5/29/2018 – Knights on the rim are dim because they often do not have much room for maneuver. Kings on the rim can be dim because they might fall victim to a mating attack.

5/25/2018 – In the diagram position Black holds several trumps, above all his active queen on b6 which nails down the white king on f1. Can you see how the English super-GM increased his advantage decisively?

5/22/2018 – People often believe that you do not have to calculate much in endgames because there are only a few pieces left on the board which reduces tactical possibilities. However, the opposite is true. Because there are only so few pieces left tactical precision is required.

5/18/2018 – Following 22.Nxb7 in the diagram position, Black can get a clear edge — if he finds the right way to tackle White's strayed knight. Any ideas?

5/15/2018 – "Knight on the rim is dim", is a well-known saying by Dr. Tarrasch. In modern chess general rules are less and less applicable but sometimes they nevertheless turn out to be true. Still, you have to find good moves to prove that.

5/11/2018 – In the diagram position Black's knight d6 seems immobile due to the hanging rook on d8. Would you dare to take the pawn e4 as White here — and how?

5/9/2018 – Some people consider stalemate an injustice - but according to the current rules of chess stalemate is a draw. Which sometimes helps to save seemingly hopeless positions.

5/4/2018 – After 17...Nb3 in the diagram position White intends the double attack 18.Qd3, targeting both the black knight and the pawn g6 in front of the king g8. A nice idea, actually — but can you see why Black went for this continuation anyway?

5/2/2018 – Passed pawns are often dangerous and far advanced passed pawns are often very dangerous. How does Black draw this position?

4/27/2018 – Playing 30...Rxd4! in the diagram position, Black goes all-in for a counter attack against the white king. Can you work out the win for him after both 31.Rxf8 and 31.Qd8 then?

4/24/2018 – Two passed pawns are strong, but a bishop is often stronger — particularly so if it is supported by its king.

4/20/2018 – Pushing the backward pawn with 26...c5! in the diagram is strong: White's queen cannot take since it is tied to the defence of the bishop d3, while 27.dxc5?? (played in the game) allows an immediate elegant finish by Black. Emulate and enjoy!

4/17/2018 – Knights are quick and dangerous, as every blitz player knows. They can trouble king, queen, rook, and bishop. But when knights have to stop passed pawns they are often surprisingly clumsy.

4/13/2018 – In any endgame the bishop f3 would clearly dominate the knight f6. With queens on the board, however, White's vulnerable king on f2 becomes the decisive factor. How can Black exploit it?

4/9/2018 – "Better is the enemy of good" is proverbial advice against unhealthy perfectionism. But in chess — and particularly in endgames with reduced material — good is often not good enough. In this case it's better to strive for something better.

4/5/2018 – A calm position... in which one is about to see a wealth of tactical motifs: knight fork, intermediate move, decoy, pin, deflection, overloading and mate combinations. Things start with 12.0-0 — tally charts allowed! :-)

4/3/2018 – Knight against bishop — an interesting duel. In open positions, the bishop is usually better than the knight. But of course, the bishop first has to BE in an open position.

3/31/2018 – CBM 183 is just out. However, our columnist Nagesh Havanur did not want readers to miss out our recent issue. Among other things, it includes games from London Chess Classic, FIDE Grand Prix Palma de Mallorca and European Team Championship Tournaments. In all, 1768 games (several annotated) with 12 opening surveys from the Sicilian to the Catalan. A detailed review.