Mayhem in the Møller Attack!

In this game from my Twitch stream on Feb. 20, 2021, I played into the razor-sharp Møller Attack (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3). This line is considered better for Black with correct play, but the second player may have to navigate a tactical minefield to prove it. My lower-rated opponent plays precise and spirited chess, and even pushes for a win in a situation where I thought a draw was inevitable. An amazing ending and some insane analysis follows!
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[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Worth your time to stick around for the analysis on this one! 👍

[@SamAshworth91]

Some of those engine lines were crazy, computers are good at chess.

[@giorgiodechambre6798]

Heya, I was watching one of your older videos, the bobby fisher game where he played H3 in the sicilian, and his masterful play, when explained by you it was phenomenal, like watching art in motion. Can I ask a favour of you, Can you show a game in detail for Alexandre Deschampelles, he is lesser know, but was a master player.

[@seansklenar3509]

Ok that is an absolutely crazy game

[@kiennghiepluc5716]

I actually laugh along with John when he forked the king & queen

[@sl523]

We miss you, John. Great to see your video again! Couldn't have clicked it any faster!

[@gsp_admirador]

John you are still my favorite KZbinr/chess personality even after the chess boom with so many new streamers and youtubers playing chess

[@eugenesesmaiii3278]

Smiling throughout the whole video 😊 thanks John! ☕

[@IanOkamoto]

Stare into this game and it stares back at you.

[@Davidaspe]

Wow. A truly amazing game, John!

[@voodoo1094]

That fork at the end was amazing. A marvelous game to watch.

[@srchernik4030]

Love the Moller! It was the first opening I started to play and I have many great memories with it.

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

Likewise!! Loved playing it in my youth, and still love it.

[@mrhed0nist]

Yeah i think this variation is shown in most beginners books to wet a noobs appetite. Great stuff.

[@ThomasEWalker]

@@JohnBartholomewChess For many years I defended it well because so many club level players didn't know about d5 for white! And as white I cleaned many clocks...

[@grantgreenberg2457]

"Tantamount to Resignation" 😂This might be my favorite John video of all time

[@franscarpio2233]

Wow that was pure crazyness. Thanks for the analysis.. and kudos to your opponent too

[@websherp]

Very fun watch. Wild to think he had the theory that deep but couldn't convert the won position. It really highlights how sharp this position was, especially working through the analysis. I'm usually good for the climbing the rating ladder < 2000 vids for learning, but this was just FUN

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

My thoughts exactly! Fascinating and fun game 😁

[@martinig13]

This just shows how fun chess can be :)

[@DuffmanChess]

This game still hurts my head.

[@smar1k359]

This game is art

[@chessgoalsyt]

That was almost like another variant of chess. Such alien lines to me

[@yahyaj4845]

Bishop a4 is one of those moves that remind you how beautiful chess is.

[@tomscott904]

Hey John, Great style lately! Many games to be proud of and interesting ideas. Happy I found your channel and some of your ideas😁

[@hammer313]

thanks opponent. very entertaining game, taking a risk for the fans. well played both of you.

[@hippophile]

Cool game. Interesting how in the analysis several times when a move almost works, setting it up to work is so often right rather than pushing on and forcing for a few moves and running out of steam. The same is true in Go; move order and avoiding "aji keshi" (burning your potential) is often the way to go...

[@Ceasium_137]

19:15 Gotta love the dummy move

[@Chris-kz5fs]

I only caught the analysis of this live. Glad it was put on youtube!

[@High_Priest_Jonko]

Is this title a reference to Mayhem in the Morra by Marc Esserman?

[@qwerty2qwerto]

I'm a simple man. I see John Bartholomew posted a new video, I hit the like button.

[@GaaikeEuwema]

This is my favorite opening.. luckily at my level nobody knows this line so deeply..

[@petrie911]

That endgame could make like 10 chess puzzles.

[@johntatum1951]

Yes, analysis was super interesting.

[@NMBrayanAmaya]

Finally lichess returns to KZbin again!

[@bradenstewart6270]

As an old man once told me, “what happened is as interesting as what could have been”

[@omhd]

Wow, what an awesome game, thanks for sharing

[@KingAhmad-pp8mv]

Thats awesome i m gona learn this line and play it!

[@gonzachambi3937]

That fork in the end was really awesome!

[@RisitasKEKW]

Super cool game !!!! Thanks for sharing.

[@arist7922]

That was exciting, good stuff!

[@Wipez]

What a crazy game, with the engine's main line containing a draw with both players having 2 queens on board after Kf5.

[@PeterWellsKittyCat]

That was a SUPERB game.

[@ArcG3]

Wow, incredible. Great game Bartholomew

[@stefanturcu6547]

thank you for the video john! very interesting game.

[@mithileshwadurkar8809]

You are scary good at this game John

[@RMF49]

Whoa what a game! Nice John!!

[@michaelwayne583]

now this is a fun chess video!

[@cndbrn7975]

Crazy game!..@2:35 I thought Qa3! you're hitting the knight and attacking a7.

[@faznaz7455]

Good move! What idea do you have in mind after Qc7?

[@faznaz7455]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve faced this line as black and i always forget what Black is supposed to do after Bf6 and all the attacking ideas that white has in this position.

[@ramsdinho]

Awesome game. 2 players with great knowledge and big balls!

[@LuisJayanata]

Damn this guy knows his theory!

[@GingerMathematician]

John, the nicest guy in chess :-)

[@Thetasquared]

Omg.. I may never have seen this game if you didn't say to go watch it on your stream tonight. I know this line !! from My first White book on Chessable lol!!

[@Tombsar]

I don't think this was analysed in the video, but wasn't there a missed tactic on move 25 (@2:12)? 25. Bxg6+ Nxg6 26. Qxc6+ Kf8 27. Qxa8+ looks really good for white. What am I missing?

[@JohnBartholomewChess]

I think 25...Kd8 may spoil it, but I didn't see this possibility in the game!

[@Tombsar]

@@JohnBartholomewChess Thanks! I overlooked that black doesn't have to capture the bishop immediately, just escape the check; white's Queen and Bishop are both still attacked, and there are no good checks.

[@Tombsar]

The computer seems to think 25. Bxg6+ is best, although not as good as I was thinking after ..Kd8. It's far from simple, though, as black really has to restrain him/herself from taking the bishop and allowing Qxc6 at any point.

[@lousyfication]

I did not know the (opening) theory for black the opponent is blitzing out, indeed.

[@ThomasEWalker]

Holy carp! I'm sorry I missed that live!!!

[@NateLeeLLC]

That was exciting!

[@nomoreblitz]

Wow! CRAZY KEWL! This was like the quantum mechanics of the middle game! 🤓

[@RobbiePfunder]

wow. stellar game! opponent played very well

[@itsmeBP]

Is anyone going to talk about how we are still within John's theory over TWENTY moves in?? 0:57

[@evanmaier2551]

I laughed out loud at bishop A4

[@16engekl13]

2:13 is Bxg6 a move here winning a pawn? i don't think u get your bishop trapped there after right?

[@RisitasKEKW]

OMG HE PLAYED FOR THE WIN. WHAT A GAME !!!

[@florentingoyens7558]

Still theory

[@tastenshruti]

Great stuff!

[@SpudNug69]

Great game for sure!!

[@tankoteemusic9755]

My instinct tells me 6.e5 is the strongest move in the position.

[@samuelbruyneel]

This board looks like a dishcloth...

[@boceksiadam]

Bishop retreat line is ambitious no? Ne5 line, you don't have extra pawn as black but white has no counterplay with bad structure. Not experienced in these because I play two knights defense last couple years.

[@stevethach3340]

That was insane!!

[@Skeptic2006]

Trying to learn some new opening instead of the London to get me beyond 1300. It's strange that I came to this after watching a video on Max Lange and then Nakhmanson Gambit. Is KZbin trying to tell me I should try to open with e4 · Nf3 · Bc4 · d4

[@itsinfactagift]

Insaaaaaane game ❤️👏🏼

[@eryton1899]

This is insane

[@jashepoon]

I thought the opponent was a cheater first

[@AnandSivaram22]

Well a lot of people in this rating range(myself included) know their old opening quite well.. I once remember me playing the Danish gambit line against Ben finegold (the temporary queen sac and Bb4+ et al) and the chat saying I was cheating, and Ben pointing out to his chat that this theory is only 150 years old.. 😅

[@faznaz7455]

@Yousuf Hassan That’s me hahaaha. I feel like my lack of opening knowledge is the only reason that I can’t reach FM level because i consistently get bad positions that i have to swindle somehow (except a few openings that i know structures very well if i played it my whole life like italian and french)

[@marcramon1578]

Please John, visit us here at KZbin a bit more often. We miss your uploads.

[@ralpholmo3611]

Why doesn't Qe5 not win for black on move 48?

[@Into-The-Light]

If Wesley So watch this analysis, he might consider using this line against Magnus in the future.

[@jimromero5625]

The lichess chat comment @ 4:37 :D

[@jonathanlindsey463]

every game i play is like this.. as i have gotten older i have failed to teach myself positional slow wins/draws... i never play for draw whatever the situation is, it is why my rating has fell from 2300-2000 the last few years, i cant turn it off.. i had ONE draw otb 18 years ago and it still eats at me today “mostly because i didnt realize until after i accepted the offer that my opp had 8 mins on clock i had 51 mins on mine” grrr

[@lluism200]

I just saw this game 24h ago in the Twitch vod lol

[@khmerartist6581]

Miss your posts on You Tube sir...not everyone has Twitch...especially those of us in Asia

[@NamasteBbooktube]

Full marks to the opponent

[@nomvanhoutte1998]

Fun stuff.

[@omertabach9794]

John on lichess!

[@kurtozan251]

Wild!

[@V8SupersQirreL]

WOW!

[@sheldoncooper1569]

Yes!

[@valeska_kevinleahy]

Wow wow wow! What a game 😂😂

[@killereagle666]

Does your english keyboard lacks diaeresis? ( ö,ë,ï ...) Just curious :)

[@31redorange08]

Which keyboard has these?

[@killereagle666]

@@31redorange08 French. And probably many eastern European languages.

[@chess-intuition]

I was waiting for the moment you realise that f3+ and h3+ are not mate threats😅

[@Yeahv]

nice

[@bebzon8941]

nice board looks like a shirt

[@staypositive4358]

Hi John!

[@johnbubby2374]

wow

[@junema9924]

yo what is going on in the game chat on lichess in this video lol

[@gmchess5184]

lichess the place titled players go to show off there skills by beating bad players