Weekly Chess Lectures

Life Master Michael Aigner of Davis is a multiple time Sacramento Chess Club champion and Player of the Year.  I teach private lessons to many nationally ranked juniors in Northern California, both in person and via the internet.  You may check out my website at http://www.fpawn.com/chess.  Please note that I already have too many lessons and am not actively recruiting new students.

In appreciation for years of playing casual and tournament chess in Sacramento, I provide a weekly series of free lectures on Wednesday nights from 5:45 to 6:30.  Please see the schedule below for weeks when there will be a lecture.

These lectures will target class B and C players, although the material will be suitable for anyone rated between 1000 and 1800.  I typically pick an instructive (grand-)master level game and discuss some of the key concepts and strategies in that game.  For example, I might talk about development, initiative, space, good or bad pieces, tactics and endgames.

Schedule:  (I will try to post cancellations on this website by Tuesday afternoon.  Last minute cancellations are possible if the weather is poor.)

THERE ARE NO FREE CHESS LECTURES AT THIS TIME.  THEY MIGHT RESUME AT A FUTURE DATE, PERHAPS DURING THE 2008 TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP OR OVER THE SUMMER.

Previous Lecture Topics:

·       first lecture at 6:00: understanding active rooks and kings in rook endgames

·       Mikhail Tal game featuring middlegame concepts (development, good/bad pieces and initiative)

·       finish Tal game starting with move 18, plus about five intermediate pawn endgame problems

·       lecture on tempo and long term initiative based on my game vs Vanessa West from 2003 US Open

·       Kasparov identifies weaknesses around opponents king and crushes a strong GM (Nikolic)

·       my win against expert Ricky Selzler from US Open in August (Modern defense)

·       my draw against GM John Fedorowicz from last round of US Open in August (Closed Sicilian)

·       lesson in tempo and initiative in the Sicilian Najdorf taught by Anand

·       useful examples of how to win with an isolated queen’s pawn (IQP)

·       face to face with a world class Grandmaster – my game as black against Sadvakasov

·       rook endgame course featuring a game played last year at the Sacramento chess club

·       introduction to minor piece (bishop and knight) endgames

Click here to send Michael an e-mail.