Understanding Middlegame Strategies Vol.5 & Vol.6 by Ivan Sokolov

Understanding an opening doesn’t stop after the theory. It’s essential to understand ideas and structures connected to the opening moves. Furthermore, recognising mistakes by your opponent to gain an advantage is a key component of the middlegame. In this video course we’ll concentrate on Rossolimo and Maroczy structures in the Sicilian Defence.

The Rossolimo gained popularity recently as it avoids Open Sicilian theory such as the Sveshnikov or Kalashnikov. In essence, we reach an English opening with colours reversed (1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 (or 2…Bb4) 3.g3 Bb4) being a tempo up. As with most colour reversed systems, now we have (as White) a comfortable position (the extra tempo counts after all!), but our aim also changes (as we are no longer happy with a ‘comfortable position’ but are aiming for an advantage). None other than Magnus Carlsen is playing this opening to a great extent, which is a key component of the selection on this video course. We mostly analyse plans after 3…g6 (followed by Bxc6 with both …bxc6 or …dxc6 recaptures) or 3… e6 4.Bxc6 bxc6. At first glance White has an ‘obvious advantage‘ in the Marcozy Bind: White has more space with Black not having clear counterplay. Danish chess legend Bent Larsen liked to play against the Maroczy Bind with Black and came up with many ideas that are still viable today. In this video course, my material is based on the Classical main-line Maroczy bind, I have pointed out the main ideas/positions both sides are aiming for and show surprising strategic mistakes (committed even in top-level games!).

• Video running time: 7 hours 20 Minutes (English)
• With interactive training including video feedback
• Extra: Model games database & Training with ChessBase apps - Play key positions against Fritz on various levels

Understanding Middlegame Strategies Vol.6 - Ruy Lopez StructuresVol 6

Anatoly Karpov once said: ‘Understanding the Ruy Lopez is crucial to middlegame improvement in chess’. On this video course I opted for ‘Karpov Ruy Lopez understanding type lines’, the massive majority of the material coming from Chigorin, Breyer and Zaitsev variations. I have tried to give viewers a ‘crash course’ on typical middlegame plans, typical material imbalance ideas (and dynamics), types of positions White or Black should be happy about (or try to avoid!), while combining it (when I saw fit) with useful opening advice (advice based on my forty years’ experience playing and researching those positions). The course aims to improve the understanding of these types of positions to help the viewer to play better and to get better results.

• Video running time: 6 hours 25 minutes (English)
• With interactive training including video feedback
• Extra: Model games database & Training with ChessBase apps - Play key positions against Fritz on various levels

Sample video

1. Vol 5
2. Introduction
3. Rossolimo Structures
4. Rossolimo Structures: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
5. Video 1: 3...g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.e5 Nd5 7.Nc3 Nc7 8.Bxc6 dxc6 Rozentalis vs Carlsen
6. Video 2: 3...g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.Re1 e5 6.a3 Nge7 7.b4 and 6.c3 Nge7 7.a3 0-0 8.b4 Botvinnik vs Furman/Veresov
7. Video 3a: 3...Nf6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 and 4.e5 Nd5 5.0-0/Nc3
8. Video 3b: 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Nc3 Nc7 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7.h3 g6 Adams vs Kramnik
9. Video 4a: 3...g6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.0-0 Bg7 6.Re1 Nf6/f6/e5
10. Video 4b: 3...g6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.d4 Vachier-Lagrave vs Carlsen
11. Video 5a: 3...g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Qc7 and 5...Bg7 6.h3 Nh6/e5
12. Video 5b: 3...g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.h3 Nf6 Caruana vs Carlsen
13. Video 5c: 3...g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.0-0 Caruana vs Carlsen
14. Video 6: 3...e6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.d3
15. Maroczy Structures
16. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3
17. Video 1a: 7...Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 Ne6 10.Qd2 d6 11.Be2 Bd7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Rac1 Bc6 14.b4 Keres vs Petrosian
18. Video 1b: 7...Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 Ne6 10.Qd2 d6 11.Be2 Bd7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Rac1 Bc6 14.Rfd1 Keres vs Petrosian
19. Video 2: 7...Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 Ne6 10.Qd2 b6 and 10.Rc1 Qa5 11.Be2/Qd2
20. Video 3: 7...Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 Nc6 10.Qd2 d6/Qa5
21. Video 4: 7...0-0 8.Be2 d6 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 Carlsen vs Lie
22. Video 5: 6.Nc3 Nxd4 7.Qxd4 d6 8.Be2/Bg5 - a5 ideas
23. Video 6: 6.Nc3 d6 7.f3 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Be3 0-0 10.Qd2 a5 11.b3 Caruana vs Carlsen
24. Video 7: 6.Nc3 Nxd4 7.Qcd4 d6 8.f3 Bg7 9.Be3 0-0 10.Qd2 Be6 11.Rc1 Qa5 12.Nd5 Qxd2 13.Kxd2 Endgame and 12.b3 Rfc8 13.g4
25. Video 8: 7...Ng4 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 Ne6 10.Qd2 d6 11.Be2 Bd7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Rad1 Bc6 Larsen vs Petrosian
26. Exercises
27. Exercise 1
28. Exercise 2
29. Exercise 3
30. Exercise 4
31. Exercise 5
32. Exercise 6
33. Exercise 7
34. Exercise 8
35. Exercise 9
36. Exercise 10
37. Exercise 11
38. Exercise 12
39. Exercise 13
40. Exercise 14
41. Exercise 15
42. Vol 6
43. Introduction
44. Ruy Lopez Structures
45. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3
46. Video 1: Zaitsev 9...Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Ng5 Rf8 12.Nf3 Re8 13. a4 h6 14.Nbd2 Bf8 15.Bc2 Qd7 Shirov vs Sokolov
47. Video 2: Breyer 9...Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 c5 13.Nf1 Re8 14.d5 g6 Svidler vs Sokolov
48. Video 3: Breyer 9...Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 c5 13.d5 g6 14.Nf1 Qc7 Cheparinov vs Sokolov
49. Video 4: Chigorin 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Nc6 13.d5 Nd8 14.a4 Rb8 15.c4 b4 16.b3 Bogoljubow vs Rubinstein
50. Video 5: Chigorin 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Nc6 13.d5 Nd8 14.a4 Rb8 15.c4 Bd7 Stein vs Ivkov
51. Video 6: Chigorin 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Nd7 12.d5 Nb6 13.g4 h5 Fischer vs Keres
52. Video 7: Chigorin 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Bd7 13.Nf1 Nc4 14.d5 Nb6 Kasparov vs Petrosian
53. Video 8: Chigorin 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Bd7 13.Nf1 Rfe8 14.d5 c4 Landa vs Nikolic
54. Video 9: Breyer 9...Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 Vachier-Lagrave vs Amin
55. Video 10: Chigorin 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Bd7 13.Nf1 cxd4 14.cxd4 Rac8 15.Ne3 Rfe8 Spassky vs Keres
56. Video 11: Chigorin 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Rd8 14.Nf1 exd4 15.Nxd4 d5 Grischuk vs Bologan
57. Video 12: Zaitsev 9...Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a4 h6 13.Bc2 exe4 14.cxd4 Nb4 15.Bb1 c5 16.d5 Nd7 Kasparov vs Karpov
58. Video 13: Zaitsev type position 6.d3 d6 7.c3 0-0 8.Re1 Re8 9.Nbd2 Bf8 10.h3 b5 11.Bc2 Bb7 12.d4 g6 Carlsen vs Navara
59. Video 14: Chigorin 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Bb7 13.Nf1 cxd4 14.cxd4 Rac8 15.Bb1 Unzicker vs Keres
60. Video 15: Open Spanish 5...Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Bc5 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Bc2 Nxf2 Short - Yussupow
61. Video 16: Chigorin 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Nc6 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Nf1 Be6 Fischer - Kholmov
62. Exercises
63. Exercise 1
64. Exercise 2
65. Exercise 3
66. Exercise 4
67. Exercise 5
68. Exercise 6
69. Exercise 7
70. Exercise 8
71. Exercise 9
72. Exercise 10
73. Exercise 11
74. Exercise 12
75. Exercise 13
76. Exercise 14
77. Exercise 15