How to Kill the French Defense | A Tactical Showcase | GM Naroditsky’s Theory Speed Run 

I had a great run at the national open in vegas that happened a few weeks back. I went 6 out of 7 tied with 2 others for first place, and huge credit goes to your speed runs as they really improved my chess skills a lot. Also, I had to checkmate with a knight and bishop in one of my rounds, one of your videos I watched helped a lot for it as well. Thank you so much Danya for providing such excellent content, I will continue to watch these speed runs, there is always something to learn from it

It still amazes me that we have regularly scheduled masterclasses... FOR FREE!!!! Thank you so much Danya

the quality of Daniel's instruction is superlative. I haven't seen anything as good. A very pleasant personality on top of everything else.

I wish I could give this two or more likes. This game was highly instructive, not only because it is an opening that I play, but you have this amazing ability to explain things in real time that is unmatched.

I think until now I took for granted how well you can keep an audience engaged even when the opponent is thinking. It just never really occurred to me but you do it all the time. I love the speedrun vids and you do a wonderful job breaking down your thought process for a beginner level to understand.

Nothing like a speedrun video of Dania dissecting a game right after blundering a game away

no one: Danja after 30 min. of a 15/15 min. game: "we barely exited the opening" 31:40

Yesterday, I was beating a player 150 rating points higher than me in the French (I was up a knight and two pawns), but lost due to time in the end. I spent 5 minutes on more than one move in the opening because I just didn't know how to respond to the French as white. This video came at a perfect time for me.

Karpov was a big proponent of the Tarrasch when playing against the French Defense.

Opponent moves a piece in the opening Danya: now an inevitable mating attack is coming

47:25 this line just won me a rapid game against a 1900 player. Fell straight into the queen trap. Thank you Danya!

This was an absolutely brilliant video! Thanks to Danya for sharing some of his secret opening prep. The games and the videos are getting a lot more complicated, but I prefer having "more meat on the bone" - now I have something I can really sink my teeth into. Just FYI, Danya, I watch and try to actively participate with every single second of your videos, because I value them so highly.

I wanted to Thank you for your contributions to Chess brother, Been along for the ride from your beginnings here on the tubes. Your very articulate in your teachings, and extremely thorough. Much appreciated , and much love Danya....💯

Great video as always Danya! Thank you for sharing ideas.

Amazing Game and Video Danya! Really enjoyed this one

This is the best way to learn chess, listening to a strong player annotate their games.

I always always always always struggle against the French. Thank you so much for the video!

You are amazing, your content is pure gold, I learned so much from your videos.

This is UNDOUBTEDLY the best chess instruction video I have ever seen!!

Just blown away at these amazing tactics. I'm slowly being able to calculate a few of the moves and also learning how t o spot some of these tactics as well. These videos are priceless. I cannot thank you enough for the this wealth of knowledge. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Danya playing one of his actual openings is unfair. Wild how extensive his knowledge is when it comes to what he actually knows and plays. A lot of 2000s can put up a fight when he's playing in unknown territory, but this just felt entirely different.

Amazing Danya. I should save all the playlists. I really enjoyed this one.

My face smiles every time I see Danya's speedrun on my youtube home recommendations. Keep up the speedrun man!

Thanks , you combine common sense , logic's , and simplicity . = a great teacher for beginner like myself ! And can see why you could continue to educate me in my later " stages " ...

Thank you Daniel for the amazing content

What a beautiful game. So many concepts were shown that I was not aware of. I have the same rating as the opponent, and Naroditsky just thought so many new branches of ideas. Perhaps the best game ever shown in the speedrun in terms of instructivness. Thank you

Incredible content! Love the higher rated game analysis.

Always a good day when Daniel uploads a video!

You always seem to post a video right when I fancy watching one. Thanks 🙂

thanks for being back with the regular speedrun

3. Nd2 in the French. With this move white is saying “I have a job. I have a family.”

Fantastic video. I always struggle against the French at the 1400-1500 level so it's great to see how you dismantle a much stronger player in this opening.

amazing game and explanation x2

Another hour long analysis. love it ❤

Perfect game! Perfect analysis! Would be really interesting to see you climb to the top of the rating ladder (standard), because this is getting better and better!

You're my chess hero, Daniel!

Your videos are amazing. I love the tennyson gambit, and when it is declined, i usually play the vienna or 4, knights.

Just started playing the Tarrasch French myself. This is awesome!

great video daniel

This is mind boggling stuff!

Second half is GOLD. Thank you 🙏

wow what a cool game !!! much love danyeezee

I love such games. Closed center openings are so rich when it comes to interesting positions

Its incredible

wow.. what an explanation.. flawless..

amazing

Thank you

These explanations at this level are the most helpful so far out of all videos you've made. Please continue at this higher level. This material is vitally missing in video format and book notation is incredibly difficult to interpret well. Many thanks.

HI Daniel, you asked for feedback, so here goes mine. I have followed your previous speedruns and I have learned a lot from them. Forever grateful for your lessons. That being said, after watching this video, I feel like the pace is way too quick for me to be able to digest what you are teaching. I don't mean the playing, which of course needs to be fast paced due to the time control, but I feel like the general pace of the video is a bit too fast. Anyway, thanks again for all your content!

So informative ... just free lessons from a GM.... ❤DANYA

Me: "Position is closed. No potential here." Danya: "So theres an unstoppable mating attack."

Thanks

I cannot explain how grateful I am for this tutorials but DEAR LORD! Please explain it later!

The word 'defense' is an essential part of this video's title.

Best series on RU-vid

I'm trying to relearn chess after playing seriously 35-40 years ago. I've watched a lot of these videos and they have opened my eyes to how chess can be played. I have a modest objective of learning some opening theory so that I'm not hopelessly lost after six moves! My starting point is that the French is a forced win for Black. I'm just trying to figure out why that is not the case. Thanks for all your videos.

Thank you for giving us your prep

best series on youtube. no gas

Watching the speedrun in backwards order, this is my favorite game so far.

What a great guide into the French defence for White, thank you!

This game was a masterclass, congratulations.

This is really quality learing experience, no 20minutes shortcuts

Hello Danya, thanks for this amazing content! I want to teach my kids chess, at what age did you learn it? Are there any methods or books you would recommend?

Welcome back Dany boyy

Crazy seeing you dismantle 2100s like it’s nothing

I learned a lot, but I’m sad you are helping so many to learn how dismantle my go to French Defence 😅

You‘ve got. Coaching skills. Thank you,

Any day Dania releases a RU-vid video is a good day

Your teaching the art of patience not only in chess but life.

These thumbnails are pure art !

When he highlights a dark square on the c-h files, the red plus the blue/white makes a little french flag, very thematic:))

I was literally about to sleep. I guess not anymore!

There are multiple YTs on countering the fresh defense. But I did not do well. Applying the setup in this vid and variations explained here has helped me the most. 1300s Chesscon. Is there a video explaining this particular setup step by step in more detail? It has actually worked well for me when black responds with fresh opening.

The boyish giddy Danya radiates when it comes to chess warms my heart

damn Danya why i always miss your speedrun streams? timezone - berlin

23:10 great quote. Strangle them positionally

Daniel please make a video on utilising space advantage

Great timing, I just switched to the Tarrasch to avoid having to learn theory in the Winawer. Now I have to learn theory in the Open Tarrasch instead... (at least my pawns aren't doubled)

I don't think I can get bored from Greek gift theory.

14:24 looks like Danya is playing Fisher Random

I detest playing against the French but to be honest, most of this is because I have trouble handling French pawn structures and positions in an effective manner. This video was very informative in how to deal with certain details, and encouraged me to do more reading into seriously playing the Tarrasch. Thanks for the great content as always!

thanks for the tactics....

I would love more D4 videos

Best chess teacher ever

Good danya😊

just in time! 😃

wow that was a beautiful game, holy shit

I tell everyone that you’re the best educator in chess. I learn more from your videos than any paid lesson I’ve had. I’d love to get some lessons from you but I’m assuming you’re unavailable as you are a busy man. Serious question….. you strongly advise against 3.Nc3 in the French…. Yet you recommend that in your Jobava course when things transpose…. Can you explain?

the most beautiful game of the series

Speaking from experience, I’ve played on both sides of the French and against the Tarrasch, c5 is the only acceptable line. As demonstrated by the game Nf6 is imo dubious and the positions that arise from this opening are extremely ugly, the only hope black has is a kingside counterattack but even with this, white has a significant edge. Playing Nf6 against the tarrasch is an improved French version of the Nc3 french where Nf6 is also played for 2 reasons, the light square bishop goes on d3 easily and the knight doesn’t need to invest another tempo to move from c3 (because it is on d2) to connect the pawns with pawn to c3. From a practical standpoint, this is very difficult to face from the black side especially in longer time controls as one mistake can lead to the collapse of black’s position and even if you play accurately as black there is so much initiative to deal with and there are easier and more comfortable alternatives to this.

14:05 I wonder if the adventurous h4! Is a viable idea here. Bxh4 Nxh4 Qxh4 Nf3, and you get the knight in with tempo, dark-squared bishop comes alive, h-file is opened up, could be very appealing. Edit: turns out h4 is one of the top engine moves lol Edit 2: He did play h4 later but I feel like it would’ve been stronger if he had played it when the knight was still on d2 as white gains quite a bit of initiative

03:11 Thank you I also play the Tarrasch

noooo, my favourite opening

You should also play french defense on black side for once

Whoa... this is phenomenal stuff. I respect coaches, but Danya is so good, he might put some of them out of work!

danya literally giving us the secret sauce🙏🏽😭

Daniel, I will lend you my eleven-foot poll.

this epi alone is a chess university.

Ok, but what about jobava london players, you said you are going to make a video about the french, but i don see what variation will you recommend other than the Nc3 french

21:10 Bg5 is so weird a move to me, as logical as it was for Danya to arrive at it.