From the CEO
Recently I went to the Hatsun Chess Academy in Thiruthangal near Sivakasi for 2 days. It is being run by GM Vishnu Prasanna and his team. You can get to know more about the academy from this video that I have made:
While I was there, I got an opportunity to sit in one of Vishnu's sessions. It was a class based on strategic concepts and Vishnu gave the following position between White: Vladimir Kramnik and Black: Magnus Carlsen, Wijk Aan Zee 2008.
Black to play
When this position was given I was very quick to notice the move ...Bg5 provoking e3 and weakening the light squares. And so I thought of this move and waited for the other kids to answer! Sure enough this was the correct move. Vishnu made these moves on the board and gave the next position.
What should Black do here?
For me it was clear that the move either had to be ...Ne5 or ...Qa8. Turns out that both these moves are met with Kg1. I tried to think for more duration but then gave up. After a few moments the move was revealed - Rff7! Wow, why is this even the right move I asked myself. Vishnu went on to explain the concept of prophylaxis. He said that the main idea for White in this position is Na4 and after the knight on c7 is moved, White wants to go c5! bxc5 and Nxc5 and now the knight cannot be taken because the rook on d7 is hanging. This is the reason why Rff7 is a powerful move, overprotecting the d7 rook and preparing the idea of Nc7-e8-f6-e4. The move Rff7 is the highest form of prophylaxis.
When the session was about to come to an end, Vishnu said something quite important: It is important not to learn too many new concepts. What is more important is to understand these limited concepts well and go deep into them. Because it is only when you have depth, is when you can avoid yourself from becoming predictable! Depth brings in creativity.
Wow! As I sat there and listened to this I was very impressed with this statement. It reminded me of Bruce Lee's famous statement: "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." It's similar to what Vishnu said. And then it dawned upon me - Gukesh! Whenever I commentate on Gukesh's games, he is always able to make unpredictable moves! Moves that his opponents don't expect him to make and moves that the engine does not even suggest. It's the depth that he has in understanding chess concepts, that is bringing out these moves from him.
Watch the full interview with Vishnu
And how does one develop this depth, I asked Vishnu? He thought about it and said, the student has to personalize this concept. They have to think about these concepts like prophylaxis, initiative, weaknesses etc. that exist in chess and need to understand them deeply. And that is where it is important that you, dear reader, if you are a serious student of the game seeking improvement, that you give yourself that space and time to think about anything new that you learn. - Sagar Shah
HEADLINE OF THE WEEK
57th Biel GMT: R Praggnanandhaa wins Accentus Chess960
R Praggnanandhaa and Haik Martirosyan (ARM) scored 5/7 each at Accentus Chess960, the opening event of 57th Biel International Chess Festival 2024 GMT. Praggnanandhaa won the event as he had defeated Haik in the third round. Vincent Keymer (GER) scored 4.5/7 to secure third place. The standings of this event will be used as a tie-break if required after the conclusion of the Grandmaster Triathlon (GMT). GM Alexander Donchenko (GER) won the Challengers event 5.5/7. GM Jonas Buhl Bjerre (DEN) secured second place. GM Salem Saleh (UAE) finished third 3/7. GM R Vaishali was placed fourth 2/7. The Rapid event will start today, Sunday 14th July. Who do you think will win the GMT? Photo: Biel Chess Festival
GRANDMASTER PREPARATION - ATTACK AND DEFENCE BY JACOB AAGAARD
In Attack & Defence, Jacob Aagaard presents the main principles of how to attack and defend in chess. By carving dynamic chess into separate areas of ability, he gives the reader a clear way to expand his understanding of this vital part of the game.
Grandmaster Jacob Aagaard won the British Championship at his first and only attempt. He is the only author to have won the Boleslavsky Medal as well as the ACP, Guardian, ECF and ChessCafe Book of the Year awards. He is a FIDE Senior Trainer, and on his retirement from professional chess he has taken up the post of trainer for the Danish elite. His training material is used by amateurs, grandmasters and World Champions alike!
Today, we have a big 10% discount on Attack and Defence by Jacob Aagaard! Just use the coupon code "AAGAARD10" to avail the discount. The offer expires on 22nd July 2024 - hurry up and get it NOW!
LATEST NEWS OF THE WEEK
SuperUnited Blitz 2024: Fabiano Caruana increases his sole lead by a staggering 4.5 points
Fabiano Caruana (USA) increased his sole lead by a whopping 4.5 points at SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz 2024. Despite starting the day with a loss against Ian Nepomniachtchi, Caruana won the next four games in-a-row, before losing to Alireza Firouzja (FRA). Caruana was completely winning against the France no.1. However, he made a one-move rook blunder in a winning endgame. Speaking of Frenchman, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave scored 6.5/9 to move to shared second place with Wesley So at 16.5/27. They are followed by Firouzja at 14.5/27. Only top six have a mathematical possibility of reaching Caruana's present score. The last nine rounds of Blitz will be played today from 2 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes/GCT
The legend of Bangladesh Chess - Ziaur Rahman (1974-2024)
Ziaur Rahman, the 2nd grandmaster of Bangladesh and the player to have reached the highest Elo by a Bangladeshi (2570) passed away on 5th of July while playing a game of chess at the Bangladesh National Championships 2024. He suffered a heart attack and collapsed to the ground. Ziaur was just 50 years old. In this article we look back at his life and remember what a gem of a person he was both on and off the board and we also have heartfelt messages from some of the top Indian GMs.
Chess7 Academy presents Middlegame Masterclass by Grandmasters this August at an affordable price
Elevate your chess skills this August with Chess7 Academy's exclusive Middlegame Masterclass, featuring four world-renowned Grandmasters. Mihail Marin (ROU), Dejan Bojkov (BUL), Ivan Sokolov (ROU) and Pravin Thipsay will be the four coaches who will conduct the Masterclass. There will be a total of 18 sessions throughout the month of August. Each session will take place 8 to 9:30 p.m. IST which means it will last 90 minutes. Zoom platform will be used for the sessions, which means you can be anywhere in the world and still learn from the Grandmasters. Early bird offer price is ₹4399 till 16th July 2024. Afterwards, it will be ₹4999. For more details, check out the article. Source: Official site
Skillcraft and ECA invites you to 1st Pro Skillcraft Rapid Rating Open 2024 offering ₹640000 prize fund
Skillcraft and Eminent Chess Academy is organizing 1st Pro Skillcraft Rapid Rating Open 2024. The tournament will take place on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July. The inaugural edition of this event is offering a first prize of ₹50000 and a total prize fund of ₹640000. Total 147 prizes including 75 age group prizes are up for grabs. Entry is FREE for GM, IM, WGM and WIMs. For others, it is ₹3000. Entry fee is ₹1500 for differently abled players. Over 300 players have already registered. Last date of registration: 25th July. So, hurry up and register yourself if you haven't yet. Check out the article for more details. Photo: Tournament circular
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