Mastering Chess Strategy Vol.1-3

Basics of Chess Strategy Vol.1

In this video course you are making your first steps in mastering strategic concepts. As the legendary player Philidor (1726-1795) said: ‘’pawns are the soul of chess’’ and in this course on basic chess strategy you will see his quote is still true today!

After a brief introduction to each piece, covering their strengths and shortcomings, our focus will be on pawns and their specific functions (protecting your king, supporting pieces and restricting opponent mobility) and how they impact the course of the game. Some pawns are strong, others are weak, but when is a pawn weak and how do you take advantage of it? When there are weak pawns, weak squares are never far away! What are weak squares and how do your pieces benefit from occupying such a square? A rook is a powerful piece, and in the topics “open files” and “seventh rank” you’ll see that sound positional play is closely linked with attacking chess. All these elements should be taken into consideration when planning to improve your own pieces or weaken your opponent’s position. The interactive format offers you a chance to test your knowledge! In 77 excercises you’ll be able to apply your newly acquired knowledge!

• Video running time: 5 hours
• With int eractive tr aining including video feedback-
• Database with 77 excercises

Mastering Chess Strategy Vol.2 - Take your piece play to the next level!

After laying the foundation in Volume 1, it‘s time to dive deeper into key strategic concepts that will elevate your middlegame play. But don’t expect long theoretical explanations — this course is all about active learning!

Free video sample: Introduction

Free video sample: Improve Your Worst Piece

Get ready to analyse, evaluate, and make real decisions, just like in a practical game.At the heart of this course lies a fundamental yet formidable question: Which pieces are good, which are bad, and what can you do about it? By mastering this principle, you’ll learn to solve complex middlegame positions with clarity and confidence.

hat you’ll learn – a structured approach to piece play:
• Improve your worst piece – identify and activate underperforming pieces to maximise their potential.
• Exchanging pieces – learn when to trade, and when to keep key pieces for maximum impact.
• King safety – understand how piece activity directly affects your king’s security.
• Pieces out of play – recognise misplaced pieces and find ways to bring them back into action.

Throughout the course, you’ll face interactive challenges that put your strategic thinking to the test. Many examples include multiple questions, making the learning process more dynamic and reinforcing key concepts at every step.

Extensive training content and interactive exercises in ChessBase Books:
Solve exercises & and test your knowledge with the Fritz App.

• Video running time: 5 hours 32 minutes

Mastering Chess Strategy Vol.3 - Exploit your opponent’s weaknesses!

Building on the lessons from the previous volumes, Volume 3 shifts the focus to one of the most essential skills in chess: identifying and attacking your opponent’s weaknesses. Whether it’s a weak pawn, a vulnerable king, or poor piece coordination, this course will teach you how to pinpoint the critical targets, prioritise your attack, and execute a clear, effective plan. But strategy alone isn’t enough — you’ll also need tactical awareness!

Free video sample: Introduction

Free video sample: Attack Weaknesses

Throughout the course, you’ll encounter exercises that blend strategic planning with dynamic calculation, mirroring real-game situations where the two go hand in hand.

What You’ll Learn – A practical approach to targeting weaknesses:
• Find the weak spot – Learn how to systematically identify your opponent’s biggest weaknesses.
• Prioritise your targets – not all weaknesses are created equal – discover how to choose the most effective plan of attack.
• Balance strategy and tactics – understand how strategic planning and concrete calculation complement each other
• Stay flexible – dynamic positions require adaptable thinking – train yourself to adjust plans as the position evolves.

Throughout the course, you’ll face interactive challenges that put your strategic thinking to the test. Many examples include multiple questions, making the learning process more dynamic and reinforcing key concepts at every step.

Extensive training content and interactive exercises in ChessBase Books:
Solve exercises & and test your knowledge with the Fritz App.

• Video running time: 5 hours 57 minutes