Arne Kaehler

8/17/2026 – Chris Ward examines an uncommon Classical Dragon line from the game between Andy Woodward and 2600+ GM Vasif Durarbayli. The system resembles a Yugoslav Attack, but White develops the bishop to e2 instead of playing the typical f3, leading to different strategic and tactical possibilities. Chris highlights several critical moments and believes Black could have improved with Rxc3, although Woodward eventually took over the initiative and won an entertaining game. | Photo: John Upham

8/19/2026 – In this episode of Svitlana's Smart Moves, Svitlana Demchenko explains how to work with candidate moves and build a more reliable thinking process at the board. Using several practical examples, she shows how comparison, calculation, prophylaxis and piece improvement help narrow down the right choices in critical positions. Special attention is given to knowing when a forcing line deserves deeper calculation and when positional understanding should guide the decision instead. The lesson ultimately shows how strong candidate moves combine concrete calculation with a clear sense of what the position actually demands.

9/4/2026 – In this episode of Svitlana's Smart Moves, Svitlana Demchenko explores how to keep complete control of a position through the classic game Petrosian vs. Unzicker. She shows how Petrosian calmly neutralized every source of counterplay, dominated the open c-file and gradually improved his pieces before creating a second weakness on the kingside. A remarkable king walk from g1 all the way to b1 clears the way for a pawn storm and demonstrates how even the king can play an important role in a long term strategic plan. The lesson highlights prophylaxis, the principle of two weaknesses and the art of turning a small positional advantage into a winning attack.

9/6/2026 – In this episode of Underdog, Robert Ris presents two entertaining blitz upsets from a strong event in Sofia. First, Jolanta Zawadzka punishes former 2700 player Ivan Cheparinov with a sharp kingside attack in a Sicilian, finishing the game in just 20 moves. The second example features José García Molina against Sanan Sjugirov, where White sacrifices material for a dangerous initiative and builds a powerful attack against the black king. Both games show how quickly even very strong grandmasters can come under pressure in blitz when tactical threats and initiative take over.

In this episode of Svitlana’s Smart Moves, Svitlana Demchenko introduces the Taimanov Sicilian, an opening she played as her main weapon for many years. She explains the flexible setup, and examines White’s most important approaches, including the Maroczy Bind, early Nb5 ideas, f4 setups and quieter development with Be2 or g3. Particular attention is given to the main lines with opposite side castling, where Black combines queenside counterplay with well-timed central breaks such as ...d5 or ...e5. Svitlana shows why the Taimanov offers a rich mixture of positional ideas and tactical possibilities and makes an excellent fighting opening for players who enjoy complex, unbalanced positions.

10/1/2026 – In this Olympiad special of The Underdog, Robert Ris presents seven remarkable upsets from both the Women's and Open sections, chosen not only for the rating differences but also for the instructive chess behind them. The examples range from spectacular attacking ideas and sudden tactical reversals to missed winning chances and difficult endgames, showing how quickly a game can turn even when the stronger player appears to be completely in control. One particularly dramatic example sees Arjun Erigaisi lose after dominating much of his game, while another features a rating difference of almost 600 points and a winning material advantage that disappears after a major tactical oversight.

10/2/2026 – Chris Ward looks at two very different Dragon games, one from club level and one from the very top of the chess world. The first example shows how ambitious attacking ideas can lead to rich tactical positions, even when the calculation is not completely correct, while the second features Alexander Grischuk against Ian Nepomniachtchi and demonstrates how quickly White can get into trouble after spending time grabbing material instead of developing the attack. Chris highlights typical Dragon themes such as pressure on the queenside, exchange sacrifices, tactical ideas on the c file and the strength of the dark squared bishop. | Photo: John Upham

10/19/2026 – GM Arturs Neiksans looks back on his remarkable chess journey, from growing up in the small Latvian town of Valka and discovering chess at age nine to representing Latvia and eventually becoming a Grandmaster. He explains why he stepped away from competitive chess, how a career detour ultimately brought him back to the game, and how coaching, streaming and commentary became increasingly important parts of his life.

10/27/2026 – In this special Olympiad episode of Svitlana's Smart Moves, Svitlana looks back at her final round game for Canada against Singapore. She explains how she handled a familiar setup in the King's Indian Attack, why she chose a safer practical route instead of an early pawn sacrifice, and how typical plans such as e5 and kingside pressure developed into a strong attack. She features several instructive tactical moments, difficult decisions about when to simplify, and a winning endgame that Svitlana had to calculate precisely.

10/28/2026 – In this Olympiad special of the Monthly Dragon, Chris Ward looks at five Dragon games from a wide range of rating levels and shows just how successful the opening was in Samarkand. The examples highlight typical Dragon themes such as pressure on the c file, the strength of the dark squared bishop, exchange sacrifices, tactical ideas around the queenside and the importance of knowing the right plans once the opening theory ends. Chris also examines several instructive mistakes, showing how quickly a position can collapse when White loses track of key Dragon motifs. | Photo: John Upham