WEBVTT 00:00.960 --> 00:01.530 Hi there. 00:01.530 --> 00:07.140 In this lecture, we see a great contrast between an ordinary direct player around 2100 against the 00:07.140 --> 00:09.680 great Michael Adams, who's around 2700. 00:09.690 --> 00:13.170 This is in 2016 British Championship round one. 00:13.170 --> 00:17.940 So we get these kind of encounters in round one of the Swiss and they're kind of instructive because 00:17.940 --> 00:23.680 contrast helps us see how we can exploit mistakes, which we can relate to more. 00:23.700 --> 00:29.310 So Peter Shaw make some passive moves, which I believe we can relate to, and it's interesting to see 00:29.310 --> 00:32.310 how he's gradually positioning outplayed in this game. 00:32.310 --> 00:39.720 So D4 from Peter Shaw we have five from Adams c4e69c396. 00:39.720 --> 00:44.790 Bishop g59bd7e3 and now C six. 00:44.790 --> 00:47.160 So a solid start from Adams. 00:47.160 --> 00:54.620 This triangle Cambridge Springs variation Queen A five We have 92. 00:54.630 --> 01:01.020 So this is a theory move to avoid a lot of the Cambridge Springs traps which occur because the Queen's 01:01.020 --> 01:02.490 kind of looking at G five. 01:02.490 --> 01:11.570 So 92 we have Bishop E four, Queen C two, Black Castles, Bishop E two, and now E five. 01:11.580 --> 01:15.450 The point here after D 25 is to play 94. 01:16.350 --> 01:23.070 So if Knight takes E five, this is bad White can just double the pawns, take on D five and claim a 01:23.070 --> 01:24.360 big advantage here. 01:24.870 --> 01:26.460 So 94 is necessary. 01:26.460 --> 01:32.760 We have knight D takes e four, D takes E4, and now White Castle's F queen takes E4. 01:32.760 --> 01:33.900 That's a disaster. 01:34.200 --> 01:37.500 Bishop takes the free check, and then we're winning the A one rook. 01:37.980 --> 01:39.810 So, White Castle. 01:40.140 --> 01:42.870 And now, Bishop, take C free queen. 01:42.870 --> 01:43.440 Take C free. 01:43.440 --> 01:44.580 The Queen's come off. 01:45.360 --> 01:48.090 B chains can actually black win from this position. 01:48.090 --> 01:49.350 So this is really interesting. 01:49.470 --> 01:57.630 Structurally white has damage here, but why has the bishop Bishop F4 we have Knight RD free. 01:58.800 --> 01:59.910 So very interesting. 01:59.910 --> 02:02.640 So we have Bishop RD sex with tempo. 02:03.180 --> 02:10.620 If free the knight can just take on a four and this position should be about even och white has double 02:10.620 --> 02:14.220 pawns and that is scary to have double pawns against Adams. 02:14.220 --> 02:22.950 But technically it does seem about even overall White does have some compensating files here B and D 02:22.950 --> 02:24.600 files to play with. 02:24.630 --> 02:33.630 So och Bishop D six though, was played Rook RD, 8c5, Bishop E six. 02:33.630 --> 02:43.200 And now this move will move 18 betrays a bit of passivity which can lead to being slowly kind of outplayed, 02:43.200 --> 02:45.270 slowly outplayed gradually. 02:45.360 --> 02:49.440 So if you imagine this game, the engine view graph, I've actually seen it. 02:49.440 --> 02:56.910 It's just a one way gradual climb so it's without too much controversy. 02:56.910 --> 03:01.890 And this move really doesn't help any free A4 and it makes all the difference. 03:01.890 --> 03:04.770 Believe it or not, this is about even this position. 03:05.190 --> 03:13.850 If b six we can try B six, but Bishop C seven and then C takes and that's good for white. 03:13.860 --> 03:18.240 So B six is not particularly good and. 03:19.320 --> 03:19.770 Yeah. 03:19.770 --> 03:20.870 So what's going on here? 03:20.880 --> 03:22.230 So this is not good. 03:22.230 --> 03:25.620 If on Bishop C seven it takes C five. 03:25.920 --> 03:28.320 This is not a convincing exchange standpoint. 03:28.320 --> 03:30.150 We'll have a small advantage here at least. 03:30.450 --> 03:34.090 So a four does seem to be significantly different. 03:34.200 --> 03:42.180 A fray we have now because it's trying to kind of dissuade b five from black later. 03:42.180 --> 03:43.740 We have Bishop C four. 03:43.740 --> 03:44.880 So that will be the key point. 03:44.880 --> 03:49.650 If black can get in B five, black can get a lock and key on these two pawns, restrain them. 03:49.650 --> 03:51.960 And that's going to happen more easily now. 03:51.960 --> 03:54.540 So Bishop c four is actually an inaccuracy. 03:54.870 --> 04:00.390 Technically, it seems better as B six here in this particular position. 04:03.510 --> 04:08.280 So why is this different, you might ask. 04:09.450 --> 04:10.680 It is different. 04:11.430 --> 04:15.360 If Bishop takes the fray, he takes the disposition. 04:15.360 --> 04:20.220 Bishop See, for blacks got the advantage because B tanks here. 04:20.220 --> 04:21.810 And this is very nice. 04:21.900 --> 04:25.620 This resulting position is going to be very nice for black. 04:26.490 --> 04:32.910 It is opposite of bishops, but there is this great big passport on D free and. 04:34.940 --> 04:43.010 With the -- on a free now be sex is more effective technically because if bishops C seven we can play 04:43.040 --> 04:48.860 rook dd seven see tanks, eight tanks, bishop tanks and we have be seven. 04:48.860 --> 04:54.350 And you'll notice because the -- is on a free, the -- really can't get a five to support the bishop. 04:54.890 --> 05:00.320 So that's another reason why a four would have been a lot more accurate than a free one could have disappointed 05:00.320 --> 05:04.160 the bishop to avoid this variation here. 05:04.160 --> 05:09.110 By the way, if rook for one, we're just going to double the rooks and win material pawns on if can't 05:09.110 --> 05:10.100 play a five. 05:10.100 --> 05:11.810 So what ends up losing material there? 05:11.810 --> 05:13.460 So that's totally impossible. 05:15.500 --> 05:16.240 Okay. 05:16.430 --> 05:18.490 And the point is not to try and win the bishop. 05:18.500 --> 05:22.220 Why has Bishop takes the free if we try a stunt like C-5? 05:22.610 --> 05:28.310 But to actually go down to the seventh, Frank, and this is to Black's advantage. 05:29.120 --> 05:32.680 So we've got targets down seven, Frank, and we're controlling that B file. 05:32.690 --> 05:38.960 So, yes, this makes it it seems as though B six, it might be actually slightly more accurate in this 05:38.960 --> 05:44.960 particular situation to undermine DD six and get that seven frank opportunity. 05:44.960 --> 05:47.390 It might be slightly more accurate than Bishop C four. 05:48.110 --> 05:55.790 So anyway, game on Rook fd1 If rook fb1 we can demonstrate potential equality for a moment with a four 05:55.790 --> 05:59.420 here free if we take C five. 06:01.760 --> 06:11.810 Bishop, S.C. For Rock 66, this situation should be about even so, here it's about even so. 06:11.810 --> 06:13.640 Rook for one though, was played. 06:13.640 --> 06:17.210 We have B five and this is another way of celebrating the bishop on D six. 06:17.210 --> 06:24.080 In any case, trying to fix down these pawns and why it's kind of running out of good moves, especially 06:24.080 --> 06:25.610 after Bishop Tang's RD free. 06:25.610 --> 06:26.900 This is not a good idea. 06:26.900 --> 06:28.520 This is definite mistake. 06:28.700 --> 06:30.290 A four here, a six. 06:30.290 --> 06:36.950 This situation for example f tanks e for trying to undermine the peace at the free 9e5. 06:36.950 --> 06:45.100 If we take this situation, it should be about even even though one structure looks like a rank, one 06:45.110 --> 06:46.220 should be okay. 06:46.220 --> 06:53.390 But with bishop takes, the free one is doomed actually here to a slow grinding passivity where Michael 06:53.390 --> 07:00.440 Adams is slowly accumulating advantages going up a mountain, you know, like with a donkey, you don't 07:00.440 --> 07:01.220 need a helicopter. 07:01.220 --> 07:03.320 Like in one of the Superman films. 07:03.560 --> 07:09.770 The guy that wanted that computer project, he went up the mountain with a donkey so slow, but sure. 07:09.770 --> 07:12.110 And less risk in his view. 07:12.260 --> 07:14.750 But every five. 07:15.080 --> 07:18.620 So we're gradually making progress here. 07:18.620 --> 07:29.210 Our king is now being activated to use F seven if played e four here we can play Rookie ain't and it 07:29.210 --> 07:31.310 doesn't really want to allow Rook on the seventh again. 07:31.310 --> 07:33.830 So say E five, King of seven. 07:33.920 --> 07:40.970 We get a nice blockade and then here it should be about even actually. 07:42.240 --> 07:42.660 Yeah. 07:42.660 --> 07:42.960 This. 07:42.960 --> 07:45.000 This is actually just about even here. 07:46.750 --> 07:49.600 So anyway, King EF two, though, was played. 07:49.600 --> 07:54.970 We have rookie ranked rookie to rookie, six rookie one rookie 88. 07:54.970 --> 07:58.780 So it seems as though why it's getting restrained for E four. 07:58.900 --> 08:02.230 But Adams is usually looking around other pawns to see if he can restrain them. 08:02.440 --> 08:03.760 Of course that's restrained. 08:03.760 --> 08:04.840 What about this guy? 08:05.170 --> 08:08.970 Because it's gradually improving the position if we can restrain the pawns. 08:08.980 --> 08:16.450 G five Bishop C seven So G five kind of restraints in a way the f pawn as well. 08:16.450 --> 08:19.450 So one is gradually being restrained here. 08:19.570 --> 08:23.890 Bishop D six, King G six Gradual improvement to the position, small improvements. 08:23.890 --> 08:25.960 The King H six. 08:25.960 --> 08:27.610 Bishop D six and now a five. 08:27.610 --> 08:35.440 So the idea to restrain the a pawn and it looks as though well where a black's opportunities black setting 08:35.440 --> 08:41.860 up like an almighty fortress here how is black can actually win this So Bishop dd six bishop be free 08:42.550 --> 08:46.870 and now we can see that whole rook has been tied up to that pawn on D free. 08:46.870 --> 08:49.990 So it's almost as if this possession. 08:49.990 --> 08:54.760 Yeah, the rooks are not particularly great, so that makes it more ripe for a potential exchange sacrifice 08:54.760 --> 08:57.940 at some point when you see rooks are kind of stuck. 08:58.360 --> 09:01.780 So this is not great terrain for the Bishop c seven. 09:01.780 --> 09:04.120 We have King of seven, Bishop D six, King of six. 09:04.120 --> 09:05.560 So a bit of maneuvering here. 09:05.740 --> 09:06.490 H five. 09:06.490 --> 09:07.900 What's going on here now? 09:07.990 --> 09:14.500 H For fixing the G pawn as well so we can see the g pawns, fixed this pawns, fixed this pawns, kind 09:14.500 --> 09:16.090 of fixed, this pawns fixed. 09:16.090 --> 09:16.960 They're all fixed. 09:16.960 --> 09:19.600 All the pawns are kind of fixed down. 09:19.870 --> 09:28.690 So this gradual kind of reducing the opponent's available moves as well as part of that one way graph 09:28.690 --> 09:34.840 up the hill, we have Bishop D six, King G six, C seven, King H five. 09:34.840 --> 09:38.680 And this does support a G for breaks, gradual improvements being made. 09:38.830 --> 09:48.940 So Bishop six work f617 rook e, one rook e, six one King G six king goes back. 09:49.220 --> 09:57.130 It's a bit of playing to get the right plan, but have playful high level waiting moves. 09:57.130 --> 09:59.500 So King of seven, Bishop C seven. 09:59.500 --> 10:01.930 This looks like a game of chess now. 10:01.930 --> 10:03.940 All of these high level waiting moves. 10:04.270 --> 10:10.390 So the king comes to E eight and we have somebody celebration that won't really can't do anything. 10:10.390 --> 10:12.760 So now finally g for some action. 10:12.970 --> 10:20.860 But the controversy of this in weakening h four to a frontal attack needs to be heavily assessed with 10:21.100 --> 10:22.360 concrete resources. 10:22.360 --> 10:30.250 So white perhaps delighted to have a target now h2g4f tanks g4h1. 10:30.370 --> 10:33.760 But something horrible lies beneath. 10:33.760 --> 10:42.670 Here we see g three check king F one And now, yeah, the thing is about this e freeze hanging, but 10:42.670 --> 10:43.360 so is h four. 10:43.360 --> 10:48.730 If we played Rook takes E three, we'd waste the entire position after Rook takes H four because then 10:48.730 --> 10:49.960 G three is weak. 10:49.960 --> 10:52.660 It's like our pawn chain has been undermined. 10:52.660 --> 10:59.530 The bishop is looking at g free, so there's actually a very key move to make this whole thing, this 10:59.530 --> 11:04.120 whole concept, work much more effectively. 11:06.180 --> 11:08.160 So there's a move here for 200 points. 11:08.160 --> 11:10.260 This is a move 54. 11:10.650 --> 11:16.950 So, yeah, despite all the positional play, we do need a concrete move here against. 11:18.560 --> 11:22.610 The downside of this plan, and it's not going into a self pin. 11:22.610 --> 11:26.540 By the way, if we play a move like this, then there might actually be Bishop Tex G. 11:26.540 --> 11:30.680 Free going going into that pin. 11:30.680 --> 11:32.870 So how do we defend H four? 11:34.970 --> 11:38.000 Okay, we have to defend H4 with Rook F4. 11:40.790 --> 11:44.400 And where are White's moves here? 11:44.420 --> 11:48.110 Once in a kind of Zugzwang Where are White's moves? 11:48.740 --> 11:54.590 The thing is, if King G won, we can now take on E4 because this is slightly different because rookie 11:54.590 --> 11:56.870 one is checkmate more than slightly different. 11:56.870 --> 11:58.400 So White plays Bishop F4. 11:58.400 --> 11:59.300 I mean, what else? 11:59.300 --> 12:06.200 What else is the bishop is going to go to B8 Are we in a rush to take on an E free? 12:06.860 --> 12:09.740 Not really, for the same reasons we're giving white some counterplay. 12:09.740 --> 12:15.980 If we take on E4, it kind of wastes everything we want a continuous delivery kind of non controversy 12:15.980 --> 12:21.830 about this and we're giving counterplay with rook takes h four even if this looks really promising when 12:21.830 --> 12:28.370 it has resources like Bishop takes G free to defend against the threat and we've given counterplay here. 12:28.370 --> 12:28.970 Check. 12:28.970 --> 12:34.820 And this is a really quite tragic waste the position black only has a small edge, so that would be 12:34.820 --> 12:36.500 an absolute tragedy to play. 12:36.500 --> 12:37.760 Rook takes e free. 12:37.760 --> 12:44.630 No, we can follow the incremental, safe, incremental path of improving our position here. 12:44.630 --> 12:46.220 How would you do that in this position? 12:46.220 --> 12:48.170 What would be a great move for 100 points? 12:49.800 --> 12:55.200 If Bishop had been played, You know, we can just walk our king here on the light squares. 12:55.200 --> 12:56.250 Look at these light squares. 12:56.250 --> 12:57.390 We've got a light square root. 12:58.470 --> 13:01.560 We can go and pick up C free and then win this rook. 13:02.880 --> 13:03.450 Yeah. 13:04.590 --> 13:07.170 So for example, Bishop RD, sex, king E sex. 13:07.170 --> 13:09.990 This is a great way of just gradually improving the position. 13:09.990 --> 13:11.280 What is white doing here? 13:12.890 --> 13:16.070 And then when it crumbles, we're just going to win everything. 13:16.070 --> 13:17.510 We're going to win the rook next. 13:17.930 --> 13:25.550 If we look at this also, if ever King one, then we just take on EA Frey and then Rook takes H four 13:25.550 --> 13:26.870 is really coming out. 13:28.820 --> 13:29.290 Coming. 13:29.630 --> 13:32.840 Sorry, it's coming back into question but we just played rookie for. 13:35.620 --> 13:41.530 And the thing is now say Bishop eight, we move on, King. 13:41.980 --> 13:44.410 And there's no King one anymore. 13:44.680 --> 13:46.150 And there's no rule to search for. 13:46.150 --> 13:48.620 And there's no King G won because a rookie won checkmate. 13:48.640 --> 13:51.490 It's really a paralyzed position here. 13:53.320 --> 13:55.180 So, yeah, this is absolute doom. 13:55.180 --> 13:58.690 C free will be picked up, etc., taking out the rook. 13:58.690 --> 14:00.280 So it's a beautiful position. 14:00.280 --> 14:07.690 If Bishop Black can really get just incremental progress without any problem, it's a dream position. 14:07.690 --> 14:12.330 If the cards played right, the only source of counterplay is crashing through the h file. 14:12.340 --> 14:19.060 If that is prevented, if that pawn is maintained, there's no counterplay for white, which means we 14:19.060 --> 14:22.030 can do those safe incremental steps up the hill. 14:23.990 --> 14:27.320 So to speak, without any controversy. 14:28.340 --> 14:29.660 We can use a donkey. 14:29.840 --> 14:32.420 We don't need to use a helicopter to get up this mountain. 14:32.420 --> 14:33.350 We can just use a donkey. 14:33.350 --> 14:35.480 I know it would take longer, but it's much safer. 14:36.620 --> 14:45.410 So, okay, so in the game we have Rook sorry, we have Bishop F4, which encourages now a pretty non 14:45.410 --> 14:46.430 controversial exchange. 14:46.430 --> 14:50.640 SAC Rook takes F4, E takes Rook takes F4. 14:50.670 --> 14:54.230 This this rook is stuck on D two. 14:55.220 --> 14:59.210 And also that the rook here is is a kind of prisoner as well. 14:59.210 --> 15:02.930 If the king can't go beyond e one, how can this rook get out? 15:03.440 --> 15:09.500 So we see king E one now King f seven portraying the idea that the king could just walk up and pick 15:09.500 --> 15:10.430 up C free. 15:10.430 --> 15:15.560 So Rook G one king of six, rook taxi two in desperation. 15:15.560 --> 15:22.310 But otherwise, yeah, the king's just coming up could just go to C4 and take out C free. 15:22.310 --> 15:25.940 So this is in desperation Counter exchange. 15:26.510 --> 15:31.340 White now plays King D2 so you might want What about King E2? 15:31.370 --> 15:32.720 What is black play here? 15:33.260 --> 15:41.330 There's rook C4 here This is a pain and in this position we can play King G five and if King takes E2, 15:41.360 --> 15:45.320 we can play H three getting a big powerful pass pawn. 15:45.320 --> 15:50.210 This is a winning position for black, which is a bit similar to what's going to happen in the main 15:50.210 --> 15:50.480 game. 15:50.480 --> 15:56.200 So King D2 H3 is played here creating a very dangerous passport. 15:56.240 --> 16:02.450 Otherwise this rook is going to be just holding the pawn and black's can have an extra rook if that 16:02.450 --> 16:04.760 pawn is allowed to h two So it's taken. 16:04.760 --> 16:09.360 So we've got the past g pawn as well as the c pawn that's eliminated. 16:09.360 --> 16:13.640 So it's now King G five and of game one has to resign. 16:13.640 --> 16:20.150 If King D one rook take free, all the pawns are going and this this king can go to h four if needed. 16:20.660 --> 16:24.980 It's absolutely a hopeless rook and pawn ending here. 16:24.980 --> 16:28.250 So yeah, we're just going to take time again. 16:28.250 --> 16:32.390 Just increase the advantages again, it's just no counterplay position. 16:32.750 --> 16:40.910 So yeah, what a really amazing incremental advantage game from the opening. 16:40.910 --> 16:47.660 Absolutely amazing that for me already instructive point about this, addressing the real sources of 16:47.660 --> 16:53.660 counterplay, having some tactics available at the service of strategy, i.e. to to stop the opponent's 16:53.660 --> 17:01.580 counterplay so that pawn is offered as a potential weakness, but making sure 100% sure that this pawn 17:02.510 --> 17:06.560 is not going to be taken because that would give black problems. 17:06.560 --> 17:07.910 G three would be weaker. 17:07.910 --> 17:12.290 But with rookie for yeah, this is a guarantee position that H4 is not going to be taken. 17:12.620 --> 17:19.100 And yet the variations with Bishop are absolutely wonderful that the king can just basically walk along 17:19.100 --> 17:21.140 the light square road here. 17:21.710 --> 17:27.020 It's absolutely a beautiful possession in terms of no counterplay for the opponent, no controversy. 17:27.020 --> 17:32.210 This is the essence of like a cop Rovian style where he says he doesn't want to take any risks if he 17:32.210 --> 17:38.950 had choices of taking a bit risk for something flashy or something completely tiny advantage, he would 17:38.960 --> 17:39.650 take the tiny road. 17:39.650 --> 17:45.260 We want to take Those tiny increments up the hill might be smoothed out. 17:45.260 --> 17:47.660 Wouldn't they have their tiny, tiny increments? 17:47.660 --> 17:50.120 They're not going to be very lumpy. 17:50.120 --> 17:56.150 So yeah, tiny increments up the hill to squash the opponent's counterplay and make slow but absolutely 17:56.150 --> 17:57.110 guaranteed progress. 17:57.110 --> 18:01.910 It's also something in software engineering called continuous delivery, where you make small steps, 18:01.910 --> 18:06.500 small considered steps, and you test along the way to make sure they are improvements. 18:06.620 --> 18:11.510 But yeah, the testing along the way here is making sure tactically why it's not getting any source 18:11.510 --> 18:12.290 of counterplay. 18:12.290 --> 18:13.430 So a really wonderful game. 18:13.430 --> 18:15.080 I hope you enjoyed this as much as me. 18:16.100 --> 18:16.850 Thanks so much.