Advanced

LESSONS

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MASTER COURSE · PHASE 4 · 1800–2200

Advanced

Prophylaxis. Two weaknesses. Conversion technique.

LESSONS

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Overview

You win by denying their plan, not just executing yours. Petrosian and Capablanca, plus the heavyweight structures and the hardest basic mate.

Unit 1 · Prophylactic Thinking

Goal: 'What does my opponent WANT to do?' becomes your first thought, every move.

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CONCEPT

The opponent-plan question

Diagnose their threats before doing anything else.

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CONCEPT

Denying squares

Stop their knight from reaching its outpost, before it gets ideas.

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CONCEPT

Preventing pawn breaks

Kill the freeing pawn push before it draws breath.

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TEST

Test: Prophylactic moves

Three positions: find the response that denies the plan.

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Unit 2 · Two Weaknesses Principle

Goal: Capablanca's golden rule of conversion: one weakness is never enough.

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CONCEPT

The principle

Pressure the first weakness, then open a second front.

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CONCEPT

Creating the second weakness

Flank pawn breaks crack the defense open.

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TEST

Test: Conversion via two weaknesses

Three positions: find the move that opens the second front.

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Unit 3 · Complex Pawn Structures

Goal: IQP, hanging pawns, and the Benoni wall: three skeletons every advanced player meets.

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CONCEPT

The Isolated Queen Pawn (IQP, animated)

Dynamism for the owner, a long-term target for the defender.

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CONCEPT

Hanging Pawns

Dynamic strength or fixed weakness: depends entirely on who's moving next.

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CONCEPT

Passed pawns: blockade and destroy

Nimzowitsch's iron rule: stop it, then eat it.

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TEST

Test: Structure recognition

Three positions across the three structures.

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Unit 4 · The Hardest Basic Mate

Goal: K+B+N vs K: the mate every 2000-rated player has to deliver.

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CONCEPT

K+B+N mate (animated)

The W-maneuver, the bishop-colored corner, the win.

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TEST

Test: Execute the mate

Three positions: find the critical move.

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Phase sources

• Silman: How to Reassess Your Chess (imbalance play)

• Dvoretsky: Endgame Manual (selected chapters)

• Nimzowitsch: My System (prophylaxis)

• Karpov: My Best Games