Gm Igor Smirnov All 9 Chess Courses New -

Endgames are often where points are won or lost, yet they are the least studied phase.

Format: 6 hours | Focus: Sacrificial intuition The Hook: You know basic tactics, but you freeze when it’s time to sacrifice. This course gamifies attacking chess.

Smirnov breaks down attacks into three triggers: "Undefended Piece," "Exposed King," and "Clumsy Queen." The new edition includes a "Tempo Calculator" that tells you exactly how many moves you have before the counterattack comes. gm igor smirnov all 9 chess courses new

This is the engine room. Smirnov famously hates "brute force" calculation (looking 10 moves ahead mindlessly). Instead, he teaches Candidate Moves filtering.

Key novelty in the new version:

Without this course, the tactical motifs in later courses will kill your clock.

Format: 10 hours | 40 annotated master games The Hook: 80% of all chess positions fall into 7 distinct pawn structures. Learn the plans for these 7, and you don't need to memorize opening theory. Endgames are often where points are won or

The new version specifically focuses on "The Carlsbad Structure" and "The Hedgehog." Smirnov provides "plan cards" for each structure—printable PDFs that tell you exactly where your pieces should go. Verdict: Arguably the most important pure-strategy course in the bundle.

Before examining the courses, it’s crucial to understand Smirnov’s core thesis: Most amateurs lose because of fundamental misunderstandings, not a lack of tactics. He focuses heavily on the “three universal principles” (development, center, safety) and the concept of “thinking inside the box” —a method to prune bad candidate moves instantly. These nine courses are designed to layer this philosophy from opening to endgame. Without this course, the tactical motifs in later