An interactive training course: 'The Importance of Modern Middlegame Tabiyas'

One of ICC's most loved contributors presents us with a fantastic training course: The Importance of Modern Middelgame Tabiyas.

Tabiya is a position in the opening of a game that occurs after a sequence of heavily standardized moves from which the players have many possible moves again. In this course, though, we will not examine typical opening tabiyas that arise after the first 5-8 moves. These are characterized by a relative lack of development and, consequently, a large number of possibilities for both sides. Instead, we will focus on standardized positions that arise in the transitional phase from opening to the middlegame, typically around moves 10-12. By that point, both White and Black have usually castled and developed most if not all of their minor pieces and determined the basic pawn structure in the center. What we do in this transitional phase of the game has a significant impact on how the arising middlegame is going to unfold. 

Davorin believes it is crucial to learn about middlegame tabiyas because once your knowledge of concrete opening variations ends, you must rely on your general understanding of the ensuing typical middlegames. To quote: 'I have observed that many players mainly focus on learning or cramming opening theory. Still, they do not invest nearly as much time analyzing typical middlegame positions that arise after that. A big goal of this course is to help you appreciate the importance of this kind of chess study.'

Studying middlegame tabiyas helps you enormously with your middlegame understanding and play because you become better equipped to figure out the strategic nuances, such as: which structure is favorable and which is not, what is the best plan for me and for my opponent, which piece trades will improve my position and which should be avoided, etc.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

1. Introduction
2. Italian Game: Modern Giuoco Piano – part 1
3. Italian Game: Modern Giuoco Piano – part 2
4. Ruy Lopez: Chigorin variation
5. Caro-Kann Defense: Modern 4…Nf6
6. French Defense: Steinitz variation
7. Alekhine defense: Four pawns attack
8. Semi-Slav Defense: Anti-Meran variation
9. Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto variation
10. Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein variation
11. King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto variation
12. English Opening: Reversed Dragon
13. Symmetrical English

That's 13 videos in total with almost 8 hours of video instruction.