Dominating Knight Outpost on d5 in the Sicilian | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. 1493

In this continuation of the "Climbing the Rating Ladder" series I take on players of various ratings levels while pointing out typical mistakes and spots for improvement along the way (possibly my own!? :)). Here I commentate a 10+5 game against a player rated 1493 on Chess.com. In the previous CTRL video ( • The Explosive Potentia... ), we saw the Nc3-d5 jump in the Sicilian Defense being used as a dynamic weapon, sacrificing a minor piece to rip open lines towards the Black king. In this game, a Closed Sicilian, my opponent responds to my f4-f5 push with ...e6-e5, which creates a permanent weakness on d5. This is a perfect outpost for a White knight, and I endeavor to aim both of my horses towards this square, making sure to remove a key defender (Black's f6 knight) in the process.
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[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Happy Friday, everyone! 😀

[@travisnobleart]

Happy Friday. Team coffee welcomes you back. ☕️

[@danjeory3659]

@@travisnobleart Team decaf is sad :(

[@theinacircleoftheancientpu492]

Happy Friday John!

[@goldenlion3184]

No JB game would be complete without giving opponent a 5 minute advantage! This was a very interesting game, positional.... until it isn't!! Thanks, John!

[@arrowofkira5658]

I think that's actually a great mindset to have, focusing on your own thoughts and strategy without getting too disturbed by the clock. I'm sometimes playing really too fast and get bad positions when i really should just slow down and think about the position. Even when you're low on time but your position is winning because of the time you spend earlier it was worth it, you only need to have enough time left to convert the win and most of the time that shouldn't be a problem in a rapid game, especially with increment.

[@bobthebuilder9416]

These type of videos are so relaxing. Intellectually engaging, but relaxed content. Great combo very relaxing combination.

[@chullupa]

Me: drinks apple juice in morning John: inaccuracy, apple juice artificial, fresh fruit better opening to day

[@l.s.584]

how are you so cheerful all the time... every time I play chess I have to buy a new mouse (I kid, these videos are brilliant!)

[@stevewild374]

Your opponent did well. Made it interesting. Thanks

[@danjeory3659]

Very happy to see analysis of a closed Sicilian game here as a closed Sicilian player myself. Although this was a little different to my games, as I normally develop the knight to e2, but with black's play, a quick f4 and Nf3 definitely looked better. I think the closed Sicilian gets a bit a bad rap at my level and lower levels, as people think it's boring and white isn't being ambitious, but that really underestimates the kingside attacking potential if black isn't well prepared against it, and especially if they don't play g6 and Bg7 early. Thanks again for keeping the content coming and I hope the voice is holding up and improving 👍

[@greyholliday4784]

I find your videos like this very educational. Thanks for sharing your thought process.

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Thanks - I love to hear that!

[@robertgelblum5154]

Thanks, John, as always for the game and explanations. It's true that you were rated about 1100 points above your opponent, but I find that it's often in games with large rating disparities that strategies can be executed most clearly and instructively. (Besides, considering the rating difference, your opponent really played very well.). Btw my intuition sides with your preference for Black preferring Kg7 rather than the passive-looking Qd8. The Closed Sicilian for White is very nostalgic for me: it's what I first started playing as a youngster when I joined a chess club, with an initial rating of somewhere in the 1500s. Club members started playing the Sicilian against me, but I'd only really met 1 . . . e5 after 1 e4 before, and knew literally no theory against the Sicilian. So I just sort of stumbled on the simple Closed Variation plan of getting my pieces out, castling early , avoiding early contact between the forces, and basically trying to defer the main battle to the middle game. And I found it to be a very playable and practical line against the Sicilian at Club level (especially lower to middle level club players). But later, as I started to be paired against stronger opponents, I found that most of them were very well prepared against the Closed Sicilian, and they frequently equalized easily - if not outright seizing the initiative and advantage as Black. And that's when I turned to other more testing lines against the Sicilian. But I still think the Closed is perfectly playable for White, and I would still recommend it as a kind of starter system against the Sicilian for players who are lower-rated/don't know much opening theory/but need an easy-to-learn quickly line.

[@premdeshpande887]

Hey John. Thanks for the amazing content. I was also wondering when you'll post a Titled Tuesday video next? Those are always so much fun to watch!

[@brookelovett2847]

I love your analysis, it’s fun to watch you learn as you help all of us improve. Thanks for the top-notch content John.

[@westofwahpeton4692]

Thanks for more great content John!

[@sef9526]

Happy friday for you too John! Greetings from Paraguay

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Thank you for watching 🇵🇾

[@alpulley4894]

Another strategic and prinicipled game explained nicely.

[@riprap007]

The continued pressure was informative to see. Thanks

[@ronanherry5695]

Best educational chess on YT. Thanks for the amazing work!

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Wow, thanks! Appreciate your comment!

[@nocurve2329]

Good game and analysis. I played the closed Sicilian for years. Seems like bringing the q in on the h file before capturing the knight makes a big difference.

[@81chimi]

Hey John, this is guys!!

[@joshualavender]

Really nice game, John!

[@Suho1004]

Thanks for the instruction, John. Hope your voice continues to get better.

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Thank you, Suho! Cheers!

[@tlc9316]

It could take two months of zero caffeine for a fiend such as yourself to reset their tolerance, John!

[@jampicto28]

Caffiene withdrawal takes 2 weeks to go away, either go for the full reset or keep the coffee up

[@uniferunifies]

Coffee companies all over the world rejoice!

[@JaysCigar]

Systematic analysis and play...almost like the man has a checklist. Tick a box, tick another...and win. Boom!

[@6Xyzzy]

Quit the coffee for a month or two! (I'm planning to as well hehehe)

[@NamasteBbooktube]

Great video

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Thank you!

[@tr3mblay]

your time limit was dressing me out lol

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Stressing? Yup, that's a common theme around here 😅

[@thiethie]

guys john hey is this

[@theinacircleoftheancientpu492]

I feel like around 10:10 Timestamp, Nb4 looks difficult to handle nicely after Ra1.

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Yes, I missed this - discussed in the analysis.

[@komikuno]

Happy Friday! Engine says there’s a blunder? Maybe it’s just the quick review

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

You don't build a skyscraper by stacking floors. You do it by placing long steel beams first.

[@mustafanobar]

closed sicilian seems interesting, but i kinda worry about our light square bishop in case of an endgame. because of that bishop in this game, engine barley gives plus 1, in a position that seems plus 5 to the eye.

[@marcr1652]

Yipee-kihay

[@shaneand4]

Does anyone else hear Finegolds voice whenever f4 is played lol

[@Evilanious]

He's against f3 and f6 specifically though. He doesn't care about f4.

[@DeathEaterLink]

@@Evilanious f4 creates structural weaknesses just like f3 though. You're right about his catchphrase though. I guess f4 has more "benefits" with fighting for important squares while f3 is often just a limp defensive move and opens that really lethal diagonal to the heart of the kingside.

[@G0LDSNAKE]

Knights love to jump into bathtubs

[@1otisoti]

Hey John-no more sunday shows?

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Hi! Still trying to recover my voice completely, so might be awhile. Hope I'll be back to lichess Plays on Sunday in the future.