The Complete Guide To Chess Principles

Free Download The Complete Guide To Chess Principles
Published 5/2023
MP4 | Video: h264, 1280×720 | Audio: AAC, 44.1 KHz
Language: English | Size: 29.72 GB | Duration: 25h 49m
Master Chess Essentials: Unravel Key Principles of Openings, Middlegame Tactics, Endgames and the psychology of chess

What you’ll learn
Ability to understand and apply opening principles.
Ability to balance attack and defense in the middlegame.
Ability to identify and execute tactical combinations and calculations.
Ability to understand the importance of material imbalance in middlegame and endgame scenarios.
Ability to appreciate and execute artful checkmates.
Ability to navigate closed positions effectively.
Ability to undermine opponent’s pawn chains strategically.
Ability to utilize pawn breaks to create dynamic play.
Ability to discern when and where to make pawn captures.
Ability to identify and execute good moves in a variety of situations.
Ability to manage your time effectively throughout the game.
Ability to spot and exploit weaknesses in your opponent’s position.
Ability to ensure king safety throughout the game.
Ability to understand the importance of material and when to consider sacrificing it.
Ability to balance pawn structure considerations with piece activity.
Ability to make decisions on simplification in the middlegame.
Ability to evaluate and use passed pawns effectively.
Ability to utilize thorn pawns to restrict the opponent’s king.
Ability to manage tempo effectively to gain an advantage.
Ability to improve piece locations throughout the game.
Ability to understand and apply positional chess principles.
Ability to apply key endgame principles to secure a win or draw.
Ability to incorporate the psychological aspects of chess in your gameplay.
Ability to use principles from "Art of War" in your strategy.
Ability to understand and apply key principles for chess improvement.
Ability to assess the value and potential of each piece.
Ability to create and implement a game plan based on the current position.
Ability to transition smoothly from the opening to the middlegame.
Ability to recognize critical positions and respond appropriately.
Ability to exploit your opponent’s tactical errors.
Ability to formulate and execute a successful endgame strategy.
Ability to anticipate your opponent’s plans and counter them.
Ability to adjust your strategy based on the evolution of the game.
Ability to recognize patterns and motifs in different positions.
Ability to understand the importance of piece coordination.
Ability to utilize tactical themes like pins, forks, and skewers.
Ability to use prophylactic thinking to prevent opponent’s plans.
Ability to understand the importance of space in chess.
Ability to understand pawn structures and their impact on the game.
Ability to adapt your approach based on different opponent styles.
Requirements
Know how the chess pieces move
Description
Welcome to "The Complete Guide to Chess Principles," a comprehensive course expertly designed to turn you from a chess enthusiast into a competent player, familiar with the fundamentals that govern this incredible game.Starting with an introduction to the essential basics, we will guide you through a journey of discovery, exploring the intricate dimensions of chess. We gradually unravel the layers, starting from the Opening Principles tier by tier, to help you establish a solid footing right at the start of the game.Our meticulously structured middlegame modules address multiple facets of this crucial phase – from balancing attack and defence, honing your tactics, combinations, and calculation skills, to understanding the subtleties of material imbalance and the art of checkmating.We delve into the distinct strategies of playing in closed positions, undermining pawn chains, executing pawn breaks and captures, and the nuances of making good moves. Not overlooking the vital principles of time management and exploiting weaknesses, we also underscore the importance of king safety and the delicate art of sacrificing material.Our focus then transitions to the strategic aspects of the middlegame, with dedicated modules on pawn structure, piece activity, simplification, passed pawns, thorn pawns, tempo management, and enhancing piece locations. We equip you with the knowledge to play positional chess confidently.We then delve into endgame principles, ensuring you’re well-versed in navigating this defining phase of a chess game. We explore the psychological aspects and apply principles from the Art of War to understand the intricacies of chess strategies.Lastly, we lay out a clear path for your ongoing improvement in the game, sharing effective and proven principles to guide your chess learning journey.Whether you are an absolute beginner or a casual player looking to improve, this course offers an in-depth, structured, and enjoyable approach to mastering chess principles. Get ready to embark on a captivating journey into the world of chess, a journey that promises to be as rewarding as it is enlightening!
Overview
Section 1: Introduction
Lecture 1 The What and Why of Chess Principles
Lecture 2 Are "Principled moves" good or bad?
Lecture 3 Meta-principles – Principles in dealing with principles
Lecture 4 Sources of Principles
Lecture 5 Each principle presented gives key points and examples
Lecture 6 Scalability of principles to stronger and stronger opponents
Lecture 7 Main Principle Categories
Lecture 8 Punishment for not following principles
Lecture 9 Qualifying principles
Lecture 10 Beginner to intermediate players express over-assertiveness of principles
Lecture 11 Different levels of reliability of principles
Lecture 12 Know progressively when to break principles
Lecture 13 Neural network influence on established chess principles
Section 2: Opening Principles – Tier 1
Lecture 14 Develop your pieces
Lecture 15 Control the center with pieces and pawns
Lecture 16 Get Castled Early
Lecture 17 Value Castling Rights
Lecture 18 Don’t castle if it worsens King Safety
Lecture 19 Minimise Pawn Moves
Lecture 20 Don’t move the same piece twice
Lecture 21 Don’t bring the Queen out too early
Lecture 22 Don’t be too greedy in the Opening
Section 3: Opening Principles – Tier 2
Lecture 23 Keep pieces defended
Lecture 24 Don’t give up bishop for knight without good reason
Lecture 25 Give up a bishop for a knight when advantageous to do or follow up strategy
Lecture 26 Don’t be provoked to make too many pawn moves (see also Minimise pawn moves)
Lecture 27 Consider main pawn moves if they create definite advantage
Lecture 28 Strong Central Pawn Chain often desirable for the attack
Lecture 29 Replace occupation with central control if advantageous to do so
Lecture 30 Often "Overprotection" is good – e.g. a center point like e5
Section 4: Tier 3 Opening Principles
Lecture 31 Early h-file attacks are often effective especially vs fianchettos
Lecture 32 The only way to refute most gambits is to accept them
Lecture 33 Piece Development speed not so important in closed positions
Lecture 34 Sometimes not castling is best especially in more closed positions
Section 5: Middlegame: Balance of Attack vs Defence
Lecture 35 Generally – be super-nerdy to find the downsides of opponent’s position
Lecture 36 Take keen interest in "default downsides" like K-position – diagonal of death
Lecture 37 Can also neutralise opponent’s upsides BEFORE focusing on their downsides
Lecture 38 Shut down the opponent’s counterplay with patience before any downside focus
Lecture 39 Extreme Neutralising of Opponents resources and upsides can secure fortress draw
Lecture 40 Celebrate relative upsides of your position – e.g. Bishop without counterpart
Lecture 41 Strengthening position- Reduce own downsides vs exploiting downsides of opponent
Lecture 42 Intuitively having more attacking than defensive pieces to justify sacrifices
Lecture 43 Well-founded attacks (AKA downside focus) are more likely to succeed intuitively
Lecture 44 Accumulate advantages makes attacks effective but sometimes optional for win!
Section 6: Middlegame: Tactics, Combinations and Calculation (how most games are won!)
Lecture 45 Prioritise the calculation of forcing variations
Lecture 46 Check all checks, captures and major threats (e.g. mate in 1 or 2)
Lecture 47 Check all checks, even the most outrageous ones
Lecture 48 Check all captures, even the most outrageous ones
Lecture 49 Check all major threats even the most outrageous ones
Lecture 50 Intermediate moves instead of auto-recapture can be dangerous
Lecture 51 Maintain tension- Be aware of forcing variations but don’t necessarily play them
Lecture 52 When calculating forcing sequences, check weakness of last move
Lecture 53 When calculating forcing sequences, check killer common squares
Lecture 54 When calculating forcing sequences, check librational effects around whole board
Lecture 55 Pin and win – especially Absolute pins
Lecture 56 Don’t always rely on relative pins
Lecture 57 Be aware of the various tactical patterns and what is behind their success
Section 7: Middlegame/Endgame: Material Imbalance Tiebreaking principles
Lecture 58 Bishop often better than Knight in endgames
Lecture 59 Knights can conquer bishops in endgames especially if center blocks bishop in
Lecture 60 Two bishops are often better than Bishop and Knight
Lecture 61 Knight, Bishop, Pawn are often worth more than Rook and pawn
Lecture 62 Two rooks not always better than Queen
Lecture 63 Three pieces are often worth more than Queen
Lecture 64 Two pawns on 6th rank often beat a rook
Lecture 65 Opposite colored bishops often dangerous in middlegame
Lecture 66 Opposite colored bishops often drawing in endgames even with pawns down
Section 8: Middlegame: Checkmating Art related principles
Lecture 67 When escape squares of opponent’s King have been taken, get excited
Lecture 68 Be aware of the various mating patterns and what is behind their success
Lecture 69 Double checks are really powerful as they force the King to move
Lecture 70 Don’t passively react to threats – aware, keep downside focus if opp. K is weak
Lecture 71 Bringing king down the board to your resources is often great
Lecture 72 Bringing the opponent’s King right down the board in middlegame often great
Section 9: Middlegame: Closed positions
Lecture 73 Manoeuvring and building up pressure before pawn breaks is important when closed
Section 10: Middlegame: Undermining pawn chains
Lecture 74 Most often undermining pawn chains at exploitable base for advantage
Lecture 75 Undermine at base of pawn chain for advantage
Section 11: Pawn breaks
Lecture 76 Strategic pawn breaks are often worth preparing carefully
Section 12: Pawn captures
Lecture 77 Generally try and capture towards the center
Section 13: Middlegame: Good moves
Lecture 78 When you see a good move, look for an even better one
Lecture 79 Don’t play "Hope Chess" – prefer "Real Chess"
Section 14: Middlegame: Time Management
Lecture 80 General Time Management principles
Lecture 81 Think more strategically when opponent’s turn and more tactically on your turn
Section 15: Weaknesses in general
Lecture 82 A weakness is only a weakness if it is exploitable
Lecture 83 K-safety as more game-ending than other weaknesses – Checkmate ends game
Lecture 84 "The threat is often stronger than the execution"
Section 16: Middlegame: King Safety
Lecture 85 K safety: Checkmate ends the game – Try and attack the opponent’s King
Lecture 86 K safety: Checkmate ends the game – Try and keep your King safe
Lecture 87 Don’t make wreckless pawn moves especially around your King
Section 17: Middlegame: Material and Sacrificing related
Lecture 88 If you sacrifice for the initiative, make sure there is enough compensation
Section 18: Middlegame: Pawn structure vs Piece Activity related
Lecture 89 Pawns don’t go backwards -generally avoid creating weak squares in your position
Lecture 90 Pawns don’t go backwards – generally try and provoke weaknesses
Lecture 91 Structure is important – Generally avoid Boleslavsky hole on d5
Lecture 92 Structure is important – Generally avoid Isolated Queens Pawn
Lecture 93 Structure is important – Generally avoid Hanging Pawns
Lecture 94 Structure is important – Generally avoid Backward Pawns unless compensation
Lecture 95 Structure is important – Generally avoid Doubled pawns – especially isolated
Lecture 96 Activity vs Structure – Have Isolated pawns if enough compensation
Lecture 97 Activity vs Structure – Have doubled pawns if enough piece compensation
Lecture 98 Activity vs Structure – Have Backward pawns if enough compensation
Lecture 99 Activity vs Structure – Having hanging pawns if enough compensation
Lecture 100 Attacking majority of pawns with a minority often good – Minority Attack
Section 19: Middlegame: Simplification
Lecture 101 When up in material, trade pieces not pawns and keep things simple
Lecture 102 When behind in material, trade pawns not pieces and keep things complex
Lecture 103 Pawns vs Piece: Piece better in middlegame, pawns better in endgames
Lecture 104 Exchange pieces when cramped
Lecture 105 Avoid exchanges when you have more space
Lecture 106 Trade off your bad bishops
Lecture 107 Discourage opponent from trading off their bad bishops
Lecture 108 Trade off your passive pieces for opponent’s active pieces
Lecture 109 Avoid your active pieces being traded off for the opponent’s passive pieces
Lecture 110 Trade off the opponent’s attacking pieces to reduce the attack
Lecture 111 Maximise key attacking pieces to maintain or maximise attack
Lecture 112 Trade pieces when you have a better pawn structure
Lecture 113 Avoid trading pieces when you have a worse pawn structure
Section 20: Middlegame or Endgame: Passed Pawns
Lecture 114 Passed pawns – General principles, and Creation example
Lecture 115 Sense how a majority of pawns can create a passed pawn
Lecture 116 Create Passed Pawns when advantageous to do so
Lecture 117 Try and get Protected Passed Pawns
Lecture 118 Try and get connected Passed Pawns
Lecture 119 Blockade opponent’s passed pawns or candidate passers ideally with Knights
Lecture 120 Passed pawns must be pushed
Lecture 121 Rooks belong behind passed pawns – either yours or the opponents
Section 21: Middlegame: Thorn Pawns
Lecture 122 Thorn pawns are often deirable
Section 22: Middlegame: Tempo Management
Lecture 123 In general, making moves with gain of tempo is desirable
Section 23: Middlegame: Improving Piece Locations
Lecture 124 Generally avoid Bad Bishops locked behind own pawns
Lecture 125 Generally knights should be centralised for maximum mobility
Lecture 126 Rooks like 7th rank are often dangerous and very effective
Section 24: Middlegame: Positional chess
Lecture 127 Improve your worst piece if no clear long term plan available
Section 25: Endgame principles
Lecture 128 Activate your King: King Activity – the King becomes a stronger piece
Lecture 129 Take care of pawn structure: Pawn structure becomes more important in endgames
Lecture 130 Leverage the principle of two weaknesses in endgames
Lecture 131 Leverage the principle of opposition
Lecture 132 Leverage outside passed pawns
Lecture 133 Leverage bishop pair in endgames
Lecture 134 Rooks often best behind passed pawns
Section 26: Art of War principles and Psychology
Lecture 135 Style can often be more important than strength
Lecture 136 Know your chess related limitations and strengths
Lecture 137 Strive to make the positions uncomfortable for the opponent
Lecture 138 Strive to get positions you are comfortable with
Lecture 139 Choose the chess competitions best suited to your goals and style
Lecture 140 Have the courage of your convictions even vs much higher-rated players
Lecture 141 Thick skin with determination is often more important than talent
Lecture 142 Value Opening Informational Advantages
Lecture 143 Play positions you know even if you think opponent has prepared against you
Lecture 144 Don’t be intimidated by Opponents with higher ratings or reputations
Lecture 145 No one ever won a game by resigning- Tartakower
Lecture 146 The hardest game to win is a won game – Lasker
Lecture 147 "Simple chess" – Don’t take unnecessary risks, avoid complications. Win is win.
Lecture 148 Chess Assassin mindset can help stay focused on board not outcomes etc
Section 27: Chess Improvement Principles
Lecture 149 Good to get into the habit of post-mortem analysis of games
Lecture 150 Understanding often more important than memorisation
Lecture 151 Enjoy the process – the journey is often more important than the destination
Section 28: PGN Downloads
Lecture 152 PGN file of annotated games in this course
Section 29: Conclusions and Philosophical points
Lecture 153 Conclusions and Philosophical points
Lecture 154 Bonus Lecture
Beginner to Intermediate Chess Players
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