WEBVTT 00:00.900 --> 00:01.810 Hi there. 00:01.830 --> 00:06.960 In this lecture, Michael Adams is playing against David Eggleston in the 2016 British Championship. 00:06.960 --> 00:08.980 So we have four from Adams. 00:09.000 --> 00:18.840 Eggleston plays Assassin Defense 90 3d6d49569c free C takes the E4 nine takes the E4 A six. 00:18.840 --> 00:20.320 So there's a sitting nine off. 00:20.340 --> 00:24.330 Now positional choice G Free hair fringe thing. 00:24.360 --> 00:26.670 E five We have Knight D two. 00:26.670 --> 00:27.840 Bishop E seven. 00:27.840 --> 00:35.220 Bishop G So so White contains Black's position at the moment by keeping a bind on D five that d five 00:35.220 --> 00:39.090 bobrovsky hole as it's sometimes called the d five hole. 00:39.690 --> 00:44.430 So we have both sides castling Bishop E six and a four. 00:44.430 --> 00:50.580 So this is also preventative chess preventing B five knight BD seven Bishop e free. 00:50.580 --> 00:59.040 We have nine G for the bishop goes back, the knight goes back, a five queen C seven be free. 00:59.160 --> 01:00.600 So this is really interesting. 01:00.600 --> 01:04.650 Rook fc8 rook 80 rook a two. 01:04.650 --> 01:10.680 So Adams is looking out for these guys, which could become vulnerable later, both of them. 01:10.680 --> 01:16.890 Because if B5 were going to take on Parsons and have a two targets, B5 is played now immediately. 01:17.220 --> 01:19.500 So can Black do without B5? 01:19.500 --> 01:28.410 If Bishop D eight then a four, and this position with Bishop B for white can at least target DD six. 01:29.040 --> 01:37.590 And here, for example, a nice bind on the position emerges after C four so it should be significantly 01:37.590 --> 01:38.100 better here. 01:38.100 --> 01:45.090 Positionally so B5 is played eight takes nine takes queen a one. 01:46.170 --> 01:50.190 And yeah, when I first handed out this game on YouTube I talked about the choice of batteries. 01:50.190 --> 01:56.850 It's like a luxury apartment building this this position with a choice of batteries on the a file to 01:57.000 --> 02:00.960 target a six or sometimes on the default later. 02:00.960 --> 02:05.430 If if a rook ends up on D one, we can start piling up on D six. 02:05.640 --> 02:08.640 So we have Queen B seven Rook D one. 02:08.910 --> 02:10.320 Bishop dd seven. 02:10.320 --> 02:11.490 Bishop G five. 02:11.490 --> 02:14.010 So yes, there's a choice of potential batteries coming up. 02:14.010 --> 02:20.310 If the rook goes the D two, the Queen can either tuck behind the D one the default or the A full rook. 02:20.610 --> 02:26.670 We have rook c six protects the d six point fh6. 02:26.670 --> 02:30.060 We're just going to take on f six and we can afford to play. 02:30.060 --> 02:31.320 Rook takes D six here. 02:32.340 --> 02:37.470 And if bishop if we're just going to take on F six and this is just going to be great, we're going 02:37.470 --> 02:38.790 to stop a five. 02:38.790 --> 02:41.730 We've got a real bind here on the possession. 02:41.730 --> 02:50.880 So rook C6 we have H free h six, Bishop E free Quincy eight, King H two. 02:50.880 --> 02:52.980 So this protects H free. 02:54.420 --> 02:59.610 We have Bishop D eight Rook d2 and here is the luxury apartment that I'm talking about. 03:00.270 --> 03:04.020 So the Queen can either shift, you know, to d one or stay where it is. 03:04.020 --> 03:05.700 But these pawns are being targeted. 03:05.700 --> 03:09.000 These weaknesses in Black's position are being targeted. 03:09.690 --> 03:19.080 We have h five if King H eight as an example here Queen D one and. 03:20.610 --> 03:22.410 F rotate C free. 03:23.250 --> 03:25.110 The problem is nitrate free coin tanks. 03:25.140 --> 03:31.390 We have rook takes DD six and that is actually going to be better for white hair. 03:31.410 --> 03:34.080 White's getting material back here. 03:35.090 --> 03:39.540 Um, it's getting pretty difficult for black. 03:40.950 --> 03:41.780 If rook ain't. 03:41.850 --> 03:42.950 There's Rook takes a six. 03:42.960 --> 03:44.820 If the knight moves those rook takes these seven years. 03:44.820 --> 03:46.050 So this is just going to be better for. 03:46.350 --> 03:48.120 So h five is played. 03:48.270 --> 03:55.770 We have rook d free and this also now has the option of Queen C one as a kind of Barry as well for the 03:55.770 --> 03:56.460 bishop. 03:56.610 --> 03:59.520 But yeah, targeting weaknesses are the key point. 03:59.520 --> 04:00.930 Like D six and they six. 04:01.320 --> 04:05.220 If h4g takes H for this position. 04:06.270 --> 04:12.480 Bishop afraid this isn't going to be great for black, especially after Bishop d4. 04:12.480 --> 04:13.590 Forget taking on f four. 04:13.590 --> 04:17.730 We can play Bishop d4 here and soon target the black king. 04:17.730 --> 04:20.430 Maybe on the G here it looks absolutely ripe. 04:20.670 --> 04:29.190 So 98 we have Queen d1a5 knight B five, Queen bee eight. 04:29.550 --> 04:32.970 And yeah, black looks to be getting passive around these weaknesses. 04:32.970 --> 04:41.640 F four is played so frets then immediately F takes e five because this pins pawn pressure on D seven 04:42.450 --> 04:44.070 we have Bishop f six. 04:44.070 --> 04:45.180 So let's have a look here. 04:45.180 --> 04:53.490 If e takes G text is good because then we can play E five and we're hitting the rook on C six. 04:53.490 --> 04:55.260 It's such a beautiful position here. 04:55.260 --> 05:02.040 Again, we can amplify the bishop with C four if D takes we can actually just we're taking on D seven 05:02.040 --> 05:04.890 and then we can either take on D seven or C six. 05:05.820 --> 05:13.290 You know, Bishop takes C six is strong and Queen 67 is strong because this position is really strong. 05:13.650 --> 05:15.480 Yeah, it's all great stuff here. 05:15.480 --> 05:19.260 So Bishop f6 is play trying to hold the fort together. 05:19.650 --> 05:24.750 F takes E five, bishop takes E five if D takes e five. 05:24.750 --> 05:26.790 The strongest way to approach this. 05:28.500 --> 05:28.890 Yeah. 05:28.890 --> 05:35.850 It's not to take out d seven tactical notes here are very important in this position because we do have 05:36.060 --> 05:37.110 a loose piece. 05:37.110 --> 05:40.500 So yeah, tactics are important here to consider the move. 05:40.500 --> 05:42.750 The positional move would be easy free. 05:42.750 --> 05:48.780 This is one of the better positional moves because it reinforces b5a, you know, making the position 05:48.780 --> 05:51.090 stronger and it hits the pawn. 05:51.660 --> 05:57.090 If we played Rook takes these seven, you know this backfires somewhat because this unveils an attack 05:57.090 --> 05:57.840 on B five. 05:57.840 --> 06:03.450 So Queen six, Queen 6b5 is is not so bad for black as it could have been. 06:03.450 --> 06:08.760 But yeah, with AC three, this is like one of the strongest we can actually take out. 06:08.760 --> 06:13.650 H five simple and strong like the other knights. 06:13.650 --> 06:16.860 You might think the other night is also plausible. 06:16.860 --> 06:17.370 But. 06:20.060 --> 06:21.920 It's not as good. 06:21.920 --> 06:23.210 You know this possession. 06:23.210 --> 06:29.180 Sure, we can have a small edge with precise play, but, you know, it starts a little bit awkward 06:29.180 --> 06:31.400 if they move like I one protecting a two. 06:31.400 --> 06:37.190 It's No, the clear cut way is easy free just reinforce the points hit h five. 06:37.190 --> 06:38.420 That's great stuff. 06:38.420 --> 06:47.540 So Bishop takes E five though was played and that leaves black with that terribly weak looking pawn. 06:48.530 --> 06:56.300 This is great positional play really in what you'd think is a tactical opening so night BD four it's 06:56.300 --> 07:02.570 this night which could be used potentially to it's hitting the rook, but it can also be used to add 07:02.570 --> 07:05.240 weight for a kingside attack. 07:06.560 --> 07:13.370 If it can be used to eliminate the defender of the dark squares, then the dark squares being more vulnerable 07:13.370 --> 07:14.000 would be interesting. 07:14.000 --> 07:15.530 We have rook see ain't. 07:15.950 --> 07:20.030 So if Bishop takes the for volunteering that kind of dark square defender, this is just going to be 07:20.030 --> 07:26.690 a nice attack for why after E five this position Rook takes eight, Queen takes eight. 07:26.870 --> 07:29.630 This is just going to be better for white here. 07:30.080 --> 07:34.190 So Rook eight is played, but now 93. 07:34.190 --> 07:34.400 Yeah. 07:34.400 --> 07:36.680 This is very interesting choice, not 95. 07:36.680 --> 07:38.720 We want to try and eliminate that defender. 07:38.720 --> 07:41.780 And the bishop can't really go backwards because of E5. 07:41.990 --> 07:43.400 So Bishop e six is played. 07:43.400 --> 07:45.980 This is actually an inaccuracy. 07:45.980 --> 07:51.620 Bishop F6 might have actually been objective this, but it's miserable after E five. 07:51.950 --> 07:55.670 So if Bishop e7e takes, there's a problem here. 07:55.670 --> 07:59.360 Tactically, can you see what that is for. 07:59.360 --> 08:00.260 Ten points. 08:00.920 --> 08:01.220 Yeah. 08:01.220 --> 08:07.580 These batteries, even though the structurally the weakness is gone but it leads to weak pieces because 08:07.580 --> 08:13.280 nothing's really holding the pieces together, they're kind of they become a set of unprotected pieces 08:13.280 --> 08:21.200 and we can exploit the unprotected bishop here with Rook takes these six and also the ninth kind of 08:21.200 --> 08:22.100 unprotected. 08:22.100 --> 08:25.100 So this position we could win the knight on B six. 08:25.100 --> 08:28.340 And the other way, if it takes, we can play bishop at four. 08:29.210 --> 08:33.440 Yeah, there's no pawns around to support the pieces now, so this is just great. 08:33.440 --> 08:34.580 We're winning material. 08:34.580 --> 08:37.610 Bishop C six We end up we've just been set up here. 08:38.210 --> 08:40.430 We've got three minor pieces against the two. 08:40.430 --> 08:40.880 Yeah. 08:41.690 --> 08:42.110 Okay. 08:42.110 --> 08:46.260 So yeah, it's fascinating stuff on Bishop f6. 08:46.260 --> 08:50.180 This E five is powerful stuff, so. 08:51.390 --> 08:52.170 Yeah. 08:53.900 --> 08:54.170 Okay. 08:54.300 --> 08:56.280 So here. 08:56.400 --> 08:56.770 Yeah. 08:56.790 --> 08:58.980 Bishop Essex was an inaccuracy. 08:58.980 --> 09:00.360 The way to go for black. 09:00.390 --> 09:03.630 There was actually a cheeky way to go with Bishop B five. 09:04.650 --> 09:09.700 And this requires some tactical resourcefulness on C4 to justify it. 09:09.720 --> 09:14.880 Black has no tank C4 to fork two rooks, so two pawns taken. 09:14.970 --> 09:19.920 And this rook fork actually would lead to a position which is even so, yeah. 09:19.950 --> 09:24.260 Bishop B five key move here to save the day. 09:24.480 --> 09:28.710 Black It seems this does seem an interesting possibility. 09:30.080 --> 09:31.850 Well, it's an improvement anyway. 09:32.810 --> 09:39.140 And there are ideas for black to liberate the position, you know, with G free taking out E to to weaken 09:39.140 --> 09:39.590 g free. 09:39.590 --> 09:41.450 There are liberation or ideas. 09:41.750 --> 09:42.500 So yes. 09:42.500 --> 09:49.000 Hence c4 if rook d to bishop takes eto in fact here. 09:49.010 --> 09:49.420 Okay. 09:49.490 --> 09:55.310 In fact we don't have to use d black doesn't have to use d fi rather it was just the thought. 09:55.310 --> 10:02.780 But because we have nine takes e five but we can play f six concretely and White's advantage here would 10:02.780 --> 10:03.770 just be small. 10:03.770 --> 10:06.740 There is a smaller edge for white, but nothing more. 10:07.940 --> 10:09.260 So black misses that chance. 10:09.260 --> 10:16.490 Bishop e6 and it seems there's a cost that the king side incurred now after nine and for the defender 10:16.490 --> 10:26.000 on the dark squares leaves the board with bishop takes F4 so why if 97 nine takes e6f takes that's borrowing 10:26.000 --> 10:28.640 from the kingside safety shields. 10:28.640 --> 10:29.930 Bishop d4. 10:29.960 --> 10:32.870 This is going to end up being quite painful for black. 10:33.320 --> 10:38.540 This position the light square bishop without counterpart could accentuate the light square weaknesses. 10:38.540 --> 10:44.960 White is better if Bishop D seven Queen G one is actually the best move with temp on the knight. 10:45.350 --> 10:53.060 And if rook six rook d2 this is a very comfortable position where 94 Bishop D seven we can actually 10:53.060 --> 10:54.110 play like this. 10:54.440 --> 11:08.060 And for example here, Bishop B five we can establish authority, but we can consider later. 11:08.090 --> 11:17.660 C four This is actually slightly better for white if g696e6f takes just to show nine takes E five here 11:18.080 --> 11:23.750 C four with that nice proxy binds kind of authority on the position as well. 11:23.750 --> 11:24.140 Yeah. 11:24.140 --> 11:28.460 And also pass pawn, you know, we can actually just use the passport and then go for the king over 11:28.460 --> 11:28.910 here. 11:28.910 --> 11:32.810 This is overloading black on both sides of the board this scenario. 11:32.810 --> 11:36.500 So with G four we can get a strong attack going, we can win H four. 11:36.500 --> 11:37.640 But what does black do here? 11:37.640 --> 11:40.660 H g Then what's defending g six here? 11:40.670 --> 11:42.140 Nothing really. 11:42.140 --> 11:44.120 So yeah, there are interesting scenarios. 11:44.120 --> 11:51.170 Essentially in a nutshell, if 97 nine takes 86, they seem to favor white, as you might expect. 11:51.170 --> 12:00.800 So Bishop takes F four, G takes A for a four here if F six won't pay 94 and now 95. 12:00.800 --> 12:05.750 This is duty to get a knight on F five and nine takes de six winning material. 12:06.680 --> 12:13.400 But if rook D eight then actually 97 check and then we play 90 C six winning material with that nice 12:13.400 --> 12:14.090 fork. 12:14.540 --> 12:19.490 If rook c six we could play 97 check winning material, taking that rook. 12:19.640 --> 12:23.360 So basically it's dangerous for black. 12:23.360 --> 12:30.950 A 495 eight takes be free, rook takes eight and black misses a shot here. 12:30.950 --> 12:35.900 Actually, tactically there is a shot here instead of the auto recapture. 12:36.290 --> 12:41.360 Well Black played nine, six, eight, eight but actually B takes C two is interesting. 12:41.840 --> 12:47.360 So Rook takes B eight, C takes D one queening Rook takes C eight. 12:50.100 --> 12:55.490 And Black does have a move here Queen A4 to defend E8. 12:55.680 --> 13:00.420 If Queen takes the free rook, takes each check and mate the notes covering age seven. 13:00.420 --> 13:06.750 But Queen A4 leads to a situation after Rook takes eight where it's a very interesting material imbalance. 13:06.750 --> 13:09.630 But overall, this scenario favors white. 13:10.470 --> 13:16.690 White has too many pieces for the Queen, so this actually is a scenario favouring white. 13:17.110 --> 13:17.580 White. 13:17.610 --> 13:22.110 It's going to be with some work to do, but it's better for white. 13:23.630 --> 13:29.600 And if Queen takes eight, then C takes B free. 13:29.600 --> 13:34.370 And this situation, we're just batter here, we're targeting H five. 13:34.370 --> 13:36.110 Still, what is black doing? 13:36.350 --> 13:38.540 We can play F five and trap the bishop. 13:38.540 --> 13:41.780 Even more important than taking out H five, we're trapping the bishop. 13:41.780 --> 13:42.860 If 97. 13:42.980 --> 13:45.500 If g six we're going to play F five again. 13:45.500 --> 13:50.240 The Bishop's kind of suspect Black's king is suspect after the Queen takes H five. 13:50.720 --> 13:52.580 Yeah, this looks too dangerous by far. 13:52.580 --> 13:54.740 All these pieces over here, away from the king. 13:55.220 --> 13:57.410 So fascinating stuff. 13:58.370 --> 13:59.420 So let's go back. 13:59.420 --> 14:02.990 So basically nine takes was chosen. 14:03.950 --> 14:05.750 So C tanks be free. 14:05.750 --> 14:07.010 We have g six. 14:07.520 --> 14:10.370 If Bishop D seven we're just going to take on h five. 14:10.370 --> 14:11.300 No problem there. 14:11.570 --> 14:13.700 So g six but now F five. 14:13.940 --> 14:17.840 So again this, this tactic, yeah, it's horrible for black D five. 14:17.840 --> 14:27.860 Check from the Queen if G thinks we're just going to take on h5d5 check king H one So what's our bishop 14:27.860 --> 14:28.190 covers? 14:28.220 --> 14:29.300 C one There's no check. 14:29.300 --> 14:37.520 So if Queen E five, we're checking E takes and this is kind of crushing eventually because Bishop G 14:37.520 --> 14:41.150 one we get in this position and we're crushing it from here. 14:41.510 --> 14:47.000 D takes E six is afforded because of that nice bishop on G two and. 14:48.700 --> 14:49.230 Yeah. 14:49.240 --> 14:51.480 Black really hasn't got too much, it seems. 14:51.490 --> 14:53.650 You know, this position is just in our favor. 14:53.800 --> 14:56.950 So D five check was chosen. 14:56.950 --> 15:01.660 King h1g takes F five, and now E takes D five. 15:02.920 --> 15:03.910 Bishop D seven. 15:03.910 --> 15:05.740 Queen St's H five. 15:07.620 --> 15:12.150 96 trying to defend F seven Bishop F4 trying to remove that defender. 15:12.180 --> 15:14.040 We're in attack mode now. 15:14.160 --> 15:18.270 The positional Adams is going into full attack mode. 15:18.540 --> 15:22.340 Queen H seven Shaq Black resigns if king of fake. 15:22.350 --> 15:26.700 We're taking out the defender of F seven and just mating yeah. 15:27.750 --> 15:31.080 And yeah so. 15:33.000 --> 15:37.680 It's also F King E eight. 15:37.740 --> 15:41.610 We have Queen Ain't Checkmate or cringe at me. 15:42.510 --> 15:44.760 So really fascinating game. 15:45.300 --> 15:49.350 So it's a kind of blends of positional chess and attacking chess. 15:49.370 --> 15:55.690 And you know, Adams is getting great results with these kind of non-mainstream najdorf approaches. 15:55.690 --> 16:01.380 So like G is a bit of a rare, bold move, but you can see the positional undertones. 16:02.310 --> 16:06.960 Adams is looking out for structural weaknesses later A6 and D six. 16:06.960 --> 16:11.850 It's kind of probe them, pressurize them, build up advantages using them if they're eliminated. 16:11.850 --> 16:19.430 Like D6, we get under protected pieces and the tactics generally favor white overall that we saw. 16:19.440 --> 16:25.170 So a fascinating positional approach to the Sicilian najdorf expressed in this game. 16:25.370 --> 16:28.560 So a really interesting positional play from Adams, as usual. 16:29.040 --> 16:30.180 Fascinating stuff. 16:30.180 --> 16:32.160 I hope you enjoyed this as much as me. 16:32.490 --> 16:33.300 Thanks very much.