GM Ioannis Papaioannou returns in July 2026 with the next stage of the From the Opening to the Endgame sequence — Typical Endgames in the French Defense.
In this edition of Strategy Wednesday, the focus shifts to one of the most strategically rich openings in all of chess — the French Defense. More than most openings, the French is defined by its endgames: the middlegame battles flow, again and again, into the same recurring family of endings, and the player who understands them holds a lasting practical edge over the one who merely reaches them.
The French is celebrated for its solidity and its clear strategic logic, but its games are frequently decided long after the opening phase ends. Strong players know that the same endgame structures arise across the Advance, the Tarrasch, the Winawer, and the Exchange — and that mastering them transforms the practical value of the entire opening.
The structural connection is concrete. The French pawn chains produce a recurring set of long-term features: the backward d-pawn, the famously "bad" light-squared bishop, the queenside pawn majority, and the locked structures that suddenly open. These features are not accidents of a particular game — they define whole classes of French endgames, for both colours, and they share the same evaluation criteria and the same technical procedures.
GM Papaioannou will guide you through the essence of these endgames. Why do certain French structures consistently favor one side? How do strong players steer the middlegame toward a favorable transition? And how do they convert the small structural advantages these positions produce into concrete results?
A central idea of this camp is learning to play endgames where the imbalances are minimal but durable. The endgames of the French are decided by precise technique applied to small structural edges — the good knight against the bad bishop, the queenside majority, the weak colour complex. These edges do not win automatically. The training addresses exactly that gap, showing how technique, prophylaxis, and accurate piece placement convert positions that look balanced on the surface.
Throughout the camp, GM Papaioannou will demonstrate how recurring endgame patterns across the French transform the game. You will see how the shared pawn structures dictate plans, how the strategic battle of the middlegame continues into the endgame, and how a small structural edge becomes a winning advantage with precise play.
Throughout the camp, GM Papaioannou will show you:
How to evaluate the recurring endgame structures of the French Defense correctly How to steer the middlegame toward a favorable endgame, as White and as Black How to defend and create counterplay in inferior endgames Key technical procedures in the good-knight-versus-bad-bishop and pawn-majority endgames typical of the French How to convert structural advantages into full points
This training will not only deepen your understanding of a critical phase of the game — it will significantly improve your ability to play accurate, high-level technical chess across the entire French Defense complex.
Strategy Wednesday will take place over two Wednesdays — 22.07.2026 and 29.07.2026 — with two sessions per day. After each training day, participants will receive 10 test positions designed to reinforce the concepts introduced during the lectures. All positions will be included with solutions in the final PGN file.
All sessions are part of the Modern Chess Academy, meaning Academy members receive free access to the live lectures and to the complete digital product released afterward.
🛠 Technical Details
✓ Dates: 22.07.2026 and 29.07.2026
✓ Platform: Zoom
✓ Coach: GM Ioannis Papaioannou
📅 Program
22.07.2026 – Paris | New York
🕒 17:30 – 19:00 | 11:30 – 13:00 – Typical Endgames in the French Defense – Part 1
🕒 19:30 – 21:00 | 13:30 – 15:00 – Typical Endgames in the French Defense – Part 2
29.07.2026 – Paris | New York
🕒 17:30 – 19:00 | 11:30 – 13:00 – Typical Endgames in the French Defense – Part 3
🕒 19:30 – 21:00 | 13:30 – 15:00 – Typical Endgames in the French Defense – Part 4
🕒 21:00 – 21:30 | 15:00 – 15:30 – Q&A with GM Grigor Grigorov & GM Petar Arnaudov
🎁 Participants Receive:
Recordings of all lectures PGN files with all material (2–3 weeks after the event) Final digital product based on all four lectures Free access for Academy members
🔥 What You Will Gain
A deep understanding of the recurring endgame structures of the French Defense Improved ability to convert opening edges into full points Stronger evaluation of French pawn structures and minor-piece imbalances Better technique in the good-knight-versus-bad-bishop and pawn-majority endgames A clearer sense of long-term planning from opening to endgame
This camp will help you master the art of technique, accuracy, and strategic conversion — the essential qualities for turning the French Defense into full points.
🎓 This event is free for academy members.