Chess Chest

Treasury of Chess



Free Chess Masterclass

John Bartholomew

The Volatility of In-Between Moves

In-between moves - also known as zwischenzugs, intermezzos, or intermediate moves - are moves where one side responds to an attack or capture with an unexpected counterattack, capture, or check. The second player may be hoping to profit from this "sequence interrupting" decision, but the tactical volatility these types of moves introduce can be quite high! As such, you should … [Read more...] about The Volatility of In-Between Moves

Two Points of Contact | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. fbkc1 (1829)

In this continuation of the "Climbing the Rating Ladder" series I take on players of various ratings levels while pointing out typical mistakes and spots for improvement along the way (possibly my own!? :)). Here I commentate a 5+5 game against a player rated 1829 on Chess.com. In the Queen's Gambit Declined (via transposition), my opponent plays a couple a couple too many pawn … [Read more...] about Two Points of Contact | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. fbkc1 (1829)

Battling with GM Robert Hess | Using the Clock as a Weapon #19

Bring on the Grandmaster opposition! I face a GM in four of the five games in this session. In this video, I play five blitz games (3+0) on Chess.com. My goals in this series are to 1) stay even or ahead of my opponents on the clock, and 2) trust my decision-making. Follow along as I try to avoid perfectionist tendencies and apply pressure with the ultimate equalizer in … [Read more...] about Battling with GM Robert Hess | Using the Clock as a Weapon #19

John Manages His Time Well | Standard Chess #285 (English Opening)

In the Semi-Tarrasch-like structure that arises out of this English Opening (e4+d4 pawn duo for White, a+b queenside majority for Black), my opponent player has a solid yet passive position. I therefore avoid trades with an eye toward the thematic d4-d5 central pawn break. Good time management (yes, really!) and an errant Black knight on h5 soon leads to a golden … [Read more...] about John Manages His Time Well | Standard Chess #285 (English Opening)