Lessons from the board
Openings, tactics, strategy and endgames — practical chess guidance from championship play, written to help you improve faster.
StrategyAnalysing Your Own Games: Your Personal Syllabus
Your own games are the most personalised study material in the world — and almost nobody uses them properly. Here's how to analyse them well.
ImprovementA Balanced Study Plan for Club Players
Most club players study chess inefficiently — too much opening theory, too little of what wins games. Here's a balanced plan that actually improves your rating.
TournamentsInside the Jamaican and Caribbean Chess Scene
Jamaica is a small island with a chess culture that punches above its weight. Here's what makes our scene special — and how young players climb it.
TournamentsTournament Preparation and Managing Your Nerves
Your result is decided as much away from the board as on it. Here's the off-the-board routine I give students before an event.
StrategyPawn Structures and the Bishop Pair: A Strategic Compass
Strong players think in structures, not single moves. Learn to read the pawn skeleton and judge when the two bishops are worth having.
StrategyManaging Your Clock: Time Management for Tournament Chess
You can play the best moves in the world, but if your flag falls first you lose. Here's how to spend your clock where it actually matters.
ImprovementCalculation and Visualisation: How to Train Both
Calculation and visualisation are trainable skills, not fixed talents. Here are the candidate-move habits and drills I use with my students.
EndgamesWinning Rook Endgames: Lucena, Philidor and Active Rooks
Rook endgames are the most common ending in chess — and decided wrong constantly. Master the Lucena, the Philidor, and the power of an active rook.
EndgamesKing and Pawn Endgames: The Essentials
King and pawn endings are pure calculation — and the foundation of all endgame play. Master the opposition, key squares and a few core ideas.
TacticsTactical Motifs: Forks, Pins, Skewers and Discovered Attacks
Almost every decisive club game turns on a tactic. Learn the core motifs and the simple scanning habit that helps you spot them on sight.
OpeningsUnderstanding the Sicilian Defence: Ideas, Not Just Moves
The Sicilian is the most combative answer to 1.e4. Here are the ideas behind the jargon — and how to study it without drowning in theory.
OpeningsOpening Principles Every Club Player Should Master
Skip the memorisation. Master the handful of opening principles that quietly decide most club games long before any theory matters.