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In this series, we dive deep into the opening and middlegame, analyzing the most dynamic and aggressive ways to take charge. Through expert commentary, thrilling games, and insightful breakdowns, you’ll discover the art of the initiative—how to grab it, how to keep it, and how to use it to dominate your games.
Are you ready to take control? Then let’s begin the fight for The Initiative!
In this episode we take a closer look at three games: Ritzerveld vs Bakija in the Philidor's Black Lion System, an endgame from the Women's World Championship and finally a game by Firouzja in the French Advance Variation where Black goes for an early f6 with the plan to take on e5, place the queen on c7 and castle long.
Example: Ju Wenjun vs Tan Zhongyi, Women's World Championship Match 2025
GM Jan Werle is a professional chess trainer, coach and author. In 2008 he became EU-champion in Liverpool and reached his peak rating of 2607. He is giving chess lessons online to pupils worldwide but also in schools. He enjoys to help and teach his students and to watch them improve. Werle regularly publishes video courses with ChessBase. His most recent one being a two volume course on the Catalan.
In volume 1 of his Catalan repertoire, Jan Werle looks at the Open Catalan, i.e. playing with an early ...dxc4. The Dutch grandmaster tends to choose "tough", concrete variations to pose Black difficult problems. In 9 hours and 30 minutes of video time, he designs an ambitious main line repertoire. Such a repertoire requires a good deal of theoretical knowledge, but it is also extremely powerful. The course has made me want to play the Catalan more often again – even without deferred c2-c4!
A recent example of Supergrandmasters playing the Catalan...
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