My favorite part about this game is how patient each of John's move were. I struggle with trying to force an advantage sometimes when the position is more drawish(or boring/stale) then I stumble because my aggressive play backfires.
@@JohnBartholomewChess So much nicer to watch than clever tactics imho. Just a slow and steady destruction of the opponent's forces. There's a sense of inevitability to the win.
There's something so satisfying about watching a Karpov-style game like this, where there's no material imbalance but one player is so much better positionally that they just gradually choke out their opponent. When you got to that point at the very end with the knight and pawn caging the black king in the corner (while sitting on dark squares so that the bishop couldn't even touch them), I said out loud, "Oh, that's mean." Great game!
My favorite part about this game is how patient each of John's move were. I struggle with trying to force an advantage sometimes when the position is more drawish(or boring/stale) then I stumble because my aggressive play backfires.
Really enjoyable one. Fascinating, clinical maneuvering game. Particularly instructive at the end when you had a passed pawn on b6 and a knight on d6, and immediately realised these two pieces restricted the enemy king, allowing you to attack the other pawns with your own king. I think many people of my level and below would have been tempted to try and force that passed pawn through, possibly losing the advantage. I look forward to watching the analysis later. Thanks again for your content.
Definitely, it's tempting to focus solely on the b-pawn. I think I mentally picked up that Nd6/pawn b6 pattern from studying the B+N+K vs. K checkmate, where a bishop and knight coordinate well on the same color, since the knight always influences the opposite color complex (and thus pairs well with the bishop). Same concept here with the pawn guarding a7/c7.
This was a particularly enjoyable one. The simple explanations of exploiting one weakness until another appears, keeping things safe and gradually improving your position really make high level chess feel attainable for lower rated players like me. I don't know objectively when black lost but when they started just shuffling their bishop and giving John infinite king moves is when it felt like it was over for them. It's hard to try anything though since the only space where they were free to move is also where they have a minority of pawns.
That was a beautiful game John, long time follower and I like to see these 10 + 0 games against a strong opponent the strategic play is fascinating ! Thanks !
A proper squeeze!Takes me back to games like Alekhine v Yates, London1922 which was one of those old school games you saw in Chess middle game books from the 1970's/80's showing archetypal ways of winning against structural weaknesses. At some point it must have occurred to Black here that they had to sacrifice a pawn or the exchange or something, just to break the bind but even at that rating level players tend not to deliberately give up material without concrete attacking chances as a result...
I’m love to see you cracking jokes and making fun of the opening names! As always I appreciate your educational content. I feel like I learn a thing or two for every one of your videos I watch. Keep up the great work John.
A classic positional grind in the style of e.g. Capablanca, Karpov, Anderson, Kramnik . . . and John Bartholomew. I'm sure a strong engine could have held Black's position easily, but for a human opponent it's just constant suffering move after move as you slowly crank up the pressure. My only slight worry for John was that he was behind on the clock most of the game (with no increment), so there was the potential for things going random and out of control in a final wild time scramble. But of course our hero John didn't falter and brought the game to its logical and satisfying conclusion.
In a good mood, exercising, big smiles all through the video... wondering if you're seeing a special someone 😊 either way, always nice to see you happy. You've got a great talent for instruction, appreciate all you do
about 1:00 left for white - let's march the king up the board. 26 seconds on the clock - let's start picking off pawns. So casual...26 seconds for John is like 26 minutes for the rest of us. It's like dog years...in chess. Freakin' amazing...
What an instructive game, loved it. Clear plan, working around a small edge and got the job done. Loved how black was always passive, couldn't really do anything. Thanks for the game.
It seemed that Black could have clung on with the backward pawn, but it was the emergence of a second weakness (the pawn on f7) that finally tipped the scales.
What a game ! Very instructive content. I feel like I improve everytine i watch one of these videos. Patience and caution is key isn't it ? I would love to have you as a private teacher I am sure i would improve dramatically in no time. Anyway please keep those videos going I am a big fan of your chess and your modesty is beautiful. Thank you John
@ModusOperandi2009 this type of chess is possible in any opening - it's down to the player, not the opening. For an excellent example of deep positional understanding and strategic mastery, check out the Karpov vs Unsicker game in Ruy Lopez, 1974. It's a gem.
@@spartanthe300ththermopylae4 Sure, but there are certain openings that are more positional than others, particularly at my level (~2100 rapid on Lichess) where you are more liable to encounter gambits and off beat lines.
Hey John, best chess content in space! Question: You have a course on chessable "IM John Bartholomew's Scandinavian Defense". You said in this video "today" you will create a new scandinavian course. Should i wait to buy the newest version or buy the old one too?
Much appreciated! And thanks for your interest. My Scandinavian course on Chessable was released in 2016, and it's still a pretty solid option. It's a complete repertoire based on the 3...Qd8 Scandinavian. My new course (which I'll be self-publishing) is on the 3...Qa5 line, which is a bit more dynamic and theoretically stronger than 3...Qd8. It's a complete repertoire as well, and it will be much more thorough and extensive, containing video, model games, and likely other learning modules (especially as I plan to update it over time). If you want to get started now I'd say you could pick up the Chessable version (it's usually priced affordably), but I'd definitely appreciate if you picked up my 3...Qa5 course when it comes out! 😀
@@JohnBartholomewChess ok thx. Because I have enough other chess content for now I will wait for your new course. When will it be launched and what will it cost?🤔
I love playing these positions too where I have control and and a positional edge even though it requires work to win. Of course, a mating attack is also nice if the opponent has no real counterplay; I like complications and I am not afraid to sacrifice av exchange and a couple of läns for good play, but I don:t like openings like the King's Gambit where the positions can get wild and highly unclear - that's the wrong type of complications for me amd I always lose with both colors in such positions. like complications and imbalances, but not chaos. Also, I like being a pawn up when the opponent attacks me if my position is sound even though it is tricky. This can happen in the French as Black sometimes. I love being White in the Benko Gambit due to its positional nature and the prospects of a King Side attack for White later in the game.
@@JohnBartholomewChess and that's why I shouldn't be watching videos and commenting when I just woke up in bed with my brain still half asleep. Of course thanks ahah
I was referred by a friend to your videos after he found I recently got into chess. Are you part of any 'local' chess clubs? I'm from CF and looking to get some over the board xp. Love your videos! Please keep them up. You and Ben Fiendgold are my favs.
Never seen any of your videos but based on your decision at 2:18 that your opponent took extra time during divisive moment in the opening tells me that you have a poker background. Change my mind.
John's board has LOTS more good moves on it than mine does. I don't get it - the pieces look the same and the rules are the same... Maybe I should have paid more?
I think I'd only get two pawns, no? Even if I got three, that'd be dangerous on an open board with queens on - the piece activity is more important than the pawns.
The way you won this game was a thing of beauty. So metodic, so clean, so strategic. Very strong display of understanding of chess.
Thank you very much!
My favorite part about this game is how patient each of John's move were. I struggle with trying to force an advantage sometimes when the position is more drawish(or boring/stale) then I stumble because my aggressive play backfires.
@@JohnBartholomewChess So much nicer to watch than clever tactics imho. Just a slow and steady destruction of the opponent's forces. There's a sense of inevitability to the win.
There's something so satisfying about watching a Karpov-style game like this, where there's no material imbalance but one player is so much better positionally that they just gradually choke out their opponent. When you got to that point at the very end with the knight and pawn caging the black king in the corner (while sitting on dark squares so that the bishop couldn't even touch them), I said out loud, "Oh, that's mean." Great game!
"Classical original" is genuinely hilarious
I want to play the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious variation, but I am having trouble remembering how to spell it.
My favorite part about this game is how patient each of John's move were. I struggle with trying to force an advantage sometimes when the position is more drawish(or boring/stale) then I stumble because my aggressive play backfires.
That was a very instructive game, a beauty!
Thank you - glad you found it instructive 🙏
This was a positional beauty John. You perfectly demonstrated why we should avoid/target for backward pawns. Very informative.
Thank you!
Really enjoyable one. Fascinating, clinical maneuvering game. Particularly instructive at the end when you had a passed pawn on b6 and a knight on d6, and immediately realised these two pieces restricted the enemy king, allowing you to attack the other pawns with your own king. I think many people of my level and below would have been tempted to try and force that passed pawn through, possibly losing the advantage. I look forward to watching the analysis later. Thanks again for your content.
Definitely, it's tempting to focus solely on the b-pawn. I think I mentally picked up that Nd6/pawn b6 pattern from studying the B+N+K vs. K checkmate, where a bishop and knight coordinate well on the same color, since the knight always influences the opposite color complex (and thus pairs well with the bishop). Same concept here with the pawn guarding a7/c7.
It's obvious how much you enjoyed that grinding win!
Definitely - my favorite type of game to win 😀
This was a particularly enjoyable one. The simple explanations of exploiting one weakness until another appears, keeping things safe and gradually improving your position really make high level chess feel attainable for lower rated players like me.
I don't know objectively when black lost but when they started just shuffling their bishop and giving John infinite king moves is when it felt like it was over for them. It's hard to try anything though since the only space where they were free to move is also where they have a minority of pawns.
That was a beautiful game John, long time follower and I like to see these 10 + 0 games against a strong opponent the strategic play is fascinating ! Thanks !
A proper squeeze!Takes me back to games like Alekhine v Yates, London1922 which was one of those old school games you saw in Chess middle game books from the 1970's/80's showing archetypal ways of winning against structural weaknesses. At some point it must have occurred to Black here that they had to sacrifice a pawn or the exchange or something, just to break the bind but even at that rating level players tend not to deliberately give up material without concrete attacking chances as a result...
Well played John. Glass of red wine during a game you will become grand master. Keep up the great videos they help a lot with thought process.
I’m love to see you cracking jokes and making fun of the opening names! As always I appreciate your educational content. I feel like I learn a thing or two for every one of your videos I watch. Keep up the great work John.
Thanks for putting out these games John! Watching you play has inspired me to finally start playing OTB and focus on improving 🤞
Great video! I am beginning to add Catalan type set-ups to my repertoire and your treatment of the opening has really helped me a lot! Thanks!
Happy to hear that! 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting!
"Are we talking about the newest brand of potato chip or a chess opening?"
Mmm. Ultra-delayed kettle chips. My favorite!
A classic positional grind in the style of e.g. Capablanca, Karpov, Anderson, Kramnik . . . and John Bartholomew. I'm sure a strong engine could have held Black's position easily, but for a human opponent it's just constant suffering move after move as you slowly crank up the pressure. My only slight worry for John was that he was behind on the clock most of the game (with no increment), so there was the potential for things going random and out of control in a final wild time scramble. But of course our hero John didn't falter and brought the game to its logical and satisfying conclusion.
I loove this game. Thank you so much for this and for the whole series, the way you explain your ideas during your games is truly unmatchable.
You were in a good mood and you had good concentraion - know you gonna win! Keep it up! more content!
That was a great game! You always make it look so easy to win hehe.
23:05 LOL 😂😂
Good game John. Your uploads are always instructive.
That was a really good game, John. Very educational and instructive. Your videos are amazing. Keep it up!
In a good mood, exercising, big smiles all through the video... wondering if you're seeing a special someone 😊 either way, always nice to see you happy. You've got a great talent for instruction, appreciate all you do
about 1:00 left for white - let's march the king up the board. 26 seconds on the clock - let's start picking off pawns. So casual...26 seconds for John is like 26 minutes for the rest of us. It's like dog years...in chess. Freakin' amazing...
What an instructive game, loved it. Clear plan, working around a small edge and got the job done. Loved how black was always passive, couldn't really do anything. Thanks for the game.
what a masterclass John! Many thanks
Thanks so much for watching.
It seemed that Black could have clung on with the backward pawn, but it was the emergence of a second weakness (the pawn on f7) that finally tipped the scales.
Indeed!
I grew up studying Capablanca and this game reminded me of him.
Nice game, John. Really instructive.
I lke backwards pawns so much I collect them whenever I can. Maybe after this game I should rethink my life choices....
A classical original JB strategic masterpiece!
Good stuff. The devil is in the details. I saw on lichess yesterday before you left. Hope to play you on there sometime.
I'll do another viewer stream on my Twitch channel soon - hope you'll be able to tune in and challenge
@@JohnBartholomewChess I will follow you on there so I can get notified whenever you do. Thanks.
Standing John! Fantastic video, as always. Hope your voice is doing well, thanks for the great content
Super instructive game. Thanks John!
Thanks for watching!
What a beautiful piece of instructional Play ❤🎉
Thank you very much! Glad you found it to be instructional.
You have always had the best content. :).
Thank you!
What a game ! Very instructive content. I feel like I improve everytine i watch one of these videos. Patience and caution is key isn't it ? I would love to have you as a private teacher I am sure i would improve dramatically in no time. Anyway please keep those videos going I am a big fan of your chess and your modesty is beautiful. Thank you John
Beautiful game, John. Makes me wish I was a d4/Nf3 player.
@ModusOperandi2009 this type of chess is possible in any opening - it's down to the player, not the opening. For an excellent example of deep positional understanding and strategic mastery, check out the Karpov vs Unsicker game in Ruy Lopez, 1974. It's a gem.
@@spartanthe300ththermopylae4 Sure, but there are certain openings that are more positional than others, particularly at my level (~2100 rapid on Lichess) where you are more liable to encounter gambits and off beat lines.
Really nice strategic game, neat to watch
Glad to hear it!
Backwards Pawns and their Consequences have been a disaster for the Human race
I played climbing the Rating Ladder against AlphaZero. After losing 339 games in a row, AlphaZero gained one Elo rating point and I lost a point.
Hey John, best chess content in space!
Question: You have a course on chessable "IM John Bartholomew's Scandinavian Defense". You said in this video "today" you will create a new scandinavian course. Should i wait to buy the newest version or buy the old one too?
Much appreciated!
And thanks for your interest. My Scandinavian course on Chessable was released in 2016, and it's still a pretty solid option. It's a complete repertoire based on the 3...Qd8 Scandinavian. My new course (which I'll be self-publishing) is on the 3...Qa5 line, which is a bit more dynamic and theoretically stronger than 3...Qd8. It's a complete repertoire as well, and it will be much more thorough and extensive, containing video, model games, and likely other learning modules (especially as I plan to update it over time). If you want to get started now I'd say you could pick up the Chessable version (it's usually priced affordably), but I'd definitely appreciate if you picked up my 3...Qa5 course when it comes out! 😀
@@JohnBartholomewChess ok thx. Because I have enough other chess content for now I will wait for your new course. When will it be launched and what will it cost?🤔
yep, Predrag Nikolić is bosnian ;)
Thanks to your teaching I was able to finish 2nd place in my first classical tournament 🎉🎉🎉
Congratulations! Was it rated?
@@JohnBartholomewChess yes, I was in the -1700 section! It was 5 games in 3 days. Very draining but I liked the experience.
I love playing these positions too where I have control and and a positional edge even though it requires work to win. Of course, a mating attack is also nice if the opponent has no real counterplay; I like complications and I am not afraid to sacrifice av exchange and a couple of läns for good play, but I don:t like openings like the King's Gambit where the positions can get wild and highly unclear - that's the wrong type of complications for me amd I always lose with both colors in such positions. like complications and imbalances, but not chaos. Also, I like being a pawn up when the opponent attacks me if my position is sound even though it is tricky. This can happen in the French as Black sometimes. I love being White in the Benko Gambit due to its positional nature and the prospects of a King Side attack for White later in the game.
23:30 😄
After Kc7 by black, why is it wrong to not fork the king and rook with Ne6?
I havent watched nor played chess in a while so I might be rusty 😅
Welcome back to the game! 🙂 Black's f7 pawn was protecting e6 throughout the game.
@@JohnBartholomewChess and that's why I shouldn't be watching videos and commenting when I just woke up in bed with my brain still half asleep. Of course thanks ahah
I was referred by a friend to your videos after he found I recently got into chess. Are you part of any 'local' chess clubs? I'm from CF and looking to get some over the board xp. Love your videos! Please keep them up. You and Ben Fiendgold are my favs.
Gg! That was a beautiful game
Thank you!
John looking very happy and healthy :)
Thank you
Thank you for watching
Never seen any of your videos but based on your decision at 2:18 that your opponent took extra time during divisive moment in the opening tells me that you have a poker background. Change my mind.
Good read! 😀
@@JohnBartholomewChess fyi, I like the format and the video. Will be catching up on them. Good vid and good teaching.
John's board has LOTS more good moves on it than mine does. I don't get it - the pieces look the same and the rules are the same... Maybe I should have paid more?
😂
@5,22 Bxd5? 2 pawns won always and maybe up a rook. Idea is after B takes,pawn takes B,q checks,q takes pawn. Black loses material with tactics
Ba6 gotta think ^^
Maybe why i'm 1200 :c gonna give it a personal think ;)
Love the new hairstyle
Vintage modified Grunfeld
Did you consider Bxd5 instead of Qd4? I think you might win 3 pawns for the piece. Looks interesting.
I think I'd only get two pawns, no? Even if I got three, that'd be dangerous on an open board with queens on - the piece activity is more important than the pawns.
thank you
these are the kinda games
Pretty good play for a low 2600 😊
What rating are you? How do you know how 2600 players play to be able to say this?
Lol good one.
@@6Xyzzy John always says it’s better to be a high 2500 (2599) than a low 2600 (2603). Just a little joke.
@@westofwahpeton4692 Ohhhhhhhh. Understood, thank you for the context. I thought you were just being an internet troll! Sorry!
@@6Xyzzy I could see how my comment could be taken that way haha.
Hey John, I've never seen you use a modern defence with black. Is that an opening which you could do a lesson on?
Search my channel for Dzindzi-Indian! Might have some under "Modern Defense" as well.
had it won from early on
Hey Jon, it's guys.
🙋♂️
first!