Many times when a top player blunders, it is routinely described by the esoteric term „chess blindness.“ In the series What Grandmasters Don‘t See, chess trainer and world-class commentator Maurice Ashley strips away the myth, and for the first time explains why the root of these mistakes is more often based on the psychology of human learning.
What Grandmasters Don’t See Vol. 1: Protected Squares
In Volume 1 of the series, Ashley coins a new term Protected Squares, and shows how many errors occur on squares that seem invulnerable because they are clearly guarded by pawns. In example after example and in his trademark style, Ashley will teach you how to avoid this kind of mistake and how to look for moves that will shock and amaze your opponents. In the first 19 videos on the DVD Ashley demonstrates both well-known and little known games in which a move on to a protected square plays an important part. In the second half of the DVD you are tested on what you have learned about protected squares with a series of exercises of increasing difficulty. This material is also drawn both from classics and from recent games. Video running time: 4 hours 18 minutes
What Grandmasters Don’t See Vol. 2: Discovered Attack
Auf dieser zweiten DVD macht Ashley deutlich, dass kein anderes taktisches Thema so stark überbewerte, so oft außer Acht gelassen und so weitgehend missverstanden wird wie der Abzugsangriff. Anhand einer Reihe von Beispielen illustriert der amerikanische Schachmoderator, wie oft Spieler durch einen Abzugsangriff aus dem Konzept gebracht werden, weil die überwiegende Zahl der Beispiele in Lehrbüchern schlecht gewählt sind und nicht zeigen, wie dieses taktische Motiv in praktischen Partien tatsächlich funktioniert. Im ersten Teil des Kurses benutzt Ashley fesselnde und unterhaltsame Stellungen zur gewohnt temperamentvollen Erläuterung seiner Thesen. Der zweite Teil hält eine Fülle von Stellungen und Aufgaben bereit, anhand derer Sie Ihr neues Wissen über den Abzugsangriff auf die Probe stellen können. Das nach Schwierigkeitsgrad strukturierte Material stammt sowohl aus klassischen wie aus aktuellen Partien.
What Grandmasters Don’t See Vol. 3: Summary and Test
In this DVD, the third volume of the three part series, Ashley completes his idea of Protected Squares from Volume 1, showing that squares seemingly guarded by pieces are often the breeding ground of amazing tactical oversights. He also blends the themes from all three volumes to give a thorough picture of the key ways that the viewer can exploit the typical mistakes by players of all levels. In the first half of the DVD, Ashley uses brilliant games and positions to explain each lesson in his dynamic commentary style. The second half of the DVD is filled with examples to test the viewer, with a series of exercises of increasing difficulty. The material is drawn both from classic and from recent games. Video running time: 3 hours 45 min.