10 Chess Principles That Actually Matter - Loek van Wely

10 Chess Principles That Actually Matter by Loek van Wely

Opening theory gets all the attention. But according to GM Loek van Wely, a player who has played in 14 Olympiads, is eight-time Dutch champion, and has decades of experience against Karpov, Kasparov, Anand, and Carlsen, most of what separates strong players from the rest has nothing to do with memorised lines.

In this course, Van Wely breaks down ten practical principles he's used throughout his career, and that he still sees even grandmasters get wrong. Among them: managing your clock around the real turning points of a game rather than reacting too late, knowing when to simplify instead of complicate, staying objective about your own mistakes as well as your opponent's, and recognising the one moment to take risks before it's too late to matter. He also addresses the psychological side of the game: not being intimidated by a strong opponent's body language or time pressure, and trusting your own calculations even against higher-rated players.

This isn't a course on lines or theory. It's a look at how decisions actually get made (and also mishandled) at the highest level, and how to apply that awareness to your own games.

What you'll get:
• Ten practical principles drawn directly from a top grandmaster's tournament career
• Guidance on time management, risk-taking, and staying objective under pressure
• Real examples and stories from decades of play against World Champions
• Insight into the psychological side of chess that opening books never cover

The part of chess that opening theory can't teach you.

TRAIN SMARTER!
- Copy & Save all variations
- Watch video with an engine on multiple devices
- Training features included

The product contains an activation key for:
ChessBase training App (Download and installation for Windows and Mac)
ChessBase-Books (Online version for web browsers)
Video stream for iPad, tablet, PC etc. in the ChessBase video portal

Available as a download only! Video running time 3 hours 35min  (English)

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
App for Windows: Windows- PC, Windows 10 or 11 and Internet
App for Mac: Mac OS X and internet
ChessBase books: Computer (iPad, Tablet, PC etc.), current browser, internet
ChessBase video stream: Computer (iPad, Tablet, PC etc.), current browser, internet

About the Author
Loek van Wely, born in Heesch in 1972, is a Dutch chess grandmaster and eight-time national champion.
He learned chess at the age of four and was soon regarded as one of his country’s greatest talents. Van Wely earned the grandmaster title in 1993. He reached his peak rating of 2714 in October 2001, when he was ranked number ten in the world. Known as “King Loek”, he won the Dutch Championship six consecutive times from 2000 to 2005, adding further titles in 2014 and 2017. His major tournament successes include victories at the 1991 Berlin Open, the 1992 World Open in Philadelphia and the 1995 New York Open.
With the Dutch national team, van Wely won the European Team Chess Championship in León in 2001 and Gothenburg in 2005. He has represented his country at 14 Chess Olympiads. Van Wely remains active as a player: in 2025, he once again reached the final of the Dutch Championship and maintained a rating above 2600 even in his fifties. He also increasingly works as a chess trainer and coach.