A Modern Approach With the Benoni Defense

There is a lot to like in a defense that allows you to counter-attack on move two! The tactics of the Modern Benoni often overshadow the strategic element. Do not be fooled into thinking the Modern Benoni is all about tactics. There is a great battle in the Benoni Defense between White’s pawn majority in […]

You Can Trust the Queen’s Indian Defense

The Queen’s Indian Defense shares some of the strategies found in the Nimzo-Indian Defense and is an excellent choice to include in your repertoire, alongside the Nimzo-Indian opening. Several World Chess Champions have played the Queen’s Indian Defense. Among them are Euwe, Kasparov, Anand, Karpov, and Kramnik. The Queen’s Indian Defense is an excellent choice […]

Petrov Defense: Opening Guide for White & Black

When it comes to making progress in chess, one of the critical factors is to minimize your losses. The super-solid Petrov Defense will undoubtedly help you achieve this goal with the black pieces. The Petrov Defense is such a solid opening; even today’s chess engines have been unable to tear down this fortress. When you […]

The London System – Play the Opening as White & Black

The London System is a queen’s pawn opening without the usual 2.c4 move. This chess opening is suitable for players of all levels. The London System is an excellent way to avoid all the opening theory of the Queen’s Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4) since White continues with 2.Bf4 or 2.Nf3. Beginners will find it easier […]

The Ruy Lopez Opening: How to Play It as White and Black

Ruy Lopez Opening

Introduction to the Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez, also known as the Spanish Game, is one of oldest documented openings in chess – and amazingly, still one of the most popular and powerful to this day. Dating back to at least the late 1400s, the seemingly endless supply of rich, interesting positions have made the […]

The Ultimate Queen’s Pawn Opening Guide

A 1.d4 opening, or queen's pawn opening to a chess game.

Tl;dr: A whirlwind tour through the 1.d4 opening universe, covering common systems and responses, the concepts you need to know, helpful resources to optimize your study, and an immortal 1.d4 game to inspire you to queen’s pawn opening greatness. Introduction: The Ultimate Queen’s Pawn (1.d4) Opening Guide There are some choices you have to make […]

Essential Chess Opening Principles for Absolute Beginners

Essential Chess Opening Principles for Chess Beginners Principles for Chess B

We get it. Chess can be tough, especially as a beginner. Lost in a sea of potential decisions, crushing doubts, and with no guiding light to show the way, many chess beginners end up randomly moving pawns and getting stuck in a losing position within the first few moves. Maybe you’ve come here after a […]

How to Learn a Chess Opening Properly

Minority Attack

Studying chess is certainly time-consuming. In addition to studying strategic concepts and practicing your tactical skills, there are some positions and sequences that you simply have to memorize, such as certain checkmate patterns and endgame techniques. But nowhere is this more relevant than the opening. Why memorize openings? Well, I am not advocating for wrote […]

Chess Opening Basics: The Philidor Defense

What is the Philidor Defense? The Philidor Defense arises after the moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 Black reacts to the threat against the e-pawn by defending it with another pawn. The Philidor Defense has a reputation of being solid but passive for Black. This is partly because Black’s dark squared bishop is locked in on […]

Chess Opening Basics: The Sicilian Dragon

What is the Sicilian Dragon? The Sicilian Dragon is one of the sharpest and most popular of all variations of the Sicilian Defense. Amongst its practitioners throughout history, there are illustrious names like Bent Larsen, Anthony Miles, and Kiril Georgiev. In recent times GMs Vladimir Malakhov and Gawain Jones have been some of its most […]

Chess Opening Basics: The Bogo-Indian Defense

Bogo-Indian Defense

What is the Bogo-Indian Defense? The Bogo-Indian Defense is a opening for Black to meet 1.d4 2.c4 3.Nf3, which arises after the moves: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ The Bogo-Indian Defense If White had played 3.Nc3 then 3…Bb4 would have been the Nimzo-Indian Defense, which we covered earlier in the series. A lot of players […]

Chess Opening Basics: The Nimzo-Larsen Attack

What is the Nimzo-Larsen Attack? The Nimzo-Larsen Attack starts with the unassuming little move, 1.b3. It also know as The Larsen Attack, The Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack, the short 1.b3 and sometimes even the descriptive Queen’s Fianchetto Opening. White does indeed intend to fianchetto the queen’s bishop and this piece will be extremely relevant in the vast majority of […]