Robert Ris: Exploit your opponent’s weaknesses! - Sneak Peek

by ChessBase
4/13/2025 – In this sneak peek, IM Robert Ris presents Volume 3 of his “Mastering Chess Strategy” series for ChessBase, focusing on how to exploit various weaknesses in an opponent’s position. He explains that after the earlier volumes defined and classified weaknesses (e.g., weak pawns, weak squares), this third installment dives deeper into identifying and prioritizing multiple weaknesses—especially around the king—while maintaining awareness of tactical opportunities.
Whether it’s a weak pawn, a vulnerable king, or poor piece coordination, this course will teach you how to pinpoint the critical targets, prioritise your attack, and execute a clear, effective plan.
Building on the lessons from the previous volumes, Volume 3 shifts the focus to one of the most essential skills in chess: identifying and attacking your opponent’s weaknesses. Whether it’s a weak pawn, a vulnerable king, or poor piece coordination, this course will teach you how to pinpoint the critical targets, prioritise your attack, and execute a clear, effective plan. But strategy alone isn’t enough — you’ll also need tactical awareness!
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Attack Weaknesses

Robert Ris: Exploit your opponent’s weaknesses! - Sneak Peek

A key example is taken from a Gukesh–Abdusattorov game, where White’s best move is surprisingly not an immediate attack on the back rank, but rather a move, strengthening the knight and preparing a winning assault on a weak square.

Ris uses this and other interactive exercises to show how combining strategy (systematically targeting an opponent’s vulnerable points) with concrete calculation (tactics) leads to practical success. Through step-by-step problem-solving, viewers practice finding critical moves themselves, helping them internalize the method of spotting, prioritizing, and exploiting weaknesses in real games.

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28.Qg3
28.Qh5‼ f5 28...g6 29.Qg5 h6 30.Qf6 28...Rf8 29.Rd7 28...f6 29.Rd7 29.f4 29.Rd7? Qxe5 29...Rd8 30.Rd7 Rxd7 31.Qe8# 28.Qe3+- f6 29.Nd3 28.Qf4?! f6 29.Nd3 e5 28.Rd7? Qxe5 29.Qxf7+ Kh8 28...h5 29.h3 29.Nd7 Qxg3 30.hxg3+- 29.Rd7 Rd8 30.Rxd8+ Qxd8 29...Rd8 30.Rxd8+ Qxd8 31.Nd3± 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gukesh,D2684Abdusattorov,N26880–12022D3844th Olympiad 202210.1

Whether it’s a weak pawn, a vulnerable king, or poor piece coordination, this course will teach you how to pinpoint the critical targets, prioritise your attack, and execute a clear, effective plan.
Building on the lessons from the previous volumes, Volume 3 shifts the focus to one of the most essential skills in chess: identifying and attacking your opponent’s weaknesses. Whether it’s a weak pawn, a vulnerable king, or poor piece coordination, this course will teach you how to pinpoint the critical targets, prioritise your attack, and execute a clear, effective plan. But strategy alone isn’t enough — you’ll also need tactical awareness!
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Attack Weaknesses

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