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Weak Squares (2h and 40min Running Time) 

IM Boroljub Zlatanovic     August 10, 2023

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Content  (78 Articles)

Introduction and Free Preview  Free
INTRODUCTION  Closed
ENDGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 1  Closed
ENDGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 2  Closed
ENDGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 3  Closed
ENDGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 4  Closed
ENDGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 5  Closed
ENDGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 6  Closed
ENDGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 7  Closed
ENDGAME POSITIONS  Closed
Kragujevac Radnicki - Zlatanovic, Boroljub - Lalev, Dimitar  Closed
Tringov Memorial - Szostko, Jakub - Zlatanovic, Boroljub  Closed
British CF-15 London International - Alekhine, Alexander - Euwe, Max  Closed
BL2-Sued 8990 - Pflichthofer, Peter - Riefner, Edwin  Closed
British CF-15 London International - Alekhine, Alexander - Yates, Frederick Dewhurst  Closed
Buenos Aires Clarin International - Andersson, Ulf - Franco Ocampos, Zenon  Closed
New York op - Ehlvest, Jaan - Hulse, Brian  Closed
EU-chT 01st Final - Sefc, Jan - Petrosian, Tigran V  Closed
URS-ch10 Final - Rauzer, Vsevolod - Lilienthal, Andor  Closed
Interzonal-02 - Kotov, Alexander - Pilnik, Hermann  Closed
Noordwijk - Trifunovic, Petar - Botvinnik, Mikhail  Closed
URS-ch10 Final - Alatortsev, Vladimir - Levenfish, Grigory  Closed
Dortmund - Anand, Viswanathan - Bareev, Evgeny  Closed
Chigorin Memorial 22nd - Kazhgaleyev, Murtas - Ivanisevic, Ivan  Closed
Copenhagen National Tournament - Nimzowitsch, Aron - Pritzel, Axel Carl Martin  Closed
Estrin - Lilienthal  Closed
URS-ch20 Final - Geller, Efim P - Boleslavsky, Isaak  Closed
Hannover Schachklub 50 Years - Nimzowitsch, Aron - Duhm, Hans  Closed
EU Union-ch U12 - Csatho, Lotti - Kowalczyk, Pawel  Closed
URS Games - Ubilava, Elizbar - Timoscenko, Gennadij A  Closed
TEST 1  Closed
TEST 2  Closed
TEST 3  Closed
TEST 4  Closed
TEST 5  Closed
Linares-03 - Ljubojevic, Ljubomir - Karpov, Anatoly  Closed
Paracin-ch - Mickovic, Slavisa - Zlatanovic, Boroljub  Closed
RUS-ch (Women) 66th - Pogonina, Natalija - Bodnaruk, Anastasia  Closed
SUI-ch35 Meister - Henneberger, Walter - Nimzowitsch, Aron  Closed
Internet Blitz Game - Zlatanovic, Boroljub - Jncool68  Closed
MIDDLEGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 1  Closed
MIDDLEGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 2  Closed
MIDDLEGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 3  Closed
MIDDLEGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 4  Closed
MIDDLEGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 5  Closed
MIDDLEGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 6  Closed
MIDDLEGAME POSITIONS - Video Lecture 7  Closed
MIDDLEGAME POSITIONS  Closed
Mar del Plata International-23 - Fischer, Robert James - Gadia, Olicio  Closed
RUS-Cup6 - Morozevich, Alexander - Petrushin, Alexander I  Closed
Hoogovens - Polgar, Judit - Anand, Viswanathan  Closed
Lodz Dreimeisterturnier 8R - Rubinstein, Akiba - Salwe, Georg  Closed
Karlsbad-02 International Master - Nimzowitsch, Aron - Salwe, Georg  Closed
Match/Nation URS-USA (7-3) (5,5-4,5) - Smyslov, Vassily V - Denker, Arnold Sheldon  Closed
IBM - Botvinnik, Mikhail Moisevich - Szilagyi, Gyorgy  Closed
URS-ch12 Final - Stolberg, Mark Moiseevich - Botvinnik, Mikhail Moiseevich  Closed
Palma de Mallorca Gran Torneo-05 - Petrosian, Tigran V - Mecking, Henrique  Closed
Match Gligoric-Stahlberg +2-1=9 - Gligoric, Svetozar - Stahlberg, Gideon  Closed
URS-ch17 Semifinal - Taimanov, Mark E - Lisitsin, Georgy M  Closed
Karlsbad-04 International Masters - Nimzowitsch, Aron - Menchik, Vera  Closed
Amsterdam GAK - Botvinnik, Mikhail - Donner, Jan Hein  Closed
Match Steinitz-Sellman (2) +3-0=0 - Steinitz, William - Sellman, Alexander  Closed
Christmas Congress 1966/67-42 Premier - Balashov, Yuri S - Penrose, Jonathan  Closed
Olympiad-05 - Alekhine, Alexander - Mikenas, Vladas Ivanovich  Closed
Otvoreno prvenstvo Paracina 2016 - Zlatanovic, Boroljub - Brankovic, Dejan  Closed
Candidates Tournament - Najdorf, Miguel - Geller, Efim P  Closed
Olympiad-15 Preliminaries A - Botvinnik, Mikhail - Pomar Salamanca, Arturo  Closed
Dubai op 6th - Hakki, Imad - Chokshi, Manthan J  Closed
TEST 1  Closed
TEST 2  Closed
TEST 3  Closed
TEST 4  Closed
TEST 5  Closed
Leipzig DSV - Atanasov, Gospodin - Hort, Vlastimil  Closed
Interzonal-03 - Pilnik, Hermann - Geller, Efim P  Closed
EU-Cup 02nd quarterfinal - Smyslov, Vassily V - Gligoric, Svetozar  Closed
URS Young Masters-ch - Rauzer, Vsevolod - Riumin, Nikolay Nikolaevich  Closed
Interzonal-05 - Geller, Efim P - Bolbochan, Julio  Closed

49.00 EUR

Weak Squares

IM-Boroljub-Zlatanovich-Moden-Chess-team

We are happy to present the newest course by IM Boroljub Zlatanovic - Weak Squares. The ability to create and exploit weak squares and square complexes is one of the most important skills for every positional player.

The course is divided into two sections: Endgame Positions and Middlegame Positions. Each section contains 20 carefully curated model examples and 5 practical exercises to solidify your understanding and enhance your strategic intuition. It goes without saying that all the exercises come with annotated solutions.

Preview by the Author

From the outset, it's typical for players to seek optimal positions for their pieces. Ideally, these positions are both secure/comfortable and influential. However, achieving this, and maintaining control over such squares, is challenging. Still, adhering to well-known advice can be beneficial. Always aim to over-control such squares. This is important not only due to potential exchanges but also for the flexibility of switching pieces on crucial squares to alter the game's pace and create threats from various angles.

Picture a scenario where your knight dominates in front of a weak backward pawn. If you allow your opponent to capture it and then you recapture it with a pawn, you'll be left with a nearly ineffective majority, unlike your opponent.

Another tip is to always target and remove your opponent's pieces that control vital squares you wish to dominate. Weak pawns often leave behind essential squares for the opponent. By taking these squares, you can block such pawns and subsequently mount an attack on them. Without such control, the pawns can advance!

Thus, controlling key squares is intricately linked to creating blockades, which always have broader implications. By blockading your opponent's weak pawns, you can also often inhibit, and even paralyze, their forces. The significance of this strategy will become evident after thoroughly studying this course. Embrace these principles, and you'll be astounded by their impact on your positional understanding.

Endgame Positions

In the endgame, controlling key squares isn't as vital as in the middlegame because there aren't as many opportunities to immobilize your opponent's forces. However, key squares still need to be occupied, and over-control should be exercised. Essentially, controlling key squares should offer you strategic advantages on both wings, especially if the key square is centrally located.

The principle remains: engage on both wings when feasible. Often, controlling these crucial squares will result in superior communication lines. Use this to your advantage to target weaknesses on both sides. If necessary, create these weaknesses. With fewer pieces on the board, a piece positioned on a key square becomes significantly more influential. Hence, it's crucial to keep it secure and maintain its dominance.

Middlegame Positions

Key squares emerge in nearly every chess game during the middlegame, often in front of backward pawns, isolated pawns, and within structural holes. As the game progresses and pieces advance, certain squares become vulnerable. If these can be exploited, they turn into key squares, particularly if they're located in front of weak pawns. To subsequently attack a weak pawn, you first need to blockade it. Doing so restricts your opponent's active play since the pawn obstructs their defensive pieces. I often advise: "Always place a piece (preferably a knight) in front of an opponent's weak pawn (central if possible), as long as it remains safe!" For those unacquainted with this tactic, the influence and overarching impact of this piece will astonish you. The universal advice of over-controlling and eliminating opponent pieces that control such squares is paramount here.

SAMPLE MODEL GAME

Chess Viewer 7VBNIKDZE8TZDXH8E0CXHT9F2SYJCLUQ

SAMPLE VIDEO