7/11/2017 – Queen endings are notoriously difficult. Sometime they end in a perpetual, sometimes a lonely and brave passed pawn decides the day and sometimes the king is mated. Today on the playchess server, 4 pm: Endgame Magic with Karsten Müller and Mihail Marin.

7/7/2017 – The diagram shows a standard position from the London System, in which 12....Ne4 by Black would seem like a most natural move. Caution! This move makes the game razor-sharp, and only six moves later one side will resign. Which one? ...

7/4/2017 – Who is stronger: knight or bishop? The knight is slow but nimble. And if things go seriously wrong the knight can still try to erect a fortress. However, it's best to design such a fortress carefully.

6/30/2017 – In the diagram position, 35.Nc7+ Kf6 36.Nxe8+ nets a whole rook for White, and on top of that with check. Who could ask for more? I do - I want to see how you continue following 36...Kg6 then!

6/27/2017 – A mating attack in the middlegame is a fine thing. So is a mating attack in the endgame. And in the endgame you can invite your king to the party.

6/23/2017 – Tactical details can play an important role when determining the best move. In the diagram position White's knight is hanging while Black's rook threatens to invade on d2. 26.Nc4 or 26.Nc6 - what would be your choice?

6/20/2017 – If you are in trouble it often helps to look for hidden tactical possibilities. E.g. for a perpetual. Particularly so in the endgame.

6/16/2017 – Missing a forced mate? For the sophisticated chess player definitely a no-go! In the diagram position White is a full rook up and could parry the enemy threats 38.Bb5. But of course he can do much better. How?

6/13/2017 – The pawnless endgame rook and knight vs rook is usually a draw. Things change, however, when pawns are on the board. But an extra-pawn is not necessarily good for the defending side.

6/9/2017 – In the diagram White can win if he finds the right way to parry Black's mate threat ...Qh1++. The game continuation 36.Qc1 did not hit the bull's eye. Can you do better? Unleash your creativity!

6/8/2017 – This issue is not only packed with thousands of games from top tournaments – Grenke Chess Classic, US Championship, Gashimov-Memorial – many annotated by world class GMs – Levon Aronian, Hikaru Nakamura, Emil Sutovsky. It also contains 24 video lessons, openings training with eleven surveys by leading experts, and a special section on how a prodigy like 12-year-old IM Nihal Sarin thinks.

6/7/2017 – To put "rooks behind passed pawns" is not always good advice but very often and therefore it's a good endgame guideline. Particularly so, when things get complicated.

6/2/2017 – 19.d6! Bxd6 in the diagram drags the bishop into the focus of the major pieces in the d-file, 20.Bxf6! gxf6 rips open the king's position, and then all White needs is... power move no. 3 which forces Black to resign. Have you spotted it already?

5/30/2017 – It is well known that pawns are the soul of chess. And sometimes they are surprisingly strong. Particularly so when the king supports them.

5/26/2017 – An issue packed with rich material. Four Great events, Women’s World Championship, Tata Steel (Carlsen overtaken by Wesley So) Gibralter and FIDE Grand Prix. 2284 OTB games, of which 149 are annotated. Commentators include Wesley So, Levon Aronian and Mihail Marin among others. Eleven opening surveys, ranging from the Sicilian to the Slav, to surprise your opponent! Exercises in opening traps, middle game tactics and endgame technique. DVD lessons by Rainer Knaak, Rogozenco, Simon Williams and Karsten Müller plus a live commentary by Danny King. CBM 177 offers both an armory and ongoing course for ambitious players. Review by Prof. Nagesh Havanur.

5/26/2017 – Sometimes a single well-placed piece can suffice to hold a game - like for example Black's magnificent knight in the diagram position. Yet here the case is different. White wins thanks to his space advantage on the kingside, marked by pawns on the 5th rank ...

5/23/2017 – Sometimes you need patience - and zugzwang - to win a won endgame: The following interesting duel which Remy Heimers sent to me with annotations is an instructive example:

5/19/2017 – 19...Rxc3!? in the diagram position is a typical Sicilian exchange sacrifice: Black splits up the white pawn structure and liquidates the defender of the point e4. Yet after 20.bxc3 he needs the right idea how to follow up. Have you got one?

5/16/2017 – Endings with opposite colored bishops often end in a draw even though one side is one or two pawns up. However, these endings often contain hidden tactical surprises. And don't miss: Today on the playchess server, 4 pm, Endgame Magic with Karsten Müller.

5/12/2017 – A move like 17.Qh6! in the diagram position is as clear as day: The queen appears in front of the open black king and takes f6 under fire. Unsurprisingly, after 17....Qd8 White has a forced win. Have you spotted it already?

5/9/2017 – Most chessplayers have at least a basic knowledge of opening theory. But how about the endgame? Knowing a little bit of endgame theory can help a lot. Karsten Müller has an example.

5/5/2017 – 21.Nf6! in the diagram position is a good idea since the knight cannot be captured. But how to continue if Black declines the sacrifice with 21...h6 then? Try to reproduce GM Markus Ragger's model attack from the Bundesliga - with splendid moves galore ...

5/2/2017 – Passed pawns can be tricky. Especially in the endgame and if they are supported by the enemy king. However, bishops can also be powerful. Karsten Müller shows why.

4/28/2017 – 27.Qc3+ in the diagram position offers itself. If White gains control over the long diagonal, he will be clearly winning - two additional attackers (knight d5 and pawn g5), and the black king is just too exposed. But wait a minute: doesn't 27...Re5 throw a spanner in the works?