The English | Responding to c4 - GM Yasser Seirawan - 2014.02.06

[@BungoBolson]

I sometimes think that watching Yasser's videos is more fun than actually playing chess. He explains games with a perfect pace, like taking a walk on a promenade, enjoying so much the view.

[@sleepy4x]

+Alejandro Murgia And he seems to be a nice person. I relax when I listen to him.

[@BigReno73]

well said, i agree there.

[@giardtgreyling7761]

Yeah cool guy

[@kerstgerard]

nice nicer Yasser? :))

[@abhishekkj3662]

thats like saying watching people having sex is better than doing it yourself..

[@ldeans5620]

Yasser has found his calling as a teacher even more than as player. Lucky for us

[@ace942]

I met Yasser once when the chess hall of fame was in Miami. He is a very nice gentleman and I very much enjoyed this lecture.

[@zachhaywood1564]

I've heard the same about Karpov and Anand.

[@markphc99]

All your lecturers are good , but Yasser is my favorite

[@BigReno73]

GM Yasser Seirawan is a legend

[@TheSkypeConverser]

facts

[@aravindgundakaram1830]

Fax

[@Quidoute]

pure fax

[@runronnierun7213]

The Bob Ross of chess tutorial.

[@izzojoseph2]

Andy Bartlett 😂

[@evanhughes6952]

“...mmmkay? And then *my* idea, was to play c4-c5. Okay.”

[@victorAPR96]

There are no blunders, just happy accidents

[@thomaswood3584]

@@victorAPR96 brilliant

[@AmazingFilms247]

Always an insightful commentator. Loved watching his coverage of the '21 US champs.

[@izzojoseph2]

Yasser, I can’t see anyone being a nemesis. You’re so seemingly gentle and kind that people would feel bad about beating you even if they could! Seriously, you strike me as peaceful as Mr. Rogers. Add to that you’re brilliant at the game. Great video.

[@chessdad182]

I lost a simul game to Yasser. A small number of slight inaccuracies by me and I suffered.

[@sheikmanzoor5003]

Nowdays we have computers and internet . Back in Yassers time it's just plain book learning.... Major Respect for Yasser.👍

[@ebutym11225]

This is a great channel.

[@Protanly]

I once had the pleasure of playing against Yasser Seirawan in Seirawan chess, which is a variant of his own creation. He complimented my play and told me I had good instincts despite being leagues above me, which seemed very humble and down to earth. That experience stuck with me. His advice for me was simple, but memorable. "Dazzle them with brilliance, and if you can't manage that, still remember to smile."

[@H1E500]

Unfortunately a lot of the interesting analysis was missed by the cameraman who didn't follow the speaker when they are talking whilst pointing at the screen.

[@jackcarter3944]

+Phil Mc That would be the fault of the editor, who does not remove the board when Yasser works the screen. It's an unfortunate drawback of this format.

[@David-hq8ir]

Probably Yasser was supposed to use the mouse and point on the monitor

[@fungoorstitch]

I tried grabbing the overlay board with my mouse and dragging it out of the way. Lol.

[@Thaumazo83]

He should use the computer and software with which the club provided him.

[@digocr]

Agree that cameraman and/or editor could have covered this. "This pawn and this pawn". Which?

[@dictionaryofwords1108]

First Yasser Seirawan video I've seen on this channel. Love this guy's personality, great video

[@fredkaddu2830]

GM YASSER IS JUST THE BEST & AS SOMEONE COMMENTED ITS MORE FUN SEEING HIM LECTURE ON CHESS THAN ACTUALLY PLAYING CHESS. THANKS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO CHESS EDUCATION

[@rorke6092]

THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENT I REALLY ENJOYED READING IT. THANKS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMENTS SECTION

[@cmdrfun1]

Am I wrong to instantly like before I watch the 30 mins?

[@aravindgundakaram1830]

No I mean, probably yes, but we’re speaking of Yasser Seirawan, so.....................

[@ralfsprenger3000]

ill actually call this the "engish opening- seirawan attack"

[@nickolasbelliveau7095]

Yasser, that jacket is hella slick.

[@Quidoute]

seriously thoe, this is the most enjoyable chess lecture I have seen so far !

[@איתןאלחנני]

Well done! Inspiring, instructive and entertaining lectures- well done!!!

[@jackcarter3944]

+‫איתן אלחנני‬‎ Is there anyone better than Yasser? The economy, sense, intelligence, clarity... a master of the field.

[@kerstgerard]

one on one teachings would do that, even... or better said; also with GM Yasser Seirawan. he does drop names for this or that....

[@tessa8230]

What a beautiful voice.

[@PalanivelTS]

A delightful way to learn this opening ... I really enjoyed this video.

[@domenicoscorpiniti1326]

really instructive, after i watched the first time i had to watch again to study the position and I discovered that Yasser at 1.25 speed seems really natural anyway

[@dirkjanssens754]

the best teacher and the greatest performer in chess history!

[@fungoorstitch]

How about a split screen and have Bob Ross paint each piece as it moves?

[@thesilentmajority2765]

What a great instructor

[@KurtvonLaven0]

16:40 I think this is the line Yasser is talking about off screen, but please correct me if I misunderstood: 1. Qb3+ Kh7 2. cxd6 cxd6 3. Ba3 ... 4. Nd2 ... 5. Nc4 ... 6. b6 ...

[@martinbauer100]

I love your channel. This very lecture is very helpful as I want to improve my openings. I used to play "kids-style" before (getting pawns in the center, develope peaces, castle), but now I've come to the point when I really have to get the ideas of openings.

[@kontrapunkti]

There`s nothing wrong with putting pawns in the centre, developing and castle, it`s a very good way of opening, but i still get your point.. it`s nice to try other things

[@martinbauer100]

Well, just putting pawns in the center and somehow survive the opening gets boring with the time... And I don't always want to ask my friend Fritz! what the opening is called ;-)

[@kontrapunkti]

Well anyway who am i to say what somebody shoul play, or not. It`s really a matter of taste. As white i do play mainly classically for the occupation of the centre with pawns, and build up my play from there. With black i tend to favor more"Hyper modern" Style. I surely dont have a massive knowledge of the openings and all the various modern trends etc., but im also not total and complete beginner, rated about 2000..

[@tylerwaye632]

Hey Martin, if you're interested in improving your understanding of the openings I strongly recommend Modern Chess Openings 14th edition; that book was a real turning point for me in my opening preparation. Besides providing a wealth of book opening lines, they also provide you with concrete ideas for each opening variation.

[@shubho3003]

where can i find all of Yasser sir's games? i really wanna study the english opening and learn from his games

[@chadmacgargle5311]

The modern computer doesn't like it at all will give you about a 60% "accuracy." Peace and love. There's simply never lived a more beautiful player than Yasser (.) Peace and Love

[@nicholasbrassard3512]

@yasser 24:31 a quick analysis with stockfish 11 at depth 20 says this position it's 0.0 :o

[@StygianStyle]

These Yasser lectures are some of the best, but I gotta set it to 1.5x speed.

[@kahuna2588]

26:34 sammy actually played what stockfish suggests at depth level 26 :D

[@tonypeter8209]

Well explained with some variations.👍

[@hectormejia1494]

where would i take this classes?! Seirawan is a excelent instructor and GM.....

[@jackcarter3944]

+Hector Mejia I believe they are given in St. Louis, at the chess center there. Perhaps he gives private instruction via the internet?

[@hectormejia1494]

I want to go to st Louis to know him and to take some classes live. But by internet is good too.

[@kerstgerard]

the world and its inhabitants at your doorstep :)

[@warrenthompson5904]

Very instructive BUT the online board obscures the board Seirawan uses, Seirawan's style is to point out on the board his ideas and the online audience doesn't see this.

[@tsonus]

A lot of Yasser's lecture is lost to us beginners due to poor editing which kind of defeats the object of the video. Lecture somewhere else please Mr Seirawan.

[@DoctaHobo]

i love seirawan but this video does not deliver what the title offered.

[@DoctaHobo]

he just talked about how he played the english. never really talked about how to respond to c4

[@stopwritingthatreplyjohnat6638]

What an explosive opening

[@1264036]

Wow !! It was Sinqufield Cup!!

[@bewareofnikhil]

Insightful!

[@2freet]

I like it, but I often can't follow the variations he's talking about on the fly. It would help if he would put them on the board.

[@antonbar7718]

Great guy, and it's funny how natural he sounds at x1.5

[@smaklilu90]

the thing about these videos, you think that you learned something and you go to a game and you forgot everything and lose every time lol

[@sashaallan855]

That's because you need to work on it to improve. Improvement in chess is like any other subject, you need the knowledge (lessons) and then practice. Also even if you learn something the real learning happens while you sleep, so you probably will not see improvement until a few days in

[@alensmithee3852]

I definitely like spending years studying Grünfeld, King’s Indian Defense/Attack, or King’s gambit declined. :|

[@SantoshP1354]

6:36 what about a3?

[@SantoshP1354]

it also makes an attack on the queenside

[@sashaallan855]

@@SantoshP1354 It doesn't create an attack (as it doesn't attack any enemy squares), but it does prepare b4, so probably it is just as good (just playing a different move order)

[@sashaallan855]

@@SantoshP1354 I suppose it allows a3, a5, b4, a4. No idea if this is good for black but it would make the attack much harder

[@eswarnaik833]

Good afternoon Sir Eswar Naik

[@peppercap]

Wouldn't it be funny if Yasser Seirawan decided to become the Liberace of chess?

[@marcolevak8897]

Name of that opening for black?

[@gmmohamed1029]

reversed closed sicilian

[@lalalabene]

hi, can anybody tell me: why is the pawn structure bad after ..-e5 Kd5-exd Qxd3 at 14:40? Very interesting and entertaining lectures btw. :)

[@michaelflaherty3202]

lalalabene I don't think there is an e that can take on a d and there isn't a queen that can take on d3? Maybe I'm missing something.

[@icecolddr-pepper4486]

...e4 Nd5, exd3 Qxd3

[@paulgoogol2652]

Why does Seirawan say it takes longer to study QGD longer than KID or the Gruenfeld? I play the Queens Gambit Declined because its solid and seems easiest to me, especially if you accept the "gambit" on move 3 or whatever. Dxc4, c5 and exchange. But of course you can keep it closed trying for a complex game.

[@Veaseify]

I think he;s looking at it from White's perspective. He means learning all of the sub openings that come from 1.d4 d5 2.c4 like the Slav, the Semi-Slav, the Tarrasch, the Semi-Tarrasch , even the Chigorin. plus the QGA, and the 'normal' QGD. When you play white against the KID or the Gruenfeld you can concentrate on one variation in each opening. On the other hand you could just play the exchange variation and that really cuts down the learning time although you need to be a great endgame player to make it work.

[@galacticstorm854]

+Steve Veasey Not true. Both the Gruenfeld and the King's Indian have tons of theory behind them and are very topical at the highest level of play. Grandmasters need to study these more because they're played more often, and are considered more trying than the QGD

[@elasticharmony]

Ill be using this Rb1 is great because that rook can end up setting there anyway. Keeping black that far back is also prime for me, I get attacked.

[@mq3900]

7:18

[@xjjay554x]

We still play the English to avoid theory lol

[@estebanembroglio6371]

1.5 speed lol

[@botramduuze7188]

Yasser is god

[@fakecubed]

1...f5!!

[@Jam1457]

This is a terrific opening and if I was black ...I was terrified of the c4 move.. but now I am ok with it.. I will be using this a lot going forward. Incidentally, Bobby Fischer played this c4 opening a lot, some call it an English Opening, others call it a Scandinavian defense. Either way.. brilliant opening for sure!!

[@edwardbottle1018]

+Trev Morson nah, Scandinavian Defense is when black responds to 1.e4 with d5.

[@ja773r]

And Fischer didn't play it a lot either....

[@thedarklight6752]

Yasser Seirawan is like the Bob Ross of chess.

[@MadScientist3000]

he is forgetting about the people at home

[@MsKwaiChang]

I wish he'd get off the board and stay on the computer.

[@ronalddonahue8325]

1... b6 BAM

[@jackcoleman1632]

GM Seirawan, I played chess in Oregon when you began your career, you were famous then! However, you had an older gentleman who functioned as your tutor/friend who played in tournaments at the same time, was rated much higher than yourself and guided your chess development. BE HONEST about your history and how you came to the English!!!!

[@teocantsleep4611]

Did you even listen to the lecture?

[@jackcoleman1632]

@@teocantsleep4611 Yes, I did and that is exactly why I commented on his forthrightness. He was NOT just a kid learning to play chess. He was groomed and mentored by an adult (some guy from Europe or Russia). He had all the advantages that anyone could want. Yes, Seirawan was good but who wouldn't be when developed like he was. But to hear him tell the story: "I was just a humble prodigy who cam to chess out of my own intellect ", uh no I don't think so.

[@ambihost.418]

horrible! he is talking to the computer offscreen the entire time.

[@test-pp7dl]

Akobian's lectures are better. More serious and motivating imo

[@Renanbrazp]

Disagreed, i prefer GM Yasser's lectures, he's more experienced, has good stories, more showmanship and at his prime was a better player than Akobian. Although i do enjoy Akobian's lectures as well Yasser is just another league.