Are the classics necessary?

by ChessBase
4/17/2024 – "I am a big fan of Aron Nimzowitsch," writes IM Zoran Petronijevic, who works as a chess trainer and lives in Nis (Serbia). "In yesterday's game Firouzja-Nepo, I found some ideas by him. We can often read that the study of the classical heritage of chess is completely unnecessary for advancing in chess, that the games of the classics are outdated, and that there is no (or almost no) benefit from them. I deeply disagree with that."
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I want to cite an example from modern practice, from the Candidate Tournament, where knowledge of the classics was almost decisive for understanding the position. It is about the game Firouzja-Nepomniachtchi, played in round 9 of the Candida.

Some comments are in the games. I didn't analyze the games in depth, I intended to show how important classics are. Maybe you can find this material useful. If not, nothing, in any case, I will use it for my students.

Sagar Shah shows you on this DVD how you can use typical patterns used by the Master of the past in your own games. From opening play to middlegame themes.

As the author explains in the introductory video, knowing the classic games from the past enriches your chess understanding in general, and helps to improve the level of your own games.

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