A Promoted Pawn

A Grandmaster's Chess Journey
3 Useful Attributes

1. This digital book is about how a GM overcame various obstacles in his chess journey.

2. Reveals the most powerful techniques for chess training/playing and how to use them in your own practice.

3. Summarizes the most valuable lessons from 20+ years of GM Smirnov’s extensive chess praxis, both as a player and a coach.

An Overview: Digital Chess Book

"My goal was to share with you the best ideas I discovered about chess and training. How I came to those conclusions and why they are so." 

- GM Igor Smirnov 

What will you learn from this book?

• How to master the art of attack?
• How to deal with losses and pain?
• Lessons from Garry Kasparov!
• How to prepare for a tournament?
• How to cope with psychological pressure?
• and many more...

Start Learning Now: A Promoted Pawn: My Chess Journey

Who's Your Pick?

For The World Chess Crown...

Recently, i received a FREE digital copy of Anish Giri's latest NIC ebook entitled: "After Magnus - Who can dethrone the World Chess Champion?" A very nice and interesting topic to discuss amongst the chess community. Two Thumbs UP!!

"Thank you for the GIFT, Dirk!"

(Won a year subscription of DIGITAL New In Chess Magazine c/o Internet Chess Club)

My Top 10 Choice 

1. Wesley So - Winner of the 1st Millionaire Chess in Las Vegas. The "dark horse" (if ever) of 2016 Candidates Tournament and beyond.

2. Wei Yi - Became a grandmaster before 14, the fourth youngest in history. "More talented than all of the Chinese grandmasters put together!?"

3. Fabiano Caruana - Achieved one of the most impressive tournament victories in history, Sinquefield Cup in 2014 (+7, =3, -0).

4. Hikaru Nakamura - One of the more colorful figures of the world's elite. Won the 2011 edition of Tata Steel and a four-time US Chess Champion.

5. Vishy Anand - The only player to win the World Championship in all formats; match, round-robin and knock-out tournament.

6. Ding Liren - The youngest winner ever of the Chinese Championship @16. Currently the highest rated Chinese grandmaster. 

7. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave - MVL won the Biel tournament three times (2009, 2013 and 2015).

8. Yu Yangyi - Winner of the 1st Qatar Masters Open 2014 and 2015 Capablanca Memorial.

9. Richard Rapport - Became a grandmaster before 14, the fifth youngest in history.

10. Alexander Grischuk - Blitz World Champion in 2006 and 2012. Possess a deep and unique positional chess understanding.

... adding to my list is a gifted writer and  super-strong GM: Anish Giri

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A Promoted Pawn

Discover and learn the chess journey of a Grandmaster...

A Promoted Pawn: My Chess Journey

Free Courses...you shouldn't miss!

Free Chess Courses

The Remote Chess Academy free chess courses are definitely worth giving a try, as they contain really powerful information. These high-quality lessons (if taken seriously) will help you develop skills that you can apply in a practical game. Indeed, "learning is fun" with RCA.

Start Learning...

>> Chess Training Plan

>> Secrets of Strong Players

>> Quick Success in Chess

A Chess Opening Course

Bogo-Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+

Many strong positional players appreciate the importance of the system's strategic themes - solid and positionally sound. There's really no need to memorize the long move sequences of alternative sharp defenses. These two main reasons appealed to them greatly! 

Considered to be the little brother of the Queen's Indian (3...b6), with many identical strategic themes and possible transpositions. It is also conceptually related to the Nimzo-Indian (3.Nc3 Bb4), as the strategic ideas of black in Nimzo and Bogo are pretty similar. 

Study the Opening Course

Recommendation: The game A.Khalifman - M.Adams, Groningen 1990 is a classic illustration of the solidity and thematic queenside plan for Black. An instructive game that a Bogo-indian fan should not miss studying.

What will you learn from this course?

Find out more...

Course Demo Video

Velocity Chess Adventures

Five Things to Treasure

Q1. What's the fastest chess game you ever played? 

Q2. Want to relive the Morphy chess era of Knight or Rook odds? 

Q3. Ready to complete Daily Challenges and be awarded with points & gifts?

Indeed, an online gaming experience to remember... for aspiring players and chess fans !! 

Take a Look...

First. Have you played or watched a whole game of chess lasting for 20 seconds or less?

Second. You might have heard about chekels and ducats, what about vChips (for free)?

Third. Like to try and play some handicap matches against sneaky patzers, strong blitz specialists or skillful titled players?

Fourth. You can enjoy and play the game you love for FREE, while earning rewards at the same time!

Fifth. Improve your game with VelocityChess unique features: Tactics trainer, Grand Prix Tournaments, lively Chat room and many many more...

Find out more about the PRIDE and JOY of Velocity Chess...

Join Velocity Chess

Best Opening Course

What should the best chess opening course contain?

My answer is simple – chess opening course "by a specialist" that will teach me the secrets of the opening system.

Similarly, i'd like the opening tutorials to not only help me understand and digest the knowledge enclosed but also teaches how to train better, more efficiently and productively.

The Seven Standards (a best chess opening course should contain...)
1. Brief history and introduction about the opening to tackle.

2. Strategic themes to gain an overview of the opening and explain general plans and ideas.

3. Recommended lines (suggested & practiced by the author) with good general explanations supported by just enough concrete variations.

4. Illustrative games with good commentaries and less detail on variations.

5. Top-notch tips on proper move-order, transpositions, and untested but interesting ideas.

6. Tactical themes section to sharpen the reader's awareness of common tactical motifs.

7. Test positions (taken from practice) to help train skills in finding typical ideas for one side or both Black and White in the opening labyrinth.

NEW Chess Course On OPENING

Chess Training Without A Board

Chess Aspirant

Here are some practical principles I'll recommend to someone who wants to develop his play.

1. Find a training partner. 

Plan your chess training together and encourage each other to do your best.

2. Warm-up before a game or a training session.

Good focus is needed here and bring your mental skill in top shape.

3. Keep your pieces protected (a good technique to keep in mind).

Make sure your pieces are connected to not overlook something.

4. Spot the opponent's threat (after opponent's last move).

Ask yourself the intention of the opponent's last move and what he will do next.

5. Perform anti-blunder check (before making your move).

Check the opponent's attacking response especially on your half of the board.

Chess Quotes

          Words of wisdom from a "scheming mind".

Chess Reflections

Play the opening like a book, the middle game like a magician, and the endgame like a machine. – Spielmann  

General Tips

Chess is a matter of delicate judgment, knowing when to punch and how to duck. – Fischer 

Opening

Your only task in the opening is to reach a playable middlegame. – Portisch 

Middlegame

The middlegame I repeat is chess itself; chess with all its possibilities, its attacks, defences, sacrifices, etc. – Znosko-Borovsky  

Endgame

The theory of the endgame proper is concerned to a large extent with the conversion of an advantage of one pawn into a win. – Fine 

Tactics and Strategy

The tactician knows what to do when there is something to do; whereas the strategian knows what to do when there is nothing to do. – Gerald Abrahams 

Analysis

Chess mastery essentially consists of analyzing chess positions accurately. 

– Botvinnik