Boost Your Calculation – Part 3 Modern Chess GM Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko

Preview by the Author

In Part 3 of this series, I cover the following topics:

1. Weak King
   • Enjoy 27 tactical puzzles where the primary motif is a weak king. In some of these puzzles, you will deliver a surprising or beautiful checkmate, while in others, you’ll gain material through a powerful attack.
   • I’ll guide you through the process using my algorithm for finding tactics—a set of questions designed to help you better identify tactical opportunities in a position.
   • Some of these puzzles even stumped me, so you have a chance to outplay me! Additionally, you’ll encounter mistakes and oversights by top players like Mamedyarov, Vidit, Ponomariov, Salem, and others, giving you the opportunity to play better than super-grandmasters.
2. Surprising Ways to Win Material
   • The name says it all. These puzzles feature solutions that are either invisible or stunningly beautiful.
   • Just like the puzzles in the books I co-authored with Vladimir Grabinsky (Turbo-Charge Your Tactics 1: Drive Your Improvement and Turbo-Charge Your Tactics 2: Accelerate and Win), these challenges may uncover blind spots in your calculation.
3. Study Endgames
   • Here, I’ve selected positions from real games where the win is as beautiful as a composed study.
   • You will also get two studies (one of which I created myself) that look realistic and could easily occur in a game. Each solution should leave you with a sense of satisfaction or a raised eyebrow.

Additional Notes:

• • Just like in the previous parts, I have selected positions that I would love to solve myself. Unfortunately, I found many of them while reviewing games with Stockfish, thereby depriving myself of the opportunity to discover the solutions independently. However, I also solved—and occasionally failed—some of the puzzles.
  • The puzzles in each chapter are organized by their approximate difficulty, starting with the easier ones and progressing to the most challenging. This allows you to choose the order of solving based on the time you have and your confidence in your calculation skills on any given day.
  • To get the most out of this course, I recommend attempting each puzzle yourself before watching the videos. This way, you can compare and improve your thought process.