Today I will present to you the 5 best chess opening traps in the Queen’s Gambit, which follows the move …
Release of Boleslavsky Pawn Structure
Today our new course “Boleslavsky Pawn Structure” is released. Studying pawn structures is more fruitful than memorizing opening moves. This …
Learn Chess Strategies that Grandmasters Use
In the previous lesson, we learnt the importance of pawn structures in chess; especially how they shape the game right …
Chess Opening: Sicilian Defense O’Kelly Variation
Today we are going to learn about the chess opening variation called the O’Kelly Variation in the Sicilian Defense, which …
English Opening 1.c4 – Ideas for 3 Typical Responses of Black
First, let me remind you of the special offers we’re providing you with during this coronavirus crisis. You can get …
Kamsky Gambit – Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Before getting into the Kamsky Gambit in the Sicilian Najdorf variation, let me remind you of the special offer we’re …
Release of “Gambit Guide Bundle” + Cordel Gambit
Today we have released a new course called “Gambits Against The Sicilian, The French and The Ruy Lopez” from our …
The Power of Gambits in Chess
A gambit is when a player sacrifices material, usually a pawn, in the opening stage with the hope of achieving …
3 Chess Opening Traps + 1 Opening Trick
Today we are going to learn 3 chess opening traps and learn an opening trick from the RCA guest coach …
Carlsen loses but then wins back with an illegal move
Today we are going to see a controversial chess game played between the world champion Magus Carlsen and Ernesto Inarkiev …
Introduction to the Best Chess Moves for Beginners
The following is an article written by our partner Stacy and I’m happy to present it you. 🙂 As chess …
Your Opinion for RCA’s Next Course + Accelerated Benko Gambit
I hope you had a great 2019 and that you’re having a good start in 2020. We celebrate Christmas and …
Happy New Year + Prophylactic Thinking
First, we’re sorry for the inconvenience caused because the RCA shop was not working. For that reason, we have extended …
Release of “Gambits Against the French”
One of the solid and resilient chess openings for Black is the French Defense, which is characterized by the moves …
Shocking Chess Game: White’s First 17 Moves Are All Pawn Moves!
Before getting to this immortal pawns game, I’d like to share with you something very important. I hope you know …
Cyber Monday Special Offers + Short-term and Long-term Advantages
As you may know, we are providing all the RCA courses with a huge 30% discount to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. …
Sicilian Defense – Four Knights Variation
The Sicilian Defense is one of the most extremely theoretical chess openings. Today, you will learn about a variation from …
Release of “The Trompowsky Attack Package”
The Trompowsky Attack begins with the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5, and it is a popular alternative for White after Black’s …
RCA Next Course About the Trompowsky Attack
It would be really cool to catch our opponents off guard in the game of chess. How great it would …
The Trompowsky Attack Played by Julian Hodgson
The Trompowsky Attack begins with the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5, and it is a popular alternative for White after Black’s …
5 Best Chess Opening Traps in the Center Game
Today I will share with you the 5 best chess opening traps in the Center Game. The Center Game is …
Magnus Carlsen going to reach ELO 2900?
The recent big news is that World Champion Magnus Carlsen has won the 2019 GRENKE Chess Classic, which was held …
Sicilian Dragon: Black’s Fantastic Win Against the Yugoslav Attack
The Yugoslav Attack in the Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defence, also known as the Rauzer System or the St …
Middlegame Strategy: Breaking into the Opponent’s Camp!
First, I’d like to remind you of the survey we are conducting to let you choose your favorite chess topic(s) …
Best Chess Opening Traps
Today I’d like to share with you one of the most popular video lessons of RCA – 7 Best Chess …
The Greatest Draw in the History of Chess!
“Chess is a terrible game. If you have no center, your opponent has a freer position. If you do have …
Chess Opening Traps in the Sicilian Defense (Part-2)
First, I’d like to remind you of the special offers on our new course “Master Sicilian Pawn Structures” by IM …
Release of “Master Sicilian Pawn Structures”
The day is finally here – the launch of RCA’s new chess course “Master Sicilian Pawn Structures” by IM Mateusz …
5 Best Chess Opening Traps in the Sicilian Defense
The Sicilian Defense is the most frequently used defense from club players to Grandmasters. Today we’re going to see the …
Master the Sicilian Defense with RCA’s New Chess Course!
A few days ago, I’ve informed you (in the article Chess Tactics in the Sicilian Defense) that the RCA’s next …
Chess Tactics in the Sicilian Defense
Today I’ve some great news for you – the RCA’s next chess course is in its final stages and it …
The Mighty Sicilian Dragon Bishop!
The Sicilian Defense is the most popular opening and one of the best responses to White’s first move 1.e4. The …
Kasparov defeated 13-Year-old Carlsen in Rapid Chess Game!
First, I’d like to remind you of the special 30% discount we’re providing you with on all RCA courses in …
Another Fianchettoed Bishop
What is a Fianchettoed Bishop? A fianchettoed bishop is the one that is developed to the second rank of the …
5 Principles to Effective Middlegame Planning
Today we’re going to discuss about an interesting topic. How does the opening structure affect your middlegame plans? What middlegame …
How to Attack a King in the Center?
There is a chess quote by Rob Sillars, which goes “Castle early and often”. Indeed, we know that castling our …
Garry Kasparov’s Immortal Chess Game
Today we are going to see one of the greatest chess games ever played in the history – it’s the …
Weak Squares in Chess
Today we have an interesting topic to discuss. It is called the weak squares in chess. And the immediate question …
Chess Traps and How to Avoid them?
Chess traps are always fun and exciting as long as you’re the one who sets it and it’s even more …
The Trompowski Attack – Typical Ideas for White
The Trompowski Attack is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5, in which White tries …
7 Best Chess Opening Traps
First, I would like to remind you of the special offer we’re providing you with to celebrate the Holiday Season …
Typical Ideas and Plans in the Sicilian Sveshnikov Variation
The Sicilian Defense is a very popular chess opening, as it can be often seen in several chess games, from …
3 different Aspects of Attack in Chess
Today we’re going to discuss about something, the 3 different aspects of attack in chess. Our guest coach FM Marko …
Is the Isolated Queen Pawn Good or Bad?
Isolated Pawn An isolated pawn is a pawn that has no pawns on its adjacent files. For instance, let’s say …
GM Igor Smirnov Answers Students’ Questions from the Live Event (Part-2)
A few days ago, I shared with you the first part of my live stream on 7 November, celebrating the …
GM Igor Smirnov Answers Students’ Questions from the Live Event
I hope you remember that during the beginning of this month, on 7 November, we celebrated the 8th anniversary of …
3 best chess traps you should know!
Today we’re going to talk about chess traps and most importantly, the idea behind them – how they are set …
Hikaru Nakamura’s dramatic and adventurous win in Dutch defense against Jovana Vojinovic
Today our guest coach, CM Tryfon Gavriel, has a very instructive game to show you, which he considers one of …
3 basic opening rules you should remember!
The opening stage refers to the initial moves of a chess game. It is important to play the opening well …
Best aggressive chess openings for Black against 1.d4
This is the second part of our lesson on the best aggressive chess openings for Black. In the previous article, …
Best aggressive chess openings for Black against 1.e4
I know how difficult it is for most of you, as a club level player, to pick up the right …
Caro–Kann opening trap
Today I’d like to present to you a trap in one of the popular chess openings, the Caro–Kann defense. As …
The Kasparov Gambit: amazing win against Karpov in WC 1985
Today we’re going to look at one of the greatest chess games of all time, from the World Championship Match …
6 best chess games of Magnus Carlsen
Have you ever wondered what could Magnus Carlsen’s best chess games be? Today, I’d like to share with you a …
How to play with and against the London system?
The London System is a popular chess opening, especially in the club levels. In recent times, it has been played …
What to do after the opening stage?
First, I’d like to remind you of our new course “From opening to middlegame” by IM Asaf Givon. To celebrate …
Release of the course “From opening to middlegame”
The day is finally here – our new course “From opening to middlegame” is released today! This course deals with …
Teaser video of our next course “From opening to middlegame”
First, I’m very glad to inform you that our next course “From opening to middlegame” by our guest coach IM …
Transition from the opening to the middlegame
One of the biggest problems many chess players face is that they often fail to realize the transition that occurs …
Theory of pawn breaks explained!
What is a pawn break in chess? National Master Dan Heisman defines pawn break as: “A break move is a …
Everything you need to know about the Sicilian defense (Dragon variation)
The Sicilian defense is the most popular opening and one of the best responses to White’s first move 1.e4. It …
Top 5 ways to improve your chess skills
I know the question which has stuck in your head: “How can I improve myself?” This is a very logical …
Release of “Master the Grunfeld defense as Black”
Our new course “Master the Grunfeld defense as Black” is released today! The Grunfeld defense is one of the most …
Everything you need to know about “Master the Grunfeld Defense as Black”
First, let me announce that our upcoming course “Master the Grunfeld Defense as Black” will be released on Wednesday, 5 …
Master the Grunfeld defense as Black – teaser
In the previous article, I informed you about our upcoming course “Master the Grunfeld defense as Black”. Today I’d like …
Grunfeld defense: Bobby Fischer’s masterpiece!
Today I’ve some great news for you – our next course is titled “Master the Grunfeld defense as Black” dedicated …
Why Peter Svidler is the god of Grunfeld defense?
The Grunfeld defense, followed by the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 is one of the most …
4 typical chess mistakes in defense you should never make!
In this lesson about defense, you will recognize and understand those mistakes. It will help you avoid those mistakes in your future games and it will drive you in cloud nine!
Release of the “Defending Champion” chess course
The day has finally come – today we’ve released our new chess course “Defending Champion”! If you want to strengthen …
How to use your rook effectively?
First, let me remind you of our survey – help us create an opening chess course tailored to your needs, …
Which opening would you like to study in the next RCA course?
Yes, it is that time again! We are going to prepare another major chess course. 🙂 We are planning to …
Carlsen-Karjakin tiebreaks: Magnus is the World Champion!
Before going to the tie-break games, let me remind you of the massive 40% discount we’re providing you with on …
Carlsen-Karjakin Game-12: Fastest game of the Match
After eleven hard-fought games, the twelfth and final game of the World Chess Championship was a brief, dull draw. Only …
Carlsen-Karjakin Game-11: A fighting draw!
The eleventh game was a fighting one, but ended up in a draw after 34 moves. Sergey started with the …
Carlsen-Karjakin Game-9: Magnus escapes with a draw!
Just before the start of the ninth game, a chess fan, Bobby Fiske, made a fantastic photo-edit saying…. The World …
Carlsen-Karjakin Game-7: New opening, another draw
It was Carlsen’s time to put his head into the lion’s mouth and everybody expected the beast to snap. But …
Carlsen-Karjakin Game-6: Halfway done
After one and half hours, game six ended in a draw. So a match of 24 games would be much …
Carlsen-Karjakin Game-5: Carlsen "screwed up"
The fifth game of the World Chess Championship ended in a draw, but this time things were little different. It …
Carlsen-Karjakin Game-4: Karjakin survives, again!
The ‘miracle’ continues at the World Championship! Karjakin managed to survive another extremely difficult position by defending, again, for 6.5 …
Carlsen-Karjakin Game-3: Over 6-hour long battle!
What a game, what a marathon! 🙂 Magnus tries to give his best on the subject which he knows the …
What can you learn from Carlsen-Karjakin Game-1?
There’s no doubt that the World Chess Championship started in a great manner on Friday, 11 November. In the first …
Carlsen-Karjakin Game-1: Surprising Trompowsky
One journalist asked Magnus Carlsen in the first official press conference who is the best chess player in the world. …
How to attack a central king? (Fischer’s great game)
Robert James “Bobby” Fischer, born March 9, 1943, was the strongest American Grandmaster ever. Many consider him the greatest chess …
How to play the Scandinavian Defense (for Black)
Today, I’d like to share with you an opening system, the Scandinavian Defense. For many years, GM Sergey Kasparov has …
Everything you need to know about openings!
Let me share with you a few interesting quotes: “I had to spend countless hours, above and beyond the …
Your opinion on the next RCA course
My students always ask me to keep updating them with the latest news about RCA. For instance, one of my …
GM Igor Smirnov answers students’ questions
As you may already know, I conducted a live “Ask Me Anything (AMA) event” on the RCA Facebook page on …
Best chess openings and how to pick one for you [Infographic]
Picking the good chess opening is important if you want to be successful in your chess career. Due to the …
What are the consequences of neglecting the centre in chess?
The centre is the most important part of the chessboard, as pieces from the centre can easily move to either …
How to use an open file in chess?
Basically, an open file is one with no pawns of either colour on it. And a file with pawns of …
Weak Squares in Chess Part-2
In recent times, we have published several lessons for you on the topic of “Weak Squares”. In case you missed …
Get a 30% discount on our opening products
A few days ago, we launched a FREE e-book for you called “Chess Opening Fundamentals”. This e-book is a collection …
New E-book: Chess Opening Fundamentals
When you come to play a chess game, it’s important to start it properly. Otherwise, you risk falling into an …
How to make use of important chess squares?
Some time ago, our guest coach IM Boroljub Zlatanovic prepared a lesson for you on the topic “Weak Squares”. If …
Bobby Fischer’s greatest chess game – game of the century
Today, we’ll have a look at the greatest chess game played by Bobby Fischer – the game that is also …
Useful story of an RCA Student
First, I’d like to remind you of the new course “Think, Plan and Win” which contains my seminars that were …
Indian National Premier Chess Championship 2015, Round-9 Highlights
In this article, you can watch the highlights of the ninth round of Indian National Premier Chess Championship, annotated by …
New chess opening mini-course – Nimzo-Indian Defense
I’m very happy to announce that we have released a new mini-course. It is called the “Nimzo-Indian Defense” and was …
The Corner Pawn Attack: a new way to attack in chess
Even though the pawn is the smallest piece in chess, both in size and in power, it is good enough …
What is the best chess opening for beginners?
I have come across this question many times from my students. Hence, I have decided to contribute something to this …
How the course “GM’s Opening Lab” helped win a game against a FM
In my previous article, I informed you of my live seminar in India (for both students and coaches), which will …
GM Igor Smirnov’s review of “Killer Endgames” and “Killer Grand Prix”
First, let me remind you of the special 40% discount that I’ve provided you with on the latest releases – …
Chess learning made easy and important announcement
Recently, lots of students have asked me to adapt my courses for IPad/IPhone, tablet computers, etc. I’ve just found a …
New chess opening course – Bogo-Indian Defense
Some time ago, we released the course “The Grandmaster’s Openings Laboratory – 2” (LINK). It received mixed feedback from our …
Fantastical chess defense and important announcement
First of all, let me remind you about the survey that we’re conducting to know your opinion about our existing …
New survey and important discussion about chess openings
In my previous article, I wrote that something ‘cool’ related to openings was coming soon. And today, I’d like to …
GM Smirnov’s review about the new chess courses
A few days ago, we added a two guest author’s courses to our RCA Shop. They are “Play like Tal” …
Play like Tal and Killer Dragon
In my previous article (LINK), I told you that new premium videos would be added to our RCA shop very …
How to play an opening?
Let me start the lesson with a question. Do you know what determines your WIN/LOSS in a chess game?
Najdorf with 6.Bc4
This article was written by a young IM (18 y.o.) from Cannes (France) named Gary GIROYAN. He was French youth …
Caution! Maniacs!
I’m sure you have heard something about mad and obsessive people before. Modern chess players share some of these traits. …
