ArcaMax

The Scandinavian Defense is often misplayed by amateurs. This game is one example: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Bf4 e6 7.h3 Bxf3 (Moving the bishop back to f5 or h5 just gets g4 as a reply. For example, 7...Bh5 8.g4 Bg6 9.h4 Nd7 10.h5 Be4 11.Bd2 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 h6 and White gets the exchange anyhow, but with 4 extra moves and ...

This game is a fine lesson in why players castle before they attack. Black thought he would cower White with his g5 pawn attack on the kingside. If you were White, how would you show Black why it wasn’t such a good idea. The game started 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Be2 Be7 6.0–0 h6 7.b3 c6 8.Bb2 Qc7 9.Qd2 g5 10.Rfd1 Nf8 11.dxe5 ...

One careless move in the opening can sometimes lead to disaster. This game is an object lesson on what not to do. From Sczepaniak-Michel, Berlin 1939—It starts out 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c5 4.Nc3?? cxd4 5.Nxd4 e5 6.Nf3 d4 7.Nb1 Nc6 8.g3 e4 9.Nh4 g5 10.Ng2 Ng4 11.h3 Nge5 12.b3 Bf5 13.a4 Bb4+ 14.Bd2 Qd6 15.a5 and now it’s time for you to ...

Coup de grace time.

From an alleged game of Alekhine’s.

Today we have another two for one special. Whoever has the move in the position gets to mate the opponent.

Today we have a two for one special. Whoever has the move in the position gets to mate the opponent.

We’re giving you a whole game because it’s so much fun to play over. (64) Zaitsev - Storoienko USSR, 1969

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Bc4 cxb2 6.Bxb2 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nge7 8.Ng5 Ne5 9.Qh5 g6 10.Qh6 Nxc4 11.Qg7 Rf8 12.Nxh7 Nc6 13.Nf6+ Ke7 14.0–0–0 Ba3 15.Nfd5+ Ke6 16.Nf4+ Ke7 17.Nxg6+ Ke6 18.Nf4+ Ke7 19.Nfd5+ Ke6 20.Qg4+ Kd6 21.e5+...

So, how are your minor piece skills, especially with a knight. White wins this by winning the queen. Can you map out the plan?

It seems that White, somewhat exposed, is safely surrounded by his pieces and Black’s queen is under attack and is bishop on b7 is shut out. However, all is not what it seems. It’s a mate in six!

A clever mating attack.

I’m taking a game from my latest Openings for Amateurs book—the last in a trilogy. Openings for Amateurs: Theory vs. Practice won Book of the Year (instructional category) from the Chess Journalists of America for 2025. The explanatory notes took almost five pages, so I’m just giving one of the key positions; however, here is the whole ...

This is from a very famous game at New York, 1924, where US Champ Frank Marshall comes up with an attack for the ages. We are giving the whole game because it’s worth playing over. The brilliant moves start earlier than the diagram, so you should look at the previous moves for a real learning experience. Here’s how it started. 1.d4 Nf6 2....

It’s Friday. Are you ready for a long think about an extended attack on your opponent leading to mate?

A bit of a change of pace. We haven’t done a composed mate in three in a while. There are very few pieces on the board, so you have a fighting chance.

When your opponent makes an error in the opening, you have to be alert to punishing that mistake right away. After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 (A popular choice in recent years, usually combined with follow up moves like Nbd7, Nf6, Be7 and a well-timed c5. Black now shows what not to do.) 4.Nxe4 Bd6 5.Bd3 Ne7 6.Bg5 0–0?? SEE DIAGRAM Normally, ...

Today is a different type of puzzle. The diagram is an actual position between grandmasters after White’s 6th move. Can you figure out what moves were played to get to this position?

Alertness in the middle game is our theme today. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.Bxc6+ bxc6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 f6 8.c4 g6 9.Nc3 Nh6 10.0–0 Nf7 11.b3 Bg7 12.Bb2 0–0 13.Rad1 Qe7 14.h3 f5 SEE DIAGRAM and now what should White’s plan be?