Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, etc. Or players that are no longer with us, like Bobby Fischer and Mikhail Tal or, going way back, Paul Morphy. My favorite acti...
Beat Your Opponent By Retreating!
In general, amateur chess players do their best to push their pieces forward and attack. However, sometimes they think they have to retreat due to the opponent threatening something or starting to take over the game (I said “think” bec...
Playing Goliath: What Goes Wrong
The Chess.com member Souvik had a couple things to discuss. The first is his simultaneous game against an international master. After Souvic was completely outclassed in the opening (not a surprise when a 1500 player plays an IM), the IM got ...
I Have No Idea How I Won
The Chess.com member ostria wrote: I wonder if you would take a look at one of my games. I won, but the thing is I have no idea how! I made simple moves through the game and I am sure we both made many mistakes, but what was my opponent’s...
Passionate About Squares: Oddities
In this article we’ll take a look at "deep squares" (6th, 7th, and even the 8th!). So far we’ve used knights as the conqueror of squares, and most of the games will indeed highlight knights. However, this time I’ll also give exam...
I’m Still Passionate About Squares
In my first "Passionate About Squares" article I demonstrated how important it is to create weak squares in the enemy camp (often referred to as “holes”). In many cases putting one’s pieces (knights in particular) on these hol...
I’m Passionate About Squares
Many chess players have a limited understanding of the game. They think it’s all about mating the enemy king. They think it’s all about tactics and attack. They think it’s about creating threats. Of course, all these things are i...
More Of Bisguier's Greatest Hits
Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier was born in 1929 and he died in April 2017. The purpose of this two-part series is to let you enjoy the attacking genius of one of America’s most talented players (you can find part one here). My goal is to put ...
Bisguier's Greatest Hits
Though I played the late, great grandmaster Arthur Bisguier in Canada a long time ago (he beat me), I didn’t really know the man. Photo courtesy US Chess. However, knowing a man is one thing, but knowing his chess is quite another! Thoug...
The Amazing Argentinian Chess Tragedy
The Gothenburg Interzonal (Sweden) in 1955 was a 21-player round robin that was held from August 15 to September 21. The top group was the Soviet players (in no particular order): David Bronstein, Efim Geller, Paul Keres, Tigran Petrosian, Bori...
More Of My Favorite Classic Chess Games
This series is all about the classic games that affected me in a profound manner as a young teen (15 years old). In general, they were positional games, since for a kid that grew up on attacking chess and combinations (12 to 14 years old...
Closing In On A Master Rating
The Chess.com member mnuwan wrote: "I’m a middle-aged guy who has taken up chess again seriously after a hiatus of many years. I currently have a USCF rating of 2100, and I am trying to get the master title. These days, I read a few che...
Let's Do The Lasker Stomp Again!
It’s just a jump to the left. And then a step to the right. With your hands on your hips, you bring you knees in tight...Let’s do the time warp again! That’s right! Once again I will take you down a time warp that pus...
What In The World Is A Chess Style?
The Chess.com member WackyJ1 wrote: "You hear about 'style' everywhere from chess books to chess articles. With statements like, 'You should choose your opening based on what suits your style' and, 'Steer games towards positions that are...
How To Stomp Emanuel Lasker
Simultaneous exhibitions are a great thing. A player who would normally never come face-to-face with a famous chess international master or grandmaster is able to live a dream and do his best to beat a legend and hang the signed scoresheet on his ...
How Can You Consistently Improve Your Chess Game?
The Chess.com member Cubronzo asked: “I’ve been playing chess for about a year now and my playing strength keeps going up and down. My main problem is my ability to see ahead in a chess position. Do you have any advice on how I could c...