gmmdsNov 23
#siliconroad #reengineeringtheclassics #chess Wouldn’t surprise me to see some more Petroffs in the World Cup Semi-Final playoffs so why not take a look at this expert handling of the white side by Michael Adams in a two-part series: https://matthewsadler.me.uk/attack/the-complexity-of-symmetrical-pawn-structures-part-1/ and https://matthewsadler.me.uk/attack/the-complexity-of-symmetrical-pawn-structures-part-2/
The complexity of symmetrical pawn structures - Part 1 » Matthew Sadler

A little while back, Natasha and I commentated on the 6th round of the English Chess Championships. One game that round made a huge impression both on us, A little while back, Natasha and I commentated on the 6th round of the English Chess Championships. One game that round made a huge impression both on us, and on many of the other professionals we talked to afterwards: Michael Adams’ victory against Shreyas Royal on the white side of a Petroff with a symmetrical structure (is there any other kind?)

Matthew Sadler
gmmdsNov 20
#chess #reengineeringtheclassics #siliconroad Voulez-vous Petroff avec moi? A new 2-part series on the stunning game Adams-Royal from the 6th round of the English Chess Championships. https://matthewsadler.me.uk/attack/the-complexity-of-symmetrical-pawn-structures-part-1/
The complexity of symmetrical pawn structures - Part 1 » Matthew Sadler

A little while back, Natasha and I commentated on the 6th round of the English Chess Championships. One game that round made a huge impression both on us, A little while back, Natasha and I commentated on the 6th round of the English Chess Championships. One game that round made a huge impression both on us, and on many of the other professionals we talked to afterwards: Michael Adams’ victory against Shreyas Royal on the white side of a Petroff with a symmetrical structure (is there any other kind?)

Matthew Sadler
gmmdsNov 16
Another double bill to round off this really cool idea against the Modern Benoni. Latest videos focus on Black declining the offered pawn leading to a sort of super-fianchetto variation! PGNs: lichess.org/study/GJ5NRo9a Videos: youtu.be/by3axxOfmEE and youtu.be/noyI8XtSBoQ #siliconroad #chess #duolingo #reengineeringtheclassics
gmmdsNov 15
#chess #siliconroad #reengineeringtheclassics #duolingo Can Duolingo help your chess? Maybe your opening preparation! A double bill of videos featuring a super gambit idea against the Modern Benoni first played against me by Oscar, the moustached bot!
https://youtu.be/qo3nM44241o and
https://youtu.be/A63QDMXsdFY
Silicon Road: Duolingo Chess opening preparation! Bash the Benoni with Oscar's Gambit! Part 1

YouTube
gmmdsSep 29, 2025
#chess #reengineeringtheclassics #siliconroad Final part of the 7-part series on the Colle-Zukertort based around the lovely attacking game Conquest-Royal from the recent 2025 British Championships. https://matthewsadler.me.uk/attack/a-typical-colle-zukertort-position-part-7/
A typical Colle-Zukertort position – Part 7 » Matthew Sadler

At various moments during the analysis of the Conquest-Royal game with the engines, it was noticeable that the move …cxd4 was often suggested as one of At various moments during the analysis of the Conquest-Royal game with the engines, it was noticeable that the move …cxd4 was often suggested as one of the top 3 moves. This is one of those things in chess for which I may need therapy to truly accept 😉 Since a young age, the books I read warned against “releasing the central tension too early”

Matthew Sadler
gmmdsSep 24, 2025
#reengineeringtheclassics #siliconroad #chess The penultimate part of my series on the Colle-Zukertort through the game Conquest-Royal from the 2025 British Championships https://matthewsadler.me.uk/attack/a-typical-colle-zukertort-position-part-6/
A typical Colle-Zukertort position – Part 6 » Matthew Sadler

Through previous blog entries, we navigated our way towards the interesting possibility of 12.Ng4   Line 12.Ng4 In this blog entry we look at 12.Ng4 Through previous blog entries, we navigated our way towards the interesting possibility of 12.Ng4. In this blog entry we look at 12.Ng4 in more detail. We start by putting the f6-knight on the spot that was most annoying to White in the Conquest-Royal game: 12…Ne4

Matthew Sadler
gmmdsSep 20, 2025
#chess #siliconroad #reengineeringtheclassics The next part of the 7-part series on the Colle-Zukertort opening through the great game Conquest-Royal at the 2025 British Chess Championships. https://matthewsadler.me.uk/attack/a-typical-colle-zukertort-position-part-5/
A typical Colle-Zukertort position – Part 5 » Matthew Sadler

IIn previous blog entries, we discovered that Stuart’s 16.Nd4 Game: 16.Nd4 – while obviously a perfect practical choice in his crucial 8th round game at In previous blog entries, we discovered that Stuart’s 16.Nd4 – while obviously a perfect practical choice in his crucial 8th round game at the British Championships – gave Black a number of opportunities to flatten out the play and drain the attacking life from White’s position by capturing on d4 at various moments. We should therefore start examining alternatives at move 16:

Matthew Sadler
gmmdsSep 9, 2025
#chess #siliconroad #reengineeringtheclassics Next instalment on the Colle-Zukertort through the excellent game Conquest-Royal British Championship 2025 https://matthewsadler.me.uk/attack/a-typical-colle-zukertort-position-part-4/
A typical Colle-Zukertort position – Part 4 » Matthew Sadler

We saw in previous blog entries that Black’s best line on move 20 was to capture the knight on d4 with 20…Bxd4. Line: 20…Bxd4 In fact, an exchange on d4 We also saw in previous blog entries that Black’s best line on move 20 was to capture the knight on d4 with 20…Bxd4. An exchange on d4 could have been played at multiple occasions between move 16 (when White played 16.Nd4) and move 20: at what moments would this have been a good plan for Black?

Matthew Sadler
gmmdsSep 2, 2025
#reengineeringtheclassics #siliconroad #chess #tcec A quick look at a really instructive moment from the ongoing Season 28 SuperFinal between Stockfish and Leela https://matthewsadler.me.uk/engine-chess/whole-board-play/
Whole-board play! » Matthew Sadler

Since 2018, most of the games of chess I’ve analysed seriously have been engine games. I’ve therefore developed a somewhat atypical frame of reference for Since 2018, most of the games of chess I’ve analysed seriously have been engine games. I’ve therefore developed a somewhat atypical frame of reference for recognising themes and patterns. I’m more likely to say “Oh I saw that in Alliestein-Komodo” than “Carlsen played like this against Aronian” And that turned out to be the case once again when I saw a really nice exchange sacrifice during the ongoing TCEC Superfinal between Stockfish and Leela.

Matthew Sadler
gmmdsSep 1, 2025
#chess #siliconroad #reengineeringtheclassics A new instalment of the series on the Colle-Zukertort based around the lovely game Conquest-Royal from the recent 2025 British Championships in Liverpool. https://matthewsadler.me.uk/attack/a-typical-colle-zukertort-position-part-3/
A typical Colle-Zukertort position – Part 3 » Matthew Sadler

In previous blog posts we noted how important the idea of …f6 - driving away the white knight from e5 - was for Black, and how White tried to prevent it In previous blog posts we noted how important the idea of …f6 - driving away the white knight from e5 - was for Black, and how White tried to prevent it with moves such as 16.Nd4. One interesting question is: how (objectively) successful was White in preventing Black from playing this key move from the moment Black moved his knight into e4 (15…Ne4) opening up this possibility?

Matthew Sadler