Harshalpatil's Blog
How to Use a Chess Clock: 3 Blitz Timing Hacks to Win More Games
Blitz chess is a thrilling race against both your opponent and the clock. A single hesitation on the…
How to Start Your Chess Journey: First 3 Steps
New to chess and eager to begin? If you’ve always been curious or just discovered the game, here’s a…
Mastering Chess Notation: A Comprehensive Guide for Lichess Readers
Chess notation is the universal script that tells the story of every game ever played. Whether you’r…
Why Chess Lets You Resign (While Others Don’t)
Introduction In most sports you play until the final whistle or the last shuttlecock lands—but in ch…
Anand’s Legacy in India’s Top 10 Live Ratings
Vishy Anand’s trailblazing career didn’t just bring him five world titles—it sparked a chess renaiss…
3 Opening Habits That Cost You Games
Whether you’re grinding through rapid or bullet, these three sneaky habits can turn a promising open…
Gukesh Beats Magnus: Is a New Rivalry Brewing?
“Gukesh beat Magnus... but why is everyone celebrating?” At Norway Chess 2025, D Gukesh defeated Mag…
5 Types of Online Rapid Players
We all love a good 15+10 or 10+5 game, right? Enough time to think... unless you're up against one o…
3 Types of Positional Bad Pawns (Avoid These!)
Pawn structure often decides who wins—even if you calculate better. Below are three “bad pawn” types…
3 Questions That Instantly Make You a Better Chess Player
Most people think improving at chess means memorizing more openings, watching grandmaster games, or …
The Beauty of Chess: The Great Equalizer
Perfect! The Ghibli-style thumbnail is a brilliant choice—it adds warmth, charm, and instantly conve…
Why 1000 Rated Players Hang So Many Pieces (And How to Fix It!)
If you're around the 1000 rating mark, you've probably blundered a piece... today. Don't worry — you…
That Pawn Isn’t Free: The Queen’s Gambit Accepted Trap
Many players see the Queen’s Gambit as a generous offer: “Take my c4 pawn, please!” But if you think…
The Magnus Effect
In one of the most jaw-dropping moments of the 2025 CCT Chess.com Classic Playoffs, we witnessed som…
5 Types of Opening Trap Hunters – Which One Are You?
Traps are a double-edged sword in chess. They can give you a quick win... or lead to total disaster.…
3 Mistakes Keeping You Stuck at 400 (and How to Fix Them)
Are you struggling to climb out of the 400 rating zone on Lichess? You're not alone. Many beginners …
The Ultimate Mind–Body Marathon
How GMs burn 6 000 calories a day, lose 10 kg mid‐match, and train like pro athletes.
Vasyl Ivanchuk: 56 And Still Unbeaten! The Eternal Genius of Chess
At 56 years old, Vasyl “Chucky” Ivanchuk just keeps amazing us. Between April 9–27, 2025, he played …
3 Endgame Mistakes That Are Costing You Games
3 Endgame Mistakes You’re Still Making (And It’s Embarrassing) By Harshal Patil
The Curious Case of Arkadiy Khromaev: Bullet Beast or Rating Mystery?
A packed tournament hall — the atmosphere of classical chess at its finest.
Mikhail Tal: King of Sacrifices
“You must take your opponent into a dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide e…