my latest books
"The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement"
"Game Changer" won the ECF Book of the Year 2019 and the FIDE Book of the Year 2019
"Chess for Life" won the ECF Book of the Year 2016 prize
When a piece less doesn’t matter!
Stockfish sacrifices a piece for compensation that is not clear to a casual glance: the black king is exposed but there are no immediate threats. A series of powerful moves with the major pieces coordinates the white pieces into an unstoppable attacking force!
After reading this article, you will have gained the tools to better assess such long-term piece sacrifices and hopefully be inspired to use them in your own games!
Engine Snacks! Conquering space with g4!
This super-quick article is in our Engine Snacks series! We see two power plays from Stoofvlees and Stockfish, expanding a queenside space advantage across the whole board with a powerful g4 kingside thrust! These are great examples of whole board play: a major theme I examine in “The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement” and it’s definitely something we should try and emulate in our own games!
Engine Snacks! An unforgettable queen trap!
This super-quick article is in our Engine Snacks series! Ethereal catches Stoofvlees with a combination of 2 tactical themes: diversion and trapping. The position is so full of drama, that once you’ve seen it, you’ll never forget these tactical ideas!
"The secret of my success: with every move I force the opponent to think for themselves!"
- Alexander Alekhine
about
I am a Chess Grandmaster and writer, and one of England's top players. When I am not doing my job as an IT Consultant, I fill my free time with as much chess as possible
my work
Writing and discussing chess has always been one of my passions. I review chess books in a regular column for New in Chess magazine and have written 8 books myself. I also contribute to chess videos regularly.
contact me
I hope that you enjoy the site. I will enrich its content over time and would love to hear what you think. Let me know whether there are any topics you would like me to cover in my blog.
"How many moves do I consider when analysing? Only one, but it's always the best one!"
- Emanuel Lasker