Grandmaster Speedruns Chess

[@nickg.3187]

Simon, I analyzed the second game using another "more human" engine instead of Stockfish (I don't reveal the name to prevent further cheating but you know). The middle game was 100% top three engine moves, with over 90% of them being the top two moves. The final lower accuracy was only because of the quick endgame, him trying to push you to loose on time. The guy should be reported.

[@emmanuelojo7450]

What do u mean by more human, is that an engine that tries to suggest humanlike move or an engine with simply lower rating

[@BourbonJRA]

It was the speed he was playing those moves that gave it away for me. No way a 1200 makes some of those moves instantly without cheating IMO.

[@nickg.3187]

@@emmanuelojo7450 Not lower rated, it just used more human like moves.

[@nickg.3187]

@@BourbonJRA Yeah that gave it away for me as well. I play chess for some years now and I can sense a cheater from miles away. But in that case it was quite obvious I think. I analyzed the game just to be 100% sure, but in my opinion the guy didn't even try to hide the fact that he was cheating...

[@RobBCactive]

By that logic I must use an engine as I have games where I appear to have played perfectly. You should explain which moves don't make sense or maintain evaluation but don't attempt anything understandable. When I watch that game, the guy tries something which doesn't work, Simon over focused on it, then 2 minor pieces were active and killed him.

[@ghostface1818]

For a 1200 to play that well and accurately in a closed position against a GM is highly suspicious.

[@rathelmmc3194]

It’s basically impossible. Closed positions are incredibly difficult to play.

[@EddieDubs]

He got banned.

[@danjeory3659]

@@EddieDubs nope, he's still active and the account doesn't look at all suspicious strangely

[@Ulujmf]

At this level noway, a cheater or he is not playing but someone 2200 playing a 1200 profile

[@tellahsage6477]

It's not that hard to play a closed position really, all you have to do is study some basic strategic concepts and it's fine. Also White was winning there in the endgame, the time trouble was what screwed him over

[@madouc7819]

The first game was really valuable - I bought your Black Lion Course on Chessable and these moves are not in your course but I face them very often (1200-1400 rating) I actually never got to what is in your course considered the "main line" because people play dubious moves before you even rech stage 2 of the black lion.

[@VV-yh3ni]

Something not quite right with that second opponent. 5% chance he played well above his rating/was lucky 95% he was cheating.

[@deccyboi4218]

its because of simon's username - low level people want to say they beat a GM. He spotted some nasty knight jumps and solid positional ideas very quickly for his rating

[@mychessnotebook8653]

regarding the first game, lower-rated players sometimes don't count defenders properly if one defender is behind another defender

[@sacthequeen4295]

Danya's last video had a cheater, and now Simon's too. Players in this rating range don't tend to make those one move blunders anymore, but their positional understanding is nowhere near a GM's even on a bad day. I think Simon didn't want to say it, but we all know the dude cheated.

[@UltrabaumatOmega]

Simon, you are the best. No shame for looses even these ridiculous ones. Meanwhile explaining and talking for the viewers, awesome! Love the speedrun videos, looking forward to the ones around 1500. Keep on doing your stuff!

[@RaptureReady2025]

Ye I stopped playing englund gambit around 1400… it lost the edge around that level. Started learning stronger defences to d4. As a result my game improved and I developed… now I’m 1550 right now. 😀

[@raphaelhudson]

But then you watch people like Rosen, the butcher and Hambleton who can beat even strong GMs with the Englund. I'm not sure you really need to change openings unless you are super GM. You can just learn the lines even better haha

[@RaptureReady2025]

@@raphaelhudson haha Ye sure they can play the Englund and win … but then GMs can play any type of garbage openings and beat 1500s. 🤔

[@raphaelhudson]

@@RaptureReady2025 only if the opening isn't losing by force. There are openings that are just terrible, like the Fred or the Jerome . Simon is suggesting that this opening is losing by force if white knows what to do, which is true if you fully commit to the trap. But that isn't the only way to play the Englund . The point is that Rosen and Hambleton are beating or drawing opponents of similar strength at a high level, because this opening has alternative lines where black is down a pawn or has an odd exchange, but has positional compensation. A better analogy is the Icelandic gambit . I like to play qe7 in many lines which sets up a trap. There are lines where that move is actually either the best or an equally good move, bur there are other lines where it is a concrete mistake that loses material if white plays correctly. I have to try to remember which lines not to play it in.

[@RaptureReady2025]

@@raphaelhudson thanks and good luck with your chess!! 😀

[@RaptureReady2025]

GM Simon loses game 2 to 1300. Obvious cheater for most of game, and so obvious in the last minute where cheater has to premove and plays noob moves. Not only did cheater find the classy moves, he was also 3 minutes up on the clock. What a joke. Simon “congratulations to my opponent”…. I call BS on that. Cheaters are sad pathetic losers. 🔪😡

[@mattmiller1179]

That's more about Simon staying classy.

[@haddymcbatty]

Great fun to watch. Cheers Simon

[@radinazamian1807]

Can’t thank you enough for these series man As a fan and absolute mad lover of the game Your analysis and patience is contagious and im sure thousands if millions of subscribers will agree Gonna buy all of your courses 🍁🥂

[@HarshViewEnt]

That second opponent was definitely cheating 😂

[@AGILISFPV]

Absolutely love your attitude. Thank you for this great informative video!

[@slagorourke]

The 2nd game was very suspicious. The guy has a similar rating to me and there is no way on earth I would have found all those moves. Just no way. I know us lower rated players sometimes just play a good game, but not that good!

[@alexwiththeglasses]

Yeah, I’m wondering if you took away the garbage ending moves (to run out the clock) what the accuracy & move quality analysis would say.

[@zizhdizzabagus456]

Cheaters are not rare. They are everywhere online

[@RobBCactive]

But what computer moves or complex tactics were there? The 2nd game I watched, Simon ignored the minor pieces on one side of the board. As he was talking and moving slow, many players would anticipate and make natural moves quickly.

[@zizhdizzabagus456]

@@RobBCactive you can use engine in many ways, for example you can see opponent blunders, or prevent ur own blunders. Cheaters are tricky. Imagine you just play a solid game and exploit every opponent mistake

[@RobBCactive]

@@zizhdizzabagus456 In this game though Simon was simply preoccupied with one side and ignored a bishop & knight activating. I could see it brewing on first view

[@chumdm3]

Don’t sweat the the losses. Aman Hambleton took lots of losses on time for the sake of teaching in his habits series. I appreciate the tips more than a W!

[@mzmagister]

Love your courses Simon. Looking forward to the "new" Jobava London line/version on chessable ;)

[@andreitiberiovicgazdovici]

Good choice👍 i also play the Jobava/Rapport System and it's awesome.

[@TheJulijiji]

Simon, are you planning to put on sale a bundle of killer dutch and french course?. I would love/buy that

[@cdoubleu8719]

Keep up the good work Simon. Just got Black Lion to learn it and as a thank you.

[@mrdeer5585]

I am so glad to see so many content recently.

[@Erik_001]

Really enjoy your speedruns. Thanks.

[@coolmind2476]

Love this type of videos. 😍👍 Well done.

[@joshwalker3139]

Great stuff. Any chance of a couple of games at lower levels using the (IRON!) english?

[@juhonieminen4219]

English opening in general is lacking educational courses among youtubers. London System in comparison is overused. Series of English speedrun or lets play would bring new audience.

[@joshwalker3139]

@esp ele I’m afraid not

[@theneanderthal355]

Simon, thank you so much for the black lion course. I am enjoying it so much and crushing my opponents. However i often face one line from white which I’m not sure how to handle. And i couldn’t find in the course either. 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Bd3 e5 4. d5 c6 5. c4 So you see it kind of transposes to old Indian as if white started with d4 and c4. It’s hard to play. I try playing a5 to secure my knight at c5. But don’t know how to make any progress in the position. Please help with this line. I don’t know how to contact you. So just putting here on chat

[@neville-mladen9393]

Simon is an utter gentleman and chess and his fans are all the winners Thank you Siomon Nev

[@mattmiller1179]

Props to Simon. Most people watching know a 1200 ain't ever beating a gm. It is incredibly easy to claim cheating. But even if opponent 2 did cheat, Simon only says "well done". That's pretty classy.

[@edwardburroughs1489]

Hi Simon. Wouldn't it be an improvement in the london to develop the dark squared bishop first delaying whether or not to go for the Jobava style knight?

[@richardlee-shanok5578]

I was also wondering about this, Simon!

[@jamesbuie5017]

That guy was obviously cheating. A 1200 can't beat a gm, I am 1200 and I know what players at my level can do and beating a gm isn't one of them.

[@Curtains1337]

that russian 1200 was a cheater for sure.

[@walterbrownstone8017]

Love these speed runs.

[@joseph1845]

Please don't take any boosters Simon, I like watching your videos

[@dlbade01]

There's an anti-Englund course on chessable that cost like 1 or 2 dollars. Well worth it to quickly crush people playing the Englund.

[@Thelittleonesaid]

Great stuff!

[@raphaelhudson]

You are being a bit harsh on the Englund Simon. Eric Rosen and Hambleton play it regularly against IMs and GMs and win. Of course they do not win with the basic trap . But the opening has more depth than that. There is the queen sac line which Hambleton has even played in classical tournaments and there are more positional approaches like Rosen plays . It is not an opening to fight for an advantage, but it is far from losing by force against even a top GM . I am at the level where nobody falls for the trap, but I still get a lot of wins with it because I do not even go for the trap . The butcher has a nice course on it too.

[@fredwalter923]

Literally every time someone plays Englund against me I get +3 to +6 advantage in the opening lol.

[@raphaelhudson]

@@fredwalter923 well you are playing poor players . The Englund played properly gives whit between plus 0.5 to plus 0.9 depending on the line assuming white plays well. If you have plus 3 your opponents just have no idea what they are doing .

[@CryOfTheLyrebird]

If you have to lose somebody, it’s important that his name should be “Semen.”

[@gm_ahmed]

Noooooo. It's too short Simon! Make longer vids!

[@freewheelburning8834]

this was fun to watch at first but my brain had to juggle a lot of salty data sorry

[@AK-bw8xk]

Yep. Everything makes sense, perfectly logical than in a game...catastrophe!

[@rakeshmathur5560]

24:30

[@philippides]

Lol why the heck wouldn't chess.com give a speedrunning GM on an authorized smurf account a premium account? That seems like the world's silliest oversight

[@smrtfasizmu6161]

They don't give premium accounts even to people who work for them, let alone to a GM who doesn't even work for them.

[@DannyG683]

How are you, Simon?

[@ShamGam3]

Play 10 min games

[@philippides]

I don't feel as bad losing to 1290s if grandmasters also lose to 1290s lol

[@shakur8068]

lol the guy was a cheater, read other comments, the guy was playing top computer moves until the end when he was winning on time. do you actually think 1200's play this well?

[@reasonableattempt1918]

1298 opponent at 21 mins is definitely a cheater. I'm only at 1500 but even 1500 players aren't that good

[@rafaelrojas7249]

I win a game against a MF youtuber with Englund gambit, the master had transmited in live, in a tournament, my rating was 1000 below his.

[@topoisomerace]

I know people will claim the second guy was cheating, but I don't think he was. From moves 10-40, he played very accurately, but a lot of those moves were logical/obvious. His game history also looks very normal with his rating remaining consistent.

[@juhonieminen4219]

Could be true. I was more suspicious of the lack of time they used, but some players blitz out moves and the end part was fast. Unpatient time use can also keep some player at 1200, if theyr tactical ability is more like 1500 or more.

[@smrtfasizmu6161]

When Naroditsky beats 2000+ rated players his play looks obvious, that doesn't mean that a 1200 can play like that. At so many times there were several logical and obvious looking moves, when you keep choosing correct ones that is more than damming for an 1200.

[@smrtfasizmu6161]

Also he took 9-10 seconds on all of his moves in the middle game, including the only moves.

[@ChocolateMilk..]

Ofc they were logical. Every computer move no matter what rating is logical and can easily be explained in hindsight.

[@NeoXSpirit]

The second opponent is clearly cheating, only gm or engine can play as fast the best move on the position, let report this guy ....

[@yanair2091]

This is stupid. If you cut time to 5 minutes (which can't be very educational) at least give 2 or 3 seconds increment. You were obviously better and shouldn't have lost this game.

[@klosjaarrr5016]

3rd

[@emi662002]

2nd

[@deccyboi4218]

1st

[@big_diesel8781]

Grow up kid.

[@deccyboi4218]

@@big_diesel8781 you seem like a nice person

[@tpage8051]

lol a cocky GM constantly getting embarrassed. Great concept for videos. Well done mate.

[@big_diesel8781]

Constantly?

[@ghostface1818]

How would you know unless you're constantly watching him lol

[@tpage8051]

@@ghostface1818 Yeah, and..? Of course I watch. I said its great. It's hilarious.

[@weltmeisterbayernmunchen6308]

Fuck off if you find him to be cocky.He's a terrific player and a funny classy guy.Get out of this channel if you dont like the host!

[@ghostface1818]

@@tpage8051 seems like a waste of time to me. I watch a few streamers and he is far from cocky. He's hilarious and has time trouble from talking lol. He is a GM for a reason.