How to Exploit Space Advantage in Chess - Game Analysis

[@thomasash1346]

Thanks for the analysis Andras! Really helpful stuff and it reinforces some things higher rated friends have said too. I thought it might be interesting for others watching to share a few bits from my thought process when I was playing. None of this really makes sense in the cold light of day, but that's part of the reason I've looked at this game so much since - preventing myself seeing ghosts at the board in the future! 1) From 18 fxe4, I became fixated on an idea: "his position is unplayable". This was, as you pointed out, true - but the problem was it put me in a psychological state where I was really sort of waiting for White to just hand me the game on a platter with some kind of desperado attempt to break the hold I had on him. I wasn't determined enough to go for the throat or play provocatively as I'd somewhat done in the first half of the game - ...c5 to provoke d5 and then ...Ne4 was exactly what I wanted and I mentally I'd already given myself a big pat on the back for that. He was also the third seed in the tournament and I was much lower. So you could summarise my mindset as "you've played a better player into a corner with the Black pieces - DO NOT MUCK UP". This was the wrong attitude. 2) I definitely should have played the f4 break at so many points. I think on five occasions it was one of two candidate moves I had in mind and 4/5 times it was correct. Before watching the video, in my own analysis I wasn't being too hard on myself for not playing it prior to swinging the Queen over to involve it in the attack (because "principles"). But actually you're right, especially if I want to beat better players, I need to hard calculate this stuff and not just tell myself that I'm improving the position so it's all ok. 3) It made me chuckle when you said Bf6 could have been a mouse-slip, because I'd actually reached my hand out to play f4 on this move, having spent 10 minutes on it. Then I saw a ghost - g3, which was no problem at all, but I hadn't calculated it properly and that made me panic because I thought I was about to throw away the advantage (see above re: psychology). At that point I grabbed the bishop and shoved it up one square - no calculation, just an instinctual "oh maybe you can put heavy pieces behind the h and g pawns and roll them forward". Being cooked up on the spur of the moment, it was not a solid plan but I spent the next couple of moves with some vague ideas of either trying to justify it or to play on the light squares. 4) Eventually I circled back to f4 as being the only real idea, which was the point where I played Be5. The plan after Qg7 was Bg6 to shore up the e pawn and then just go for it. He then totally shocked me with f5, because I had written it off without calculation as unplayable. Neither of us had much time at this point and I used mine badly - I calculated gxf5 first, saw it was probably a deadlocked position and therefore a draw, but was really worried about spending more time on the other moves (exf or Bf6) to find out that they didn't work and then have to play a difficult position with 30 seconds on the clock. So I just went for the draw - I played on a couple more moves, because I had one slight tactical shot I wanted to try out (if 35 Qc2, ...Qd4+ and White has to avoid Kh1), but at that point I was pretty much ready to call it a day and so was he. Anyway, aside from self-justification and ego soothing, I hope this is useful insight for others climbing the rating ladder and looking to slay some giants. My "big narrative" of this game was that I was overdiagnosing the hopelessness of White's position and becoming too reliant on that, at the expense of looking for the strengths in Black's. What I've taken from your analysis is that the concrete way to exploit space in a closed position is to find the break that activates your pieces (and ideally not theirs). Thank you!

[@juleslondon3088]

Thanks for submitting the game, Tom. Hearing about the psychological aspects of your game is certainly interesting. I’d also be interested to know your rating level for context. I don’t think Andras mentioned it. I know even FIDE OTB ratings can be a bit subjective depending on where you play and there can be a big difference between OTB and online ratings depending on how often you play so whatever you can offer to help give a clear idea of your current level would be interesting. My main motivation is in understanding my own level in relation to the content in the video but I don’t play much so don’t currently have reliable ratings.

[@thomasash1346]

@@juleslondon3088 Hi Jules, I don't have a FIDE rating yet but my English Chess Federation rating is 1730 and my Chesscom rapid rating is about 1950 if that helps. I guess my FIDE rating might be somewhere between those two numbers. My opponent was about 1830 ECF.

[@juleslondon3088]

Thanks. Good numbers! And good to see a fellow Brit doing well. 🙂 I’m hoping to make a return to OTB chess in the not-too-distant future but not yet sure whether to start with a major or a minor. I feel like I need to get my repertoire sorted out first … and a bit more calm in my life so I have some spare capacity to cope with the pressure of competition. Good luck!

[@TikariChess]

One of my biggest takeaways from your content - reinforced here - is the necessity of taking advantage of the consequences of maintaining, releasing, and creating tension with pawn play. As always, thought-provoking stuff!

[@highgroundchess]

You just unlocked something for me with this video when talking about opening up the F file and paying for f4. I thought to myself we cannot play it yet because it is hanging and you said "That is where we need to evaluate from as the coaches perspective." This is mind blowing for me. I would have played Be5 to help support and then go but you can just play f4 straight away to open those lines. Thank you for such an amazing concept to consider in my games from now on.

[@lukastux3024]

7:19 I admit you completely got me there 😂😂

[@vedantyelmalle2439]

Thanks for arranging the playlist

[@jlconn9142]

I just gave a very similar lesson to this last week; so awesome to have a titled player - with obviously more authority - give the same lesson in another position to share! A very useful lesson in general. Thanks Coach Toth and thanks as well to the player of the game for sharing it; excellent!

[@owenkelliher4927]

Very interesting. It seems that the best way to exploit a space advantage is to make sure your pieces are well enough placed that when you make a pawn break you are better in the resulting open position. I recently lost a game where an FM crushed me from one of these cramped positions so this is a super useful lesson.

[@dkpandey1996]

I don't know if you already have a video on this, but here's a topic many players will relate to: Not being able to convert a winning position when one is up 95 points of material and/or positionally crushing, but they allow counterplay and the game slips away, and then want to throw the PC out of the window. Would love to hear you talk about this problem faced by most beginners and intermediate level players, thanks!

[@asdf14051]

whats more common for me is a position where material is equal but its like +8 for me and i end up not winning

[@juleslondon3088]

@@asdf14051 Is that when you knew you had an advantage before the post-game analysis told you or only after? In my experience it can be extremely hard to see some of those +8 advantages even after playing several moves through the engine’s line. A good video (perhaps for me too though I’m getting better) could be, “How to spot a dynamic advantage when material is equal” (or even when you’re down material)

[@asdf14051]

@@juleslondon3088 i'll be pretty sure im very winning, but eventually my attack just fizzles out and i have no idea where that happened until i check with the engine after. i'll check that video out, ty

[@ifixfridges7792]

boomshky-another great one! Thanks, coach!

[@davidgirsvaldas8725]

Excellent example, great commentary. Thank you for a lesson

[@RedGaming23]

Thanks to the player for sharing and thanks Andras for awesome Content as always.

[@heavyhands1383]

Great video!

[@b.1565]

Was really helpul again 😊

[@ClemensAdolphs]

Ha! I bought your 1.d4 d5 course before you even made your own video announcement of it. Can't wait to try it out!

[@noahz]

I'm pretty sure I'm not playing f4 because after the exchange white's king still has pawns in front of him, while black's king is exposed. Understanding that this is fine is quite a hurdle for us lower rated players. (Btw I do own and completed CPR King Safety) speaking specifically about the position at 10:31

[@noahz]

(yes I see the calculation has black up a piece -7. In a game, we don't have the engine telling us that. How do we judge that the white piece is worth our King being exposed, long term prospects in the game. We need something more than "this position is resignable for white." OTB classical players don't resign!)

[@juleslondon3088]

@@noahzIt’s obviously not simple but the basis of it is that you have to assess whether white (in this case) is going to have any time to exploit your exposed king before he gets checkmated or you take most of his stuff. The flip side is that, to get comfortable with this idea, you have to risk getting it wrong and feeling like a bit of a lemon. However when you’re playing humans OTB they really don’t like being attacked so you’ll have a psychological advantage even if you can’t find moves of quite the same quality as Andras.

[@jackismname]

Very instructive, I did dismiss f4 for the very reason you suggested, and did not see Rg7 and Bg5 follow up.

[@kundachisenga5858]

Highly instructive... thanks a million

[@gghelis]

When I have a space advantage and think about how to exploit it, I usually make the same face as in the thumbnail.

[@azice6034]

I like the suit andras 👍🏻

[@nickburggraaf3977]

Really instructional !!! Awesome

[@Shellback13202]

Looking good there coach.

[@michaelf8221]

The player in the black trunks lacked a vicious belief in their piece activity. You're not playing with space. You're playing to blow ut all up and have the better pieces.

[@m42orion12]

Looking forward to your new chessable coming out...

[@gavincain9837]

Nice insightful vid

[@travisberthold9659]

Fantastic topic!

[@johnspivack]

Good lesson

[@ronfuse6993]

Great content

[@georgegaming9742]

I think that the black wanted to put a bishop on h6 with being able to push the h pawn forward

[@ComplexCorsair]

Well fitted you look today, kind of Walter White vibes. Thanks for the video, was really confused about this topic.

[@kieran6330]

"White's position looks like some top quality Swiss Cheese" 🤣🤣🤣. Cool video

[@mugbhary]

As usual when i feel desire to improve in chess What do i do? I come to coach Andras

[@KingSlayerSloanvods]

Love it

[@epiccrumbs8312]

The video I needed ^_^

[@russianschoolboy7041]

So does it mean that when we gain space on the queen side in openings like the Bowlder attack of the Sicilian from Black side, we should try to generate our play on the queen side? I always try to hunt the king 😂

[@Hellstaff01]

The queen side is blocked. What about a king walk from g8 to b7?

[@siraf1234]

You could but there is no need, the king feels safe on g8 as the rooks will probably be lifted to the third and second rank along with the bishops.

[@henrymcfadzean3626]

i would love to have one of my games destroyed by you on ametaurs mind great video

[@ChessCoachAndras]

Send me the goods!

[@henrymcfadzean3626]

@@ChessCoachAndras how do you want them? Tried posting links in a comment but not showing up 🧐

[@ChessCoachAndras]

@@henrymcfadzean3626 Discord or email are simplest.

[@henrymcfadzean3626]

@@ChessCoachAndras email sent 👌

[@cornjr8134]

Hi mr toth you used to teach me.

[@AlexAlekhine_]

Lookin sharp coach! I am glad that hoodie is gone, I hope its forever!

[@jimmccann3856]

Here is an idea for future videos: Several more "strategic method" positions with a multiple choice of (apparently) plausible plans. And most crucially, what is right & wrong with each plan. This was GM Ward"s franchise via the "Its Your Move" books, but was horribly botched from a pedagogical basis: From his Introduction " I would get bored constantly explaining, why, for example, Dave is being too elaborate. It should be assumed that if I do not mention a nominated plan, then I am not too enthused by it..." Well thank-you Grand Master, I just put down big bucks to buy your skinny little book, chose a plan in good faith, but you are too bored to even mention it ?!? (He may be a GM, but is certainly no teacher) He has stained his franchise, but it has great potential in the right hands...

[@juleslondon3088]

Ironically, assuming we’re talking about GM Chris award, I think his day job is actually as a school teacher in London, though not 100% sure. However, from what I’ve seen of him teaching chess to kids at least (my son played for Kent for a bit, the UK county kids team that Chris coaches) he was actually a very good teacher - great energy and enthusiasm. I guess he didn’t cover himself in glory in this particular book though.

[@Chesswalk570]

Noice

[@whatnowsami9225]

I am firstttt

[@bruggesfc]

woooow ,congratz bro

[@whatnowsami9225]

fooorstttt mfss