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: In a sharp line of the Portuguese Variation of the Center Counter, White captures a couple of dangerous pawns and ends up in a position which every book I have says is lost by move 8. But engine Stockfish finds a Theoretical Novelty that seems to show that White is not lost at all. Unfortunately, White does not find the engine's move, and quickly ends up losing material to a fairly basic tactic. Black displays good technique and quickly garners the full point. In fact, the game was so easy to play for Black that once White failed to find the correct defense, Black was able to play almost perfectly since his winning moves were very easy to find and play (that happens sometimes when the opponent plays badly enough).

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