positional chess pawn
The Technique
Alberto Chueca

Chess: Positional Play

7 Imperative positional chess concepts

The positional chess concepts are something that we can’t stop studying in chess. These are the key ideas that make the process of thinking a lot easier in chess.

They give us simple tricks and pre-determined plans to follow in certain positions. They were created by the masters that have learned from their previous experience of the game.

They have left this knowledge for us, the new generation of chess players, to study them and improve them. This is how chess has evolved a lot over the years, and the reason the game is what … Read more

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center and development
03 Chess middlegame ♟️
Alberto Chueca

Chess: Center & Development

Chess center and development

There are different principles or rules to play chess correctly, two of the most important are the center and development. You surely have already heard about these two, but what do chess masters mean by this.

The objective of this post is to give a practical approach to these topics, along with simple explanations and tips to apply to improve your game now.

Defining the Chess Center

center and development queen

The chess center is one of the most important factors in chess, by this we mean controlling the central squares. Having control over the center in chess can give … Read more

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chess open files pieces
03 Chess middlegame ♟️
Alberto Chueca

Chess: Open Files

What is an open file?

An open file in chess is a file in which there aren’t any pawns or pieces blocking the way. So the major pieces, especially rooks and queens, can get activity through these files.

Having an open file under your control can report a lot of benefits to you. So is like this, that the open file is one factor that can completely give you the game if you know how to exploit it.

Yet, there are two types of open files, offering different advantages, that you have to know how to seize:

The fully open Read more

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chess passed pawns
03 Chess middlegame ♟️
Alberto Chueca

Chess: Passed Pawns

What is a passed pawn in chess?

The passed pawn is chess is the pawn that has no opposition to advance and has a freeway until the promoting square. Children usually mistake thinking the pawn is the pawn past the fifth rank of the board.

This is not true, a passed pawn could be on a2 with white, but even so, if there is not a pawn on the a-file or b-file it’s a passed pawn.

A passed pawn can give a lot of opportunities to one of the players, which is a factor of weight that can be easily … Read more

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chess pattern puzzle
03 Chess middlegame ♟️
Alberto Chueca

How the Recognition of Chess Patterns Will make You a Grandmaster

Chess patterns

There is something that helps the chess player understand when there is a combination over the board, a chess pattern. It is something almost invisible, if you are an amateur chess player, you will surely understand me.

Nobody tells you, but you know it, you can smell something, what is it? Here I can surely get an advantage by a combination. The chess patterns are a configuration of pieces that tells us, there is something important we need to pay attention to.

Your mind can remember more things than what you think, you are not conscious of the … Read more

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the psychology in chess
05 The ways to improve in chess ♟️
Alberto Chueca

The Secrets of The Chess Psychology

The Psychology in Chess

Chess is not just a board game, but a mind game, a fierce battle of minds and emotions (yes, emotions). It all comes down to a beautiful science that has been neglected by most, the psychology in chess.

Chess psychology can get really complex, considering this is the science that studies human natures and behaviors. In chess, psychology is important has a fundamental role in your chess performance.

Let’s explain the psychology in chess the easier we can for you to understand how it affects your game (and you in general).

  1. Studying psychology will help you
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chess en passant
03 Chess middlegame ♟️
Alberto Chueca

The Chess en Passant Move Secrets for Advanced Players

The chess en passant move!

We have already talked about the unusual capture in chess in other blog posts, but the interesting chess en passant capture needs to be well-explained.

It is not easy to understand because the topic is very rich and has a great history behind it. The chess en passant has become so important in the development of chess.

Chess has suffered a lot of changes in the entire history that makes it difficult to really know how chess was before. The en passant chess move is something that was not very well-received by the masters of … Read more

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next chess move thinking
05 The ways to improve in chess ♟️
Alberto Chueca

How to choose the next chess move

The next chess move in the key moment

There are important moments in chess when we have to choose our next chess move, which is a decision that will affect the whole game. When we have a key position in front of us we need to objectively consider all the aspects of the position.

This process is called analysis and this is one of the most important chess skills you can develop. IM Mark Dvoretsky used to focus a great part of their training sessions on this topic.

Why we have to think so much to decide our next chess … Read more

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chess bishop tactics
03 Chess middlegame ♟️
Alberto Chueca

Bishop Chess Killer Strategy to Win Games like a Grandmaster

The importance of the bishop

Knowing how to seize the art of the chess bishop coordination is key to getting crushing attacking positions.

The bishop is a minor piece in chess, differently from the knights, bishops cover a lot of squares simultaneously. They don't need to be in the center to be effective, a bishop controls a bunch of squares, even if it's in the corner.

This piece tends to be dangerous for both players, a well-positioned bishop causes so much trouble because is an excellent attacker. There are chess openings and ideas dedicated exclusively to counter bishop activity or … Read more

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Isolated Pawn
03 Chess middlegame ♟️
Alberto Chueca

How to handle the Isolated Pawn in Chess

Isolated Pawn Definition

A pawn is said to be isolated if there are no pawns of the same color beside it. In other words, the isolated pawn is a lonely pawn that does not have support from neighboring pawns and can be a worrisome weakness depending on the nature of the position.

The concept of the isolated pawn is very important because most beginners, intermediate, and even advanced players in chess having such pawns in their games lose regularly due to improper handling of the position.

Isolated pawns can arise from different openings such as the Queen's gambit, Tarrasch … Read more

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