Today’s post celebrates the release of The Magnus Touch: Free Endgame Lesson.
This is a sample from a very special Chessable course and one which we are sure is going to prove extremely popular.
The full course of The Magnus Touch: The Endgame is about to be unleashed in the very near future.
From Strategy to Endgame
Think back to May, when the release of The Magnus Touch: Free Strategy Lesson prefaced the release of the full version of The Magnus Touch: Chess Strategy.
The course created quite a stir, and rightly so.
This time we are entering the domain in which Magnus Carlsen appears to have no equal. We have frequently seen the World Champion magically conjure up serious winning chances from even the most innocuous looking endgame positions.
How does he do it? It is time to find out.
Carlsen somehow found the time between all of his online tournaments to sit down with International Master John Bartholomew and reveal some secrets from the endgame department.
Pushing With a Tiny Edge
Take a look at this position, which is from game six of Carlsen’s 2013 World Chess Championship match against Anand.
Anand – Carlsen
Black to play
First, we have to readjust our thinking to put this game into context. Carlsen was the challenger during this match, not the champion.
He won game five to take the lead in the match. Under the circumstances a draw would be a perfectly good result, especially as it is not at all clear how any serious winning chances can be generated.
Carlsen played 28 …Qb7, which is strong move. There is a veiled threat to Anand’s e4-pawn. If White were to allow 29 …exd4 then 30 …Rxe4 would swiftly follow.
Therefore Anand played 28 Rd1, which enables him to meet 29 …exd4 with 30 Rxd4, when the rook helps to defend the pawn.
I don’t want to give too many of the lesson’s instructional points away here, but it is extremely interesting to see how Carlsen manages to progress from the tiny edge he held in the first diagram to reach this winning position.
Anand has just played 67 Ra8.
Anand – Carlsen
Black to play
Even here, care is required. Carlsen now played the best move, which brought about Anand’s resignation. What is it?
There, is however, an easy way to go wrong. What happens if Black promotes the pawn immediately with 67 …f1=Q?
Free Endgame Lesson
Head for The Magnus Touch: Free Endgame Lesson to find the answers to the questions and to learn about the moves, tactics and plans that occurred between the two diagrams.
It will also whet your appetite for the excellent material still to come in the full course.
Meanwhile, catch up with Carlsen’s games in the Grand Final over at chess24. Stay tuned long enough and you are almost certainly going to see his legendary endgame skills in action.
The Grand Final of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour starts on Sunday.
The semi-finals will feature a ‘best of five’ mini-match format and the final will be ‘best of seven.’
The chess24 Legends of Chess tournament is over and Magnus Carlsen is the champion.
The ‘New Normal’ for Chess Clubs?
What will be the ‘new normal’ for chess clubs?
We are enjoying the online elite tournaments, led (in more ways than one) by the World Champion, Magnus Carlsen.
It would have been easy for Carlsen to rest on his laurels and let others put their reputations on the line (and online). He has little to prove but clearly just wants to play chess.
In fact another big event will be happening this weekend, about which more will follow in tomorrow’s post.
Chess on Hold
Given the dreadful world situation and the modern reliance on buzzwords and catch-all phrases, there is a serious concern that we are experiencing the ‘new normal.’
What will happen to over-the-board chess?
Will we ever return to the cosy world of turning up on our weekly club night to experience the full cycle of emotions, from the euphoria of victory to the despair of a defeat?
All of our local rivalries are currently on hold.
Online sites are becoming increasingly popular with club players. In former times, this was mainly for fun Blitz games, but now major events – such as the 4NCL – have moved online for the foreseeable future.
There are obvious advantages in terms of logistics. No need for hotel bills, no need for train tickets.
The Familiar Face of Cheating
There are disadvantages too, such as the lack of social contact. The scope for cheating is greatly expanding too.
People caught cheating risk incurring a ban from sites and events.
The elite tournaments we all enjoy watching don’t have the problem. The players are on camera all of the time and it would be a very sad day indeed if an elite Grandmaster of chess would ever contemplate gaining an unfair advantage by unscrupulous means.
At club level, there is much more of a temptation to stray from the correct path.
It is not at all practical for all club players to place themselves under such obvious scrutiny. Webcams for local league matches? Very unlikely.
Cheating at online chess is not even new. It is just hitting the headlines because of the increase in the number of people being victims of the cheats.
Even 20 years ago, it was generally accepted that playing anything more than a three-minute game would increase the very strong possibility of encountering a cheat. Armed with an engine, a cheat could improve their rating very quickly and ‘impress their friends.’
How to stop it? Unfortunately, you can’t.
Innovations
There are new initiatives, experimenting with various methods to resume playing with real chess pieces and boards.
The 99th Irish Chess Championship is going ahead, with masks, screens and social distancing all present and correct.
There is a significant discussion in progress on the English Chess Forum, which was started by the chess player, trainer and journalist Tim Wall. Various options are under discussion, including Hybrid Chess. This involves the use of laptops on which to play local matches, while retaining the social aspect of a normal club night.
I am sure many players will resist returning to their clubs is anything if anything out of the ordinary is required.
Others will stay away out of a fear of the situation.
What will happen next?
Will chess players be tempted back to their clubs?
Will playing online become the ‘new normal’ for chess clubs?