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Style: Kaidanov has firmly entrenched himself as one of America's top Grandmasters, and he may be America's hardest-working GM. Kaidanov has a studious approach to the game, and creates the impression not only that he knows his repertoire openings thoroughly, but also that he has devised effective ways of improving his play in the middlegame and endgame as well. Kaidanov is a fighting player who likes to take measured risks, such as playing sharp variations as Black where he will accept a sacrifice and then try to neutralize the attack. Kaidanov is a creative and optimistic player who will search for all the different possibilities in a position, and applies the same exactness regardless of whether he is on attack or defense. Kaidanov is also one of America's premier chess teachers, and is a top choice for serious chess students.
Openings: As Black against d4, Kaidanov specializes mainly in sharp variations of the Slav Defense, the Queen's Gambit Accepted or Declined, and anti-Catalan variations. As Black against e4, Kaidanov uses an electic mix of Double-King-Pawn, the Caro, Alekhine's Defense and a sprinkling of other defenses. Kaidanov is ambidextrous as White, opening with either 1 e4 in anticipation of sharp lay in the open Sicilian, or 1 d4 with a fairly straightforward min line repertoire, spiced up by a specialty in the Catalan.
Style: Fedorowicz combines solidity and aggressiveness in an excellent mix which assures that he will always be in contention. Fedorowicz uses his great intuitive understanding of chess, backed up by an excellent memory, to master dynamic systems and get good positions, or, if on defense, positions which can provide decent counterplay without taking undue risks. Fedorowicz generally moves quite quickly, avoiding the hazards of time pressure while putting extra pressure on the opponent. Fedorowicz has a highly developed sense of danger, and thus is able to avoid most trouble before it starts. All of this adds up to making Fedorowicz a very difficult player to defeat and indeed, as a perennial U.S. Championship participant, he has often finished just behind the leaders. A tough endgame player, Fedorowicz frequently ends up in protracted struggles against other top GMs in cases where nobody is able to land a haymaker.
Openings: As Black against 1 e4, Fedorowicz plays just about all the major variations of the Sicilian. His flexibility within the Sicilian is key in steering clear of theoretical preparation by the opponent. As Black against 1 d4, Fedorowicz is a confirmed Indian Defense player, generally preferring the varieties which emphasize the dark squares, such as the King's Indian, the Benoni and Benko Gambit, but he will also play light-square-controlling openings such as the Nimzo- and Queen's Indian. Fedorowicz is ambidextrous as White; with 1 e4 he prefers main lines such as the Ruy Lopez, and the open Sicilian, and with 1 d4 he is comfortable against both the Nimzo- and Queen's Indian and very familiar with the King's Indian, but less of a theoretician in the Double-Queen-Pawn defenses.