Meet the Fritztrainer - Chris Ward

by Arne Kaehler
11/26/2020 – We have hundreds of different Fritztrainers in our shop. A lot of them are made by top grandmasters, and perhaps you sometimes wonder what the authors of these Fritztrainers do besides teaching us to play better chess. "Meet the Fritztrainer" is the very first part of a new series that tells us more about the private life of your favourite chess coach. We start with joyful GM Chris Ward, who shares anecdotes about Kasparov, talks about the time when he played in the Bundesliga, and reveals how he thinks chess should be taught. | Photos: Chris Ward

Sicilian Dragon: The Real Deal! Part 1: Understanding The Dragon Sicilian Dragon: The Real Deal! Part 1: Understanding The Dragon

In this first part, the emphasis is on themes and ideas as the viewer is armed with tactical and positional motifs and concepts after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6.

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Meet the Fritztrainer - Chris Ward

Chris Ward is an English grandmaster who gained the title after becoming British Champion in 1996. Being a successful tournament player and popular chess commentator, he is also a well-known endgame and opening theoretician who has authored a large number of books, among them the bestselling “Winning with the Dragon 1 & 2”. Last but not least, Ward enjoys an excellent reputation as a chess coach, having mentored many teams and youngsters in and outside Britain. Maybe his talent for teaching is in his blood - he is also a passionate Salsa dancer and instructor!

In our "Meet the Fritztrainer" interview, Chris tells us many funny anecdotes about chess and his life.

Chris Ward Interview

  • Who are you? - 1:01
  • How and when did you learn to play chess? - 4:00
  • What did you do, after reaching your GM title? - 7:20
  • How many books have you written, and what role does your mother play in this? - 10:25
  • When is part two of your "Sicilian Dragon" Fritztrainer arriving, and why is this opening so exciting? - 13:00
  • Who is your favourite chess player? - 20:51
  • What is your favourite chess book? - 21:22
  • What is your favourite chess film or series? - 21:42
  • What is your favourite chess opening as White? - 22:45
  • What is your favourite chess opening as Black? - 23:22
  • Karpov or Kasparov? - 23:34
  • Knight or Bishop? 25:30

For the viewer: How many Grandmasters can you spot, and what are their names? - 6:38

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Arne Kaehler, a creative mind who is passionate about board games in general, was born in Hamburg and learned to play chess at a young age. By teaching chess to youth teams and creating chess-related videos on YouTube, Arne was able to expand this passion and has even created an online course for anyone who wants to learn how to play chess. Arne writes for the English and German news sites, but focuses mainly on content for the ChessBase media channels.

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