Chess Tip Of The Day

The study of different pawn-structures is an indispensable way to improve your understanding of chess strategy. Andreas Tzermiadianos, How To Beat The French Defence: The Essential Guide To The Tarrasch

Profound knowledge of the opening moves is rarely enough to win the game in itself, but it puts extra pressure on the opponent in the middlegame. Neil McDonald, The Sveshnikov Sicilian

If you want to know whether an opening is safe enough to be considered suitable for inclusion in an opening repertoire even at a high level, then check if the opening is played consistently by grandmasters in important games against other grandmasters. Lars Bo Hansen, How Chess Games Are Won And Lost

When White closes the centre with d5 in King's Indian structures, the pawn-position generally dictates that White will attack on the queenside, Black on the kingside. Steve Giddins, 50 Essential Chess Lessons

The best way to play against an unopposed bishop [eg when the opponent has a light-square bishop and you do not] is to place your pawns on the same colour squares as this bishop in order to dominate it. Esben Lund, Rook vs Two Minor Pieces

The basic principles of opening play are: 1. Development of one's forces; 2. Struggle for the centre; 3. Obtaining the better pawn-structure. Alexey Sokolsky, The Modern Openings In Theory And Practice