Dan Heisman's Improve Your Chess
Winning Pawns in Front of Your King
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 theoretical battle, White plays quickly once out of the opening preparation and errs with 12.Nd5?. Black gets the initiative and, after a couple of minor inaccuracies, White allows Black to break through his light square blockade on the queenside. Black sacrifices a pawn to open lines but then misses a checkmate. Nonetheless, Black continues his attack and White just can't defend all the weaknesses around his king.