Matt Jensen

How to Gain 200 Points: Advice from Adult Improvers

We asked the ChessGoals community: What single tip, resource, or habit helped you gain your last 200 rating points? 66 adult improvers gave us their ratings, preferred servers, time control format, and their best tips. The first thing we did was convert every rating to a Chess.com Blitz equivalent using the ChessGoals rating comparison tables. As expected, improvement is not one-size-fits-all. What works for an 800-rated player is not the same as what helps an 1800 break a plateau. Here's what worked for our students at each rating range. <800:…

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October 11, 2026

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Chess Friends @ ChessGoals

Chess can be a lonely game if we want it to be, but it doesn't have to be that way either. I love self-help books, and recently finished the book Eat Your Ice Cream. The book talks about how social connections are a strong predictor of longevity and happiness. Whenever I read these types of books, I always think about how the tips can be applied to chess improvement. That got me thinking hard about this core question: Can chess connections improve chess progress? Many adult improvers are locked into…

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September 2, 2026

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Has Chess AI Gone Too Far?

Do you feel like studying chess has gotten overwhelming? You aren't alone. Look around and you'll see AI is everywhere now. It's a buzzword, but what I'm noticing lately is very refreshing. People are fed up with AI and want to embrace simplicity again. This post is going to talk about chess studying and technology, and how it has changed over the past 30 years. 1996: The Early Internet Era Ahh, the 90s. I was ten years old in 1996 and the way we studied chess back then almost had…

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August 16, 2026

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How Sindarov Won the 2026 Candidates: King Safety and Time Management

Javokhir Sindarov didn't just win the 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus; he dominated. Six wins, zero losses, and a 1.5 point lead over the field. As I was doing game recaps after each round, I started noticing two key themes. He used the clock as a weapon, and he went for complex positions where his opponents' kings were vulnerable. The combination of the two factors led to most of his victories. Let's walk through all six wins to see it in action. Round 1 vs. Esipenko (White) This one breaks…

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April 16, 2026

Read more about the article An Update from James Fazzolari

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An Update from James Fazzolari

Nearly a year ago I wrote an article setting out my 2023 Chess Goals. Speaking with Matt, wethought it would be interesting to reflect on the past year, highlight the lessons learned and set newgoals for 2024. Lots happened during 2023: improving from 1382 (provisional) to 1508 rating (in the January 2024 FIDE list) playing 46 rated OTB games for +23 -16 =7 (57.61%) winning two rating category prizes and one tournament outright (with 1864 performance) publishing my first course for ChessGoals on the Nimzo-Indian still playing the London System…

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January 20, 2024

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5 Ways Chess Games End in a Draw: Explained Simply

In Chess, the goal is to trap the opponent's king and the game when one player wins by captures the other players king, but sometimes it doesn't end that way! Sometimes, the game ends in a tie or a draw. A "draw" in chess means that nobody wins. It's like saying the game is a tie. There are different ways this can happen, and they're like special rules that make sure the game doesn't go on forever. These special rules make chess more interesting and fair. In this discussion, we're…

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January 2, 2024

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Cracking the Code of Stalemate in Chess: A Beginner’s Guide

I. Introduction: What Is Stalemate in Chess and Why It Matters In chess, there's an exciting resource that can change the game – it's called "stalemate." If you're new to chess, you might have heard about it and wondered, "What's that?" Don't worry; we're here to explain it all in simple terms. Stalemate is like a chess puzzle, and understanding it can be quite fun. Imagine turning a game that looks like a loss into a draw! In chess, a draw is a tie game. If you would like to…

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January 2, 2024

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London System: Slav, Bf5 & Bxb1!?

(guest post by James) Hi Goalies! Like me, I’m sure you have been enjoying the recent London System course prepared by Matt and Jesse. While I have been playing the London System for a few years already, it was great to see the fresh ideas they brought to the opening, and to see them give my pet set-up versus the Queen’s Indian the mark of approval (thanks guys!). In the spirit of contributing to the great Chess Goals community, I’d like to share with you some more home preparation to…

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June 13, 2023

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Conversing in the Language of Chess

Guest post from Christopher Fisher, MD The conversation of chess is one of the most profound and intricate dialogues to be found in the world of strategy and competition. With every move, the pieces on the board speak in a language that is steeped in tradition and strategy, a language that is both beautiful and complex. The chessboard serves as the stage for this conversation, a platform upon which the pieces dance and weave in a symphony of tactical brilliance. The pieces themselves are the words of this language, each…

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May 20, 2023

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Beating Caro-Kann Sidelines

This is a guest post from James Fazzolari. Thank you, James! Short & Sweet Guide to 5 Caro-Kann Minor Sidelines I recently spent time preparing for a five-day, nine-round Classical tournament. I normally feel comfortable with my mainlines for such an event since they come up all the time, and I am very familiar with the ideas, so I like to do some revision for minor sidelines which rarely come up since many of them have quite some bite if you are not well prepared. After speaking with Matt, we…

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May 7, 2023