IM John Watson is a renowned chess teacher, and with his new show he's going to put at your service his great teaching experience. In these videos, IM Watson is going to help you build your own opening repertoire, explaining the ideas that lie behind the moves; that's it, you won't have to memorize long sequences of moves in order to play your openings! Watson's lectures are going to sharpen your chess-sense, make you aware of what's going on over the 64-square beloved piece of wood (or the few pixels that it takes to see a board on your screen), and get a good "feeling" about your position. Every Tuesday at 3:00pm ICC time, don't miss the new and amazing Chess.FM show: Sharpen your chess-sense with IM John Watson!
This week IM Watson, after he concluded the repertoire for White (1.e4 and 1.d4) starts a new series on Black's repertoire. The first approach is the French, an opening that IM Watson has been writing excellent books about! Don't miss this formative and interesting series, and 'store' another great piece of opening repertoire for your future successes!
Ronen through Chess History
May 13, 2013
This week GM Ronen Har-Zvi continues to lead us through the incredible match between Jussupov and Ivanchuk. This is the 1st game of the playoffs, and Ronen says: "It's most probably the best attacking game I have ever seen!". With his usual enthusiastic and involving way to tell stories and analyze games, Ronen once again catches our attention with his historical show.
Former World Champion and legendary chess teacher Mikhail Botvinnik was the originator of the “Every Russian school boy knows” chess aphorism, which alluded to the fact that thousands of unknown schoolboys back in Russia - due to the intense training methods they received from a young age - likely knew more about the game than most professionals did in the West.
One player who came through that legendary Soviet training camp is former U.S. Champion GM Alexander Yermolinsky. And each Sunday in his new hit show, “Every Russian Schoolboy Knows”, Alex will explain and expand on all the top tips and tricks gleaned from those famed training methods.
Today's show is: "Same Color Bishop endings #2"
With this new series GM Yermolinsky, following the videos dedicated to the heroes of the FIDE candidates Tourney in London 2012, is back to the endgames studies. Through 3 of his own games, he shows how to maneuver in endgames where both players have Bishop of the same color. 'Yermo' has already had a series on this subject, but as he explains at the beginning of the video, there are unanswered questions:
should the distant passed pawn be supported by the king?
should your pawns ever go on the squares of the color of the bishops?
can you win 4 pawns against 3 on the same side of the board?
Every russian School boy should know that... calculation is the master word! Enjoy these new videos... And learn from watching!
National Master Dan Heisman is a name that is synonymous with excellence in chess coaching and teaching. Dan authors the award-winning Novice Nook column (winner of three Chess Journalists of America "Best Instruction" awards), aimed at improving adults, for chesscafe.com that are clearly written and offer very practical advice and tips on how to improve your game. More info about Dan can be found here.
In the new Improve Your Chess IV series, Dan provides instruction by reviewing amateur games played on ICC and showing where the players went wrong and how to improve.
Three-time U.S. Champion GM Joel Benjamin brings you a new show every Friday at 15:00 Server Time. Joel is regarded by many as one of the best commentators and analysts' we have in the game today -- so if you want to get ahead of the game, get ready to tune-in!
The 2013 U.S. Championship returned to a 24-player Swiss system format. I think most fans would consider the tournament a great success, with a good mix of older and younger players having good results. That battle was reflected in the final decision as 38-year-old Gata Kamsky took the "Armageddon" game from 24-year-old Alejandro Ramirez to register his fourth U.S. title and his third in the city of St. Louis. Slightly further down you see 56-year-old Larry Christiansen and 49-year-old Joel Benjamin turn back the clock with plus scores. 19-year-old Conrad Holt and Kayden Troff, who turned fifteen during the event, dazzled with 5.5 and 5 points respectively. It was interesting to see how newcomers like Holt and Troff, as well as John Bryant and 12-year old Sam Sevian put the test to more established young stars like Ray Robson, Sam Shankland, and Robert Hess. In our featured game we see Robson and Bryant, two kids who are happy to plunge into complications, negotiate a landmine of tactics on the cusp of the time control. Let's take a look and see who made the fatal misstep.
In a new series, GM Boris Alterman focuses his attention on a very important concept in chess: 'Good and 'Bad' Bishops.
Capablanca said: " When your opponent has a bishop you usually have to put your pawns on the squares with the same color of this bishop's square. On the contrary, when you have a bishop, you have to put your pawns on the squares of the opposite color of the bishop's squares, no matter if your opponent has a bishop or not."
If most of your pawns (particularly the central pawns) are on the same color squares as one of your bishops, that bishop is considered a "bad" bishop.
Similarly, a bishop that does not share the same squares color as most of your pawns is considered a "good" bishop. Why is that so? Because this 'color configuration' allows the player to control squares of both colors; allows the bishop to move freely among the pawns, and helps fix enemy pawns on squares on which they can be attacked by the bishop. Such a bishop is often referred to as a "good" bishop.
Good bishops are often more advantageous than bad ones. Good bishops have more freedom of movement, and control squares that their allied pawns cannot. On the other hand, "bad" bishops can sometimes be useful, as they and their pawns can defend each other.
Even when most of your pawns (particularly the central pawns) are on the same color squares as one of your bishops and your bishop is outside of its pawn chain, that is an active bishop!
Active bishops have greater freedom and are generally better placed than those still trapped inside the pawn chain.
Don't miss this new and formative series by our GM Boris Alterman!
GM Larry Christiansen is a three-time U.S. Champion and one of the most dangerous and respected attacking players of his generation. He is a feared competitor and attacker who authored two popular books that showcase his aggressive
style: Storming
the Barricades and Rocking
the Ramparts. Each week on the show, Larry
will feature various attacking motifs and themes and showing
you how best to play for mate.
Today's show is: Larry reports form the US Championship
Our GM Larry Christiansen has just concluded his participation to the 2013 U.S. Championship, with excellent results. He's qualified for the World Cup! In this week's show, LarryC leads us into the heart of the Championship, illustrating two games that have seen him protagonits. The first one is his win over Sam Shankland, and the second his loss against the surprising GM Holt. Enjoy Larry's first-hand report from the U.S. Championship!
Game of the Day Trivia!ICC presents the daily trivia contests, where each day an ICC member will win 1 and 3 month membership extensions.
'New in Chess' TRIVIA! ICC and New in Chess present The
New in Chess' Trivia Contest, where each day an ICC member will win a 1 year subscription to NIC!
John Watson is on break the next two weeks. IM Mark Ginsburg will be stepping in with an excellent video series Upholding the Sicilian: Smith-Morra Gambit.
The Sicilian Defense is by far Black's most popular answer to 1 e4 at all levels of chess - but many White players prefer to avoid the main lines by playing one of the multitude of so-called ‘Anti-Sicilian' lines on offer. These alternatives to 2 Nf3 include the primitive but dangerous Grand Prix Attack, one or two wild gambits, and also some tedious and niggling variations such as the Alapin with 2. c3, the Closed Sicilian, the Moscow/Rossolimo with 3. Bb5(+) and the KIA which are all designed to stamp out any fun Black was envisaging when playing 1...c5.
But fear not, because there's an antidote to it all: "Upholding the Sicilian" by IM Mark Ginsburg, who in a new video series provides a reliable repertoire to all those annoying sidelines!
The Holiday season is always a favorite time of the year to watch The French Connection, and here on ICC Chess.FM, we have our own version of the cult classic with a new series of GM Varuzhan "Popeye" Akobian videos based on his own ideas and repertoire as a lifelong maven of the French Defense!
Akobian's French Connection is a new five-part series that will give everyone from beginner to expert player the framework for further research on a reliable system to meet 1 e4 with e6!
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Show
Members
Preview
1
12/01/2011
Advanced variation
2
12/08/2011
Classical variation
3
12/15/2011
Exchange variation
4
12/22/2011
Tarrasch variation
5
12/29/2011
Unusual sidelines
GM Boris Alterman will be on holiday throughout December and Gambit Guide will be back again in January 2012.
"Positional Exchange Sacrifice" by FM Valeri Lilov (Tiger-Lilov)
While IM John Watson takes a well-earned break from his regular show Beyond the Opening, his spot for the next two Tuesdays is filled by FM Valeri Lilov, with a bonus 4-part video series for members on positional exchange sacrifices. Pt 1 & 2 are shown together, with 3 & 4 next week.
This month (Tue., 7 June ), replacing IM John Watson for now as guest host of Chess Talk will be international chess journalist Janis Nisii (Janis on ICC). Janis lives and works in Italy and has reported on several major elite tournaments for magazines such as New In Chess, Chess (UK), 64 (Russia), Europe Echecs (France), Jaque (Spain), Schach (Germany) and Torre & Cavallo (Italy).
And her very special guest in a two-part Chess Talk special needs no introduction, as it is world No.3 and recent candidate Levon Aronian. Levon Aronian has led tiny chess mad Armenia to two Olympiad Golds in 2006 and 2008 and his most recent victory was winning the final Amber Tournament in Monte Carlo.
Mikhail Tal has a special place in the hearts of most chess players. Tal deeply loved the game of chess and believed "Chess, first of all, is Art."
Fittingly, the 2009 Tal Memorial in honor of the "Magician from Riga" is the strongest tournament of the year, and one of the strongest fields of all time. MORE INFO.
The 2nd Nanjing Pearl Spring Chess Tournament takes place 27th Sept - 9th October 2009 in Nanjing, China. The total prize fund is $365,000 (250,000 Euros) and event is part of the Grand Slam series, with the winner getting an automatic seat into next year’s Grand Slam Masters Final. MORE INFO.
Bilbao starts on Sept. 6 and runs through the 12th. ICC will have live coverage each day, along with the "Game of the Day" video.
For more information, please see the official event page.
IM Alex Lenderman provides a two-part, introductory lecture
about chess endings. Follow along as he annotates moves upon the board
for play-by-play action.
The Scandinavian Defense (or Centre Counter) has risen in a relatively short time from being a theoretical backwater to a fully-blown main line opening. Its change in name to the Scandinavian came in the mid-1980s with its rehabilitation at top level by Denmark's Bent Larsen. And its rise since then has been nothing short of meteoric, even being used with great effect by Vishy Anand in his unsuccessful 1995 world title match against Garry Kasparov.
Against 1 e4, the Scandinavian is hugely popular at club level
because Black gains a minor psychological victory by setting the agenda from
the off with 1..d5! And in his new ICC Chess.FM series on the Scandinavian,
Pete Tamburro explores the 2...Qxd5 lines in five videos (and with a two volume
set to come later on 2 ..Nf6) that will take you through all the key themes
and strategies required for Black to play this popular, and easy-to-play opening
with confidence - and sizzling success!
This service is FREE to members and non-members of the ICC as a sampler
of our full 4 hour daily shows hosted by Mig Greengard, featuring the famed
New In Chess Trivia Quiz, where each day listeners
to the show can win a 1-year subscription to New
In Chess magazine.
Full Dortmund 2009 coverage and results can be found here.
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Bilbao starts on Sept. 6 and runs through the 12th. ICC will have live coverage each day, along with the "Game of the Day" video.
For more information, please see the 
