We finally have a strong and well organized opening course for White and one for Black. With these and the FREE beginner to master level playlist from this TH-cam channel, it’s all about consistency over an extended period of time 😎💪 ⬇ Course on Black Opening (Counterblow) www.chessable.com/ramirez Course on White Opening (First Strike) www.chessable.com/firststrike Free Playlist (beginner to master level) rb.gy/hw61wt All the Endgame Knowledge I have rb.gy/zels9y All the Strategy Knowledge I have rb.gy/g1iqro
Thank you very much for this playlist! I am a beginner (700) and this is really helpful. I struggle in the openings with black and get into awkward positions during the middlegame but I think I will now go with this opening. Your videos have helped me a lot and I am glad that I have followed this playlist from the beginning, from when I started playing chess sometime ago. You are a great player and teacher 😊
Wow!! I'm a 71-year-old woman attempting to learn chess to strengthen my memory and my ability to concentrate. This man is terrific! I spent two hours on this video and it was a great experience. My preference is for ad-free sites because the ads interrupt the flow of the instruction. I'm willing to pay for ad-free content to individuals who are this creative and adept at instruction. Love your instruction, Mr. Ramirez and will buy some of your merchandise.
Hello Lana! It's a pleasure to have you as part of our small community. Thanks a lot for your kind words and I hope to see you around enjoying more lessons 👍😎
I have never achieved so much clarity in chess understanding until I do today. You are an incredibly gifted teacher who converted this bumbling fool of a chess enthusiast into an actual strategic player. No amount of thanks is enough for what you do. You deserve every good thing that happens to you, my friend. I'm going to recommend you to all my friends who are starting to learn chess. Absolutely incredible instructionals.
I love this opening. It's really unconventional and keeps you ready for everything. Only thing that bugs me is that my opponent 95% of the time always counters my Qa3 move (pinning the knight) with Bd2. Once I retreat to c7, I feel like my Queen is out of the picture, blocked behind the pawn on e5 once an exchange of pawns is made.
I originally came to this channel for this lesson because I was looking for a good and easy to learn opening for black. I haven't regretted it for a moment. I liked this video so much, I decided to start from the beginning and now, but 51 lessons later I'm here again and I've learned so much. Thanks again coach!
fantastic, clear explanations! I like the way to focus on teaching and not showing off and trying to be a youtube star (the world has enough of those).
7 wins 1 loss as black since playing this opening!!! TY! I genuinely suggest that everyone gives this a few games! The best thing is to see the hesitation by white on move #5!
That's so great to hear! I am sure you are doing something else right 😎 but still this is a nice opening. You might like the regular Pirc from lesson # 69 for later down the road 👍
@@NMRobertRamirez Definitely! I'm actually working my there! I started watching your knight outpost video, LESSON #52 and just WOW! Looking at the game in a much more efficient and practical way!!! It's insane ( in a great way ) to have that understanding of why to make the moves! TY for your help, and your explanation is really really good for my level. I've increased my rating from 1209 to 1324 in not much time!
@@brass4235 nice! Congratulations on such a big jump and I hope you get to use what we covered in lesson # 52 soon. The more you learn about Chess the more you are going to enjoy it!
I've been playing this defense for many years. I knew it as Rivas defense, Rivas is a spanish grandmaster who played it very often. This video is so awesome! You have clearly explained pieces set up, basic plans, patterns, and ideas of this defense. Keep up the good work!
Hello Miguel! Glad you liked this lesson. Coming from someone with so much experience like you, it truly means a lot 👍 You might also like the main Pirc from lesson # 69 😎
My biggest problem is trying to make my mind up on what to play. I keep moving backwards and forwards between different openings and getting bogged down. This Czech Pirc is the one for me I think, especially as you can also play it with white. A universal opening that allows me to not get stuck on the opening and move on to the middle and end games. All your playlists are excellent. Thankyou Robert. Keep up the good work!
This is outstanding. I can't believe it took me so long to find out about it. Both simple and effective. I have used it in dozen 5+5 games with very good results AND you can play this against everything! Simple and effective. Outstanding. thank you RobRam.
Thank you so much Robert!!! I used to struggle when playing the black pieces but after watching your lessons about the pirc and kid I actually win more games with the black pieces and I really feel comfortable playing this opening and get to the middle game in a good position and knowing the basic ideas instead of getting stuck without any clue how to continue. Your lessons are very clear, you cover all the points, and easy to remember for a guy like me that watched a lot of videos and failed to implement the ideas in real games. Your system is much more clear and easy for me to play and gets me through the opening safely, and if I lose it's because I hang pieces or do stupid blunders. Thank you so much, you are AMAZING!!!
Hello! Thanks a lot for your kind words. It means a lot to know you found some value in this lesson and the course in general. Please, let me know if you ever have any questions 👍😎
Good morning thx so much I've been play from the age of 11, I'm in my 50s now, I've never seen this opening, I now use it all the time as presented, absolutely fantastic I may have lost twice & that was me experimenting. Your reasoning and detail is the best I've experienced, you are a great teacher. Subscriber for life!
@@NMRobertRamirez thank you! You are so generous :) also, iprefer your suggestion over what i did. I just didnt see it! I still struggle with my "chess vision." Hehe. But Thanks. Now i know what to do :)
This is maybe the best opening video I've seen on TH-cam. Really appreciate how you explained every move while keeping it short and easy to understand for beginners.
It was wonderful to watch our Instructor play spontaneously blitz chess and use the principles that he endorsed. He also talked us through his methodology.!!! This is by far my Favorite Instructor....
during my NCAA times i played the french and pirc (not this variation), got bored with both of those defences and studied the sicilian in which i had a very good result both sides. after college and switching to being a teacher myself i found myself quite lost when i tried to start playing again.it seems that i have forgotten the many sharp lines for both sides of the sicilian. Came july 29,2021 every time i go to youtube this blue colored channel suddenly appeared and with hesitation still tried to have a quick look at this video....and WOW!its amazing. tried this line which i never played before got me a straight 7 wins in 3+2 in lichess.and i am sort of feeling like going into playing chess again. I really thank you so much for this National Master Robert Martinez. I felt like my discovery of your channel has a purpose.
As a beginner to tactical chess I always had a very hard time playing counter openings as black. Now I have a solid foundation to build from that I can play against whatever white plays. Won my first two games playing this. Thank you, great lesson.
OK - I back-pedaled from Lesson 69 to get more basis. I regret that I didn't proceed with the lessons two years ago when I was coaxed back into playing - but there's a time for everything. I really stopped playing, and when I resumed this year, I've been tentative about playing games and content to do puzzles. You mentioned the King's Indian Defense in Lesson 69: I recalled that term but it was just one approach out of dozens that I wasn't keen on learning. I wanted to keep things simple and learn principles instead of memorizing openings and their exotic names. So, I'm back! I claimed you as my coach two years ago. You've done scores of videos and podcasts since then, but I'm grateful for the archive. Thank you, sir.
Robert, came back for a 'refresher' course. You are a wonderful teacher and example of the best players in the world of chess. If you have published a chess book, I'll buy two dozen copies for a chess club of young players I'm working with here in Memphis. Keep up your good work promoting CHESS. May God continue to bless you!!!😇
I lost first three games with this opening because I panicked and messed up the moves. But my fourth game i checkmated a higher rated player . Thanks . This is awesome and easy to learn .
I recently started learning chess and I’ve watch a lot of TH-cam videos lately but I can confidently tell you that Ramirez is top 3 for learning. He explains the ideas behind the moves better than anyone else. Honourable mention to GM Hikaru! Sincere appreciation 🙏🏽
This video rocks! This opening is on its way to solve a lot of my worries about my traditional e5 or c4 versus e4 black openings that I have struggled with for a long time. It's easier to defend , coordinate my pieces, develop and attack. It seems like my pieces are naturally positioning themselves better; which reminds me of old grand master games where the pieces are always in the right place. That's wonderful! A big thank-you!
Wow, this is really good. Not only do you explain the opening, but you explain all of the reasoning behind it very clearly. This is one hell of a video.
I have played both the Pirc and Czech Pirc in tournaments for many years. I have a better winning percent with the Czech's. This line h4 was never my worse fear. Thanks again for all you help.
Hello everyone, just for context : I started chess in august of 2021 ( 6 months in right now ), I am a middle-age man, and thanks to this Czech Pirc style ( which I play with white AND black ), I finally easily got over 1000 Elo rating. I will keep playing this opening until I get a good grip on it, and I think it will keep me company for a long time. Thank you very much mister Ramirez. After a hard start with this style, it grew on me and now I feel great playing it. Again, many thanks, and good luck to everyone. Matthieu
Thanks a lot coach! You're putting in so much work for beginners as well as advanced players. This video is by far my favorite one especially because you explained quite a lot of possible lines. Thanks for your hard work.
I’m a member of a local club and have been using e4 for a while. I win about 50% of the time among the club members, who are of varying strength. This last weekend I watched this video and when the club met yesterday I stuck with black all day and won 9 out of my 10 games including beating the two strongest players in the club. Everyone was remarking on my performance. I suspect the strong members will go back to the drawing board to figure out what happened, but for now, I’m sticking with this. Thank you very much.
Congratulations! 👏💪 but I must say, you must be doing something else right. Whatever it is, keep doing it consistently 👍 By the way, thanks a lot for sharing your experience. It means a lot!
Playing at a 1k lvl, just tried this opening and won in 14 moves being up two pawns, a bishop and a rook and player resigned. I'm going to have to study this one a lot more. Thank you very much.
i knew very few black openings first but this one was great to learn . also very nicely explained. i have won last 3 games with black using this opening
Hey sir.. I started watching the playlist... I am new to chess.. Idk much abt it.. But the way you explain everything becomes so easy.. No i m around 600 points.. I started playing 3 days ago.. And i can't say by my words how a brilliant teacher you are.. Well i m from India.. Lots of love from India 🇮🇳.. Sensei
Great lesson! My prefered opening for black is the French defense which is like the more cautious sister in many ways. while I love it for how solid and surprisingly nasty it's counter attacking position can be, I find it a little passive at times. This gives another option for being more aggressive and dynamic and I've won some games with this opening thanks to this video. Thank you so much!
I started chess exactly a week ago and continuously learning through him, its been a great journey from ep1 to ep51 and keep going.... { won against 701 rating guy using his tactics }. Love you coach, keep doing great things.
Sehr geehrter Herr Ramirez ! Habe als Anfänger im Schachclub mit Schwarz fast alle Partien verloren. Dank Ihrem didaktisch hervorragend gestalteten Video habe ich jetzt schon einige nacheinander ! gewonnen. Herzlichen Dank !
I agree. This video is gold, expecially for not so good players like me. There's no fooling around, every word has a meaning! Congrats, very well done!
Just realised I've got to lesson 51 without commenting! What a fantastic series of videos. Thank you so much I feel like I'm learning a huge amount, and of course when you need to go over previous material you can just watch them again. Fabulous content you have taken great time and care to prepare.
Just tried this for the first time vs 1100 sven bot on chess site. 91.1% accuracy, 12 best moves, 16 excellent, 4 good, 3 book. 0 on all other moves. Computer played Reti 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. d4 c6. So a slightly different move order but WOW what a great lesson Robert! Thanks for showing us not just the opening but middlegame ideas and full games you played. Also the idea to just simplify when you're ahead to avoid nasty swindles/surprises. Thank you so much!
I've searched for a universal defense for decades. I remember trying some systems with 1..d6 which produced some disastrous results. None of them featured 3..c6, which is the key move; freeing the queen's diagonal and defending. I especially like that he played master-level opponents immediately, and live. That takes guts! Everything works against poor players! (LOL). There really is no reason NOT to play this. VERY HELPFUL!!! VERY IMPRESSIVE!!!
@@awaedin probably because they were lines they were not familiar with. this is the trade off/double edge of the sword. on the main line they will kill you. on a less common line they are vulnerable; but if the less common line were really that strong; it would be the main line; and they would kill you.lol.maybe? also, because it is Robert playing the less common line as opposed to you; or me.lol. well i think that is probably the main difference.lol.;-)
I mean, technically, he could easily have just recorded tons of games until he won, or he could have had friends intentionally lose to him, or he could have spent hours writing a bot to make all the opponent's moves, or all kinds of other things. But this is a really good opening. People aren't exactly prepped for it. Until Levy features in it a video, then we'll need another universal opening. 😜
It is very impressive to actually see it in action. Especially against such highly rated players. Stright forward and clear plans. I am now a subscriber. Thanks, can't wait to try it!
You are more than welcome! Keep training your middle and endgame as well and let me know how it goes. If you keep it consistent, it can only go one way 👍
I have seen this pirc defence before on youtube, explained by other grandmasters, but I love the way you explain it by going over the moves again and again, so it becomes second nature. You really are an excellent teacher and I love your teaching method. keep up the great work my friend. 👍👍
Used to play e6, because I wanted to force white to play my system avoiding sicilian and so on. But I really got bored playing the exchange variation over and over. So I started playing pirc online and for now I like it. Thanks for your quality content.
Hello guys! If you would like to see me using this opening against other players in real games, see the links below: NM Robert Ramirez playing the Czech Pirc as Black and as White: th-cam.com/video/phoAxRk1NT8/w-d-xo.html NM Robert Ramirez playing on Lichess and Chess.com with the Czech Pirc: th-cam.com/video/ld7tyGyE_yk/w-d-xo.html Czech Pirc vs e4-d4-Nc3-f4 (Austrian): th-cam.com/video/UDbnP0yakM4/w-d-xo.html
I love this opening for black because it's simple, straight forward, developes pieces, protects the king and has a built in attack. What more could want for a quick game with the boys in the park!😇
I am playing now with someone who used to beat me in every game I played with him, but after using this opening we finished the first game with stalemate and we are in our second game and I just finished my opening and developing all my pieces and put my rocks in service. Thanks a lot for this great strategy ❤
I have been playing for a long time and never felt comfortable playing black this great and really moved me forward, thanks so much keep up the great work!!!
Very instructive video!! Glad to come across this channel !!!!! Have been playing d6 and g6 universally myself, this adds another nice opening. Thanks, great content, especially for beginner-intermediate level !!!!
Wow ok I used to watch Gothamchess exclusively but now I think I’ll watch more from you !!! Very instructive and educational for beginners! Please keep that “repetitive style” in your videos 😍
Thank you so much! I play this almost always now when I have black, with about 75% win rate! The few games that I lost where because I delayed to move the king's pawn in the center, and it created problems, or just from other mistakes.. I love this system!!!
I've been playing this opening quite often. It's fun! The most common response I see to queen to A5 is bishop to D2. Stockfish recommends pawn to E5 > then I often see people move their knight to D5. Stockfish recommends sending the queen back to D8. Do you agree with this line? Keep up the great content!
If anyone watches the “Coffee Chess” channel here on TH-cam, I noticed a player by the name of “Electric Eric” who uses this opening exclusively for both sides- only exception is he doesn’t bring the queen out to the side of the board. Also- do you think this opening is good against 1.c4 or would another line like the King’s Indian be more effective?
Hello! I think the King's Indian Defense would be more effective, but at this point in the course I would rather have you guys use this one and dedicate more time to middle and endgame instead of learning more complicated openings. We start learning the KID later in lesson # 85 👍
Daaaaaaaaamn!!! This!!! This is what I never knew I was looking for!! I was a Scandinavian Player up until now (just because it pisses off most e4 players), so I’m already very comfortable with my queen on a4/pawn c6 and retreat the queen to c7 lines, but whenever white played 1.d4 I simply didn’t know what to do. To have an opening that works against both d4 and e4 and has many similarities in the general setup to what I already play AND is relatively unknown so it catches my opponent off guard is a gift from heaven! I cannot believe this is real & free on YT. Thank you really really much.
I love this opening. It's really unconventional and keeps you ready for everything. Only thing that bugs me is that my opponent 95% of the time always counters my Qa3 move (pinning the knight) with Bd2. Once I retreat to c7, I feel like my Queen is out of the picture, blocked behind the pawn on e5 once an exchange of pawns is made.
Hi Robert ! I'm here to express my gratitude to you. I'm watching all your videos from lesson 1 and now reached lesson 51. Today I played 3 games. 2 with white pieces and 1 with black. With the white pieces , I used Queen's Gambit which you taught in lesson 50.. And amazingly in the 2 games, the oponnents played the exact 2 lines which you mentioned in your video (Opponent tries to hold onto the pawn).. With black pieces, I used the opening you taught in this video. I won all the 3 games by checkmate. Thank you so much for the valuable learnings 😊 I hope you gets lots of success !
I just want to say it's been a while since I looked at any of your videos. I have been looking at some other instructors on various things such as openings, etc. What I have noticed by coming back is how well you explain everything, unlike most of the other instructors. You are a very, very good teacher!!
Hi! This is the best opening video I have seen on TH-cam. You have proceeded to boost my wins with black a lot. I was struggling to find a good opening for black and went through multiple like the French, the Sicilian dragon, the Caro-Kann, etc. But with the Czech Pirc, it works incredibly good at my rating (950). With your help, I know what to do in the first 12 moves against almost every move. I would honestly pay for this! Thanks a lot from Québec Canada. 🇨🇦
Thk you for explaining why pieces move and sticking to a system when things do not go as planned.....I have learned so much watching you videos....thk you again, I know a little bit about HOW to play now.....
pirc is my black respond to D4 or E4;I play the king’s gambit as white; love open positions in white; pirc is an excellent black opening; sharper than a french; I’m working on my king’s indian; all thanks to Robert .. great videos; chess players are blessed to have masters grandmasters teaching us..
I've been playing this for a while now and love it. My main reply to e4 is the Sicilian but I also play the Czech Pirc as an alternative after learning it from The Chess Giant channel a while ago. It's great because it's not very well known so catches a lot of players out and it's easy to play. Highly recommended.
I really appreciate your free content and teaching us the openings and the tactics, you really helped me in my long journey in chess I was 480 now i am 1022, thanks coach!
Like your attitude towards playing chess! You give good instructions and keep it upbeat and fun. When you played the blitz games you authentically mentioned when there was a surprise or a threat but you clearly kept your cool and considered them challenges. I decided to try the Pirc defense and I won! Just like you have been saying, this gets you into a good position through the opening, and then go and play chess.
After seeing the video ( and making notes) I tried this against Stockfish at my level. He went with an Queen push behind d4 on the second move. I managed to remain cool and kept all the principles in mind. In the end I went on to win with a CPI of 23. Chuffed. This is on my keepers list. Thanks heaps Robert.
@@NMRobertRamirez Thanks for the encouragement Robert. Usually I actually don't manage to stay cool, but I know that is what you have to do, and having a solid understanding like you have given certainly helps a lot. De novo obrigadao.
Just found this. Really looking forward to a deep dive into this for myself. Been playing for a year now. Found my White (Reti), now I'm looking for my Black. I think I found it. Learned the basics today, Won the last 4 out of 5 games. You explain things well and to the point.
2 thumbs up, great content and very good commentary with presentation. I've used this approach myself several times, with favorable outcomes most of the time, for the opening of my games playing with the black pieces. Host and videos recommended, friends and family.
We finally have a strong and well organized opening course for White and one for Black. With these and the FREE beginner to master level playlist from this TH-cam channel, it’s all about consistency over an extended period of time 😎💪 ⬇
Course on Black Opening (Counterblow) www.chessable.com/ramirez
Course on White Opening (First Strike) www.chessable.com/firststrike
Free Playlist (beginner to master level) rb.gy/hw61wt
All the Endgame Knowledge I have rb.gy/zels9y
All the Strategy Knowledge I have rb.gy/g1iqro
Thank you very much for this playlist! I am a beginner (700) and this is really helpful. I struggle in the openings with black and get into awkward positions during the middlegame but I think I will now go with this opening.
Your videos have helped me a lot and I am glad that I have followed this playlist from the beginning, from when I started playing chess sometime ago. You are a great player and teacher 😊
Wow!! I'm a 71-year-old woman attempting to learn chess to strengthen my memory and my ability to concentrate. This man is terrific! I spent two hours on this video and it was a great experience. My preference is for ad-free sites because the ads interrupt the flow of the instruction. I'm willing to pay for ad-free content to individuals who are this creative and adept at instruction. Love your instruction, Mr. Ramirez and will buy some of your merchandise.
Hello Lana! It's a pleasure to have you as part of our small community. Thanks a lot for your kind words and I hope to see you around enjoying more lessons 👍😎
Man this is just adorable
He's the best teacher there is. I'm 67 and nearly always use the Pirc.
Fantastic trainer!
thanx
@@NMRobertRamirez
I have never achieved so much clarity in chess understanding until I do today. You are an incredibly gifted teacher who converted this bumbling fool of a chess enthusiast into an actual strategic player. No amount of thanks is enough for what you do. You deserve every good thing that happens to you, my friend. I'm going to recommend you to all my friends who are starting to learn chess. Absolutely incredible instructionals.
I can't believe someone have uploaded this for free.
hehe I hope you found it useful :)
@@NMRobertRamirez love it! Thanks!
Some people like sharing their knowledge
I love the internet!
@@NMRobertRamirez is easy to play as white too
This opening, no exaggeration, gained me 100 ELO almost overnight. Thank you NM Ramirez!
I love this opening. It's really unconventional and keeps you ready for everything. Only thing that bugs me is that my opponent 95% of the time always counters my Qa3 move (pinning the knight) with Bd2. Once I retreat to c7, I feel like my Queen is out of the picture, blocked behind the pawn on e5 once an exchange of pawns is made.
I originally came to this channel for this lesson because I was looking for a good and easy to learn opening for black. I haven't regretted it for a moment. I liked this video so much, I decided to start from the beginning and now, but 51 lessons later I'm here again and I've learned so much. Thanks again coach!
fantastic, clear explanations! I like the way to focus on teaching and not showing off and trying to be a youtube star (the world has enough of those).
7 wins 1 loss as black since playing this opening!!! TY! I genuinely suggest that everyone gives this a few games! The best thing is to see the hesitation by white on move #5!
That's so great to hear! I am sure you are doing something else right 😎 but still this is a nice opening. You might like the regular Pirc from lesson # 69 for later down the road 👍
@@NMRobertRamirez Definitely! I'm actually working my there! I started watching your knight outpost video, LESSON #52 and just WOW! Looking at the game in a much more efficient and practical way!!! It's insane ( in a great way ) to have that understanding of why to make the moves! TY for your help, and your explanation is really really good for my level. I've increased my rating from 1209 to 1324 in not much time!
@@brass4235 nice! Congratulations on such a big jump and I hope you get to use what we covered in lesson # 52 soon. The more you learn about Chess the more you are going to enjoy it!
O
2 wins 0 losses, but for kings pawn opening I prefer stafford gambit, i use this for every other opening tho
I've been playing this defense for many years. I knew it as Rivas defense, Rivas is a spanish grandmaster who played it very often. This video is so awesome! You have clearly explained pieces set up, basic plans, patterns, and ideas of this defense. Keep up the good work!
Hello Miguel! Glad you liked this lesson. Coming from someone with so much experience like you, it truly means a lot 👍 You might also like the main Pirc from lesson # 69 😎
Challens the coash?
My biggest problem is trying to make my mind up on what to play. I keep moving backwards and forwards between different openings and getting bogged down. This Czech Pirc is the one for me I think, especially as you can also play it with white. A universal opening that allows me to not get stuck on the opening and move on to the middle and end games. All your playlists are excellent. Thankyou Robert. Keep up the good work!
This is outstanding. I can't believe it took me so long to find out about it. Both simple and effective. I have used it in dozen 5+5 games with very good results AND you can play this against everything! Simple and effective. Outstanding. thank you RobRam.
Thank you so much Robert!!! I used to struggle when playing the black pieces but after watching your lessons about the pirc and kid I actually win more games with the black pieces and I really feel comfortable playing this opening and get to the middle game in a good position and knowing the basic ideas instead of getting stuck without any clue how to continue. Your lessons are very clear, you cover all the points, and easy to remember for a guy like me that watched a lot of videos and failed to implement the ideas in real games. Your system is much more clear and easy for me to play and gets me through the opening safely, and if I lose it's because I hang pieces or do stupid blunders. Thank you so much, you are AMAZING!!!
Hello! Thanks a lot for your kind words. It means a lot to know you found some value in this lesson and the course in general. Please, let me know if you ever have any questions 👍😎
Good morning thx so much I've been play from the age of 11, I'm in my 50s now, I've never seen this opening, I now use it all the time as presented, absolutely fantastic I may have lost twice & that was me experimenting. Your reasoning and detail is the best I've experienced, you are a great teacher. Subscriber for life!
Thanks a lot for your kind words! It is great to know you are finding value in these lessons 👍Please, let me know if you ever have any questions!
This is exactly what I'm looking for. Great explanations crammed in a relatively short video. Thanks!
I am so glad you found it useful! Thanks a lot for your feedback. Hope lesson 53 also helps you regarding this opening.
@@NMRobertRamirez thank you! You are so generous :) also, iprefer your suggestion over what i did. I just didnt see it! I still struggle with my "chess vision." Hehe. But Thanks. Now i know what to do :)
You mentioned that you can play the opening with white as well. Do you open with the pawn Queen side or King side for white?
@@NMRobertRamirez .....
@@cdubbs44 hello! You can see it in action on lesson # 53 👍
This is maybe the best opening video I've seen on TH-cam. Really appreciate how you explained every move while keeping it short and easy to understand for beginners.
It was wonderful to watch our Instructor play spontaneously blitz chess and use the principles that he endorsed. He also talked us through his methodology.!!!
This is by far my Favorite Instructor....
during my NCAA times i played the french and pirc (not this variation), got bored with both of those defences and studied the sicilian in which i had a very good result both sides. after college and switching to being a teacher myself i found myself quite lost when i tried to start playing again.it seems that i have forgotten the many sharp lines for both sides of the sicilian. Came july 29,2021 every time i go to youtube this blue colored channel suddenly appeared and with hesitation still tried to have a quick look at this video....and WOW!its amazing. tried this line which i never played before got me a straight 7 wins in 3+2 in lichess.and i am sort of feeling like going into playing chess again. I really thank you so much for this National Master Robert Martinez. I felt like my discovery of your channel has a purpose.
As a beginner to tactical chess I always had a very hard time playing counter openings as black. Now I have a solid foundation to build from that I can play against whatever white plays. Won my first two games playing this. Thank you, great lesson.
OK - I back-pedaled from Lesson 69 to get more basis. I regret that I didn't proceed with the lessons two years ago when I was coaxed back into playing - but there's a time for everything. I really stopped playing, and when I resumed this year, I've been tentative about playing games and content to do puzzles.
You mentioned the King's Indian Defense in Lesson 69: I recalled that term but it was just one approach out of dozens that I wasn't keen on learning. I wanted to keep things simple and learn principles instead of memorizing openings and their exotic names.
So, I'm back! I claimed you as my coach two years ago. You've done scores of videos and podcasts since then, but I'm grateful for the archive. Thank you, sir.
Robert, came back for a 'refresher' course. You are a wonderful teacher and example of the best players in the world of chess. If you have published a chess book, I'll buy two dozen copies for a chess club of young players I'm working with here in Memphis. Keep up your good work promoting CHESS. May God continue to bless you!!!😇
I lost first three games with this opening because I panicked and messed up the moves. But my fourth game i checkmated a higher rated player . Thanks . This is awesome and easy to learn .
so 1-3 lol... its been a year how's it going?
I recently started learning chess and I’ve watch a lot of TH-cam videos lately but I can confidently tell you that Ramirez is top 3 for learning. He explains the ideas behind the moves better than anyone else. Honourable mention to GM Hikaru!
Sincere appreciation 🙏🏽
لطفا دوتا سایت دیگر را هم معرفی میکنید؟ برای یادگیری.
Robert, I can listen you for hours. Thank you for the content !
This video rocks! This opening is on its way to solve a lot of my worries about my traditional e5 or c4 versus e4 black openings that I have struggled with for a long time. It's easier to defend , coordinate my pieces, develop and attack. It seems like my pieces are naturally positioning themselves better; which reminds me of old grand master games where the pieces are always in the right place. That's wonderful! A big thank-you!
A lot of struggling with the same moves you mention
Wow, this is really good. Not only do you explain the opening, but you explain all of the reasoning behind it very clearly. This is one hell of a video.
Thank you, Jake! Glad to see you found some value in it 👍
I’m a 48 year old novice, this video and the best opening for white, have changed my game. Good man, great videos
This content is what I was searching for, you are natural born instructor, thank you
You are welcome, Johnny! Thank you for your nice comment. It means a lot 👍
I can already tell this is my fav chess channel. Thank you for finally doing it at a reasonable pace.
I love this opening. Been playing it for months. It is beautiful. Thank you. Really.
I have played both the Pirc and Czech Pirc in tournaments for many years. I have a better winning percent with the Czech's. This line h4 was never my worse fear. Thanks again for all you help.
Bye the way, you got me at the end of that last game the should have been easy drawn. I'll be cooking something up for you next Thursday. lol
hehe yes! you just happened to make the last mistake in the game 😅👍
Hello everyone,
just for context : I started chess in august of 2021 ( 6 months in right now ), I am a middle-age man, and thanks to this Czech Pirc style ( which I play with white AND black ), I finally easily got over 1000 Elo rating.
I will keep playing this opening until I get a good grip on it, and I think it will keep me company for a long time.
Thank you very much mister Ramirez. After a hard start with this style, it grew on me and now I feel great playing it.
Again, many thanks, and good luck to everyone.
Matthieu
Thanks a lot coach! You're putting in so much work for beginners as well as advanced players. This video is by far my favorite one especially because you explained quite a lot of possible lines. Thanks for your hard work.
I’m a member of a local club and have been using e4 for a while. I win about 50% of the time among the club members, who are of varying strength. This last weekend I watched this video and when the club met yesterday I stuck with black all day and won 9 out of my 10 games including beating the two strongest players in the club. Everyone was remarking on my performance. I suspect the strong members will go back to the drawing board to figure out what happened, but for now, I’m sticking with this. Thank you very much.
Congratulations! 👏💪 but I must say, you must be doing something else right. Whatever it is, keep doing it consistently 👍 By the way, thanks a lot for sharing your experience. It means a lot!
Playing at a 1k lvl, just tried this opening and won in 14 moves being up two pawns, a bishop and a rook and player resigned. I'm going to have to study this one a lot more. Thank you very much.
Congrats! 👏💪 Thanks a lot for sharing this with the rest of us 😎
Thank you so much , I'm 66 , learning chess with my 11 year old grand son , I'll enjoy showing this to him today when he call after school ❤
I just repeatedly see this valuable video many times and getting more and more informative tactics. Thanks a lot dear coach Robert
i knew very few black openings first but this one was great to learn . also very nicely explained. i have won last 3 games with black using this opening
Hey sir.. I started watching the playlist... I am new to chess.. Idk much abt it.. But the way you explain everything becomes so easy.. No i m around 600 points.. I started playing 3 days ago.. And i can't say by my words how a brilliant teacher you are.. Well i m from India.. Lots of love from India 🇮🇳.. Sensei
Hello! Thanks a lot for your kind words 🙌👍
Great lesson! My prefered opening for black is the French defense which is like the more cautious sister in many ways. while I love it for how solid and surprisingly nasty it's counter attacking position can be, I find it a little passive at times. This gives another option for being more aggressive and dynamic and I've won some games with this opening thanks to this video. Thank you so much!
You are more than welcome! Thanks a lot for your feedback 🙌👍
a lot of people struggle against french defense
I started chess exactly a week ago and continuously learning through him, its been a great journey from ep1 to ep51 and keep going.... { won against 701 rating guy using his tactics }. Love you coach, keep doing great things.
Sehr geehrter Herr Ramirez !
Habe als Anfänger im Schachclub mit Schwarz fast alle Partien verloren.
Dank Ihrem didaktisch hervorragend gestalteten Video habe ich jetzt schon einige nacheinander !
gewonnen. Herzlichen Dank !
I can’t believe how much this has improved my understanding of the game. Thank you so very much!
You are welcome, Lynn! Thanks a lot for your feedback. It is truly rewarding to read comments like yours 👍
I agree. This video is gold, expecially for not so good players like me.
There's no fooling around, every word has a meaning!
Congrats, very well done!
I was looking for a secondary opening against e4 (my main is the French), and this video made my task very very easy!
That's great to know! Feel free to ask me any questions you might have 👍
Just realised I've got to lesson 51 without commenting! What a fantastic series of videos. Thank you so much I feel like I'm learning a huge amount, and of course when you need to go over previous material you can just watch them again.
Fabulous content you have taken great time and care to prepare.
Thank you, Darren! It's great to see you have been following the lessons in order 👍 Please, let me know if you ever have any questions!
It's been a year since I've learned this opening. It's by far my favorite opening for black but I know I still have so much to learn about it.
Just tried this for the first time vs 1100 sven bot on chess site. 91.1% accuracy, 12 best moves, 16 excellent, 4 good, 3 book. 0 on all other moves. Computer played Reti 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. d4 c6. So a slightly different move order but WOW what a great lesson Robert! Thanks for showing us not just the opening but middlegame ideas and full games you played. Also the idea to just simplify when you're ahead to avoid nasty swindles/surprises. Thank you so much!
I've searched for a universal defense for decades. I remember trying some systems with 1..d6 which produced some disastrous results. None of them featured 3..c6, which is the key move; freeing the queen's diagonal and defending. I especially like that he played master-level opponents immediately, and live. That takes guts! Everything works against poor players! (LOL). There really is no reason NOT to play this. VERY HELPFUL!!! VERY IMPRESSIVE!!!
Nice video but I've rarely seen master level players play as weakly as they did
@@awaedin probably because they were lines they were not familiar with. this is the trade off/double edge of the sword. on the main line they will kill you. on a less common line they are vulnerable; but if the less common line were really that strong; it would be the main line; and they would kill you.lol.maybe? also, because it is Robert playing the less common line as opposed to you; or me.lol. well i think that is probably the main difference.lol.;-)
I mean, technically, he could easily have just recorded tons of games until he won, or he could have had friends intentionally lose to him, or he could have spent hours writing a bot to make all the opponent's moves, or all kinds of other things.
But this is a really good opening. People aren't exactly prepped for it. Until Levy features in it a video, then we'll need another universal opening. 😜
Same here, I was so surprised he played them live.
Also, the reply about them playing weekly and such, they gave him a hard time so...
Can't see how someone can not like and subscribe even before you hit the middle of the video. And btw that checkmate was exquisite
Hello Mahindu! I am glad to see you enjoyed this lesson. Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback. It means a lot!
It is very impressive to actually see it in action. Especially against such highly rated players.
Stright forward and clear plans. I am now a subscriber. Thanks, can't wait to try it!
You are more than welcome! Let me know how it goes when you try it 👍
Great job with this introduction to a simple and elegant system. The two games at the end compliment the theory very well! Bravo and thank you!
You are not just a coach you also a Profesor,I LIKE THE WAY YOUR TEACHING
Thank you, Jonathan! I really appreciate your kind feedback 👍😎
This is the most informal chess video I have ever watched and you make it so simple by explaining moves. Subbed
Welcome aboard! 👍😎
I just spent 2 hours watching your pirc tutorials. TYSM!!! Hopefully now I can break out of 1350!!!
You are more than welcome! Keep training your middle and endgame as well and let me know how it goes. If you keep it consistent, it can only go one way 👍
Excellent teacher, felt like you were instructing me in person!
I have seen this pirc defence before on youtube, explained by other grandmasters, but I love the way you explain it by going over the moves again and again, so it becomes second nature. You really are an excellent teacher and I love your teaching method. keep up the great work my friend. 👍👍
Used to play e6, because I wanted to force white to play my system avoiding sicilian and so on. But I really got bored playing the exchange variation over and over.
So I started playing pirc online and for now I like it. Thanks for your quality content.
Hello guys! If you would like to see me using this opening against other players in real games, see the links below:
NM Robert Ramirez playing the Czech Pirc as Black and as White: th-cam.com/video/phoAxRk1NT8/w-d-xo.html
NM Robert Ramirez playing on Lichess and Chess.com with the Czech Pirc: th-cam.com/video/ld7tyGyE_yk/w-d-xo.html
Czech Pirc vs e4-d4-Nc3-f4 (Austrian): th-cam.com/video/UDbnP0yakM4/w-d-xo.html
I am glad to see my game is posted here. Its all learnt from your lessons and eager to learn more. Thank you. :)
@@vinothindrakannan2240 .. very smooth... good job
I love this opening for black because it's simple, straight forward, developes pieces, protects the king and has a built in attack. What more could want for a quick game with the boys in the park!😇
I am playing now with someone who used to beat me in every game I played with him, but after using this opening we finished the first game with stalemate and we are in our second game and I just finished my opening and developing all my pieces and put my rocks in service. Thanks a lot for this great strategy ❤
I have been playing for a long time and never felt comfortable playing black this great and really moved me forward, thanks so much keep up the great work!!!
You are more than welcome! Thanks a lot for your feedback! 🙌👍
WOW!!
Really nice explanation!!
was really looking for something new with black, something unique and this is it!!
Keep it up 💙👑
Very instructive video!! Glad to come across this channel !!!!! Have been playing d6 and g6 universally myself, this adds another nice opening. Thanks, great content, especially for beginner-intermediate level !!!!
Thank you!
Wow ok I used to watch Gothamchess exclusively but now I think I’ll watch more from you !!!
Very instructive and educational for beginners! Please keep that “repetitive style” in your videos 😍
You got it! Let me know if you ever have any questions 👍
@@NMRobertRamirez how does a knight move.
@@aqib8755 lesson # 2 😎
Thank you so much! I play this almost always now when I have black, with about 75% win rate! The few games that I lost where because I delayed to move the king's pawn in the center, and it created problems, or just from other mistakes.. I love this system!!!
I've been playing this opening quite often. It's fun! The most common response I see to queen to A5 is bishop to D2. Stockfish recommends pawn to E5 > then I often see people move their knight to D5. Stockfish recommends sending the queen back to D8. Do you agree with this line?
Keep up the great content!
This kind of opening gave me the best game in a long time though i need more practice but Thank you so much. 👍
This is a great channel! Really helpful and beneficial! Keep up the amazing work!
Thank you!
Great explanation! Keep up the good work! 🔥✌️
Thank you!
That's the best chess lesson ever. I like the way you explain and do a practice game.
This is the only opening that works for me, Carnal. Thanks to you I feel very comfortable playing with the black pieces.
I subscribed very quickly after maybe the first or second visit. Thank you for your relevant, smart content.
My pleasure! I am glad you are finding these lessons useful 👍
If anyone watches the “Coffee Chess” channel here on TH-cam, I noticed a player by the name of “Electric Eric” who uses this opening exclusively for both sides- only exception is he doesn’t bring the queen out to the side of the board. Also- do you think this opening is good against 1.c4 or would another line like the King’s Indian be more effective?
Hello! I think the King's Indian Defense would be more effective, but at this point in the course I would rather have you guys use this one and dedicate more time to middle and endgame instead of learning more complicated openings. We start learning the KID later in lesson # 85 👍
Electric Eric played Hikaru recently on CC. He always brings a good game.
Brilliant !!
Thank you!
Daaaaaaaaamn!!! This!!! This is what I never knew I was looking for!! I was a Scandinavian Player up until now (just because it pisses off most e4 players), so I’m already very comfortable with my queen on a4/pawn c6 and retreat the queen to c7 lines, but whenever white played 1.d4 I simply didn’t know what to do. To have an opening that works against both d4 and e4 and has many similarities in the general setup to what I already play AND is relatively unknown so it catches my opponent off guard is a gift from heaven! I cannot believe this is real & free on YT. Thank you really really much.
great lessons Mr Ramirez, extremely helpful, thank you for donating your time to give free lessons very much appreciated
This is an EXCELLENT opening. I’ve always struggled with an effective black strategy, and this works so well!
Glad to hear, Jim! Let me know how it goes 👍
Thank you, Robert. This is awe-inspiring and instructional! Chess can be indeed enjoying yet obsessing. I am glad I ran unto your channel/clips.
Hello Vince! You are more than welcome. Welcome aboard 😎 Let me know if you have any questions as you go through the lessons. Always happy to help!
I love this opening. It's really unconventional and keeps you ready for everything. Only thing that bugs me is that my opponent 95% of the time always counters my Qa3 move (pinning the knight) with Bd2. Once I retreat to c7, I feel like my Queen is out of the picture, blocked behind the pawn on e5 once an exchange of pawns is made.
I agree, I’d say 99% of the time!!
Hi Robert ! I'm here to express my gratitude to you. I'm watching all your videos from lesson 1 and now reached lesson 51. Today I played 3 games. 2 with white pieces and 1 with black. With the white pieces , I used Queen's Gambit which you taught in lesson 50.. And amazingly in the 2 games, the oponnents played the exact 2 lines which you mentioned in your video (Opponent tries to hold onto the pawn)..
With black pieces, I used the opening you taught in this video. I won all the 3 games by checkmate. Thank you so much for the valuable learnings 😊 I hope you gets lots of success !
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind words 🙌😎
Absolutely find your teaching to be easily understood and breaking down the moves, for me I am learning and appreciate it, so thank you
I really enjoyed this video. I play a lot of chess with my best friend and this system shows its very balanced.
I just want to say it's been a while since I looked at any of your videos. I have been looking at some other instructors on various things such as openings, etc. What I have noticed by coming back is how well you explain everything, unlike most of the other instructors. You are a very, very good teacher!!
Hi! This is the best opening video I have seen on TH-cam. You have proceeded to boost my wins with black a lot. I was struggling to find a good opening for black and went through multiple like the French, the Sicilian dragon, the Caro-Kann, etc. But with the Czech Pirc, it works incredibly good at my rating (950). With your help, I know what to do in the first 12 moves against almost every move. I would honestly pay for this! Thanks a lot from Québec Canada. 🇨🇦
Thk you for explaining why pieces move and sticking to a system when things do not go as planned.....I have learned so much watching you videos....thk you again, I know a little bit about HOW to play now.....
This defense is awesome..I've been playing just over a year and has worked for me. Excellent and well explained! Thank you.
pirc is my black respond to D4 or E4;I play the king’s gambit as white; love open positions in white; pirc is an excellent black opening; sharper than a french; I’m working on my king’s indian; all thanks to Robert .. great videos; chess players are blessed to have masters grandmasters teaching us..
Wow! I’ve been playing off and on for 55 years and never seen this black defense. Thank you for sharing it.
I just want to thank you. You are an amazing teacher, and the piric is now my favourite opening that I really enjoy playing!
🙌👍
I've been playing this for a while now and love it. My main reply to e4 is the Sicilian but I also play the Czech Pirc as an alternative after learning it from The Chess Giant channel a while ago. It's great because it's not very well known so catches a lot of players out and it's easy to play. Highly recommended.
I really appreciate your free content and teaching us the openings and the tactics, you really helped me in my long journey in chess I was 480 now i am 1022, thanks coach!
Incredibly helpful. I needed this in the worst of ways. Merci.
Like your attitude towards playing chess! You give good instructions and keep it upbeat and fun. When you played the blitz games you authentically mentioned when there was a surprise or a threat but you clearly kept your cool and considered them challenges. I decided to try the Pirc defense and I won! Just like you have been saying, this gets you into a good position through the opening, and then go and play chess.
I loved this. Makes sense in every move. Solid defense and spectacular counter attack.
After using this technique for 1 month , i am able to get a hang of it , apply and appreciate finer aspects to my games.
I love how u get super excited with the checkmate at the end!
After seeing the video ( and making notes) I tried this against Stockfish at my level. He went with an Queen push behind d4 on the second move. I managed to remain cool and kept all the principles in mind. In the end I went on to win with a CPI of 23. Chuffed. This is on my keepers list. Thanks heaps Robert.
Excellent! The most important thing is to remember to stay cool like you did and understand the ideas behind every move. Congrats!! 💪
@@NMRobertRamirez Thanks for the encouragement Robert. Usually I actually don't manage to stay cool, but I know that is what you have to do, and having a solid understanding like you have given certainly helps a lot. De novo obrigadao.
This is so far the best opening I have learnt for Black.Already loving it and enjoying great results.Thank you NM Ramirez
Just found this. Really looking forward to a deep dive into this for myself. Been playing for a year now. Found my White (Reti), now I'm looking for my Black. I think I found it. Learned the basics today, Won the last 4 out of 5 games. You explain things well and to the point.
Stuck at 1700 and ready to take it to the next level! Thanks alot I'll be trying to use this!
Hello! Feel free to check out the regular Pirc too from lesson # 69 and on 👍 th-cam.com/play/PLQKBpQZcRycrdFv_RC9rovYN1Wh6F_JPR.html
2 thumbs up, great content and very good commentary with presentation. I've used this approach myself several times, with favorable outcomes most of the time, for the opening of my games playing with the black pieces. Host and videos recommended, friends and family.