ChessNut Academy - High-Quality Chess Education -Develop Skills

How did Black respond to  26.Qxc5? Puzzle Answer 26...Nc3! 27.Nxd4  [27.Bxc3 dxc3 28.Nd4 cxb2+ 29.Rxb2 (29.Ka2 Rxa3+ with mate to follow.) 29...Rxb2 with mate to follow.]  27...Rxb2 28.Rxb2 Qa2+ 0-1  [28...Qa2+ 29.Rxa2 Rb1#]

What did Black have planned upon  21...Bxd4! 22.Rf3? Puzzle Answer 22...Qxf3! 23.gxf3 Bxc3! 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.f4  [25.Qxc3 Rd1+ 26.Kg2 Nf4+ 27.Kg3 Ne2+]  25...Rd4! 0-1  [26.Qxc3 Rd1+ 27.Kg2 Nf4+ 28.Kf3 Rd3+.]

How should White continue after  35.Bxf5 gxf5? Puzzle Answer 36.Qd6! Qe8 37.Nxd8 Qxa4 38.Qd3 1-0  If 36...Qxd6, Black must lose the bishop upon 37.exd6 Bb6 38.d7, etc. There is no perpetual check after 36...Qc7 37.Nxd8 Qc2+ 38.Ke1 Qc1+ 39.Qd1

White has just played Rf1 to c1 its Blacks move...What will you play with Black?

In which creative way did White respond to 35...Rc5 Puzzle Answer 36.Rxf8+! Qxf8 37.Qxc5! Bxc5 38.Bb7 1-0

From Lasker's Manual of Chess: "Let us assume that a master who follows a good method, say, the method of this book, strives to educate a young man ignorant of Chess to the level of one who, if conceded any odds, would surely come out the winner. How much time would the teacher need for this achievement? I think that I am correct in making the following calculation: 200 hours total: Rules of Play and Exercises: 5 hrs. Elementary Endings: 5 hrs. Some Openings: 10 hrs. Combination: 20 hrs. Position Play: 40 hrs. Play and Analysis: 120 hrs. "Even if the young man has no talent at all, by following the above course he would advance to the class specified. Compare with this possibility, the reality. In fact, there are a quarter of a million Chess amateurs who devote to Chess at least two hundred hours every year and of these only a thousand, after a lifetime of study, attain the end. Without losing myself in calculations, I believe I am safe in voicing the opinion tha

How should Black respond to  38.e5? Puzzle Answer 38...Bxc4 39.Bxc4 Qc7 40.Bb3 Bxe5 41.Qg4 h5 42.Qe4 Bxg3 0-1

How should White respond to  39...Kh6? Puzzle Answer 40.Rh4+ Kg5 41.Bf6# 1-0  [Source: Hanken-Haring, Berkeley 1981]

Find last move (mate) without board. From  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkmates_in_the_opening   Tip - It is a lot easier if you have a picture of starting position to look at. 5 moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.d5?! Bc5 4.Bg5? Ne4! 5.Bxd8?? 1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.Nf3 g5 5.h3?? 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Qe2 Ngf6?? 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 h6 3.Bh4 g5 4.Bg3 f4? 5.e3 fxg3?? 6 moves 1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.b3?? Qh4+ 5.g3 Qxg3+ 6.hxg3 1.d4 f5 2.h3 Nf6 3.g4 fxg4 4.hxg4 Nxg4 5.Qd3 Nf6?? 6.Rxh7! Rxh7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Bg4?! 4.Nc3 g6? 5.Nxe5! Bxd1?? 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7 moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4?! 4.Nxe5!? Qg5! 5.Nxf7?? Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 h6 3.Bh4 g5 4.Bg3 f4? 5.e3 h5 6.Bd3!? Rh6?? 7.Qxh5+! Rxh5 1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Bd3 f5?! 4.exf5! Bxg2 5.Qh5+ g6 6.fxg6! Nf6?? 7.gxh7+! Nxh5 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Qh4+ 4.g3? fxg3 5.Qf3 g2+ 6.Ke2 gxh1=Q?? 7.Qxf7+ Kd8 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.b3 Qh4+ 4.g3 fxg3 5.h3 g2+ 6.Ke2 Qxe4+ 7.Kf2 1.e

                 How should White follow up after  31.Qf5+ Kg8 ? Puzzle Answer 32.g3! Qxe4 33.Rxg7+ Kxg7 34.Qxe4 Rxb6 1-0  If 32...Qd8, White mates with 33.Qg6. [Source: Shabalov-Fishbein, Seattle 2003]

How should White respond to  28...f5 ?

                                                      Evaluate  27.Nxf5 gxf5 Puzzle Answer 28.Qg3+ 1-0   Black resigned because of 28...Kh7 29.Rxf5! and mate is imminent. [Source: Carlsen-Radjabov, Tal Memorial Blitz 2012] .

                                        How should White respond to  36...Rxf4 ?

I have been playing chess for more than six decades now and know the most common mistakes by a player and how to overcome them. Here they are. Don’t play too fast unless you are playing a blitz game. Use your time wisely and don’t be impatient. Develop your pieces early and avoid moving them multiple times. Don’t neglect to castle. Don’t give up in controlling the center and never underestimate its importance. Avoid premature attacks and don’t expect that you can win the game in the opening. Do not rely on inferior moves by your opponent. Avoid making idle threats and useless checks. Develop your position first before grabbing the pawns offered. This is usually a trap. Don’t attack with only one piece. Make sure that your other pieces can join as early as possible. Do not exchange pawns and pieces unless the position calls for it. Do not create weaknesses in your position (knight forks, weak pawns, exposed king and holes in your structure). Do not lose material carelessly and

                                                                  Black to play

Improve your Chess Many chess fans have gone years without making any significant improvement, even after studying many chess books, courses or hiring personal chess teachers. Many players get stuck below or around the 2100 rating and, little by little, their initial joy for the game diminishes. IMPORTANT: You cannot improve at chess by any means. No-one improved at chess by just watching 2-hour videos or by buying courses or books like "ultimate...", "how to beat...", "secrets...", "grandmaster over-night", "quick..." and so on. NO, chess improvement means high-quality chess lessons, professional written courses, individual work, positional training ...and a bit of talent. Improve at chess - 10 "secret" obstacles If you are serious about your chess improvement, you should know the  top 10 reasons for stagnation : 1) Too much play Playing chess - practice - is very important for improvement. When you play chess (ov