Reserve tempi are spare pawn moves that a side may tap into at a convenient time in order to force the opponent to move and/or induce zugzwang. Think of your pawn moves as your scarce resources in these type of situations; once you burn them, they're gone forever! In this example from Kachiani vs. Maric, Kishinev 1995 (from "Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual"), White needed to … [Read more...] about Reserve Tempi are Scarce Resources
John Bartholomew
Weathering the 2…f6?! Storm | Titled Tuesday – June 2019
Playing the June 2019 Titled Tuesday Chess.com! 420 titled players competed in this 10 round, 3+2 blitz event. Follow along for the good, the bad, and the ugly in this always-tense event! #Chess #TitledTuesday Final standings: https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/-titled-tuesday-blitz-1070427?ref_id=1761842 Support the channel: https://streamlabs.com/johnbartholomew or via … [Read more...] about Weathering the 2…f6?! Storm | Titled Tuesday – June 2019
Extended LIVE Session (Part 2) | Using the Clock as a Weapon #16
The second of three parts in a 3-hour extended, live "Clock as a Weapon" session I streamed on my Twitch channel (twitch.tv/johnbartholomew) on May 30, 2019. Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKuIHy0260M In this video, I play eight 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 … [Read more...] about Extended LIVE Session (Part 2) | Using the Clock as a Weapon #16
Why You Should Know the Ramifications of King & Pawn Endings
Trading into a king and pawn ending is a pivotal decision in a game, because the correct result of these endings can usually be determined with certainty in the course of a game. Hence, you need to carefully consider whether it makes sense to enter such an ending *before* it happens! In this game from the 2017 Minnesota Open, I reached a pawn ending where the result of the … [Read more...] about Why You Should Know the Ramifications of King & Pawn Endings
Development Lag in the Philidor Defense | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. Jaiveer5 (1454)
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 10+0 game against a player rated 1454 on Chess.com. Out of the solid Philidor Defense, Black lags in development (4...h6), and compounds his problems … [Read more...] about Development Lag in the Philidor Defense | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. Jaiveer5 (1454)
