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What you'll learn

In this intermediate chess course, you will learn about what to do with the pieces that you’ve developed in the opening. This includes intermediate tactics such as decoys and discovered checks/attacks, along with the keys to keeping pieces safe and active. Instead of aimlessly moving the pieces around, you will have an idea of what they're supposed to be looking for and how they can start to create threats. You will be able to use tactics like decoys, elimination of defender, and distraction of defender.

Requirements

You should know the basic rules of chess and understand the basic opening principles and basic tactics.
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Chess Skills for Intermediate Players

Jun 03 2021 - Video Course (3 hrs 16 mins)

This course takes students who are already familiar with the pieces and how to use them and teaches them how to win material and checkmate the king using forcing moves and threats. The course walks you through the tactical devices and attacking themes that every good player should be familiar with and the factors that make up a position, so the student knows which factors to aim for and which to avoid. This course focuses on thinking guides that will help you to determine where the pieces need to go after you’ve taken them out. Openings/ middlegames/ endgames are covered, but the emphasis is on attacking chess. Themes will include intermediate tactics, attacking tools, and different types of pawns in the endgame. This course is for Those interested in learning about chess tactics and strategy.


Created by Mike Ivanov

Chess

FREE

Watch Now

This course includes:

  • icon_courses 3 hrs 16 mins of video courses
  • icon_badgeFull lifetime access
  • icon_badgeGo at your own pace
  • icon_badgeCertificate of completion

Stay up to date:

What you'll learn

In this intermediate chess course, you will learn about what to do with the pieces that you’ve developed in the opening. This includes intermediate tactics such as decoys and discovered checks/attacks, along with the keys to keeping pieces safe and active. Instead of aimlessly moving the pieces around, you will have an idea of what they're supposed to be looking for and how they can start to create threats. You will be able to use tactics like decoys, elimination of defender, and distraction of defender.

Requirements

You should know the basic rules of chess and understand the basic opening principles and basic tactics.

Course Content

1 Unit - 20 video lessons
Lesson 1: Discovered Checks and Discovered Attacks
I am going to show you discovered checks and discovered attacks through an opening. Discovered checks occurs when a player moved a piece that reveals a hidden piece behind it that attacks the enemy king. Discovered attack occurs when a piece moves to reveal an attack by a second piece. In this video, you will know all about discovered checks and discovered attacks.
05:22
Lesson 2: Distraction and Destruction of Defender
Distraction of defender is trying to temporarily take the defender’s attention from the king and use that time to create decisive threats. Destruction of defender gives away a more valuable piece for a less valuable one, like a piece for a pawn, or a Rook for a Knight. In this video, you will learn about all you need to know about distraction and destruction of defender.
05:35
Lesson 3: Decoy and Luring
A decoy in chess is one of those tactics where you try to get a certain piece, usually the king of the opponent on a certain square that your opponent will never want to go. Your opponent might be a good defender, but you can lure away the defender. You can beat the defender by luring it away. In this video, you will learn about decoy and luring in chess.
05:14
Lesson 4: Setting up Tactics in Chess
You can use tactics to limit your opponent’s options. Find your opponent’s threats, identify tactical targets and motifs, and calculate all the checks. When it’s your turn to play, always think about what the opponent’s last move did and what he is up to. In this video, you will learn how to set up tactics in chess. Always watch out for setting up tactics. They are not going to come to you, but you have to make them yourself.
09:48
Lesson 5: Common Mating Patterns
In this video, I am going to show you 4 most common types of mate. We will start with Anastasia's mate which is very famous. Everyone should know that. You will find out more about the other 3 most common types of mate.
13:13
Lesson 6: Attacking the Uncastled King
In this video, I am going to show you an attacking method which is attacking the uncastled king. Always make sure there is a piece the king has to protect, centralize the rooks and blow up the pawns in your way, and make sure the king takes a walk. I hope this helps, and you can attack the uncastled kings in your games.
11:11
Lessons 7: Breaking the King's Roof
In this video, I will demonstrate and share more attacking themes with you to use in your kingside attacks. You are going to learn how to open up the king’s roof and more.
09:55
Lesson 8: H-File Attack and F-File Attack
In this video, I’m going to show you two more famous attacking themes that everyone has to know when attacking their opponent’s king. H-file attack is a plan that you can use in order to start an attack against the short castle. In this video, you will learn about how to open and use the h-file attacks and f-file attacks to your advantage.
11:57
Lesson 9: Three Types of Threats
A threat is simply a move that attacks one of your opponent’s pieces. When you make a move that threatens your opponent somehow, they will be forced to react to that threat or face the consequences. In this video, you will learn about three types of threats, why simple threats are so powerful, and why you should focus on playing such moves even when your opponent can easily defend against it.
12:35
Lesson 10: Attacking Principles in Chess
Attacking principles in chess is a huge topic, but we will cover a few main themes that you can use when attacking, which will help you achieve a successful attack. In this video, I will explain to you the most important principles of attacking with examples. Always exploit your opponent's weaknesses and attack on both sides of the board. Find more attacking principles in chess in the video.
14:21
Lesson 11: Bishop VS Knight: Who's Better When?
There are general observations that are commonly agreed upon by strong chess players when it comes to bishop and knight. In general, Knights are better early in the game and Bishops are better late in the game, and two Bishops are generally better than two Knights or one of each. In this video, you will get to know my verdict on which one is better between bishop and knight in chess.
08:21
Lesson 12: Gambits and How to Use Them
A gambit is a chess opening move in which a player sacrifices material, usually a pawn with the aim of achieving a subsequent positional advantage. A gambit, for example, is when a player gives out one of his pawns and sacrifices one or two pawns to get something in return for the pawns. In this video, you will learn about gambit in chess, what it means, what it looks like, and its purpose.
10:14
Lesson 13: The Policeman and the Hunter
In this video, I will introduce two friends to you that you can use to win the chess games. The first friend is called the policeman, and the second is the hunter. The policeman is the guy who makes sure everything is safe, every single piece is spectacular especially the king, no tactics, and makes sure you will never get in trouble. The hunter is the guy who is always looking for something to eat. Find out more about the policeman and hunter in this video.
13:58
Lesson 14: Three Types of Forcing Moves
In this video, you will find out all you need to know about forcing moves in chess and the three most commonly used types of forcing moves in chess. Forcing moves are the moves you should always check in any position. They are called forcing moves because they force the opponent to do something. Forcing moves are the checks, captures, and major threats that are possible in a position.
07:00
Lesson 15: Five Types of Draws
There are several different ways in which a chess game might end in a draw. In this video, you will find out and learn about the 5 types of draws in chess. The five types of draws are stalemate, agreement, threefold repetition, 50 move rule, and insufficient mating material.
10:36
Lesson 16: Alekhine's Gun and the Picnic Table
Alekhine’s gun is a formation in chess named after the former world chess champion Alexander Alekhine. This formation was named after a game he played in 1930, ending with Alekhine's decisive victory. Find out all you need to know about Alekhine’s gun and how to make use it in this video.
09:42
Lesson 17: Outposts and Holes: Swiss Cheese!
An outpost is a square on the fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh rank protected by a pawn and cannot be attacked by an opponent's pawn. Such a square is a hole for the opponent. In this video, you will learn more about outposts and holes. Always watch out for how you can use a hole and make it an outpost.
10:31
Lesson 18: When is it Good to Trade?
In this video, we will talk about trades in chess and when it is good or not good to trade. Always ask yourself which piece has better scope, which piece has a job and is doing the job, and which piece can see further. In this video, I will share a few guidelines to determine if it is a good idea to trade. Hopefully, that helps, and you will trade all your bad pieces for the opponent’s pieces.
12:27
Lesson 19: The Two Types of Endgames
The endgame in chess is the stage of the game when few pieces are left on the board. The line between middlegame and endgame is often unclear and may occur gradually or with the quick exchange of a few pairs of pieces. In this video, I will show you the two types of endgames we have in chess.
07:57
Lesson 20: Pawn Islands in Endgames
In this video, we will talk about pawn islands in chess and games. At the endgame, the pawn becomes not just the helpers with the pieces but actually the game's deciding factors. In chess, having fewer pawn island is better than having more.
06:51

About Instructor

instructor

Mike Ivanov

Chess Master

Mike learned chess from the age of 4 and achieved his current title of Fide Master at the age of 20. He has been teaching for over 8 years now and wants to see the next generation of Canadian chess juniors surpass him :). In the future, Mike still wants to attain the International Master title and still plays competitively a few times a year. He tries to teach what he would have liked to be taught when he was growing up, in an entertaining manner based on stories, jokes, and games.

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