SonofMarios — Building a balanced opening repertoire
Interactive step-by-step lessons with quizzes
Your main weapon as White. Covers the core setup, handling ...Bd6/e5, ...Bf5, ...Bg4 pin, middlegame plan, anti-Qb6, and traps & tactics (Greek Gift, hxg3 attack, Ne5, back-rank mate).
White7 tabs10 quizzesYour system for Black — same setup against everything. Covers vs d4, vs e4, middlegame plans, and key principles.
Black4 tabs2 quizzesSolid alternative to the Pirc — active light bishop, sound structure, no kingside cracks. Covers Classical, Advance, Exchange, Panov-Botvinnik, Two Knights, and key principles for the entire opening.
Black6 tabs5 quizzesNew!Your KID-style answer to 1.e4 — same soul, trickier move order. Covers setup discipline, Classical Pirc, Austrian Attack (f4), the 150 Attack (Be3+O-O-O), and the Game 81 lesson walkthrough.
Black6 tabs5 quizzesYour second answer to 1.e4, alongside the Pirc. Classic 3...Qa5 main line: the queen recapture, the ...c6 and develop-the-bishop-before-...e6 rules, and the traps (why 4.b4 is a free pawn). Built from your own L21 ideas.
BlackMain Line + TrapsQuizNew!Studied but secondary. Covers why 1...c5, the Open Sicilian, and a practical Najdorf development plan.
Black3 tabs1 quizAn earlier lesson covering classical e4 e5 play. Superseded by the London as your main White opening.
WhiteArchiveWhen to push the a- and h-pawns — and when to leave them alone. Covers pawn storms, space grabs, prophylaxis, and how to respond when your opponent pushes theirs. Works for both London (White) and KID (Black).
Universal5 tabs4 quizzesNew!The fundamentals that turn advantages into wins
Practice, train, and track your progress
Paste any PGN and step through every move on a visual board. See exactly where pieces are at each point in the game.
PGN parserStep-throughNew!16 puzzles built from your actual game mistakes. Trades, checks, defence, back-rank awareness — train the patterns that cost you games.
Your games16 puzzles6 categoriesStructured self-analysis with a built-in board viewer. Step through your game and answer reflection prompts before getting coached.
7 stepsSelf-analysisNew!Stats, trends, and pattern tracking across all 271 games. See what's improving, what's stuck, and what to focus on next.
271 gamesTrendsNew!Daily 5-minute habit built from your own games. Find the clean move, not the flashy check. Trains the Capture-Checkmate-Tactic scan with a day-streak tracker.
10 puzzlesDailyNew!The complement to the CCT drill. Eight positions from your own games, each right before a real mistake. The skill: check what your move allows before you commit. Trains defence and threat-spotting, not just tactics.
8 puzzlesYour blundersNew!11 interactive scenarios that teach you WHY to play each move. Covers bishop defense, London attacks, KID foundations, and endgame technique.
11 scenarios4 categories11 exercises on KID attack plans (Hikaru method), Capablanca's conversion principles, and pawn play. Built from your game patterns.
11 exercises3 themesNew!5 quick-fire quizzes on board strategy. Where should you focus your play?
InteractiveVisual boardsStrengths, patterns to break, skills to build — based on all reviewed games.
271 games analysedDeep dives into Hikaru Nakamura's KID attack blueprint and Capablanca's positional principles — tailored to your game.
HikaruCapablancaNew!Current openings and their key ideas
1. d4 — Claim the center
2. Bf4 — Dark bishop out BEFORE e3
3. e3 — Support d4, open light bishop diagonal
4. Nf3 — Develop knight, prepare castling
5. Bd3 — Light bishop, eyes h7
6. O-O — King safety
Nbd2 (always first) → c4 (challenge d5, soften the center) → e4 (the big break, comes easy once d5 is gone) → Re1 (if needed) → Qc2 (later, battery with Bd3)
Don't chase pieces on the rim. Recapture e4 with knight first. When a pawn kicks your bishop, retreat to a good square — don't trade without reason. When opponent attacks one side, counter on the other.
⚠️ vs ...Nc6: play c3 BEFORE e3. Prevents Nb4→Nc2+ fork (lost Games 60, 64, 78). If Nb4 already happened: Na3 (controls c2, enables recapture).
1. Nf6 — Knight first (d6 first vs e4)
2. g6 — Prepare fianchetto
3. Bg7 — The star piece
4. d6 — Support ...e5
5. O-O — King safety
Push ...e5 to challenge the center. After d5 closes things: kingside is YOUR territory. Push f5, knights to f4, rooks on f-file. White attacks queenside, you attack kingside — it's a race.
NEVER trade the Bg7. Let White build a big center, then attack it. Big centers are big targets. Castle by move 5-6 always.
Choose the right plan for each scenario
Ongoing assessment based on 271 games (updated Jun 13, 2026)
92% of your White games use the London. The setup is becoming automatic — d4, Bf4, e3, Nf3, Bd3, castle, Nbd2. You're not thinking about what to play anymore, you're just doing it. That's exactly where we want to be.
The Bxh7+ Greek Gift sacrifice, the Ng5/Qh7+/Qh8# battery, the e4 break timed correctly — these aren't accidents. You're recognising London attacking motifs in real games. Multiple wins came from clean, principled attacks after a solid setup.
Several games where you were down material, you fought back and won or drew. That mental toughness is a genuine competitive advantage at every rating level.
Two consecutive games where Black challenged your Bf4 — ...g5 (vs 1200 bot) and ...Bh6 (vs live opponent) — and both times you played Bg3 without hesitation. This was your biggest weakness three games ago and now it's automatic. The training is working.
Against the 1200 bot, you were down material from the middlegame but created three passed pawns (d6, b6, h-file), promoted two queens, and delivered checkmate. That's not luck — that's technique. You know how to push pawns, create threats on multiple fronts, and convert. This is becoming a genuine strength.
Your post-game self-analysis is consistently accurate. You spotted the queenside castling miss, the passive bishop retreats, and the piece-chasing before being told. That self-awareness accelerates improvement.
Multiple games show checks played automatically (Bb5+, random discovered checks) that waste tempo and help the opponent develop. Before playing a check, ask: "Does this actually improve my position, or am I just checking because I can?" A check that doesn't gain something concrete is often a wasted move.
Two recent games show correct Bg3 retreats against ...g5 and ...Bh6 — this was your biggest weakness and it's now clicking. Keep drilling: if ...g5 attacks it, retreat Bg3. If ...Bh6 or ...Bd6 challenges before e3, play Bg3 first. If ...c4 kicks Bd3, retreat to Bc2. The reflex is building — don't let it slip.
When a piece gets attacked, the instinct is to put it somewhere "safe." But safe and passive often means the piece does nothing for the rest of the game. The key question is: "Where does this piece do the most work?" Bc4 over Be2. Nc4 over Nb3. Bc2 over Be2. Active pieces win games, passive pieces watch.
When the opponent has pieces aimed at one side of the board, never open files or diagonals on that side. Pushing g3 when their rook is on the g-file, or pushing e4 into their f5 pawn — these moves hand them exactly what they want. Play on the OTHER side of the board instead.
When the opponent throws everything at your king, the natural instinct is to fight back there. The winning response is almost always to counterattack where they've left themselves weak. They push kingside? You play queenside. They commit pieces to one flank? The other flank is undefended. Make them regret overcommitting.
Against the 1200 bot, f3 weakened the king's diagonal and Black immediately punished with Qe3+, winning the Bd3. In the London, your f-pawn should almost never move — it guards g2 and keeps the e1-h4 diagonal safe. If Black pushes ...g4 to kick your knight, let the knight go to d2 or e5. Challenge g4 later with h3 instead of f3. The f-pawn is a wall, not a battering ram.
In the live game vs wilpol, the e4 break cost the Bd3 because the recapture sequence went wrong. The cleaner plan: push c4 first to challenge Black's d5 pawn. Once the d-pawn is traded off, e4 comes for free — no captures, no sacrifices, and your Nd2, Bd3, Qf3 all stay on their best squares. If the queen is on f3 (blocking Nd2→f3), that's fine — the knight supports e4 from d2 and doesn't need to move. c4 softens the center, e4 takes it over. Two steps, no material cost.
After a tactical sequence (winning material, making a sacrifice, a series of exchanges), pause and scan the whole board. Are any of your pieces hanging? Can anything be taken for free? Several losses came from winning a tactic but leaving a piece unprotected in the aftermath.
In game 26, you had a knight beautifully centralised on d4 — the strongest piece on the board. You played Nf3+ because it was a fork, but White just captured with the queen and your best piece was gone for nothing. A check or a fork is only good if it wins material or creates a lasting advantage. If it just trades your best piece for a tempo, it's a bad deal. Ask: "Is this piece doing more where it is than what I'm getting by moving it?"
Game 27: after ...e4 kicked the Bd3, you played Bc4 — and Black's d-pawn just took it for free (dxc4). The bishop belongs on Bc2: same b1-h7 diagonal, can't be captured, still aims at the kingside. This is a concrete rule: when any pawn kicks your light bishop, retreat to Bc2. Not Bc4. Not Be2. Not Bf1. Always Bc2.
Previously three games ended in draws from winning positions, but the bot game showed excellent conversion: down material, you created multiple passed pawns, promoted calmly, and delivered checkmate. The live game was also clinical — piece activity into resignation. Keep it up: trade pieces, push passed pawns, and don't get fancy.
You stalemated an opponent with Q+2P vs bare King. In K+Q vs K: keep your queen a knight's move away from their king, use your own king to help restrict them, and always leave them at least one legal move until you're ready to checkmate. This alone will convert several draws into wins.
Move order is now locked in — games 26, 29, and 30 all opened correctly (d6 first vs e4). The next challenge is the middlegame plan. Game 29: played ...e6 (wrong break — should be ...e5) and ...d5 walked into e5! costing a piece. Game 30: didn't protect Bg7 from White's h-pawn storm (h6 threat). The KID breaks are ...e5 (challenge the center) and ...f5 (kingside attack after d5 closes the center). Never play ...e6 — it opens the position in White's favor. 0W, 1D, 4L — but the openings are solid now.
Default is kingside, but when the opponent has pushed pawns at your kingside (f5, g5, h5 type moves), castle queenside instead. Don't walk your king into their attack. Read the pawn structure BEFORE castling and choose the safer side.
White? London. d4, Bf4, e3, Nf3, Bd3, O-O, Nbd2, then e4.
Black vs 1.e4? KID. Play d6 first, then Nf6, g6, Bg7, O-O.
KID after d5? Break with ...e5, NOT ...e6. Or prepare ...f5 kingside attack (Nd7 first).
Black vs 1.d4? KID. Play Nf6 first, then g6, Bg7, d6, O-O.
Before every move: Is anything hanging? Is there a tactic? Then play your plan.
When attacked: Don't fight on their terms. Find where they're weak and play THERE.
When winning: Trade pieces. Push pawns. Don't get fancy. Close it out.
Lessons from the greats, tailored to your games and weaknesses
Hikaru is one of the strongest modern King's Indian players. His approach distills the KID middlegame into a repeatable pattern you can follow every game once the center closes.
After the standard KID setup (Nf6, g6, Bg7, d6, O-O, e5), White usually closes the center with d5. From that moment, your plan is always the same:
1. Reposition the Nf6 — play ...Nd7 (best) or ...Nh5. The knight must clear the f-file.
2. Play ...f5 — this is the KID's big break, equivalent to the London's e4. Everything builds toward this.
3. After ...f5: if White takes (exf5), recapture ...gxf5 and the g-file opens for your rook. If White doesn't take, push ...f4 to lock the kingside.
4. After ...f4: push ...g5 then ...g4 — the "battering ram" that rips open lines to White's king.
5. The "Magic Number": before crashing through, get 3+ attacking pieces aimed at the king — Ng6 or Nf4, rook(s) on the f-file, Bg7 on the long diagonal. Don't launch until the pieces are ready.
Hikaru vs Gelfand (Tal Memorial 2010) — Classic KID kingside attack showing the full sequence: setup, f5 break, f4 lock, g5-g4 storm, pieces crash through. The blueprint from start to finish.
Hikaru vs Wesley So (2015) — Demonstrates patience. Built up the kingside slowly, waited for the right moment, then broke through with f5. Shows that the KID attack is about SETUP, not rushing.
Your KID games (26, 29, 30, 31) show good opening setup but the middlegame plan was missing until Game 31. The Hikaru blueprint gives you the plan: after d5 closes the center, it's always knight repositions → f5 → f4 → g5 → g4 → pieces attack. Game 31 showed the first signs of this — centralisation, opening lines, tactical finish. Now add the f5 break to your arsenal.
"The KID attack isn't about rushing forward — it's about getting the setup right and THEN crashing through. Setup before strike."
Capablanca was the third World Champion and the greatest positional player of his era. His style was clever and efficient, not overly aggressive — exactly what you need to balance your natural attacking instinct. His core philosophy: "When winning, make it simple."
When ahead in material or position, trade pieces. Fewer pieces on the board means fewer ways your opponent can trick you. Don't keep everything on looking for more tactics when you already have enough advantage to win. This directly addresses Games 8 (loss despite being up material), 10 (stalemate with Q+2P vs nothing), and 28 (missed mate-in-2).
Before every move, spend 5 seconds asking: what is my opponent trying to do? What does their last move threaten or prepare? This single habit would have prevented the 8...Bxd5 disaster in Game 19 (opened lines against own pieces) and the 12...Nf3+ blunder in Game 26 (traded best piece for a meaningless check).
Attacking one weakness usually isn't enough — your opponent parks a defender there. Create a second weakness on the other side of the board, then alternate threats until they can't defend both. Relevant to London middlegames where you sometimes get stuck attacking one side with no plan B.
The moment queens are traded, the king becomes an attacking piece. Move it toward the center immediately — Kf1, Ke2, Kd3 (or the mirror for Black). At your level, the player who centralises their king first in the endgame almost always wins. This is the #1 endgame habit to build.
A well-placed piece is worth more than a pawn. A knight on d4 controlling the center is more valuable than grabbing a wing pawn. This connects to Game 26 (Nd4 traded for nothing) vs Game 31 (Nd4 kept and dominated the whole game). Don't trade active pieces for passive gains.
Every 5 moves: "Am I winning?" → If yes, look to trade a pair of pieces. Don't add complexity.
Every move: "What do they want?" → 5 seconds identifying opponent's threats before playing yours.
Queens come off: King goes to the center. Immediately. No exceptions.
Hikaru teaches how to ATTACK in the KID — the f5 break, the pawn storm, the magic number of attacking pieces. Capablanca teaches what to do AFTER the attack succeeds — simplify, trade pieces, activate the king, push passed pawns. Together they cover the full game arc: opening setup → middlegame attack → conversion → endgame technique.
"In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else." — Capablanca
Every term you've seen in a review, explained plainly. Use Ctrl-F to find a word fast.