French, Winawer variation Middlegame - GM Varuzhan Akobian

Grandmaster Varuzhan Akobian shows a game he played for the Saint Louis Arch Bishops in the U.S. Chess League. Navigate the Winawer variation of the French in the middlegame.
2015.10.27
Mark Ginsburg vs. Varuzhan Akobian, 2015: C15 French, Winawer, Alekhine gambit, Kan variation

[@omarhuge]

I love these kinds of lectures where the audience is participating allowing the lecturer to say more advanced ideas.

[@Belfor09]

6 Akobian favourite things: 1.) Don't rush 2.) Think 3.) Push 4.) Focus 5.) Here 6.) Pressure

[@harrellt1405]

And threaten xD

[@Athenian888]

Also,if your opponent offers you a pawn,you take it. :)

[@Sushilala33]

If you put your pieces on the right squares, good things gonna happen to you

[@khashayarnoubakht7101]

haha.. :) you forgot: "What to do?!"

[@lucianadias1517]

Bravo!

[@Checkm8isFEELINGood]

LOL! I once said not to stop posting lectures of Akobian and they really not gonna stop!!! I love you St. Louis guys!

[@redsox2722]

+TimurTolibayev He's just the best. The best lecturer on the planet and it's not even close.

[@tomsmith4452]

+Shawn Nott i like jan gustaffson more :)

[@marufsarkar2960]

One of the best lecture i have ever seen :)

[@thepepp92]

move by move thinking: best lectures. please do more viedos like this

[@venweera4516]

Cant stop watching these lectures. So well done, interesting and even funny to watch. Thanks so much St Louis from switzerland!

[@ishanr8697]

I really liked the review after the game- helps to cement those good ideas in one's mind.

[@Timothonius]

love watching these. as a beginner a lot of stuff flies over my head, so going over the game quickly a second time was huge! great job on these videos guys.

[@fhadenal-mutairi3294]

great lecture by akobian.. thank you very much.. explained every move..

[@stewartprice553]

I love everything about this lecture. The energy, the humour, the precision. A beautifully played game too.

[@redsox2722]

Just the best chess lecturer on the planet and it's not even close (especially as a D4 player). Appointment viewing for me during my daily reload of the Chess Club of St Louis KZbin page and I see Var was the lecturer. I was home at 7:30 PM on a Friday night to make sure I could take it all in.

[@shailesh17111988]

Never seem GM Akobian this much pumped!

[@marsharupe8112]

I really love GM Akobian's videos. They are very instructive.

[@zipzopbop9093]

Man, Akobian is heated in this one, I love it! Fantastic lecture, reminds me why chess feels so awesome to play, watch and learn

[@Studio100hu]

Very instructive and fun to watch. Great chess skills, good teaching methods and - not to forget - very joyful to watch. GM Akobian loves this job - he is smiling all the time - and students love this. Very impressive

[@samyjadfakhoury4844]

Seriously the best teacher ive heard .Was a great listen to learn from !

[@lawrencechen789]

Mr. Akobian's lectures are precise and helpful. This guy is in control!

[@musungu79]

Akobian style... fantastic and determined!

[@tomanthony1751]

Just saw this. Mr. Akobian gives the best lectures I have ever seen and heard. I also love the club and would move to St. Louis if possible.

[@shawnlavigne9069]

another great lecture!

[@brandondaniels9471]

Amazing lecture, Mr. Akobian! :-)

[@jasperhalsey8574]

These Akobian lectures will not fail to make you a better player!

[@michaelmolz8037]

Game + bonus - both instructive. Many thanks!!

[@nigel727]

Wow, finally I get to see a video explaining this sideline against the Winawer.

[@elbay2]

Wow, very nice game; also well explained!

[@stormshadow5668]

This guy is a good teacher.

[@reddevilkev]

great lecture about pieceplay. Very instructive :)

[@addfistyt6563]

I need more French vids, really helped Thanks😁

[@giuseppeindelicati7845]

wonderful!! thanks!

[@tonysu8860]

Very nice. Very instructive lessons.

[@michaelthomheadley]

This is one of the very best!

[@roblehrashid8631]

Great lecture

[@reza6718]

great more videos akobian plz

[@vijyantmehrotra8119]

Very nice lecture Coach

[@Punkpferd]

Did he win his match yesterday? By the way: a real fan of your channel, best chess channel around, covers everything. Thanks a lot

[@joseluisparreno4999]

Mr. Akobian is great.

[@joseluisparreno4999]

Patrick Moloney Ooooh, really?? Uffff...

[@joseluisparreno4999]

So sharp, man. Congratulations.

[@ahmetkurt5653]

maybe not the best player but the best chess teacher

[@diosn6909]

Very instructive!!!

[@floyde9630]

he is the best teacher ever!!!

[@ameyanigudkar4465]

thanks Mr. akobian

[@LemonChieff]

I tried playing the french once. So my opponent opened with e4, I played e6, he said "fuck you" and resigned.

[@sepehrjafari5223]

Really?

[@Gixeer75]

nice lecture ... thx

[@w2jh700]

GM AKOBIAN DOES A GREAT JOB OF TEACHING AND GIVING CONCEPTS THAT ARE USEFUL. HE HAS HELPED MY FRENCH DEFENSE GAME TO IMPROVE .

[@xavierfrazao1469]

nice lesson Thanks

[@velocypedist]

Обожаю Варужана.

[@kostatechuva]

HereSH! Priceless

[@glum_hippo]

8:30 Was Nf5 ok instead of f5?

[@jddenis22]

Excelente!

[@karoldrazek7614]

Very good video. I would like to have a trainer like you :)

[@cheytac1990]

After 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Ne2 dxe4 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Nxc3 Nc6 What do you think about 7. d5 instead of 7. Bb5 ?

[@sayafkhan748]

The favourite thing

[@vesperone3905]

Says he won't give hints at 12:00 but gives a hint right after

[@abhishekgoswami167]

And what do you play when you play white

[@WiseFool]

I'm not sure it is necessary for white to play E5 at the start. Just play a3, then bishop takes knight, pawn takes bishop and if pawn takes then Qg4 and you'll get the pawn back

[@abhishekgoswami167]

Sir why do you play french defence

[@missjessgem]

I play the Winawer all the time...

[@mikhaelm]

perfect french

[@MrLimon27]

At 22:05 I believe e5 is great. I'm not sure if better, but good indeed. However, Akobian's logic is perfect. But~ e5 has my vote v:

[@thomasrichter7423]

+Iván Rivera after e5, Knight e2, e5xd4, Knight e2xd4 and is in better pos

[@syyhkyrotta]

Double up the bubble up!!

[@P00TANARA]

23:25 i was expecting that yarn!!

[@vijyantmehrotra8119]

Regards from INDIA

[@Celicaw8]

25:49 Doesn't Qg2 wins the queen?

[@gowangoldy8515]

He probably didn't see that!

[@JoseSilva-nn9zq]

The Queen is protected by the Knight. This move is still winning, but you need to calculate. For example: after 1...Qg2+ 2.Ke1 Qxb2 3.Nxb2, black doesn't have any advantage

[@jasperhalsey8574]

17:15 “When your opponent has 2 Bishops you want to get rid of one.” “So Nxe3?” “Why do you want to take that Bishop?” 😂😂

[@doofuszoro6773]

Love the lesson. However I have some questions I cant seem to understand here: first 6. Nxc3 someone (Julian?) suggests ....f5 and Akobian says its incorrect but my computer says its -0.01 (depth 28) while Nc6 (the move played ) is -0.05 (depth 25) does such a difference matter that much?? is this only for GM to care about?? second 12. Na5, Ba2, Nc4 was suggested and Akobian said he didnt like moving his Knight so much but its -1.00 (depth 22) and 12.... Nd5 is 0.-45 at (depth 21) again does it matter since both are better for black in a real game should I be worried about such differences when I'm playing a game? third after 15. Qd6 why is Bg5 not good? Akobian said g3 is forced. ( my computer says Bf4 is top pick but it doesnt make sense dont we want the bishop pair?) fourth 16.... Nxe3 was suggested and it was literally laughed at by the group but again the difference between 16. ...a5, (depth 24) is -0.61 while 16....Nxe3 is -0.59 (depth 23) Are the players so good they can sense a 0.02 difference and is such a difference really so big (that people laugh at it being suggested?) How did these people get so good at the club?? ---- Thanks in advance for helping me understand. : ) Steven Z.

[@tomsmith4452]

+Kami Skillz hey man :) 1.akobian didnt like f5 cuz we would be too much behind in development even if computer says that the move is fine its dangerous from practical point . 2.he said that its fine , but didnt like moving same piece too much.Its opening idea ..Dont move same piece too much or ur gonna get behind in development ... 3. u cant really keep the bishop pair .. he can take it anytime if he wants . Yea and g3 is not forced bf4 is better becouse we dont weaken the position of our king . 4.it was laugh at becouse he was trying to explain the idea that light bishop is the worse piece in french defence and he wanted to exhange it ... and nxe3 has nothing to do with that idea . And yea those differences dont matter at all and ur not gonna learn much by looking at top engine suggestions , use engine just to check if u missed any tactics in games . Learn by goin over grandmaster games and see where they put pieces in the openings and the common patterns that happen in the game. And those guys at the club r not that good at all ur gonna change ur view on it once u improve a bit :)

[@dannygjk]

+Kami Skillz Yes but as a human you don't want to play extremely sharp when you can gain a positional advantage with a safer plan.

[@timothysoar1321]

Any questions about the game ? Why is your brain not hurting like mine!

[@RayVitoles]

after the lecture,the opening got renamed to->Flesh defence win-over variation...jk

[@MrMariogrcic]

PUSHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

[@LeftCoastPatriot]

LMAO @ 5:10 that's temporererererly temporererererly

[@Sarah-no7lv]

@@beloglavisup2 Why would an Armenian speak Serbian? You make no sense.

[@Sarah-no7lv]

@@beloglavisup2 In Armenia they speak Armenian.

[@bulentkirca3311]

A typical Petrosian game!

[@Davidchildress-somekoind]

I heard akobian plays with only a jock strap no underwear

[@modo203]

Yeah, but again he was destroyed by So in a brilliant 2 piece sacrifice in less than 20 moves or something I stopped playing the French since.

[@janchovlesky5630]

But how many of us will be playing Wesley So in our games...

[@abhishekgoswami167]

When everyone plays sicilian

[@benkar2039]

White just did not know how to make a draw in this line

[@zekecheng5743]

The rightful psychiatrist semiannually join because priest physiologically beam plus a dear typhoon. capricious, waiting comma

[@travellcriner6849]

Wonderful grandmaster, terrible teacher. Too many of his tips are ambiguous and in most cases nonsensical. For example, he says at some point not to capture the dark-bishop with the knight on d5 because "the knight is strong." Before that he says something along the lines of "the knights want to be like this always." Moments later, he says to capture the dark-bishop with the knight on d5 because the knights don't like interfering with each other. He's clearly a brilliant guy but some intelligent people incapable of letting you in on their thought-process. (He obviously wasn't thinking "the knight is strong and thus I can never capture that bishop" mid-game, or else he wouldn't have captured the bishop next move).

[@travellcriner6849]

He also makes a fuss that passed pawns should ALWAYS be pushed. Another nonsensical statement since obviously even in the game there were points where pushing the pawn was bad.

[@galacticstorm854]

Travell you realize his rules are to help you make decisions in chess, but there's always exceptions. He's trying to show beginners what to look for and in what basis they should choose their moves. Grandmasters of course understand that you can't always follow the rules and you need to decide what to do based on the needs of each unique position.

[@travellcriner6849]

Setting rules in this sense is wise indeed. But if that was what he intended to do, would you not agree the worst possible way to enforce these rules is by bombarding students with counterexamples?

[@dannygjk]

I always tell people when in doubt ask yourself, "What would Morphy do?" What this does is puts you in the mode of maximising the effectiveness of your pieces. Most club players calculate too much when they should be first assessing the position and brainstorming ideas and only then calculate. ABC ;)