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Do you find yourself stuck in a cycle of inconsistent results despite your efforts? In this video, we delve into the one key rule that can prevent a whopping 50% of your chess mistakes.
Imagine gaining insights that could lead to a leap of 300 rating points or more!
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► Chapters
00:00 How to progress above 1600?
00:22 Example 1
00:42 Typical thinking process
01:00 Main reason you have inconsistent results
06:49 Example 2
08:52 Example 3
09:42 Example 4
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My biggest problem is the instant move. I start slow & methodical, get into a winning position, then Insta-move & lose on the spot 😭
sammmmmmmmmme
Try taking up something more your speed like "Chutes and Ladders".
history of my life
Im this in reverse. I play instant, too fast , blunder and then start to focus. Then im playing from a defensive/losing position for the rest of the game
@@stevelenores5637says the d-bag with probably a 600 ELO. STFU 🤣
Answer to last question: Ne3 , if bxe3, Kh1 1) if e2xf1 and promote to queen with check , then white Qxf1 2) Calculate for other lines.
What about Qxe3?
@@LarryLikesChess where
I saw this too.
You you sac the knight to open up the line for the queen to nullify the promotion threat.
It would be helpful if you put the time on your reply if there are multiple questions asked. I was at this point 5:59 and your answer made no sense.
Your first 1 minute 50 sums up my whole chess career
I swear
I made a different blunder on the first question that may be instructive to others. I saw that the knight was threatening the pawn on h3 and immediately decided on Ng1 to "protect" it. It was only after I started the video again and Igor pointed out that the Queen was also attacking h3 that I realised my mistake. I think the lesson I should learn from this is that when I see one threat I shouldn't react until I've finished the process of scanning the board for other threats.
Is Ng1 a blunder? It stops the Knight and the Queen is she sails in?! I thought it was the proper solution.
@@bryanshawcpasc it's not extremely bad, but you blunder the pawn. Ng1 Nxh3 and if Nxh3 Qxh3+ , so you have to move the Knight from g1
@@bryanshawcpasc Yes, i think so, because they will take with the knight anyway and when you recapture with your knight they take it with the Queen leaving you a pawn down and in check.
summary: evaluate forward-moving moves. that is those moves which move into the opponents half of the board (both your own, and those of your opponent). Usually these are the one's you need to worry about. This fits in with a main theme in Igor's lessons which is: the best moves are forward-moving, attacking moves. These moves challenge your opponent and further your plans.
Block check with Knight. Bishop takes, Check - Kh1 Can't take Rook and promote since Queen snipes it from a6. Can't promote to queen on e1 because of the Rook. And now, the Rook is under attack as well.
The 2nd puzzle is Ne3 clearing path for queen to defend Bxe3+ Kh1 exf1=Q+ Qxf1
Well done you open my eyes to a new world 🥹
right! i also found that move
@reicoree wow good for you! What a good, good boy you are 😁
@@reicoreenice. I only solved it because I remember it from one of Ben finegolds lectures.
These short videos are very helpful! You really do provide ways to think that can be applied without major mysteries.
Ne3 blocks the bishop and opens path for White queen to help in defence of F1 Square
We want a rating climb... Appreciate the content 👏
I don't think Igor has anything to prove by doing a ratings climb. You're not going to learn much from a GM beating a
@@mrnelgin its not about him proving anything we want to learn from him how to approach games in different situations 🙂
Agreed, hope he does it.
GM Igor, thank you for all you have done for the chess community! Would you consider doing a video on online chess etiquette? For example, if your opponent makes an obvious mouse slip, do you ever offer a draw in this circumstance? Or, if an opponent does a loser thing and offers you a draw when they are obviously in an inferior position, do you let their clock run down on them while they are waiting for your response? Or do you refuse such draws immediately without burning their clock down? Thank you for considering!
My answer would be "no" to both. It's very difficult to tell the difference between a mouse-slip and a blunder and I consider it part of the game. I would never ask an opponent for a draw if I'd made the mistake so I won't do it for others either, As for the second question; I strongly dislike people playing stupid games with the timer. Your opponent is probably just aggravated by the fact that they are losing and there's no need to wind them up further. Just ignore the offer and play on.
These lessons are great. Informative yet straight to the point without waffling on. 👍👍👍
Got this notification at the end of watching a video or yours on positional chess. Love the videos keep it up!
Awesome Video!! This dropped right when I needed it.
Very good, instructive video, thank You again!
Great example themes and games!
I always learn something new by these videos.👌🏻 Keep it up!👏🏻 They are useful enough.✊🏻
This is one of your best videos. Love the honesty.
I think it is very good video - my ELO 1600. Maybe for somebody having bigger ELO than me it is not good video, I can admit.
The move I picked at 0:29 after careful consideration was g4 to doubly protect h3, since I saw it was being attacked twice, once by Ng5, and once by Qd7. I haven't finished watching the video yet, but the move seems sound from what I can see. I'm thinking Ng1 as a follow-up move since my primary concern right now is king safety.
Trying to solve the daily puzzle @5:59 First I opted for the move Qa7 to put pressure on f2 with the threat of mate: 1. ... Qa7 2. Nd4 exd4 3. Bd1 Nxe4 4. Bxg4 d3, but 5. Qf4! Now I've realized that I didn't calculate the line after 1. ... Nh2+ when I saw that the king could get out of check. But it's mate in 3: 2. Kg1 Nhf3 (Ke1 Ngf3#) 3. Kg2 Qh3#
If true this will improve my blunders from 8 to 4 per game. Huge!
Thank you. I am trying desperately to make this kind of thinking habit. As an adult improver, i have developed many bad habits. You have mentioned this concept many times about always thinking about moving into opponents half of the board...and conversely, thinking about your opponent moving into your half. I have the underlying ability to play good chess...i have drawn titled players and have even had major winning positions...and i have beat a decent number of 2000+ players. But thats when im not hanging blatant pieces. I just lost to a 1100 in a casual game by hanging a blatant mate in 1. It makes me sooooo angry at myself. And its the sole reason im stuck below 2000
Congratulations on 1k videos ❤
Great video can you do also a video on time management please because that's my biggest problem.
Korchnoi was such a great character. I once saw him in a running competition (before the matches in the Interpolis chess tournement). And when most of the (younger) contestants (all chess players) finished before him, Korchnoi just would run another lap, and then claim his victory.
But how to do better in positional understanding ? How can we master it ?
The question at 9:55 is very on point for where I am in chess. I would (most likely) not make the blunder QxB, allowing the knight to fork on c2. HOWEVER, I very well MIGHT play h3 on the previous move, and only notice "oh, I can't capture with my queen" AFTER he plays BxN. That is a bit late to be noticing. In this case, since I was playing along, I wanted to play a3 instead of h3, kicking the knight away, but not for the reason of the fork on c2, which I did not consider--rather just to make him go to a6 which is a bad square for him. So, it might have worked out for me but mostly by luck.
You keep surprising me with your thinking processes and steps etc. but I keep just playing my same old crappy style. One day I hope to break 1500 by actually following by your methods meticulously. Keep it up.
actually helpful! as I'm at the "oh yea maybe I SHOULD consider my opponents moves" level
When you present me with a position or a puzzle I know it is somehow significant and that makes it way easier for me to properly evaluate the situation. My problem is recognizing on which positions I should think a bit longer in the first place.
Igor i remember this principle on online games but I can't remember in otb tournaments what to do please help iam getting nervous and forgetting those principles
ALWAYS , ALWAYS scan the whole board before making a move. Always counter threats with bigger threats if possible. Make your pieces work together.
Up to minute 2 - you described exactly my thinking process and its result 😂
For the final puzzle: Ne3 to open up the queen's vision to the e2 pawn. Bishop takes knight check,Kh1, exf1=Q+, Qxf1 and now its bishop and rook vs queen so maybe a victory
Wow, this is probably my favourite video of yours, absolutely amazing. Blunders are my Nr. 1 Problem (lack of sleep, stress etc.). I'm regularly rising into the 1300s just to fall back into the 1000s, my highest ever was 1400 for 1-2 games lol. Why? Because of stupid blunders. Your basic strategy to reduce blunders is to abide by the core principles and focus on most important areas of the board, so you don't waste your time calculating irrelevant stuff. In another video you said if you start out correctly, like moving pieces to the middle, castling etc., you automatically reduce blunders. Do you have any other tips to biologically improve memory / board awareness ?
just got notification after brutally losing a game 😭
Had a brutal day aswell lol. Yt knows what we need
That's why we're here brother. The brutally losing squad 😂
I got a brutal week lol, got 3 wins and 5 losses
@@jenniferli8971 im chilling at 20% win rate this week 👍
@@jenniferli8971i got 3-4 wins and around 15-20 losses this week. i was doing well until this week (dropped in 120 points of elo)
Regarding the 4th example: I've never seen this explanation but I always noted that me and other players of my (beginner) level are imprisoned by the ideas like doubled pawns are bad, pawn structure being good and harmonious will play well in the long run, etc myths - and we follow them all the time, being afraid to play a good position with an open king e.g, or bravely doubling pawns because we see more - another element of the game that does not seem initially as strong and conceptually bright (like of course I know the value of the rook is higher, but I don't see it bc at the very moment the choice I see is A - ruin pawn structure or B - develop my queen and save the pawn structure, while ofc B is a bullshit plan objectively) To say it short: no one ever teachers the counterintuitiveness of chess, while trying to achieve something above 1300 made me think that everything lying ahead - is counterintuitive and illogical (as per our initial thinking or the thinking we got from basics of chess)
For the first puzzle, it should be Nh2+. 1. If Ke1, Ngf3# 2. If Kg2, Qh3+, Kg1 (Kh1 here is the same), and Ngf3# 3. If Kg1, Qh3 threatening with Nhf3#. When queen defends with Qe3, play Nf3+, white queen has to take then Nxf3#. ( If f3 instead of Qe3, you sacrifice with Nhg4. Threatening to play Qh2+ then Qxf2#. When fxg4, Nf3#). For the second puzzle, Ne3. After Bxe3, Kh1, exf1, Qxf1, Re8, Qd3. 1. Then if Bb6, Qb5 is a fork. If Bf6 instead, Qg3+, bishop covers then Qc7 (Kh8 instead of covering is immediately losing because of Qd6, no matter where the bishop goes there is a check and fork (except Bg7 here where you sac the queen with Qd8)). 2. If the bishop goes anywhere else, Qd8 sacking the queen is winning because you take back and promote your pawn with check. 3. If they sac the bishop you are winning if you play it right. It is pretty easy and you just need to get his king into a corner. You also have two other connected passed pawns in this situation.
What if Kfc?
You are great !!!
First puzzle, when fxg4.. Nf3+ is not mate because the f2 square is available! Great job though! I solved it with the engine and it’s very simple. Nh2+ is forced mate in 3 whatever white plays.
I think in the first puzzle on 2 you mean Nhf3#
Well. If Rf2 we get checkmated. If Kh1 we get checkmated. If we block with the Knight, we lose the Knight, we're in check again, we move the king, we lose our Rook with check, we take the promoted queen, and we're still winning somehow
You are the best smirnov
Great👍
Just want to add: At 11:45, more reasons players could feel compelled to take with the queen, is because they believe they should not double their pawns, and because they want to castle kingside behind an unbroken pawn structure.
The video was great Igor! Can you do a video about time management, please??
Here is a helpful video about that topic. kzhead.info/sun/q917idaaoIxvkoU/bejne.html
For last puzzle I'd play Ne3 first to block the check. So likely Ne3 Bxe3+ Kh1 exf1Q+ Qxf1 so white still in the game. Good ?
By YouSum Live 00:02:20 Blunders are common, especially below 1600 rating. 00:04:57 Focus on opponent's forward moves to prevent blunders. 00:08:22 Enhance positional understanding to reduce blunders significantly. 00:10:52 Avoid tunnel vision by considering the entire board. 00:12:36 Playing on after blunders can lead to opponent mistakes. 00:12:50 Remember Guk's advice: "Nothing to lose, something to gain." 00:13:59 Stay resilient and capitalize on opponent errors post-blunder. By YouSum Live
Can you make video about prophylaxy?thank you
Thanks Igor, I really like your videos, and agree with the other comments. I bought your 2000 Elo class but unfortunately I keep making mistakes and blunders - have progressed only from about 900 to about 1100. So any principles to further avoid blunders are more than welcome...
For the end: block with knight. He takes with check with the bishop. Move king to h1, now Queen can take the queened pawn on after it takes your rook.
Igor explained the right thing 😊
The last question and its answer remind me of an Evans Gambit game I saw recently. A game began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 d6 7.dxe5 Nxe5? 8. Nxe5 dxe5 9.Bxf7+ Ke7 10.Ba3+. Presumably the player who resigned when checked from d4 would also resign here - but by interposing with "discovered defense" Black can leave White with only a modest advantage.
6:05 1st puzzle Nh2+ then king comes to (g1) or (g2) coz if it goes to (e1) then its a blunder then after Kg2 black (Qh3) white (Kh1) and then black (nf3) mate
Really good content 👍
I'm 1300 and the only time I beat a 2000+ rated player was when I blundered my queen in the opening. They obviously got comfortable and let up and I calculated every position afterwards and played flawlessly.
I had a game with a brilliant move, also a mate in 3, didn't see it, blundered it, lost the game. Thank you for this video.
For the first puzzle, Qa7 jumps out to me as it immediately threatens mate in 1. Qe1 is not a good response because of Nf3. Nd4 (blocks the mate) is met woth Nf3, saving black's knight and threatening to caputre the knight on d4.
Great video! One observation I have from watching Magnus Carlsen banter blitz videos is he spends quite some time on positions where there are so many obvious moves. In those positions I would have spent like 2 seconds deciding if I did not watch how Carlsen decides moves
6:05 I think it is Nh2+, if Ke1 then Ngf3#, if Kg2, there is Qh3 followed by Nhf3#, and is Kg1 there is Nf3+ and Qh3# no matter what white plays here. However, please correct me if I am wrong.
The king can run to h1
For the third puzzle, it's because people want to castle King side and don't want to ruin their pawn structure there.
I did choose h4 but for another reason - I saw an opportunity to attack the knight without losing protection of my queen. I also checked all of my pieces for protection first, and this pawn being unprotected did not go unnoticed for me, BUT I somehow paid no attention to it being under attack by queen...
My first thought was to attack the e5 with queen at c5 to free up the bishop. My very first instinct of course was to attack the knight. But I've got manage to get just past 500 elo by always reconsidering. After seeing the check I think it maybe best to avoid the check with knight on g3.
Ne3 is the only move that doesn't lead to Mate in 1 to a pawn promotion. I'm thinking Ne3, Bxe3 then Kh1 allowing for exf1=Q to be captured with Qxf1 since the knight would no longer be blocking the queen from the f1 square. If they try Rd1, then you can play e8=Q forcing Kg7 allowing Qexe2 or Qaxe2 so you can really protect your rook. You can even take the e2 pawn with Qxe2 the moment they play Rd1.
GM Igor Smirnov you are great 👑
In that first board, I never even saw the diagonal queen attack. I considered f4, to attack the knight, but decided it was bad that it blocked white's queen's mobility. I considered h4, but before I even thought about Nh3 I saw Qd1+... shamefully I was completely blind to the bishop on c2 the whole time. But the move I chose was Ke1, intending to protect against Qd1+ which never would have happened. Coincidentally, though, it would have dodged Qxh3+ so I don't think I would have *blundered* per se (except the pawn, I guess), but I pretty much wouldn't ever have chosen g4.
Yeah. Tunnel visioning gets me alot :)
Ne3!! Sick move. I probably would have missed it in the game too haha
Wow. In example 4, I didn't even notice the queen could take that bishop. I chose pawn takes *because* of my tunnel vision. It was literally right there, the closest thing.
Lesson from final puzzle: Never resign even when I think I should (at least wait a few extra moves) so I won't miss Ne3 which actually wins for white. Black regains a rook and a piece but white should fairly easily win (queen and three pawns vs rook and bishop)
1. Qc1 Nh2+ 2. Ke1 Nf3#.
I liked that point when you said "you pray that you're opponent doesn't see the move' 😢and he sees it. It really happens to me often 😂😂
Puzzle one best move is ..Nh2+. Black cannot move 2. Ke1 otherwise Ngf3#. 2. Kg1 Nhf3+ 3. Kf1 / Kg2 / Kh1, Qh3# else 2. Kg2 Qh3+ 3. Kg1 / Kh1, Nf3# cornered!
i saw th h3 pawn hanging and after analysing the position i decided that king to g2 will be best move since it portects the pawn but i failed to realise that queen waa also attacking the h3 pawn
Guy really said "magnus is strategic, positional, tactical player." Immediately after saying he isn't tactically very talented.
Nothing to lose and something to gain is a very good advice. When i played the c-open in the karlsruhe grenke something like this happened. First game on the last day and out of exhaustion und tiredness i ran into a fried liver and a rook right in the beginning. I pulled myself together after the shock and played on. The opponent played very hastily as if he is absolutely sure that he will win and spend basically no time of his 90 minutes. Well a few moves later he tried an interesting fork with his queen on my king and queen :D And i was just sitting there lighting up. It was just awesome. If you are below 1600 there is never really a reason to give up on the spot. Most children in the chess clubs in our region are taught to never throw the game and play until mate. Really very good advice. Let the opponent prove that he can win. (unless you are 1900 and up then its just annoying and probably flagging)
I think long and hard about a specific move, and don't like some positions that I might get 6 moves later, so then a look at a different move and instantly go "yeah, looks good" and hang the piece in one move, because I subconsciously consider my "time thinking" quota met.
ivan whats the solution on the last one :) is it rook to f2 ?
Nope, because then you pin the rook, and the pawn queens with checkmate
This is a problem that I have already noticed in my own playing. I get tunnel vision. In addition to looking at the whole board, I also have to keep asking, "What is my opponent's agenda here?"
knight e3 then after bishop e3 king h1 and then if black captures rook take with queen or if black promotes take with rook
1. Don't worry about moves that don't pose u a future danger . Improve positionsl understanding
I did choose pawn h4 because I saw the attack and avoiding the queen. Time to see if I got it right.
In the puzzle i would sac a knight on e3 so that i cover f1 with the queen. Now when i cover from check by the rook and he promotes to a queen - i can cover with my queen and game continues. I always have that pawn in his camp he has to worry about.
I am rated 400 and in the first example my first thought was Ng1 to protect myself from the mate, curious if that's a blunder or not?
Of course at the end the only move that doesn't blunder mate is knight e3, which opens up the line for our queen which makes Kh1 possible after black captures with check.
Nice, went with H4, still bad, but at least I didn’t even think of F4..
this guys videos made me go from 1350 to around 1500 in like 1 week
1.Ne3-Be3+.2.Kh1.e×f1+.3.Q×f1
Alright ill just watch this video twice
I would say that this really applies to below 1500 players. If you do make a blunder, then don't forget that your opponent can also blunder, so don't give up. I've had mad games when we both have made major blunders .
yup, you got me. I picked H4 :)
1. Ne3 Bxe3+ 2. Kh1 exf1=R+ 3. Qxf1 I saw this puzzle on other channels. I wouldn't be surprised to be easy.😏
1200 blitz player here. I got all 3 best moves. seemed easy to me but maybe4 because I had time to think , In blitz shit comes fast
For the puzzle of the day the sacrifice Ne3 would safe white I think. It opens the diagonal for the queen
I like the part where you never quit playing your best after a blunder. Recently i blundered a troll and queens on the go and magically my hated my opponent in 2!! Moves with a bishop and a knight. I always turn my game into solving a puzzle hoping for the points still
White wins with Ne3 Bxe3+, Kh1 and now after … Rd1, Qxe2 and white gets another queen or after … exf1, Qxf1 and white has a winning position with queen and pawn on e7 whicht forces the rook to stay behind (e.g. … Re8, Qf6 or … Rd8, Qe1 )
In your first setup I played Qb6, threatening that pawn chain.
Last puzzle answers Ne3 , bxe3, re2, pawn prmotion check to the king Qf1
After bxe3 You can go to h1 if he take your rook you take his queen with yours
Loving the thumbnail ❤❤❤
The best move for White in the initial position is g4. White must keep the Black queen from entering White's position. Not recognizing our opponent's threats is one of the biggest blunders we make, along with poor piece development, playing passively, hanging a piece, not adequately protecting our men, or moving an unprotected piece onto a controlled square.
Last one - K to e3, b takes, k to h3, - black has no winning moves, white either takes the the black promo with the rook or queen, or if the b rook comes down whiye makes a queen ...
6:46 Unless there's alot of open lines from opponent's side to your side and their pieces can hit your pieces from their side.