Games Tutor at Saarland University Specializing in Chess Strategies

Tom guided Felicia through the concept of hanging pieces in chess, explaining them as undefended or inadequately defended pieces, or those of higher value under attack by lower-value pieces. Felicia honed her skills by identifying these pieces in various exercises and was also introduced to the tactical idea of double attacks. Tom plans to provide Felicia with an example of a double attack, complete with a description, for her to review before their upcoming lesson.

Tom and Michael reviewed two of Michael's recent chess games, focusing on opening strategies, tactical errors, and endgame principles. They analyzed the Hippo Defense and French Defense pawn structures, with Tom recommending Michael stick to a specific plan involving F4 for future games with Black. Their next lesson is scheduled for October 8th.

Tom and a learner from Hempstead practiced rook versus queen endgames in chess, focusing on tactics to win the rook or force checkmate. They analyzed various rook positions and corresponding queen maneuvers. The learner was assigned to practice the endgame against a computer, starting from a specific position with black to move, and to review the material in his chess book.

During their recent chess lesson, Tom and Michael delved into an in-depth analysis of Michael's own games. The core of their discussion revolved around pinpointing tactical opportunities, recognizing positional advantages, and grasping the concept of imbalances, as outlined in Silman's 'Reassess Your Chess.' They carefully examined particular games, evaluating move choices and strategic approaches. To aid Michael's continued study, Tom plans to send him the PGN file of one of the analyzed games, along with a cheat sheet detailing the evaluation commentary symbols commonly found in chess notation.

During their recent chess lesson, Tom and Michael delved into an analysis of a game where Michael had employed the Hippo defense. The primary goal was to enhance Michael's grasp of crucial chess concepts such as pawn breaks, effective piece development, and identifying attacking opportunities. They meticulously examined specific moves and tactical sequences, with Tom offering valuable alternative strategies and fresh insights. Following their discussion, Tom committed to sending the analyzed game file to Michael for his continued review.

Tom taught a learner about discovered attacks and queen endgames, including queen and king versus king and bishop/knight. The learner, who is based in Fort Worth, practiced identifying discovered attacks and learned strategies for forcing checkmate in queen endgames, as well as defensive techniques in rook endgames. Tom suggested they practice the endgames against an engine.