This article was published originally on The Chess Improver blog on 2017-04-11
I have reposted it here for reference.
"We raise Champions!"
Previous reviews can be accessed here
ChessEssentials, level 1
https://64funsolutions.ca/chessessentials-level-1-0
ChessEssentials, level 2
https://64funsolutions.ca/chessessentials-level-2-0
ChessEssentials, level 3
https://64funsolutions.ca/chessessentials-level-3-0
App link at the iTunes store ChessEssentials
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/chessessentials/id593013634?mt=8
Level 4 (reference ratings 1100-1400) costs $2.99 and it also has 30 lessons, 30 puzzle sets and 30 tests still arranged in a well thought order. A junior at this level could become a regular at the national finals, while a club player could start giving top and titled players some headaches. In order to be successful with that, he needs to cover the following:
Mates
Lesson 1 starts the level with mate in 2 puzzles, same with how level 3 ended. We should consider this by now as a warm up, the same athletes do at the beginning of any training session. Please have a look at one sample:
Lesson 01 - dia
[Event "Mates in 2"][Site "Position 1"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "5b2/1p2p1n1/pK1pP1R1/P2kr3/1Q2Np2/N4p1q/b1PPnP2/B7 w - - 0 1"]{Moving to this level we suggest the player needs to identify the pieces helping deliver the checkmate and here those are: Kb6, Qb4, Na3, Ba1, Ne4, Rg6, e6} 1. Qd4+ Nxd4 2. Nc3#
Opening
Lessons 2 to 7 explore the French defence. This is a solid choice any player should consider using at one moment or the other of their chess career. The most obvious advantage is defending the f7-weak spot, as well as being involved in the fight for the center. The downside is having difficulty in activating Bc8, but we view this as a small price to pay for getting the benefits coming with using it. Learning the English opening is something I have done as a junior and I have won many a game for playing it against mostly surprised opponents. I have used a particular line which brought myself as well as my students lots of wins, including at World Youth Chess Championship (WYCC) level. It has positives and negatives as any other opening line, still its success rate speaks volumes.
- Lesson 2 covers the introduction to French defence
- Lesson 3 covers the exchange variation
- Lesson 4 covers the advance variation
- Lesson 5 covers the classical variation
- Lesson 6 covers the Winaver variation
- Lesson 7 covers the 3... a6 variation
Lessons 8 and 9 cover the English opening
- Lesson 8 covers a fianchetto line of the English opening
- Lesson 9 covers other ways to play it
Lesson 10 covers the Budapest gambit giving any player a nice weapon to use against 1. d4
Please have a look at one sample:
Puzzle set 06 - dia 01
[Event "Opening"][Site "Position 2"][Result "0-1"][SetUp "1"][FEN "6q1/ppk2p2/2b1p3/4P2r/3pNBrn/P1pB1R2/2P2K2/1R5Q b - - 0 1"]{This is the game line; right now all the puzzles in the first 4 levels are real lines and not lines chosen by engines. If you guessed this is a result of the French Winaver line, you know quite a bit about this defence} 1... Nxf3 2. Qxh5 Rxf4 3. Qh6 Ng5+ {White resigned here}
Tactics
Disrupting the opposing defence and successfully running the attacks is the theme here, followed by a more advanced coverage of the pin. Attacking the King can be done on any side of the board and pretty much at any moment of the game if the right conditions are there and the player observes them.
Lessons 11 to 16
- Lesson 11 covers eliminating the defender
- Lesson 12 covers distracting the defender
- Lesson 13 covers attracting the defender
- Lesson 14 covers the interference
- Lesson 15 covers absolute pins
- Lesson 16 covers relative pins
Lessons 17 to 19
- Lesson 17 covers King in the middle
- Lesson 18 covers King on the King side
- Lesson 19 covers King on the Queen side
Lesson 20 looks at how to use promoting a pawn into a Queen at the right time to your advantage.
Please have a look at one sample:
Puzzle set 15 - dia 05
[Event "Tactics"][Site "Position 3"][Result "0-1"][SetUp "1"][FEN "3r4/1b4k1/p5p1/1p5p/1P1RP2q/P5p1/4Q1B1/4R1K1 b - - 0 1"]{White has just captured a black Rook on d4 and plans to play the pin move Qd2-b2 if black captures back} 1... Qh2+ {The direct attack is devastating and an absolute pin forces white to give up the Queen just to extend the game a bit longer} 2. Kf1 Rf8+ 3. Qf3 (3. Bf3 Qh1#) 3... Rxf3+ 4. Ke2 Qxg2+
Strategy
Lessons 21 to 25 focus on the Rooks and how to use them efficiently.
- Lesson 21 covers how to open a line
- Lesson 22 covers how to use open lines
- Lesson 23 covers how to close open lines
- Lesson 24 covers the 7th rank domination
- Lesson 25 covers the back rank weakness
Please have a look at one sample:
Puzzle set 24 - dia 02
[Event "Strategy"][Site "Position 4"][Result "1-0"][FEN "7k/R7/p2n3p/1p1N2p1/8/7P/PPPr1PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]{This game is from one of our club tournaments of the past; both players have remembered the importance of placing a Rook onto the 2nd/ 7th rank, but with the last move Re2-d2 black missed the mating net white can create} 1. Nf6 Nf7 2. Rxf7 Rd1+ 3. Kh2 {Black cannot avoid the mate in 1}
Endgame
Lessons 26 to 29 look at some very important endgame positions
- Lesson 26 covers the separate 2 passed pawns
- Lesson 27 covers general King and pawns endgames
- Lesson 28 covers the Lucena position
- Lesson 29 covers the Philidor position
Please have a look at one sample:
Puzzle set 26 - dia 02
[Event "Endgame"][Site "Position 5"][Result "0-1"][FEN "8/8/4p1k1/p7/2p1K3/7P/P7/8 b - - 0 1"]{This is the end of a game played by one of my former students @ WYCC 2008. Here he missed an important win; however he still finished in the top 10 in his age category} 1... e5 (1... c3 2. Kd3 {This was the game line ending in a draw shortly after}) 2. Ke3 Kh5 3. Ke4 Kh4 4. a3 Kxh3 5. Ke3 Kg4 6. Ke4 c3 7. Kd3 e4+ 8. Kxc3 e3 9. Kc2 Kf3 10. Kd1 Kf2
Mates
Lesson 30 ends this level with mate in 3 puzzles. The training session takes it up a notch!
Conclusion: once a player reaches this point, his chess knowledge and preparation begins to take shape nicely. The tactical aspect of its game is getting sharper and the endgame should be a definite strength. Important strategical elements are added for a more rounded preparation. Hope you find this presentation interesting and the app worth giving it a try!
I have reposted it here for reference.
"We raise Champions!"
Previous reviews can be accessed here
ChessEssentials, level 1
https://64funsolutions.ca/chessessentials-level-1-0
ChessEssentials, level 2
https://64funsolutions.ca/chessessentials-level-2-0
ChessEssentials, level 3
https://64funsolutions.ca/chessessentials-level-3-0
App link at the iTunes store ChessEssentials
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/chessessentials/id593013634?mt=8
Level 4 (reference ratings 1100-1400) costs $2.99 and it also has 30 lessons, 30 puzzle sets and 30 tests still arranged in a well thought order. A junior at this level could become a regular at the national finals, while a club player could start giving top and titled players some headaches. In order to be successful with that, he needs to cover the following:
Mates
Lesson 1 starts the level with mate in 2 puzzles, same with how level 3 ended. We should consider this by now as a warm up, the same athletes do at the beginning of any training session. Please have a look at one sample:
Lesson 01 - dia
[Event "Mates in 2"][Site "Position 1"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "5b2/1p2p1n1/pK1pP1R1/P2kr3/1Q2Np2/N4p1q/b1PPnP2/B7 w - - 0 1"]{Moving to this level we suggest the player needs to identify the pieces helping deliver the checkmate and here those are: Kb6, Qb4, Na3, Ba1, Ne4, Rg6, e6} 1. Qd4+ Nxd4 2. Nc3#
Opening
Lessons 2 to 7 explore the French defence. This is a solid choice any player should consider using at one moment or the other of their chess career. The most obvious advantage is defending the f7-weak spot, as well as being involved in the fight for the center. The downside is having difficulty in activating Bc8, but we view this as a small price to pay for getting the benefits coming with using it. Learning the English opening is something I have done as a junior and I have won many a game for playing it against mostly surprised opponents. I have used a particular line which brought myself as well as my students lots of wins, including at World Youth Chess Championship (WYCC) level. It has positives and negatives as any other opening line, still its success rate speaks volumes.
- Lesson 2 covers the introduction to French defence
- Lesson 3 covers the exchange variation
- Lesson 4 covers the advance variation
- Lesson 5 covers the classical variation
- Lesson 6 covers the Winaver variation
- Lesson 7 covers the 3... a6 variation
Lessons 8 and 9 cover the English opening
- Lesson 8 covers a fianchetto line of the English opening
- Lesson 9 covers other ways to play it
Lesson 10 covers the Budapest gambit giving any player a nice weapon to use against 1. d4
Please have a look at one sample:
Puzzle set 06 - dia 01
[Event "Opening"][Site "Position 2"][Result "0-1"][SetUp "1"][FEN "6q1/ppk2p2/2b1p3/4P2r/3pNBrn/P1pB1R2/2P2K2/1R5Q b - - 0 1"]{This is the game line; right now all the puzzles in the first 4 levels are real lines and not lines chosen by engines. If you guessed this is a result of the French Winaver line, you know quite a bit about this defence} 1... Nxf3 2. Qxh5 Rxf4 3. Qh6 Ng5+ {White resigned here}
Tactics
Disrupting the opposing defence and successfully running the attacks is the theme here, followed by a more advanced coverage of the pin. Attacking the King can be done on any side of the board and pretty much at any moment of the game if the right conditions are there and the player observes them.
Lessons 11 to 16
- Lesson 11 covers eliminating the defender
- Lesson 12 covers distracting the defender
- Lesson 13 covers attracting the defender
- Lesson 14 covers the interference
- Lesson 15 covers absolute pins
- Lesson 16 covers relative pins
Lessons 17 to 19
- Lesson 17 covers King in the middle
- Lesson 18 covers King on the King side
- Lesson 19 covers King on the Queen side
Lesson 20 looks at how to use promoting a pawn into a Queen at the right time to your advantage.
Please have a look at one sample:
Puzzle set 15 - dia 05
[Event "Tactics"][Site "Position 3"][Result "0-1"][SetUp "1"][FEN "3r4/1b4k1/p5p1/1p5p/1P1RP2q/P5p1/4Q1B1/4R1K1 b - - 0 1"]{White has just captured a black Rook on d4 and plans to play the pin move Qd2-b2 if black captures back} 1... Qh2+ {The direct attack is devastating and an absolute pin forces white to give up the Queen just to extend the game a bit longer} 2. Kf1 Rf8+ 3. Qf3 (3. Bf3 Qh1#) 3... Rxf3+ 4. Ke2 Qxg2+
Strategy
Lessons 21 to 25 focus on the Rooks and how to use them efficiently.
- Lesson 21 covers how to open a line
- Lesson 22 covers how to use open lines
- Lesson 23 covers how to close open lines
- Lesson 24 covers the 7th rank domination
- Lesson 25 covers the back rank weakness
Please have a look at one sample:
Puzzle set 24 - dia 02
[Event "Strategy"][Site "Position 4"][Result "1-0"][FEN "7k/R7/p2n3p/1p1N2p1/8/7P/PPPr1PP1/6K1 w - - 0 1"]{This game is from one of our club tournaments of the past; both players have remembered the importance of placing a Rook onto the 2nd/ 7th rank, but with the last move Re2-d2 black missed the mating net white can create} 1. Nf6 Nf7 2. Rxf7 Rd1+ 3. Kh2 {Black cannot avoid the mate in 1}
Endgame
Lessons 26 to 29 look at some very important endgame positions
- Lesson 26 covers the separate 2 passed pawns
- Lesson 27 covers general King and pawns endgames
- Lesson 28 covers the Lucena position
- Lesson 29 covers the Philidor position
Please have a look at one sample:
Puzzle set 26 - dia 02
[Event "Endgame"][Site "Position 5"][Result "0-1"][FEN "8/8/4p1k1/p7/2p1K3/7P/P7/8 b - - 0 1"]{This is the end of a game played by one of my former students @ WYCC 2008. Here he missed an important win; however he still finished in the top 10 in his age category} 1... e5 (1... c3 2. Kd3 {This was the game line ending in a draw shortly after}) 2. Ke3 Kh5 3. Ke4 Kh4 4. a3 Kxh3 5. Ke3 Kg4 6. Ke4 c3 7. Kd3 e4+ 8. Kxc3 e3 9. Kc2 Kf3 10. Kd1 Kf2
Mates
Lesson 30 ends this level with mate in 3 puzzles. The training session takes it up a notch!
Conclusion: once a player reaches this point, his chess knowledge and preparation begins to take shape nicely. The tactical aspect of its game is getting sharper and the endgame should be a definite strength. Important strategical elements are added for a more rounded preparation. Hope you find this presentation interesting and the app worth giving it a try!