Temposchlucker

I think we have done a beautiful job to simplify tactics. We discovered the three ways of gaining wood: time (duplo attack) space (trap, mate) function (defense) Time underpins all three methods above: Time to free yourself  from two threats at the same time Time to free yourself from a trap by clearing an escape square Time to free a piece from its duty We discovered the three triggers which help us to make the invisible visible: PoP point of pressure LoA line of attack Fun function Now we can try to do the same with positional play. After studying some works of Smirnov, Nimzowitsch and Dorfman, I propose the following simplification: we should focus on pawn structure. Pawn structure is the source of: king safety power of the pieces evaluation of the ensuing endgame  Usually I read 10 books or so at the same time. Now I limit myself to My System, Nimzowitsch Chess Praxis, Nimzowitsch Chess Blueprints, planning in the middle game, IM Nikolay Yako...

I have read The Method In Chess from GM Iossif Dorfman. I am going to try to recapitulate the book. [disclaimer] If you have been the trainer of Kasparov and Bacrot, your lessons might omit a few details which are necessary for students with a lesser pedigree. Since it doesn't seem to be rocket science, I'm going to try to fill in these omissions myself. I have read the book, but I haven't digested the material yet. Writing this post is supposed to help me with the digestion. So my writings may contain big misinterpretations. Which hopefully will be corrected during the process of digestion. After digestion, I will compare my findings with the series of videos. The book is from 2001 or so and the videos from 2019, so the latter contain the latest insights. Which might differ substantially. Recap The book is about decision making at critical moments. A critical moment is when a piece is about to be traded or the pawn structure is about to be changed. There are four...

Now I'm actually am going to learn how to play chess, it is time to add a pgn viewer to the site. Ideas are more then welcome!

I was looking for a high quality resource for chess videos. I ended up with a premium membership at chess24. There I stumbled upon a series of videos of Iossif Dorfman The Method In Chess . Dorfman is, just like Nimzowitsch, a bad educator. He is from the Russian school. And he has a tendency to assume that what was common knowledge there, is common knowledge for his audience. Since he omits what he thinks is common knowledge, his ideas are hard to follow. His videos are packed with gems, and it is hard work to unpack them. If in the end the pile of gems adds up to a usable Method, I don't know yet. But I can give you a few gems from the first 50 minutes. He works with elements. An element can by static (lasting in time) or dynamic (temporary). He works with symmetrical and unsymmetrical properties. Somewhat comparable with the imbalances of HTRYC. There are four elements, sofar: King safety Material balance Pawn structure Who stands better when the queens are taken of...

This year I changed my opening repertoire radically towards a more positional style. The London System with 2.Bf4 for white, Classical Dutch and Accelerated Dragon with black. The London and the Dutch are doing well (despite the Brexit). But I don't like the positions that arise from the Accelerated Dragon. The proposed repertoire by Andrew Greet is not to my taste. So I'm looking further for something to replace the Accelerated Dragon. I dabbled around with 1. ... b6, the Hippopotamus, the Hedgehog and that kind of stuff. I tried to revive The Black Lion. I even had a look at 1.e4 e5. I have tried to play the Caro Kann all the way back in 2009, but I had no idea what I was doing by then. Not that my results were all that bad, but I didn't grasp the idea's behind the opening. Idea's usually means variations in the realm of chess. The positions that arose from the Caro Kann felt totally alien to me. After a year or so, I abandoned it for that very reason. Now...

In the previous post, I discovered an important principle. Don't attack the pawn base when the base pawn can be replaced by a maintainable outpost. But what to do in stead? When your center is stable, and an attack on the pawn base is not appropriate, you must consider a flank attack on the wing where your pieces employ the most activity. Usually that is the wing with the most space. If the center is not stable, that will be your first concern. You can't attack a flank when you need too much defenders for the center. With a stable center you shouldn't hesitate to use your wing pawns, even the ones in front of your king. Man, this turns out to be an exciting journey! I was always a bit cranky that my logical ability was of no use at all in chess. Now I can rectify this omission. For now, I conclude with to say that chess is for 25% tactics. Maybe even less.

De actions that play a role in maintaining or attacking a center are finite. Blockade, restraint, encircle, annihilate, move forward. Or defend against those actions. But what are the parameters to value the actions. What to choose when? White to move When do you play 1.dxc5 and when is it better to do not? On what parameters does that depend? UPDATE From the book page 156 game Nimzowitsch - Salwe: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3 Bd7 7.dxc5!! Whit to move 7.dxc5   The exchange frees the d4 square. The question which is paramount is: "can white maintain a piece on the newly created outpost d4?" and furthermore: "can e5 be maintained despite giving up a defending pawn?"

The truth lies often in the middle. The fastest way to end up in the middle is to seek for the extremes. That's why I try to simplify Nimzowitsch's writings into the extreme. build a pawn center a pawn center is a shelter for your pieces develop your pieces behind the shelter pieces cannot be demobilized when they shelter behind you pawns overprotect your center squares see this post why develop your pieces into overprotection overprotecting pieces are free to move by overprotecting your center, your position cannot crumble overprotecting your center squares works as prophylaxis against assaults hack off freeing pawn moves from your enemy with your center pawns taking with your center pawns clears the squares where your overprotecting pieces are pointing to those center squares become pivot points for your pieces occupying the pivot points with your pieces blockades the enemy center pawns with a pawn chain, you attack the base you try to weaken the blockading ...