The Winning Academy 39: There is an Animal in the Trap!

11/5/2024 – Club players love to attack against the king. Perhaps it has something to do with the ancient hunting instincts. After all, most young footballers want to play strikers. Almost no one wants to defend. Grandmasters love to attack as well. However, they understand that there are many more creatures to be hunted, not only the king. Basically, every piece can become a prey! A professional chess player is hunting on the entire board. And he or she is satisfied with a knight or a rook if the monarch can’t be trapped. With a material advantage, the mate will come. Let us have a look at several examples in which a strong player traps and hunts down a piece of the opponent.

Shymkent GP: Goryachkina wins three in a row, grabs the lead

11/4/2024 – Aleksandra Goryachkina has taken the lead at the Shymkent Women’s Grand Prix with a stellar performance, securing her third consecutive win by defeating former co-leader Tan Zhongyi in round 5. Goryachkina now holds 4/5 points, a half-point ahead of Kazakhstan's own Bibisara Assaubayeva, who sits in second place after a strong win against Humpy Koneru. Tied for third are Tan, Humpy and Stavroula Tsolakidou, all remaining within striking distance. | Photo: Konstantin Chalabov

60m English The Elephant Gambit

The Elephant Gambit (1.e4.e5 2.Nf3 d5!?) has never really been given the attention it deserves. It is a very useful surprise weapon. Let us list the advantages of playing this particular opening: 1) Shock value 2) It is very aggressive. Black can take over the initiative early. 3) Many tricky lines 4) Unorthodox. Black is basically taking the game to the opponent as early as move two. Not many openings do that! It's a perfect opening for young players and club players to adopt. Let Andrew Martin select a repertoire for you on this 60 mins, which, if used with discretion, will rack up the points. I am sure that you will enjoy this unusual tour of the Elephant Gambit.