Sensing danger in chess · Road to 2500, Game 50

[@laszlokorosi9012]

After watching a couple dozens of your games, there is a recurring theme: you carefully ponder moves in the opening phase, but when the game gets tactical and needs most calculation, you make impulsive moves. For example, you say "I have to go Rd1, I cannot allow Rd2" and make the move without calculating even a single line. Then you are surprised by your opponent's move and again, you don't take your time to find the best move to save the game, you rush into a much worse endgame because you already gave up the game in your mind... My humble advice is to play faster the opening, risking a somewhat worse middlegame position, but use the extra time for thorough calculation in critical positions. I'm happy you mentioned you are working on tactics from a book. It's the best thing you can do to improve, otherwise you cannot gain 300 rating points just by playing games with the same skillset.

[@tomasscholtus]

Yep, and missing Qc1 later on is just very bad… On his level he should be able to at least consider that move. It really isn’t hard to spot. Maybe its just harder when you are recording and have to do live commentary?

[@The_Dark_Knight__999]

That was gold 🥇🪙!!!

[@theguyshepassedupfortyrone]

I'm almost 2000 USCF rated and have found this channel to be the best, when it comes to chess instruction. Thank you for your efforts.

[@timscherer1655]

I usually never comment under your videos, but as a long-time d4 player I believe you could actually benefit from playing 1.e4 from time to time in training games at least, I do not know whether you specifically save up prep for tournaments, but it feels that 1.e4 would suit the training of your weaknesses (mainly tactical vision and calculation) much more than the strategic positions you get in your training games in the caro as well as in d4.

[@vitalylomov4124]

The way you handled this loss is an inspiration for me. I get worked up even more than you do, if you can believe that. You showed a good example of control nerves.

[@SharpTern]

An outsider's perspective: You lose a lot of these games on the move that takes you out of your theory. It doesn't matter if the opponent's surprise move was even any good. You often spend 5 or 6 minutes making all kinds of calculations at a point when there are still so many potential viable moves that intuition would serve much better than calculation. Then a couple moves later you look at the clock and say, "How can I be down six minutes already??" At that point you've lost the psychological game, even if you're slightly better on the board. Not long after that you get overconfident in a complictaed psoition and cut your line calculation short, or you get into such time trouble that everything just falls apart. And it all goes back to the first move that took you out of book. In this game you even noted that you couldn't spend a lot of time on that move, but the stress was already audible and I thought, 'Oh no, he's done." Again, just my hot take as a casual observer, but I think you'd be surprised looking bcak over your games how many follow this same path. You've got 350 points on me, so feel free to kick my advice into the Adriatic where it probably belongs!

[@Roosyer]

Saw the thumbnail and was like…”Who the fook is that guy??”

[@spEXartELITan]

it's better to play Nf3 before Bd3 if the c pawn hasn't moved yet, so you don't have to deal with a possible c4 after c5

[@ElderNerwal]

This is partly a personal taste, but in the exchange QGD I prefer to wait for c6 before playing Qc2. On c2 the queen is not especially well placed in other structures, for instance with an early c5. a3 doesn't work in this position for concrete reasons but it's not a good idea in general. The analysis of the typical IQP positions we get from the exchange QGD shows that almost always the engine recommends not to care about a possible NxBd3. Then White catches up on development, plays with three minor pieces vs two on the weakened dark squares and stands a bit better.

[@pablourosa1443]

You might be right. Maybe against IQP a piece trade is not bad, even if it is the light squared bishop for a knight (a possible future blockader knight!)

[@EbrahimDabiri]

There are really good comments below your videos, so I want to add one; maybe it helps. I think your effort is really great, so you should not be annoyed. Two things I think are most often overlooked are the physical aspects of chess. I think trying to lower the dose of caffeine can help. Second, not playing for a week or two or lowering the frequency of each day, I think your brain would come back with more power.

[@Phoenixz33]

My parents keep saying they wished they had used prophylaxis. I didn't even know they played chess.

[@humansareweird2866]

All good until they sac a pawn

[@emilsadykhov123]

At 8:30, your opponent had Nxe4 followed by Qa5+. If b4 then Nxb4 and you’re in trouble.

[@citizen6458]

my cat lost the standoff with a stray cat and is now depressed 😓

[@ChinmayDhake]

Take her to therapy

[@Kristiyan-Angelov]

Can you make a theory video about the Dark Knight system? it looks like very nice opening for black and it's very dangerous for white if they make a mistake.

[@Godisthekingever]

hey Stephan, i think after your opponent played Ke5 you could've played B:b7 and after Rb8 then you would have played Kf3 forcing exchaning of the knights and then bishop takes back and you're fine

[@omardiab1043]

I think Aron Nimzovic and Mark dvoretsky deserve more to be the thumbnail with prophylaxis topic.

[@24Cristiandiaz]

Rough game.

[@yashrajdixit]

Bd5 at 33:44

[@thesouthernist8174]

Ben Finegold needs to add an addendum to his catch phrase.

[@The_Dark_Knight__999]

Why is disrespectful? The game was over...anw

[@ChessHoodie]

"I guess I have no choice but to continue playing". You had choice , you could have resigned with clear conscience

[@smort123]

The only winning move is not to play

[@ramonsims5065]

Yeah, the stuff he saids sometimes 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@VK-pd8zz]

You play against lower rated opponents, like 1800, 1900, and you will get +2, +3 rating points after each game and you will steadily reach your goal of 2500 rating easily.

[@citizen6458]

no

[@24Cristiandiaz]

What`s the point of reaching 2500 playing like that? The goal is to get better playing against stronger opposition.

[@ramonsims5065]

Wtf!!! Ugh, terrible mentality to have!!!

[@yzfool6639]

@@24Cristiandiaz If your goal is to improve your rating, this is how its done. Play system openings or the same opening over and over against lower rated players which you unerstand better than them. If your goal is to improve your understanding of how to play chess positions in general (i.e., 'get better'), then you need to play stronger oppositions and a more variable repertoire, but you will not gain rating poinst anywhere near as fast since you will be learning from mistakes and misunderstandings.

[@prabhatkiranmukherje]

@@yzfool6639 This isn't how the rating system works. Stjepan can't beat 2000s or 1900s every single game currently. It's no easier or harder than getting a lot of points from beating a 2350 occassionally.