You've Got To Be F*cking Joking - DO NOT WATCH!!

[@jonmcclenahan8379]

One thing I've come to understand by watching Mark Esserman is the incredible power of pushing the protected pawn to d6, especially with a pinning bishop on g5. When you tried to set it up with e5, it was too late.

[@ChessBootCamp]

Ah great point 🙏

[@TimJapan]

Yep! I spent most of last week studying Esserman, Molten and Rosen playing Morra.

[@AndyDavisTechnicalDiving]

Yeah, I've seen that d6 push in quite a few titled-level games on KZbin. It poses your opponent some big problems... especially getting their bishops out. An further e5 push of the other pawn gives you massive territory control and completely stalls their further development.

[@carolmcdermott7844]

Sorry Ben, nothing fishy. You played badly leaving yourself open all over the place. 1000 level players are better than you think - quite capable, just very inconsistent. You also missed some big moves: d6 at the beginning for starters.

[@ChessBootCamp]

Yeah, I had a howler. I thought I must have been playing okay, because I can play well, when in reality I was overtired and badly below par. It’s not unusual.

[@Redneckchessclub]

he blundered mate as you were calling him a cheater lol

[@ChessBootCamp]

It’s a funny world 😂

[@chrisprior4517]

Agree with another commentator here. 1000+ plus players are solid, just inconsistent. Watching hikaru/ danya/gotham speedruns gives people the impression 1000 ish players are cannon fodder, (which they are to them) but the gap between 1000-1500 is not so vast and lower 1000s can put up a fight against mid 1000s..it's the consistency thats the main difference in my opinion..I'm about 1100 rapid, I can string together 1500 rated games but also horrible 800 rated games. This didnt seem fishy

[@ChessBootCamp]

Yeah I think you’re right. Thanks for commenting.

[@FrisbeesChess]

Tough game Ben, but at least you snuck out the win. I don't think your opponent was fishy, I think you played less than your normal quality. The early mistake allowed your opponent to play some very natural looking moves in rapid succession, but not all of the moves from them were even very sound. There were a few misses on both sides during the game. It's good to see you making videos again!

[@ChessBootCamp]

Thanks, I'm glad to be back, but sometimes I wonder why I bother!

[@strangedeadfish]

Glad to see you playing regularly again. I always enjoy your vids and banter. Cheers.

[@AndyDavisTechnicalDiving]

Cheaters nowadays don't play every move with an engine. Some play the opening for real, then turn on the engine once they've lost advantage. Others cheat from the outset and turn off the engine only when they feel safe to win. Most vary amongst the top 3 recommended moves, not the best one. Some throw in a own-move every few turns to keep their accuracy low. It's näive to think that anything other than consistently perfect moves must be legit. That's not to imply a cheater in this instance. Although their middle game did seem atypically challenging. It'd be useful to know if their opening was actually in their repertoire (i.e.they play the line often), because that was a little rare and problematic in an "engine-ish" way for a ~1000 elo player.

[@ChessBootCamp]

Agree absolutely. It’s very hard to tell from hard observation in fact. Sometimes yes, they’re blatant. Other times it’s a feeling.. like a series of unexpected, unnatural moves played too fast for there to have been time to think. No one wants to be Kramnik of course, but at the same time we all have to face the fact that there’s foul play at every level. Interestingly, the fact that my opponent here played a few suss moves and missed a relatively simple M2 before blundering M1 doesn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t using help, for the reason you described. Made me look a Vlad when he did though!

[@Smeegheed1963]

Thing is, I often make very quick moves, occasionally brilliant, occasionally blunders. I'm so inconsistent! The heart starts pounding and anything can happen! Still, it's why we love it😂

[@ChessBootCamp]

Exactly. And superb username by the way. Season 3 episode 1 ("Backwards") unless I'm much mistaken.

[@Smeegheed1963]

@ChessBootCamp Ah, a fellow connoisseur!👌 Space Corps directive 1742...'No member of the Corps should ever turn up to duty wearing a ginger toupee! 😄

[@WayoftheCarnivore-uu5nt]

@@Smeegheed1963Yup, I am a fan. I was hooked from S1, which I saw when I was about 15 I guess. That said, I’ve never made it all the way through to the latest seasons. Must revisit.

[@Smeegheed1963]

@WayoftheCarnivore-uu5nt Yes, I kind of lost it a bit in the much later series but still, so many priceless comedy gold moments along the way! It's great to be talking about this on a chess channel, as I alluded to in my first comment , I am both Queeg and Holly, as indeed they were both the same! The self fulfilling circle, ourobouros. Or was that Our Rob or Ross? 'Ommm' 😄

[@ChessBootCamp]

@@Smeegheed1963 Actually, I think Queeg was my favourite episode of all. Often overlooked by fans, but Season Two was magical in my view. I recorded it off the telly onto VHS and nearly wore the tape out re-watching. There was something about the first two series, lower-budget as they were, that meant the writers focused on the overall situation of being stuck alone in deep space. Some weaker bits, of course, wasn't a fan of "Confidence and Paranoia" for example, too contrived.

[@Jamie-Chess]

Oh dear Hunty. Maybe try and use your main opening now. 1100 plus and you’ll find some of these players won’t be too easy, bare in mind some of these 1000’s now will be 1800 next year if they take it seriously. Good luck precious

[@ChessBootCamp]

Good advice, but I'll hold off my usual repertoire until 1200+ at least.

[@antloveitt5287]

Love these videos Ben! Nice win!

[@ChessBootCamp]

At least you think so!! :-D

[@joseraulcapablanca8564]

You know how to tempt me with these titles Ben. Just good to get a sneaky win. You overexposed yourself and missed some great chances. As Tartakower says the player who makes the last but one mistake wins. Thanks mate.

[@ChessBootCamp]

It wasn’t a pleasant experience but you know you get the rough with the smooth on this channel 😁

[@harveybrant3352]

Sharp games often do show up as low accuracy when analysed, even between high rated players. I didn't get any cheating vibes from your opponent. Probably he'd have done better if he'd have spent a bit more time thinking, but lots of people play rapid at that kind of pace for some reason.

[@ChessBootCamp]

Agreed 👍🏼

[@rojavida]

I don’t really know what an arse-head plays like having never played one. Live and learn!😂Love you, Ben!

[@ChessBootCamp]

Thanks buddy.

[@niravapurv4578]

I got suspisious also when he found many good moves so fast. He saw very fast his opportunities and what was hanging. But i also saw you both missed a knight fork on queen and rook (10:35) just before he could take on b2 with queen. The truth here though i think is that you both actually played a blitz game. He used less than 2 minutes for the whole game. And you followed pursuits. Togheter with their sharp playing style. Its easy to think its very well played. But you would have to check out computer or do deeper analysis using more time to see if its was really that well played. And you did. Its all fine to get suspisious, i did. But playing so fast its just so much that get missed. Specially in sharp possessions.

[@niravapurv4578]

But also in the opening i dont gett your hesitation to take pawns. You could have taken c5 pawn and made him work a bit to take it back. I know that can lead to many trades. But specialy first time when you could have taken dxe6, when he either had to take back with f pawn or give up castling rights. I think should be advantageous for white.

[@niravapurv4578]

The error they did with Be7, where you could play d6 chasing the bishop back to f8, then e5, trapping the pinned knight. I did not see that in the game. I would have, given more time. So one key here to increase pressision is simple.. use the time given, at least use more time. You both played blitz with a typical blitz lower presition. When one player do that, its often more easy to get a win if you are the side using a better time management fitting the time format played.

[@niravapurv4578]

At 11:09 you can also win a pawn with Nxf7, but black is better anyway.

[@niravapurv4578]

Sry what i wrote about time wasn't right. Probably i got confused be the clocks in the analysis board thinking it was the end time. Well its about the game being so sharp and then in these sharp positions 10 minutes is not that much. Sometimes its also about stress. When i get stressed with low time i also thinks less clear. Anyway your opponent played pretty fast and many seemed good moves was bluffing. Meaning he blitzed out some very sharp threathening moves, hoping tgey where good, often that works because if preassured on clock its can be difficult to see the flaws with those moves. Like in the end he should have simplifed with Qxf3+ instead of Bxf3. Witch hangs mate. I emediately saw Qxf3 because i saw as you also said that mate was up as his queen left hes king.but with Qxf3 its a check. So you are forced to take back and they are up a whole rook in that endgame.

[@ChessBootCamp]

Yeah, moral of the story is, if I'd taken my time and really read the board, I would have found the holes in his play. It is a danger of speed runs to assume your opponent isn't going to put together a serious attack, or that I can just win easily.

[@rogerwarr4673]

Chess is hard, some games are like that. Try again next game.

[@ChessBootCamp]

Wise words.

[@TimJapan]

After witnessing this, I think you need to do more puzzles to improve your tactical skills.　It’s possible that you have spent too much time and effort on opening theory and negected tactical awareness and simple calculation. This game was a howler as you say, but as long as you take stock and make some neccessary changes , you should be on your way up.

[@ChessBootCamp]

I think it was more an issue of not being in the right headspace.. I've had plenty of crushing games where it gives me a projected ELO of 2200 as well, so it's more which way the wind is blowing :-)