11/2/2018 – Following 46.e6+ in the diagram position, Black must choose the right king move to keep the game going. 46...Ke7 or 46...Kf6. What would be your choice?

11/1/2018 – ChessBase Magazine 186 featured star analysis from World Number 3 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, but reflecting on the most recent issue, Professor NAGESH HAVANUR chooses to focus his review in large part on the games featuring Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana who will take centre stage next week. In that light, his highlights are worth reviewing even if you're familiar with the games from our contemporaneous coverage this past summer. Enjoy!

10/30/2018 – Far advanced pawns are dangerous but that is no reason to panic. A strong bishop is often more than capable of coping with them.

10/26/2018 – Attacking the bishop f7 with 36.e6 in the diagram position contains many potential ways to lose for Black. His game continuation, however, gives him the advantage! What did White overlook?

10/23/2018 – Bishops are fast and can quickly run across the whole board. But sometimes this is not enough to escape a powerful rook.

10/19/2018 – Which side would you favour after 57.R1b7 in the diagram position? Three moves to find for Black and White, then we'll take stock together. Have fun!

10/16/2018 – Which is stronger, the knight or the bishop? Some players prefer knights, others like the bishop better. However, there is only one answer to this question: It depends!

10/12/2018 – Having traded the enemy fianchetto bishop, White has managed to land the queen on h6 ("a beast on h6"). His first move in the diagram position might be obvious, but can you also guess which piece will become the true hero of his attack? Enjoy!

10/9/2018 – Most players love to sacrifice their queen and win a spectacular game. Maybe that is why they often do not have enough faith in the strength of their strongest piece. Which will cost valuable points. Sometimes, far advanced passed pawns are strong enough to cope with a queen. But queens are dangerous and kings should never feel comfortable when the enemy queen is close. Here, the game ended with a draw. White could have won, but how?

10/5/2018 – From the diagram position White's rooks display amazing flexibility to outsmart Black's passers. Things start with 1.Ra3+ Kb4 2.Rab3+ before the ways (mate nets) divide. Enjoy!

10/2/2018 – Endgames with opposite-colored bishops are often drawn. But one should keep in mind that connected passed pawns are always dangerous.

9/28/2018 – The constellation knight on f5 and queen on h6 completely paralyses Black's position, but with his defensive knight on e6 (and an extra rook, by the way) he still seems to be hanging on. How would you continue White's attack in the diagram position?

9/25/2018 – Usually, endgames in which a bishop fights against a rook are drawn when no more pawns are left on the board. However, the defender should not go to the corner his bishop covers.

9/21/2018 – The diagram shows a typical position from the Loewenthal variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 a6 6.Nd6+ Bxd6 7.Qxd6 Qe7 8.Qd3 Nf6 9.Nc3) in which Black springs into action... and is drawing almost by force! Interested to follow his footsteps?

9/18/2018 – Every chess player knows how powerful pawns can be — after all, if a pawn reaches the opponent's back rank it can turn into a queen. Passed pawns have better chances to queen than other pawns but in a game it is easy to forget how powerful these pawns can be.

9/14/2018 – Two rooks on the second rank plus mobile pawns and king on the fifth versus a lonely white king on g3 — Black's superiority in the diagram position is crystal clear. But there is only one winning line. Can you see the way for him to rake in the rook b4 by force?

9/11/2018 – Knights are tricky. They are versatile, they can be quick, and if they are lucky they can fork queen, king and rook. However, sometimes even a pair of pawns is too much for them.

9/7/2018 – In the diagram position White decided to force matters with 21.Re7 Ngxe7 22.dxe7+ Nxe7 23.Qd6, threatening perpetual check. Can you see the only way for Black to emerge victoriously now?

9/4/2018 – Pawn races are difficult to calculate. Much more so if the kings are exposed — and checks can come in-between.

8/31/2018 – Black's attackers are working perfectly together. Four precise moves from the diagram position and White can resign. Can you find them all?

8/28/2018 – Normally the rook against knight without pawns is a draw when the knight is near his king. But there are two important exceptions. Do you know them?

8/24/2018 – The diagram position is completely hopeless for White - if Black hits the bullseye with his next move! Which of the pawns would you advance?

8/21/2018 – Being well connected helps - a truism that is particularly true for passed pawns in the endgame. But you have to know how to use these connections.

8/17/2018 – Despite his four minus pawns in the queen ending, achieving a draw with White in the diagram position seems not too difficult. But victory would be even nicer, wouldn't it? Enjoy!