Svitlana's Smart Moves - The power of endgame tenacity!

by Arne Kaehler
4/11/2025 – Svitlana presents to us an insightful analysis of the first two decisive games in the Women's World Chess Championship match between Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi, focusing particularly on their endgames. Both games, though seemingly equal in rook endgames, were decided by subtle inaccuracies and the strategic importance of king activity and piece placement. Svitlana emphasizes how small endgame advantages—such as a more active king or minor positional tweaks—can determine the outcome even in positions that look like simple draws.
The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.

Svitlana's Smart Moves - Episode 113

With Svitlana Demchenko and Arne Kaehler

Svitlana Demchenko is a 20-year-old, Canadian WIM and chess coach. Here and now, she will teach us plenty of smart moves on the board, ranging from tactics, strategies, openings, and everything else chess-related. In the process, I'm happy to be available as a student at club player level, and pester the Women's International Master with questions. Anyone who wants to strengthen their chess skills is welcome to watch, and actively replay the positions from the video on our chessboard.

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,172,27354%2421---
1.d4951,24355%2434---
1.Nf3283,16356%2440---
1.c4182,99656%2442---
1.g319,77556%2427---
1.b314,39754%2427---
1.f45,92048%2377---
1.Nc33,83450%2384---
1.b41,76548%2379---
1.a31,22854%2405---
1.e31,07449%2409---
1.d395850%2378---
1.g466746%2361---
1.h445753%2378---
1.c343651%2426---
1.h328356%2419---
1.a411560%2464---
1.f39646%2431---
1.Nh39166%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Bc5 7.0-0 0-0 8.d3 h6 9.Nxd5 Qxd5 10.Bd2 Qd6 11.Bc3 Qe7 12.Nd2 Nd4 13.e3 Nb5 14.a4 Nxc3 15.bxc3 c6 16.a5 Bd7 17.Qb3 Rab8 18.Ne4 Bd6 19.Nxd6 Qxd6 20.d4 b6 21.axb6 axb6 22.Ra7 Be6 23.Qa4 Rfc8 24.Rb1 Bd5 25.dxe5 Qxe5 26.Qd4 Qxd4 27.exd4 Bxg2 28.Kxg2= b5 29.Re1 Ra8 30.Ree7 Rxa7 31.Rxa7 c5 32.Kf3 cxd4 33.cxd4 Kf8 33...Rb8 34.Ke4 b4 35.Ra2 b3 36.Rb2 Kf8 37.Kd3 Ke7 38.Kc3 34.Rb7 Rc3+ 34...Rd8?! 35.Ke4 Re8+ 36.Kd3 Ra8 with difficulty 37.Rxb5 Ra2 38.Ke3 Ra3+ 39.Ke4 Ra2 40.Rf5= 34...Rc4 35.d5 b4 36.d6 Ke8 36...Rd4?? 37.Rb8# 37.Re7+ Kf8 37...Kd8 38.Rxf7 38.Rc7 Rc3+ 39.Ke4 Ke8= 35.Ke4 Rc2 35...Rb3?! 36.d5 b4 37.d6 36.Ke3 Rc3+ 37.Kd2 Rf3 38.Ke2 Rf5?! 38...Rb3 much better spot for the rook, the king is cut off now. 39.Ke3 h5 40.f4 Ke8?? 40...b4! was the only saving move, lets the rook or the king free. There are two saving techniques: 41.Rxb4 Ke7 41...Ra5 42.Rb7 g6 43.Ke4 Ra2 44.h4 Re2+ 45.Kd5 Re3! 46.Kc6 Rc3+ 47.Kd6 Rxg3 48.d5 Rh3 49.Rb8+ Kg7 50.Ke7 Rxh4 51.d6 Rxf4 52.d7 Re4+ 53.Kd6 Rd4+ 54.Ke7 h4= 42.Rb7+ Kf6 42...Ke6?? 43.Ke4 Ra5 44.d5+ Kf6+- 45.d6 43.Ke4 Ra5 44.d5 Ra4+ 45.Ke3 Ra2= 40...h4? 41.g4 Rf6 42.Rxb5± 40...g6? 41.Ke4 Rf6 42.Rxb5 Re6+ 43.Re5± 41.Ke4 Rf6 41...g6 42.d5+- 42.Rxb5 g6 43.d5 Ra6 44.Ke5 f6+ 45.Kd4 Ra2 46.Kc5 Rxh2 47.Rb8+ Kd7 48.Rb7+ Kc8 49.Rg7 g5 50.f5 h4 51.gxh4 gxh4 52.Rh7 h3 53.Kd6 Kb8 54.Kd7 Kb7 55.d6 Kb6 56.Kd8 Rh1 57.d7 h2 58.Rh3 58.Kc8?? Rc1+ 59.Kb8 Rd1= 58.Ke8+- Re1+ 59.Kf7 Kc7 59...Rd1 60.Rxh2 60.Rxh2 Kxd7 61.Rd2++- 58.Ke7+- Re1+ 59.Kxf6 Kc7 60.Rxh2 Kxd7 61.Kg7 58.Rh6+- 58...Kb7 59.Rb3+ Ka7 60.Rb2 Ka6 61.Re2 Kb7 62.Ke7 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Tan,Z2555Ju,W25611–02025A29FIDE Women's World Championship Match 202
Ju,W2561Tan,Z25551–02025B44FIDE Women's World Championship Match 203

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If you like Svitlana's Smart moves, you will certainly enjoy her video lectures about "Surprising your opponents with the Lazy Sicilian", her first Fritztrainer "Understanding Material Imbalances", and her courses "The Scotch Game", and the "Leningrad Dutch Defence". Her newest Entry is the "King's Indian Attack"!

In just 60 minutes, you will be well-equipped with a surprise weapon, which will take most of your opponents out of book right from the start.

This DVD focuses on several types of material imbalances, such as Rook vs 2 Pieces, Queen vs 2 Rooks, and Queen vs Pieces.

Besides in-depth theory and exciting tactical exercises in the Scotch Game, this video course also includes a bonus section on the Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Bc4), a lively variation often leading to very dynamic positions.

The Leningrad Dutch Defence is a dynamic and aggressive opening choice for Black, perfect for players who want to add some adventure and spice to their repertoire.

The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.

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Meet Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko >>
Topics: coach, Svitlana Demchenko, Svitlana's Smart Moves
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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2/25/2025 – Svitlana Demchenko is sharing a game from the Canadian University Chess Championships, where she faced International Master Nicholas Vettese from the University of Toronto. Despite a strong start and some exciting tactical moments, the game ended in a loss. Svitlana walks through key moments, including her opening choices, the decision to play aggressively or defensively, and the importance of managing time and evaluating critical moments. Reflecting on the game, she highlights areas for improvement and emphasizes the valuable lessons learned from this loss.
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