BIRD CRASH COURSE

[@walterbrownstone8017]

Fromi's. Gambit lesson in the second half was really good. This really really looks like it's a really good course worth buying. The Bird can transpose so much that it's like learning every opening at once.

[@gmraven]

The bird is different from every opening in that you have a pawn on f4, but yes we can go into other systems when we have a bigger center... because of the pawn on f4!

[@walterbrownstone8017]

@@gmraven So the key to the Bird Opening is the pawn on F4? That's why the From's Gambit is so aggravating!

[@gmraven]

@walterbrownstone8017 from gambit is a bit dangerous but if you can traverse the minefield a glorious position awaits

[@walterbrownstone8017]

@@gmraven Well I'm still getting exploded in the minefield stage right now. I've literally had a 100% accurate Bird game. That's so rare for me.

[@gmraven]

@walterbrownstone8017 that's crazy

[@yotamchaimmoshe8013]

Hi raven, just wanted to say this was the best opening video I have ever watched. Just this 20 min video got me far enough to the point where I feel like I’ve played this hundreds of times. Thank you so much for this aggressive opening option you that have shown me, I’d never think of playing this without you ❤

[@gmraven]

Thanks 😄

[@KF1]

Thiiiiiiiiiiis is an excellent video to cross-reference with the short-n-sweet chessable course. You and GM Williams make a good team to get the ideas across. Thanks for showing.

[@fumoffu1]

7:22 I often fianchetto the queenside bishop in my bird games. I call that setup a "Birb opening" or Birb setup. And everyone knows birbs have night vision and x-ray vision.

[@antoniorocchia8766]

Really entertaining lesson. I think you should try to get some gingle for your intro and outro. Something iconic like hikaru’s. Your video ending are always very sudden

[@gmraven]

Great suggestion!

[@barneytronic]

Very nice! Glad I discovered your channel! I hope you make a chessable course on the bird. If you ever do, sign me up!

[@gmraven]

I did and it's coming out around April, look out for it!

[@shonclaws]

Just got your full course after the short n sweet! Your approach pairs very nicely w nimzo-Larsen opening and corresponding Chessable course, and I think some of the ideas will help inform b6 (Owen’s) as black too (b6 against everything Chessable course). Where I live we have many ravens visit us in the mountains. Thanks for your work!! May Fortune favor you.

[@walterbrownstone8017]

The Ponziani-Steinitz and the Bird are both great openings at my beginner level! The only thing missing from all KZbin chess channels is a whole repertoire. Maybe they save that for their students.

[@gmraven]

Yes that could be an idea.

[@baswillems3578]

Playing chess at my local club since 3 months and just got my first win with the bird opening! So excited!! So satisfying when you can dump your Knight at e5 and opponent cannot deal with it ❤

[@ianmason3372]

Excellent intro video. I have purchased your Bird Chessable course (and your strategy course)

[@gmraven]

Awesome, thank you so much! That really helps the channel!

[@andrewmack7614]

Yes I have been trying the bird recently. Thanks for you video. Found out about you from the Perpetual Chess Podcast!

[@gmraven]

Cool!

[@jackrussell1068]

Love playing the Bird. Struggle against KID. Any speed run videos show you playing against that. Also get stuck when they queenside castle. Any videos on that?

[@christianpurnielumpierre2662]

Froms Gambit is really dangerous and tricky, I suggest to take on e5 but after d6 just play Nf3 and e4. This is really easy to play without such huge risks.

[@gmraven]

White is just better if he plays the right moves though

[@τεσττεστ-υ5θ]

i am a big fun of the leningrad bird which tends to be more aggressive than the classical bird. do you think (and it is perfectly understandable if you don't.) you will be making any leningrad bird courses in the future? i really love your explanation style

[@ZorbaPress]

Thank you, GM Raven. ... What is the plan when Black plays a King's Indian Defense setup, with Nf6, g6, Bg7 and d6 ?

[@gmraven]

We try to occupy the whole center with pawns, getting pawns from f4 all the way to c4 along the 4th rank.

[@michaeldickson9501]

Thank you for the video on Bird's opening! I am a long time user of this opening in rapid and was intrigued about the theory you have here on From's gambit, I will have to try it. My standard response in the past has been to transpose to the king's gambit which I first learned chess on and have been afraid to take the From's gambit. Now that i have grown more in my chess I will start accepting both pawns and try it out. What are your thoughts on the reverse leningrad dutch setup? Is that touched on in your course? I am considering buying it.

[@gmraven]

My course comes out in a few months. Reverse leningrad is bad, I discuss this a lot in my streams but if Black plays best white is slightly worse.

[@C0RY.M]

Need a Bird vs. the modern video. I'm grinding out a 3 day/move game and I can't figure out a good strategy (and we're allowed to use videos as resource during daily games).

[@gmraven]

The bird slays the modern very easily

[@gmraven]

I'll definitely make a video covering this in the future

[@C0RY.M]

@@gmraven Awesome, I'm looking forward to it. If you need an example game to critique, feel free to use my 3-day game I mentioned above. It's likely a good example of what not to do. (I posted a link but it filtered out. I'm happy to send it if you are at all interested)

[@mannylokzzz]

Thanks for covering the e5 gambit I was getting ready to ask what I thought was a stupid question. Definitely seems less theory-heavy than any 1e4 stuff & it looks deceptively aggressive with straightforward plans so I’m pretty sold.. Unrelated, got smacked by the Von Henning gambit OTB the other day.. is that actually sound for white or is there an established refutation of it?

[@gmraven]

I've never heard that name before, what is that?

[@mannylokzzz]

@@gmraven it starts like the Caro Kann classical variation with Nc3, so on move 3 i played dxe4 hoping for a Tartakower but instead of recapturing white played Bc4.. I tried developing like in the exchange with Nf6 then white played f3.. I was confused since taking would help develop their knight but allowing them to recapture ceded the center and just got a confusing position in the Caro out of the opening for the first time in a while lol

[@billi9230]

I can say after like 2000 games I really understand the bird (Leningrad) I do have the danielsen book and made a lot of studies but the work paid of. Also I would recommand d3 instead of g3 in the Froms gambit. Just take a look at it, really interessting rook sac and piece coordination

[@gmraven]

That's interesting, good to know

[@hata6290]

Thank you raven, you make the bird look op op

[@bradspaugh9827]

What is op op?

[@gmraven]

@bradspaugh9827 it's op op like op but 2x

[@bradspaugh9827]

@@gmraven ok, thats more clear now thanks.

[@gmraven]

@@bradspaugh9827 you're welcome 😊

[@lb3598]

what about 1...g6 ? Which setup is best for White?

[@gmraven]

It's good to play Nf3 and then it depends on what Black llays

[@Dakodi_]

Hey man, I watched this video through again and was using the Lichess move database for 0-1800. The main line was 1. f4 d5 2. Nf3 Nc6 and * some * of the moves you went over weren't even the 1st or 2nd most common reply. Your skill pool is alot higher than ours LOL. I know how much you love the Bird. Maybe you could do a video using the Lichess explorer for 0-2000 to go over the most common lines according to that? If not it's totally ok. I'm probably just dumb and everything transposes to a similar position. anyways, keep up the awesome content, its appreciated!

[@gmraven]

I cover all these things in my course. For the course I used the lichess database for players between 1200-1800. I don´t think it´s useful to include sub 1000´s in the search as too many opening moves are uncommon.

[@williamh694]

Nice video. When is your course coming out, and on what platform?

[@gmraven]

Comes out on chessable, expected July 29

[@Dakodi_]

What if they go d5 g6? The computer reccomended c4 so they take and we immediately can push e4

[@gmraven]

That's very complicated I cover it in my course. At lower levels almost noone plays that, they either go d5 or g5 but not both together

[@hugovaz777]

@@gmravensend link to the course irmao

[@ayrtonprevost1553]

sidar refrence goes hard

[@HbagMbag]

I've said it before. Just new to your channel. But considering the quality on show you are seriously undersubscribed. I hope that this ( or that?) fact seriously changes & soon. And and much prefer your "mistakes" to your editor's corrections. Hang in there GM Raven!!

[@gmraven]

dont worry about it! I know the channel will grow eventually, im not worried, thanks for the support!

[@Sitbear]

I do play the From, but only if I think my opponent doesn’t know what he’s doing. If he studied his theory, I know I’m cooked because I’m a positional player. On a related note, if your opponent plays 1. f4 f5, then 2. e4 is actually playable.

[@gmraven]

That's true, it's a tactical minefield!

[@GeorgeEpting]

Since you like the bird ,I have an opening that's been around alone time but finally the name has become jbird yes you didn't here or know and is coming and my book and all paper work on the board and off the board😊

[@gmraven]

thats cool, good luck!

[@skriabinfly]

Do you play this because Raven is the name of a Bird?

[@gmraven]

Partly

[@skriabinfly]

Many Nimzo-Indian themes

[@gmraven]

Birdzo!

[@alekhinesgun9997]

Way too much hate being given to the from's gambit, 16:21 is a slightly better position for white after Bd7 and white has to play extremely precise and play Kd1 to maintain the advantage. I've had this position as black many times and it's really not simple to convert for white.

[@gmraven]

It is the worst gambit on earth. I think i´ve won 95% of my games against it. It is awful, no other gambit gives White an extra pawn and the full center all for some sneaky tricks. It might work as a surprise against someone who has only played against the bird once, but as long as the white player is experienced in the Bird it is gonna be bad for Black.

[@alekhinesgun9997]

@@gmraven Just restating the same thing you said in the video doesn't make it correct. There's also plenty of way worse gambits and you know that. That's cool if you've won 95% of your games against it, you're a GM, your viewers are not. Like I said, it's not easy to play and your response to that wasn't a critical analysis of the position but just to say white has a big center and is up a pawn and wins easily. You can't just say it's easy to play when your viewers have to find a move like Kd1 to retain the advantage because white's development isn't straightforward. Weird takes all around and surface level analysis with grandiose statements. To each their own I guess.

[@gmraven]

@alekhinesgun9997 I'm not playing against beginners. I'm playing against 2700s, 2800s many of which are IMs and GMs and beating the froms gambit every single time it arises. Kd1 is obvious. The king is in check. You move it away and then take the free piece on f5. This is a basic tactic.

[@alekhinesgun9997]

@@gmraven I understand you're a strong GM but an argument from authority doesn't make you right. I never said you were playing beginners, but you are teaching to them. If you teach that variation at 16:21, the least you could do is teach them until the position plays itself. You're also not responding to the correct variation. I said Bd7 the correct move is Kd1. Not after Bxg3, of course Kd1 is obvious there. I'm not a GM level player but I'm also not a beginner, just because you're trying to sell a course doesn't mean you have to be dishonest about it. Is the from's better for white? Of course. Is it an easy win for white like you acclaim? Definitely not, and it sure as hell isn't in blitz. All I'm saying is if you preach this as an easy win for white while they have to find moves like Kd1 after Bd7, you have an incredible teaching blindness and overestimate your audiences abilities.

[@gmraven]

Why are we arguing about this? If you want to play from gambit and give us bird players free elo, go for it. I have taken 100s of points from people playing the from and will take hundreds, maybe thousands more. Feel free to continue playing your losing gambit lol 😆

[@keanovanzonneveld3702]

Just played a game with the bird and i got absolutely lost in the sauce (i hung my queen on move 12)

[@gmraven]

Oh no 🦅🐣

[@israelsattleen]

Should create the raven variation…somehow…I’m not that smart

[@gmraven]

maybe that could be possible.

[@jazzfan1830]

CAW!

[@gmraven]

Caw

[@israelsattleen]

Why don’t you play the queen pawn second to protect the square above the pawn horse combo…sorry don’t know the squares…my point is if you already know the main battle point for this is taking down the pawn knight structure then protect it….oh cause it leaves the back of you fiancetto weak

[@gmraven]

That would create a weakness on e4 which would be dubious!