WEBVTT 00:00.990 --> 00:01.780 Hi there. 00:01.800 --> 00:04.710 In this lecture, we see a really inspirational positional game. 00:04.710 --> 00:10.410 Michael Adams against Steven Gordon, a grandmaster in the 2019 British Championship round nine. 00:10.410 --> 00:16.440 So if fall from Adams, does he have a positional variation to choose against the Sicilian defense? 00:16.440 --> 00:18.390 So we have de six and he does. 00:18.390 --> 00:20.250 He plays Bishop B five check. 00:20.910 --> 00:27.360 So this bypasses a lot of the more tactical, hairy, complex lines of the Sicilian defense, the Canal 00:27.720 --> 00:29.730 Sokolski attack, it could be called. 00:29.850 --> 00:34.020 So we have nine BD seven So interesting. 00:34.020 --> 00:39.660 If Bishop de seven White could consider just taking and there are options either from Roxy Binds with 00:39.690 --> 00:46.380 C for later or White could even play it like a more in the Roy Lopez spirit of C for D four. 00:46.380 --> 00:50.910 So this is going to be about an even position, but the nature of the possession is important, even 00:50.910 --> 00:54.990 though it's about even the position is much simpler in many respects. 00:54.990 --> 00:57.870 And it's about like building a central pawn structure. 00:58.620 --> 01:03.990 You can more easily identify the possession or kind of map around the place. 01:04.000 --> 01:07.380 It's not a maze of complex tactical forcing variations. 01:07.530 --> 01:12.060 So we have 97 and then the bishop drops back. 01:12.060 --> 01:14.820 This is a really interesting move indeed. 01:15.270 --> 01:23.450 So in advance of a six, if White had castled a six, the bishop can't actually live on a four here. 01:23.460 --> 01:24.930 It would have to retreat back. 01:24.930 --> 01:26.310 That would be the point. 01:26.310 --> 01:27.690 So the bishop would have to go back. 01:27.690 --> 01:31.740 If it goes to a four, then b5c for winning the bishop. 01:31.740 --> 01:38.490 So Bishop A4 keeps the option open for this bishop to actually come to this diagonal potentially. 01:39.860 --> 01:43.620 If C four can be played as well, that's that will be stopping B five. 01:43.640 --> 01:50.480 In any case we see 9gf6 white castles and you might think, Wow, this is surprising what's going on 01:50.480 --> 01:50.960 here. 01:50.960 --> 01:52.250 We have a six. 01:52.250 --> 01:59.000 So the first kind of little trap if Knight takes E for rookie one is good because in this position D 01:59.000 --> 02:08.570 four and it's a funny position indeed if e six for example D five and black would be in trouble here 02:08.570 --> 02:11.690 because of this pin, this is just one example. 02:11.690 --> 02:13.880 This pin is actually troublesome for black. 02:14.630 --> 02:21.380 So basically if it takes D five, so we'll look at those nine takes D five, there's Queen takes D five 02:21.830 --> 02:24.830 and you might think, well, just black plays E five, Right. 02:25.010 --> 02:27.380 What would you play in this position for 100 points. 02:27.380 --> 02:30.290 So the king's in the center, we've got this pin. 02:30.530 --> 02:32.930 Is there a tactical idea here? 02:34.610 --> 02:37.220 You know, there's a crushing tactical idea. 02:37.430 --> 02:39.770 It takes five because of details. 02:39.770 --> 02:45.470 We have rook tanks, e five check, exploiting the pin piece and then D six absolutely crushing stuff 02:45.470 --> 02:46.540 with black holes. 02:46.550 --> 02:47.350 Ouch. 02:47.670 --> 02:48.980 Forking Queen and rook. 02:48.980 --> 02:50.480 So a six is played. 02:50.480 --> 02:55.310 We have C four, E five, and now this gives a hole on D five. 02:55.310 --> 03:01.700 There has been a Nakamura against Maxim Bachelor graph Grandmaster game where that continued G six and 03:01.700 --> 03:08.560 that seems a bit more solid for black and it ended in a draw but OC e five was played. 03:08.570 --> 03:15.200 We have d3g 6.12 C frame Bishop G seven So what is the positional plan? 03:15.200 --> 03:18.710 What positional plan would you choose in this position? 03:18.740 --> 03:20.240 Test your positional plan. 03:20.630 --> 03:25.010 So Adams chooses a very interesting one, as you might suspect. 03:25.990 --> 03:26.500 Yeah. 03:27.270 --> 03:33.000 Rugby one, we can try and undermine and try and get pressure on the queenside, try and undermine the 03:33.000 --> 03:33.720 structure. 03:34.410 --> 03:35.100 Black Castles. 03:35.100 --> 03:39.510 But first here, interestingly, H three is played. 03:40.950 --> 03:43.360 So this move give the king some air. 03:43.380 --> 03:45.120 Prevent that using G four. 03:45.150 --> 03:47.280 Maybe that's useful sometimes in the future. 03:47.550 --> 03:50.130 We have 98 and now B four. 03:50.160 --> 03:51.720 C takes B four. 03:52.930 --> 03:54.550 Now you could say, what about B six? 03:54.550 --> 04:01.930 Well, that does weaken the C six square one could pop in there and then say Bishop G five. 04:01.930 --> 04:04.960 And this is going to be interesting for this position. 04:05.350 --> 04:09.430 So say Bishop B seven, we could take and then we could take on C five. 04:09.430 --> 04:14.020 We're going to end up with a small edge, say D takes, we're going to end up with a small edge here, 04:14.020 --> 04:16.570 a bit of a binds against the back of pawn. 04:16.840 --> 04:29.080 So oc C takes b4 is played rook takes b4 now 9595 and here it seems that even gone is not quite with 04:29.080 --> 04:29.650 it. 04:29.920 --> 04:36.430 He plays B5 with a tactical trick idea which might not be entirely appropriate in this kind of position. 04:37.780 --> 04:38.770 Okay. 04:38.890 --> 04:45.400 If Knight takes a forward being played queen takes this position, the Queen could drop back to a fray 04:45.400 --> 04:46.630 with advantage. 04:47.110 --> 04:54.430 There's pressure points in this position, but b five and NMS actually takes on B5 and we have Bishop 04:54.430 --> 04:55.300 DD seven. 04:55.870 --> 04:59.650 Now here is a really amazing concept. 04:59.860 --> 05:02.920 So for 200 points, what would you play in this position? 05:05.340 --> 05:08.660 And it leaves white kind of dominant with an upward trend. 05:08.670 --> 05:11.310 So it's a positional sacrifice that's a clue to you. 05:12.220 --> 05:13.810 Okay, it's b six. 05:15.580 --> 05:17.410 So it represents a position of sacrifice. 05:17.410 --> 05:18.490 There are the moves. 05:18.490 --> 05:19.360 I mean, Bishop G. 05:19.360 --> 05:24.580 Five could have been played and sure, why it's going to be slightly better here. 05:25.330 --> 05:26.950 Or Bishop E three could have been played. 05:26.950 --> 05:30.940 There are other ways of playing it, you know, and what it's going to end up with an edge in these 05:30.940 --> 05:37.660 variations but this is absolutely know counterplay crushing B six encouraging black to win material 05:37.660 --> 05:40.510 win exchange but what do we have for that? 05:40.510 --> 05:43.300 We have a strong pass board we have a strong night on D five. 05:43.300 --> 05:45.400 These are positional signposts. 05:46.270 --> 05:47.980 So we have F six. 05:48.280 --> 05:50.230 Well, so F six. 05:50.230 --> 05:57.100 That looks like a not not very useful move, but what else if 9f6, Bishop G five Bishop takes F six 05:57.100 --> 06:01.870 and white, it's going to remain extremely dominant here in this position. 06:02.200 --> 06:10.630 So so F six we have 92 and this knight is up to no good to help its fellow knight in crime. 06:10.630 --> 06:17.320 So Rook have 79c4, Queen RD seven and Adams welcomes the exchange of Queens. 06:18.010 --> 06:21.880 Bishop E three So Black has no attacking prospects and hardly any tactics. 06:22.300 --> 06:24.610 Those aspects of chess are being shut out. 06:24.640 --> 06:32.200 In fact, Black has to defend against past potential now f five for keeping the bishop in the pawn chain. 06:32.200 --> 06:37.930 Bishop f6 at least trying to use the eight rook b one getting behind the pass pawn Bishop d A and now 06:37.930 --> 06:44.200 Knight A five rugby and now 96 rook B seven. 06:44.200 --> 06:45.130 Look at those rooks. 06:45.130 --> 06:48.700 They're really suffering from not having what they need. 06:49.000 --> 06:55.240 So yeah, they are kind of bad pieces, which they can't really improve that easily in this particular 06:55.240 --> 06:55.690 structure. 06:55.690 --> 06:58.900 It's doomed that Knight The Knights are really dominant here. 07:00.070 --> 07:05.200 If Rook C eight won't could consider B seven here. 07:05.740 --> 07:07.030 Let's be concrete. 07:07.030 --> 07:07.330 How? 07:07.360 --> 07:09.970 Why is this actually absolutely winning? 07:09.970 --> 07:12.250 Because isn't there Rook takes B seven. 07:12.700 --> 07:13.840 Sure there is. 07:13.840 --> 07:16.630 But the thing is rook takes B seven, rook take C six. 07:16.630 --> 07:22.330 You'll notice that Black's pieces are unprotected on the back row here and White can play rugby eight. 07:22.330 --> 07:24.070 That's scooping up some material. 07:24.070 --> 07:25.300 But let's take this further. 07:25.300 --> 07:31.060 Black has a little bit of potential counterplay after Bishop H four because Black owns access to the 07:31.060 --> 07:32.680 C file might be able to nudge the bishop. 07:32.680 --> 07:35.050 So let's take this particular story further. 07:35.050 --> 07:43.270 White Windsor piece on E eight, King of seven and let's say Rook eight, King G seven and Rook eight. 07:43.270 --> 07:44.410 But now F4. 07:44.410 --> 07:46.540 So finally a piece down here. 07:46.540 --> 07:47.740 This is a fictional scenario. 07:47.740 --> 07:52.090 Black has a bit of counterplay y actually has to tread carefully here. 07:53.050 --> 07:56.020 And the best move here is Bishop takes our fall. 07:56.020 --> 07:56.850 Just simplify. 07:56.890 --> 08:02.620 Just get rid of the counterplay through simplification, even offering material back if Bishop F2. 08:02.650 --> 08:06.790 Then we see finally Rook see one bit of counterplay for Black and Black's winning. 08:06.790 --> 08:15.040 So just Bishop takes a four, he takes check and this gives us rook C seven and we're forcibly taking 08:15.040 --> 08:16.450 the rook out of the equation here. 08:16.450 --> 08:18.610 It's like simplifying a mathematical equation. 08:18.610 --> 08:22.660 We're forcibly getting a winning end game in this position. 08:22.660 --> 08:23.860 It's much clearer now. 08:24.160 --> 08:31.080 So yeah, the advantage here isn't so great materially, but it's still great positionally and this 08:31.180 --> 08:33.520 should be a no fast win in the endgame. 08:33.520 --> 08:39.400 So yes, that Rooks eight does actually lead to some potential tricks after B seven. 08:39.400 --> 08:49.060 But in the game Black played just rook B to be seven didn't go into that so game on from here now it's 08:49.060 --> 08:53.140 a five rook be 896 and it's not going to be a repetition. 08:53.140 --> 08:54.580 Adams plays a four. 08:54.580 --> 09:02.710 He wants to reinforce the passport and also it locks this weakness down the A six weakness. 09:02.710 --> 09:08.470 If White can get to play a five, there's less strain on the pieces protecting B six and the pieces 09:08.470 --> 09:09.550 can do other things. 09:09.550 --> 09:15.730 So king of seven, if black plays a five, then there's nine takes a five. 09:16.000 --> 09:20.110 So king of seven, we have a five point F six. 09:20.200 --> 09:24.040 And now after Knight DB four, actually, Black resigned. 09:24.400 --> 09:26.020 Why did Stephen Gordon resign? 09:26.020 --> 09:28.600 Well, there's going to be two connected pass pawn soon. 09:28.900 --> 09:31.510 Let's say Black played on with F4. 09:31.540 --> 09:40.900 The bishop tacks on F two tucks away Knight B takes a six Well I can take on a6869 b4 but we have two 09:40.900 --> 09:47.320 connected past pawns and here we can take out D so we can take a step forward with a six. 09:47.410 --> 09:53.500 Yeah, we're just going to blockade the pawns and we don't even have to concern ourselves with Knight 09:53.500 --> 09:58.360 six the eight We're just going to blockade the pawns and it's going to be absolutely crushing like this. 09:58.360 --> 10:00.370 So yeah, what a wonderful positional game. 10:00.370 --> 10:01.010 No counterplay. 10:01.010 --> 10:04.520 A game very, very professional against a tactical grandmaster. 10:04.520 --> 10:07.870 A grandmaster opponent was given no counterplay. 10:07.900 --> 10:11.500 Who would have thought that Adams could do this to another British grandmaster? 10:11.620 --> 10:12.760 For this kind of game. 10:12.940 --> 10:19.300 So yeah, Steven Gordon really had like zero chances of, you know, significant tactics. 10:19.540 --> 10:26.230 No significant attack, no significant counterplay is really a brilliant controlled game masterpiece 10:26.230 --> 10:27.070 in my view. 10:27.700 --> 10:29.260 So I hope you enjoyed this as much as me. 10:29.290 --> 10:33.760 It shows the power of a positional exchange, sacrifice within certain structures where the rooks in 10:33.760 --> 10:39.550 particular are congested and the upward trend is going to be look at the upward trends to make it part 10:39.550 --> 10:40.600 of your toolkit. 10:40.750 --> 10:46.120 The option to do a positional exchange sacrifice is an important part of the toolkit. 10:46.150 --> 10:49.930 The positional toolkit has so much.