Category: Defence

June 1, 2025 Matthew Sadler No comments exist

A recent trip to the Cambridge International Open (https://lichess.org/broadcast/3rd-cambridge-international-2025/round-6/Wa4LxDIM) to do some commentary together with Natasha Regan (recordings are here for the next 2 weeks: https://www.twitch.tv/wim_natasharegan) reminded me how much fun commentating is and how nice it is to walk around the tournament hall and watch some games. One game that couldn’t fail to catch…

May 23, 2025 Matthew Sadler 2 comments

How much should you understand and how much should you know? It’s the eternal question of opening preparation! Ideally, you should understand everything and thus need to know nothing. Unfortunately, you need to know something before you can understand. So you first need to know, then understand, and then you should forget what you know…

November 8, 2021 Matthew Sadler No comments exist

Engines are amazing at sacrificing material, both in attack and defence. Leela neutralises unpleasant pressure against its position with a fabulous pawn sacrifice leaving Stockfish with no winning chances. -All players should study how engines defend – nobody does it better!

May 3, 2020 Matthew Sadler 7 comments

Another Steve Giddins book I’ve been getting into is the Best Games collection of Russian Grandmaster Ratmir Kholmov (1925-2006). Best known in the West for convincingly beating Bobby Fischer at Havana 1965 on the Black side of a Ruy Lopez, Kholmov is one of many extremely strong Russian players who – for whatever reason –…