Every Russian Schoolboy Knows: Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda (5 Part series)

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

Opening: A13, A28, A34: English, English: four knights system, English: Symmetrical Variation

Player(s): Salov, Jussupow, Van Wely

In Russia, it's mandatory to know chess history, for every chess player of any level. Chess culture is an important part of the whole 'chess' concept. GM Yermolinsky, in this new series, guides us through chess history, taking in consideration great players of the past who didn't become World Champions, and how it would have affected the history of the game. In his journey into history, Alex asks himself questions such as: what if Pillsbury didn't contract syphilis, Klaus Junge didn't die in the war, Stein would have gotten into the Candidates if there weren't the anti-Russian rule limiting the number of players of the same country? An interesting and original approach to chess history, a lot of not-so-famous games analyzed by Alex, with his unique and fascinating style.