Seize the Advantage: How to Capitalize on Your Opponent's Mistakes!

[@brainfellow5140]

Re: Homework 15:20, my eye is drawn to the loose bishop on e7... the only thing that jumps out at me immediately is we could win a clean pawn and open the king up a bit with Bxh7, if Knight recaptures Nxh7, then Bxe7 and we're hitting black's rook. Thank you for the very instructive video Dr. Can!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Excellent answer! Thank you for your kind thoughts!

[@eschiedler]

homework spoiler - no engine Both players have completed development but in doing so, black has left an undefended bishop on e7. Can white exploit it? Bxh7+ Nxh7 Bxe7 Re8 Bh5 is one threat. Does Black have a counter-attack? Bxh7+ Kh8 Bf4 threatening the queen Bd5 Bxd5 Qxd5 Be4 and white has a solid position. Bxh7 Kh8 Bd3 and the game continues with white having initiative and chances to attack in the center and on the king side. This appears to be a good example of understanding on how to use a small positional advantage that leaves the opponent with little compensation.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you as always for your detailed and excellent analysis!

[@anthonyjaglal]

Really have to say a great thank you for a video like this,it really deepens ones understanding,of the nuts and bolts of chess,if your videos were books, they will be fantastic, this video has soooo many lessons,I recommend at least 5 reviews, as it's so informative those ideas about loose pieces wow🎉👏👏💯

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I am so honored to read this comment, thank you so much! The book idea is very interesting, and I will keep that in mind ☺️

[@AntoakilR]

You're the best chess tutor i watched

[@Dr.CansClinic]

That is amazing to hear, thank you! Please do not hesitate sharing the channel with your chess friends 🙏

[@KF1]

Great video. For the homework position, I'm a great player if I can see the bishop on e7 is undefended, and any move to deflect the f6 knight, say an attack on h7, allows the bishop to be captured. Further, if it's ever possible to dislodge the knight with a pawn, white could win the bishop and h7 for free.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you! You are a great player indeed!

[@KF1]

@@Dr.CansClinic Awesome! You are a great teacher

[@IvanoPorpora]

Sorry, master. In 7:24 I think there's a line that should be considered. After Bf1 Bd5 hitting the Knight the W must try Rd3. Of course the fork comes from another way: Nb3 Ra2 Nc1.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thanks for pointing that important line! And a great solution with ...Nb3 Ra2 Nc1!

[@milehighslacker4196]

I saw Rd3, but didn't look further to find ...Nb3 Ra2 Nc1! for the Homework, I say Bxh7+. White either wins the ...h7-pawn outright, or trades the Bishops and wins the pawn.

[@ibiwisi]

"You're a great teacher, Folks, if you make videos like this." 😉 Excellent lesson, @DrCansClinic, as always. I can also vouch for the quality of your Chessable course that serves as a hearty meal after this tasty appetizer. Question: I've been training myself to look for the weaknesses of the opponent's move even before I scan for threats that that move may have created. My thinking is that even though virtually every teaching resource says to look for threats first, I find that if I start my thought process there, I can get stuck in a defensive mode of thinking, and never get around to considering the weaknesses of the opponent's move. In short, my algorithm is: (1) what Weaknesses did that move create for my opponent?; (2) what Threats does that move pose for me?; (3) what Forcing Moves do I have in this position? This algorithm has the added benefit of giving me a simple mnemonic that I can easily remember during a game: "WTF"! This thought process algorithm has been working pretty well for me lately. What do you think about this idea of checking for weaknesses first?

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Such an amazing comment, thank you so much! What an amazing acronym! That is surely memorable! I generally like your idea of putting the drawback of the opponent's last move before the threat, but you really need to make sure that does not lead to omitting the threat, as you can get captivated on searching the defects of that move - and even if you find one, you can go ahead and play a move that punishes that move, only to find yourself get crushed by one of the other threats that move has generated. To give an extreme example, that move may have created a discovered attack, but if you only focus on the drawback of the piece which has just moved, you can forget about the piece that did not move but gain avenues as a result of the piece that has just moved. This goes back to the cruel nature of chess, in that you can lose any position if you miss the opponent's threat, while the game still goes on if you do not find the winning move for yourself at this moment - you will have other chances later :) Am i too pessimistic? :)

[@ibiwisi]

@@Dr.CansClinic Great point. Yes, the "T" step in the algorithm is mission-critical, because omitting it can mean the end of the game, whereas omitting the "W" merely means that I've missed an opportunity. If I keep my eyes (and mind) open, since I'm usually not playing Magnus Carlsen , there will be more opportunities later in the game ... as long as I don't let those "T"'s get me!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

@@ibiwisi Absolutely! I will show you an instructive example on this "T" and "W" this Sunday!

[@briandwi2504]

Brilliant lesson! Your channel is a fantastic resource, many thanks.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I am so happy to hear your kind feedback. Please do not hesitate sharing the channel with your chess friends ☺️

[@heremansmarc]

Only one thnig to remember for me: I am a great player! :-)

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Yes you are!

[@heremansmarc]

@@Dr.CansClinic 🙂

[@manuelfuentes4509]

Yes best chess professor on KZbin! I need to buy your chessable courses!!! Homework: the bishop on e7 became undedended so that 1. Bxh7+ wins a pawn (if Nxh7 then 2.Bxe7)

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I am humbled to hear your kind comment! You would make me happy if you do study those courses! Excellent answer to the homework position!

[@TimothyHa]

“You’re a great player…” if you’re watching these videos, as you can only get better :)

[@Dr.CansClinic]

❤️☺️

[@davidusa22]

Another great video, and very chellenging!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much!

[@ImprovePath]

2:22 i immediately spotted N×g6 and saw all the lines but i think black can play Qg5 after N×g6.. N×g6 Qg5, Q×g5 B×g5 and then there is no Ne7 check because Bishop covers e7 square and also white knight is trapped. Edit : I was right and wrong. but yes the move is N×g6.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thanks for the feedback, I should have mentioned that line. ...Qg5 will be answered by Ne7+! Move order matters!

[@ImprovePath]

@@Dr.CansClinic yes, later i thought that 👍

[@richardlee-shanok5578]

Wonderful video! I am 1350 and definitely need help with this thought process. I Hope you make more videos like this!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much! More videos will surely follow, but please check out my course on this very theme to internalize this fundamental process!

[@shawnnathan7658]

I’m glad I came across your channel, great content!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I am so happy to hear this, thank you! Please do not hesitate sharing the channel with your chess friends so we can reach more people.

[@drewskiibaby4446]

I watch a lot of chess content but for some reason I like you 🤔 let me subscribe

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I am really happy to hear it, thanks for the sub! May I ask what specifically did you like about my channel? Is it the level of explanation and instruction? The joy of learning?☺️

[@drewskiibaby4446]

@@Dr.CansClinic all of the above my friend I bought a course recently and it’s very advanced although I’m just a beginner I still study hard and try my best but your videos have excellent explanations!

[@adolfohuet3974]

On the second puzzle Nd2 was good as well

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Did you mean ...Nxc3?

[@adolfohuet3974]

Nd2 because the knight threatens a fork on the king and queen, our knight gets taken but we gain the bishop pair and attack the rook. Although the move in the video is better.

[@jonnyjansson7320]

Nice video! It is interesting that there are two questions have to ask about the opponent's last move. For a long time the threat question is the one I ask, but the drawback question so far not been asked by me explicitely if at all. Maybe it is an artifact of "to much" tactics training, where everything is about checks, captures, and threats. In the homework position, the drawback of black's last move is that the bishop on e7 now is unprotected leaving the knight on f6 pinned. This enables white to snatch the h-pawn. Two variations: 1.Bxh7+ Nxh7 2.Bxe7 and 1.Bxh7 Kh8 2.Bd3. In both variations white is better. For me the positions where quite easy except for the penultimate one. I completely missed 1.c4. I wanted to play 1.Bg2 with the idéa 1..Rxc3 2.Nc5 and the rook is trapped. A purely defensive idéa. When watching your solution, I got the following thought that the drawback question is connected to another question namely what do I want, at least when it comes to the exploitation of drawbacks by positional means and 1.c4 in my opinion is a purely positional move. Is this a correct way to think about it?

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much for your kind feedback! Excellent answer to the hw position. Indeed, 1. c4! position nicely highlights the Sam Shankland rule. What is the most desirable positional move for us? If that move looks unplayable at first sight, can we make it work anyways, using tactics? This is how you find the move 1. c4 which gets rid of the weak pawn and intensify central control. This is all because Black has placed their bishop on b7!

[@erikfromc]

Homework position: Bxh7+ has already been mentioned below, but after watching this lesson my eye was also drawn to the fact that Black's queen is also unprotected, and sits on the same file as White's queen and rook battery. While sacrifices on b5 and d5 don't work now, the white player should remain alert to such sacrifices in the future. Another great lesson!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much for the feedback! Indeed, Bxh7+ is a good move. You are also right about the c-file issues!

[@peterintoronto6472]

Interesting clash of principles as per other videos. On the one hand you want to consider what the opponent wants to do - is what they are doing a mistake in their own process?- and on the other you want to play the board as it is, rather than enter into their mindset. (The example with the passive move with the castle is a good example of responding to their immediate threat, rather than developing your own plan). Passive play can mean letting your opponent take command of your mind, not wrenching free of their influence.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Well said Peter!

[@mudsi01]

I am growing an appreciation for your videos, Dr Can! Here is my answer: the drawbacks are blacks dark bishop is unprotected, the queen is also unprotected. I can add an attacker to the knight on D7 by bringing my knight on E5, this will remove a defender for the knight on F6. They can take or move their knight to the back rank. Then I will pressure the knight on F6 with the knight c3 to E4 working my way to capture the pawn on H7 and making room for more attacks.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much for your kind comment ☺️ Indeed, the e7-bishop became unprotected after ...Qc7. Can we somehow dislodge the f6-knight to take advantage of that (our g5-bishop is indirectly eyeing the e7-bishop)?

[@mudsi01]

We go anyways and capture the pawn on H7, if the knight captures our bishop, then we can capture their bishop on E7? But if he doesn’t capture, then we retreat and up a pawn.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

@@mudsi01 Absolutely!

[@magicvoice0741]

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[@Dr.CansClinic]

❤️🙏 Thank you so much for your kind thoughts.