GoldBlog – Blog GoldChess.com

The games are here:
https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/winnerslist.html#g0_wins

We will only show selected games from this tournament once we have used them in our own tournaments (Immortal-Top), where everyone will have the chance to try and win them in the specified way themselves.
These analyses form part of our Goldchess educational system. They are samples and demonstrations of what you can learn with us. We invite everyone who enjoys our modern and pioneering style of chess to take advantage of our extensive educational programme.

Tournaments. Game by the masters, new, unknown playing techniques, from a given position vs our computer.
https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/tournaments.html

Goldchess Chess Academy. Courses for all levels.
https://learnchess.pl

E-book “500 Goldchess Games”. Before you buy, watch the trailer.
https://500.goldchess.com/en/product/500-goldchess-games/

=================================================

Game 10
Xue – Y Wang 1-0
Third in the table. It seems that in this game, Y Wang doesn’t really understand chess. He didn’t make the right decision on move 31. The rook exchange was necessary. And it secured victory for Black.

Game 9
Lazavik – Tin 0-1
Lazavik is second with one loss. A win in this game would have secured him victory in the tournament.
So it was worth its weight in gold. Was there a chance? Here’s our answer. We have two draws and a win. However, we had to work hard to secure the win. Would Lazavik have coped with our line of play? Probably yes. So he could have won this tournament. Generally speaking, in our view, the players’ mistakes and inaccuracies mean that this isn’t proper chess, but rather a shoving match, or a chess-like game. The game (in which you must find the win from the given position) will be in our Top or Immortal tournament.
https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/tournaments.html

Game 8
Rapport–Liren 1–0
Probably the longest game we’ve seen. Liren only resigned on move 177. But it was a pointless game, and the world champion’s play was equally pointless. After move 82, the position was clear even to an amateur. There were two bishops of different colours on the board, and each side had a rook and two pawns. All that was needed was to exchange the rooks and it would have been a clear draw. In fact, a moment’s inattention by White and Black would have won the game. Yet in this game, they lost. Liren’s 82…Rf4 cost him the game. He should have played 82… Rh6, or defended the c5 pawn with both the rook and the bishop earlier. We have a series of draws, with and without the exchange of rooks, as well as a loss for White. Suffice it to say that a game in which a draw was so obvious should not have happened to a former world champion.

Game 7
Humpy Koneru-Zhang Xiao 0-1
A esta partida que ganamos con las blancas le dimos 5 estrellas. Es la máxima calificación que podemos otorgar. La colocamos al mismo nivel que las mejores partidas de Tal y Alekhine. ¿Hay actualmente algún ajedrecista en el mundo que pudiera jugar así? Nos parece poco probable. Pero podrá hacerlo siguiendo nuestro curso. Por eso invitamos a los ajedrecistas que se encuentran entre los 100 mejores a un curso especializado de ajedrez en línea, tras el cual su nivel de juego real podría aumentar de manera efectiva hasta los 3000 Elo. Para los campeones mundiales, tanto actuales como anteriores, el curso es gratuito.
Inscripciones por correo electrónico a contact@learnchess.pl

Game 6
Pang–Shirov 1–0
Chess is sometimes like a puzzle. Shirov had a straightforward plan: to exchange the major pieces and end up with bishops of opposite colours, which would have secured a draw. It could have been done in the way we show here, or in some other way. Shirov didn’t do it and lost. See how we achieve a drawn position.

Game 5
Aronian–Dartha 0–1
This was quite an amusing situation. Dartha didn’t really do anything special. Aronian walked straight into a trap and lost his queen. Black had a strong attack, and turning this game into a win for White is a true feat of chess mastery. And believe me, very few chess players in the world could manage to win this game the way we did. But anyone here can learn how to do it.

Game 4
Bilguun–Praggna 1–0
Black’s problems began on move 30. Praggna then played a suicidal line. He switched to a resolute, difficult defence, and that was the moment for an effective counter-attack. The situation called for a quality sacrifice, and that’s what we did. Thanks to that, we secured a win and a draw on move 43.

Game 3
Praggna-Erigaisi 1-0
Here, too, we had to go back to move 30, where we made the key move of the game.
This was followed by a draw offer via a queen’s check, with the king moving from f8 to f7-f8-f7, which White declined. A momentary lapse of concentration followed, and it cost them the game.

Game 2
Praggnanandhaa–Firouzja 1–0
A clash of titans, with Praggna coming out on top. Firouzja, despite a seemingly strong attack, built up a losing position. The only salvation here is an exchange of pieces and capitalising on Black’s pawn advantage on the queen’s wing. However, we had to go back as far as move 30. And not 30… Rd7, as Firouzja played, but 30…Ne5. A different plan, and we have a series of winning lines confirming the correctness of choosing this path to victory.

Game 1
Svidler-Caruana 1-0
We managed to secure a draw, which, had White been playing to win, would have
turned into a loss for them after capturing the a2 bishop. With the move 30.c3, White initiated a series of uninspired moves, the weakest of which turned out to be the last one, 35.g3. And at that point, a counterattack was called for. The move should have been 35… Na3. Caruana, however, played the incorrect 35… Bd2 and lost. It’s a shame, because had Caruana played our variation,
Svidler would have had no choice but to accept a draw or face defeat. See our win and draw.

A full report can be found in the posts on our Facebook page.
Selected games are here:
https://www.goldchess.com/pl/other/winnerslist.html#g0_wins

———————————————— —————————
Our analyses represent a breakthrough in chess. They set a new direction in the development of chess, the way the game is played, and chess creativity. They teach modern chess. Our visions and methods of attack are new and different from those employed by contemporary chess players. That is why we are taking the initiative and offering a powerful dose of our knowledge.
For advanced players, we have the book ‘500 Goldchess Games’. Watch the trailer. Once you’ve watched it, you’ll realise that this is an extraordinary book, unlike anything else in the entire chess literature.
https://500.goldchess.com/en/product/500-goldchess-games/

We also invite you to learn at our Chess Academy, which offers courses for all levels. In the basic course, we’ll teach you more in 10 hours than other coaches do in a year.
https://learnchess.pl/login

The third element of our education programme is our tournaments, where everyone can test their own level of chess proficiency in practical play, learn new techniques and significantly improve their game. You don’t need to be a grandmaster to take part; you just need to play according to the principles of chess. If you don’t know how to play, you’ll learn quickly with us.
https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/tournaments.html

===============================================================

UzChess Cup Masters Tournament
Special feature.

We return to Round 4, to the Nepomniachtchi–Abdusattorov game, which ended in a draw (on move 81).
This game was featured as the ‘Game of the Day’. We simply cannot understand why, as Nepo did not show anything special in this game; if anything, he made a mistake with 57.g6, after which, instead of winning, he drew. After our 57.Nd7, regardless of whether Black takes the knight or not, they lose. But that’s not all. We’ve reviewed the entire game from the start and found a draw as early as move 50, so why play on until move 81? Furthermore, there’s a checkmate on move 43 and a brilliant win on move 45. In other words, things that Nepo failed to spot and didn’t play. It’s difficult to comment on this, because we can’t exactly write that a former challenger doesn’t know how to play chess. But let’s put it this way: Nepo plays like Stockfisch, who, although he boasts a 3500 Elo rating, didn’t win a single game out of 100 against Alpha 0. We won’t show the 43rd-move checkmate or the 45th-move win here; they’ll feature in our Top or Immortal tournaments. Anyone who wins them will feel immense satisfaction, and will receive 3,000 Elo from our ranking. Because to win these games, you need to play at that level. However, with a little imagination, virtually any chess player can win them and earn 3,000 Elo. By the way, this is exactly what the Goldchess style is all about, and this is how we teach people to play.

Round 9
The tournament is over. Madaminov, the lowest-ranked player in this group, has won. Abdusattorov, the highest-ranked player, finished sixth.
And finally, the sensation of this round. Madaminov’s victory depended on the Niemann-Madaminov game. It ended in a draw, but had Niemann won, Madaminov would not have won the tournament. So we took a closer look at that game. Black were losing and lost in our analysis. Madaminov made a weak move, 74… c4, and the draw only occurred because Niemann also played a weak move, 75. Rh1. We have a winning position on move 90; the computer suggested the move 74… Kg6, but even after that move, Black loses even faster, on move 84. See both winning games. In our opinion, the whole group needs further training at Goldchess.

Round 8
Abdusattorov, who had a clean slate, suffered a defeat, and that against Theodorou, who is currently in last place. Probably tournament fatigue. Nodirbek sacrificed his rook and resigned. After the rook was taken, we comfortably secured a draw.

Round 7
Nothing interesting in Round 7. No changes at the top; Gujrathi won his first game, the rest were draws.

Round 6 
Nepo-Erigaisi 1-0 We secured a win for Black and a beautiful draw involving the sacrifice of the queen. Goldchess is modern chess, with different strategies. For those wishing to learn more, we recommend a solid dose of our expertise: our latest book, ‘500 Goldchess Games’, on the back cover of which we wrote: ‘without knowledge of Goldchess, one cannot be a good chess player today’. And that is a fact.

Round 5
The two lowest-ranked players in this group, in 1st and 2nd place. Well done! Vokhidov beat Nepo and consolidated his lead, whilst Madaminov, playing black against Mamedyarov, moved up from 6th to 2nd place. We won’t analyse their games; we’ll just look at the draw between the titans (the Abdusattorov-Erigaisi game), the highest-ranked players in this group. We won with White, but… It turns out that our computer, like any chess player, also makes mistakes or imprecise moves that allow us to win. And that is the case in this game. The a4 pawn should not have been captured; instead, the king should have been moved to defend at that moment. In the second variation, Black captures the rook on f5 and loses as a result. Take a look at both games.

4. Goldchess – the future is here
In the fourth round, there were more shake-ups. Madaminov suffered his second defeat and dropped to 6th place. The leader also changed; following his win, Vokhidov took the top spot, whilst Nodirbek slipped to second place. Apart from that, nothing of note. So let’s now look at the defeat of former challenger Nepomniachtchi in the first round against Madaminov. We can see the winning move. We don’t know whether Nepo overlooked it or simply couldn’t be bothered to calculate the variations after it? Exactly. At Goldchess, we don’t calculate variations. And that’s what we teach. Calculation is a chess relic from the last century. An unnecessary burden and excessive strain on the brain. In our assessment, we use imagination and intuition, which allow us to take a visionary view. Thanks to this, we spotted the move that Nepo didn’t make. We made it and won in 50 moves. The move to play was 25…Q:c3. Take a look at the game.

Round 3
Madaminov, who had led for two rounds and had the lowest rating in this group,
lost to Vokhidov and ceded the lead toAbdusattorov (the highest-rated player in this group, 2777).
After 50 moves, Black, down a pawn, is losing. But before that, it’s a matter of move selection, and it’s either a draw or a win. In the winning variation, there is also a draw on move 53, quite interesting and very instructive. We’ll show it here.

2. Nepo-Vidit Gujrathi 1-0
2 rounds, 2 defeats. We took an interest in two losses by Vidit, who was the patron of our website in 2016. At the time, he was a rising star of Indian chess. In the game against Nepomniachtchi, the problem arose when Black lost their queen on move 31. And Vidit couldn’t cope. We, however, did, and we have a draw as early as move 45 and a win on move 50. This was possible because Nepo played poorly, making 32. N:e6 (he should have played 32. K:f1). After that, Black’s win was within reach; all that was needed was to play precisely. And Vidit played well, but only for three moves. The fourth move was a home run and that was that. We’re showing real chess in this game.

Round 1
Mamedyarov-Vidit Gujrathi 1-0
This could have ended in a draw. Here, too, we capitalised on Mamedyarov’s inaccuracy, 40.Rb4, which gave us a tempo advantage. We have a draw on move 55 and stalemate on move 60. This is how you can learn to play with us. We teach modern chess. Our vision and methods of attacking differ from those used by contemporary chess players.

The games are available here: https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/winnerslist.html#g0_wins

In our analyses, we’ve highlighted the games played by grandmasters and world champions in this tournament, both their wins and their losses. It’s a powerful educational resource. A showcase of new ways of playing, styles and techniques – in other words, exactly what you can learn from us. Even grandmasters who have lost their games can benefit. Our analyses are valuable to them. Thanks to us, everyone has the chance to raise their level and join the best.
Join us

Tournaments. Game by the masters, new, unknown playing techniques, from a given position vs our computer.
https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/tournaments.html

Goldchess Chess Academy. Courses for all levels. In our 10-hour introductory course, we’ll teach you more than other trainers do in a whole year.
https://learnchess.pl

E-book “500 Goldchess Games”. Before you buy, watch the trailer.https://500.goldchess.com/en/product/500-goldchess-games/

==============================================================

Round 9
Gukesh-Praggna 0-1
The tournament is over. So has maintained his lead and he is the winner of this tournament. Just two wins, which isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but he remained undefeated and won.
We highlight the game, Gukesh’s fourth loss. Both he and Carlsen have four losses each and occupy the bottom two places. An unimaginable and hard-to-fathom disaster. If they both knew Goldchess, this probably wouldn’t have happened. Our style is a breath of fresh air in the new generation of chess. A great way for anyone to expand their knowledge. Gukesh’s loss. The endgame: the world champion down a pawn and a piece. However, it was possible to escape from such a predicament. A win is difficult, but we achieve one on move 80. Perhaps Praggna would have secured a draw in this variation, but certainly nothing more.
Take a look at our winning move. Anyone who thinks the computer played poorly should try to beat it with a different, original concept of their own from our position. And this applies to all the games in our analyses.

Round 8
Carlsen’s slip-up
In Round 8, world champion Gukesh suffered his third defeat. And Carlsen his fourth. For us, this is an unimaginable and unacceptable situation. All the more so because we analysed both games and concluded that neither of them was a lost cause.
Carlsen-Praggna 0-1
Here, Carlsen only has himself to blame. Mr World Champion, who plays 44.Qd6 when the simple 44.Qf4 wins? Do you want to learn to play like this? Take advantage of our education.

Round 8 bis
Firouzja–Gukesh 1–0
Simple moves. A straightforward path to a draw. We have two draws. One is a solid, trouble-free draw, and the other is slightly risky, made possible because the computer played inaccurately: 55.gh4. After 55.Kg2, Black loses. But given that our grandmasters also make inaccuracies and mistakes, this variation would probably have been enough for Gukesh to secure a draw.

Round 7
Praggna-Firousia 1-0
Pragna, who has three losses to his name, can always be a threat. That defeat completely dashed Firousia’s hopes. After that, he dropped to third place. Only the leader, So, and Keymer, who is in second place, remain undefeated. Will they maintain their unbeaten records until the end?
Firousia is the big loser of this tournament. That is why we have examined this game. And based on our analysis, we can say that Firousia could have won this game; indeed, he had no business losing it. We have a draw in which White is desperately fighting for a draw, as well as a win and a checkmate. Both these lines show real chess, the kind that should have unfolded in this game. It didn’t happen because Firousia lacked the right vision… A very instructive game.

Round 6
Round 6 proved unkind to Firousia, who lost his lead after losing to Carlsen, to Gukesh, who lost to Keymer, and to Praggna, who lost to So, the current leader. We always side with the underdogs, or rather the losers, pointing out their mistakes and winning continuations. And so. In the Keymer-Gukesh game, we have a draw, and a win for Black when White refuses the draw and wants to play for a win. We also have a clear win. This is a ‘who’s who’ type of win, because the one who plays better wins. And we think Gukesh could well have been the one who played better. In the more favourable variation for White, a draw is the result here.
Carlsen-Firousia 1-0 is a rematch for Carlsen’s previous loss, so we won’t be looking for a win for Black here. We’re showing a win for Black in Gukesh’s game.

Round 5
Another draw for Firouzja, a win for Gukesh and drama for Carlsen, who lost his third game, this time to So. Carlsen allowed himself to get into a very difficult position. The position after move 42. The pawns on a4 and c4 are weak. White’s move 44.Nd2 is also weak. After the response 44… Ne5, the white king is blocked and has no move. So we change this move and it works. We have a winning position and two draw variations. It’s a matter of assessing the position and choosing a plan of play. This is how Carlsen could have played, with at least a chance of a draw. Take a look.

Round 4
So-Firousia draw
We tried to turn that draw into a win. And we succeeded – we’ve got two wins and a checkmate. One of them was particularly spectacular. Technical note. You must play with precision. Do not rush; do not sacrifice your queen by capturing the f2 rook before capturing the b2 pawn, as Black will then lose. White will play b2-b4, and the game is lost. If you like our style of play, we invite you to join our course so that you can learn to play in exactly this way.

Round 4
Another draw for Firousia. He now leads by just one point and is hanging by a thread. One defeat and he could lose his lead. In the clash of the titans, Carlsen triumphed playing Black. And something incredible has happened. World Champion Gukesh has taken Carlsen’s place and is bottom of the table. The prestige of world champions is fading. The endgame shows a total rout. Gukesh has lost his queen and Black is helpless. Why did he lose? He played 35.Q:f4. We are astonished by this move from the world champion. In this position, the moves Rb2+ and Qf2 were obvious and clear even to an amateur. Admittedly, the situation was precarious and dangerous for White, but a draw could have been achieved. And that is the draw we have and are showing. A very instructive lesson for Gukesh. We also have a winning position, but to win, a different move and a different plan of play would have had to be played much earlier.

Round 3
Firousia drew with Gukesh. For a change, we’ll show how he could have won this game.
Firouzja seems to have misjudged his chances. We played exactly from this drawn position and achieved mate on move 45. Take a look. To learn more about chess like this, visit Goldchess.

In the women’s tournament, the competition is fiercer and the standard more even. After three rounds, there has been just one win and one loss, with the rest being draws.

Round 3
Pragg-Carlsen 1-0
A drama for Carlsen. His second defeat in three rounds. This has probably never happened to a world champion anywhere. And a situation also rarely seen in the games of the best chess players: White has a two-quality advantage. The promising 43… Ne2, attacking the rook, lost. We played 43… N:a2 and obtained two responses from White. We win in both variations. Take a look. Goldchess style and techniques.

Round 2
Firousia-Praggna/Nandhaa 1-0
Firousia’s next victim: Praggna. After two rounds, Firousia leads the field.
Analysis. There is a threat of mate on a4. 59…c4 is a move of desperation that can no longer change anything.
Firousia played really strongly and, above all, better than Praggna. With the move 38…c5, he initiated a series of three blunders. And after 40…. b:c5, the game was already lost. And that was the moment when he could have made a different move and drawn or even won. Here we have a winning position at level 5, where the computer played carelessly and lost, and we have a draw at level 23, where the computer, playing White, is already playing much better. And that is the whole analytical philosophy of this game as we see it.

Round 1
Firousia-Carlsen 1-0
We’ve turned the result around. And that’s something to see. We’d particularly like to invite Carlsen.

The European Championship Tournament has ended.
Roman Dehtiarov was crowned the winner; his only defeat came in the game against Emre Can (2546).
The final position is dramatic. Playing with the white pieces, Can has a five-pawn advantage. Even from earlier positions, this game was unwinnable for Dehtiarov.

Earlier
After nine rounds, the Polish players are playing second fiddle. Only Gumularz and Klimkowski feature in the main table, with just one defeat each. We’ll take a closer look at some of the Poles’ lost games, because alongside the unknown names are well-known players such as Piorun, Nasuta and Śliwicka. We’ve picked a few games at random and will show Polish chess players how to play chess properly. So as not to lose, of course. We won’t show them all, though; the most valuable ones will be in the Immortal tournament.

Klimkowski-Daniel Dartha 0-1
The most important Polish game. If our 19-year-old grandmaster had won it, he would have had the same number of points as the leader in the standings, and who knows… perhaps he would be the European champion today. As for the game itself, we have a winning position. The most important thing to do was to exchange queens. We did this by playing differently on move 31, 31.b3. Had Janek done so, he would have been Dartha’s worst nightmare. After the exchange of queens, no matter how Black plays, they lose. We show four variations. They might appeal to you. So our champion had a chance to win it. It’s a shame he didn’t rise to the occasion. Here is one of our games.

Damian Śliwicki-Tashkinova 0-1
Damian lost to some cinema star, which we simply cannot understand, because cinema isn’t really that big a thing these days. As for the game itself. Whenever you play badly, you lose. And Damian, playing with the white pieces, had a wonderful opportunity to shine. He didn’t take it. He played 31. g:h3, when the simple a4 would have won. We show this in our variation.

Alicja Śliwicka-Martirosyan 0-1
The final position is a disaster. Let’s rewind. After 35 moves, White is down three pawns; by move 30, they had no game left. There’s simply no good continuation to be seen. Incredible. Yet there were counter-chances. And a creative chess player, even when there are no counter-chances, can create them. Alicja lacked creativity. In our game, our sparring partner, the CEEC computer, having two extra pawns, went for a rook exchange and lost. And in this position, Black also lost after 37…c5. And we’re showing this variation too.

Piorun’s slip-ups
As misfortunes come in pairs, Kacper lost two games. Against Aron Pasti and Kalogeris. Over a hundred points’ lead in the rankings over both opponents and, unfortunately, defeats. We’re already looking into why. The game against Kalogeris. We won’t comment on the opening moves; Piorun played his game, and here is the position after White’s 29th move. Move 29.Re4 was already weak as it voluntarily sacrifices a piece. Better for White would have been 29.Re2. But okay, here’s the position. What does it tell us? It’s simple. White’s queen is playing without any support from her pieces. In a professional game, there are no instances where an unsupported queen achieves anything. And in this position, Piorun plays 29…g3. A disaster.
Black has an army directed at the white king, and yet he makes this move. There were a number of better moves; we found and played four of them, and in every case Black wins by checkmate. Take a look at one of them.

The second game against Pasti. Here, Pasti displayed precise and brilliant chess, so we won’t spoil the effect. We’ve included the original game. An incredible endgame. Pasti clearly outclasses Piorun here. Every move he makes is better than Piorun’s.

Modzelewski-Tescan 0-1
In our view, to win this game, it was necessary to sacrifice a rook in order to develop strong pawns in the centre. And that is what we did. We then played three different variations from move 37, and won in each of them. We present all three.

Sargsyan-Kacharova 1-0
We have also highlighted a young chess player from Georgia, Nikolozi Kacharova, aged 22, rated 2500, who, with six wins, suffered a single defeat playing Black against Sargsyan. For had he won that game, he would have taken first place and claimed the title of European Champion. White plays sensibly and precisely. 26.d4. After 26.Q:a5, Black wins, and we show that winning line. To win after 26.d4, one must look for another way to victory. And we found it too. Had Kacharov found it, he would have been the 2026 European Champion.

7. Grzegorz Nasuta was eliminated from the championship; although he did not lose a single game, he had too many draws, resulting in a lower points tally and failing to make the top ranks. And surely he could have won at least some of those drawn games and improved his result.
But it could have gone differently. As proof, we’ll look at a drawn game against Hayk Yeritsyan, who was one of Goldchess’s top players a fair few years ago and now has a rating of 2342. And in this game, it was Hayk who could have won. We’re showing this variation because it’s extraordinary.
All the games are here:
https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/winnerslist.html#g0_wins

2026 World Championship Candidates

To begin with, a question – and by no means a rhetorical one.
Do they – the top chess players, the participants in this tournament – actually know how to play chess?  The answer to this lies in the analyses on our blog.

Our coverage of this tournament goes beyond contemporary chess theory and practice. In it, we highlight the weaknesses and shortcomings in the players’ games, including the winner’s. And we present our own new ideas and concepts.
We bring knowledge to chess that even the grandmasters lack.

That is why they can come to us to further their education. We invite them, and not just them. We also invite other chess players who wish to discover the secrets of the Goldchess style and learn to play chess well and brilliantly.

Goldchess Online Chess Academy – courses for all levels.

https://learnchess.pl

Each set of analyses includes our games, the original for comparison, and positions should anyone wish to find the winning move themselves. Of course, we then play against our educational computer, which can be downloaded from goldchess.com

The games are here:
https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/winnerslist.html#g0_wins

1. Probably the biggest highlight of our analysis and of this tournament.

Nakamura-Sindarov 0-1

We didn’t want to look for a win for Nakamura here, as he lost decisively. However, knowing that every game has a logical flaw—a pivotal moment where the outcome hinges on a single move—we did look. And we can say with complete certainty and confidence that Nakamura should come to Goldchess to learn how to play chess. Because what he overlooked, in our eyes, disqualifies him. I might even venture to say that no grandmaster in the Candidates Tournament has ever lost like this before. Of course, if Nakamura had played like this…
In set 3, our checkmates and the original for comparison. Night and day. See for yourselves.

2. Caruana–Nakamura 1–0

A hard-fought win in 83 moves. Caruana undoubtedly plays strongly and has his own style, though in our view there is too much positional play in it. Caruana could do with a bit of a shake-up, perhaps something like the variation we’ve shown, which wins in 52 moves. A different atmosphere, 31 moves faster – that’s something. But that’s not all. In this game, we have a win involving a double queen sacrifice. A chess gem.

But these are uncharted territory for Caruana, and we suspect he wouldn’t be able to play it. And he’s not the only one. We believe, and we’re probably right, that playing this variation is beyond the technical capabilities of most grandmasters. But the young, that is, the younger chess players, will find it. This game will be featured in the Immortal tournament (every Saturday).

3. Sindarov-Caruana 1-0
   Caruana lost to Sindarov. Precisely because he lacks that certain something we mentioned when discussing the Caruana-Nakamura draw. Greater versatility. The ability to make a brilliant move. Sindarov, with the move 36.Rc5 – which Caruana did not foresee and which took him completely by surprise – forced him to resign. We won’t be looking for a win for Black here, but will instead show other variations White could have played. A draw on move 46; then, with a bit of cunning and wit, Black loses their queen and must resign on move 49. In the third variation, we have a win on move 41. After this game, we can say that Caruana should definitely train further at Goldchess, even if he comes to us anonymously. You’re welcome to join us.

4. Top-of-the-table clashes

Praggna-Sindarov 0-1

Sindarov is in top form and mowing everyone down. Praggna lost in 40 moves. In the endgame, it was a rout for White. Six pawns to two. Incredible and a rare occurrence. But at Goldchess, we can turn that around. Here, it’s a rout of Black in 34 moves. Why did Praggna lose? I’ll tell you. He lost because, in the position after 18 moves, he played 19.Qc3. So, is Sindarov, the frontrunner, really playing that strongly?

We’ll answer that after reviewing all his games in this tournament. In this game, our win in 34 moves, we show that he isn’t playing strongly and that he can be outplayed. You just have to play, Grandmaster Praggnandhaa.

5. Praggna-Giri 1-0

Giri lost. But did he really? How illusory it all is. This loss stems solely from an inability to play endgames. And it is not credible in real, proper chess. With Black, we have a draw on move 60, and Giri could also have achieved it without any trouble.

6. Caruana–Bluebaum 1–0

Caruana won. But in complicated positions, anything can happen.
And in our game, Black won, and in fine style. All it took was gaining a single tempo.

Bluebaum failed to spot this. So if practically all the wins can be called into question, was the Candidates Tournament a serious affair? It seems not. That is to say, in FIDE terms, yes; in chess terms, no. Like two sides of the same coin. And those who won must be aware of this. That it could have gone the other way.

Caruana delivered a beautiful checkmate with a pawn on move 28; we turned the result around on move 29. A move later, but ours is spectacular too. We also show a checkmate on move 32, when White plays a different 24th move.

7. We’re showing you how to play chess.
   Sindarov’s two draws are a thorn in our side, as they’re spoiling his record.

Sindarov-Bluebaum. Sindarov was unable to win this game. We could. The simplicity and elegance of chess. Our victory is based on the following plan of play:

1.Both rooks must be exchanged. Sindarov’s 29.B:e1 was a mistake. The rook should have been captured with a rook. After the rook exchange, White is left with two bishops, Black with a black-squared bishop and a knight. To have any chance of playing at all, Black must activate and advance the knight. We will then exchange it, simultaneously demolishing Black’s pawn structure. That is our plan. Logical, simple and effective. Sindarov didn’t play it. And we fully executed our plan. White wins on move 41. See how we did it. Magic.

8. Sindarov–Giri: a draw
   We show you how to play chess

Another good title for this game. Our concepts are foolproof and far superior to those employed by today’s chess players. This is clearly evident in this tournament. Our analysts are ahead of the game. In this game, we can clearly see the weakness of the bishop on d7, which is standing on the king’s file. And this is the theme we exploit to win. In two ways and in a beautiful style that can amaze literally anyone. And a small note. We do not take the d5 pawn like Sindarov (41.R:d5), because then Black mobilises his pieces to defend it, allowing us to calmly carry out our plan.

9. Esipenko–Sindarov: Draw
Another draw, this time against the bottom-placed team. An outsider taking half a point off the leader feels like half a defeat. But Esipenko played this game very strongly and, to be honest, Sindarov was rather lucky to secure the draw. It could have been worse. We found a mate on move 47 in our analysis, but only after a great deal of struggle and trial and error. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. That is why we believe that neither Sindarov nor any other chess player in the world will find this variation during the tournament. Or perhaps no one will find it at all. We’ll find out in the Immortal tournament. In addition to the prize, the winner will receive the title of Immortal Genius.
A final note. To win a game, you must surprise your opponent with something. And this game is a prime example of the truth of that statement. That surprise is Black’s forced capture of the queen.

10. Bluebaum-Sindarov draw
Sindarov’s fourth draw. Probably fatigue, and his playing strength has waned. He still has an advantage over the runner-up, but he must conserve his strength for the finish so as not to lose that advantage. The drawn position has essentially persisted since the start of the game, and so they proceed to the endgame. Equal pawns, equal pieces. Breaking this balance is extremely difficult. But not impossible. We broke this drawish zugzwang and have wins on move 52. That’s what Sindarov lacked in this game. The key to victory lies in Black’s 31st move.

11. Sindarov–Praggna 1–0
It looks as though Sindarov will see this victory through to the end. In the 10th round, he beat Praggna and extended his lead over Giri to 2 points. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
P.S. We’re not looking for a win for Praggna here. At Goldchess, we teach you to play beautifully and brilliantly. So we’re showing how Sindarov could have ended this game differently (he played 52.Qd8). Take a look at our variation.

12. Sindarov-Wei Yi draw
Sindarov secured the victory. He performed less well in the second round, with 1 win and 6 draws. Esipenko proved to be the weakest link in the table. But in an 8-player tournament like this, someone always has to be the points provider. As a rule, it’s the bottom four. Here, Nakamura and Praggna joined the ranks of the points providers. Our heroes are Giri, who lost only one game, and of course the winner, who didn’t lose a single one.
As the final game in our analytical report, we present Sindarov’s (White) last draw against Wei Yi. We rose above the level of this match and it paid off. We brilliantly won a piece and the game was over.
Two questions raised in this report remain to be answered.
Was the tournament a serious affair, and do they – the world’s top chess players – know how to play chess?
And here, since silence is golden, we remain silent. Let everyone find the answer for themselves.
Of course, after watching our games and comparing them with the originals.
Games: https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/winnerslist.html#g0_wins

2026 Women’s World Championship Candidates Tournament
Rameshbabu Vaishali won the tournament. However, she lost two games to the same opponent, Jiner Zhu, allowing Zhu to finish in 3rd place. It seems that Babu struggles against her. We analyzed both losses, with White and Black. Indeed, Zhu is a tough opponent to beat; she plays a style of chess that is difficult for her opponents. However, we managed to draw with Black and win with White. Draw. All it took was to control the “c” file to prevent White’s pieces from entering Black’s territory and to exchange them.
The win is more complicated. We’re showing the draw here; the win will be featured in one of our tournaments.

To be continued.

Our other (non-course) educational resources:

The book ‘500 Goldchess Games’, in Polish and English

https://500.goldchess.com/en/product/500-goldchess-games/

Our tournaments
https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/tournaments.html

We invite you to learn.

 

I would venture to say that in today’s chess game, the aim is to defeat your opponent’s mind and score a point. In our game, Goldchess, the aim is to actually win at chess. It seems the same, but it is not.

I would also venture to say that all the games played so far are unbelievable wins, because in each of them we can show a different, better game by the opponent, the chess player who lost, and reverse the result.
Our latest book, ‘500 Goldchess Games’ and the 10-hour chess course, offer a new, fresh perspective on chess. They will surprise even the best. No one plays like this today.
For a full understanding, I can only add that the games in the current 10 million chessbase, compared to the Goldchess games, are chess from a bygone era.
This also applies to today’s chess learning programmes used  by coaches around the world. A bygone era.

We invite you to discover new ideas and a new quality of the royal game. Only with us. Our book ‘500 Goldchess Games’:

https://500.goldchess.com/en/product/500-goldchess-games/

Our online course in English, Polish and Spanish:

Log in – GoldChess Chess Academy

https://learnchess.pl/login

We invite you to join us.

Fischer-Robatsch 1-0.Fischer wins in 20 moves. Did Fischer play so strongly, or did Robatsch play so poorly? We answer. It is 1962. For Fischer, it is a breakthrough year, when he significantly improved his level of play. But, you know what? This game made us laugh. Fischer’s greatness… it can all be blown away like a candle flame.

Our computer is no Fischer, but our variations definitely surpass Fischer’s play. In them, Robatsch rises above Fischer high, very high. Thus, this game debunks the myth of the greatness of grandmasters. Simply put, others played weaker. And today, our analyses show that the greats did not play so strongly that the outcome of their games could not be reversed. A long time ago, one of the most famous chess theorists and authors of chess aphorisms, Siegbert Tarrasch, said: ‘To win, you don’t have to play strongly. You just have to play better than your opponent.’

At Goldchess, this is outdated and no longer applies. It has lost its power. Because in our definition, that’s not what chess is about. For us, winning means showing something in chess, not winning for the sake of winning. Such games are meaningless. For chess achievement, chess thinking and the development of chess. And this Fischer-Robatsch game is an excellent example of this. For this game, won with black, you can obtain the highest Platinum Certificate of Professional Chess Trainer. Of course, after winning silver and gold earlier.
A game of chess is a creative endeavour. If you are not being creative, you should consider whether you should continue playing chess.

https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/winnerslist.html#chess-crazy

4 levels of chess coach qualification.
Our website features a qualification test-exam for coaches, which, once passed, entitles the chess player to obtain a Level I Chess Coach Certificate.
We estimate that 90% of chess ‘coaches’ will not obtain our certificate. What does this mean?
1. Generally speaking, that they are unqualified or insufficiently qualified, since they are unable to win a position against an educational computer with a playing strength of 1500 Elo.  In other words, they are unreliable.
2. That they can teach something about playing chess, but they are certainly not able to train a true master.

After the establishment of the Goldchess school, the ranking position obtained at the FIDE institution is no longer a reliable or full-fledged qualification to practise as a chess coach.
This test is the first level of initiation.
We have 4 levels. Those who pass this basic test will gain access to the next game-task and will be able to obtain a Level II Chess Coach Certificate. This is followed by levels III, IV and V. Three levels are technical, the fourth is educational, and the fifth is the final coaching exam. The strength of the Goldchess educational project is that no chess computer can help anyone win the test tasks.

Do you have a coach who teaches you how to play chess and charges you for it? Ask them if they have a Goldchess coaching certificate and you will know for sure. They either have the qualifications or they don’t.
The first degree certificate (game number 5) can be obtained here:

https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/winnerslist.html#chess-crazy

I have always said that Armenian chess players are brilliant, even genius. First there was Sargis Manukyan, then Armenak Yeghiazaryan and the younger players, Alex Nurijanyan, Arman Ghevondyan and Sahak Petrosyan. Those who played in Goldchess and made a name for themselves have repeatedly shown what they are capable of. They are not in the top 100, but the best chess players in the world could learn a lot from them. They have made a huge contribution to the development of Goldchess by sending their own brilliant and often genius solutions and variations. Today, Sahak found our variation from the Stockfish-Houdini position, mate with three queen sacrifices. After the third sacrifice, which was not accepted, we can already checkmate, but we can also add another 4 sacrifices and then checkmate. This is a modernisation of Stockfish’s game. And based on this game, we can safely say that Stockfish will only play like this in about 100 years, because it is still far from matching the capabilities of the human brain.
 Congratulations to Sahak, the prize and the title of Goldchess Genius. See this game.
https://www.goldchess.com/en/other/winnerslist.html#livepuzzlegmc_wins

Dear chess players, the world is divided into rich and poor, that is, rich and poor countries. And it is easy to classify this in chess. In Europe or the USA, every chess player has a computer or laptop.

We point this out because it is here (on the Goldchess website) that you need a computer to participate in online tournaments.

So yes. In 3rd world countries, one in 10 chess players has a laptop. In 4th world countries, one in a hundred.

In 5th world countries, one in a thousand. Get your bearings and you’ll know what country you live in and how far you are from real civilisation. I’m not going to make a list and order here now, I’ll just say that two well chess-developed countries, India and Russia, are at the far tail in this classification.