Compiled by WMD

Igor Stohl has selected 50 outstanding games from recent years and analyzed them in painstaking depth.

"We were in the fifth hour. He was lost, ruined, not a chance! I knew it, he knew it. But he sat there —almost an hour! —calculating, calculating, calculating! Inside he was screaming. He was pale, like a dead man, but this force was going through him like millions of volts. I could feel it smashing and smashing at me across the board. Well, it had an effect, I can tell you that. Five or ten minutes—all right. But an hour! In the end, I was the one screaming inside. When you play Bobby, it is not a question if you win or lose. It is a question if you survive." —Boris Spassky after defeating Bobby Fischer at the Siegen Olympiad in 1970

Here is what Vladimir Kramnik has to say:
"Botvinnik's example and teaching established the modern approach to preparing for competitive chess: regular but moderate physical exercise; analysing very thoroughly a relatively narrow repertoire of openings; annotating one's own games, those of past great players and those of competitors; publishing one's annotations so that others can point out any errors; studying strong opponents to discover their strengths and weaknesses; ruthless objectivity about one's own strengths and weaknesses."

"Reading can take you places you have never been before." — Dr. Seuss

Apr-13-63 Congratulations to one of the greatest chess players who ever lived! It is incredulous that Garry Kasparov celebrates his 60th birthday today. He played five of the best games in the history of the royal game: 1. A. Karpov - G. Kasparov, Moscow (m/16) 1985; 2. G. Kasparov - V. Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999; 3. A. Karpov - G. Kasparov, Linares 1993;
4. G. Kasparov - V. Anand, New York (m/10) 1995; 5. G. Kasparov - L. Portisch, Niksic 1983.

Kasparov's Evan's Gambit game against V. Anand is one of his most reprinted games in Russian chess literature: Kasparov vs Anand, 1995.

Al the ventriloquist is performing with his dummy on his lap. He's telling a dumb-blonde joke when a young platinum-haired beauty jumps to her feet.

"What gives you the right to stereotype blondes that way?" she demands. "What does hair color have to do with my worth as a human being?"

Flustered, Al the ventriloquist begins to stammer out an apology.

"You keep out of this!" she yells. "I'm talking to that little jerk on your knee!"

— Submitted by Nancy Gomes

"Playing with less space is one of the hardest things to do in chess." – IM John Watson

* All Openings: Game Collection: Chess Openings: Theory and Practice, Section 1

* Beat the QGD Exchange: Game Collection: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation

* QGD, Vienna: Game Collection: QGD: Vienna

* Black Victories: Game Collection: Dutch defense Hopton attack

* Beauty Prizes
Game Collection: Les Prix de Beauté aux Echecs (I)

* Chess Terms: https://chessmart.com/pages/chess-t...

* Double B sacrifices: Game Collection: Double Bishop Sacrifices (dedicated to Anatoly K

* Evolution: Game Collection: # Chess Evolution Volumes 51-100

* FIDE Laws of Chess: https://rcc.fide.com/2023-laws-of-c...

* Fine's Passion: Game Collection: Passion for Chess (Fine)

* Lasker's Best: https://thechessworld.com/articles/...

* Lasker Matters: Game Collection: Why Lasker Matters by Andrew Soltis

* Morphy pounds Philidor's Defense: Game Collection: White - Philidor: Morphy

* Play Stockfish 1-10: https://labinatorsolutions.github.i...

* Russians - Chernev: Game Collection: The Russians Play Chess by Irving Chernev

* Shirov miniatures: Game Collection: Shirov miniatures

* Smyslov Brevities: Game Collection: Smyslov brevities

* SMG Miniatures: Game Collection: Brrilant ideas

* Tactics Explained: https://www.chess.com/article/view/...

* Wonders and Curiosities: Game Collection: Wonders and Curiosities of Chess (Chernev)

* GoY's 40 Favs: Game Collection: GoY's favorite games

NIÑO GENIO nos da UNO de los MEJORES MOMENTOS de la HISTORIA del AJEDREZ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ps...

"Havana" by Camila Cabello
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3v...

New Best Game of 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Q...

"Bloody Mary": https://www.historyhit.com/facts-ab...

Feb-10-24 karik: Can someone say how to get rid of ads from chessgames. Feb-10-24 MissScarlett: Premium Membership Help Page

<Principles of Chess

01. Develop your pieces quickly.
02. Control the center.
03. Try to put your pieces on squares that give them maximum space.

04. Try to develop your knights towards the center.

05. A knight on the rim is dim.
06. Don't take unnecessary chances.
07. Play aggressive.
08. Calculate forced moves first.
09. Always ask yourself, "Can he put me in check or win a piece?"

10. Have a plan. Every move should have a purpose.

11. Assume your opponent's move is his best move.

12. Ask yourself, "why did he move there?" after each opponent move.

13. Play for the initiative and controlling the board.

14. If you must lose a piece, get something for it if you can.

15. When behind, exchange pawns. When ahead, exchange pieces.

16. If you are losing, don't give up fighting. Look for counterplay.

17. Don't play unsound moves unless you are losing badly.

18. Don't sacrifice a piece without good reason.

19. If you are in doubt of an opponent's sacrifice, accept it.

20. Attack with more that just one or two pieces.

21. Do not make careless pawn moves. They cannot move back.

22. Do not block in your bishops.
23. Bishops of opposite colors have the greatest chance of drawing.

24. Try not to move the same piece twice or more times in a row.

25. Exchange pieces if it helps your development.

26. Don't bring your queen out early.
27. Castle soon to protect your king and develop your rook.

28. Develop rooks to open files.
29. Put rooks behind passed pawns.
30. Study rook endgames. They are the most common and most complicated.

31. Don't let your king get caught in the center.

32. Don't castle if it brings your king into greater danger from attack.

33. After castling, keep a good pawn formation around your king.

34. If you only have one bishop, put your pawns on its opposite color.

35. Trade pawns pieces when ahead in material or when under attack.

36. If cramped, free your game by exchanging material.

37. If your opponent is cramped, don't let him get any freeing exchanges.

38. Study openings you are comfortable with.
39. Play over entire games, not just the opening.

40. Blitz chess is helpful in recognizing chess patterns. Play often.

41. Study annotated games and try to guess each move.

42. Stick with just a few openings with White, and a few openings with Black.

43. Record your games and go over them, especially the games you lost.

44. Show your games to higher rated opponents and get feedback from them.

45. Use chess computers and databases to help you study and play more.

46. Everyone blunders. The champions just blunder less often.

47. When it is not your move, look for tactics and combinations.

48. Try to double rooks or double rook and queen on open files.

49. Always ask yourself, "Does my next move overlook something simple?"

50. Don't make your own plans without the exclusion of the opponent's threats.

51. Watch out for captures by retreat of an opponent's piece.

52. Do not focus on one sector of the board. View thw whole board.

53. Write down your move first before making that move if it helps.

54. Try to solve chess puzzles with diagrams from books and magazines.

55. It is less likely that an opponent is prepared for off-beat openings.

56. Recognize transposition of moves from main-line play.

57. Watch your time and avoid time trouble.
58. Bishops are worth more than knights except when they are pinned in.

59. A knight works better with a bishop than another knight.

60. It is usually a good idea to trade down into a pawn up endgame.

61. Have confidence in your game.
62. Play in as many rated events as you can.
63. Try not to look at your opponent's rating until after the game.

64. Always play for a win.
(If a win is no longer possible, then play for a draw.)>