JRoma

I'm working on improving my endgame. Trying to work my way through Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual, I love to practice endgames. My favorite books are Chess Fundamentals by Capablanca, which I recommend to beginners, and My System by Nimzovich.

I am also a wannabe theoretician. See my notes in my profile. I have an interest in the game theoretical aspects of chess.

Good luck with the games!

Notes -

1. The Najdorf is my favorite defense for black, with it's snake like charm. Black stays non comital on all fronts until the last minute, when all of a sudden a shocking plan emerges from nowhere. Black hasn't even castled, and yet somehow counterplay is building. This is the beauty of the Najdorf.

2. The exchange sac is underrated in my opinion. There is a sub conscious tendency for players to always assume a rook is worth more than a bishop. Very often this is not true. The tables can be turned like a switch, if your opponent was making positional considerations with this assumption, that now work against him after the exchange. The unexpectedness is what makes it so powerful. If used properly a strong effect of surprise can be achieved.

3. The Sicilian is based on the fundamental idea of the reactive versus the proactive. The open c file and d file, combined with completely opposite approaches to the game.

4. The Grunfeld defense is the Sicilian defense of the queen's pawn game.

5. One thing you should avoid when playing the Grunfeld is developing your knight before playing ...c5. Break up that center first, even if it means temporarily giving up your c pawn. It's well worth the investment; the bishops can then tear through his queenside.