Think Like Karpov by IM Ahmad Alkhatib Chessable

Squeeze your opponents like Karpov

When discussing the greatest chess players in history, Anatoly Karpov is well-deserving of a mention.

His astonishing run of 102 months as the world’s number one is the third-longest of all time, behind only Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov.

Known for being a master of positional chess, he was known to slowly wring his opponents dry like a boa constrictor. He didn’t often stun opponents with quick and dazzling tactics, rather he played all the right moves, leaving his opponents with no good moves of their own. And now you can learn to play like he did.

Think Like Karpov aims to show you what went behind the flawless thought process of the 12th World Chess Champion.

The course is as much for players who aspire to play like Karpov as it is for players of any style. Learning how to apply positional pressure is key for all styles of play, whether you fancy yourself a more tactical or positional player.

What you’ll learn inside:

♚ How to read your opponent’s mind – Karpov’s primary weapon that allowed him to reign at the top for so many years was not by playing aggressively, but by using prophylaxis and stopping his opponents’ plans. Learn how to give every piece a role in the symphony like the maestro himself did

♚ How to play actively – never be saddled with a bad bishop or useless knight and begin to involve your king in the attack. See the bigger picture and resist winning immediate material to improve the activity of your pieces, leaving your opponents with nowhere to go

♚ Master your pawn play – develop a laser vision regarding what’s important and waste no time with trivial considerations. You’ll learn all manners of techniques to turn a potential passed pawn into one that’s ready to promote, for example by sacrificing material for valuable time. You’ll also learn to make your opponent regret taking on isolated queen pawns

♚ Find multipurpose moves – maneuver your pieces with maximum efficiency like Karpov and give every piece a role by depriving your opponent of opportunities to make their own threats by making them fight against two of your own at the same time

♚ Find quiet moves and slowly build a superior position – Karpov wisely knew to sit back when needed as not every position has an immediate tactic. Play solidly and calmly until the position has squeezed your opponent to make a tactical blunder

Author IM Ahmad Alkhatib is an acclaimed Chessable author with a well-rounded understanding of the game. He’s taught users in previous courses on how to play like Hikaru Nakamura and Vladimir Kramnik.