How to beat the Petroff Defense

HOW TO BEAT THE PETROFF DEFENSE

GM WESLEY SO: MASTER OF CHESS THEORY

07/May/2023 – White played carefully in this game, he made sure that there was no drawing chances in the rook ending. Moreover, the game went spectacularly in the sense, where the start of black’s misery when the e5 pawn was left hanging. Fantastic game by the American/Filipino Super GM Wesley So.

The 2nd featured game: This game is very easy for white, GM Mikhail Panarin knows well what to do when black’s king castle is kingside. It is really unpleasant for black because most of white’s forces are aiming at destroying black’s defensive structure.

But have a hot & delicious coffee first.

CHESS BLOG No. 72: Date: 07 MAY 2023

1st Game : Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 1)

White game plan: Wait if where black will castle, then start pressuring

GM Anish Giri played smoothly, countered black's offense at the kingside then took advantage of inaccurate moves of black's defense. followed with lethal combination. Wonderful game.

2nd Game: Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 2)

White Game Plan: Begin pressuring black's kingside in using the h4 wing attack then Ng5.

GM Vladimir Kramnik is always spectacular when he plays the Bayonet Attack. His style play is very entertaining, structured and classy. But coffee first...enjoy...

GAME VIEWER 1

GAME VIEWER 2

ENDGAME OR MIDDLE GAME - SOLVE THE PROBLEM BELOW

PLEASE THINK 5 MOVES AHEAD: USE YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS

WINNING IS EVERYTHING BUT IN LOSING YOU LEARN EVERYTHING

ENJOY THE GAME: BUT HAVE A HOT & DELICIOUS COFFEE FIRST

May 2, 2023August 27, 2023 RNFMJesse

Beating the Modern Benoni:

BEATING THE MODERN BENONI: 8. Bd3 LINE

GM SERGEI SHIPOV: THE STRATEGY SPECIALIST

02/May/2023 – Elegant!!! This is how I commend this game. What a nice game by GM Sergei Shipov, it is like a smooth operating machine slowly weakening black’s position. This is the main line of the Modern Benoni using the 8. Bd3 Line.

The 2nd featured game: amazing game and courage by GM Denis Lazavik. Rating is not a factor when your will demands to win. Fantastic ideas and such a complicated game to play white’s 10. Bb5 variation. I have checked the current rating of GM Denis Lazavik, it is now FIDE (2544) and a full-fledged grandmaster. but have a hot & delicious coffee first.

CHESS BLOG No. 71: Date: 05 MAY 2023

1st Game : Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 1)

White game plan: Protect the d6 pawn then create a strategy to penetrate black's kingside.

GM Anish Giri played smoothly, countered black's offense at the kingside then took advantage of inaccurate moves of black's defense. followed with lethal combination. Wonderful game.

2nd Game: Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 2)

White Game Plan: Tease black to play h6-g5 to create a weakness at black's kingside while protecting the d6 pawn.

GM Vladimir Kramnik is always spectacular when he plays the Bayonet Attack. His style play is very entertaining, structured and classy. But coffee first...enjoy...

GAME VIEWER 1

GAME VIEWER 2

ENDGAME OR MIDDLE GAME - SOLVE THE PROBLEM BELOW

PLEASE THINK 5 MOVES AHEAD: USE YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS

WINNING IS EVERYTHING BUT IN LOSING YOU LEARN EVERYTHING

ENJOY THE GAME: BUT HAVE A HOT & DELICIOUS COFFEE FIRST

April 30, 2023August 27, 2023 RNFMJesse

Beating the Snake Benoni

BEATING THE SNAKE BENONI

GM JOEL LAUTIERI: FANTASTIC OPENING IDEAS

30/April/2023 – Fantastic game by GM Joel Lautier. This opening is different from the Modern Benoni because black’s dark bishop will go to d6-c7-a5 which is not consistent with the theory of Modern Benoni. Moreover, if you do not have knowledge about this set up it is not easy to deal with the “Snake Benoni”. The French GM showed his way of dealing with this opening and was very successful in taming it.

The 2nd featured game: IM Daniel Barria Zuniga played a vicious game. Black was not able to counter white’s attack. This is a type of play on how to engage the tricky black opening to not allow to develop pieces. Fantastic play, but have a hot & delicious coffee first.

CHESS BLOG No. 70: Date: 30 April 2023

1st Game : Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 1)

White game plan: Protect the d6 pawn then create a strategy to penetrate black's kingside.

GM Anish Giri played smoothly, countered black's offense at the kingside then took advantage of inaccurate moves of black's defense. followed with lethal combination. Wonderful game.

2nd Game: Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 2)

White Game Plan: Tease black to play h6-g5 to create a weakness at black's kingside while protecting the d6 pawn.

GM Vladimir Kramnik is always spectacular when he plays the Bayonet Attack. His style play is very entertaining, structured and classy. But coffee first...enjoy...

GAME VIEWER 1

GAME VIEWER 2

ENDGAME OR MIDDLE GAME - SOLVE THE PROBLEM BELOW

PLEASE THINK 5 MOVES AHEAD: USE YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS

WINNING IS EVERYTHING BUT IN LOSING YOU LEARN EVERYTHING

ENJOY THE GAME: BUT HAVE A HOT & DELICIOUS COFFEE FIRST

April 25, 2023August 27, 2023 RNFMJesse

Beating the King’s Indian Defense using the bayonet

BEATING THE KING'S INDIAN DEFENSE USING THE 9. b4 BAYONET ATTACK

GM ANISH GIRI: SUPER OPENING PREPARATION

25/April/2023 – Great understanding of the Bayonet Attack is illustrated in this game. Black’s kingside attack is blocked by white on a well calculate response. GM Anish Giri, is one of Super GMs that cannot be underestimated, he could be the next World Champion someday.

The 2nd featured game: World Champ GM Vladimir Kramnik played a masterpiece using the dangerous Bayonet Attack. The King’s Indian Defense is one of the most dangerous and cunning chess opening against the 1. d4 Opening. In this game, GM Kramnik showed his class and his superb knowledge employing the solid but vicious Bayonet Attack. But have a hot & delicious coffee first.

CHESS BLOG No. 69: Date: 25 April 2023

1st Game : Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 1)

White game plan: Exploit black's connected c7-d6 pawn structure while maintaining control of the kingside against black's attack.

GM Anish Giri played smoothly, countered black's offense at the kingside then took advantage of inaccurate moves of black's defense. followed with lethal combination. Wonderful game.

2nd Game: Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 2)

White Game Plan: Control the center and not allowing black to pressure white's kingside.

GM Vladimir Kramnik is always spectacular when he plays the Bayonet Attack. His style play is very entertaining, structured and classy. But coffee first...enjoy...

GAME VIEWER 1

GAME VIEWER 2

ENDGAME OR MIDDLE GAME - SOLVE THE PROBLEM BELOW

PLEASE THINK 5 MOVES AHEAD: USE YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS

WINNING IS EVERYTHING BUT IN LOSING YOU LEARN EVERYTHING

ENJOY THE GAME: BUT HAVE A HOT & DELICIOUS COFFEE FIRST

April 9, 2023May 23, 2025 RNFMJesse

Beating the King’s Indian

BEATING THE KING'S INDIAN DEFENSE USING THE 7. Be3 Line

GM MATTHIAS BLUEBAUM: ULTIMATE THREAT TO ALL SUPER GMs

09/April/2023 – “Excellence” is the word I can say about this game. German GM Matthias Bluebaum with his fantastic showcase on how to use the 7. Be3 line against the King’s Indian Defense, when Super GM Alireza Firouzja can’t stop white’s incredible strategy and fine tactics to break black’s defenses. Congrats… GM Matthias Bluebaum… keep up the good work.

The 2nd featured game; GM Yangyi Yu prefers lines that control the tempo of the game. His masterful opening preparedness has illustrated how to switch from middlegame to endgame in an advantageous position. But have a hot & delicious coffee first…

CHESS BLOG No. 68: Date: 09 April 2023

1st Game : Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 1)

White game plan: Pressure black's kingside and also slowly maneuver towards the center to create tactical flow.

GM Matthias Bluebaum belongs to the 2700 FIDE Rating club obviously, his masterful taking on the King's Indian Defense is exemplary. Wonderful game.

2nd Game: Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 2)

White Game Plan: Full control of the center and black's queenside.

GM Yangyi Yu is well prepared when it comes to opening preparation. His understanding of 7. Be3 line is demonstrated in this game. But coffee first...enjoy...

GAME VIEWER 1

GAME VIEWER 2

ENDGAME OR MIDDLE GAME - SOLVE THE PROBLEM BELOW

PLEASE THINK 5 MOVES AHEAD: USE YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS

WINNING IS EVERYTHING BUT IN LOSING YOU LEARN EVERYTHING

ENJOY THE GAME: BUT HAVE A HOT & DELICIOUS COFFEE FIRST

March 29, 2023May 23, 2025 RNFMJesse

Grabbing Pawns

WHEN GRABBING A PAWN IS DISADVANTAGEOUS

GM ANISH GIRI: THE SMOOTH OPERATOR SUPER GM

29/March/2023 – GM Anish Giri played flawlessly in this game. He did not allow GM Alexander Grischuk to counterattack but was forced to defend weak positions due to black’s delayed development. GM Giri exercised his will power to beat black in classy fashion.

The 2nd featured game; GM Nihal Sarin showed how to handle black’s Cambridge Spring setup. The turning point of the game when taking the pawn at a3 determined the culmination of the game where black was destroyed fiercely. But have a hot & delicious coffee first…

CHESS BLOG No. 67: Date: 29 March 2023

1st Game : Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 1)

White game plan: Pressure black's center then anticipate where black will castle to switch the attack.

GM Anish Giri incredibly outmaneuvered GM Alexander Grischuk. There is no chance for black to counter attack due to white's calculated maneuvering.

2nd Game: Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 2)

White Game Plan: Attack the center while the king is not castled yet.

GM Nihal Sarin is dangerous to play with, he is super in playing complex positions typical for a Blitz player. But coffee first...enjoy...

GAME VIEWER 1

GAME VIEWER 2

ENDGAME OR MIDDLE GAME - SOLVE THE PROBLEM BELOW

PLEASE THINK 5 MOVES AHEAD: USE YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS

WINNING IS EVERYTHING BUT IN LOSING YOU LEARN EVERYTHING

ENJOY THE GAME: BUT HAVE A HOT & DELICIOUS COFFEE FIRST

January 8, 2023May 23, 2025 RNFMJesse

Anti-Sicilian 1

THE ANTI-SICILIAN 1

GM ROGELIO "JOEY" ANTONIO, Jr.: THEORY AND PRACTICE

08/Jan/2023 – GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio, Jr. showed his master class using the 4. Qd4 line against FM Christopher Castellano Accelerated Dragon. It is a classic endgame masterpiece showing elegance in using 2 knights versus 2 bishops in an endgame which I consider relevant to use as chess endgame material for students.

The 2nd featured game showed how to handle the 5…a6 line used by GM Salgado Lopez, Ivan of Spain versus GM Sargissian, Gabriel of Armenia. White illustrated how to break black center that caused black’s delay in development. But have a hot & delicious coffee first…

CHESS BLOG No. 66: Date: 08 January 2023

1st Game : Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 1)

White game plan: Take advantage of black's delayed development

GM "Joey" initiated his first strategy by playing the 4. Qd4 line which is a headache if you do not know how to handle the situation if you play the black side.

2nd Game: Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 2)

White Game Plan: Attack the kingside while king at the center

GM Sargissian played aggressively at move 6. e5, attacking the knight at f6 has caused congestion at black's center. But coffee first...enjoy...

GAME VIEWER 1

GAME VIEWER 2

ENDGAME OR MIDDLE GAME - SOLVE THE PROBLEM BELOW

PLEASE THINK 5 MOVES AHEAD: USE YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS

WINNING IS EVERYTHING BUT IN LOSING YOU LEARN EVERYTHING

ENJOY THE GAME: BUT HAVE A HOT & DELICIOUS COFFEE FIRST

December 11, 2022May 23, 2025 RNFMJesse

Beating the Queen’s Gambit Declined using the 6. Bf6 Line

Beating the Queen's Gambit (QGD) Using 6. Bf6 Line

FM Jesse Noel Sales: SOLID PREPARATION

11/Dec/2022 – FM Jesse Noel Sales likes to play 3-minute BLITZ Chess at Lichess.org. Encountering a grandmaster (GM) in a fast-paced game is nerve wrecking. GM Odessacoach is a very strong player, but I need to focus, use my experience and some tricks to rattle the GM. It is a win-win to play with grandmasters either a win or loss. You will learn a lot and gain confidence.

The 2nd featured game played at lichess.org is an attacking game. It’s like the famous quote “NEVER RETREAT, NEVER SURRENDER”. Playing in 3 minutes BLITZ is enjoyable but if you want to win; you need opening preparation.

CHESS BLOG No. 65: Date: 11 December 2022

1st Game : Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 1)

White game plan: Use "TIME ATTACK" STRATEGY PLAYING BLITZ

GM Odessacoach has a high rating of 2644. To beat the GM, I must beat myself first by not thinking negatively due to fear. Let it go by flow, use prepared lines and TIME ATTACK. But Coffee first...

2nd Game: Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 2)

White Game Plan: Attack black's kingside

My opponent at lichess.org plays fast chess. In order to win, I needed to complicate the position by continuing pressure at black's kingside.

GAME VIEWER 1

GAME VIEWER 2

ENDGAME OR MIDDLE GAME - SOLVE THE PROBLEM BELOW

PLEASE THINK 5 MOVES AHEAD: USE YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS

WINNING IS EVERYTHING BUT IN LOSING YOU LEARN EVERYTHING

ENJOY THE GAME: BUT HAVE A HOT & DELICIOUS COFFEE FIRST

October 8, 2022May 23, 2025 RNFMJesse

Beating the Grunfeld with 4.Bg5

Beating the Grunfeld with 4. Bg5 line

FM Jesse Noel Sales: SOLID PREPARATION

8/10/2022 – FM Jesse Noel Sales consistent opening preparation and solid play showed how to handle the 4. Bg5 line against the Grunfeld Defense. It is one of many sub-lines to deviate from the main variation. Black’s 17…b6 move suddenly collapses black’s position.

The 2nd featured game is played at chess.com. I played a strong blitz player in an exhibition game for 3 minutes. Black’s 16…Bd7 move is a mistake, but I missed the follow-up move 17. d5. But enjoy your hot and delicious coffee first..

CHESS BLOG No. 64 : Date: 8th October 2022

1st Game : Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 1)

White game plan: Control the center then take-over black's queenside

GM Richard Bitoon is known as an attacking player. My best asset is preparation, checking opponent's games in Chessbase and other sources. White's opening set-up is solid and has unpredictable ideas to occupy black's queenside.

2nd Game: Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 2)

White Game Plan: Same idea to penetrate the c7 square

My opponent at chess.com is a fast blitz player. This is our first time to play and there are similarities with my game vs GM Richard Bitoon. Black's 16... Bd7 move is not preferred move but 16...Be4 is best.

GAME VIEWER 1

GAME VIEWER 2

ENDGAME OR MIDDLE GAME - SOLVE THE PROBLEM BELOW

PLEASE THINK 5 MOVES AHEAD: USE YOUR ANALYTICAL SKILLS

WINNING IS EVERYTHING BUT IN LOSING YOU LEARN EVERYTHING

ENJOY THE GAME: BUT HAVE A HOT & DELICIOUS COFFEE FIRST

June 11, 2022May 23, 2025 RNFMJesse

Taking on the Grunfeld Defense

GM Ding, Liren: His solid game and excellent opening knowledge is his advantage

11/06/2022 – GM Liren Ding is such a special talent. He plays like World Champ Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov. His high level understanding of chess openings and robust endgame knowledge is amazing. In this game, he showed how to beat the Grunfeld Defense in entertaining fashion.

The 2nd featured game employed the 10. Rb1 line. GM Andreikin showed confidence in beating the Grunfeld Defense. But enjoy your hot and delicious coffee first…

CHESS BLOG No. 64 : Date: 11th June 2022

1st Game : Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 1)

White game plan: Create weaknesses at black's kingside

GM Ding Liren played spectacularly on how to create weaknesses in black's kingside. Very educational game, it is recommended to learn this game if you want to beat the Grunfeld Defense.

2nd Game: Check diagram below (GAME VIEWER 2)

White Game Plan: Attack black's kingside

GM Dmitry Andreikin showed his expertise to dismantle the Grunfeld Defense. You will learn a lot from it. Let's find out.... but have a hot , delicious coffee first...