New: Lubomir Ftacnik: Fundamentals of Positional Play and Strategy
Grandmaster Lubomir Ftacnik presents a personal chess course that draws on his decades of playing at the top level and later experience as a coach, aiming to teach what he now understands more deeply than during his competitive career. Instead of overwhelming students with the endless information available in databases, he focuses on highlighting the most important principles—how to evaluate positions, avoid common mistakes, and understand underlying features of the game. The course covers key aspects of openings, middlegames, and endgames, always stressing practical understanding to help players make better decisions at the board. Photo: ChessBase
Fundamentals of Positional Play and Strategy
by Lubomir Ftacnik
Struggling with chess improvement? Stuck memorising openings without real understanding? Whether you‘re a beginner looking for a clear roadmap or an advanced player ready to refine your strategic edge, this comprehensive course will transform the way you think about chess. Taught by Lubomir Ftacnik, Grandmaster and experienced coach, this video course covers the entire spectrum of chess strategy and positional play – from mastering piece coordination and pawn structures to building winning plans and dominating the endgame.
You’ll learn how to think like a master, so you never feel lost at the board again.
• Develop a rock-solid positional foundation
• Understand when to attack, defend, or manoeuvre
• Master key strategic concepts that drive every great move
• Outplay opponents who rely only on tricks and calculation
No more guesswork. No more random moves. Just pure strategic clarity that will give you an edge in every game. If you’re serious about becoming a stronger, more confident chess player, this is the course for you.
• Free video sample: Introduction
• Free video sample: Speed and Restriction
• Video running time: 12 hours
System requirements
Minimum: Dual Core, 2 GB RAM, DirectX11, graphics card with 256 MB RAM, Windows Media Player 9, ChessBase 14/Fritz 16 or included Reader and internet access for program activation.
Recommended: PC Intel i5 (Quadcore), 4 GB RAM, Windows 10, DirectX11, graphics card with 512 MB RAM or more, 100% DirectX10-compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11 and internet access for program activation.
MacOSX
Minimum: MacOS "Yosemite" 10.10
ChessBase books: Computer (iPad, Tablet, PC etc.), current browser, internet
ChessBase video stream: Computer (iPad, Tablet, PC etc.), current browser, internet
Streaming: for iPad & tablet
Delivery: ChessBase book (digital) and Download
Buy Fundamentals of Positional Play and Strategy by Lubomir Ftacnik
About Lubomir Ftacnik
Lubomir Ftacnik is a Slovak grandmaster with decades of experience in international chess. As a younger member of a strong chess generation in the former Czechoslovakia he helped to win silver at the Luzern Chess Olympiad in 1982. Most of his fellow grandmasters have been keen defenders of Gruenfeld Defence and the author has come up with his share of ideas in various lines. The work on the Gruenfeld DVD is the fruit of 30 years experience with this active and rewarding opening.
