Dan Heisman's Improve Your Chess
Strong Center Wins
National Master Dan Heisman is a name that is synonymous with excellence in chess coaching and teaching. Dan authors the award-winning Novice Nook column (winner of three Chess Journalists of America "Best Instruction" awards), aimed at improving adults, for chesscafe.com that are clearly written and offer very practical advice and tips on how to improve your game . In the new Improve Your Chess series, Dan provides instruction by reviewing amateur games played on ICC and showing where the players went wrong and how to improve.
Today's show: White plays the opening passively and strangely and Black gets a small advantage. Both sides make minor mistakes but throughout Black mostly retains some edge. Then White makes the sharp move 25.f5? and, after both sides miss the best line, White just drops the pawn. Shortly thereafter Black turns down the trade of queens and obtains a winning attack.