FM Niranjan Navalgund is a Community Manager for Chess.com India and a FIDE Trainer. He's also a strong player with GM and IM norms. Check out his favorite game, an amazing sacrificial attacking gem.
IM Rakesh Kulkarni is the Director of Indian Social Media for Chess.com and a correspondent on chess in India. He's also a strong player in his own right. Check out his best game, an attacking gem against WIM Rucha Pu...
FunMaster Mike is best known for his work with ChessKid, but he's a strong player in his own right. Check out his memorable Benoni struggle against Todd Trower.
Once you learn and practice using the language of chess, it's time to enhance your chess fluency with advanced notation! Here are the key symbols to know: Check = + Checkmate = # Capture = x Kingside castling = 0-0 Qu...
It's usually helpful to trade if you can get ahead but what should you do if a potential trade doesn't gain or lose material? It's usually a mistake to initiate a trade unless you can tell how your position benefits....
There are three main categories of positions. If there are few pawns on the board the position is open. Bishops are often very strong in these positions because they are not blocked. If there are many pawns blocking e...
The more space you control on the board, the more room your pieces have to maneuver, and the less space your opponent has. A great way to claim space is to put your pawns in the center.
A group of pawns that protect each other on a diagonal is called a pawn chain. The only unprotected pawn in the chain is the base pawn at the back. Pawn chains can restrict the opponent's pieces and help each other ad...
Connected pawns can defend each other and support each other as they advance. Doubled pawns block each other from advancing. Pawns, with no other pawns next to them are isolated, and are frequently easy to attack.
Learn how to deal with pawn tension and decide when to push, capture, or play elsewhere. If you can defend and attack simultaneously, that's often the best option. However, other times it's best to defend threats dire...
World Champion Garry Kasparov often built his deadly attacks on groundbreaking opening preparation. Check out five of his most amazing opening ideas.
Magnus Carlsen became World Champion by winning seemingly drawn endgames better than anyone in the history of chess. GM Simon Williams brings you Magnus's five best endgame victories!
Mikhail Tal was the greatest attacking player that the chess world had ever seen. NM James Canty brings you Tal's five greatest queen sacrifices.
World Champion Tigran Petrosian specialized in sacrificing the exchange, both for attack and defense. Check out his five greatest sacrifices with GM Simon Williams as your guide!
How did World Champion, Jose Raul Capablanca demonstrate the power of two minor pieces against a rook and pawn? With style!
How did former World Champion, Mikhail Tal, demonstrate the power of a rook and pawn in an endgame against two knights? Check out this fascinating struggle, featuring a common imbalance.
When he had a chance to impede his opponent's development, Alexander Grischuk did not hesitate to sacrifice an exchange for a pawn. Check out how his bishop pair never gave Fabiano Caruana a chance to fight back.
When Anish Giri played a quick in-between move against Levon Aronian, Aronian sacrificed his queen for a rook and bishop, while making it nearly impossible for his opponent to finish development. Learn how to embarras...
In one of WGM Tatev Abrahamyan's best games she sacrificed three minor pieces to win a queen and then took advantage her opponent's open king to win the game!
Many people think that GM Alireza Firouzja will be the next World Champion. He played his first brilliancies in the 2010s including this astounding game, with numerous sacrifices to blow his opponent away. Take a look...
World Champion Magnus Carlsen rarely loses a game. One of those losses came against the Levon Aronian in Norway in 2017. Check out NM Sam Copeland's #9 game of the 2010s.
GM Ding Liren reached the number two spot in the rating list in the 2010s. He played one of the prettiest games of the decade in the 2017 Chinese League. Check out NM Sam Copeland's pick for the #8 game of the decade.
GM Daniil Dubov is still getting better, but he first rose to the top in the 2010s, winning several amazing games. Check out this shocking victory against GM Anish Giri, NM Sam Copeland's #7 game of the decade.
Hikaru Nakamura rose to prominence in the 2010s, reaching as high as the second spot in the world ranking. Check out one of his greatest attacking achievements, a King's Indian against GM Boris Gelfand, NM Copeland's...
World Champion Magnus Carlsen rose to the top by grinding out wins from nearly even positions. The perfect example was his 92 move victory over his future title challenger Sergey Karjakin. Check out NM Sam Copeland's...
