Simon says - Sensing the Moment

by ChessBase
1/8/2018 – In a series of articles we'll present the different shows we produce throughout the chess year. We'll begin with "Simon says" (mondays at 6pm CET). The english GM Simon Williams is one of the most popular commentators in chess. He's a regular to do live commentary in Gibraltar and Reykjavik as well as on playchess.com. | Photo: Alina L'Ami

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Sensing the Moment

Why do top players always seem to find the right tactic at the right time?' In this Simon Says we take a look at when it is time to look that little deeper..

 

Simon is live on Mondays at 18:00 CEST / 5 pm BST time / 12 Noon EDT 

What does Simon say?

Simon Williams is a well-known English Grandmaster, commentator and author of several chess books. And he has made a 'baker's dozen' DVDs for ChessBase. He was born in 1979, and became a Grandmaster in 2008.

In early 2015 Simon Williams launched his own show called "Simon says" after producing the first of his ChessBase DVD's. On a weekly basis (with breaks for tournaments and chess events) Simon entertains the chess world with attacking ideas, play strategies and witty manoeuvres on the chess board.

ChessBase Premium members can watch the show live and have permanent access to the videos in the archive. Through the end of 2017, 43 “Simon Says” shows have been published. Their length differs but most of them run for about 60 minutes.

Williams covers a wide range of topics and likes to show entire games. He also has a certain fondness for the attack and large number of the games he presents in his show focus on this part of chess strategy. Williams also likes to play — and analyse — opening sidelines and this shows in his game selection. He just might help you to prepare an opening surprise for your opponents.

The following game was taken from a show last March and is a typical example of the games Williams likes to present.

Mark Hebden vs Simon Williams (annotations by FM Markus Hochgräfe)
 

If you compare “Simon says” with Daniel King’s “Powerplay” show you will notice that the tempo in King’s show is a bit faster and that King manages to offer more content in an hour than Williams. But in exchange "Simon says" might be a bit easier to follow for club level players.

To give you a taste, you can watch his most popular broadcast here for free. The next live show is on Monday, January 8th at 18:00 CET (Noon EST):


Developments on the London System and the Four Knights


The London System with 2.Bf4

"Simple yet aggressive!" Enjoy this new exciting DVD by Simon Williams. Let the famouns Grandmaster from England show you how to gain a very exciting yet well founded opening game with the London System (1.d4 d5 2.Bf4).


View past shows, with a ChessBase Premium Account.

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Much more from Simon's shows in the archive at Videos.ChessBase.com

Simon Says recent shows

Still more Simon

On another note, Simon recently published his newest DVD "The Tactical Chigorin". 

The Tactical Chigorin

Opening with the Chigorin shows your intention to play for a win right from the outset. After 2...Nc6 Black's pieces fly into the game putting pressure on White's position from a very early stage. This opening is ideal for the type of player who strives for an unconvential yet attacking game right from the start.

Here's a teaser:

More DVD's by Simon Williams...


Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

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