Ivanchuk Resigns in a Winning Position - But Who Wouldn't?!

[@unnatural_blues]

I am a programmer and watched this video during work hours. I assumed the right move and the follow up like in 10 seconds without pausing the video, and when after grand announcement Antonio showed this move I was so excited that I jumped up in my chair, clapped my hands and shouted "YES!!!". This got my boss's attention, and instead of using my bragging right and telling my colleagues how great a chess player I am, I had to pretend that my reaction was caused by finding a solution to a work problem. I hope my boss doesn't come to ask what solution I found, because instead of writing some code, I'm writing this comment.

[@NottoriousGG]

😂

[@kaueadm]

Bro, you literally said exactly what I was about to say. I'm also a programmer and I'm currently working right now, I also spent less than 10 seconds to found the move and the following sequence. But I work from home so my boss didn't catch my reaction :D

[@kenadams9725]

I'm also here to brag coz i found the move in few seconds😂

[@Bai_Su_Zhen]

Money well earned my man, keep up the great work.

[@teqii]

me too so happy lol

[@jeremywilliams5107]

I can be proud to play like Ivanchuk - I too can get to a lost position in _'basically no time at all.'_

[@hp7639]

I get to a lost position as soon as I agree to play a chess game😅

[@PuyolsHonor]

He wasn't lost though that's the videos point

[@jeremywilliams5107]

@@PuyolsHonor That's another similarity

[@RoyDumaw]

The reason I and so many others found Bc2 is because when there's a "pause the video" moment, we start looking for moves like these. But in the middle of a real game, it is different... So here, it was easier finding Bc2 than the sequence after that move, for sure.

[@Lynx_1611]

Exactly. I don't know how but i instantly saw Bc2 first but then i said naah! This can't be. And then i jumped out of my chair when he said it's Bc2. Lol

[@Toopa88]

Most people probably find the move without calculating all the lines. Basically means you didn't find the move, despite finding the move.

[@Lynx_1611]

True. It's not about finding the move but the continuation till the end

[@lajos-berenyi]

Agree. Plus I saw Bc2, but not with the d4 follow up, etc.

[@valimaa1006]

I actually found it lol, but for the exact reason you said. Only when he said pause the video, it was sort of random move that I guessed and after I tried it, I understood you threaten checkmate, but didn't know how to continue if he captures with the second rook. But totally found it.

[@kentaur.1555]

Love it! Even with such a a short game Antonio manages to make a highly entertaining and informative video 😎

[@intesab_ahmad]

"When you have eliminated all which is impossible then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." This is the original quote by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, spoken by his character, Sherlock Holmes.

[@NottoriousGG]

Pin please.

[@jwrobin21]

Actually, the quote was, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains must be possible, no matter how IMPROBABLE."

[@OneRichMofo]

​@@jwrobin21I googled it and I couldn't find your version. His is the only one that shows up.

[@jwrobin21]

@@OneRichMofoBelieve it or believe it not but Google does not have all the answers. I have read the Sherlock Holmes so I know what I am talking about.

[@RupertMDoc]

Was about to comment the same thing, I remember reading this in a Holmes story!

[@advaitphadke2283]

Recently ivanchuk is playing classical chess just for fun....even in the world cup against magnus you could see that he was not spending any time and resigned the second game in a position which could be drawn.

[@jameshogan6142]

Yes it is a pity. A player such as Korchnoi was till playing strong grandmaster chess at fifty four and would have given his utmost concentration and effort to any classical game he played at that age.

[@advaitphadke2283]

@@jameshogan6142 Yes that's true....even Anand whenever he plays any classical tornament he plays it with full focus and he is 53! I feel if ivanchuk also plays with more interest he could do much better...

[@DamaniDanDadar]

When you peaked in strength in your 20s and 30s, ranked in the top five in the world and won games against Kasparov, Karpov, and Kramnik at their peaks, you have nothing left to prove in your 50s. You just enjoy the game. The energy reserve is simply not the same anymore.

[@SiddharthPrabhu1983]

Great video! It really emphasizes the need to "play the middle game like a magician" as Spielmann said. Only mad genius would be able to see this continuation in that position.

[@zach1912XD]

There was a comment a few months ago asking if a game had ever ended when there was something more to be done. To that person, here it is. It has finally happened in a game covered on this channel.

[@Lupinicus1664]

Fascinating game. I did manage Bc2 but I agree that the real killer to find would be d4. Bc2 just seemed the only move not to lose almost instantly. 'Deflecting' moves like this, especially when you have material to 'give away' should always be considered. But the follow-up pawn move would be almost impossible when several moves down the line. Good video as always, thank you.

[@abdelrhmandameen2215]

This is our annual "THIS IS WHY WE LOVE CHESS" video. and this is why this channel is the best. thank you for being part of our lives.

[@louaimamdouh7639]

I was so happy to find this bishop to c2 idea, it was the only move I could see that ends with the white queen unable to give checks and the black queen threatening checkmate on d2 and if the white rook goes to the only available square a1 then the insane rook captures on a2. Any other move would either prolong the move queen to d2 or just give initiative for blacks attack. I don't usually try to hard in finding the winning move but if it's in a position where it seems nothing can be played I always take my time also I found it pretty quickly I just had to calculate everything else but I failed to see how important that bishop was on e4 though. Love these videos agad you're the best!!❤️❤️

[@raylopez99]

HA HA HA. Riiiigggght.

[@Heisl.]

Found bc2 actually instantly, disconnecting the rooks, then the queen trade was kind of a no brainer but that d4 move was definitely way above my head. Still happy I found Bc2 or rather the idea behind it

[@fritswester2833]

Let me explain: you landed on that move by pure luck. Not by calculating it. You 'assumed' the move instead of 'seeing' it. That is the difference between you and a 2500+ player.

[@Pwnz0rh3nk]

​@@fritswester2833plot twist: commenter is actually a 2600 GM

[@kalodont1916]

​@@fritswester2833not by luck. It is the only move that doesn't lead straight to checkmate or severe material loss. For me it was also a no-brainer so I think almost everyone would play it. The continuation is not clear at all but Bc2 is obvious. 😊

[@arneperschel]

Same here. Bc2 was not so hard, but d4... o.O

[@Heisl.]

@@fritswester2833I’m not sure I understand you correctly, of course I did calculate the move, it’s just that I have to read the situation first, understanding the key idea here, I didn’t just play the move blindly obviously

[@Furin1521]

Strange as it is, I found bc2 in a few seconds because of course I have to disconnect the rooks and ease the tension of the attack, but I'm not able to continue since I'm lacking knowledge and vision... Great commentary as always, thank you Antonio!

[@soumyajitroy5239]

Amazing game. Reminded me of your old immortal chess and sorcery series. It is very hard to find such mysterious positions nowadays

[@Abstru5e.]

i found the move, but if i were given the perspective, ivanchuk had a few moves back and no info that there was something in the position, i wouldn't have found it. regardless, i was very happy and still celebrated when u revealed that it was the move i was thinking, i even got chills because of how difficult u described it

[@juliangeggis6428]

Maybe it's just me, but I think another great aspect of this game is when you look up at home with the engine and realize that the piece sacrifice could have been possible (even with engine precisely moves) if you played g4 before actually sacrificing the piece. Great video anyway, but it would have been even better if you showed what difference the move g4 makes : like whereever the bishop goes there is no backrank mate possible (later with the idea Bishop c2) and you could have instead of Ba6 sacrificed the bishop on d5, because after the re-capture the bishop isn't controlling c8 in this variation. In any case it was a well played game.

[@chalapenomusic]

Omgg, I found it! Never felt happier 😂❤ Thanks for that hype, Agad, it really made my day!

[@qybl]

Great pause the video moment! Yes I found bc2. I noticed soon that the white king is vulnerable on the back rank, so I stared at Qxa2 for a while, but when that did not work, i started to look specifically for interference moves.

[@davidcondon7706]

That’s subtle and complicated. Much fun to follow this analysis.

[@ExecutionSommaire]

Mind blowing. Thank you for covering this.

[@BrotherLove187]

Hans niemann also resigned against kramnik in a winning position. In recent time🎉

[@nicbentulan]

Yeah but that was a mate in 11 not a mate in 1. Lol. But seriously new topic Wesley So, Bobby Fischer & Hans Niemann have never provably done anything evil in chess as adults. Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov & Hikaru Nakamura have provably done evil things in chess as adults. Evil : Cheating, baseless accusations, discrimination, etc. Which part here is incorrect?

[@bryantimothy8616]

Pointless discussion as there is no enough fact. Hans was super sus cos how his performace fluctuates with a very big level gap in those fluctuations. Current top players like Carlsen, Naka, and Garry has been consistent with their games. Thats why no one suspects them of cheating. And with their massive experience in chess and facing many different people, Hans' case was the only one with such a big jump that is accompanied with such a massive fluctuation. Plus Hans had a record of cheating. So I think it'd be unfair for us to judge either side. Who are we to judge top players' accusations towards Hans when they clearly are more experienced and they faced Hans themselves? On the other hand how can we defend Hans and prove his innocence? This battle is for Hans alone to prove his strength by having more great games consistently and reestablishing his lost honor due to his past cheating.

[@Agonystt]

His engine probably took too long to show the right move and he improvised 😂

[@nicbentulan]

@@bryantimothy8616 Wesley So, Bobby Fischer & Hans Niemann have never provably done anything evil in chess as adults. Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov & Hikaru Nakamura have provably done evil things in chess as adults. Evil : Cheating, baseless accusations, discrimination, etc. Which part here is incorrect?

[@bryantimothy8616]

​@@nicbentulanare you a bot? You just copy pasted the whole thing, even keeping the typo 😂😂

[@DelonteJones]

@3:53 what the issue with capturing the white bishop with you queen?

[@garrettmanuel2413]

You won’t find it. - We will see about that. - finds a move for white instead of black

[@preparedsurvivalist2245]

The way ...d4 comes in and just holds everything together for Black is the truly amazing part of this. And that black D pawn can be captured too, yet it still doesn't help White! That had to be a very bitter loss for Chucky, considering he was up material and could've held out for a few more moves even without needing to find this brilliancy. I don't think the likes of Kasparov or Fisher would've found that winning combination had they been in the same shoes, so it'll go down as yet another engine sequence that coulda-shoulda-woulda made for an epic classic.

[@valimaa1006]

#suggestion I just saw a game where stockfish lost with white against leela, when it got it's own rook voluntarily trapped and misscalculated the game. Incredible. I think it was 2023 ccc semifinals, saw it on reddit post, would be refreshing to see here.

[@spencerkemp5701]

At 3:53 was wondering why not Qxb7 as rook also defends b7. But after Qxb7 Rxb7 Rc8+ black loses bishop and rook - Bd8 Rxd8+ Ke7 Rxh8 Rxb2. But its still only black down an exchange and a pawn. Mightve been holdable..

[@marcohardianto6629]

Thank you agad, because you just made my day! I found the move after around 30 secs and was proud as hell!

[@benjamindover7399]

That was a great analysis. Thank You.

[@bschuss1]

Actually found the move but was sure I'm overlooking something. Seemed to be the only move that prevents the checkmating pattern you showed just before though. Never would have found it from the resigning position. And I don't even actively play chess :D Edit: ok finding the second one afterwards was harder.

[@nathanmurphy4374]

Saw everything up to d4. I think d4 is the real stellar move here as after bc2 every move from white is some what forced. But to be able to see this line on the move that Ivanchuk resigned would be nothing short of impossible. As always, great video.

[@jeffbeck9347]

I actually considered the bishop move. But not the pawn d4.

[@lionelmessi4953]

yeah me too. I just saw that taking the bishop with Rc1 was gonna lead to mate so I was like "I bet this is the move, im not gonna even calculate not taking the bishop" lol.

[@mitjani1140]

At 3:50, after Q-C8 and B-B7 why can't black take on b7 with the queen and enjoy a superior position?🤔

[@Trip_Fontaine]

I can believe people found the pause-the-video move but not all the follow-ups. Often I can work out the pause-the-video move by seeing it's the only move that "does stuff", but I can't find all the follow-ups. I've seen the tactic of "disconnecting two pieces and there's no good way to re-connect them" before. I think a similar tactic was even the pause-the-video moment before.

[@PSOnoni]

I swear I found this move!!! I let out the biggest YES while eating breakfast at work 😂

[@muthuraj8901]

I can proudly tell now .I found bc2 that ivanchuk missed. I am so happy now ❤😊

[@leewhite82]

@10.27 black is only +1 and White has two past pawns. What does the eval bar say?

[@NoNoahhhh]

3:56 - why dont you mention that black queen takes bishop?

[@Sergio-bg1ci]

Hi ! One question. The world classic champion Ding Liren where is he ? there has been a number of tournaments and I haven't seen him , nor Agadmator analyze a game by Ding after the World Chess Championship.

[@zach358]

I saw that the black queen had checkmate in 1 and I briefly considered blocking the rook with the black bishop, but I dismissed the idea when I thought that the other rook could just take it. I didn't consider what could be after the white rook left c8. I also saw pushing the black pawn to d4 and bishop to e4, but I obviously had the moves out of order.

[@rickdesper]

I found BC2 and I'm not a ranked chess player at all. But if you hadn't told me there was a great move there, I wouldn't have seen it. My thinking was that there was a real need to block the C column to disconnect the rooks. And I saw that the white rook couldn't leave the back rank to capture the bishop, for the reason that you made clear. So either White would be left trying to complete the attack with only the queen and one rook or he'd have to pull the rook back to take the bishop, in which case RB6 (you did QB6) would force at worst a queen trade, since the white queen would have no safe squares. (White could save the queen by trading the rook for the back-rank bishop, but is that better?) It was really just a combinatorial question. What looked like a queen and two rooks vs a queen and a rook had to be changed by bringing in the bishop that looked like it couldn't do anything.

[@Mattj89]

Yeah , I found it but couldn’t figured out what do if room capture was thinking too hard. I didn’t understand or see that I was piece up. It was easy to spot, due to the queen being relieved checkmate if rook wasn’t there.

[@curiouscat9]

Wow, the game officially ends at 3:04, but the video goes on for over 10 more minutes! How often has that happened in agadmator's videos.

[@BiGTruthNow]

Chess never stop amaze us

[@rogerstone3068]

This is just STAGGERING. The best chess video of all time. Agadmator's immortal.

[@2596mr]

This is top tier content. Different in so many ways. Loved it!

[@TjerkMuller]

I did find Bc2, but I have to admit I didn't calculate it any further. It's just that it's the only move that interrupts the second Rook from coming in.

[@spencerhalverson80]

#suggestion You have to show the 4 games between Magnus and Nepo in the AI cup Semifinals today, from holding a losing position in game 1, missing a checkmate in game 2 and the crazy queen-rook endgame from game 4, there was so much to unpack

[@RotoGluOn]

Amazing! I swear I thought about that bishop move but couldn't see the pawn move afterwards. This line is insane :]

[@mohamedabdelkader9854]

I really found it and so happy I did. Didn't know all the variations but I was sure this is the move

[@HeavyboxesDIYMaster]

I found the move! I noticed the back rank issues and black has 2 bishops to give up to protect the king. So that bishop move gives some tempo.

[@rollotomasi1832]

The last 4 or so games featured on this channel with Chucky have been somewhat like this. He's lost it unfortunately. I just hope that he still continues to play the game because it brings him joy.

[@bahar.sabz.]

A great analysis by agadmator! Thank you Antonio!

[@james5669]

Great analysis Daniel!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@z000ey]

BLOODY HELL I've found it! severing the rook combo that Rc1-c2 cannot take due to mate, but didn't see the continuation where Qb8 and the slow castling for the black :)

[@patrickwall0815]

Hey agadmator, is it possible, to use/show a sidebar with the adventage for black or white during the match?

[@brandonshairplugs2884]

Knowing that there’s a solution makes it easier to find it. Over the board, not knowing that it’s possible, makes it harder to find and easier to dismiss some of the more outlandish options.

[@Andrew-cd9sl]

really great video, fascinating thanks!

[@prabkiratsingh4846]

The quote mentioned, I guess was spoken by some Sherlock Holmes novel written by conan doyle

[@royhulli5034]

@ the end of the last line, would a white Queen+3pawns be better than 2 rooks and a bishop?

[@nyrinyri]

Spock? It was Sherlock Holmes! It was the whole point of his method.

[@rossmurray6849]

Agadmator, the originator of your quote in this video is not Spock. It comes from a novel by Arthur Conan Doyle and said by his character Sherlock Holmes.

[@intheband002]

Proud to say I found this but never would have found it over the board

[@rikardandersson6652]

Antonio at his best! Great video 🫡

[@stonebud]

This is one of your more excellent videos

[@xxAutoFlowxx]

Found it. Can't wait to go to the bar and library

[@fredvomjupiter8849]

Found B to c2 after some 10 minutes....but I was not sure how exactly to continue..........attacking white queen next with rook.... probably from a7............but not sure at all...............

[@0FFICERPROBLEM]

The first move considered WAS Bc2 :D But I couldn't figure out continuation after R8xc2, so I moved on to consider other moves lol

[@19859ahmed]

Doubove did Doubove things yesterday. Could you please make a single video merging them all.

[@odysseasv7138]

Mr Agadmator, I found Bishop to C2, and I am 1100. I never comment because I almost never find the 'only moves', but this time I somehow did. I didn't know how to continue after Bishop C2, but it seemed to me that after this move I either Checkmate in 1 or at least I relieve the pressure by forcing the other rook to come back(and unpin me). It took me 1 minute and I felt as it's the best and only move possible as everything else is lost. Still I couldn't find any continuation to recover/get back to the game after that.

[@СлаваТудор]

6:08 Rd8 Qd8 Qa6 black is still up a piece

[@nsyln]

Chess is deep and is getting deeper. I apologise for this as I am a theoretician, and I have been helping create this increased complexity.

[@noonefromnowhere99]

I did instinctively figured out that you had to move the bishop but definitely I couldn't see where or why.

[@alkinooskontopodias5919]

I do not find this move to be so difficult to find, since there are not so many candidate moves and since the continuations Agad suggested for white require the rook lift. One of the first moves i considered was Bc2 indeed.

[@fragslap5229]

At the "pause," couldn't black just castle?

[@ch4ad]

Is it bishop to C2? blocking the rook and the rook can't take because of the threat of Qe3? If rook c8 takes bishop C2, black rook to b6 will force Q to c8 and then black Q takes pawn a2, requiring protection for pawn on b2, but nooo. none of that, just do what I want (to force queen to c8) and start with rook to B6 forcing queen to a8, take take, and I don't know how this helps from here. Otherwise my first idea is bishop to d3 to protect the rook so if rook takes bishop on d8, queen recaptures, but queen doesn't take rook on a6, but I don't know what happens next. ^ That was my thought process before watching. I guess I got the move but didn't try queen to b6. I thought of queen b5 but I didn't see queen b6. But hey, I'm an unrated player who doesn't even know how to write chess moves properly and probably loses to a lot of people ranked 4-500 (if that's real low...I think). I'm even so bad I was taking the perspective that black was down here, too, just based on the half attention I gave to the rest of the commentary. Also I realize now rook to B6 doesn't stop rook from taking d8 lol. That was my whole thought process (ish...like I said, my first thought was bishop d3, but c2 I guess I had a bit more confidence in because it's what I wrote down first...also no way I'd see that move from where he resigned). I'm also pretty positive "seeing" the move in your head when it comes to something like breaking a line of sight between rooks is just...100x more difficult than with the board in perpetuity before your eyes. haha, I really enjoyed the (maybe semi-earned?) compliment 😅 I did love chess in 4th grade and beat my teacher but a 1600 rated friend got competitive with me about the game and implied my teacher was probably letting me beat him so I kinda got an aversion/ptsd/self-consciousness for the game and lost my love for it; I tried to see past all that on this one and think about the game the way I used to, lol. sorta worked (I enjoyed think about it), so kinda got a win-win here 👍

[@LeWildCartman]

Great video! The (original) quote is actually by Sherlock Holmes, not Spock.

[@mcronrn]

What other game had a bishop disconnecting the rooks as the solution? The rooks might have been on the e- or f- file and maybe the bishop moved to f5?

[@azarhaimsteboun3839]

What if Qb5 at 9:54 ?

[@sunderraj3917]

@09:40 white to move: what will happen if Rxd8

[@wojciechpietrzak1981]

I found this move but I don't know whether I would in game. I'm not saying it's impossible because by elimination Qd8 was the only move, everything after was forced for black so I would probably get this position on the board and having enough time I would look for extraordinary resources after seeing that nothing usual is playable but it would certainly be much harder with no outside prompts that this is THE position to look for. Actually, I find the following d4 after Qb8 much harder to find.

[@464nescio6]

the quote you state is not by spock but by sherlock holmes..or arthur conan doyle if you prefer..

[@ytbqiqayon]

I think it's important to note that in order to win in Ivanchuk's shoes one doesn't need to spot the Bc2 move several moves in advance: it's enough just not to resign and then to spot it later when the time actually comes.

[@jormakahilainen5588]

Thank you Antonio. Great video every day. This time I found the right move in about 5 minutes. The key to the solution was timing. I just started my second beer😊

[@burimsaliji23]

Cheers friend 🍺🍻😊

[@jaybacan650]

What happened with the current WCC? Has he played again?

[@greatfortunemamhova4480]

I actually found Bc2 but didn't see the continuation after RC8xc2

[@lonnie195]

Congratulations to Mr. Harikishna for an excellent game. But I am still a big fan of Mr. Ivanchuk and look forward to seeing more of his games.

[@vincentv.9729]

This is something I ever wondered. Can a move considered by a blunder by a 3500 ELO engine could be a winning move with a 5000 ELO engine with more depth?

[@peterwinters8587]

yes

[@vincentv.9729]

@@peterwinters8587 thank you for your insight :)

[@ezy_accounts]

jokes aside, i (honestly) found that bishop move. my only thinking / logic was - how to cut off rooks communication? then q threatens mate if rook moves away from first row. this supported my logic.

[@williardwonken9040]

I found Bc2 in about 20-30 seconds because I noted black was threatening backrank mate if the rook moved, and also we have two extra bishops so we could throw one away to break momentum ....I feel quite sure Ivanchuk would see this move just as quickly if he simply had the position on the board and didnt quick resign

[@JamesSmith-tl5zy]

Well his lose made me feel good even the best of the best can lose in such few moves thank you for always sharing the beautiful world of Chess 👊👊👊

[@Giltr0y]

He probably just wasn't well or needed to go. He is like that. Mad genius :)

[@MagnusCarlson-v2x]

thank you Antonio, Is the India and the World ready to see new WCC?

[@bobkreme2175]

I might be wrong but didn't agad already do a video about this game?

[@aamiw99]

I'm happy I found Bc2 in 10 or so seconds after pausing. Hard to brag though since I didn't calculate R8xc2, but only saw the mate in 1 after R1xc2. It also helps that it was built up to be a ridiculous looking move.

[@sniffableandirresistble]

I saw the back rank mate but not the bishop move to allow it

[@darthrainbows]

I did not find Bc2, I thought I had something with Bd3 which also ended with a queen sacrifice and black with 2 rooks and a bishop for the queen, but I probably made a mistake somewhere on that path.

[@decreasing_entropy3003]

I actually saw Bc2, but I didn't see it in combination with d4.

[@alisterzarkar7163]

Great quote by Spok. Well done. Here is one of my favorites. "It is illogical to assume that all conditions will remain unchanged".

[@rossmurray6849]

That quote has a much earlier origin than Spock. It first appeared in a Sherlock Holmes novel written by Arthur Conan Doyle.

[@alisterzarkar7163]

​@@rossmurray6849Spok never claimed that the quote was his own original saying. Spok was well versed in earth history. Live long and prosper.

[@rossmurray6849]

@@alisterzarkar7163 I don't know what planet you come from, but where I come from if you cite an historical quote and provide an attribution, you should attribute it to the FIRST person who used it.

[@alisterzarkar7163]

So tell me, who did Doyle get the quote from?

[@rossmurray6849]

@@alisterzarkar7163 From no one. He was the first person to write it.

[@arujyotidaripa1298]

I found bishop to c2. But I did not see the line as agad said. Still I'm pleased.

[@Anarak46]

Did not find p-e4. Q-b6 forcing a trad.