Lessons

En Prise Please!

En Prise Please!

Learn how to sacrifice your way to victory!

Have you ever wondered if it is the right time to sacrifice or not? Then this is the course for you! We've all seen the sac, sac, mate pattern a thousand times. Here, you'll see that sometimes the right path is not to capture a piece but to put one of yours "en prise" - leaving it hanging out to dry. You'll need to see many examples before looking for this idea in your own games. Master this tactic to win more games today!

Here is what you will learn:

  • Learn how to sacrifice your way to victory!
  • Learn from the games of World Champions and other top players!
  • Learn what to do when "sac, sac, mate" doesn't work!

En Prise Primer - Obstruction of Opponent's Pieces

We'll start off with one of the most famous examples of the "en prise" idea. Fischer is going for a quick mate on Benko.
2 Challenges

En Prise in the Endgame

Opposite-colored bishops are no friend when you're trying to win an endgame. Sometimes, even with two passed pawns, you can't break through.
7 Challenges

En Prise to Win a National Championship

This was the final round of the 2009 U.S. Women's Championship. A win for Black seals the title!
2 Challenges

En Prise in the U.S. Championship

This comes from the famous game Browne-Bisguier, U.S. Championship 1974. The rumor is that GM Walter Browne found this amazing idea over the board after about 45 minutes of thought!
8 Challenges

GM Larry Evans' En Prise Masterpiece

The late GM Larry Evans (Black) played this stunning idea against Robert Warner in the 1947 U.S. Junior Championship.
5 Challenges

Modern Times - En Prise at 2013 U.S. Championship

At the 2013 U.S. Championship, GM Gata Kamsky (who eventually won) looked to be cruising in his classical game against GM Alejandro Ramirez but everything was not as it seemed.
4 Challenges

Still More En Prise in Opposite-Colored Bishop Endings

If you've already solved lessons 2 and 3, you'll be more than ready for this example, which came from Hindle-Moehring, Tel-Aviv 1964. Surely the most famous game from this pair!
9 Challenges

En Prise, With Karpov's Help

This is a game I played at the late GM Edmar Mednis' chess camp. It stems from the analysis of a Karpov game, but the tactics that result will not exactly remind you of Karpov!
3 Challenges

En Prise Followed By Geometry

Hopefully you've done lesson #8 before this one, because this En Prise idea came only one day following my previous game in lesson
6 Challenges

Attack With All You've Got!

GM Alex Shabalov, one of the best attackers of our time, plays one of the early gems. After an Alekhine in which White got the better center, Shabalov developed around the pawns, and is now poised to strike!
4 Challenges

En Prise Please!

Tactics
10 Lessons
No Videos
50 Challenges
Released 5/24/2013