Chess Tip Of The Day

Anyone who is not a full-time chess player will have great difficulty in mastering the Open Sicilian. Joe Gallagher, Beating The Anti-Sicilians

4.Bd2 (in the Nimzo-Indian) has been heavily slagged off in the popular press. The criticism runs along the  lines of "this move is just too passive." My opinion is that any move which serves a useful purpose (in this case unpinning) must be treated with some respect. John Emms, Easy Guide To The Nimzo-Indian

As a rule, isolated pawns can be better exploited in a rook endgame than in any other. John Cox, The Berlin Wall

The Scotch Four Knights is an ideal choice for the improving player, whether playing White or Black. The variations are neither too complex, nor theoretical, both sides develop easily, and the open positions are ideal for honing tactical skills. John Emms, Starting Out: The Scotch Game

Exchange sacrifices on c3 to expose the opponent's king are often very strong in the Sicilian. Do though try to ensure that you have more attacking pieces ready to follow one up than there are defensive pieces of the opponent's. Richard Palliser, Starting Out: Sicilian Najdorf

The same general principles apply to openings and middlegames: the importance of the centre, rapid and efficient piece-development, king safety. Yet in the endgame these factors are only noteworthy by their absence. Edmar Mednis, From The Middlegame Into The Endgame

If you have not enough time on your clock for a full examination (of a position), pick a move that seems to improve your position irrespective of calculation, rather than a "fancy" move which may be good but which would need much calculation to prove it so. Cecil Purdy, Purdy's Fine Art Of Chess Annotation And Other Thoughts - Volume Two

If I repeat an opening variation that my opponent has lost badly against, I'll gain an immediate psychological advantage. He will have to confront not only my moves, but also his painful memories. Ján Markoš, The Secret Ingredient To Winning Chess

When you have a space advantage it is often wise to concentrate on consolidating the space gained before extending it further. Jonathan Rowson, Chess For Zebras

Many positional pawn sacrifices involve gaining the advantage of the two bishops. John Watson, Chess Strategy In Action

When checkmating with bishop and knight against a lone king, a king can be checkmated only in a corner of the bishop's colour. Jesús de la Villa, 100 Endgames You Must Know

If we are considering sacrificing a bishop in an attack on the king, we must be sure that our knight(s) can cooperate effectively with our queen. David LeMoir, Essential Chess Sacrifices

Having seized the initiative it is essential to develop it with all means at your disposal, not fearing either material or positional losses. Valeri Beim, Lessons In Chess Strategy

...d5 is an ideal freeing move in almost all double e-pawn openings. John Watson, Mastering The Chess Openings - Volume 1

A good knowledge of the standard attacking and defensive ideas is required to play sharp openings successfully. James Rizzitano, Understanding Your Chess

Don't unnecessarily give up the possession of the two bishops. Cecil Purdy, How Fischer Won

In major-piece-endings, king safety and the initiative are the critical factors, more than material advantage. Steve Giddins, 50 Essential Chess Lessons

Always, when you write down the moves, also write your time or the time of the opponent. This will always reveal where mistakes are quite commonly placed during the course of a game. With one pupil his obvious mistakes tended to be a result of playing a move instantly, or pondering over it for 30-40 minutes without seeing anything at all. Jacob Aagaard, Excelling At Positional Chess

When material is not equal, but only slightly out of balance, positional advantages usually decide the outcome. This is most evident when a player gives up the exchange for one or two pawns. Andrew Soltis, What It Takes To Become A Chess Master

One of the great virtues of the two bishops is their ability to control the opponent's rooks, both from a defensive (control of invasion squares, effective defence of vulnerable points ...) and an attacking point of view. Lluís Comas Fabregó, True Lies In Chess

Go into an ending if the position contains factors which acquire increased significance in the endgame phase: the two bishops, the better pawn-configuration, or pawn-weaknesses in the enemy camp. Vladimir Popov, Chess Lessons

The general rule (when you have more than one passed pawn in an ending) is to push the passed pawn that is farthest away from the defender. Andrew Soltis, Turning Advantage Into Victory In Chess

In inherently superior (endgame) positions where progress is being stymied by the blockaded nature of the position, look for a pawn sacrifice or sacrifices to open things up. Edmar Mednis, Practical Endgame Tips

In your study of chess, use a tournament-size board and tournament-size chessmen as much as possible. Cecil Purdy, Road To 2000 - How To Become An Expert

The ideal division of a player's thinking time is to study general considerations when his opponent's clock is going, and to study concrete problems when his own clock is going. Alexander Kotov, Think Like A Grandmaster

Do not spend time in the opening expanding on the queenside unless you can contain your opponent's central advances. Sunil Weeramantry & Ed Eusebi, Best Lessons Of A Chess Coach

It is vastly easier to play against someone if you always know how they feel about their position. I would say that if your body language is telegraphing your state of mind, it is costing you 50 or more rating points. James Schuyler, Your Opponent Is Overrated

In the opening the pawn-majority is not felt as a major factor, but its significance grows rapidly through the middlegame, and often becomes decisive in the endgame. Dražen Marović, Dynamic Pawn Play In Chess

A lead in development is at its most useful in open positions or in situations where the active side can achieve a central breakthrough. Luděk Pachman, Complete Chess Strategy 3: Play On The Wings

If a backward pawn sits on a half-open file, it might be weak. If it isn't on a half-open file, the pawn probably won't become a significant weakness. Jeremy Silman, The Reassess Your Chess Workbook