1. Knights before bishops. 2. You should try to defend and develop at the same time. 3. The principles are guidelines, but there are exceptions. 4. The best attacking piece is the king's bishop. 5. Place each piece on the best possible square as quickly as possible. 6. Don't move your pieces more than one time in the opening. 7. Castle early (better on king's side). 8. Two pieces are worth more than a rook and a pawn. 9. Develop all pieces before attacking. 10. Deal with threats first before continuing development. 11. Each pawn you move in front of your castled king weakens your position. Try to keep all 3 as long as possible. 12. Developing a piece that ALSO attacks is a good move. 13. Open lines are to the advantage of the player with more development. 14. The best defender of white's king side is the knight on f3. 15. Whoever controls the center has better chances of attacking.
That principle with the three pawns and the f3 knight, and how moving them gives chances to the opponent, that was new and very valuable information to me. Thank you Nelson!
Just important to keep in mind that for lower elo players, keeping the three pawns unmoved opens the possibility for back rank mates in the late game. Oftentimes even players around 1700-1800 elo get so absorbed by what is happening elsewhere thinking that their king is safe behind 3 pawns, suddenly get checkmated or lose a tempo because they are forced to defend against that threat.
One thing that you didn't mentioned about weakening the king side through moving pawns forward is that it can potentially for lower elo players be a weakness to keep the 3 pawns unmoved. I haven't been back-rank checkmated myself much, but I've done it multiple times in the elo range of 1300 - 1900. People in this elo tend to forget the crucial danger of getting checkmated on the back row so they continue what they do, thinking they have an advantage but suddenly they get checkmated or forced to sacrifice pieces to avoid the back-rank mate. It's probably obvious to higher elo players how to avoid the back-rank checkmate, even if you didn't move a pawn, but to lower players they are either unaware of the danger or forget it. I'm not particulary good at seeing these kind of lines where you abuse the weakness, so it often prevents me from doing stuff like sacrificing bishop to create attack. And it rarely happens to me as well when I weaken the king pawns. It is great advice, though just to keep in mind the potential of back-rank mate that people like me and lower elo players tend to ignore.
Generally a good guiding post is to keep both rooks on the backline. You can break the rule of course but you need to be careful. Occasionally, I'll move a pawn before moving a rook forward even if I can't see a threat.
If black takes on f7 and white give a check with Qd5 2 moves later it is technical a stalemate as you mentioned but i would play Nf6, and whites response with Rxf2 is not clear at all by any means if you ask me. And i dont know how many chess players in the world give up the quality with Rxf2 and after Qxf2 play Bh6 with a plus 2 advantage. Crazy line for white and definatly above my lvl of play!
You're absolutely right! The issue of back-rank checkmates is a key consideration for players in the lower and mid-elo ranges (1300-1900), and it adds an important layer to the advice about moving pawns in front of the king. Lower-rated players often overlook the danger of leaving their back rank vulnerable, especially when they're focused on other aspects of the position like gaining material or launching an attack. If all three pawns remain unmoved and the back rank isn't guarded by a rook or another piece, it can lead to a back-rank checkmate. The player might think they're in control, but suddenly, the opponent's rook or queen can deliver a game-ending blow. At higher levels, players generally have the awareness to avoid this without needing to move their king-side pawns, relying instead on careful rook coordination to prevent the mate. But for players at lower elos, moving one of the pawns (usually the h-pawn) can provide some breathing room and prevent this from happening. Here are a few tips to avoid back-rank checkmates for players who are still learning this concept: - Rook on the 7th rank: Keeping a rook on the 7th rank (or 2nd for black) can defend against back-rank threats and apply pressure on your opponent. - Rook lift: Use a rook lift (moving the rook to the 3rd or 4th rank) to avoid the trap and give the king more space. - Pawn safety: While moving the h-pawn to h3 (h6 for black) can help prevent back-rank issues, do it judiciously, keeping the potential weaknesses in mind. Recognizing this danger early will help avoid sudden tactical traps and make players more conscious of their back rank as they progress!
As an intermediate player I can say that you can do A LOT if you just focus in not blundering. Especially in quicker games, if you don't screw things up, chances are that your opponent will do that eventually
You did a good job on this video, Nelson. Logical Chess-Move by Move by Irving Chernev was the very first chess book I bought, way back in the early 70's, I still have it, and enjoy going through the moves, one at a time. My other favorite chess book is entitled: "Chess World Championship 1972 Fischer vs Spassky by Larry Evans and Ken Smith. The unique thing about this book, is that it takes you through the '72 World Championship, one game at a time, with a diagram for every move, and an explanation for each move. I feel these types of chess books are really valuable for the average chess player, and answer many of our questions on why certain moves were played. Keep up the good work. Ray
What a fabulous idea for a series. I have just blown the dust of the book, which I have in the old descriptive notation. Your video lessons will compliment the ideas of the book and bring it more up to date. Great work Nelson, very much looking forward to game 2 - thanks
What's wrong with just simply moving our king? The took will soon join the f8 square which will win either the bishop or the knight on f3, in my opinion best move for black after that will be d7 or d8 I will prefer d7 if queen checks just move our c pawn the knight will be hanging our king will get open but I guess it will be fine we won't get checkmated our king will be little exposed but we will get lots of material in return
This is going to be a great series for the channel. Every two weeks to start is probably fine but I will definitely be looking forward to the next one. Great job!
This is so cool. Years ago when I got back into chess and needed to learn better this was one of the books I picked up at my local bookstore. I really like the idea of telling the "why" behind the moves. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
This is a really nice distillation of chess wisdom, thank you! I've played many games where I'm on the receiving end of these attacks and I didn't really know what I'd done wrong. This is a very helpful collection of simple ideas.
Thanks Nelson, this series is a great idea! So I had read the 1st game in the book, and as I did I thought that black's attack, although very strong, was a bit premature because black's king was still in the center.. I had an eye for moves like Bxf7+ or Qa4+! Even without seeing the perpetual in full, I would not have resigned with white after Bxf2.. nothing to lose at going for a few checks to see where they lead to 🙂
Thank you Nelson, we're moving up the ranking slowly, from beginner to (almost) advanced. I'm holding my own against 1000 ELO Bots. I find your videos most informative.
Finally got over my anxiety to play real games after doing 2k puzzles, from review it seems the middle game is my weak point, when there's a lot of options to choose from. Thanks for all of your videos you explain things very well
The principle is always to look for weaknesses and attack, if possible. Otherwise improve your position by developing the least effective piece. Always look at the whole board , and don't get bogged down in one particular area of the board, is my advice.
Opening and endings can be studied outside of games, but middle game comes from a lot of practice. Having done a lot of puzzles will help you improve quickly
Thank you thank you thank you! You are by far my favorite channel on TH-cam! I finally got the book and I'm going back to watch this whole series for the third time. You are an amazing teacher. Thank you
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:55 *🏰 The book is divided into three sections, with the first focusing on kingside attacks, emphasizing the importance of recognizing weaknesses and signaling opportunities for attack.* 02:45 *🧭 Developing knights before bishops provides more flexibility in response to opponent moves.* 03:56 *🛡️ Combining piece development with defense is preferable over just defending to expedite piece activity.* 04:39 *🚧 While principles are essential guidelines, there are times when they may need to be broken based on the specific game context.* 05:07 *🏰 The king's bishop is highlighted as a potent attacking piece due to its potential to exploit the opponent's king starting on a light square.* 06:13 *🗝️ Swiftly placing pieces on optimal squares without unnecessary moves optimizes development efficiency.* 06:56 *🧩 Minimize piece movements in the opening to accelerate development and maintain board control.* 07:52 *🏰 Early castling, preferably kingside, provides safety and efficient piece coordination.* 11:46 *🏰 Every pawn moved in front of the castled king potentially weakens its defense, emphasizing the importance of careful pawn advances.* 13:12 *🛡️ Developing pieces before initiating complex tactical maneuvers ensures a solid foundation for aggressive play.* 13:39 *🚧 Addressing immediate threats before continuing development prevents tactical vulnerabilities.* 14:47 *🛡️ Opening lines should be considered with respect to relative development, avoiding premature tactical actions.* 15:26 *🧭 Center control enhances attacking opportunities, providing a strategic advantage.* 18:43 *🚀 Even in favorable positions, vigilance against counterattacks is crucial, as demonstrated by the potential for tactical turns even amidst a strong attacking sequence.* Made with HARPA AI
This series is great for me. I got the book as it was recommended to me but I never got round to going through it properly. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
I don't have the book yet...but can't argue with any of these principles...and you presented them with great clarity...appreciate the unrushed step-by-step!
Nelson, I’m so glad you’re doing this book! I have the original (1957) book in hardcover, that uses old notation (e.g. P-K4). I went through this book in the 1970s, and it had a HUGE impact on the quality of my game. I recently bought the newest edition with modern notation.
anyone can just read the book by themself and learn this, but having your added perspective and commentary is really great. Especially how you pointed out at the end the balance of putting an attack on pause and then continuing the attack. That was great.
New subscriber here. I really like your style of teaching! Looking forward to your other videos and I don’t usually buy chess books but I will with yours. Keep up the great work! 👍🏻
This is great, I've been working my way through this book for about a year now and it's very instructional. This is what I needed to push through and finish it.
Just discovered series a week ago. Clear explanations and great pace. Haven't played chess in 40 years and series helped me rediscover interest. H ave ordered book and plan to do complete series. Thank you. Phil.
I've just recently started getting into Chess without knowing any principles and im glad to say some of these things I've figured out on my own. First chess lesson video ive watched and youve definitely helped alot. Much appreciated
So happy to see your channel approaching half a million subscribers. You’ve been my favourite since I found you, way back when you had a few thousand subs. I guess I need to thank the almighty algorithm for recommending your vids. Keep up the great work of explaining chess to us knuckleheads 😂
This is a very great video! Me and my friend struggle to play chess even in the opening due to our lack of knowledge In principles, so this definitely helps! Thanks, Nelson! :D
Good information. Sounds like a good book but I'm generally too busy to sit down and just read a book. Family like and such, so this "recap" is really useful and a good reminder of what most of us should already know.
great summary and extra value with the perpetual in the end. I personally see the series going weekly, since reading through 1 game shouldn't take long :)
Great first video in this series! Really enjoyed reading the first game and then watching your analysis of it. Thanks for the great insights as always. I feel every week might be a bit better since each game isn't too long to study, but will be watching regardless!
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 01:10 *🏰 Always consider weaknesses when attacking the king side; changes in opponent's setup indicate potential attacking opportunities.* 03:12 *♞ Develop Knights before Bishops to gather information.* 03:56 *🔒 Defend pieces while developing to avoid wasted moves.* 05:59 *🏁 Place pieces on best squares swiftly to optimize effectiveness.* 06:56 *🔑 Minimize moving pieces multiple times in the opening to focus on development.* 07:52 *🏹 Castling early, preferably kingside, aids in king's protection and piece coordination.* 11:46 *🛡️ Moving pawns in front of the castled king can weaken king's defenses; consider consequences.* 13:51 *⛔️ Develop fully before initiating complex tactics or attacks to maintain stability.* 16:26 *⚔️ Exploit weaknesses in the opponent's position for strategic or tactical advantages.* 19:35 *💭 Stay alert for potential counterattacks even when in a strong position; prioritize king safety.* Made with HARPA AI
Dear Nelsi, I just wanted to congratulate you for truly educational content for real chess lovers. Well done for NOT going down the path of offering entertainment for thousands of internet trolls, attracting them through clickbaits and other cheap means. Keep it that way! You will still make a living and maintain your reputation and earn the respect of good people.
Thank you for your informative videos Nelson, your calm and precise explanations have really helped me elevate my chess play You're a great teacher, and I really appreciate what you are doing Take care, and I wish you the best🙏
Great video series. I order my books from Amazon Canada, so perhaps you could add the link for the Canadian site. Thanks again and I look forward to this series. Your videos are always excellent. Your explanations are clear and lucid.
Hey Nelson, at 17:27 isn't a better move Bf2+? Because the king can't take as the knights is defending so the rook takes, the you go Qg3+, if the King goes behind the rook it's mate in one, or if the king goes back to a8 you capture the rook with a royal fork?
At 8:22 what if black takes with bishop instead of the knight. Then if Rook takes back the bishop followed by knight capture on the rook then the queen check fork doesn't exist because you can move back the knight and block the check while maintaining the material advantage (rook+pawn for a bishop). Am I missing something?
Thanks for making these videos and leveling with your audience. Great full explanations in all your vids and not just assuming things are obvious to the viewers and need no explanation
Additional things I learned from Nelson's commentary: 4a. (When he's talking about using the King's bishop as an attacking piece): Not every move is setting up some big secret attack, but just having your bishop pointed at your opponent's f-pawn gives them something else to keep an eye on, and might present opportunities later. 1a. (Knights before bishops): Seeing how your opponent responds to knight development gives you an idea of what they're thinking, and 1b. The point about not knowing right away what the best squares are for your bishops was huge for me. Also, I ordered the book!
At 19:00 , wasn't it good to give another check with Qg3 and when Kh1 fork king and queen with Nf2+? If Rxf2 Qxf2. If white tries the bishop check then king just move away instead of taking?
13:03 - If you eventually move one it is to give your King a way of avoiding backrank mate. Even then it might be better to move the King to a square where it can escape, than move a Pawn.
hi Nelson, thanks for this awesome tutorial. I can't wait to put these principles into practice in my next match. I feel like a stronger player already.
As far as moving the frequency up to every week rather than every 2 weeks. At least at this point, short games that last only 4 or 5 pages, every week would probably work fine. If anybody needed more time , they could watch the corresponding video at their convenience.
Brother, this video is AMAZING!!!! These aren't just principles, they're practical heuristics that can really change your game really fast. I feel like masters of chess have a skillset that composes of hundreds of these principles/patterns. More of these videos, please!!
I'd like to hear your comments about how the Kings Indian positions fit into these principles. Those openings immediately break the 3 pawns rule in order to fianchetto the bishop. I presume the compensation is to keep the bishop and knight in their proper positions for as long as possible. But advancing those pawns toward the opposing king is part of the plan... It obviously works for high level players and is not unsound.
I've played King's Indian opening thousands of times now, the setup obviously ignores some principle mentioned but keep in mind that this principle is only to guide you in order to give you an insight whether your position is in an equal, better or worse position. The trade off of the King's Indian opening to the principles is that it allows black to have control at the center in a tricky way and castle immediately keeping up with the pace of white. Don't be afraid of breaking these principles when you see it not helping or you have a better idea that will improve your position.
I ordered the book the same day your last video came out but shipping from the US to Europe takes time... No book yet, but looking forward to join the lessons.
Thanks for the video. A couple of questions stand out to me. First, you advocate the queenside castle to get to the point that is shown at 19:07. At that point, the position is vulnerable but not terrible for white. If white moves Bf4, the bishop is now defending the h2 square. That temporarily means that two pieces are preventing the black queen from moving to h2 for a checkmate. That also prevents the black queen from checking g3 again. Black pawn moves to h6 and g5 can deny g4 to white's bishop, but in the time needed to make those moves, white's bishop could take the pawn on h7 and be in a position to check on e5 before trading bishop for knight. I imagine something like .... 0-0-0 Bf4, h6 Bxf7, g5 Bh2, Rdf8 Be5+, Kb8 Bxg4, Qxg4+ Kh1, Rxf3 That's still a bad position for white, but maybe I've missed a move that white could have made to save the position and maintain a piece advantage. Maybe the sequence for white would be ..., 0-0-0 Bf4, h6 Nh2 At this point, the white bishop is still protecting h2, so black can't just hit h2 to force checkmate. Now, the knight at h2 and the white queen are threatening the black knight on g4. The black knight can go to e5, but that seems to mean losing the initiative with white still a piece ahead. I wonder whether the bishop should capture the f2 pawn at the 17:38 mark. If black captures with the knight, then white has to respond to the fork. That sequence might look something like the following. ...., Nxf2+ Rxf2, Bxf2 White has now lost a pawn and a rook in exchange for a knight. I understand that the white bishop sacrifice can lead to perpetual check. Maybe black counters by refusing to take the bishop. Bxf7+, Kd8 Bg5+, Kc8 Be6+, Kb8 White now has both bishops, a knight, a queen, a rook, and four pawns in not so great structure. Black has a queen, a bishop, two rooks, and six pawns, but one of these rooks is trapped behind the king. I don't know whether this position is decisively better for either side.
The attacking portion was really hard to calculate for me. I couldn’t tell where to sacrifice, what to sacrifice if at all, where to check or with what piece, what to take with first (the bishop or the knight), whether the queen should be checking or another piece. Do you have any advice on how to find the correct sequence that gets you through the attack?
Thanks for a great book recommendation and a great analysis of game one. On the stunning move ... Yes, if Kxf7 you are correct: perpetual check. But isn't that a mistake by black? If black passes on the capture at f7 and instead plays Ke7, eventually the black queen makes it back over to h3 and it's mate in one. There is no opportunity for perpetual check in that case. Am I missing something (always a possibility for me)?
I know this is about principles and not particular moves, but in the discussion about white’s advancing a-pawn around 9:00, we discuss that to win a knight and bishop it is worth losing a rook and a pawn. But what about black takes the pawn with the bishop first, instead of the knight? After the check, the knight can block. Would white still be taking that bishop with his rook, or would he let the lost a-pawn go?
Principles 5 to 8 : It's good to develop a bishop onto a good square. It's better to develop the bishop onto a good diagonal. Very often opponent will attack the center with pawn to queen four. So immediately you place the bishop, pop the queen's side rook pawn out to create an escape square. When attacked the bishop doesn't have to drop back in two moves, and push the pawn anyway. That's a tempo saved. The pawn also prevents white's queen-side knight from sneaking in to deliver a fork. Instead of pushing that prophylactic pawn to h3, White was in a very fine position to threaten a Fried Liver, with the queen and dark-square bishop ready to come in as well. Black can stop it with be6 but it can get incredibly messy and thorough preparation is advised!
The principle of not separating the front 3 pawns while castling has helped me so much. I'm a beginner still and I've got a good few wins now just from that. Great video, keep up the good work
Nelson is a natural-born teacher. Many thanks for clear, concise, easy-to-follow lesson. I'm never overwhelmed with too much, too fast information as with many other TH-cam presenters.
This was fun being able to study the book beforehand and see what I learned. First time doing a chess book and took alot of the intimidation away. Would be happy to see this move to once a week as the chapters are so short.
Thanks a lot, it’s a very educative and well organized lesson!! For me it’s hard to think of these diagonals and files that are not completely open but might well be in the future. Like the bishop’s diagonal a7-f2 that was hugely important in this attack. It seems that great chess players play as if the diagonal/file would be open or will be soon. It’s another level of thinking. Is the key that the pawns will move eventualy and thus not be obstacles forever? So you just prepare well ahead?
Great video... that was brimming with great conceptual stuff. I've had a bad habit of playing a3 prematurely to deter knight b4 stuff but it's gotten me in trouble, and now I understand why.
![ONE Main Reason Why You LOSE At Chess [And How To Prevent It]](/img/n.gif)
1. Knights before bishops.
2. You should try to defend and develop at the same time.
3. The principles are guidelines, but there are exceptions.
4. The best attacking piece is the king's bishop.
5. Place each piece on the best possible square as quickly as possible.
6. Don't move your pieces more than one time in the opening.
7. Castle early (better on king's side).
8. Two pieces are worth more than a rook and a pawn.
9. Develop all pieces before attacking.
10. Deal with threats first before continuing development.
11. Each pawn you move in front of your castled king weakens your position. Try to keep all 3 as long as possible.
12. Developing a piece that ALSO attacks is a good move.
13. Open lines are to the advantage of the player with more development.
14. The best defender of white's king side is the knight on f3.
15. Whoever controls the center has better chances of attacking.
Tanks
Thanks!
5, 11, 15 are my favorite 3! 😊
Thanks
❤
That principle with the three pawns and the f3 knight, and how moving them gives chances to the opponent, that was new and very valuable information to me. Thank you Nelson!
Just important to keep in mind that for lower elo players, keeping the three pawns unmoved opens the possibility for back rank mates in the late game. Oftentimes even players around 1700-1800 elo get so absorbed by what is happening elsewhere thinking that their king is safe behind 3 pawns, suddenly get checkmated or lose a tempo because they are forced to defend against that threat.
Nelson, you are the best chess channel and ACTUALLY teach very efficiently, rather than make a big show. Bravo!
totally agree... kudos Nelson! Keep up the amazing content.
Agreed! Nelson is a great teacher! explains why a move/concept/etc is both good and bad
omg i agree with you, gotham chess is such a terrible chess channel compared to this one. Nelson deserves way more appreciation than levy
Come
@@rotidedug8883bit more boring
One thing that you didn't mentioned about weakening the king side through moving pawns forward is that it can potentially for lower elo players be a weakness to keep the 3 pawns unmoved. I haven't been back-rank checkmated myself much, but I've done it multiple times in the elo range of 1300 - 1900. People in this elo tend to forget the crucial danger of getting checkmated on the back row so they continue what they do, thinking they have an advantage but suddenly they get checkmated or forced to sacrifice pieces to avoid the back-rank mate.
It's probably obvious to higher elo players how to avoid the back-rank checkmate, even if you didn't move a pawn, but to lower players they are either unaware of the danger or forget it. I'm not particulary good at seeing these kind of lines where you abuse the weakness, so it often prevents me from doing stuff like sacrificing bishop to create attack. And it rarely happens to me as well when I weaken the king pawns.
It is great advice, though just to keep in mind the potential of back-rank mate that people like me and lower elo players tend to ignore.
This was just thinking that I always give the king room to breath by moving that rooks pawn
Generally a good guiding post is to keep both rooks on the backline. You can break the rule of course but you need to be careful. Occasionally, I'll move a pawn before moving a rook forward even if I can't see a threat.
If black takes on f7 and white give a check with Qd5 2 moves later it is technical a stalemate as you mentioned but i would play Nf6, and whites response with Rxf2 is not clear at all by any means if you ask me. And i dont know how many chess players in the world give up the quality with Rxf2 and after Qxf2 play Bh6 with a plus 2 advantage. Crazy line for white and definatly above my lvl of play!
You're absolutely right! The issue of back-rank checkmates is a key consideration for players in the lower and mid-elo ranges (1300-1900), and it adds an important layer to the advice about moving pawns in front of the king. Lower-rated players often overlook the danger of leaving their back rank vulnerable, especially when they're focused on other aspects of the position like gaining material or launching an attack.
If all three pawns remain unmoved and the back rank isn't guarded by a rook or another piece, it can lead to a back-rank checkmate. The player might think they're in control, but suddenly, the opponent's rook or queen can deliver a game-ending blow.
At higher levels, players generally have the awareness to avoid this without needing to move their king-side pawns, relying instead on careful rook coordination to prevent the mate. But for players at lower elos, moving one of the pawns (usually the h-pawn) can provide some breathing room and prevent this from happening.
Here are a few tips to avoid back-rank checkmates for players who are still learning this concept:
- Rook on the 7th rank: Keeping a rook on the 7th rank (or 2nd for black) can defend against back-rank threats and apply pressure on your opponent.
- Rook lift: Use a rook lift (moving the rook to the 3rd or 4th rank) to avoid the trap and give the king more space.
- Pawn safety: While moving the h-pawn to h3 (h6 for black) can help prevent back-rank issues, do it judiciously, keeping the potential weaknesses in mind.
Recognizing this danger early will help avoid sudden tactical traps and make players more conscious of their back rank as they progress!
I swear man chess is so confusing
As an intermediate player I can say that you can do A LOT if you just focus in not blundering. Especially in quicker games, if you don't screw things up, chances are that your opponent will do that eventually
That's a very good point. I find this works, just stay calm.
You did a good job on this video, Nelson. Logical Chess-Move by Move by Irving Chernev was the very first chess book I bought, way back in the early 70's, I still have it, and enjoy going through the moves, one at a time. My other favorite chess book is entitled: "Chess World Championship 1972 Fischer vs Spassky by Larry Evans and Ken Smith. The unique thing about this book, is that it takes you through the '72 World Championship, one game at a time, with a diagram for every move, and an explanation for each move. I feel these types of chess books are really valuable for the average chess player, and answer many of our questions on why certain moves were played. Keep up the good work. Ray
What a fabulous idea for a series. I have just blown the dust of the book, which I have in the old descriptive notation. Your video lessons will compliment the ideas of the book and bring it more up to date. Great work Nelson, very much looking forward to game 2 - thanks
That last part there really shows that the best defense is a good offense, a.k.a. counterattacking.
What's wrong with just simply moving our king? The took will soon join the f8 square which will win either the bishop or the knight on f3, in my opinion best move for black after that will be d7 or d8 I will prefer d7 if queen checks just move our c pawn the knight will be hanging our king will get open but I guess it will be fine we won't get checkmated our king will be little exposed but we will get lots of material in return
This is going to be a great series for the channel. Every two weeks to start is probably fine but I will definitely be looking forward to the next one. Great job!
Can you tell me if he made Another video of this series please ?
This is so cool. Years ago when I got back into chess and needed to learn better this was one of the books I picked up at my local bookstore. I really like the idea of telling the "why" behind the moves. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
This is a really nice distillation of chess wisdom, thank you! I've played many games where I'm on the receiving end of these attacks and I didn't really know what I'd done wrong. This is a very helpful collection of simple ideas.
Thanks Nelson, this series is a great idea! So I had read the 1st game in the book, and as I did I thought that black's attack, although very strong, was a bit premature because black's king was still in the center.. I had an eye for moves like Bxf7+ or Qa4+! Even without seeing the perpetual in full, I would not have resigned with white after Bxf2.. nothing to lose at going for a few checks to see where they lead to 🙂
Love the new series Nelson! You present the chapter in a really instructive way.
Thank you Nelson, we're moving up the ranking slowly, from beginner to (almost) advanced. I'm holding my own against 1000 ELO Bots. I find your videos most informative.
Bots are tough well done David 👍
Loved it... so effective aand clear
Finally got over my anxiety to play real games after doing 2k puzzles, from review it seems the middle game is my weak point, when there's a lot of options to choose from. Thanks for all of your videos you explain things very well
The principle is always to look for weaknesses and attack, if possible.
Otherwise improve your position by developing the least effective piece.
Always look at the whole board , and don't get bogged down in one particular area of the board, is my advice.
Opening and endings can be studied outside of games, but middle game comes from a lot of practice. Having done a lot of puzzles will help you improve quickly
I still carry my anxiety to play real games LOL. But I love learning and Nelson’s channel is my favourite.
Try and stay solid in the middle game and you'll be fine
Middle game is a different animal where you can be bombarded with options.
Great timing! I was given this book for Christmas and hadn't got around to reading it yet!
Thank you thank you thank you! You are by far my favorite channel on TH-cam! I finally got the book and I'm going back to watch this whole series for the third time. You are an amazing teacher. Thank you
Thanks!
You bet!
Nelson the masterful explainer, strikes again! Outstanding stuff!
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:55 *🏰 The book is divided into three sections, with the first focusing on kingside attacks, emphasizing the importance of recognizing weaknesses and signaling opportunities for attack.*
02:45 *🧭 Developing knights before bishops provides more flexibility in response to opponent moves.*
03:56 *🛡️ Combining piece development with defense is preferable over just defending to expedite piece activity.*
04:39 *🚧 While principles are essential guidelines, there are times when they may need to be broken based on the specific game context.*
05:07 *🏰 The king's bishop is highlighted as a potent attacking piece due to its potential to exploit the opponent's king starting on a light square.*
06:13 *🗝️ Swiftly placing pieces on optimal squares without unnecessary moves optimizes development efficiency.*
06:56 *🧩 Minimize piece movements in the opening to accelerate development and maintain board control.*
07:52 *🏰 Early castling, preferably kingside, provides safety and efficient piece coordination.*
11:46 *🏰 Every pawn moved in front of the castled king potentially weakens its defense, emphasizing the importance of careful pawn advances.*
13:12 *🛡️ Developing pieces before initiating complex tactical maneuvers ensures a solid foundation for aggressive play.*
13:39 *🚧 Addressing immediate threats before continuing development prevents tactical vulnerabilities.*
14:47 *🛡️ Opening lines should be considered with respect to relative development, avoiding premature tactical actions.*
15:26 *🧭 Center control enhances attacking opportunities, providing a strategic advantage.*
18:43 *🚀 Even in favorable positions, vigilance against counterattacks is crucial, as demonstrated by the potential for tactical turns even amidst a strong attacking sequence.*
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This series is great for me. I got the book as it was recommended to me but I never got round to going through it properly. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Love the idea to cover books, Nelsi. Keep it up! Learning a lot through this.
You have so many creative ideas for this challenge, keep up the outstanding work!
I don't have the book yet...but can't argue with any of these principles...and you presented them with great clarity...appreciate the unrushed step-by-step!
Nelson, I’m so glad you’re doing this book! I have the original (1957) book in hardcover, that uses old notation (e.g. P-K4). I went through this book in the 1970s, and it had a HUGE impact on the quality of my game. I recently bought the newest edition with modern notation.
Thank you for the lesson :) enjoyed it!
I definitely missed the perpetual counterattack when going through the book, I'm glad you pointed it out! Don't resign unless it's forced mate!
Capturing the bishop isn't forced and there isn't an immediate follow up check so it's perpetual check if you blunder it
anyone can just read the book by themself and learn this, but having your added perspective and commentary is really great. Especially how you pointed out at the end the balance of putting an attack on pause and then continuing the attack. That was great.
New subscriber here. I really like your style of teaching! Looking forward to your other videos and I don’t usually buy chess books but I will with yours. Keep up the great work! 👍🏻
This is great, I've been working my way through this book for about a year now and it's very instructional. This is what I needed to push through and finish it.
Just discovered series a week ago. Clear explanations and great pace. Haven't played chess in 40 years and series helped me rediscover interest. H ave ordered book and plan to do complete series. Thank you. Phil.
I've just recently started getting into Chess without knowing any principles and im glad to say some of these things I've figured out on my own. First chess lesson video ive watched and youve definitely helped alot. Much appreciated
I had already read the chapter but this was a very valuable recap, thank you!
So happy to see your channel approaching half a million subscribers. You’ve been my favourite since I found you, way back when you had a few thousand subs. I guess I need to thank the almighty algorithm for recommending your vids. Keep up the great work of explaining chess to us knuckleheads 😂
Nelson - that was so clear and easy to follow. Thanks. Looking forward to the next one.
This is a very great video! Me and my friend struggle to play chess even in the opening due to our lack of knowledge In principles, so this definitely helps! Thanks, Nelson! :D
Excellent class, master! Gratitude!
Good information. Sounds like a good book but I'm generally too busy to sit down and just read a book. Family like and such, so this "recap" is really useful and a good reminder of what most of us should already know.
You should try it! He has assigned 4 pages of reading over two weeks. Not all that demanding.
great summary and extra value with the perpetual in the end.
I personally see the series going weekly, since reading through 1 game shouldn't take long :)
Great first video in this series! Really enjoyed reading the first game and then watching your analysis of it. Thanks for the great insights as always.
I feel every week might be a bit better since each game isn't too long to study, but will be watching regardless!
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
01:10 *🏰 Always consider weaknesses when attacking the king side; changes in opponent's setup indicate potential attacking opportunities.*
03:12 *♞ Develop Knights before Bishops to gather information.*
03:56 *🔒 Defend pieces while developing to avoid wasted moves.*
05:59 *🏁 Place pieces on best squares swiftly to optimize effectiveness.*
06:56 *🔑 Minimize moving pieces multiple times in the opening to focus on development.*
07:52 *🏹 Castling early, preferably kingside, aids in king's protection and piece coordination.*
11:46 *🛡️ Moving pawns in front of the castled king can weaken king's defenses; consider consequences.*
13:51 *⛔️ Develop fully before initiating complex tactics or attacks to maintain stability.*
16:26 *⚔️ Exploit weaknesses in the opponent's position for strategic or tactical advantages.*
19:35 *💭 Stay alert for potential counterattacks even when in a strong position; prioritize king safety.*
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Dear Nelsi, I just wanted to congratulate you for truly educational content for real chess lovers. Well done for NOT going down the path of offering entertainment for thousands of internet trolls, attracting them through clickbaits and other cheap means. Keep it that way! You will still make a living and maintain your reputation and earn the respect of good people.
Awesome idea, Nelson! I actually had the book, and have yet to crack the spine, so really psyched to read it with your commentary!!
Principle number zero: don't play Chess when you are exausted.
Or when high/drunk
@@tarman420 or both
Or drunk like me tonight 😂
@@TimSchmelter I get 1100 elo last month, afer that, I only play tired, drunk and asleep, now I am 700 again🤣
@@tarman420 That's why the Netflix show Queen's Gambit seemed stupid to me. I cannot imagine GM level players being drug addicts.
I'm glad you covered this & pointed out the perpetual check
Thank you for your informative videos Nelson, your calm and precise explanations have really helped me elevate my chess play
You're a great teacher, and I really appreciate what you are doing
Take care, and I wish you the best🙏
Great video series. I order my books from Amazon Canada, so perhaps you could add the link for the Canadian site. Thanks again and I look forward to this series. Your videos are always excellent. Your explanations are clear and lucid.
Hey Nelson, at 17:27 isn't a better move Bf2+? Because the king can't take as the knights is defending so the rook takes, the you go Qg3+, if the King goes behind the rook it's mate in one, or if the king goes back to a8 you capture the rook with a royal fork?
That's what I saw too, and that royal fork is also mate
But the king doesn't have to move because the rook can block, and then I think your attack is gone. And you're now two pieces down.
At 8:22 what if black takes with bishop instead of the knight.
Then if Rook takes back the bishop followed by knight capture on the rook then the queen check fork doesn't exist because you can move back the knight and block the check while maintaining the material advantage (rook+pawn for a bishop).
Am I missing something?
Then d5
@@Paragelmen good point. I don't know why my brain exclude that as an option! :D
Thanks!
Kept these principles in mind and gone from 1460 to 1188😂
Bro did u overome this? I am struggling a lot. Gone from 1475 to 1180
No joke or disrespect to this guy i had a feeling this kinda thing would happen 😂
Lol
This is a really great video. Thanks
Awesome video. Love translating a book into video format. Will stay tuned to this series.
I’m really looking forward to next lesson. Love this content, thank you Nelson!
Thanks for making these videos and leveling with your audience. Great full explanations in all your vids and not just assuming things are obvious to the viewers and need no explanation
Thank you Nelson for such a helpful lesson. I'm reading the book and found your explaination informative. Hope to see more videos in this serie.
Great vedio. I learnt a lot of key concept in kingside attack. Thanks
Thanks very much! Ordered the book immediately and looking forward to the nest lesson
Awesome lesson, Nelson! Keep up the great content.
Really helpful! Thanks - great teaching. i just got the book so will be following along!
Amazing video.
Super important points and clean delivery.
I love it
thank you Nelson, this certainly has added value, good job👍!
Outstanding instruction. The real deal.
17:35 Here instead of taking the pawn with the bishop(Bxf2), taking with the Knight(Nxf2+) and win's the rook and also threatening mate in one
Thank you!!! Great of you to go over this book
Additional things I learned from Nelson's commentary:
4a. (When he's talking about using the King's bishop as an attacking piece): Not every move is setting up some big secret attack, but just having your bishop pointed at your opponent's f-pawn gives them something else to keep an eye on, and might present opportunities later.
1a. (Knights before bishops): Seeing how your opponent responds to knight development gives you an idea of what they're thinking, and 1b. The point about not knowing right away what the best squares are for your bishops was huge for me.
Also, I ordered the book!
Great lesson Nelson! Thank you!👏
At 19:00 , wasn't it good to give another check with Qg3 and when Kh1 fork king and queen with Nf2+?
If Rxf2 Qxf2.
If white tries the bishop check then king just move away instead of taking?
13:03 - If you eventually move one it is to give your King a way of avoiding backrank mate. Even then it might be better to move the King to a square where it can escape, than move a Pawn.
This was the book that moved me beyond a beginner, over 50 years ago.
hi Nelson, thanks for this awesome tutorial. I can't wait to put these principles into practice in my next match. I feel like a stronger player already.
As far as moving the frequency up to every week rather than every 2 weeks. At least at this point, short games that last only 4 or 5 pages, every week would probably work fine. If anybody needed more time , they could watch the corresponding video at their convenience.
9:10 what if black takes with bishop first then take with knight
It can prevent fork knight would block check
Brother, this video is AMAZING!!!! These aren't just principles, they're practical heuristics that can really change your game really fast. I feel like masters of chess have a skillset that composes of hundreds of these principles/patterns. More of these videos, please!!
Love this "book breakdown" of a chess classic. Looking forward to future episodes and other books being covered in the future.
Awesome information!!! Thanks, Nelson!!!
This was awesome. Very straight forward and clear. Thank you
looking forward for the rest of the series 👍🏻
I'd like to hear your comments about how the Kings Indian positions fit into these principles. Those openings immediately break the 3 pawns rule in order to fianchetto the bishop. I presume the compensation is to keep the bishop and knight in their proper positions for as long as possible. But advancing those pawns toward the opposing king is part of the plan... It obviously works for high level players and is not unsound.
I've played King's Indian opening thousands of times now, the setup obviously ignores some principle mentioned but keep in mind that this principle is only to guide you in order to give you an insight whether your position is in an equal, better or worse position. The trade off of the King's Indian opening to the principles is that it allows black to have control at the center in a tricky way and castle immediately keeping up with the pace of white. Don't be afraid of breaking these principles when you see it not helping or you have a better idea that will improve your position.
I ordered the book the same day your last video came out but shipping from the US to Europe takes time... No book yet, but looking forward to join the lessons.
What an instructive video, thank you so much
Thanks for the video. A couple of questions stand out to me.
First, you advocate the queenside castle to get to the point that is shown at 19:07. At that point, the position is vulnerable but not terrible for white. If white moves Bf4, the bishop is now defending the h2 square. That temporarily means that two pieces are preventing the black queen from moving to h2 for a checkmate. That also prevents the black queen from checking g3 again. Black pawn moves to h6 and g5 can deny g4 to white's bishop, but in the time needed to make those moves, white's bishop could take the pawn on h7 and be in a position to check on e5 before trading bishop for knight. I imagine something like
.... 0-0-0
Bf4, h6
Bxf7, g5
Bh2, Rdf8
Be5+, Kb8
Bxg4, Qxg4+
Kh1, Rxf3
That's still a bad position for white, but maybe I've missed a move that white could have made to save the position and maintain a piece advantage. Maybe the sequence for white would be
..., 0-0-0
Bf4, h6
Nh2
At this point, the white bishop is still protecting h2, so black can't just hit h2 to force checkmate. Now, the knight at h2 and the white queen are threatening the black knight on g4. The black knight can go to e5, but that seems to mean losing the initiative with white still a piece ahead.
I wonder whether the bishop should capture the f2 pawn at the 17:38 mark. If black captures with the knight, then white has to respond to the fork. That sequence might look something like the following.
...., Nxf2+
Rxf2, Bxf2
White has now lost a pawn and a rook in exchange for a knight. I understand that the white bishop sacrifice can lead to perpetual check. Maybe black counters by refusing to take the bishop.
Bxf7+, Kd8
Bg5+, Kc8
Be6+, Kb8
White now has both bishops, a knight, a queen, a rook, and four pawns in not so great structure. Black has a queen, a bishop, two rooks, and six pawns, but one of these rooks is trapped behind the king. I don't know whether this position is decisively better for either side.
Thank you for your clear explanation, and time stamps, see you tomorrow for more
Great lesson! Looking forward to the next one!!
Very instructive. Thanks!
This is very informative video, looking forward into this series!
The attacking portion was really hard to calculate for me. I couldn’t tell where to sacrifice, what to sacrifice if at all, where to check or with what piece, what to take with first (the bishop or the knight), whether the queen should be checking or another piece. Do you have any advice on how to find the correct sequence that gets you through the attack?
Grat content! You & naroditsky are the best
Thanks for a great book recommendation and a great analysis of game one.
On the stunning move ...
Yes, if Kxf7 you are correct: perpetual check. But isn't that a mistake by black? If black passes on the capture at f7 and instead plays Ke7, eventually the black queen makes it back over to h3 and it's mate in one. There is no opportunity for perpetual check in that case.
Am I missing something (always a possibility for me)?
Great tips, thanks for sharing!
I know this is about principles and not particular moves, but in the discussion about white’s advancing a-pawn around 9:00, we discuss that to win a knight and bishop it is worth losing a rook and a pawn. But what about black takes the pawn with the bishop first, instead of the knight? After the check, the knight can block. Would white still be taking that bishop with his rook, or would he let the lost a-pawn go?
if bishop takes,
pawn to d5 is a smothered knight and the knight dies
Principles 5 to 8 : It's good to develop a bishop onto a good square. It's better to develop the bishop onto a good diagonal. Very often opponent will attack the center with pawn to queen four. So immediately you place the bishop, pop the queen's side rook pawn out to create an escape square. When attacked the bishop doesn't have to drop back in two moves, and push the pawn anyway. That's a tempo saved. The pawn also prevents white's queen-side knight from sneaking in to deliver a fork.
Instead of pushing that prophylactic pawn to h3, White was in a very fine position to threaten a Fried Liver, with the queen and dark-square bishop ready to come in as well. Black can stop it with be6 but it can get incredibly messy and thorough preparation is advised!
The principle of not separating the front 3 pawns while castling has helped me so much. I'm a beginner still and I've got a good few wins now just from that. Great video, keep up the good work
Great illustrative analysis. Thanks for this!
Hi really like this idea of a series. Please proceed with that!
Nelson is a natural-born teacher. Many thanks for clear, concise, easy-to-follow lesson. I'm never overwhelmed with too much, too fast information as with many other TH-cam presenters.
This was fun being able to study the book beforehand and see what I learned. First time doing a chess book and took alot of the intimidation away. Would be happy to see this move to once a week as the chapters are so short.
Thanks a lot, it’s a very educative and well organized lesson!!
For me it’s hard to think of these diagonals and files that are not completely open but might well be in the future. Like the bishop’s diagonal a7-f2 that was hugely important in this attack. It seems that great chess players play as if the diagonal/file would be open or will be soon. It’s another level of thinking. Is the key that the pawns will move eventualy and thus not be obstacles forever? So you just prepare well ahead?
Great video... that was brimming with great conceptual stuff. I've had a bad habit of playing a3 prematurely to deter knight b4 stuff but it's gotten me in trouble, and now I understand why.
Start to a great series!