Why I Made A Chessable Course About Pawns (And Why Chess is the Best Game Ever)

[@eschiedler]

Many congrats on your new course. Sounds like it is very clear material yet in-depth. homework spoiler - no engine By capturing Qxc3, black creates a second connected passed pawn and also threatens Qa1+ to support rook checks along the f-file. The black queen would still protect the king on the long diagonal. If white tried to equalize by Qxc3 Qxe4 Bxe4 Rxc3 it could be countered by Qxc3 Qxe4 Qc1+ (any move) and black captures the Queen. If white tried to counter-attack with Qxc3 Rxh7+ Kxh7 Qh3+ Kg8 then white would run out of checks. In all of these lines, white's knight is buried in a corner and overloaded guarding g4, f1 and f3. Black's capture of c3 does not awaken any white pieces. In conclusion, black should capture c3 because white's pieces are too passive and lack a counter-attack.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much as always for your detailed and excellent analysis!

[@MarkPersoonlijk]

Yes, I bought it immediately! I am still working your previous courses, not ready for this one yet. But I wanted to get it in my hands already and support you without any delay. Congratulations on your new course!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

So nice of you! Thank you so much for your great support 🙏 Please ask me anything while studying it. Always happy to respond.

[@wkahhoong97]

Still going through your Fundamental Chess Calculation Skills Course, but you do great work! Will be picking this one up as soon as I'm done with the first course

[@Dr.CansClinic]

That is so amazing to hear, thank you so much! Please ask me anything along the way!

[@jacobcollins9821]

Definitely going to purchase your new course

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Awesome, thank you! Please ask me anything along the way once you get it!

[@kumagoro]

such a nice topic! I bought your course right away because I know it is helpful as always.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Such a nice comment! Thank you so much for your great support! And don't hesitate asking me questions along the way ☺️

[@gusserflys]

Dr. John (this is how Can is pronounced folks)... i have Art of exchanging pieces.. superb work ...and i cant wait to review this one... thank you Chess4TheMind

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I am so happy hearing that, please ask me anything along the way! And what a correct pronounciation! There are very few people in this world who can do it!

[@Joetjoeppuntkom]

Zero hesitation… and bought it in a blink of an eye. ‘Whhyyy people, whhyyy??’ 🤓 shouldn’t you. Big fan of the Dr. I’m still wrestling with your other courses and this new one is waiting in line 👍🏻

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Whhhyyyy do I have such great subsribers? Whhyyyy? 🤓

[@Joetjoeppuntkom]

@@Dr.CansClinic because Dr Chess has a deeper plan for all of us chess ♟️ players. That’s whhhyyyy people 🤓

[@cristiantudorescu9153]

Wonderfull video as always. Thank you Dr John!! 😁

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I am so happy to hear that! Thank you ☺️

[@basilisperis4651]

Purchased 😊

[@Dr.CansClinic]

❤️ Thank you so much! Don't hesitate asking anything along the way!

[@basilisperis4651]

@@Dr.CansClinic thank you for your effort in courses , are so enlightfull !!

[@chickenmessiah]

I am a teacher, a coach, a chess teacher & coach, and a player. You are a great chess teacher if your name is Dr. Can.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

❤

[@chrisheapsenhouse7086]

My god, you just don't stop making cool stuff!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

The passion for the game is simply too much, I cannot stop!

[@hiwibaba22]

Many congratulations on your new course One question about chessable Do they allow you to buy the course with video instruction as well or is it all self-paced "text"-based material? Thank you

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts! Yes, you can choose to buy it with video or without video. I recorded 11 hours of video for this course, and I highly recommend it. There is currently a 50% sales too for video!

[@timpaxton6707]

I just started watching your videos recently. Good stuff! I especially like the homework puzzles. I would have definitely taken the c3 pawn if I was playing black. Although the situation is dire for white at this point, I would have played on. I really don't like to resign. I'd rather go down in a blaze of glory. After taking c3, the black queen will almost certainly play a1 next , so my next move as white would be to move my king to g2 and attempt an escape down the g file and do my best to get my king to the center of the board. It could happen, right? 😀

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much for your kind feedback, really happy that you like the videos! ...Qxc3! indeed is the correct move - the queen becomes active and the white king is not feeling safe. Caruana kept playing as well against Korchnoi, but he lost eventually.

[@cwgriffin1]

I purchased your Power of Pawns course today. This is my third course of yours. The other two were outstanding, and I suspect this one will be also. As for the homework, Black should take the c3. White would most likely respond with Qxe5. Black wins with Qxa1+. White is forced to play Kg2 which Black responds to with Qx a2 (or b2)+. K-g3 Q-f2# or K-g1. Qf2+, K-h1 B x e5. I don't see any hope for white.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much for getting the course, and for other two courses too! 🙏 Great answer to the hw position!

[@cwgriffin1]

No thank you. I think that I have looked at everyone who does chess tutorials. And there is a lot of quality content on You tube. What I feel sets you apart from Instead of showing examples and what to do, you show positions and encourage the viewer to stop and do the hard work of evaluating. And not just once, but 3 or 4 times in a 20 min video. Your videos require far more attention.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

@@cwgriffin1 Thank you! Indeed, my videos are more demanding than usual, and unfortunately you cannot watch them while driving :) Active learning is the goal, while doing my best not to overwhelm the student.

[@timpaxton6707]

@@Dr.CansClinic how can white respond with Qxe5?

[@derkamon]

its incredible how much difference one tempo can make

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Absolutely!

[@chimbiepaladin4629]

Well I am right at the elo you are speaking of. So here is my go at the HW: To be honest, I don't like the idea of Qxc3. But I can't find a move for white that refutes it. So reluctantly Id play Qxc3. ...Qa6 loses to Qe1. ...Qa7 is refuted by Q back to g7. So I'd trust my calculation and take it. /shrug. It makes me nervous... but if I can't rely on me who can I rely on. Though if I'm wrong I'd love to see white refutation. Because I'd be happy to see if I made an error, on a puzzle or in a real game.

[@chimbiepaladin4629]

Thought after reading the other excellend analysis of schleidler. I did not see the tactic of ...Qxe4 in retalliation. I would have found the refutation of it, but I should have seen that in the first place, and I am glad to see I missed something that I should have seen before making the move. A blind spot in a way.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Nicely put! It looks a little shaky to capture on c3, but the black queen gets very active and we create connected passers. There is no instant refutation (good that you looked at White's responses).

[@jonnyjansson7320]

Thanks again for a great video. I think your new course vill be a great addition to your previous courses! In the homework position I think Black should take on the pawn on c3 with the queen. I evaluated the starting position as follows: Black is a pawn up and has a safe passed pawn on e4, which is great. But more importanly, Black's king is more safe than White's king,. Furthermore all Black's pieces are more active than any of the White pieces. After the capture on c3, Black suddenly has two connected passers in the centre which should give Black winning chanses in most of the possible endgames. Since White's king is the more unsafe one. Hence, Black is winning. White probably wants to try exchanging queens with 1.Qd4, if it was White's move. This is a possibility Black denies White after 1..Qxc3. After this move Black has to be little careful, but not much, because White's rook is looking at the pawn on h7 with some tactical possibilities. I calculated the following three variations: a) 1.Rxh7+ Kxh7 2.Qa7+ Kg6 and there are no more checks and White is dead lost. b) 1..Qxc3 2.Qa7 threatening mate on h7, but 2..Qe1+ 3.Kg2 Bf1 4.Nxf1 Qxf1+ and black wins after 5.Kg3 Rf3+ or 5.Kh2 Qf2+ 6.Qxf2 Rxf2+. c) 1..Qxc3 2.Qh6 Qe1+ 3.Kg2 Bf1+ 4.Nxf1 Qxf1+ 5.Kh2 Rf2+ 6.Kg3 Rf6+ winning the queen and the game, and if 5.Kg3 then 5..Qf2#.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Such excellent analysis! Thank you so much!! Korchnoi also took on c3 against Caruana and won quickly. Thank you so much for your words on the new course! 😊

[@greatdanelegend7001]

Homework: Taking the pawn LOOKS visually very bad due to a) the pin of the bishop to the queen and b) Qh6 threatening mate and the rook. However, I think it can be safely taken because the black queen has 2 different checks on the back rank after Qh6 and 3 pieces pointing at f1. They would most likely get mated themselves after something like Qe1+ Kg2 Qf2+.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Excellent! That is what Korchnoi did!

[@brainfellow5140]

Thank you again Dr. Can, great video! Re: Homework - I am not familiar with this game/position, but grabbing the pawn seems like a waste of time for black and it draws the Queen away from defense of the King... the f3 square looks juicy, but it seems too well defended to plant the rook there... I hesitate to move the rook from f-file but maybe bringing it over to the b-file and coming in the back door from there might be a plan. Other than that, I'm really not sure what to do in this position.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much for your kind feedback! Korchnoi indeed grabbed the pawn on c3, as he judged his king to be safe (based on calculation). Besides, taking on c3 activated the black queen and introduced ...Qe1+ ideas. Moreover, Black gained two connected passers by capturing on c3 ☺️

[@brainfellow5140]

@@Dr.CansClinic Thanks for the explanation. I went onto chessable and bought the full course (with videos!) after I watched the introduction video. There are great chess players, but there are also great chess _teachers_ and you sir are a treasure to learn from. I look forward to the hours of good learning this course will bring. Thank you so much for your hard work!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

@@brainfellow5140 That is so amazing to hear, really inspiring and motivating 🙏 Thank you so much for getting the course! And please ask me anything along the way to help improve learning. Always happy to respond!

[@KF1]

Sounds like a great course. I tried to find a homework move that Didn't involve taking the pawn, but my clock ran low so I just took it. From C3 our queen has options to attack or coordinate. It can't be that bad to eat a nice pawn.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much! Excellent answer to the hw position. Korchnoi also grabbed the pawn on c3 and activated his queen.

[@AgentSmith-w8s]

Why??? Why do i keep buying these? Because these are done by a pro chess coach! Bought instantly and dropped a heap of rubies on chessable...PLease give me that najdorf! after studying your games today on lichess i want it from your perspective,i know it will be updated always and the lines wont be a draw! Many thanks for this,leaving this comment because im sure i left one on release but cant see it.oh well,look forward to your next project...

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Whhhyyyyy do I have such nice subscribers? Thank you so much for your awesome words - and studying my lichess games :) I will soon make a video on my strengths and weaknesses in chess - for that I looked at those lichess games too. Najdorf is progressing slowly :) Let's see what comes by the end of the tunnel. I want to tailor it also for club/casual players, and that is the difficult part. Most deep ideas start around move 16, but very few games at that level reach those moves... Najdorf is complex, but I will do my best.

[@AgentSmith-w8s]

@@Dr.CansClinic Thank you coach,ill get into your new chessable today...

[@Dr.CansClinic]

@@AgentSmith-w8s You are a great student!

[@AgentSmith-w8s]

@@Dr.CansClinic Thank you coach