Masterclass: Victory with Tactical Play | Alapin Sicilian Defense | GM Naroditsky's Theory Speed Run

00:00 Intro
00:20 First Move
00:25 Game
19:00 Analysis
Previous Alapin game mentioned
• IQP Strategy: Masterin...
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Background created using Stable Diffusion V2!
Edited by ‪@ClydeBarber‬ (check out some of my original music on YT)
#speedrun #grandmaster #chess #stablediffusion

[@dbretonbec]

Opponent: makes the first move Danya: ok our opponent is almost lost after this move

[@BroomieHERE]

Technically that's true because he's double their ratings

[@richardlong5928]

Honestly I appreciate and respect that he did not resign. I always get a little bummed when they do bc I want to see Danya’s ideas unfold and come to fruition. Also it’s instructive to see certain checkmating patterns.

[@bloodcake1337]

not resigning is major cringe, and u should feel ashamed for showing such unsportsmanlike behaviour

[@ondrejhurinek]

Yh but this is not any serious tournament or 2 gms playing... not resigning here makes sence as people in this rating do blunder somethimes even in winning positions... nothing to do with poor sportsmanship....

[@jonathanblack7597]

poor sportsmanship is getting mad at someone for not resigning when they fully have the right not to

[@bloodcake1337]

@@jonathanblack7597 clown behaviour, this is exactly how u wont make any friends at any tournament, also this is also why u will be clowned on by promoting and sacraficing every pawn and piece, pathetic

[@whenthingsfly4283]

​@@bloodcake1337 in this case it was most certainly not poor sportsmanship. He knew he was playing danya. He wanted to use his completely lost position to gain understanding from danya how to convert White's winning position most efficiently which is something benefitial for both parties. It's not like a dirty flag or trying to frustrate the opponent.

[@jacobcarrizales427]

I play a lot of moves that do two things. Create a one move threat and hang checkmate 😎

[@jby382]

me: let me cash in on this free pawn now Danya: let me make four more moves and squeeze this dude into submission

[@TheSirCal]

I can't believe it took me this long to find your channel. As far as I'm concerned this is the best chess content on KZbin by far. You're calm and it's relaxing unlike all top chess content creators. Keep this up! Also, no join button on youtube? This is easily worth $5 a month, if not much more.

[@Alexander-mw1ek]

Nothing warms my heart more than g6 with no bishop on g7❤

[@javiergarcia2249]

Watched my first video of Danya like 2 weeks ago and now I’ve just been binging them

[@randomguy9084]

Lots of chess tubers are largely for entertainment but watching Danya will actually teach you a lot

[@TheDestroyer7102]

That was me around a year ago

[@someone98760]

Yeah Danya is easily my favorite on YT for educational chess content. He does an excellent job at teaching people how to think about chess.

[@nix4110]

@@randomguy9084 Unless you watch Danya instead of actually practice chess. I do that

[@randomguy9084]

@@nix4110 I too am guilty of this

[@PatrickCWalters]

As someone who also is from St. Kitts & Nevis 🇰🇳 it was a pleasure to see my flag pop up with a player in your speed run! Very instructive game and a cool moment. P.s it's pronounced "Nee-vis" by us 😁🙏🏽

[@JakeLYT]

I wish I had low taxes like your country 😭

[@Vepporizer]

Never heard of that country before

[@PatrickCWalters]

@Jake Langley lol It's not a perfect system but it is pretty nice indeed 👌🏽

[@miniloon577]

as someone that loves flags it's always been one of my favourites! never seen anyone from there.. didn't know I've been pronouncing it wrong this whole time too

[@PatrickCWalters]

@miniloon Thank you! I think it's quite beautiful as well. And yeh Nevis can be hard to pronounce if you never heard it!

[@wunknownbeatbox7980]

It's nice as I get stronger I can follow along better during post analysis. For instance at 23:36, "what if black stubbornly defends with Qc8" and I immediately see Qxa6 Qxa6 Nc7+. Thanks for all your hard work Danya, I'm constantly advocating for my friends and strangers to watch your content! Keep it up!

[@wunknownbeatbox7980]

Dam gurl senpai noticed me

[@shadowryder1089]

There is no other Chess player or channel that explains chess and breaks it down soo well and makes it easy for noob players like myself to understand... luv from Fiji🇫🇯

[@jimgu2578]

Loving the Alapin so far. Another greatly instructive video!

[@agneum7838]

naroblitzky

[@youssefyoussef-tu2te]

Instructive as always Appreciate your work Danya 💯💯

[@jamesp6376]

It’s so awesome that the last speedrun was the Morra and this is the Alapin. As a Morra player, you sometimes get strong armed into an Alapin, so knowing both is super important for an Aggressive Andy like me

[@BM-hj6lq]

Which one you prefer - Mora or Alapin? Remember you are not a pawn down in Alapin.

[@arleyantes9321]

​@@BM-hj6lq but the Morra is wickedly fun 😈

[@wanderhillen2435]

@@BM-hj6lq The Morra book by IM Esserman is called "Mayhem in the Morra" and it's true. For some reason all my Morra games descend into mayhem and it's a lot of fun. There are some absolutely insane sacrifices and other horrible traps you can spring on your opponent if they're not careful, because the C- and D-files open up so quickly. You are down a pawn, true, but you get such a lead in development that it often does not matter.

[@jamesp6376]

@@BM-hj6lq definitely the Morra. Black needs GM level prep to survive my Morra. I read Mayhem in the Morra like Danya suggested and Marc Esserman teaches the reader how to systematically thrash most systems black employs. I recommend the book!

[@tiagohello]

Amazing ! Thank you so much!

[@robertsweeney1162]

Amazing play. Great videos. Thank you.

[@Chris-zf5jz]

Yes, another Alapin !!! Love it ❤

[@asansfakeaccound5466]

i really appreciate your work sensei danya. thanks to you i finally started understanding open positions and meaning of dynamic adventage, and finally feel like i'm going to surpass 2000 skill level.after it blocked me for so long.

[@Nemtomi]

I did play the Alapin before very briefly. The last time I faced the Sicilian I played the Morra but seeing how well you use it I've decided to go back to the Alapin.

[@PeteyPablo1]

Honestly you should have done the Chess Master Class, not Kasparov, you're the best teacher in chess!

[@musical_lolu4811]

He already has his Naroditsky Method course.

[@mehemmedeldarli]

Nice Video Daniel 💯💯🔥🔥👍👍♥️

[@proage5139]

Did him dirty by not rematching

[@ericrobinson7184]

Why would you want a recycle of ineptitude, in reverse of an analysis?

[@peterpan3022]

well he did say he would rematch him if he resigned, which he didnt do (or rather only did 10 moves later)

[@musical_lolu4811]

Why do you guys always have something to complain about.

[@maniblondelly]

More morra please! These are helpful for it too obvs but I find the moral so much fun

[@impishlyit9780]

I love that the 1900 just went "nah, too low" and aborted XD

[@marinoprosen3266]

Hi Daniel, I just wanted to ask, can you make a video on how to play chess with yourself (over the board or on PC)? I heard that some masters in the past used to play with themselves and it was very useful. One of my cousins who actually passed away 2 years ago was IM and he used to train like this but no one can tell how he used to do it. So I was wondering if you know this techinque. Thanks in advance for your reply.

[@cptn_n_cola]

That thumbnail looks like an AI trip. Love the work Danya

[@yugangstaz]

My main man Danya. Thanks for this.

[@bardia8259]

One of the best 👌♥️

[@Owbly]

Good video.

[@shanastroskyphazer8172]

Great lesson ! Danya Thanks . I might even give the Alapin a go now ! But the Morra is an addictive opening for no increment chess. I think the Alapin would be a great opening for bonus time controls or no increment chess ! I once won a memorable game against the Alapin with the black pieces in a club tournament game with the Barnes defense in the Alapin Sicilian although I tricked my opponent with a sneaky inaccuracy. Why do I call it memorable ? Because the Alapin is solid. cheers dude !

[@waterbirds8972]

Each move was so deadly. I wish I played like that

[@amaarquadri]

I think a video on understanding weird engine moves would be great! You could go through a few examples and demonstrate how to dig through the lines to understand the engine.

[@kimcostantino1051]

Thanks for the great content! Could you do more Kings indian please? :)

[@alexf0101]

thanks

[@niccor1506]

Hello Danya, I watch all your videos and I love them. They have made me a much better middle game player and I really appreciate them, but can you make videos like this focusing on endgame positions and explaining your endgame moves along the way? I feel I need more endgame coaching. That would be amazing if possible. Thanks!

[@comebacksuperkings9758]

Big fan man everytime I feel like not playing chess after loosing ton of games online n over the board ur speedrun games and seeing ur thought process gives me motivation to go back keep up the good work...just wanted to ask u Smith Mora against 1 C5 or alapin pls help

[@alihene2225]

I fell for this today 😭

[@brobeans7788]

DANYAAAAA WOOOOOO

[@TheBlueSkateboard]

Never been this early!

[@nyztan0]

This is certainly a masterclass.. some of these moves and ideas that Danya is explaining with the reasoning behind the move order is why I will never be a GM or close even though my fundamental understanding is pretty good. Me trying to Alapin in a blitz game will most likely result in a disaster

[@ezerbrowne922]

My homeland! 🇰🇳 and not to nitpick but it is pronounced St. Kitts and "Knee"-vis. Love the videos Danya!

[@DanielNaroditskyGM]

Thanks! Not nitpicky at all, I appreciate it and will pronounce it correctly next time :)

[@jj385064]

Imo, danya and anish giri are the best chess coaches. Very very instructive video and easy to understand regardless of rating. Thanks for the vids danya

[@Sullyoon_A]

😅

[@24yroldchessimprover84]

With respect Danya, with perfect play an engine cannot defend a 2.20 position against itself. The exceptions are some fortresses but there is no fortress here. Usually, the cutoff for when a position becomes theoretically winning is 1.20 to 1.40 in engine games between Lc0 and Stockfish. 2.20 is WAAYY above that.

[@DanielNaroditskyGM]

Totally right - I meant that an engine should be able to defend against a human :)

[@trequor]

He probably didn't resign because this could be his only opportunity to play the Prophet. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He's gotta make the most of it

[@alexdavids5038]

Hey daniel what about Kc3 to b5 a gambit on the position 10:53, black cannot capture it if it does bad things can happen to the black queen.

[@pftq2401]

Danya, thanks for video, really appreciate your clear explanaitions, why have u switched to Alapin from Morra? in last speedrun u were heavily advocating for Smith morra gambit

[@DagarMan0]

the last speedrun was more about creating tactical positions and explain the train of thought for playing those kinds of positions and complications. this one is about playing openings he recommends to create a repertoire as if we are his students

[@DagarMan0]

a good example of that is that danya is not a grünfeld player vs 1. d4, but feels it's a better opening in terms of allowing black to better understand opening principles and fight for an advantage, unlike his usual king's indian which is more about navigating a position with less space and understanding pawn attacks

[@MrMartinoo1]

Bishop f4 over Bishop c4 is such a high level move, pretty sure 95% of us would have played Bishop c4

[@brunobasic2033]

Which chessable course is he referencing around 21:30?

[@melonlo2326]

If you find it could you post it here?

[@brunobasic2033]

@@melonlo2326 The course is "Tame the Sicilian: The Alapin Variation" by GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov and GM Ganguly

[@melonlo2326]

@@brunobasic2033 thanks!

[@ResQ166]

play some mengarini variation, thanks

[@strangelyrepulsive77]

18:36 Bx QxQ Bc6+!! clearing mate threat on d8 opera style... doesn't let me... Qxc6+... FUCK!!!

[@hiddenname7210]

i love how you see the positions but honestly dont get anything out of it until opponents stop blundering in openings (like g6) . wish you could stay at higher ratings(2200+) for a longer period this time

[@israelgulley9104]

I let the engine sit a little longer after 8… Nb8 and it liked 9. Bb5+ and after 9…Bd7 10.Bxb7 Qxb7 11. O-O Bg7 12. Re1 with a +2.3 evaluation

[@Chris-rb8ox]

👍

[@denzopaolopalgue9890]

Anyone have sir Naroditsky's list of recommended openings? I am trying to join a local tournament in my university and would love to know all of his recommendations so I can add it to my studies (focusing more on endgame and middlegame but knowing opening theory wont hurt, no?). So far I only know Alapin for anti silician and Accelerated Dragon for Sicilian.

[@CardinalDunkernya457mm]

d4 openings either QGD or grunfeld

[@nix4110]

Four knights scotch

[@lugga8241]

Fantasy vs caro-kann

[@lugga8241]

Nimzowitsch vs french

[@lugga8241]

If i remember correctly he plays e5 against the english

[@lazycalc2533]

Can't wait til Black actually plays a normal boring Alapin. We hardly ever see how to defeat the hippo setups in these speedruns.

[@johnbell3920]

Will there never be analysis of the grunfeld game? I'm mostly interested in why he reccomends the grunfeld instead of KID

[@arandomstranger6954]

I’ve been dying to know the rationale too

[@yusufozdemir769]

I need Danish Gambit from Danya.

[@ArtZapzzTen]

That blunder... 1700 btw 😅😅

[@xgirvel]

Very instructive after 21:36, just a pile of good ideas. These situations where the opponent is completely undeveloped, but can castle in 3 moves, and you have to come up with a plan from nothing are insanely hard to navigate.

[@christor2907]

I know there is the standard whining from people saying 'im this rating and my opponents never blunder like that'... I'm usually the first to say... they do, Danya just doesn't miss the punish or... its the pressure exerted by the GM etc... I'm 1600 and I won't say my opponents never blunder like this, but I rarely see opponents at 1500-1700 play as poorly as that in a basic opening. Not just the slow Fioncetto in a situation he clearly had no time for the slow development... but to throw a peice to a basic queen a4 check... I havent seen that since being 1200-1300.

[@BM-hj6lq]

Personally I am disappointed Dania switched from Smith-Mora to Alapin. I have been building up my Smith-Mora knowledge based on his speedrun games. I even payed an OTB classical game in Mora. However, I feel beyond 1600 no one really falls for the common Smith-Mora traps. Unless you are tactically strong, playing with a pawn down can make you feel uncomfortable. I am now thinking about switching to Alapin. What do you think is a better option for a 1500-1600 rated player - Alapin or Mora? Suggestions are welcome.

[@lehmamoo2627]

Depends on do you play blitz, rapid or classical. In blitz Smith-Morra might be crushing, but for slower games I suggest the Alapin. The Smith-Morra is risky especially in classical. Alapin is my recommendation, because higher level players don't fall to Smith-Morra traps.

[@jycegaming8530]

As solid as the alapin is, i think investing in the mayhem in the morra book by marc esserman is worthwhile. While higher rated players may not fall for traps, the morra is far from dubious, and you can still find winning positions and tremendous compensation for the pawn without winning in 10 moves from a trappy line

[@musical_lolu4811]

Dude, learn everything.

[@thetransferaccount4586]

damaged alapin

[@scottyoung2601]

Weasel!

[@juanroaguilo]

:)

[@Majora96]

I don't get how a 1750 plays so badly

[@PhoenixLOfficial]

Because compared to a 2600 GM they are terrible at chess

[@JakeLYT]

​​@@PhoenixLOfficial 1700s are also just inconsistent. As someone whose ELO ranges from 1700 to 1900, there are games where my opponents play like trash and get steamrolled. Then, when I'm having an off day or off week, I get steamrolled.

[@cz19856]

1700 means you are 1900 in some positions while being 1500 in some other positions

[@aiGeis]

@@JakeLYT I'm 1350 and I cannot remember the last time I've seen anyone below 1100 (which I don't get matched against anymore, but still) who hangs a N like that. Qa4+ fork is very well known and the retreating square was obviously held by the pawn. Stop being an apologist for unacceptably poor play by higher rated opponents in these speedruns. The 2000+ rated players from the last speedrun were a monumental disappointment and honestly played even worse than a lot of the 1700s in the aforementioned run.

[@ClassicMist360]

​​​​@@aiGeis dude you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, I'm also 1700 and people blunder pieces like that more often than you think. When you play against a GM, you are going to make uncharacteristic mistakes that you wouldn't make against someone your ELO, because GMs know how to KEEP THE TENSION, how to SQUEEZE THE POSITION, and STOP ALL OF YOUR POSITIONAL/TACTICAL IDEAS before you even do them. Those things will make you blunder super easy tactics after 15-20 moves. Also 1700s don't have best opening knowledge, they have 2 or 3 lines they know decently, and a few other lines they know 5-7 moves of theory, meaning they get destroyed/bad positions out of the opening from almost all openings except 3-6 openings Nobody is being an "apologist", we just know more than you, and we know what it takes to be 1700, and how playing against someone who stops all of your ideas while squeezing you down can make you blunder silly things.

[@ReverseGuy]

Most people are only here for you playing against cheaters. Nothing else

[@pokerstar2926]

13:54 >opponent says he learns so much from the vids >danya doesnt know why he doesnt just resign >danya proceeds to lecture and teach from the obviously winning and resignable position Damn daniel, lost some humility points here. Sounding kind of snobby here, which made you blind to the bigger picture. Not the way angle I typically see you from, so that's why I'm pointing this out here

[@gavinc2733]

That was chat saying that Edit: Nevermind, I originally thought it was Twitch chat saying that but after reading Danya's comment and rewatching the video, it does seem like it was a comment from the opponent, sorry about that.

[@hansgruber9093]

@@gavinc2733 about learning so much from his vids? It was quite evidently the opponent.

[@DanielNaroditskyGM]

I respect your criticism and see how you could have interpreted my words that way. However, I assure you that when I said "idk how my opponent is able to continue the torture and not resign," I didn't mean it sarcastically or condescendingly in the least. Quite the contrary, I admired my opponent's resilience and me thanking him for resigning at the end was also not sarcastic at all, since I've had plenty of opponents who end up stalling out their clock.

[@kp1657]

@@DanielNaroditskyGM based

[@thesecondderivative8967]

Please don't water down the meaning of snobbish. This, very clearly, isn't.

[@mortalkombaty7960]

Hikaru defeated you 9-1 yesterday after bullet brawl. It was painful to watch. Please don't play him again. Don't embarass yourself. Thank you

[@michael8815]

Does this make you feel good?

[@musical_lolu4811]

@@michael8815 he's a troll. I've seen similar comments from this guy. Pay no heed.

[@muhdsiddiq7753]

Oh look there's a man-child here

[@ClassicMist360]

LMAO

[@bassmanjr100]

Natoditsky would defeat you 100 out of 100 and I’m sure he couldn’t care less about your comment. What a troll.

[@calendar9136]

1700 playing like 400 elo and this is highlight