Judit Polgár outsmarts Short in the French, Steinitz

This analysis features the chess game between Judit Polgár and Nigel Short from the 1994 New York PCA/Intel-GP Rapid knockout tournament. The opening is a French Defense, Steinitz variation with 8...f5. Polgár makes an early and risky decision to walk her king towards the center, which allows Short's queen to penetrate deep into enemy territory. Short's poor decision to pursue a material advantage lets Polgár's king off the hook and leaves his own queen without an ally. Polgár almost instantly turns the tables, optimizing her piece placement and forcing Short's queen back home. With Polgár's crushing move e6, it becomes evident that Short's position is well beyond recovery.
I'm a self-taught National Master in chess out of Pennsylvania, USA who was introduced to the game by my father in 1988 at the age of 8. The purpose of this channel is to share my knowledge of chess to help others improve their game. I enjoy continuing to improve my understanding of this great game, albeit slowly. Consider subscribing here on KZbin for frequent content, and/or connecting via any or all the below social medias. Your support is greatly appreciated. Take care, bye. :)
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[@bryanryan4504]

I learn more from watching one or two of your videos than I ever learn from watching one year's worth of agamator, Gotham chess, or chess vibes.

[@adilmirza7324]

Absolutely. I would say he has the best playlist for players looking to learn chess rather than just watching chess for entertainment. ❤❤❤❤❤ we love Jerry 💘

[@proffessorclueless]

Nigel's a great player but came up short in this one.

[@zdp303]

I couldn't not like this

[@fep_ptcp883]

Oh, uncle, here you are

[@iskandertime747]

Zing!

[@DeuceGenius]

Hey now I got it

[@KeoughSchwantiger]

Stop it dad

[@moesheri9385]

I really like the recent frequency of uploads Jerry. We enjoy all videos and are happy to take a thing or two away😊

[@grouchomcgrouch4150]

I very often find myself taking more than just a thing or two away. In fact I would go so far as to say that I pretty much always come away with at least several things to think about from these videos. That's all for now. Take care, bye.

[@ChessNetwork]

👍

[@moesheri9385]

​@@grouchomcgrouch4150 You are absolutely right sir! The "from beginner to master" series is definitely the best free content in chess ever. I hear Jerry's voice "stop before you chop" and then "no! you take me" on almost every move. Thank you so much Jerry!😊

[@callenkoester9078]

agree. jerry's analysis really scratches my itch. when he posts more frequently i watch him over others, just how it is

[@HalTuberman]

Polgar is an absolute LEGEND. I will always click on an analysis of one of her games. Such brilliance.

[@FreeStuff4TheWorld]

Love watching Short get wrecked, and love watching Polgar pop off. Great video.

[@DeuceGenius]

Polgars a beast

[@robertcooper1952]

Deep judgment by Judit. This game shows the power of passed pawns.

[@galettimusic3837]

Your videos are great. Thank you!

[@ChessNetwork]

Glad you like them!👍

[@Daphflrks]

What a Game! Judit was something.

[@stevenseymour4372]

This is one of my favorite games of all time it's got it all .

[@coulie27]

One of the most bizarre games I've ever seen 😮😅

[@miguelpanta]

JP is amazing

[@optimalbrand]

Judit had the wall deconstructed and rebuilt at the foot of a cliff, before jumping off

[@achillesyoutube8773]

Nigel got the short end of the stick on this one 😅

[@jamesdelb6885]

Thank you Jerry. Judit is amazing. I enjoy following her games.

[@fireballxl-5748]

Wonderful game.....as I find a very high percentage of Judit Polgar's games to be. She was/is an incredibly thoughtful, insightful and brilliant player. Narration was well done too.

[@stephanegodts9052]

Superbe partie rapide et une analyse toujours excellente et agréable à suivre. Merci beaucoup !

[@joseraulcapablanca8564]

Typical wonderful attacking from Polgar. Thanks Jerry.😊

[@vinestreetalternative7398]

crazy game, fun to watch! Like an elaborate opening trap that takes 15+ moves to play out

[@dr.alikhudhair9414]

Enjoyed so much .. thanks

[@ChessNetwork]

Thanks Doc!

[@looinrims]

You could say the white queen had a…Short journey…

[@KF1]

The black queen all alone may have set a Low bar

[@dodekaedius]

Judit was so strong

[@flawlesscarlo]

Beautiful analysis Jerry 👏.

[@nicowindows4589]

Thanks for sharing!

[@WtItCbtLoR]

What a wild game. Thank you, Jerry.

[@gchomuk]

Another great video. I really enjoy your detailed analyses. Kudos. Great game here, too, by Judith.

[@briangainer3391]

Love your channel man. I first saw your videos FOR EVER ago. Glad you’re still around. Great job man!

[@Estenberg]

Exciting game. Thanks.

[@manuelbaeza9396]

Another great video 👍

[@titiksilang]

That passed pawn is John Wick

[@RyanEmmett]

Amazing game! Thanks for the analysis. I think the moral of the story is...don't grab material against Judit Polgar!

[@ChessNetwork]

👍😎

[@mastrake]

That is a pretty amazing game.

[@humancoin-proofofuniqueness]

Most shocking, most dramatic game in chess history

[@stephenbahrmarbles]

Good stuff 👍

[@ozymandiasrealista8892]

10 moves by Queen vs 1 decisive move by Queen.

[@MoonBurn13]

As I’ve mentioned before, I must be psychic, because so often the very Opening AND variation I’m currently playing long-distance against my friend, shows up in your current game/analysis on your channel, Jerry - in this case the Steinitz variation of the French. But also, as usual, there’s practically no danger of my memorizing and copycatting this for “best moves” in my own game, since neither I nor my friend could come up with the tactical moves Polgar and Short produce here. Thanks Jerry. I rather think Polgar walked freely over Short in this one. The displaced King position must have been completely unexpected by Black.

[@adilmirza7324]

Black queen : I will enter your home and dance there for a few moves. White king : you don't scare me White queen : let me just come a little close. Black king : Aaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

[@jamesvanderhoorn1117]

Brilliant!

[@simonl4523]

And Nigel Short was a French Defence expert

[@dougcarey2233]

Great video. Love to see a murderous pair of bishops in the endgame.

[@Titus873]

Hi everyone its Jerry( is that right?) and straight forward into the chess. like your intro m8. I follow you long time ago and your narrative is very good. I love to hear you while going to sleep, haha. Thx m8, good work with this aawesome channel.

[@nichuk9464]

In this video I learned when your opponent king is not in home , don't go for material grab.

[@uniktbrukernavn]

9:59 It may have been a sad move but I laughed. So sad it became funny.

[@danielgolay8387]

Nigel Short: women are not wired for chess, will never be as good as men. Also Nigel Short: Loses decisively to a woman. The Polgar sisters are an excellent example of what humans are capable of when we refuse to accept limitations.

[@davidabdala4126]

She was an amazing player! Genius

[@Fera-gr5mm]

Crazy game :)

[@RicardGomes76]

TY GM

[@arkos1179]

Go judit

[@hariopamungkas4126]

Good game

[@Zamppa86]

Judit's games are always so entertaining. Tactics and attacking everywhere, so much to calculate and learn. Judit is de facto the greatest woman chess player ever. She was 2735 back in 2005 when rating points were more difficult to get than today. That's a rating most GMs will never reach.

[@SmilingIbis]

The poor Rook and Bishop (on a8 and c8) sitting idle there for most of the game while the one piece attack of the killer Queen was flailing around raiding for material. The lesson from Steinitz is still valid: if you don't have a lead in development or some other advantage, you have no business attacking.

[@joeldick6871]

The lesson of this game is that in the opening, you should move pawns first and not pieces. First move all your pawns to gain space, and then develop your pieces behind them. Also, you should push all the pawns on the kingside and try to attack your opponent's king as quickly as possible, and don't castle, because castling is bad. Instead, the king should come out into the center in the opening. The king is a strong piece, you have to keep it active in the opening! Steinitz would approve!

[@barthouweling4787]

d2 in particular is a great square for the King because then it's naturally protected by the Bishop

[@martinmarkovich1630]

Very good video! How did Judit play against the Winawer?

[@FreeAsInFreeBeer]

@ChessNetwork I think you have an editing mistake in the ending graphic of a mouse clicking on the "subscribe" and "bell" buttons: the mouse is behind the buttons. I think it used to be in front before, but these last ~3 videos have had the mouse behind instead. Just FYI!

[@TymexComputing]

ohoho - new video

[@dobfeldman5026]

Black queen makes ten moves before black's QS bishop and rook move at all. Recipe for disaster

[@yogi9631]

Fantastic game. She is very good but surprisingly opponent weak! Excellent video n descriptions. I definitely subscribed

[@fireballxl-5748]

No one would/should ever call Nigel Short, "weak"...smh. He is playing a world super class player.

[@michael2244]

Judit Polgar is nice :D

[@aagm.]

Polgár is such a fantastic player. I would say my favourite next to Pragg and Firouzja. Fischer all-time.

[@husnimubarak5279]

What a short game ...😅

[@winstonsmith5854]

Fun fact: I would have played EXACTLY the same moves with white 🎉🎉🎉😂

[@qencu9041]

sure grandma, now let's get you to bed

[@misomiso8228]

Is there a PGN of this game anywhere?

[@Fera-gr5mm]

It's "classical" rather than Steinitz, as here the knights end up at non-standard spots (e2/d7), also White plays f4, way rarer than direct Nf3 in the 3.e5 variation

[@mikebaker2436]

Imagine losing games like this and then years later still claiming women are inferior at chess.

[@chimboti]

no chess player thinks that

[@copicmarker1021]

@@chimboti nigel short does apparently

[@bobkreme2175]

Really enjoyed that one! Teaches you that position is way more important than material

[@loplop7029]

Hi Jerry.

[@DanFrederiksen]

I'm a relative noob but was the opening good? undeveloping the knight, letting the queen in. Am I just not seeing the merit or is this an opening modern chess and a chess computer would punish brutally?

[@fireballxl-5748]

There is a difference between an open and a closed opening that changes general rules.

[@josefserf1926]

The opening was rubbish but Short got greedy.

[@DanFrederiksen]

@@josefserf1926 apparently she was only 14 at the time but still 2630 fide. Her peak was 2730 and Kasparov was only 2800

[@MrSupernova111]

Wow! Incredible final position against a world championship candidate! Apparently, some women are stronger chess players than Short thought.

[@chess_poemschess]

e6 !!!!

[@hddm3]

She is one of my favorite female player

[@pvazplasen5109]

Why arent there more women like Judit Polgar in the chess world? It is something that still amazes me. Why do women need a separate league of their own in a game like chess which doesnt involve physical condition... Im sure they arent less intelligent than men but what is it then? I dont understand

[@pvazplasen5109]

Maybe It is some cultural diference of patriarchy all around the world that encourages more men than women to play chess so in the end they are fewer people, so less likely to get good? I dont know. But I would love to read your thoughts about this. Thank you Jerry for your video. Ive been following you many years and you never dissapoint me. Excelent quality videos!!! Thank you so much and keep It Up ❤

[@rezervoardogs]

@@gameplayer7534 Please, enlighten us.

[@moesheri9385]

I think that women are generally less interested in chess and, unfortunately, are encouraged to play chess much less often. If overall fewer women play chess at all, fewer talents emerge. Judit (and her sisters too) was encouraged very intensively by her father.

[@aleratz]

Its da patriarkiiii!!!! Reeeee!!

[@grouchomcgrouch4150]

Unfortunately it's always been difficult for women and girls to break into male dominated spaces. Even if most players in your local scene are respectful and welcoming there are almost always creeps and rude men that zero in on them and make them feel uncomfortable regardless of what kind of game the community is forming around. The same goes for male dominated workplaces. Most men will be professional but there's almost always somebody who will not be. Anyone who says I'm lying is most likely the rude creep. They walk among us. As men it's not enough for us to be an individual who can take no for an answer and give everyone the respect they are due as a person, we also cannot turn a blind eye to inappropriate behavior from other men in our community and we especially cannot make excuses for it or cover it up. Tolerating this behavior from your male friends, family, neighbors and coworkers makes you complicit! I'm glad that this is finally a conversation that can be had even if there are still a lot of people trying to shout it down. But we have a long way to go. It's not just our women and girls we need to protect, a lot of these guys are after our boys too. Don't go through life being deaf dumb and blind to what goes on in your world!

[@Ben_C01]

Great to see Short getting beaten by a woman. Why does he have such a problem? Short by name, Short by nature?

[@optimalbrand]

Don't be a cuck, Benny. He's obviously far stronger than you.

[@MrSupernova111]

@@optimalbrand . Short hates the idea of strong women chess players. Serves him right.

[@Toadspring]

@@optimalbrandDon’t be a dick, Brand. He’s obviously referring to past comments made by Short

[@KF1]

💇🐱😎

[@PaulHobbs23]

Always good to see Nigel Short lose

[@good-questions]

Nigel is one of the whiniest, gas lightingest chess players ever to live

[@hashimhattab344]

When nf3 winns or holds the initiative than that would mean, that Judet had a bad game.

[@dannygjk]

Huh? Judit was playing white.

[@seebasschipman293]

@@dannygjkshe allowed a winning move when black first infiltrated. Still a brilliant game, no one knocks Tal when he allows winning moves that his opponents don’t see.

[@dannygjk]

@@seebasschipman293 Tell me which move Judit made is the blunder.

[@gelamegeneishvili7240]

Nigel has always been a great player, but he fell short

[@wongbotwong4609]

what's sup

[@PushyPawn]

the sky

[@KF1]

@@PushyPawn hi pushy pawn and friends

[@v1991c]

Na8 😂😂😂😂 i dont mean to remove any credit to Judit, who is a genius - one of the very few players capable of giving us wonders like these. But Short man... that horrible person and average player gets SO MUCH ATTENTION, besides his king walk there is nothing in that man's career that is worth studying. I almost didn't click the video because i didnt want to waste my time with Short, but im happy i did! what a game (and what a humiliating outplay!)

[@MrSupernova111]

Funny, Short doesn't come up in any of the chess books I read. lol

[@v1991c]

@@MrSupernova111 not surprising! Cheers!

[@wolfgangwiesinger9502]

Watch his countless wins against GMs in his youth, he was an unbelievable entertaining player.

[@v1991c]

@@wolfgangwiesinger9502 pfff... Man if you defend Short, either you're from the same country or you don't know him at all as a player and as a person

[@swalice]

I bet he was very mad to have been beaten by a woman 😄

[@AlanJet5]

I remember, aged about 16 in Edinburgh, I was in the School Chess Team and we had a league game against a Civil Service team (part of UK Government). I was drawn against a woman and we had a very long game with a sealed move. I analysed and reckoned I had a win. When we reconvened I blundered and lost. But it was being beaten by a woman that hurt me the most! Pride, falls, and all that. Judit is terrifyingly good!

[@lucasng4712]

Women are quite capable

[@satcheljones]

jerry's reviewing a lot of old-school youtube chess games lately. $1000 says next upload is going to be either: - smirin vs anand where anand spends 1:43 on like move 4 - anand vs ivanchuk, ivanchuk misses mate in 1

[@sonphan739]

Judith played like a 1500 ELO player in the beginning.

[@MrSupernova111]

Top #8 in the world at her peak and beat several world champions over her career. Just another patzer in your eyes?

[@ChessNetwork]

❌

[@josephjagusah8668]

@@MrSupernova111 This game is beautiful. Too beautiful. The pieces coordinate too well, and at all just at the right time. Bobby Fischer would have called this game "prearranged." Not that Nigel threw, just Judith must have predicted this outcome at some point in her preparations. In 30 moves Nigel made 3 inaccuracies and one mistake, Polgar also made 3 inaccuracies. Not hard to "prearrange" a game when your opponent makes the book move every time, and you have so many forcing moves on the queen.. Entirely possible to mentally factor in only 3 inaccuracies or so. Still, it's excellent to watch a game that was "prearranged" because of how elegant it is, though it's an entirely different experience from Paul Keres's maxim that "composition takes place at the same time as performance" as this game would have been composed prior to performance.

[@dannygjk]

If you think not playing top theory is weak take a look at GM games. They often deliberately avoid top theory to take their oppenent into prepared structures.

[@MrSupernova111]

@@dannygjk . Glad to see you still kicking. Hadn't seen you in a while. Cheers!

[@Aca99100]

Hey Jerry, I noticed recently a surplass of mistakes regarding piece names, color of players, player names etc. Personally I do not care about these mistakes, just commenting to let you know in case this could be some kind of sign. Cheers

[@elieobeid77]

wtf are you talking about? learn to write surplus first. I noticed a surplus typing mistake..

[@drewjozz]

why do any of the names or anything matter you're watching chess look at the board. thats how you improve elo

[@Aca99100]

@@drewjozz i suggest you first learn to read and then go ahead and read my comment again

[@drewjozz]

@@Aca99100 specify one mistake that you're referring to

[@Aca99100]

@@drewjozz I specifically said I do not care about these mistakes, I'm only mentioning it to warn Jerry. You can play any of the recent videos and find 2/3 mistakes of players colors, pieces mentioned or players names. Im not watching them again to give you an example