FIDE Master (and USCF Senior Master) Igor Nikolayev's games include 100's of gambit openings (King's gambit, Danish and Scotch gambits, Evans gambit, Jaenisch-Schliemann Gambit, Smith-Morra gambit, Budapest gambit, Blumenfeld gambit, Benko gambit, Nikolayev gambit, some less known gambits). Encyclopedic arrays of 2.c3 Anti-Sicilian (about two hundred games) and a splendid Renaissance of the Ponziani Opening (a few dozen games). Handling the French without the notorious pawn chains (~100 games). Destroying the Caro Kann with simple tools the opponents didn’t study (~100 games). A bit of brutal violence in the Scandinavian, Pirc and modern defense (a few dozen games). Surprisingly efficient revelations on both sides in the Two Knights and the Italian Game (~200 games). Making White forget 'milking the cow' in the Spanish Game (~100 games). Strategically aggressive approaches against the Queen's gambit, the Catalan Opening, the English Opening, the Reti, the Colle, the Bird’s opening. Not to forget Chigorin's Defense with the adventurous but convincing early e7-e5, From's Gambit to its full extent, and a real bomb in the Four Knights Opening. Still a lot more with anything in-between, leading to tense, dynamic positions where imaginative play and deep calculations are most at home. Attacks, combinations and tactical strikes merge with many instructive endgames. And a bit of chess philosophy, psychology and humor.
A master player of the Sokolsky opening, which is far more than just a mere novelty. From a bold Orangutan on the queenside to the Sokolsky 'King’s Gambit'. The Veresov Opening is another hit of his. Robust conservative approach to the Ruy Lopez against various systems. Classical blockade ideas in the French as a universal method for White and a poisoned 3...b6 for Black. Impressive Caro Kann examples after 4.g4 with the following blockading e5-e6!? pawn sacrifice. With Isay you will love the Sicilian for either side. Black's repertoire is also submitted with the Alekhine's Defence, the modern Philidor Defence, the King's Indian, Pirc-Ufimtsev Defence. Includes games against legendary figures, some of whom he knew personally. A number of postal games which were recognized as masterpieces of correspondence chess. About a half century in master level competition allow you to say something important about chess.
National Master Stephen Capp takes you on a journey into fighting chess. Games are rich with coffee-house tactical melees, bold sacrifices and 19th Century style king hunts... You will find very few 'grandmaster draws' here because nobody likes 'kissing your sister'. Examine deadly attacking ideas arising from the Grand Prix Attack. This opening has been played at the highest level. Nigel Short, Anand, Carlsen and others have all scored important victories with it. You can too. You can use it in response to the Pirc, and Modern Defence in addition to the Sicilian. There are games with gambits such as the Blackmar Diemer, the Elephant and Milner-Barry where you can learn to drag your opponents into 'deep dark forests' as Tal use to say. Tarrasch once said: 'Before the endgame, the gods have placed the middle game'. You will find very little endgame study in this game collection, -mostly just King hunts. They say, 'studying the endgame is like eating your vegetables'. Of course, learning the endgame is important. However, let's put the vegetables aside for now and dig into hot fudge sundaes and cheesecake. There are strategically rich games involving the main line Sicilian and various Ruy Lopez systems. There are two memorable battles in the Owen's defence which can't be missed.
Wednesday night finds verlager at the Rochester Chess Center, running his buggy Community Chess Club accounting and pairings software.
Slow play, move-based chess servers have a relaxed pace of one day to two weeks per move. They are good for honing openings that you are familiar with.
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Regular chess servers offer online chess at lightning, blitz, or standard speeds. They are good for practicing openings. The Internet Chess Club is without peer, has the most FIDE titled players, the most members, the most events, and is the easiest to play on. But ICC costs a bit. The Free Internet Chess Server with ficsgames is the original chess server. Both chess servers have their share of players who enjoy pretending to play chess, without thought. Their chess is best described as a form of Pachinko. It looks like chess, but is much faster. The other chess game sites are generally buggy, mismanaged, and populated by rude, juvenile computer cheaters posing as chess players. But I recommend Chess 24, and lichess as well as chess.com
The commercial chess database programs, chessbase and chess assistant are fine, but can be overkill. The free ones, chessdb and chessx, are also completely adequate. Chessgames.com is a database of historical chess games combined with discussion forums. You are storing and reviewing your games in a computer database, right?
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