The Secret to Effective Pawn Pushes: How to master positional domination The Amateur's Mind

[@AMusicalPsychosis]

You, sir, are singlehandedly responsible for about a 400 point gain on my rating. Thanks for your videos, your insight, and the time you take to do this.

[@kevinwellwrought2024]

A very good teacher who understands what the average player needs to learn.

[@simonhinkel4086]

2 rules of thumb: 1. f4 is only correct in about 50% of all cases. 2. When facing 2 choices, always chose the other one.

[@katana4238]

Actually, there is probably a base of logic in that reasoning. It makes me think of THE question Marilyn Vos Savant once answered which shook mathematicians around the the world. Turned out the was right. That logic might translate to your comment too ha ha.

[@lukastux3024]

Wow, very very important topic! We need more about strategy, positional play and pawns!

[@Fortus12]

Bro, this is some top quality stuff. Thanks a lot!

[@ChessCoachAndras]

Thanks mate, glad you liked it!

[@TheBigGuppy]

The question of pawn pushes is complex. Much of it is probably my positional style but the complexities of some of the pawn pushes from my Sunday training games are insane. More often than not the game results are determined by a pawn push. Great video Sir!

[@RaptureReady2025]

Not the most “exciting” lesson, but extremely valuable for the serious player. Thanks! 😀

[@johnspivack]

This is a great lesson. Thank you. What makes it great? The principles are clearly explained and demonstrated with examples that an intermediate player can really follow. That way the student can really learn something and apply the lessons to his own games. The calculations are doable, so an intermediate level student isn't left in the dark as happens with so many other teachers. The principles are not obscured by other considerations or other principles that would conflict with the lesson's main message and cause confusions, Where there is an apparent conflict, like over 'tempo' Toth explains the issue and removes the conflict so students won't be confused. Few teachers bother to do this and even fewer do it so well. Please make all of your videos this good. Thanks again.

[@karakaplan2383]

The most educational video on pawn pushes on the net. I realized that I have a very poor understanding of pawn structures.

[@todesque]

Such a simple lesson but absolutely riveting! One of your best yet (and they're all wonderful), Coach Andras!

[@ChessCoachAndras]

Thanks Graham, appreciate it!

[@stolenhandle]

It's almost like you reviewed 100 of my games and said, "This guy has no clue how to handle pawns and I can help." Thank you 100X. The game is simply more enjoyable when you understand which pawn to move and why.

[@trlspann]

This was one of your best Andras.

[@ChessCoachAndras]

Thanks Theodor!

[@ishanr8697]

Favourite series on YT is back! Thanks Andras!

[@Chessdrummer83]

brilliant content and learning as per usual Andras. Just a minor thing maybe consider upping the mic recording volume, ive got the sound up to max to hear you which is fine but the board moves are very loud

[@quodpipax]

That's an eye-opener. Thank you for your video!

[@tonywilsdon224]

Thanks Andros. This is such a difficult issue to work out. Please send more videos on this issue.

[@ChessCoachAndras]

More to come!

[@gammalambda3331]

Interestingly, I solved the second example incorrectly, with exactly the same reasoning as the said student. I really like this even more "interactive" format and I have learned quite a lot. Thank you.

[@RequiredAccountsSUX]

Andras, this is one of the most important (and difficult) area of chess for me; thank you so much! Tell us all about pawn structures, and how they relate to long term plans in various openings!

[@T-Dogg121]

commenting for the algo. thanks for the upload as always coach

[@Arthas30000]

Thank you for this vid Andras! I only recently started to understand "positional" play in chess, and this really helps me build on the concept! All the best from Canada mate :)

[@khodion]

Wow coach Andreas, the explanation for why the d5 push was bad for White blew my mind. I now coin it "worsening the position with tempo". This will help greatly in decision making.

[@arimorrison7816]

Wow! I really needed this lesson for my chess. Thank you

[@RobBCactive]

Interesting, watching online games I think people don't often take a few minutes to find a good plan, so you see random tactics with.less strategy.

[@gieaudio8762]

Boomshky! that video is simply amazing, I had HUGE problems with pawns and I often underestimated their role in shaping a position but it is so important to know the basics, really sir I've watched hundreds of chess videos but the way you can pass the knowledge is really impressive! You're making outstanding job here on KZbin, I hope your channel will grow fast because there is a lot of valuable knowledge!

[@sakuragi_hanamichi3263]

These pawn moves are difficult if lacking positional sense or misjudging. In the second example, one should be aware of weak squares, knight vs bishop and active trades. That's why it is not intuitive to do pawn moves. I find when I get better at other areas of the game, I start do pawn levers that really serve me. You have to take into consideration too many things. What if they take or push or keep the tension then what if I take or push or keep the tension because I want them to react. I think these moves are the hardest in the game. It combines calculation and positional analysis. They change the position and the plans drastically.

[@magicode99]

Great video, Coach. I especially liked how you had us stop the video and evaluate the position before just giving us the answer. I think this would be a great topic for a Chessable course (Congrats on well deserved Author of the Year, BTW). Would love to see a course by you on the proper usage of pawns. Thanks for all your content.

[@ajarnray4115]

Thanks for another great video and I hope more people start to appreciate your great content.

[@ChessCoachAndras]

I hope so too!

[@Heroball299]

Great video Andras. Keep up the good work mate

[@Hailmich10]

Thanks Andras! Question: You rightly point out the reasons that f4 is a poor choice for white and you mention (at 8:44) that black can play h6 attacking the Bishop-can't white just take the h6 pawn since the Bishop is backed up by the Queen?

[@manonamission9567]

Hi Andras! You're videos helped me hit an all time high at 2100, now that I'm there I'm kind of like "Now what?!" I don't really know what to do to improve further... If you could make a video for people like me, I would thank you dearly!

[@d_15745]

I just started following and you have such an amazing channel. Amazing concepts that I’ve never heard other players mention and you’re humor is so entertaining. Thank you!

[@SLKCHESS]

Thanks for your videos, they are really instructive.

[@shadygraves_og]

Thanks!

[@elephantheart9988]

14:10 Wanted to control e4, accidentally gave control of e5 Every move is an exchange. You relinquish the control of certain squares in favor of other ones with every move. A concession, an exchange of control. It's important to pay attention to what you're giving up, not just what you're gaining.

[@GB2010ize]

Brilliant as always!!

[@jamaludeen2947]

The best chess teacher ever seen you directly ▶️ in my mind

[@Soulcella]

I love how you explain things dude! 😎👌

[@kurtozan251]

Great video! Thanks

[@rumpelRAINS]

Great Video!

[@ChessCoachAndras]

Thanks, I am trying:)

[@jackismname]

Perfect intro…. IMO

[@khodion]

I'm definitely getting the Amateurs Mind video on chessable when it comes out.

[@djonskimu1148]

Excellent, thank you

[@vihangaperera3089]

Great stuff!! looking forward for more pawn structure/push or take content.

[@gregp.4358]

Thanks! Please more of this topic.

[@dkpandey1996]

Brilliant stuff. Commenting for algorithm 'cause this video should be seen out there.

[@elephantheart9988]

Great video as always, I know I'm watching this one pretty late. Never can have too much Pawn study.

[@adrianross7615]

I love the video, my first thought when seeing the first position was f4 immediately lmao

[@trevorbuterbaugh8692]

Some of the best educational content available!

[@ishanr8697]

...I voted for f4. The shame. I wanted to open up the f-file for my rook to play. I thought "white is better, ahead in development so should open things up". But it's very superficial. There is no real attack on f6, as you say, AND it completely neglects what opening things up gives to Black: the e5-outpost for the knight, the long diagonal and freeing the entombed bishop in g7. In the second position I got it 100% right, ...d5 is horrible and ...c5 is infinitely preferable due to the . But yes, I'l pobably prefer Qa5 or Rb8.

[@antoniogiamberardino602]

At the first pause break I spotted the two weak queenside pawns alright, but I wanted to go attack them straight away with a move like Bc2. Do you just calculate lines to see whether you can pick them off right away, or is there a principle guiding you to slow play there?

[@deepskywest3633]

Indeed educational and useful.

[@robinesperoza]

I would like to add that even if e5 by white would gain a tempo, this isn't the end of the world. Black position is improved so it's worth the "tempo" unless there are tactical refutations. I kinda feel opening strategy (Morphy) is applied to middlegame, which creates a mismatch of priorities

[@jimmccann3856]

Great video. But in the first diagram, cant White just pile up on a? It can be attacked thrice, but only defended twice.

[@mauriceboyle6923]

Educational and inspiring indeed....thank you.

[@mohammadalsaleh4451]

Very humorfull way of coaching!!😂

[@ClemensAdolphs]

Team Scandi would argue that Nc3 isn't a "true" tempo in the Scandinavian because the knight is somewhat misplaced on c3. At least that's what John Bartholomew tells us.

[@shanastroskyphazer8172]

Great lesson Andras ! Funny too ;) thanks

[@ChessCoachAndras]

Glad you liked it!

[@RedGaming23]

Great lesson as usual 👍🏻

[@ahsanmohammed1]

What’s your rating Andras?

[@m42orion12]

Every video i watch im learning and seeing where i went wrong sooooooooo many times and beat myself up for it (For real)

[@TheSpaceComputer]

One must imagine a pawn happy

[@lucaswinter9515]

Substance. I think that the ability to memorize theoretical lines is an important skill, but kind of worthless when you don't understand why you're making the individual moves. It's like trying to learn a foreign language by memorizing a couple of useful phrases in a tourist's phrase book. If you want to be able to have conversations, you need to know the grammar, the structure, the history and etymology and so on. The fundamentals. I appreciate content like this. I'm still fairly low rated, but I strongly suspect that a deeper understanding of the fundamentals, makes the memorization of theoretical lines much easier.

[@lolla7506]

09:14 challenge accepted, f8 is guarded by 4 pieces🙂

[@slagorourke]

I chose f4 in example 1. Then I chose d5 in example 2. Now I am considering choosing to never play chess again.

[@garya418]

Good explanation as usual, but your voice is recorded way too low. After turning up my volume the adverts were shouting at me. I still gained some value.

[@ChessCoachAndras]

Thanks for the tip, not sure what happened.

[@mircea-mariusmesesan1319]

@@ChessCoachAndras same on the video before, voice too low

[@julienbeghin]

Damn Andras.... Stop making interesting videos.... I again tried to draw arrows on that KZbin thing :D Pimy

[@alangaynor280]

Brain already fried from a 45|45 but what does Nxa4, Rxa4, Rxc6 look like for white? Plans for Rd6, Bb5

[@VladChess]

2 connected passers aren't enough for the piece here. You'll never be able to play b4 and a4 to get the pawns rolling. For example, Nxa4 Rxa4 Rxc6 Bb7 Rd6 Qc7 and black should be comfortably winning.

[@geofftayloruk]

Another great lesson but please improve the audio quality. It sounds like you're locked in the trunk of a car...

[@ChessCoachAndras]

Sorry about that, not sure what caused it.

[@markhathaway9456]

He said Nf6 is the most defended, but Rf8 is defended 4 times. Minor nit.

[@marcofrey2903]

Pawns just get in the way of attacking lines ; )

[@cobeferraro3464]

Liquid gold 👌

[@jamesguimary1252]

Nice,,,,👍

[@noahsimon8146]

Your student must be a real doofus ;) (just so it's clear... that's my game, and I am in fact a chess doofus)

[@dominiks5068]

good lesson, but it's so quiet that it's borderline unwatchable

[@ChessCoachAndras]

After a windows update my things got out of whack and I recorded with the ‘wrong’ mic. Should not happen again!

[@dominiks5068]

@@ChessCoachAndras fair enough

[@Flickit100]

I have played nearly 4,000 games and I did not see any of this.

[@neviswarren]

Excellent. Thank you.