“When You Play the Najdorf, You are Quite Invincible”

[@SomeonessChannel]

“When you play Anish Giri, you are quite invincible.” - Najdorf

[@larry-ny5yr]

Maxime Vachier Lagrave doesn't approve

[@rockrock5838]

Last time I was this early MVL used to win in the najdorf sicillian...

[@abhishekgupta4412]

During live game, peter leko mentioned that MVL always gets worse positions with najdorf, still he always gets away with that

[@fatimaabdeldaim4005]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXyxfYiqa753rsU

[@user-bm9cv9vn2k]

@@abhishekgupta4412 He can or used to get away with knights on the edge of the board.

[@sreerag96parakkal]

Uff

[@beerbatov]

guys, MVL loses because he doesn't want to spoil his prep for the candidates. He just plays stuff everybody knows so he can at least deliver some chess without giving serious indications what he's studying

[@burningcherry97]

Hey, just wanted to tell you that just yesterday I graduated BSc. in computer science with a thesis about chess software, and I got the idea watching you. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@haraldkrull2549]

That's so impressive, congratulations man!!! 😍😍🙌

[@AS-bc8fg]

Congratulations man Captured that degree

[@tizianotiziani1490]

amazing!! congrats ;)

[@noone-qu5ec]

Congrats!

[@b.bsharma2404]

Congrats mate

[@sherlockhobbes423]

"The prophylactic King to B1" is probably the greatest chess phrase ever.

[@navymaanjaniwal]

And i got to learn the spelling of ...profalactic.

[@Dzokhar]

I like "If you're not sacrificing the exchange, are you even playing the Najdorf?"

[@okidoki3201]

B1 is key to health

[@primeutd4410]

"No one actually says that, but you know what I mean".... Had me in tears Antonio

[@ukashk1071]

Why he said that? Please explain.

[@fatimaabdeldaim4005]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXyxfYiqa753rsU

[@d4nnydoux]

@@fatimaabdeldaim4005 ??????‽??

[@reacher74]

Lmao. Yep that was hilarious 🤣

[@Sasou1337]

@@ukashk1071 He said it in a tone that you must fully commit to the particular variation and then he proceeded with saying that people say that to back his initial comment up,which he revealed is a lie,thus creating something unexpected so we laugh.

[@NicoDavid]

9:16 when someone says the Najdorf is overrated.

[@hoola_amigos]

😂😂😂

[@hoola_amigos]

This needs to be a meme #Suggestion

[@fatimaabdeldaim4005]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXyxfYiqa753rsU

[@johns9556]

I think that was Najdorf's mailman..

[@yashambekar0025]

It was the mailman

[@OswinOsgood]

Clearly MVL did not look Anish's course on Chessable

[@tanujmehta2023]

Fun fact: giri actually suggested mvl to look for his course during airthings masters😂😂

[@OswinOsgood]

@@tanujmehta2023 yeah that was what im refering to ... so ironic

[@aabstraction]

"If you don't sacrifice the exchange on C3 in the Najdorf, are you even playing the Najdorf?!" Lol you're the best

[@egestudios3852]

How many times are you going to capture the poisoned pawn? MVL: Yes

[@slink66]

Once It Will Pay

[@egestudios3852]

@@slink66 He’s just exploring but his ELO points are not having fun

[@OswinOsgood]

MVL on Anish's course: I won't understand your lines anyway.......too deep for me Anish: Check it out so there's so many arrows Airthings Master

[@haominlunlhouvum5174]

Hehe he did say so in the live QnA. As a joke of course

[@yourstruly33]

@@haominlunlhouvum5174 yeah that joke hits differently now

[@akashdhotre3604]

Lately I've played many surprising sacrifices in my games too! Most are unintentional though and I'm the one surprised :(

[@exaltica]

I do

[@haraldkrull2549]

😂😂😂😂🙌

[@johndotcue]

😢 same

[@nevinkuser9892]

😂😂😂❤️👍

[@Nickunparalleled]

9:18 Giri Cleverly employing the "Mailman" Defense, where you put both Rooks on the 3rd rank, ask questions of your opponent... Including, 'Is that the Mailman?'

[@itwasinthispositionerinoag7414]

0:00 Hello everyone 0:44 2:19 Let's see what happens here 0:57 Captures captures 2:15 Completely new game 4:12 Nice prophylactic move 4:24 The hardest move to find is with the knight back 4:49 Doubling up on the c file 5:01 Popular saying said by no one 8:56 agadmator rap 9:19 Not the Mailman 10:56 Give you a couple of seconds 11:06 Enjoy the show 14:57 It was in this position 16:11 Completely winning 16:20 Standings 17:21 So yeah

[@Gnomu95]

I have never been a fan of MVL but now i really feel for him and wish him the best :(

[@thomasb.5643]

Yeah to be honest it's a bit sad. His games have been super interesting, even in losses, I'd rather watch this than some dumb draws. Let's hope he can win a naijdorf in the tournament

[@PuffyCloud10]

I just discovered him (i don’t know a lot of tournament chess players) but i really hope he can win a match with the najdorf since i learned he’s a master in the sicilian.

[@sumikorbekv6266]

Maybe he is hiding his prep

[@aktsa7997]

@@sumikorbekv6266 thats what im thinking.. he can easily draw vs anyone in the nadjorf if he uses drawish lines , i think hes gonna keep a surprise for the candidates as hikaru said but its just a theory

[@egestudios3852]

First or not we all know this youtube channel is the first in our hearts.

[@slink66]

Almost ☝️😎

[@kushphus]

Yeah 👍

[@hiteshdubey37]

MVL the master of najdorf Also MVL lost all his game with najdorf in this tournament

[@mehmetaskar1356]

everyone watched anish's course

[@jyotsnasrivastava6373]

Thing is that If MVL had just one move ahead he would have won. I analyzed it

[@deepakagrawal1205]

why would mvl reveal his prep for the candidates?

[@mehmetaskar1356]

@@deepakagrawal1205 might be the situation. He was leading before the pause but this is still too much losing

[@MarekShadoX]

@@jyotsnasrivastava6373 no need for any analysis, you can see it just from seeing last few moves in this vid.

[@maxpeters9088]

0:00 hello everyone 0:51 sicilian defence 0:56 najdorf Setup 3:20 white castles 10:55 while i give you a couple of seconds 11:00 Congratulations 11:06 just wanna enjoy the show 14:56 and it was in this position 16:19 standings after round 9

[@rawaddib4786]

9:57 " you just pick up the queen and you are very happy " 😁💙

[@aabishegaabi6047]

MVL is avoiding his preparation lines for the candidates . Just wait for the candidates

[@slink66]

Hope you are right. Not sure about that, though

[@rekreator9481]

What are the candidates?

[@aleksamilin4572]

@@rekreator9481 Tournament to decide who will be the challenger to the world champion. Currently MVL is tied at first place and it's yet to continue this year.

[@alessandromeloni7410]

@@rekreator9481 the FIDE Candidates is a tournament where the winner gets to challenge Magnus for the title of world champion. And there, MVL is actually heading the tournament

[@rekreator9481]

Aaah got it.. Well, It would make sense then if he didnt Want to reveal what he has up in his sleeves😁

[@ilkinmustafayev]

MVL: i am the master of Najdorf Giri: hold my course

[@3e1est89]

I just feel bad for MVL now, 7th highest rated man lost 3 times to the same defense.

[@davidanderson_surrey_bc]

I agree with your sentiment, except that MVL lost USING the same defense.

[@beerbatov]

​@@davidanderson_surrey_bc guys, MVL loses because he doesn't want to spoil his prep for the candidates. He just plays stuff everybody knows so he can at least deliver some chess without giving serious indications what he's studying

[@tankoteemusic9755]

Thank you agadmator's Chess Channel. You are getting very close to 1 Million subscribers. Keep up the good work.

[@JohnSmith-ti3oy]

I remember when this great channel only had 30,000 subscribers! 1 million will be coming any day now. Well done Antonio

[@htnog]

I kinda wished you would address the possibility of regaining the exchange with Bf4 that was on the board for some ten moves... It would too lead to an losing endgame, but I think we all got the itch of knowing the engine opinion! Great video as always! Been here since 60k subs

[@rekreator9481]

Omg, fucking finally some mentioned It!!! I dont understand how can be such move ignored during analysis.. Even if Its loosing It was the first move I thought about and couldnt believe Antonio didnt say anything about It!

[@zacharyvillostas5821]

Even if he regains the exchange, the point of the exchange sacrifice was for massive activity. Regaining the exchange would only remove black's very strong dark square bishop for a rook that is stuck defending a pawn.

[@AntActApp]

i started looking at it too lmao

[@calm.aware.]

"... unless You blunder mate..." - that hit far too close to home :-(

[@gauravmisra564]

Giri: prepares a najdorf course Also Giri: crushes the master of the najdorf course

[@thesavantart8480]

How can he crush himself?

[@ricksick81]

MVL is hiding his prep for the candidates!

[@AaronBordeaux]

I hope so

[@beerbatov]

Yes!!!

[@ZeeboUniqueFilms]

I've been learning for some time now and have began the study of endgames. I enjoyed the bit at the end playing the rest of it out for beginners. More of that would be great your channel is awesome I've been a subscriber for some time

[@9850383721]

Agadmator never makes any mistakes since he's like a supercomputer. How even grandmasters aren't able to decipher on their own why a certain move was played by a supercomputer, but it's the best move. In the same way us mere mortals won't be able to tell the reason behind why "quite" was written as "quote". But it's still correct. Feel free to pause the video and try to figure out why. You can take even days and come back later as it's such a deep move by agad it will be very hard to find the reason.

[@smacdonald333]

10:37 what's wrong with Bf4, pinning the rook and getting the exchange back, especially since the bishop on b3 is now hanging. Too much pressure on f7?

[@Jkhowardii]

I am wondering the same thing

[@deanfogarasi5991]

one of the best games of the tournament. really unbelievable nerves from anish!

[@paulsvensson6948]

I usually watch these videos when I wake up in the morning, because nothing puts you in a better mood than a good game of chess.

[@egestudios3852]

Me after finding the good move agadmator challenged me to find: Okay I have potential.

[@TheChessDude124]

yeah I know right

[@arnaldosandoval453]

09:20 Impossible to be the mailman, as Medo kept the tension by using the sneaky sleeping move, a trade mark on Medo's repertoire.

[@coreyburton8]

"If you don't sacrifice the rook on C3, are you even playing the Najdorf?" Agadmator 2021

[@amolpakhare5548]

7:28 Can anyone please explain at this point why not dark square bishop to f4?

[@lucaschnatz5729]

probably because the dark square bishop a a too powerful piece in that position and after you capture the rook and white captures with the f pawn, white is still up a pawn an has a strong passed pawn.

[@heemanijaz6100]

‘You are quote invincible’

[@seanoraghailligh7167]

Noticed that too.. A nice typo(?) in the quote above the board!

[@HarshPatel-bl9ym]

The tournament should be renamed to 'only najdorf sicilian opening allowed' 😂

[@DjVortex-w]

I think that position where the game ended in resignation actually makes a nice little endgame puzzle. Perhaps not a grandmaster level puzzle, but a nice puzzle anyway. Very easy for beginners to misplay it.

[@OhcoChildPlease]

Starting at 7:20 why doesn't bf4 and skewer the queen and rook? The move was an option for several moves including pinning the rook against the king. I know he was down material but it seems like a good move to me. I wonder why he didn't cover it.

[@rantdmc]

awesome calm defence from giri though!

[@DarshanShah10]

2:20 Ne5? Because the knight on h5 is hanging?

[@jasperhalsey8574]

yes I think that wins a pawn

[@asdf-ep6wk]

“You are very happy.” agadmator

[@JoeKell365]

we need a Najdorf match between these two

[@letsdoitmariistyle]

Can you do an indepth video on engines? Which one are the TOP engies beeing used? Are they "private" engines for pro-level play? How is an engine working technically?

[@envyop3129]

The Game whose analysis I was waiting for🔥🔥!!

[@DimitrisAndreou]

"analysis" 😑 He doesn't even mention the most basic tactics in the position. Eg after Nh5 what about Nxe5, why not Bxa4 immediately, why not Bf4 after Re3 winning an exchange (and I'm just halfway the video! 😄). He just cruises through the moves without even the barest understanding of what the players were arguing about.

[@egor6946]

@@DimitrisAndreou After Nxe5 just Bxg5 and its equal again

[@DimitrisAndreou]

@@egor6946 that's not a chess question, I'm just pointing out the quality of the (non) "analysis" of this video, and creator in general

[@egor6946]

@@DimitrisAndreou What is your rating?

[@DimitrisAndreou]

@@egor6946 ~2050

[@virajpatel_]

There's been a lot of new moves in najdorf and QGD lately, maybe the old time is coming back where players play with their ability and not with some memorized engine line.

[@emmettniles2099]

If only

[@billwithers7457]

"They say if you don't sacrifice the exchange on c3 in the najdorf, are you even playing the najdorf? No one actually says that." Never change, Antonio. Never change.

[@ArielongasOnTwitch]

Can someone please tell me why on 7:21 after rook to E3 by Giri, MVL doesnt have bishop to F4, threatening the rook, which is pinned cause of the queen on D2. I know there's gotta be a reason for why that cannot be played, but I'm just not seeing it.

[@rantdmc]

suggestion - someone play another variation of the Sicilian! how about reviving the Dragon?

[@exaltica]

Try the Kan-variation.

[@leadnitrate2194]

Not the Rossolimo, that's all I ask. Especially today between the two main culprits.

[@priyankaprabhari1549]

This match features very instructive end game.

[@williamgoss4691]

A great game between two almost-equal Chess Masters. Thks.

[@saliyari]

The rook on e3 could be pinned some 5 different times. Why was it not?

[@tymothydalton2648]

i think since MVL sacrificed the exchange, giving it back would just consolidate Giris position. MVL had to go in for the kill with the bishop pair.

[@twistedsector]

exactly, Giri would just give up the rook and push his passed pawn (Stockfish says +0.8 on capturing)

[@tymothydalton2648]

@@twistedsector thanks for checking with the engine 👍

[@JSM44677]

"If you don't give up the exchange on c3 in the Najdorf, are you even playing the Najdorf?" Agadmator. Please put this as a quote above the board in one of your videos!!

[@ranbirrandhawa5363]

At 10:35 best mkve would be bishop d6 to bishop a3. You missed that.

[@joshuaflowers350]

"when you play the Najdorf, you are quoting famous chess players"

[@Ech0Ray]

8:04 "unless you blunder mate or something like that" You don't lose except if you lose. Pure Wisdom.

[@inakizabala5001]

I missed those mailman’s cameos 9:12

[@phillipemfc]

What the hell happened to Ding Liren?

[@fernandomagallanesjr.9715]

9:42 we are blessed to hear the laugh of agad!

[@darubik]

after the rook e1 - rook e3 manouver from anish, why not bishop f4?

[@paddyofer]

When Agad asked what to play, I thought Bishop f4 was the correct answer. Then the mailman came.

[@AaLlIick]

Is it just me or anyone else found the f3 move interesting at 10:58 ?! if you capture, then u get R*d6, cannot capture with the queen because then Q*f7+ Kh8 & then Rf8+ is forced ++ . . . every other line I found will be a winning a late game for white (because of the exchange . . . ); please tell me if you found a different variation.

[@Zenlollipop]

If f3 then Bf5, the queens will get traded off and there's no way to defend the rook on e3, so black will just be up a piece and completely winning. The possibility of Bf5 has existed for several moves until then, but getting the rook pinned in itself is not so bad for white if it's just giving back the exchange, he will have a nice position and the passed c pawn and maybe also the passed d pawn depending on when it was played.

[@AaLlIick]

@@Zenlollipop I didn't miss that one, it will be a bit hard for white but still winning the late game, black will get back the exchange but still is so slow with its pawns . . . still winning I guess; but thnx for reminding, other variations R so bad for black, almost each one of them.

[@Zenlollipop]

@@AaLlIick It's not an exchange, it's the full rook. Black would be up a piece (edit: and to be clear, white has no compensation, white will lose this game). If I'm missing something, could you show me the line? I'm seeing 1.f3 Bf4 2.Qd4 Qxd4 3.cxd4 Bxe3+. There's no way to defend the rook, the other rook would be blocked by either the c3 pawn or the b3 bishop. The other way would be 1.f3 Bf4 2.Kd2 Qxd5+ 3.Bxd5 Rxd5+ 4.Ke2 Bxe3 5. Kxe3 Rd3+ 6.Ke2 Rxc3, where you're down a bishop and a pawn.

[@AaLlIick]

@@Zenlollipop Now I noticed that the white king cannot go to d2 for defending the rook, because after trading Qs, black rook will prevent it; you R right mate, now I C it.

[@kumayltakache3191]

Hey @agadmator i was wondering at 4:08 what would happen if white takes e6 bishop before, wouldn’t it be a more dirty attacking move?

[@t-white2663]

In 2:18 after move 9 is it possible to play Ke5? Isn't it a free pawn since the knight on h5 will be attacked by white's queen and also has nowhere to escape?

[@spuzq4076]

10:40 what about bishop on a3 with check isn't it a discovered attack on the queen

[@yourn4m3h3re]

17:52 I wanted to see dxc5 with the idea of traping white's white bishop, but of course this wouldn't work since white can exchange on e6. See? This is why I don't enjoy the Najdorf, the bishop on c8 and the knight on b8 both belong to d7, and you need both of them to move so that your a rook lands on c8 and hence everyone steps on each other's feet.

[@arnaldosandoval453]

05:10 False, totally false, you just said it, now you are writing your name into the Chess Chronicles forever

[@sethu5915]

"quote" in the quote is misspelled ;-)

[@slink66]

That's quite true ! #QUØTECEPTION

[@mba4677]

nice

[@ParshvaDugad]

@@slink66 Arsenal fan ?

[@leadnitrate2194]

"quote" is spelled correctly, "quite" is misspelled

[@mba4677]

@@leadnitrate2194 no

[@carmens5710]

at 10:39 does bishop to f4 not work to win back the exchange? is that end game bad for black?

[@parsafakhar]

can you please show some games between Leela and Stockfish? they are currently playing and their games are total madness

[@ayebarberfuckmeup4689]

At 7:34 why not skewer the rook and queen with the dark squared bishop?

[@Th3EpitapH]

this is a good variation on the quote

[@boyanbogdanov1854]

Антонио е най-големият! Браво!

[@alekhinesgun9997]

Anyone know why not Nxe5 2:19? Also around 7:20 the skewer on the rook and queen

[@caesargamer6368]

What would happen if at @10:32 black moves Ba3? for me it looks like black wins the queen, but they didnt go for it, so can someone please correct me if im wrong?

[@joshuasnell7942]

7:33 instead of Qd6, Bf4?

[@kemoblue4u]

why is bishop to f4 never an option for black starting at 10:20?

[@yahia1355]

I can't see why bishop f4 was not playable for MVL here ? 7:29

[@Matias_sebastian]

On minute 5:34 of this video where maxine captures on c3 with rook was a brilliant move. Well, because, it destroys Anish kingside pawn structure. Now his bishop on B3 is acting like like pawn a defender of the king. Also B2 square is supper weak. I never seen this game before, but Maxine is probably going to take advantage of Anish imballance. Dom you agree agamator??

[@garbwearer217]

we love you agadmator

[@davidanderson_surrey_bc]

agadmator: Always play the Najdorf -- it's a great opening. MVL: Until it isn't.

[@ჯაბაოქროპირიძე]

We need the legendary Andrey dadiani price of Mingrelia (Samegrelo) saga!!

[@vigneshmallya9597]

I have made all my family members to subscribe this channel.. I want him to reach a million subscribers soon and then he will reveal what agadmator is and y did he name his channel with that name.. quite excited to knw that 😄

[@nateshsudarshan3743]

I think I saw somewhere on the internet that AGAD is slang for “As Good As Dead”, so Agadmator was probably just his chess username online: Agadmator = “When we play, you’re As Good As Dead cause I’m a checkMATing machine”. He probably just used his internet chess username for his KZbin channel and probs didn’t expect it to get this big is my guess

[@jigartalaviya2340]

I am new here.Binge watching these videos. Always waiting for that "completely new game." 😁😁

[@aljonaltiche9180]

Hi agadmator, can you change the color of the board when you’re going/explaining other lines so its easy to follow. thanks

[@SoySoy-up5dp]

10:40 after Ra6 by white, why not Bf4? Pins the rook so wins back the exchange, and the black queen on d7 is protected by the bishop on f5.

[@alij1996]

8:29 I don't understand why Bf4 is a bad move? it'll skewer the queen and rook no?

[@shashwatparth3672]

8:40 why not Bf4 by black, queen and rook are in same diagonal

[@howardinothegreat136]

Thx for showing the end👍🤣🇳🇴

[@leventcelik6597]

7:20 why not Bf4, winning an exchange?

[@TheChessDude124]

(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞Idk ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)

[@paddyofer]

I did pause and think at 10:54. :) I think white rook to a8 was better since you exchange rooks instead of your rook for a bishop.

[@BazzaBeeBenson]

The mistaken mailman is my opening of choice now

[@Zach_Routhier]

At 7:30 why not Bg4 pinning the Rook to the Queen and winning material?

[@filmtranzit7510]

Maybe the mailman just wanted to enjoy the show...

[@davidcopson5800]

No. He was delivering the winning move.

[@SnapD24]

@7:36, why didn't black go for Bishop F4?

[@akirachinuva7354]

09:16 Even the mailman had to interrupt the Najdorf these days!

[@trollse8714]

7:30 Why not ...Bf4?

[@Adityaraj-lw3et]

Heya Antonio just wanted to know that is that a typo in this video's quote? That "quote" invincible instead of "quite"

[@bhumikgangwani1570]

I think it’s an intended pun

[@farhanext.8385]

It's a genius pun

[@garyjones2561]

At 7:28 why doesn't black play Bf4, X-Raying the queen through the rook?

[@TrumanBurbonk]

7:30 why not Bf4? And R falls. At 10:45 the same idea...