♛ PART 1: CHECKMATES
Checkmate is the ultimate aim in a game of chess so it stands to reason that to score points in tournament chess we will need to be skilled in the 'art of checkmate'.
The course examines the most common forms of checkmate including classics such as the Kiss of Death and Back Rank mate. These checkmates, and variations on the same theme, occur so often that practicing and perfecting delivering these checkmates is sure to give an edge to your game.
♞ PART 2: TACTICS
Tactics are short move sequences that lead to winning material (points), a checkmate or simply a better position. Typical patterns and themes crop up again and again in chess games and these patterns have been given names to remember them by.
Becoming familiar with these patterns so you can instantly recognize them in games is one of the fundamental building blocks of becoming a strong player. Tactics are so important that a strong player once remarked 'Chess is 99% Tactics'.
♟️ PART 3: THE OPENING
The opening is the first phase of a chess game and is where we have to decide how to activate our army. In this course, we explore the FOUR OPENING LAWS and their evil counterparts the FIVE DEADLY SINS. Mastering these concepts will enable us to consistently get good positions out of the opening whatever our opponents throw at us.
♚ PART 4: THE ENDGAME
The endgame is the final phase of the chess game. Normally we say we have entered the endgame phase when both Queens have been removed from the board. Often the nature of play is very different compared to the opening phase and the middlegame phase. Therefore it is important that the tournament-ready player knows what they are supposed to be doing at this stage.