Category Archives: Topic

Lessons from Boris Spassky

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Boris Spassky became World Champion on the second attempt, defeating Petrosian in 1969 and losing his title to Fischer in 1972. He had something of a reputation of having a ‘universal’ style, able to play all positions well, but that is true of anyone who holds the crown of chess, and he has a marked facility with dynamic and attacking play.

Opening lessons

I got a lot out of thinking about Spassky’s opening repertoire. He practised all the major systems of his day, of course, but there were some examples of “positions that are surprisingly hard to play for Black” — the Closed Sicilian being an early example, and the dxc5 variation of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted for another — not regarded highly by theory, but in practise would score well. (I am reminded, as so often, by Tartakower: “Any opening is good if its reputation is bad enough”.)

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He also specialised in some systems, like the King’s Gambit, that hardly anyone else would touch, and not as a surprise weapon, but a thoroughly studied system which he knows well and can show many subtleties.

Click […] to see game list

Middlegame lessons

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I’m always interested in moves that are hard to spot, and how to spot them. Spassky shows a couple of examples, although how he spotted them, is still unknown to me.

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Endgame lessons

Spassky’s dynamic style means little attention has been given to his endgame technique, and few examples have become well-known.

Click […] to see game list

Opening choices (U18 training day)

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Thank you for filling in the opening questionnaires online, and I’m sorry we didn’t get time to look at your responses on Saturday.  But here is what I might have said:

Systems for White

Scotch Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4)
My main recommendation for a first opening system, leading to an open game with chances to attack.  Good stuff, just the style you should use when you start playing chess.

Colle System (1.d4 with Nf3/e3 and without c4)
A good first opening system — develop and attack!

London System (1.d4 with Bf4 and without c4)
Not a bad first opening system.  The good thing about it is, you can play the same moves against everything, but that’s also the bad thing about it — you can plod through the opening moves without thinking and without adjusting to what’s happening on the board.  For example, in the London System White usually plays, in some order, d4 Nf3 Bf4 e3 c3 Nbd2 and Bd3.  Nothing wrong with that, but c3 is useful only as a reply to …c5 or …Nc6.  If your opponent doesn’t play …c5, you can save a move.  So, play it with thought, and notice what might be different about the position in front of you today.

Queen’s Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4)
A fine opening — maybe not for your first opening system, but surely for your second, once you know how to attack.

Facing Black dodges: quite a few ‘play the same moves as I usually do‘ replies there — and you really need to play a different way to get your pieces out.  For example, 1.e4 2.Nf3 and 3.Bc4 is fine against 1…e5, but against the Sicilian 1…c5 it can walk into 2….e6 and 3…d5, upsetting your plans.  ‘I play the main lines’ — perfect.

Most of you are playing 1.d4, it seems — which was a bit of a surprise.  It’s more solid than 1.e4 but less exciting and not so good for practising the things most people need to practise — development, open lines, tactics and attacking play.

Systems for Black

Facing 1.e4

Not too many named systems in there!

Four Knights’ Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6)
that’s White’s choice not yours!  I recommend after 4.Bb5 you play 4…Nd4.

Two Knights’/Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 with 3…Nf6 or 3…Bc5)
both fine and just the sort of style you should be playing.  (Usually you choose one or the other.)

French Defence (1.e4 e6)
very good, solid and with chances to attack, not easy to play against.

Sicilian Defence (1.e4 c5)
an excellent though difficult defence, which will last you for life.

Caro-Kann (1.e4 c6)
a fine and even fashionable defence, but you don’t usually get chances to attack, so wouldn’t be my recommendation.

Facing 1.d4

The only things with a name I see are:

Dutch Defence (1.d4 f5)
An excellent unbalancing and dynamic defence.  It’s likely to work well against a player that has started playing 1.d4 too early in their development.

Queen’s Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6)
A good first defence to 1.d4, solid and logical, and might last you all your life.

I suspect the rest of you are making it up as you go, which is likely to lead to trouble against the Queen’s Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4).  Pick a system — the most common are the Slav Defence (2…c6) and the Orthodox Defence (2…e6, of which the Swiss Defence (7…a6) and All-Purpose Defence (…b6) are variations), and stick to it.  You can usually play the moves of a defence to the Queen’s Gambit against everything apart from 1.e4.

I’m happier for you to pick a solid style as Black — it’s a dangerous world out there when you are Black, and a solid approach can give you confidence.

Here are your replies (rows) with my individual comments:

Main White Opening e.g. Scotch Game DR comments What do you do when Black dodges*? DR comments Defence as Black against 1.e4 e.g. French Defence DR comments Defence as Black against 1.d4/2.c4 e.g. Swiss Defence DR comments
Scotch Game Great I play the same moves as I normally do That’s not going to work against everything, maybe not against anything! French Defence Great Make it up Do learn a proper system with a name
London system Fine to start with you might need something chewier later I play the same moves as I normally do Probably OK Caro-kann defence Great The Dutch defence Great
London system Fine to start with you might need something chewier later I play the main lines Probably OK e5 OK c3 Not sure what you mean?
london system Fine to start with you might need something chewier later I play the main lines Probably OK have not decided on one opening as I tend to try different ones Hmm – pick a system and stick to it is my advice! have not decided on one opening as I tend to try different ones Hmm – pick a system and stick to it is my advice!
The Queen’s Gambit Great ? c5 Great c5 Fits
1.e2e4,2.f1d3 and g1f3 Bf1d3 won’t do you any favours unless you play d2d4 first I play the same moves as I normally do That’s not going to work against everything, maybe not against anything! unknown Needs a look! unkown Needs a look!
Queens gambit Great I play the same moves as I normally do Not bad, but might need some care against eg. Nimzo-Indian Four nights OK Slav defence Fine
London Fine to start with you might need something chewier later I do something else (please tick then describe below) ? 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 OK Queens Gambit Declined or Slav Defence Fine
Queen’s Gambit Great I play the main lines Grear Two knights defence or Guiccio Piano game Giuoco! But all good Slav defence or Caro-kann Also good
Queens Gambit Great I play the main lines Great Im trying to learn karo-kann Good If c4 i play e5 and d4 i play d5 Fine
Attempting the Colle Great I play the same moves as I normally do Probably OK depends Hmm – pick a system and stick to it is my advice! depends Hmm – pick a system and stick to it is my advice!

Book recommendations

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I was recently asked for some book recommendations, and thought easy-peasy, I’ll  point them to something online.  Then I looked at some lists, and thought I’d write my own…  Just books, not videos or Chessable courses.  Lots of really great books
omitted.  The ChessDojo list isn’t too bad.

Openings Tactics Strategy Endgames Praxis Bonus
Beginner HERTAN. Basic Chess Openings for Kids GILLAM Simple Chess Tactics and Checkmates CHERNEV The Most Instructive Games of Chess
Ever Played(*)		 KOSTEN Winning Endgames del GIOCONDO A first book of Morphy WEBB Chess for Tigers
D EMMS Discovering Chess Openings CHERNEV/REINFELD Winning Chess(*) STEAM Simple Chess(*)
EMMS Simple Chess		 CHERNEV Capablanca’s 60 Best Chess Endgames HARTSTON Kings of Chess
RETI Masters of the Chessboard(*)
C One-volume basic opening repertoire e.g.
COLLINS Simple Chess Repertoire
MacDONALD Starting Out: French
AAGAARD/LUND Meeting 1.d4 (Tarrasch Defence)		 SEIRAWAN Winning Chess Tactics
VUKOVIC The Art of Attack		 EMMS More Simple Chess
SEIRAWAN/SILMAN Winning Chess Strategy		 SEIRAWAN Winning Chess Endgames FISCHER My 60 Memorable Games TAL Life and Games
B Picking a style e.g.
EMMS Attacking with 1.e4
WATSON A Strategic Opening Repertoire for White
GALLAGHER Play the King’s Indian
EMMS Easy Guide to the Nimzo-Indian
WATSON Play the French
GOLUBEV Easy Guide to the Dragon		 BURGESS Instructive Chess Puzzles SILMAN Reassess Your Chess
HANSEN Improve your Positional Chess		 SILMAN Complete Endgame Course (first few
chapters)		 BOTVINNIK My Best Chess Games 1940-67 ROWSON The Seven Deadly Chess Sins
A WATSON Mastering the Chess Openings 1-4 JACOBS Analyse to Win WATSON Chess Strategy in Action van PERLO Endgame Tactics NUNN Secrets of Grandmaster Play ROWSON Chess for Zebras
CM AAGAARD Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation AAGAARD Grandmaster Preparation: Positional
play		 AAGAARD Grandmaster Preparation: Endgames STOHL Modern Chess Masterpieces KASPAROV My Great Predecessors 1-5

(*) Originally in Descriptive but Algebraic available

Juniors: start with my books with Tim Onions, then graduate to the Gambit books ‘for  Kids’, apart from their Opening one, which is a boring catalogue.

P.S. Compilers of chess book lists: do split your list by level, and don’t recommend books available only in Descriptive, or My System.  I know, My System is a great book, but there are better books to learn that stuff from now.  When I was a boy, it was literally in a class by itself, but not now.  See also: Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, Chess Fundamentals, Ideas behind the chess openings etc etc

Why chess books don’t work

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Nate Solon has just provoked with a blog on Lichess:
Why Chess Books Don’t Work

He has some point — I mean, if books made you a better chess player, I should be world champion by now…

But I commented, crossly:

To the extent that Chessable has a theory of learning, it’s a very impoverished one.

I believe Pillsbury was once challenged to remember a list of obscure words, starting Antiphlogistine, Madjesoomalops etc
Spaced repetition/recall seems perfect for this task where any meaning in the content is irrelevant.

A book will have, as you suggest, an implicit theory of learning, but I suspect will be richer than you give it credit for, perhaps having several on one page. I don’t know if you know the book Winning Chess by Chernev and Reinfeld — I suspect both authors would struggle to articulate a ‘theory of learning’ of the sort you seem to think is required, but what a great pair of teachers.

I know many books from Everyman which use the Socratic method, of presenting a question before giving an explanation.
Others engage with wit, colourful language, striking examples, slogans, scaffolded exercises etc. Implicit maybe but Ford save us all from learning opening lines by rote.

Good-quality verbal explanations in books can unlock a whole opening system for you, as can a good example.

The right book at the right time can produce a step-wise improvement — I can remember two or three from my early playing days (Winning Chess Chernev/Reinfeld, Middle Game I & II Euwe/Kramer, Secrets of Practical Chess Nunn).

Perhaps the reason most books don’t ‘work’ is because most books are not good books — or not good for you at the time.

I can remember acquiring, on Silman’s recommendation, the book on Combinations by Znosko-Borovsky. I learned nothing from it, as Chernev/Reinfeld had done their job well. I also learned next to nothing from Fine’s Basic Chess Endings — it was far too advanced for me when I picked it up.

Lessons from Ding

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A new World Champion after the abdication of Magnus Carlsen, and by the narrowest of squeaks against Ian Nepomniachtchi, Ding has many rich and instructive games. He has something of a reputation as solid and positional, but he has a remarkable attacking talent and a keen instinct for dynamic material imbalance, both of which can be seen in the games below.

Opening

Ding has perhaps the narrowest opening repertoire of any top player at the moment, being glued to 1.d4 and associated systems, but this has hardly affected his progress.

Here is a notable piece of opening preparation, followed by a vicious attack.

Another monster theory line:

Middlegame

Here are two sides of Ding: the careful positional player, and … something special.

The game below has been well-annotated all over the web, and I won’t presume to add anything. Just enjoy! The computer may point out faster wins, but who cares… A dashing demonstration of the power of multiple minor pieces over a Queen, and the vulnerability of an uncastled King.

Endgame

Ding’s defensive obstinacy is well shown in this next game.

And here is a patient conversion of a material advantage — which involved giving back material.

Reading matters

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A set of books to have on the go:

Opening: White .
Opening: White odds .
Opening: Black e4 .
Opening: Black d4 .
Tactics .
Strategy ,
Endgames ,
Praxis .

For example:

Opening: White EMMS: Starting Out: Scotch Game
Opening: White odds COX SO: 1.e4, COLLINS A simple chess opening repertoire
Opening: Black e4 PEDERSEN Easy Guide Scheveningen
Opening: Black d4 GALLAGHER SO: King’s Indian
Tactics HAYS Winning Chess Tactics
Strategy SILMAN Reassess your Chess
Endgames de la VILLA 100 Endgames
Praxis HARTSTON Kings of Chess, TAL Life and Games

Chessable and YouTube doubtless offer much the same content, but I have never had a dodgy connection with a book, so tend to prefer them.

Next steps:

Opening: White .
Opening: White odds .
Opening: Black e4 .
Opening: Black d4 .
Tactics: patterns .
Tactics: visualisation .
Tactics: calculation .
Strategy: patterns .
Strategy: evaluation .
Strategy: planning .
Endgames: knowledge .
Endgames: principles .
Praxis .

Best puzzle books (training day)

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While we were talking to the U14/U18 squads, the ChessDojo folks were discussing the best puzzle books for improvement.  Their recommendations are:

The Dojo List!
1. Perfect Your Chess, Grabinsky/Volokitin https://amzn.to/43gqYI6
2. 5334 Problems, L Polgar https://amzn.to/43HyJH4
3. Think like a Super-GM, Adams/Hertado https://amzn.to/3qkFzDP
4. Mastering Chess Strategy Hellsten https://amzn.to/43jk9ph
5. Combinative Motifs, Blokh https://amzn.to/3WPbLLB
6. Winning Exercises for Kids, Coakley https://amzn.to/3OPFwu1
7. Encyclopedia of Chess Endings, Kalinichenko https://amzn.to/45GOHTn
8. Practical Chess Exercises, Cheng https://amzn.to/3MRydiP
9. Domination, Kasparyan https://amzn.to/3CdlT7D
10. Positional Play, Aagaard https://amzn.to/3WK9XUl

Ben’s List
1. Winning Exercises for Kids, Coakley https://amzn.to/3OPFwu1
2. Practical Chess Exercises, Cheng https://amzn.to/3MRydiP
3. 5334 Problems, L Polgar https://amzn.to/43HyJH4
4. Think like a Super-GM, Adams/Hertado https://amzn.to/3qkFzDP
5. Chess Tactics from Scratch, Weteschnik https://amzn.to/43mHMNN
6. Perfect Your Chess, Grabinsky/Volokitin https://amzn.to/43gqYI6
7. Forcing Chess Moves, Hertan https://amzn.to/3MGvjNK
8. Mastering Chess Strategy Hellsten https://amzn.to/43jk9ph
9. Chess Steps, Brunia https://amzn.to/43HZkU3
10. 300 Chess Positions, Alburt https://amzn.to/3WMZmrC

Kraai’s List
1. Encyclopedia of Chess Endings, Kalinichenko https://amzn.to/45GOHTn
2. 5334 Problems, L Polgar https://amzn.to/43HyJH4
3. Perfect Your Chess, Grabinsky/Volokitin https://amzn.to/43gqYI6
4. The Best Move, Jansa/Hort https://amzn.to/3ITUQSo
5. Think like a Super-GM, Adams/Hertado https://amzn.to/3qkFzDP
6. Endgame Tactics, Van Perlo https://amzn.to/3WQ3XJu
7. Domination, Kasparyan https://amzn.to/3CdlT7D
8. Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations https://amzn.to/42gvh4Y
9. Positional Play, Aagaard https://amzn.to/3WK9XUl
10. Calculation, Aagaard https://amzn.to/3oCCtuB

Kostya’s List
1. Combinative Motifs, Blokh https://amzn.to/3WPbLLB
2. Perfect Your Chess, Grabinsky/Volokitin https://amzn.to/43gqYI6
3. Mastering Chess Strategy, Hellsten https://amzn.to/43jk9ph
4. Woodpecker Method, Smith/Tikkanen https://amzn.to/45IzelS
5. Recognizing Your Opponent’s Resources, Dvoretsky https://amzn.to/3Ccbjxw
6. Manual of Chess Combinations, Ivaschenko https://amzn.to/3NaEcR2
7. Imagination in Chess, Gaprindashvili https://amzn.to/3C7z0ai
8. Positional Play, Aagaard https://amzn.to/3WK9XUl
9. Domination, Kasparyan https://amzn.to/3CdlT7D
10. 5334 Problems, L Polgar https://amzn.to/43HyJH4

Watch or listen to the discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sTixjqhmB0