The Chess Mind

What is a zombie chess player? It's not an "undead" chess player escaped from a horror movie, but one who makes moves without really thinking about them. The behavior makes it look like the person is a chess player, but mentally, at the time of the move, there's no one there. Unfortunately, this is all of us - at least some of the time - but there is a cure. (And it won't even need a telethon or a stimulus package.)

To give some idea of what I mean, complete with various examples of zombie chess in the openings and tips for fixing the problem, have a look at this video. (It's free and available on-demand for the next month.) Later installments covering other aspects of the game will appear in subsequent weeks.

And not just any opposite-colored bishop ending, but the one I presented as an analysis project on the blog about a month ago. There are undoubtedly many ways for White to proceed, but the key is to grasp the right methods and principles. Once one understands them, the job becomes a lot easier, so I've structured my presentation along those lines. It is my hope that once you've finished watching this video, you'll have a good grasp of several key elements of opposite-colored bishop endings, which you will be able to successfully apply in your own games.

Have a look, here, and let me know what you conclude. The video is free (free registration is required), and will be available to you on-demand for about the next month or so.

One of the most common imbalances in chess is that of bishop vs. knight. In the abstract, the pieces are of approximately equal value, but when we look at real positions it's often the case that one piece or the other confers a real advantage to its owner. It's probably true that bishops are more often advantageous, but again, specifics rule here. As all of you have surely noticed, there are many times when the knight is the better piece, and in this week's ChessVideos show you'll see two such cases.

In both, there's a situation where the side with the bishop has all its pawns on the same color square as the bishop, and gets dominated on the opposite color complex. The knight has all the fun there, but turning it into a win often takes some doing. The value of this week's presentation is that it will help us figure out how to win such positions, and there's the further benefit that once one grasps some of the main ideas, they will work in a great many cases. So invest a little time (but no money) now, and enjoy the dividends later!

The show is here, free (but registration is required), and available on demand for about the next month or so.

Here I look at an interesting fragment from a recent game. The long-term advantages are mine, but in the meanwhile my opponent has some dangerous attacking possibilities. If I survive I'll have excellent winning chances, but there are some hurdles to clear along the way. Have a look for yourself and see how you would have fared.

It's just what it sounds like. ChessVideos viewers submit games here, and every so often I pick a number of games to cover in a video. The latest batch can be found here.

The show is free (registration is required), requires no special software, and is available on-demand, at least for the next month or so.