Candidate Master Level Chess Courses by FM Mike Ivanov

Practice weakness awareness by identifying opponent's weak squares and pieces, and leveraging them with tactical plans like queen traps, back-rank attacks, and targeted piece play.

Analyze a grandmaster game through weakness awareness, tracing how shifting weaknesses create outposts, open files, and a decisive seventh rank attack that leads to checkmate.

Figure out the logic of each position by weighing weaknesses, initiative, and open files to plan attacks, trades, and decisive endgames.

Explore piece coordination in imbalanced queen vs minor piece positions, learning how coordinated pieces protect each other, attack with a common purpose, and control influential squares to dominate the king.

Evaluate sound versus unsound sacrifices by assessing immediate threats and long-term defenses. Learn to calculate variations and decide whether bishop or queen sacrifices pay off.

Learn how to win or draw rook endgames with limited material by fixing weaknesses, cutting off the opponent’s king, and using rook checks and bridges to promote pawns.

Learn the two bishops checkmate by building a fence and squeezing the king to the corner, then apply bishop endgame ideas like creating weaknesses and controlling entry squares.

Learn the rhombus method to guard the promotion square with a knight, employ knight checks and king support, and master two weaknesses to win or draw endgames.

Harness space in the endgame, even after queen trades, to attack weaknesses and create pressure through potential threats, control open files, and advance rooks and king activity.

Discover how weak squares shape chess plans and how to exploit or defend them, with Sicilian examples and outposts on d6, d4, and other key squares.

Explore the Ruy Lopez opening ideas, tracing variations after Bb5, center control strategies, and black responses with bishop g4, knight maneuvers, and kingside attack concepts.

Explore the Caro-Kann defense ideas, focusing on the classical variation with the bishop outside the pawn chain, center pressure, and space plans for white against a solid black structure.

Learn elimination thinking in chess by discarding garbage options and choosing between two viable moves. Explore counterintuitive choices through game examples and concepts like pawn takes and fortress ideas.

Identify candidate moves after the opening by evaluating position, space, and piece activity. Balance attack and defense, use urgent, preparatory moves, and leverage opposite-colored bishops to seize initiative.

Master schematic thinking in chess by planning piece and pawn placement, building barriers when there are no checks, captures, or threats, then centralize and win endgames.