Middlegame Secrets - Vol. 3: The Career Paths of Bishops

For a chess player, chess pieces are like specific tools in a toolbox. We need to know how best to use them, just as a craftsman knows his tools. We shouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail; and we shouldn’t close the position when we have the bishop pair.

In this video course we will explore in depth some familiar concepts regarding the bishops. For example, everyone knows that a bishop-pair should grant him a positional edge. However, almost no-one knows how to make use of this strategical asset. Also, you probably know the concept of a “good” and “bad” bishop. But in
some positions this concept is crucial, in others totally irrelevant. Can you discern them?

Also, we will explore qualities of bishops that you have probably never heard of. We will focus on the diagonals the bishops are operating on, on maneuvers of bishops from one flank to another, and of course on the opposite-coloured bishops.

• Video running time: 4 hours 44 minutes
• Extra: Training with ChessBase apps – Play-out-positions against Fritz on various levels
• Including download & stream for iPad, tablet etc: can be unlocked with imprinted key

Jan Markos is a Slovak chess grandmaster, coach, and author, a former European Youth Champion. His book “Under the Surface” won the ECF Book of the Year Award in 2018. His most recent chess book “The Secret Ingredient”, co-authored with GM David Navara, focuses on practical aspects of overtheboard play.

System requirements: Minimum: Pentium III 1 GHz, 1 GB RAM, Windows 8.1, DirectX9 graphic card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9 and internet connection for program activation. Recommended: PC Intel Core i7, 2.8 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Windows 10 or 11 , DirectX10 graphic card (or compatible) with 512 MB RAM or better, 100% DirectX10 compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11, DVDROM drive and internet connection for program activation.