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- Getting Better at Chess with iChess Club
Your Club membership at iChess.net keeps everything you need to get better at chess in one place. - Playing with Opposite-Colored Bishops, Part 3 – GM Mihail Marin (iChess Club)
GM Mihail Marin continues his in-depth training on playing positions with opposite-colored bishops. - Playing with Opposite-Colored Bishops, Part 2 – GM Mihail Marin (iChess Club)
It’s time to master those tricky opposite-colored bishop chess endgames. Playing with opposite-colored bishops on the endgame requires patience and good calculation skills. - Playing with Opposite-Colored Bishops, Part 1 – GM Mihail Marin (iChess Club)
Grandmaster Mihail Marin explains how to play in positions with opposite-colored bishops. Time to squeeze out wins from those drawish positions! - Sicilian Najdorf for White – The Delayed Poisoned Pawn Variation – IM Robert Ris (iChess Club)
Do you know how to play against the Sicilian Najdorf with the White pieces? IM Robert Ris sets you on the right path. - Sicilian Najdorf for White – The Poisoned Pawn Variation – IM Robert Ris (iChess Club)
How can White deal with the Poisoned Pawn Variation of the Sicilian Najdorf? International Master Robert Ris teaches you everything you need to know. - Sicilian Najdorf for White – 6.Bg5 Nbd7 – IM Robert Ris (iChess Club)
IM Robert Ris examines the Sicilian Najdorf from White’s side, looking at play after an early …Nbd7 from Black. - Sicilian Najdorf for White – Gelfand Variation – IM Robert Ris (iChess Club)
How can White play against the Sicilian Najdorf? IM Robert Ris continues his comprehensive analysis. - Sicilian Najdorf for White – ..Be7 Setups – IM Robert Ris (iChess Club)
IM Robert Ris continues exploring how White can play against the Sicilian Najdorf, this time looking at Black’s …Be7 setups. - Sicilian Najdorf for White – 7th Moves – IM Robert Ris (iChess Club)
IM Robert Ris explores the dynamic Najdorf Sicilian chess opening from White’s point of view. You’ll learn all the ideas and plans, theory and tactics that will allow you to face the Najdorf with confidence. - Anti-Paulsen Sicilian, Part 4 – GM Damian Lemos (iChess Club)
The Paulsen Sicilian begins with the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 (diagram). This variation was named after the 19th-century chess master Louis Paulsen, where play usually continues 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6. There are other options on move 3 for White, such as the 3.c3 Alapin, but GM Damian […] - Anti-Paulsen Sicilian, Part 3 – GM Damian Lemos (iChess Club)
The Paulsen Sicilian begins with the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 (diagram). This variation was named after the 19th-century chess master Louis Paulsen, where play usually continues 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6. There are other options on move 3 for White, such as the 3.c3 Alapin, but in this […] - Anti-Paulsen Sicilian, Part 2 – GM Damian Lemos (iChess Club)
The Paulsen Sicilian begins with the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 (diagram). This variation was named after the 19th-century chess master Louis Paulsen, where play usually continues 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6. There are other options on move 3 for White, such as the 3.c3 Alapin, but in this […] - Anti-Paulsen Sicilian, Part 1 – GM Damian Lemos (iChess Club)
The Paulsen Sicilian begins with the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 (diagram). This variation was named after the 19th-century chess master Louis Paulsen, where play usually continues 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6. There are other options on move 3 for White, such as the 3.c3 Alapin, but in this […] - French Defense for White with 3..Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 (Part 2) – GM Mihail Marin
GM Mihail Marin continues his exploration of the French Defense from White’s perspective. This is the second part where GM Marin looks at play after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 (diagram). If you haven’t seen it, catch part 1 here. With 4..Be7, Black removes the pin […] - Caro-Kann Advance Variation with 4.h4 Part 2 – IM Ekaterina Atalik (iChess Club)
The Advance variation of Caro-Kann begins with the moves 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5. Black plays 3…Bf5 in order to free the dark-squared bishop. In the past couple of years, 4.h4 has become very popular for White (diagram). In the previous video, which you can watch here if […] - French Defense for White with 3..Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 (Part 1) – GM Mihail Marin
In this article, we continue our exploration of the French Defense chess opening from White’s perspective. In the last video, GM Mihail Marin looked at play after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4, which you can watch here. In this video, he looks at play after […] - Caro-Kann Advance Variation with 4.h4 – IM Ekaterina Atalik (iChess Club)
The Advance variation of Caro-Kann begins with the moves 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5. Black plays 3…Bf5 in order to free the dark-squared bishop. In the past couple of years, 4.h4 has become very popular for White (diagram). What’s the point of 4.h4? White looks to hinder Black’s […] - French Defense McCutcheon Variation – GM Mihail Marin (iChess Club)
The McCutcheon Variation of the French Defense is defined by the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 (diagram). Black basically ignores White’s threat of e5 and looks to counter-attack with this sharp line. White needs to be aware of Black’s positional threats (Black mainly wants […] - The Reti Opening: Black’s Early Bishop Development – GM Bryan Smith (iChess Club)
Starting with 1.Nf3, the Reti Opening is actually not easy to define with a specific series of moves, as with other openings. It is an opening that can be reached through many move orders and transpositions. Essentially, it is an opening where White holds back the center pawns […] - French Tarrasch with 3…c5 – GM Mihail Marin (iChess Club
The French Tarrasch variation begins with the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2. (diagram) This is a flexible setup for White, named after Siegbert Tarrasch, one of the strongest chess players from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This variation with 3.Nd2 became popular in the 1970s and 1980s when […] - Ruy Lopez Neo-Arkhangelsk with 7.c3 – IM Robert Ris (iChess Club)
The so-called Neo-Arkhangelsk variation of the Ruy Lopez begins with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 (diagram). This is different from the Arkhangelsk Variation where Black plays 6..Bb7. In the Neo-Arkhangelsk (or Modern Arkhangelsk), Black won’t look to fianchetto the […] - The Reti Opening with 2..c6 – GM Bryan Smith (iChess Club)
Starting with 1.Nf3, the Reti Opening is actually not easy to define with a specific series of moves, as with other openings. It is an opening that can be reached through many move orders and transpositions. Essentially, it is an opening where White holds back the center pawns […] - Controlling the Attack – Fer Broca (iChess Club)
We all love attacking in our games, but we have to consider our opponent’s possibilities at every stage too. In this month’s iChess Club member’s game, NM Fer Broca looks at a fascinating game in the French Defense. Black plays with vigor, quickly opening up some dangerous lines […] - Caro-Kann Two Knights Variation with 3..Nf6 – IM Ekaterina Atalik (iChess Club)
The Caro-Kann is a chess opening for Black that begins with 1.e4 c6. In the mainline, play continues with 2.d4 d5, however, in the last couple of years the Two Knights variation has increased in popularity, played by the likes of Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi, and MVL: 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 […] - French Tarrasch with 3..a6 – GM Mihail Marin (iChess Club)
The French Tarrasch variation begins with the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2. (diagram) This is a flexible setup for White, named after Siegbert Tarrasch, one of the strongest chess players from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This variation with 3.Nd2 became popular in the 1970s […] - Lines of attack! Member’s Game Analysis – Fer Broca (iChess Club)
Our very first Club member’s game features a principled and attacking response to the tricky opening move 1.b4 (diagram). NM Fer Broca looks at how Club member Louie is able to control White’s dangerous bishops before opening up his own lines of attack. Black sacrifices the exchange to […] - Caro-Kann Two Knights Variation with 3..Bg4 – IM Ekaterina Atalik (iChess Club)
The Caro-Kann is a chess opening for Black that begins with 1.e4 c6. In the mainline, play continues with 2.d4 d5, however, in the last couple of years the Two Knights variation has increased in popularity, played by the likes of Nakamura, Nepomniachtchi and MVL: 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 […] - Ruy Lopez Neo-Arkhangelsk with 7.a4 – IM Robert Ris (iChess Club)
The so-called Neo-Arkhangelsk variation of the Ruy Lopez begins with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 (diagram). This is different from the Arkhangelsk Variation where Black plays 6..Bb7. In the Neo-Arkhangelsk (or Modern Arkhangelsk), Black won’t look to fianchetto the […] - French Tarrasch with 3…Nc6 – GM Mihail Marin (iChess Club)
Learn from GM Mihail Marin how to successfully play the French Defense Tarrasch variation when Black plays 3…Nc6. The French Tarrasch variation begins with the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2. (diagram) This is a flexible setup for White, named after Siegbert Tarrasch. This variation with 3.Nd2 became […]