How does a grandmaster choose the best chess game he's ever played? Watch this game review by the engaging GM Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian, who tabs this Ponziani counter-gambit as the finest achievement on the chessboard.
Sometimes you can have the greatest plan and things just don't work out how you intended. At these moments it's important to be able to improvise to get a good result even when your original plan is off the table.
What's the best way to be a so-called "lucky" player in blitz chess? It's not your favorite four-leaf clover...it's about giving yourself the opportunity to take advantage of your opponent's weaknesses and play GM Nar...
It was a battle between a chess legend and a rising star when Judit Polgar gave the young Shakhriyar Mamedyarov a lesson in an exciting gambit game. Watch how Polgar dismantles the black kingside in a scorching attack...
What was the absolutely best chess game of 2019? The Chess.com staff chose this stunning masterpiece by Murali Karthikeyan against the young star Alireza Firouzja. You won't have to wait long for the fireworks to star...
There's a young Russian grandmaster striking fear into the hearts of his opponents with his creative opening preparation and his fearless attacks. Watch this masterpiece by Daniil Dubov, the second-best chess game of...
Chess is a science, but often it's not a perfect science, according to IM Daniel Rensch. Watch to see how practical, continuous pressure wins a brilliant chess game that might not be 100 percent accurate, but is 100 p...
This is the fourth-best chess game of the year, according to the Chess.com staff vote. Watch as IM Daniel Rensch explains how Black used the power of a coordinated kingside attack in the Queen's Gambit Declined, a ver...
What were the best chess games of 2019? IM Daniel Rensch kicks off the top-five countdown with this beautiful attacking game where both sides' kings were under heavy fire. Find out why this game was voted by the Chess...
Nona Gaprindashvili was the first woman to be awarded the grandmaster title, and her achievement is no surprise after this beautiful game where she demolishes her opponent's kingside.
When you're embarking on an attack against the uncastled king, you cannot be afraid to sacrifice material. In this lesson, learn how to give up some material for an even better attack.
When you don't let your opponent castle, there will be an urge to simplify the position. Learn how to maintain the initiative even when trades are inevitable to keep up the attack!
Sometimes the best attacks in chess happen when you don't let your opponents castle...but it's up to you to keep up the pressure before they have a chance to consolidate. Learn how to identify targets to be a pest on...
You might have missed this scorching attacking game from the seventh women's world champion, Maia Chiburdanidze, considering it was played 40 years ago. Learn how to destroy a Najdorf Sicilian the Maia way.
How do two of the best women's players in the world deal with the Sicilian Pin variation? Watch this amazing game between Kateryna Lagno and Anna Muzychuk and see what happens in a long Sicilian Pin endgame.
Want to learn the Sicilian Pin Variation? Watch two legends of modern chess, Peter Leko and Levon Aronian, play the opening in a wild game that saw the advantage swing from each side.
It's rare in a serious game between two grandmasters that checkmate is unavoidable after move 16, but that's what happened in this sparkling miniature win as Peter Acs uncorks a sacrificial mate in seven early in the...
Now that you've had seven lessons on the Sicilian Pin Variation, it's time to see the opening in action in a game with the world chess champion Alexander Alekhine. See how one of history's best players ever handled th...
The Sicilian Pin Variation is notoriously tricky. As you continue your journey of learning this opening, here are some common tactics you need to know.
You've seen the main lines of the Sicilian Pin, some sidelines and even the so-called "tricky line." Now you need to know the many traps in this complex opening. Here are some to watch out for.
If your opponent plays the Sicilian Pin variation, you know the best move is to play e5 right after the pin. But what if your opponent gets tricky with his knight? Learn how to deal with these shenanigans and more.
Enjoy this full replay between two chess juggernauts as Wesley So battled Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in the 2019 Speed Chess Championship. The predictions before the match had So as a 2-to-1 favorite...but could he take h...
Learn White's less-popular but still poisonous options against Alekhine's Defense in this video, as NM Sam Copeland discusses all those variations you might see just once or twice in a blitz game.
The Sicilian Pin variation is full of all sorts of sidelines, including some tricky moves you need to know. Dive deeper into this opening theory with this lesson on some possibly unexpected moves in the Sicilian Pin.
Now that you know the main line of the Sicilian pin variation, it's time to expand to the sidelines, including the important system with 7. Qg4. Learn the tricks and strategies of this complex opening in this lesson.
