A Positional Discussion about Pawn Structures and Dynamism 

"For the London players, this is what chess looks like if you come from that bunch" LOL

I've spent so much time watching chess youtube lessons and I've never found someone who explains more advanced concepts as efficiently and articulately as you do. Thanks so much for all you do!

I’ve played the e5 line against the orangutan before but this is the first time I’ve really understood why it’s okay to exchange the e pawn for a b pawn since that would be a bad idea in virtually any other opening. Very helpful thanks

I know it was touched upon in Chess Principles Reloaded: Center, but Chess Principles Reloaded: Pawn Breaks would be a good upcoming title. It's hard to give "maxims" to pawn breaks as they often yeah just require objective calculation plus intuition, but you've produced pawn break content very helpful to me as a Sicilian player for free on this channel. Specifically I am toast in equal positions where there seems to be nothing and no pawn breaks to play for as I just start destroying myself trying to make something happen (1800ish FIDE/1950 USCF for the record). Don't know if you'd be interested in making a course on this but I'd buy the discounted hell out of it :). Thanks again for the amazing content, you are the unmatched number one chess coach for aggressive amateur like myself.

Man,chess is so rich, all blacks moves look good and all chess opening principles are being played and still when you start thinking about it deeper black is almost lost

Explaining what are obscure concepts to improvers is not just good content, it's brilliant stuff. Will rewatch a couple times. You win the chess internet today.

Just discovered your channel thanks to a friend and training partner. As an "adult improver", your very clear exposition in the first few minutes of the video on the misconceptions regarding what exactly constitutes a "central-pawn" and how to evaluate certain pawn-exchanges early in the game is reason enough to immediately subscribe and go through your content list! But then, you also explain why one must generally refrain from blocking one's c-pawn with the QN when playing a 1.d4 game because this would prevent one from effectively fighting for the all-important centre, which is the key to piece mobility and even harmony as the game unfolds out of the opening into the middlegame... The fact that you masterfully explain why Black's opening choice of ...Bxf4 even though it means Bxe5 is theoretically sound because best play - establishing a cramping pawn-front - will seriously hinder White's pawn options and their mobility early in the game is just a cherry on top of the hot-fudge sundae! Now, this may seem like very basic stuff to serious students of the game, but as a 58-year-old who never studied it seriously and only returned to it a couple of years ago, this is very enlightening information. The discussion on the creation of a lasting structural weakness in the opponent's camp by a judicious and timely pawn-trade such as happened after ...exd4 exd4 leaving White with a backward c-pawn is another great little detour but the real value of this video, to me anyway, starts around the 10-minute mark when you drive home the fact that one should avoid simply reflexively castling just to "finish development" and really take one's time to evaluate the implications of the position before this decision is made to understand if it will lead to structural implications which will prove decisively in favour of the opponent. In other words, avoiding painting-oneself-in-a-corner in the name of making a "principled" move when greater scrutiny of the position is called for and will reveal that this may allow a player to establish a controlling influence over the centre as well as how the game will unfold, often leaving one very hard-pressed to find any useful plan which might allow pushing one's own agenda rather than being stuck in the position of always replying to the other player's one... The fact that you tied-in the premature ...0-0 with the inaccurate ...Nc6 having prevented ...c5 and explained how this introduced a clear urgency for Black to redress the situation before it was too late really made this video even more insightful than it had already proved to be! At this point, I would like to say that I have only very recently become much more aware of the importance of introducing complications into the game...I had heard this expression many times in the past couple of years and had a vague intuition of its meaning but never really looked into the subject. I used to be quite satisfied with only playing positionally sound and "safe" moves but I've realized in the past month or so that this is not enough: one must push the limits of the opponent to create conditions that will be conducive to that person making an error, be it an inaccuracy, a mistake or even a blunder. Contenting oneself with apparently sound, simple and natural moves and setups not only doesn't accomplish this, it doesn't challenge one in any way significant enough to foster growth and improvement as a player. So, I have now shifted towards "sharper" play, even if that increases the risks for me as well. This forces me to play slower and really think deeply whenever I go down a more complicated line. I found very serendipitous your discussion about the need to make the position "livelier" or more "creative" than "stale and boring" positions - for example by opposite-side castling - because I have recently turned my attention to the importance of imbalances, the middlegame and the question of attacking the King's position as well as, more particularly, opposite side-castling! I was only just this morning explaining to my friend how Kotov's use in his and Keres's "The Art of the Middlegame" of an example game to illustrate an aspect of opposite-castling wasn't predicated on the victory needing to be due to the accretion of incremental advantages which would result in a game-graph where you get a slowly ascending slope... None of the books I am studying use games with examples of perfect play: either a positional or a tactical inaccuracy, mistake or even blunder is always the deciding factor. The point is to push your opponent to the limit of his or her skill and ability and force that person to make the first important mistake! Opposite-side castling means that players have thrown down the gloves and are going for a knockout punch. Positions are much sharper and require great accuracy and calculation. One of the opponents will be weaker in that department and an error, big or small will occur. That occurrence will force a shift away from attacking to defence, definitely ceding the initiative to the other. This will add even greater pressure to play accurately, further increasing the chances of a grave error occurring. Thanks so much for this very informative, entertaining and enlightening video! Regards, Pix

You've inspired me to play the London 😎

I'm rated 2000 and it took me a while to figure out this concept, I wish I saw this earlier. Keep up the good work, the actual best chess content out there.

This is a great video. That is because you take a high level concept and break it down and make it accessible to intermediate players. I wish you did this more often. Times like this you approach greatness as a teacher. This is opposed to times when you lead us through mazes of overcomplicated calculations or positions that are too complex for intermediate players to really evaluate or understand. So thanks, and please go more in this direction.

„For the London players, this is what chess looks like.“ awesome 😆

Great video. There are thousands of books repeating the same rules...great for beginners, what helps the intermediate players get good is content which explains when and why to 'break' principals and give us a deeper understanding of chess.

Maybe you should finish off your Chess Principles series with a Chess Principles: Breaking Principles :)

What I love most of all is when you verbalize the themes and motifs and turn the game into a spy thriller story with secret plans on both sides. I love it when you do it on thy classics, I love it when you do it on your student's games, and I love it when you do it during blitz. The principles become visible and memorable, even to a beginner like myself. Brilliant stuff, thanks again.

Thank you for all of your content. I am a new subscriber that heard of you through the perpetual podcast. I have several years of your videos to catch up on!

Best channel for people that want to learn real chess.

AMAZING! So many of my games suffer from this. I have long winded, "solid" (hah) games where I have to play for 60+ moves in order to win a boring end game after a boring mid game... Like you said "no life" in them. This video was *very* inspiring and is going to make me try to play differently.

This abstract kind of discussion is my favorite kind. There is too much content for beginners, I love these more advanced concept videos!

I like Andras videos in general, but this is outstanding even compared to his other videos. I would say it is a “must see” and there should be a chessable course done with this quality of insights and focused exclusively on how to generate play (in case this already exists, please share the link)

Absolutely wonderful video! His insights are pure gold. Love the passion and honesty. This channel deserves a huge following.

Actual educational chess content! Great work IM Andras! Despite RU-vid's love for clickbaits these videos are gold!

One of the best chess youtubes if not the best. I appreciate your in depth content so much. Absolutely incredible.

Wow, thanks! I am still learning how to flip the boat as you say. Very helpful mate.

Very educational video, ideal mix of chess skills and didactic skills.

I reach this exact position a lot when on the black side , I reach it out of Caro kann and Slav .. it has always buzzled how to generate a plan and move on from there and I found out that the only time I win such a position is only when my opponent blunders .. very useful video , thank you

This is pure gold... I used to play e5 d6 against opening...this really helped....thank u Andras...

I dont know how but I read the title as A Positional Discussion about Dyna Structures and Pawnmism

Look at those thumbnails 😯💪

Very instructive. We like it.

Very instructive!

Your Chessable course is great 👍

Absolutely amazing content! First time I hear this clarification about central pawns! Fascinating content!! Gonna have to go through all of your vids!

I've played this 1....e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4 3. Bxe5 line against the polish on half a dozen occasions and almost always play Nc6 before c5. I was always puzzled why the computer labeled this developing move gaining time as an inaccuracy, but I see why now. Center!

Instead of the weird and pointless h3, c4 seems like a reasonable way to put some presence in the center that might crimp Black's expansion and control.

Excellent class Professor!!!

Thanks for the insights!

Great stuff as usual

Amazing lesson, loving the channel

In the 90s I tried to play the Tchigorin's Queen's Gambit as black. Morovevich was using it. I couldn't handle the positions when I block my c pawn with the queen's knight. I needed this video back then.

This is exactly the kind of lesson I need, thank you!!

great video ! I learned a lot from this

What am amazing video! I am a lower rated player (1250 elo) and have began to notice that sometimes my positions just seemed off because I couldn’t do anything while my opponent could. Watching this video I came to a “aha moment”, I had crappy central pawn control. Thanks so much coach!

Great episode!

2nd best coach on the net

The people’s chess coach

Eye opener boss

“For London players, this is what chess looks like.” 😂

Excellent video

Thank you!

Wow you're amazing Your content is superb I know this is really going to help me I can thank you in advance!

very instructive! Thanks. Love the comments on the London LOL 😂

Helpful video, thanks

Loved it sir, looking forward to learn more from you!!

Great video!

Great video, thanks Andras

Amazing stuff! Very instructive.

Hi Andras , great video , would love a video on improving visualisation skills , any tools to use to improve

Can’t wait to absorb.

Great vid

In the position where Black played 0-0 and he shouldn't have, I would have played 0-0 too. My thought would have been this. I messed up by blocking my c-pawn, so I'll fix it by playing Nc6-a5 and c7-c5, but first I should play 0-0 so Nc6-a5 doesn't meet Qd1-a4 check. Bc8-f5 would appeal to me too, because from a5 the only forward move of the knight is to c4, and all obstacles to me occupying c4 with various pieces, and securely, should be removed. You listed reasonable ways for Black to proceed, and that was not one of them. So maybe there is something unreasonable about it, but I don't see what.

Nicely done.

A central pawn is not a pawn on e2 or d2... sounds so clear but nevertheless this was important to say that way! 👏👍

Okay, so the d2, e2, d7 and e7 pawns are not necessarily central pawns. They are central pawns if the are on d4, e4, d5 or e5, or they will go to these squares, am I right? Now I understand better the open sicilian and the orthodox defense. Thanks coach!

It really sinks the concept in, seeing a position that looks so superficially fine for black, but so hopeless. It makes me wonder how many times I've ended up with positions like that, but had no idea.

Yeah beautiful but how to train such a vision as a club player ? Is having a coach the only way ?

such good content, so little views

nice

i like video.

Do you have any tips on how to improve if your above 1800

White's Bf4 could have been a mouse slip.

How can i get coached by you?? Is there a way please lemme know

Knights BEHIND c pawns in d pawn openings!

structure looks a bit like exchange french for black

Off topic I know... but since you don't have time to coach me, do you have recommendations of someone who does?

So early this time no comments here yet

what rating are the 2 players?

early