Impressive Chess

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"De-spookify" Gambits: By Declining Them!

"De-spookify" Gambits: By Declining Them!

NM NMChessToImpress
| 6 days ago

Hey Impressive Chessers! Happy Halloween! 🎃 Today, we're revisiting a classic Halloween topic: the infamous Halloween Gambit! This gambit is a spooky trick that arises in the Four Knights Opening, where White sacrifices a knight with 4. Nxe5, ai...

"De-spookify" Your Opponent's Threats

"De-spookify" Your Opponent's Threats

NM NMChessToImpress
| 7 days ago

Hey Impressive Chessers! Today, we’re going to revisit a topic that you’re probably getting pretty tired of hearing about: dealing with your opponent’s threats. If you’re tired of hearing about it—good! It means it's...

Simplify Chess: Backup Options

Simplify Chess: Backup Options

NM NMChessToImpress
| 26 days ago

Simplify Chess: Backup Options Chess is a very complicated game! In my opinion, that’s what makes it so fun; though aggravating at times. A key to playing strong chess is to make the game simpler whenever possible. The stronger you are, th...

Is it a Trap or is it Hope Chess?

Is it a Trap or is it Hope Chess?

NM NMChessToImpress
| Oct 1, 2024

In chess, setting traps is part of the game. Many players love the thrill of setting a sly trap and watching their opponent fall right into it. But what if your trap doesn't work? What if, instead of catching your opponent off guard, you find your...

Identifying Critical Positions

Identifying Critical Positions

NM NMChessToImpress
| Sep 25, 2024

“I’m great at finding the best move when I know there’s a good move to find.” Sound familiar? If you’ve ever thought this while tackling chess puzzles, you’re not alone. In a puzzle, there’s only one...

Krav Maga Chess: How to Play Strong Chess

Krav Maga Chess: How to Play Strong Chess

NM NMChessToImpress
| Sep 9, 2024

With this blog, we revisit a concept I dreamt up a long time ago: Krav Maga Chess. I'm including a puzzle from one of my blogs from 9.5 years ago!  As a chess teacher, I get to see firsthand how chess players improve, adapt, and evolve their ...

Challenging the Status Quo

Challenging the Status Quo

NM NMChessToImpress
| Sep 5, 2024

In today's world, it often feels like we are encouraged to just accept the status quo. This is ironic, considering we have an incredible amount of information at our fingertips. While it's crucial to learn from experts and build upon their knowled...

10 Things That Will Stunt Your Chess Growth

10 Things That Will Stunt Your Chess Growth

NM NMChessToImpress
| Aug 24, 2024

Following the advice of masters can be hard work! A lot of their advice is different, because each master is a different person with different personalities and life experiences. Also, sometimes their advice entails not just studying but really pu...

Keep the Tension: Scared Chess is Bad Chess

Keep the Tension: Scared Chess is Bad Chess

NM NMChessToImpress
| Aug 14, 2024

It's a tale as old as time...You're up against a strong opponent, maybe your opponent has a higher number attached to his/her name. The temptation to simplify through even trades can be overwhelming. For beginners, this urge is especially strong. ...

A More Accurate Way to Count Points in Chess

A More Accurate Way to Count Points in Chess

NM NMChessToImpress
| Aug 8, 2024

In order to evaluate a position correctly, one must calculate all the nuances, considering every possible move, counter-move, and sequence. This sounds ideal, but let's be honest—if you attempted this every move, you'd quickly run out of tim...

Puzzles from a Seesaw Battle

Puzzles from a Seesaw Battle

NM NMChessToImpress
| Jul 17, 2024

In 3 minute blitz (with no increment) games often become a blur of rapid decisions and intuitive sacrifices. However, every once in a while, we encounter a game so complex that it seems almost impossible to fully grasp within the time constraints....

What Could Have Been?!

What Could Have Been?!

NM NMChessToImpress
| Nov 6, 2016

Could've Would've Should've A big part of chess improvement is going over your games. My preferred way of going over my games is to first talk it over with my opponent (if he/she is willing). After talking it over with my opponent I'll try to p...

Tactics: The Final Frontier

Tactics: The Final Frontier

NM NMChessToImpress
| Oct 16, 2016

Many people ask the question, how long will it take to become a master if I started studying right now? Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to this question; there are way too many variables to consider. Fortunately, I do have the answer that w...

The (Oft Butchered) Art of Exchanging

The (Oft Butchered) Art of Exchanging

NM NMChessToImpress
| Oct 6, 2016

The (Oft Butchered) Art of Exchanging  One reason why chess is such a hard game to master is that aspiring student constantly needs to learn things and then unlearn them over and over. What I mean is that the beginner should be concentrating on n...

To the Victor Goes the Spoils: RIP Dvoretsky

To the Victor Goes the Spoils: RIP Dvoretsky

NM NMChessToImpress
| Sep 27, 2016

Many people have been seduced by the play of the winner. Sometimes to the point of recommending that the victor played perfectly and to emulate this person's play. This is all well and good, until you find out that many an annotator has been misle...

Paralaysis by Analysis

Paralaysis by Analysis

NM NMChessToImpress
| Sep 22, 2016

I got flagged (for only the 2nd time ever in 1200+ games!) in my round 2 game of the Leigh Hunt Memorial. I could easily blame it on the fact that were using an analog clock and I thought I still had 3 minutes left, while thinking my opponent only...

Pro Chess League: Southern California FTW

Pro Chess League: Southern California FTW

NM NMChessToImpress
| Sep 18, 2016

Many people want to make their way out to Southern California for the beaches, the celebrities, the weather, or even (as popularized by the Beach Boys) the California girls.  But what people don't know is that the chess scene is also quite strong...

Fake It, 'Til You Make It

Fake It, 'Til You Make It

NM NMChessToImpress
| Sep 8, 2016

Fake It, 'Til You Make It  “I'd rather be an optimist and a fool than a pessimist and right.” ― Albert Einstein Last Friday, 9/2/16 I played round 1 of a 7 round tournament held at a local chess club. I'm excited that I now live close to a club,...

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