WEBVTT 00:01.090 --> 00:01.960 Hi there. 00:02.050 --> 00:06.010 In this lecture, we see Michael Adams playing against Stuart Conquest. 00:06.190 --> 00:09.730 This is in the 2010 British Championship, Round eight. 00:09.970 --> 00:12.020 So let's have a look at this game. 00:12.040 --> 00:14.500 So E four from Adams. 00:14.950 --> 00:19.600 We have C six from Stuart Conquest, the Kraken defence. 00:19.600 --> 00:24.270 So E five we have Bishop F 593 E, six. 00:25.120 --> 00:27.010 So this is the Nigel short variation. 00:27.010 --> 00:29.620 Bishop E two This is much better than Bishop de Frey. 00:30.670 --> 00:39.490 We see 97 White Castles, Bishop g6c Free 926. 00:39.490 --> 00:45.520 So Black is playing quite conservatively, not playing C five not daring to play C five. 00:45.520 --> 00:49.870 And in fact Adams plays a dark square grip strategy here. 00:50.200 --> 00:54.280 Given that C five hasn't been played, there's the move a four. 00:54.820 --> 01:01.810 So this intends a kind of dark square grip on all of these squares, not just these guys, but a dark 01:01.810 --> 01:04.210 square campaign grip around the board. 01:04.390 --> 01:09.160 So Rook eight and I have seen this plan in high level correspondence. 01:09.160 --> 01:12.430 There was actually a consultation game once on chess games. 01:12.430 --> 01:16.840 Com where the world team played like this and won a brilliant game. 01:17.320 --> 01:28.060 So we see here if instead of rooks the eight at 5a5 and H three as example A six is also possible. 01:28.180 --> 01:30.340 And this is a nice position for white. 01:31.150 --> 01:35.260 So Och rook eight we have a five here. 01:36.160 --> 01:37.120 A six. 01:38.740 --> 01:41.530 So this addresses the ace threat. 01:41.530 --> 01:43.570 If C five, then a six here. 01:43.570 --> 01:49.450 And this is kind of uncomfortable after 93 that B five square is very nice for white. 01:49.450 --> 01:50.530 So might be eight. 01:50.530 --> 01:58.120 For example Bishop B five, jack Queen A four and this is a pleasant position after Bishop take C six, 01:58.120 --> 02:01.540 Jack Queen takes one could take the queen's off. 02:01.540 --> 02:06.700 This is just a fictional variation, but you can see there's trouble with a seven here potentially. 02:07.390 --> 02:09.190 So here Knight takes a seven. 02:09.430 --> 02:15.310 Hitting the rook might be five as possible, and then moving the rook is just a winning advantage there. 02:15.610 --> 02:16.690 So there are dangers. 02:16.690 --> 02:21.310 So a six is played bishop and four. 02:22.810 --> 02:28.450 Och, so here we have Bishop E seven for the record, in case you're wondering here, instead of Bishop 02:28.450 --> 02:32.530 e7c5, how would White respond here? 02:32.530 --> 02:36.040 Well, there's a very, very good move in this position. 02:36.190 --> 02:42.790 There is a kind of weakness of the last movie is weakening D five and this bishop is not really contributing 02:42.790 --> 02:45.700 to Black's solidity for these two guys. 02:45.700 --> 02:47.320 White can actually play for 100 points. 02:47.320 --> 02:48.250 What would you play here? 02:48.370 --> 02:50.200 This is a kind of positional test. 02:51.850 --> 02:52.370 C four. 02:52.420 --> 02:54.400 It vacates C free for the Knights. 02:54.700 --> 02:59.950 It puts pressure on black centre and let's say D take C four then D five is strong. 02:59.950 --> 03:02.200 So this position is very pleasant for white. 03:04.550 --> 03:05.560 So that's really good. 03:05.570 --> 03:08.930 But what else know if C takes DD four, C takes D five. 03:08.960 --> 03:10.790 E takes Queen takes DD four. 03:10.790 --> 03:11.690 And it's awkward. 03:11.690 --> 03:12.860 This a five is stopping. 03:12.860 --> 03:19.700 And how, how does Black actually defend D five hair stopping the use of B six and how is defined protected 03:19.700 --> 03:20.270 here? 03:20.270 --> 03:28.490 If we go with Bishop C five, we're just taking Bishop E four. 03:28.880 --> 03:30.950 You know, there's things like C three. 03:30.950 --> 03:32.810 So Bishop C five, Queen takes five. 03:32.810 --> 03:38.900 If Bishop E seven here instead of two, C four, C takes E takes 90 C free. 03:39.230 --> 03:48.020 Let's take this position with nine 6495 won't taking on h6g text there's F four here. 03:48.020 --> 03:49.580 The bishop can also be a target. 03:49.790 --> 03:56.210 So this position is also very nice where I can get a five for a night and that's also very nice. 03:56.210 --> 04:03.830 So in a nutshell here, it looks as though this was a freedom break for black, but it can be responded 04:03.830 --> 04:05.090 to with C four. 04:05.180 --> 04:11.960 And yeah, the reason I want to sort of say this is that we might want to use some of these systems 04:11.960 --> 04:15.050 of Michael Adams, the advanced Kraken in our own games. 04:15.050 --> 04:20.450 So yeah, the more we can analyze also the openings, we can assimilate these positional choices. 04:21.260 --> 04:27.620 So in general, this is an opening system gaining space and it can be pretty dangerous like in this 04:27.620 --> 04:27.890 game. 04:27.890 --> 04:29.840 So let's go back to the game though. 04:29.840 --> 04:32.180 So Bishop E seven was played. 04:35.430 --> 04:41.190 Rookie one black hustles and black didn't dare to play see five. 04:41.190 --> 04:42.680 So this is really interesting. 04:42.690 --> 04:44.490 Should white play b4? 04:44.730 --> 04:46.290 Well, White did play four. 04:46.320 --> 04:54.360 It does seem to tie black up, but black has been banking on undermining the pawn chain at the head 04:54.360 --> 04:59.190 of the pawn chain instead of the exploitable base which is DD four. 04:59.220 --> 05:03.300 This is the true base of the pawn chain. 05:05.200 --> 05:07.220 But this one is the exportable base. 05:07.300 --> 05:13.090 So, yes, it's interesting that C five wasn't tried here. 05:14.950 --> 05:19.560 So we have an alternate strategy, so B four and our F6. 05:19.570 --> 05:24.520 The problem with F six is it can give black this backward pawn. 05:24.520 --> 05:27.450 Well, it does give black this backward pawn as we'll see. 05:27.460 --> 05:29.140 And that's a problem in the French defense. 05:29.140 --> 05:31.390 The bishop is outside of the pawn chain, though. 05:31.870 --> 05:39.880 So here we have E takes F six, rook takes up six, Bishop G five, Rook have seven, and now Bishop 05:39.880 --> 05:40.540 takes H six. 05:40.540 --> 05:42.970 So this deprives any knight F five. 05:44.020 --> 05:46.210 Queen C one was plausible. 05:46.210 --> 05:50.320 So Queen for eight, knight BD two This position one has a small edge. 05:50.320 --> 06:00.100 So Bishop takes h6g takes Bishop D free and yes, trading things off here might be D two or wanting 06:00.100 --> 06:01.270 to trade things off. 06:01.270 --> 06:07.750 Black refused with Bishop H five now here instead of Knight BD two It's dangerous to play. 06:07.750 --> 06:14.290 Rook takes e six black has Bishop takes her free G takes and Bishop H four with a bit of counterplay 06:14.290 --> 06:15.430 and advantage. 06:15.880 --> 06:17.620 Yeah, this is not the way to go. 06:17.620 --> 06:25.990 So Knight bd two knights F eight Rook e five So that hits that H five Bishop Bishop G six That's exchanged 06:25.990 --> 06:27.870 off now and takes. 06:28.660 --> 06:33.250 If it takes G six, yes, White will just take the backward pawn. 06:33.910 --> 06:35.920 So we've advantage. 06:35.920 --> 06:43.150 So H takes G, we have rookie free Bishop D 695 and now Rucker four. 06:43.420 --> 06:47.080 If Bishop takes e five rook take five. 06:47.080 --> 06:53.380 This position with Queen E one is very nice for white holding f two and pressurizing E six. 06:56.080 --> 06:57.040 So real careful. 06:57.070 --> 07:03.220 We have Queen E2 Queen Sorry Rook See seven D Free rook five piling up. 07:03.220 --> 07:13.930 Now on that backward pawn we have rook g7g Free Bishop E seven King G two, Quincy eight, Queen dd 07:13.930 --> 07:14.170 two. 07:14.170 --> 07:16.120 So Black is really kind of locked up. 07:16.120 --> 07:22.690 The blockade in front of the The pawn is a very attractive thing, but White does actually want to win 07:22.690 --> 07:23.620 the game as well. 07:23.620 --> 07:27.970 Not just look pretty here, but black is kind of locked up around the board. 07:29.320 --> 07:37.300 So King H seven we see rook free to e two Queen dh4h5. 07:37.300 --> 07:38.560 Some progress has been made. 07:38.560 --> 07:43.570 These weaknesses like G five Now, if g five had been played Queen D free is good. 07:44.080 --> 07:48.340 So that has sometimes g four is a threat sometimes. 07:48.490 --> 07:53.050 But concretely if we say here King 07:53.050 --> 07:59.140 h89g4h5986 07:59.140 --> 07:59.860 is interesting. 07:59.860 --> 08:09.370 So this position is going to be winning material and if King H seven here, rook takes E six is strong, 08:09.370 --> 08:12.460 so the back is actually on route. 08:12.460 --> 08:19.720 Well, it's actually it's undermining four, five and five is weak hand with that king So yeah this 08:19.720 --> 08:27.010 would be a very, very dangerous for black it's terminally lost so h five is tried. 08:27.700 --> 08:32.980 We have 93 rook gf7 point five. 08:32.980 --> 08:40.330 So the Knights swap places that and they're playing around 94 and then that goes to H free now rookie 08:40.330 --> 08:40.570 free. 08:40.570 --> 08:44.680 And now Alec Anakin's gun is on the cards. 08:44.680 --> 08:47.140 So where the queen is at the base of the two rooks. 08:47.140 --> 08:53.350 So watch now Rook one to E to 69fg5. 08:54.040 --> 08:59.980 So first ceiling g five is a break from black, destroying all the pawn brains from black Queen E one. 09:00.490 --> 09:05.950 So yes, this is a huge pressure on E six now. 09:07.330 --> 09:16.660 So for attacking E six, but one, two, three defending we have Bishop D six and here. 09:16.660 --> 09:17.170 Yeah. 09:17.170 --> 09:20.050 I mean how does black actually defend E six her. 09:20.200 --> 09:26.200 The anakin's gun is position the gray hair this anakin's gun construction so the queen at the base of 09:26.200 --> 09:27.070 the two rooks. 09:28.510 --> 09:32.590 All of these guys only on e six here. 09:32.710 --> 09:36.130 So really great stuff visually for the backward pawn. 09:36.280 --> 09:38.290 Bishop dd 6966. 09:38.290 --> 09:44.260 It's as if Adams is not just playing a game, he's creating an instructive lesson for the backward pawn. 09:44.260 --> 09:49.990 So first blockading it, cutting out strategic pawn breaks from the opponent like G five, and then 09:49.990 --> 09:51.940 coming back to actually win it. 09:52.060 --> 09:54.370 And now the rook retreats. 09:54.370 --> 10:01.060 We have Bishop E seven, Queen E to Bishop D, Queen D, free Bishop e, seven rookie, two bit of shuffling 10:01.060 --> 10:07.720 here, high level shuffling Queen E free Queen E seven Queen D to Queen F eight for the knight is improving 10:07.720 --> 10:08.680 itself first. 10:09.940 --> 10:18.100 So a bit of playful maneuvering and here lunging in with Queen eight and our rookie six. 10:18.850 --> 10:20.170 Queen C eight. 10:22.580 --> 10:24.460 And black is prompted here. 10:24.470 --> 10:26.270 This looks rather dangerous. 10:27.200 --> 10:30.740 Now, this position black is prompted to play G five. 10:32.330 --> 10:34.430 Yeah, Black wanted to do something here. 10:34.430 --> 10:37.130 It's very, very difficult position indeed. 10:37.460 --> 10:38.690 But G five is played. 10:38.690 --> 10:43.370 We have rookie two which actually threatens Queen takes F five. 10:43.370 --> 10:46.850 It's the discovery attack on the Rook King G six. 10:47.780 --> 10:50.390 So yes, if G takes we're just taking the rook. 10:50.390 --> 10:56.790 So King g6h takes G five, Bishop takes nine, takes G five, rook takes queen. 10:56.840 --> 10:57.230 He's six. 10:57.230 --> 10:57.860 Check. 10:59.000 --> 11:07.040 And now the Queen's come off and our rookie five and this is end of game actually resigned here if King 11:07.040 --> 11:12.740 F six then we're just easily winning off our four We're going to be winning H five if it goes away. 11:13.190 --> 11:14.840 So here we're winning. 11:14.840 --> 11:18.260 But also if rook takes E five, this is trivially winning. 11:18.260 --> 11:20.180 We play F4 four and and King a free. 11:20.180 --> 11:22.190 Then Black's had it here. 11:23.570 --> 11:23.790 Okay. 11:24.020 --> 11:28.010 Yeah we're going to be absolutely winning there with G four coming up soon. 11:28.690 --> 11:30.680 This is zugzwang the king King moves back. 11:30.680 --> 11:31.670 We're going to play g four. 11:31.670 --> 11:33.280 It's a winning endgame. 11:33.290 --> 11:35.960 So yeah, a very interesting game. 11:36.560 --> 11:41.930 A few aspects of this to consider for targeting the back of the pawn. 11:41.930 --> 11:50.600 If we just go back to some key moments, the first the blockade, make sure the pawn is not going anywhere, 11:50.600 --> 11:56.750 but also just crushing other activities of black, other sources of counterplay, trying to make sure 11:56.750 --> 12:04.280 that Black's not really considering G five at this point to kind of try and liberate the position. 12:04.280 --> 12:12.200 The liberation and the possession is ruled out here for G five because, yeah, there's huge pressure 12:12.200 --> 12:15.260 here and it was mounting here to stop G five. 12:15.260 --> 12:21.890 This is very interesting how the G five break is stopped with the two knights and everything and F two 12:21.920 --> 12:24.890 is always guarded, the file is always guarded while doing this. 12:24.890 --> 12:30.320 So yes, the shutting down of strategic pawn break then coming back to construct an alekhine's gun. 12:30.320 --> 12:35.570 It really is, in my view, an instructive masterpiece against a backward pawn. 12:35.570 --> 12:40.280 So yeah, I hope you enjoyed this one really great stuff so much.