trainingaccount996's Blog

Game of the Week 14/52

2026-04-14T20:21:21.736Z

Welcome to Game of the Week #14 from the FIDE Women Candidates Tournament! This is a sharp Italian Game where White introduced an early novelty and built up a strong initiative on the kingside. The game quickly became very tactical, with both sides creating chances under pressure in a complex middlegame full of swings. In the end, Black handled the complications more accurately and converted the advantage after visually striking sequence.

Game of the Week 13/52

2026-04-14T18:17:13.096Z

Welcome to Game of the Week #13! This is a short but very instructive game showing how to handle a position where the opponent has a static advantage — by changing the character of the game and creating dynamic counterplay. Black chose the right plan early, but still had to play accurately to make the initiative count. Interestingly, this is already the second game in the series featuring the same player with Black, from the same tournament.

Game of the Week 12/52

2026-04-04T18:58:26.318Z

This week’s Game of the Week comes from a Najdorf Sicilian, where White played an unusual central piece sacrifice. White converted the advantage with precise play, and the analysis of alternative lines provides useful strategic and tactical ideas. A game full of instructive motifs, worth studying.

Game of the Week 11/52

2026-03-30T16:32:29.232Z

Welcome to this week’s Game of the Week! It was a quiet week in serious games among 2400+ players, but this encounter from the Closed GM tournament in Stockholm stood out. The character of the game was largely decided by White, who chose an ambitious path with a bold capture on h7. From that moment, Black had to respond actively, generating threats and seeking counterplay. The game then evolved into a rich tactical battle, full of instructive ideas, until a decisive exchange sacrifice ultimately decided the outcome. A fascinating and highly instructive game, packed with motifs worth studying for players at any level.

Game of the Week 10/52

2026-03-30T16:32:10.988Z

Welcome to the Game of the Week n.10! This encounter features a surprising material sacrifice by White in the King’s Indian Defense. Despite holding the initiative, White was unable to convert it, leaving Black with the opportunity to gradually coordinate his pieces and exploit the material advantage. Much of the game then became a rich positional struggle, full of piece maneuvering and subtle plans, until Black eventually broke through. Overall, a visually striking and instructive battle that’s well worth a closer look!

Game of the Week 9/52

2026-03-09T08:01:32.986Z

Welcome to another Game of the Week! A little late this time, but this game is truly worth it. Many of you may have already seen it, yet this is exactly the kind of game that never tires. The battle between David Navara and Nodirbek Yakubboev at the Prague Masters was packed with stunning tactical blows and drew attention worldwide. For me, personally, one of the most beautiful games I’ve watched in recent years. Enjoy!

Game of the Week 8/52

2026-02-24T13:12:39.793Z

This week’s game comes from the Azerbaijani Championship, the first of two games for the bronze medal. It’s a fascinating strategic battle where the bishop pair meets a weak pawn structure. White slowly builds a nice advantage and it looks like the game is heading for an easy win. But then comes a twist: a tactical idea slips by. On autopilot, White pushes the king into a queenless endgame, forgetting that even without queens, mate threats can still pop up...

Game of the Week 7/52

2026-02-17T12:36:47.678Z

Welcome to a new Game of the Week. Last week, unfortunately, there wasn’t much to choose from - there weren’t many particularly exciting games with fireworks, so to speak. One interesting encounter was the match in Ankara between the talented Ediz Gurel and Jorden Van Foreest, which was enjoyable overall, but honestly, no single game really captured the “Game of the Week” spirit. In the end, I’ve chosen the game between the young International Master Liu and Grandmaster Dudin. It offers a rich and complex battle in the Najdorf Sicilian, constantly shifting between static and dynamic factors, making it far from easy to analyze. Take a look for yourself!

Game of the Week 6/52

2026-02-11T16:49:54.711Z

Welcome to another Game of the Week, a little later than usual. The game we’re about to explore was played this past weekend in the German Bundesliga and features an unusual line in the Open Sicilian, some interesting tactical motifs, and subtle imbalances, mostly arising from the opposite-colored bishops. It’s a great example of how small positional factors can create practical challenges and instructive ideas for both sides.

Game of the Week 5/52

2026-02-02T11:46:06.166Z

Tata Steel 2026 has come to an end, and what a fiercely contested tournament it was! There were so many exciting games this year that picking a single Game of the Week was no easy task. In fact, several other games could have deserved this honor. Yet, for me, this particular encounter stood out the most. It may have been short, but its intensity, precision, and instructive ideas make it a perfect showcase of the fighting spirit that defined this year’s event.

Game of the Week 4/52

2026-01-26T17:26:15.554Z

Welcome to this week’s Game of the Week! This game comes from the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, a long-standing event that chess fans follow every January and one where strong, fighting games are the norm. The game between Vladimir Fedoseev and Gukesh D is a great example of this. What starts as a solid Queen’s Gambit structure gradually turns into a sharp strategic battle, where one inaccurate plan in the middlegame allows Black to seize the initiative. Gukesh’s energetic counterplay, strong sense for piece activity, and precise tactical decisions make this game especially instructive.

Game of the Week 3/52

2026-01-19T18:12:55.516Z

Welcome back to the Game of the Week! Emin Ohanyan and Artur Davtyan start with a rare opening that quickly leads to a very complex middlegame. Black spends much of the game down a rook, the kings face constant threats, and both sides have to navigate time pressure. Sharp ideas and tactical shots keep the game interesting, and in the end Black manages to win the endgame despite being behind in material. A lot to learn from this one.

Game of the Week 2/52

2026-01-12T09:49:36.652Z

The second part of our series is here, and today we’re looking at a game played between top players in one of the strongest leagues in the world, the German Bundesliga. This game is a bit different from last week’s, which was perhaps more exciting for viewers but full of mistakes. Today’s game isn’t as flashy, but it’s high-quality chess. And don’t worry, there’s plenty to calculate if you’re up for it. So, let’s dive in!

Game of the Week 1/52

2026-01-05T11:12:28.449Z

Welcome to a new series called Game of the Week, where I’ll analyze one selected game that caught my attention the most over the past week. For this series, I’ll focus exclusively on serious games played by players rated 2400+. Since it’s still early in the year and tournaments are just getting underway, there isn’t much material available yet. Still, I’m confident that today’s game will grab your attention...

Biggest Blunders of the World Cup 2025 (Classical)

2025-11-26T10:21:37.292Z

The FIDE World Cup 2025 gave us a lot of excellent chess - strategic battles, sharp tactics, and plenty of inspiring games. But alongside all that great chess, there were also a few unforgettable moments where even elite players suddenly “lost the plot.” In this roundup, we’re looking at the biggest blunders of the event, but only from the classical games.

TOP10 Games of the World Cup 2025

2025-11-25T14:16:07.606Z

The FIDE World Cup 2025 has finally wrapped up - at least the classical portion, which is the focus of this article. While the tiebreaks between Wei Yi and Sindarov are still ongoing, all the serious classical games are now complete. I’ve put together a selection of 10 standout games from the tournament. Let’s check them out!

TOP 10 Classical games of May 2025

2025-05-31T08:23:54.816Z

The end of the month is here—and you know what that means! Time to dive into the best (and wildest) games from the past few weeks. And believe me, these games did not disappoint!

Biggest Blunders in Classical (April 2025)

2025-05-01T13:32:20.313Z

This article explores the most instructive blunders made by over-the-board players rated above 2250 – mostly grandmasters – in classical tournaments during April 2025. These aren’t casual mistakes or online slips, but serious oversights in real games, with clocks ticking and scoresheets in hand. They didn’t happen in bullet or blitz, but often after hours of complex play, where fatigue, time trouble, or overconfidence took their toll. These aren’t beginner mistakes – and this article doesn’t aim to ridicule – but rather to highlight how demanding practical chess truly is, and what patterns we should all learn to recognize.

TOP 10 Classical Games of April 2025

2025-04-30T12:43:40.579Z

Dear Lichess community, welcome to a new series where we’ll present the top 10 games of the month. Of course, such a selection is always somewhat subjective, so it's normal if you have a different opinion. If that’s the case, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!