By the way, in the last example, 1. Qc8 fails because Black replies 1. … Qe3, threatening 2. … Qf2#. 1. Qd8 is the correct move because now, 1. … Qe3 is simply met with 2. Qxh4.
At 6:27 there is a beautiful pin easter egg. After Ba6, Simon doesn't mention the natural try Rd1, just defending the bishop. But black has the gorgeous response Rb1!! with two pieces hanging and pinning simultaneously. Rxb1 Bxd3+ forks the rook and wins a piece, while Bxa6 Rxd1+ wins an exchange, so white has no good answer to the threat of Rxd1 removing the defender of the d3 bishop.
3:58 It's a black-white photo but Kaplan looks quite alike GingerGM too me :) Anyway, thank you for the video and nice commentaries, Simon. Good stuff. Cheers!
Nice examples! I think the most beautiful variation in the fourth example (also emphasizing the importance of the pin on the Bd3) is: 1. ... Ba6! 2. Rd1 Rb1!! winning a piece.
I actually found that last pin! Spotted Qd8 straight off, but I think that was heavily due to knowing that the correct move was a pin. When you know to look for a pin, Qd8 becomes obvious, but finding that over the board in a game is altogether different.
Because then white king would move to e2 and would take back rook for rook and yes lose his bishop but having a knight left it could lead to a draw. But his idea leaves his opponent with also one less pawn so his idea is superior to what you said. But even if it lead to the same result what he said is just the easier win perhaps. May be he didn't miss the alternative move but didn't have the need to mention a move that was not better.
My favourite was the second one - Ra2. It almost has the same vibe as when a computer cheater gives up castling voluntarily in favour of Kd1 and black is completely lost (NN. vs Eric Hansen, see his channel).
Amazing position in last example that Qc8 and Qb8 counter pin not work becuase of Qe3 connecting R+Q and black threaten Qf2# and white has to give up Q for R with lost game. With Solution Qd8! he not just counterpins Re8 but also threatens Qxh4 if Qe3 to eliminate Qf2# mate threat.
Nice video but itd be nice if you put the names next to their chess pieces, its hard to know which one youre talking about, especially when you list their last name and talk about them with their first name
In the first example, I would play on - Rc1 gxf4; Qxc3 fxg3+; Kxg3 Qf3+ and a possible perpetual...maybe there is an easy way out....?....not sure though. Worth a try.
In the Bronstein game, I wonder if this works: instead of ...Q:c3, Black has ...Q:e2, threatening ...Qe1 leading to a backrank mate. Now if Rd1, Black plays ...Rd8 with the threat ...R:d2, R:d2, Qe1 mate. So White creates luft for his King with b3. But then ...R:d2, R:d2, Qe1+, Kb2 and Black wins the Rook on d2 now that the King is driven away. If this brutal approach works, it's certainly not as elegant as Bronstein's.
A great and very taughtful video! Btw it's pronounced [Bronstain], not [Bronstiin]. This something Americans and apparently British people as well do not understand for whatever reason.
In the first example is Rook to d1 possible? and from there to d4 later on i don't think black can do anything to stop it in between these two moves. white queen can freely capture the black rook. the only escape square for the black rook is to capture on e3. in that case, white rook to d8 checking the king with the rook and losing the white rook but winning the black queen.
