Masterclass – Improve Your Defence GM Davorin Kuljasevic + PGN

Masterclass – Improve Your Defence

Introduction and Free Preview

The masterclass dedicated to the defence is already a digital product. This product includes all the videos from the masterclass as well as the PGN file related to the training sessions. Overall, the material consists of approximately 5 hours of video and a PGN database which includes 77 files!

You will find the following lectures:

Defensive Strategies in the Endgame – GM Petar Arnaudov 

Prophylactic Thinking and Elimination in Difficult Positions – GM Grigor Grigorov

Active or Passive Defence – Modern Tendencies – GM Davorin Kuljasevic

Practical Application – GM Petar Arnaudov and GM Grigor Grigorov

In this article, we will briefly present some interesting moments taken from the lectures.

Defensive Strategies in the Endgame – GM Petar Arnaudov

In this lecture, GM Petar Arnaudov deals with the most important defensive strategies in the endgame. He presents 6 must-know defensive concepts:

1. Activation of the pieces

2. Activation of the king

3. Building a Fortress

4. Sacrifice material to simplify in a theoretical draw

5. Transposing to theoretically lost positions but with practical chances

6. Simplification by means of pawn exchanges

The PGN version of the lecture includes 12 extensively annotated model games.

You shall take the chance to think over one of the discussed positions.

How should Black defend in this position?

Prophylactic Thinking and Elimination in Difficult Positions – GM Grigor Grigorov

In this lecture, GM Grigor Grigorov examines two of the most important defensive strategies – prophylactic thinking and elimination.

In the introduction to the PGN version of the lecture, he states:

These two approaches (prophylactic thinking and elimination) often work together. In order to find the best defence by using the elimination method, you need to understand why the alternative defences wouldn’t work. Therefore, you should put yourself in the shoes of your opponent by applying prophylactic thinking. In the first part of the lecture, however, we are going to examine the prophylactic thinking in a broader way. At this height, our task will be to feel and prevent danger before it happens. In order to achieve that, one needs to constantly track the dynamic and static tendencies in the position. In general, whenever you see that some positive evolution of the position of your opponent is possible (his next few moves are clear), you should be on alert. If you cannot create your own play, the prevention (prophylaxis) remains the best strategy.