Listen.. no no no just wait ... listen I'm gonna tell you something .. no no just .. you'll see... it's just that I.. and I think (yes I Do !).. I think we should play monopoly.. No no really.. we should totallly do that... Wait is that to many l's ?
I was afraid of f6 or Bh6 but the N of beauty galloped in to save the day. And I learned that any health problems I might have could be due to my heart no longer beating. It's a video that keeps on giving. Life shouldn't be this good. Thanks tho Anna, appreciate the tips.
Please continue to deliver these fabulous educational videos! I love the trash talk blitz matches as well, but I’d love to see an equal number of these to pair them with :)
I’m 70 and about to play my first ever Classical Chess tournament; the BC Open Senior’s Chess Tournament…Pia will you be my ‘Second’! Thanks for the great advice Anna! You’re both my inspiration to enter!
Thanks for the clear explanations, @AnnaCramling! A humble suggestion, if I may. "KMPPS" is not very easy to remember; it's particularly hard to remember which "P" comes first in the analysis. You might substitute the first "P" with an "A, for "Activity." This is a double-purpose move! "K-MAPS" is much easier to remember, and now we don’t have two "P"s to sort out. Just a thought. Thanks for all of your excellent chess content!
@@raemclellan7693And it have a meaning, dont? If we read as "key-maps", it's a good idea how to guide us through a map that is the key for the winning hahaha
I like all types of Chess videos you do. Trash talk sidewalk chess, international tournaments, and instruction are all entertaining. Your happy attitude is a drawing card for whatever you are doing.
Good summary. But I would add a 6th element: the tempo, or who has the initiative. Mijail Tahl was asked about which was the single most important factor in chess and he said it had taken him a time to understand that tempo is the most valuable element. You can sacrifice material or accept weaknesess in your position to gain tempo and initiative.
Yes, you are right, but I would put this into piece activity, too. I would even put the important lines (moves) in this category, so you have to remember only 5 categories.
Hi Anna, I'm not a big chess guy. I just watch your channel when I need a smile. Your amazing spirit and beaming smile lift my spirit every time. Thank you for your wonderful channel.
Hi Anna. Your channel brings a lot of light-hearted fun to the game, and so is always a joy to watch. But it's also nice here to see you delving into a bit more traditional theory, because that showcases your more serious side, and a sound theoretical grasp of core principles. I've been trying to get back up to speed with chess after not playing for many years, and for me this was a great little refresher on stuff that I already knew but just needed to blow the dust off. Job done. Many thanks for all of your efforts!
Hi Anna, I don’t know if anyone else told you in the comments but some would say your missing the third part of your presentation. You got the first two parts right: 1) Tell your audience what they are going to learn. 2) Teach them. But you need to finish it this way: 3) Tell them what you just taught them. Part 3 reinforces for your audience what you want them to know! Or, (Tell them what your going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you just told them!) 😀
You have teached me more in 3-4 videos than anyone else I have listened! Your explanations are clear, simple and help me A LOT to understand this game I love so much but that is so mysterious to me. I am playing since 18 months and I'm stuck in a plateau. Not many good players like you take time to explain to beginners. You do it so well in your own style, without being arrogant and you know exactly the mistakes we do and the things we should know. I was about to give up but I watched you for the first in your vidéo Check/Capture/Attack and i immediatly saw à difference in the way i play. 🙏 thank you!
19:52 It seems to me that your opponents best chance is to attack the knight defending the king (using the ws bishop). This necessitates a rook exchange as the opening move for him. Black king can still hurriedly retreat however after the exchange. But it is a bad position.
Hey! It’s great that you’re advancing quickly. One piece of advice is enjoy the journey, don’t rush it to end. You can only gain elo for so long until you reach your ceiling. Enjoy the big jumps in elo!
So, we are talking about a king in his castle, that is materialistic and active with his pawns to ensure that they move with structure. He likes to watch his kingdom that has alot of space and flowers 🌹
This was helpful Anna, thank you. As a chess newbie, it's easy to dismiss the power of pawns to the end game, treating them as easily expendable and wanting to protect the more valuable pieces with my life, even to the point of not wanting to make any "exchanges" because it feels like to do so, you are losing your most powerful weapons. Which is why I am amazed after watching many of your videos at how quick and breezy you are at trading pieces to winnow down the other player's pieces but also your own. These are the hardest mindsets to break free from as a newbie which is why your videos are so important to watch and learn from.
I need more continuation! What if bishop to h3, now guarded by the queen, with the idea of displacing the great knight to open up the checkmate square on g7? Is the rook forced to exchange? Does that even things back up? My unrated sub-1000 brain can’t cope…
Yes that's what i was also thinking. After captures on Rxc3, Rf3 blocking and challenging the Rc3, now Bh3 is coming and taking the blacks only defender leaves black to come up with a better continuation than capturing c3 with the Rook ..
@cndbrn7975 that's why I think instead of capturing the second pawn she needed to play Rc8! So Bh3 Qd8! Bxe6 Bxe6 Qh6 then Qf8 saves the day. I think she is lost after taking that pawn
Yes, I enjoy your teaching videos. I hadn't played in forty years, then the algorithm stared serving up your videos. I just watched "One." A week later I had an online chess account, and was up at night watching your videos about pawn structure etc. You are a good teacher. As a beginner, choosing one voice to listen to as a teacher helps. Trying to learn anything on RUclips can be like trying to drink from a fire hose. I like that you talk about the fundamentals. Not just 'if x, then y' but how and why. A couple of things I'd like to understand better: 1. When and why to sacrifice, trade, or defend a piece. As a beginner, I want to protect and defend ALL of my pieces. Every taken piece feels like a failure. However, when I watch better players they will seemingly happily trade, or sacrifice even the Queen, if it's the 'right' thing to do. How do you know when, and why to defend or not? 2. When is it time to be done 'Opening' and developing, and start to attack? How do I know when I've moved from opening to the mid-game? Should I think about them differently? And then, when do I start to think about endgames? How do I control those changes in the game? Can or should I force those moments on my opponent at times of my choosing or advantage? Or, is this something that just happens organically as the game proceeds, and I need to identify it and adapt as I go ? 3. The initiative. Related to #2 and controlling the flow of the game, how and when to take initiative and press; so that I don't spend the rest of the game on defense and running for my King's life. Even more importantly, how do I take it back when I am on defense? How do I create the space, or steal a tempo to begin a counterattack before it's too late? 4. Traps. How to set, bait, and spring them? Conversely, and more importantly how to detect and avoid falling in to them? My biggest blunders seem to happen when I think I'm being clever, and setting a trap; and then I get crushed from someplace I never saw it coming. That, "Oh man, how did I fall for that?" feeling is the worst! This lesson was a good one. I actually did write it down in my notebook. Lots to think about in what you laid out here. Thanks Anna.
I'm just starting to get into competitive chess, and I really appreciate your content after just a couple videos. Thank you for helping me get traction in my progression! Subscribed.
Thank you Anna for this amazing video!! I love these videos that make me a better chess player. Please keep doing more of these and I would totally watch a video of you going through more of these positions and evaluating. And explaining more of how to implement this in my games to be a better chess player
In chess, one should be totally Ruthless if you want to be the best. From Merriam Webster "Ruthless can be defined as "without ruth" or "having no ruth." So what, then, is ruth? The noun ruth, which is now considerably less common than ruthless, means "compassion for the misery of another," "sorrow for one's own faults," or "remorse." And, just as it is possible for one to be without ruth, it is also possible to be full of ruth. The antonym of ruthless is ruthful, meaning "full of ruth" or "tender." Ruthful can also mean "full of sorrow" or "causing sorrow." Ruth can be traced back to the Middle English noun ruthe, itself from ruen, meaning "to rue" or "to feel regret, remorse, or sorrow."
I’m 70 and about to playing my first ever Classical Chess tournament in the BC Open Seniors Chess Tournament…Pia will you be my ‘Second’! Thanks for the great advice Anna! You’re both my inspiration to enter!
You don't talk too fast which is good, you speak in a way that beginners could easily follow which is good you show what you're talking about with your Mouse pointer which is good. I have watched a few of your training videos and I can say without a doubt that you are 100% the best video teacher that I have ever watched when it comes to chest. I can't say this enough, I would love to watch a series where you show different openings different strategies different kind of tactics and all sorts of different things for more beginners to people stuck in the middle to people that are more advanced. You are the reason that I started getting in the chess. I wish that I could get some training from you one-on-one.
Ugh, I can't even. This video has completely changed my game. I've now won so many games by giving up material to weaken their King's position, now that I really understand that that is the most important question. Absolutely love your content, thank you so much for being so generous with your knowledge.
Great advise, I’ve been watching the Botez sisters OTB and found that in many positions they mis misevaluate their advantage. You have very solid fundamentals and have a great understanding of the overall game and that’s what makes you a very strong player. 👍👍
Anna, a light went on in my head when you made the connection between pawn structure and Queen trades. I had not really thought of it that way. Before I'd evaluate the desirability of Queen trades based on if I was up material, or my opponents queen was extremely active and threatening. This was really really valuable to me!
Hi Anna, Thenks for the video! This approach is really for me! I often get fustrated in mid games, being overwhelmed by the options I have. This guidlines seem simple enough follow for my simple mind :) . What I like about it, is that it allows me more spontaneous thinking by taking away the fustration.. More of such videos would be really great!
Please post more videos like this. Analyzing these things, in combination with your "checks, captures and attacks" mantra could probably help me a lot.
Art of sacrifice. I give pieces a value (Which can change as the dynamics in the game change) This determines if I take/exchange a piece.. I try to clear the board early in the game once defenses are in place. Understanding how a chess computer program works is also helpful
SUBSCRIBED !!! For me, this was very insightful for not only the calculus but for the fact of assessing the real threat of a powerful piece in your backyard and maybe not needing to be too freaked-out; and that by placing a strategic piece with an appropriate capability (in this case a Knight) you do not have to be so preoccupied to the point of distraction! As a side note (and maybe a video for your?) is the use of the King as an active piece and weapon. I have had so much better results with strategically (and tactfully) using my King to not only attack, but to bolster the power of my other pieces, even if they are pawns that have already moved forward. I used to just about ignore my King and found that I spent so much time, material and calculation on keeping him safe--yet dormant; whereas if i looked to him as a support-piece, I found that I could free up so many-more resources especially in an attacking campaigns! So for me, I would really appreciate as many instructive videos as you feel would be valuable. Thanks You Very Much Anna! 😀
Great tips Anna, much appreciated! However, after 1. Qg5-h6 Rd3xc3: instead of 2. h4-h5, how about if white moves Rf1-f3? This threatens the black rook at c3, but more importantly it safeguards the white bishop on g3, allowing it to attack Black's defending knight. For example (from scratch): 1. Qg5-h6 Rd3xc3 2. Rc3xf3 Bg3xf3 3. [any move] Bf3-g4 which gets rid of the knight on e6, after which there is no defence against Qh6-g7 mate. Or: 1. Qg5-h6 Rd3xc3 2. [any move] Bg3-h3 with the same result.
The three best pieces of chess advice I have learned are all from Anna Cramling. The first is not to move a piece to a square where it is undefended or cannot be defended easily. The second is CCA, which has unlocked so many positions for me. The third is to get all my pieces working. Now I have another tool!
Can you make a part two of this that tells you how to play given different imbalances? Like when your king is safe do this, or when your activity is good or bad this is the plan. I’m good at evaluating positions but not great at coming up with plans based on them if there isn’t a concrete calculation available.
It’s fun to watch you and the two sisters together! It’s like all three of you are sisters and master chess players who are very competitive and hate to lose to each other. Have fun!
Thanks for the KMPPS. Very easy to follow. In the final position, White can attack the Knight with Bh3. I had been checkmated on the back rank numerous times even though I was winning. Constant awareness of king safety is a must and first thing.
Piece Activity and Space (along with the Center) in some books are bundled as one. This is probably because it uses the same counting method for evaluation (number of squares the pawns and pieces each side controls). So evaluation in chess is further simplified as KMAP (A = Activity of the Pawns/Pieces). Also, take note that in the endgame, the King becomes an important piece with regards to activity. King Safety can be evaluated numerically by determining its exposure against the opponent's pawns/pieces, and by how many of its own pawns/pieces can protect it at a given time. The method is a bit complicated (oftentimes underestimated) compared to Material and Space/Activity. Also King Safety becomes less of a factor in the endgame. Material advantage is where chess evaluation in general is numerically based (pawn counting). This is determined by adding the relative value of the pieces on the board (Pawn = 1, Knight/Bishop = 3, Rook = 5, Queen = 8). A computer evaluation of +1.0 means White (or -1.0 for Black) is relatively ahead by one pawn (clear advantage). If the computer evaluates the position as +2.0 or greater, this means White (-2.0 or greater for Black) is relatively ahead by two pawns (winning). Further, in case you are playing a Chess game and encountered a type of pawn structure that you are not familiar with (IQP, Boleslavsky, Slav, QGD, etc.) you might still be able to get away with it with some pawn fundamentals: 1. Counting the number of pawn islands 2. Doubled/tripled pawns. This can be checked visually. Counting the number of files that the pawns cover on each side will probably lead to the same result. 2. Space advantage as a result of the existing pawn structure. The rank and file of the pawn(s) in relation to the opponent's King and pieces (center, flank, kingside, queenside) become the main factors here. 3. Weaknesses in the structure. Just like King Safety, it needs to be checked for its exposure to the opponent's pawns/pieces and if the base of the pawn chain can be protected by its own piece(s) at any given time. 4. In the endgame, the King becomes a very important piece with regards to pawn protection
The Bodmas rule follows the order of the BODMAS acronym ie B - Brackets, O - Order of powers or roots, D - Division, M - Multiplication A - Addition, and S - Subtraction or its called BIDMAS
At last! A video on how to evaluate a position. I've been needing and wanting that. Now I need a video on each letter explaining in detail how to evaluate those individual bits. Still, thank you very much.
The most exciting games for my layman eyes are those where this logic gets moot due to some ingenious move. There could be positional advantages (maybe not even listed here) like control of the center or the diagonals, especially when asymmetric on materiel. And the best of them all: tempo. When you see you should be able to checkmate the other in 6 moves but you are just one move behind.
Anna, can you next talk about opening strategies? I've heard you mention opening, midgame, and endgame. I'd like to know how to set yourself up for success in the opening.
16:30---Yeah, in the end it comes down to calculation, which requires visualization and tactical savvy as well. And as GM Niclas Huschenbeth sez, "Tactics are the foundation of everything else."
Thanks Anna - great advice, especially with the K-MAPS acronym suggested by others. In the "white to move" moment, I went for Bh6 first because it is forcing, so I can look ahead further. Stockfish 16 Lite depth 22 rates this and h5 the same. I think white is winning with either of these moves: black will probably need to force a trade of queens to survive, losing material in the process. So I evaluate this position as winning for white.
These rules are a good rule of thumb, however unlike the mathematics example, they aren't set in stone. King safety is a no brainer, most important thing, no questions asked. However the issues begin with number 2: material. As a rule of thumb this is absolutely true. However, there are many cases where a sacrifice move, as in getting into a material deficit, is actually the correct, and often times winning, move. Which brings us nicely to point 3, piece activity, which is the reason said sacrifice move was a good move in the first place. The thing with material is that it's only important under the assumption that all the pieces are relevant(or in other words active). You can be 1 or more pieces down(regardless of type btw, not just pawns) and still be ahead because your position made more of your opponent's pieces inactive despite still being on the board. It's an old concept called local advantage, a concept generals, from Hannibal to Napoleon, used to great effect. The chess AI Torch showcases this concept perfectly in the chess realm, and is the reason it's so far ahead of the other chess bots that adhere to the concept of material above all else(other than king safety of course) no matter what. Basically it doesn't matter how large your army is if you can only bring a fraction of it into battle. In chess terms it means you can be at a significant material disadvantage but if you're attacking from 1 of the flanks for example than any piece on the other flank are irrelevant unless you can somehow bring your king towards that other flank to reactivate all those pieces. Of course this an advanced concept so for the vast majority of players strictly focusing on material is still good enough, I'm just saying it's not absolutely true like in the mathematics example you brought up.
Awesome video. Thank you Anna! Yes a video showing how to convert the pawn piece/structure endgame advantage to a win would be great. How and which pawns to move in the endgame is difficult for me and makes me anxious even when im up in material 😅 thanks again for the great content 🙂
There is another important point that is seldom mentioned. Always study your opponent's most recent move first before executing your own. There is a reason he/she made that move, and it was often studied long and hard before the move was decided upon. Figure out what your opponent is up to. Many players just knee-jerk on execution of their own strategy while giving their opponent's move little analysis.
(4:00) Well :D The utter most important thing - as you realize looking at this - is: Training! To make it your hobby! To have plenty of time and events to make yourself familiar with the goal at hand (in this case: evaluation of chess configurations). Even such simple things like math rules on operator precedence will put you down if you have no continued and thorough training in it, but will become drastically trivial if you have. The same with chess (even not as trivial as operator precedence rules).
Start your tycoon journey in MONOPOLY GO! t2m.io/MO_AnnaCrambling #ad
EARTH IS FLAT like the board
Idk, still trying to determinate if my heart is still working, or I could run into issues. ;)
not this lol@@TakingBackEdenFE
Congrats Anna, So many People love this game. I never thought Chess & Monopoly would go together.
Listen.. no no no just wait ... listen I'm gonna tell you something .. no no just .. you'll see... it's just that I.. and I think (yes I Do !).. I think we should play monopoly.. No no really.. we should totallly do that... Wait is that to many l's ?
Video title opportunity missed: How to Anna-lyze a chess position
Big brain
Not bad not bad 👍
Anna-zing
Anna in reverse is Anna
You must be at least 1800
1. King safety
2. Material
3. Piece activity
4. Pawn structure
5. Space advantage
Got it thanks Anna!!
my god thank you very much, too much to listen to her trying to get to the point
You're my hero
M'man
I was afraid of f6 or Bh6 but the N of beauty galloped in to save the day. And I learned that any health problems I might have could be due to my heart no longer beating. It's a video that keeps on giving. Life shouldn't be this good. Thanks tho Anna, appreciate the tips.
Thanks! Way better than getting a serious case of KMPPS
K-MAPS a bit easier to remember? King, Material, Activity, Pawns, Space
This is actually a great idea to memember it
Yes, maybe you can be the editor when Anna writes her first chess book!
COA flashbacks
@@jtidemacheck book pun intended
5:49 actually if your heart is not working, all your problems are basically over😅🤓
Please continue to deliver these fabulous educational videos! I love the trash talk blitz matches as well, but I’d love to see an equal number of these to pair them with :)
agree 100%!
agreed. also KMAPS > KMPPS (sounds better, easier to remember difference)
I’m 70 and about to play my first ever Classical Chess tournament; the BC Open Senior’s Chess Tournament…Pia will you be my ‘Second’! Thanks for the great advice Anna!
You’re both my inspiration to enter!
“if your heart is not working, you are going to run into a lot of health issues” is an understatement. 😂😂😂
Yea, I had to pause after that advice😂❤
Not only that, you'll be dead...😅
Add "correctly" after "working" and you could still have a somewhat regular life expectancy.
I disagreed with that statement in the video. If your heart isn’t working…
Congratulations, you’re immortal!
(Or condolences to your family)
Just the one and after a few minutes you won't have any worries ......... ever again.
Thanks for the clear explanations, @AnnaCramling! A humble suggestion, if I may. "KMPPS" is not very easy to remember; it's particularly hard to remember which "P" comes first in the analysis. You might substitute the first "P" with an "A, for "Activity." This is a double-purpose move! "K-MAPS" is much easier to remember, and now we don’t have two "P"s to sort out. Just a thought. Thanks for all of your excellent chess content!
Brilliant move! Ima use this thank you edit: took a gay ahh emoji out
Yes. I had suggested the acronym KoMPPaS, but K-MAPS is so much better and easier to remember! Great idea.
Thanks,@@diamonddavemusic!
and most importantly, K-MAPS is pronounceable
@@raemclellan7693And it have a meaning, dont? If we read as "key-maps", it's a good idea how to guide us through a map that is the key for the winning hahaha
I like all types of Chess videos you do. Trash talk sidewalk chess, international tournaments, and instruction are all entertaining. Your happy attitude is a drawing card for whatever you are doing.
I like her hair
I too come for all the above and her hair
This is such a good learning, please do many videos like this: a situation and a walk through of the strategic analysis and plans
Good summary. But I would add a 6th element: the tempo, or who has the initiative. Mijail Tahl was asked about which was the single most important factor in chess and he said it had taken him a time to understand that tempo is the most valuable element. You can sacrifice material or accept weaknesess in your position to gain tempo and initiative.
Yes, you are right, but I would put this into piece activity, too. I would even put the important lines (moves) in this category, so you have to remember only 5 categories.
Most of the people here are learning and aren't ready for Tahl theory and I could say just study Magnus to trump you.
Eh yeah but I would say you have tempo either because an attack on the king or attack on pieces, so that falls under king safety / piece activity.
I think it would be good, both for us and for you, to have you do a series of endgame tutorials and tactics videos.
Amen! I concur. Hope she reads your comment.
fr
Agree!😊
for math , I learned Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.
I made up King Makes Poor Pawn Safe
You’re the best. I open good, middle game pretty good. Then blunder away 1/2 my end games. Getting back after a year off. Thank you.
same, Im coming back after abit over half a year
My advice is to emphasize development. Getting pieces into action as soon as possible. There are
the ten golden moves.
Hi Anna, I'm not a big chess guy. I just watch your channel when I need a smile. Your amazing spirit and beaming smile lift my spirit every time. Thank you for your wonderful channel.
Very similar situation here ;)
same no clue about chess but shes kindda hot rightttt
same no clue about chess but shes kindda hot rightttt
@@Aura-og5bz very
Hi Anna. Your channel brings a lot of light-hearted fun to the game, and so is always a joy to watch. But it's also nice here to see you delving into a bit more traditional theory, because that showcases your more serious side, and a sound theoretical grasp of core principles. I've been trying to get back up to speed with chess after not playing for many years, and for me this was a great little refresher on stuff that I already knew but just needed to blow the dust off. Job done. Many thanks for all of your efforts!
KMAPS - King, Material, Activity, Pawns, Space
Thorough analysis with many useful practical tips. Anna, you have a knack at explaining in a relevant and concise way.
Hi Anna,
I don’t know if anyone else told you in the comments but some would say your missing the third part of your presentation. You got the first two parts right: 1) Tell your audience what they are going to learn. 2) Teach them.
But you need to finish it this way: 3) Tell them what you just taught them. Part 3 reinforces for your audience what you want them to know! Or,
(Tell them what your going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you just told them!) 😀
Love the mansplaining here
@
I don't think I'm being condescending here. I am am just trying to be be helpful. Anna is a smart woman. She can decide if it works for her or not.
@@AntonioPerez-vm3zm He’s right though, how is that mansplaining? If a woman has said it, would that be alright?
I definitelly miss the resolutions of the game...but maybe Anna had to go somewhere🙂
You have teached me more in 3-4 videos than anyone else I have listened! Your explanations are clear, simple and help me A LOT to understand this game I love so much but that is so mysterious to me. I am playing since 18 months and I'm stuck in a plateau. Not many good players like you take time to explain to beginners. You do it so well in your own style, without being arrogant and you know exactly the mistakes we do and the things we should know. I was about to give up but I watched you for the first in your vidéo Check/Capture/Attack and i immediatly saw à difference in the way i play. 🙏 thank you!
You have 'taught', not teached
19:52 It seems to me that your opponents best chance is to attack the knight defending the king (using the ws bishop). This necessitates a rook exchange as the opening move for him. Black king can still hurriedly retreat however after the exchange. But it is a bad position.
Same as I was thinking but I'm pretty novice so I guess it's probably not a good move or she would have mentioned it...
Learned about pawn strucure and pawn islands, W lesson. 3 weeks into chess, 600 rn. Trying to climb as fast as possible!
Way to go!! Keep at it.
Hey! It’s great that you’re advancing quickly. One piece of advice is enjoy the journey, don’t rush it to end. You can only gain elo for so long until you reach your ceiling. Enjoy the big jumps in elo!
"only chess advice you need...play monopoly!" solid advice!
So, we are talking about a king in his castle, that is materialistic and active with his pawns to ensure that they move with structure. He likes to watch his kingdom that has alot of space and flowers 🌹
Great energy here. Love the passion in the speech. The love for the game and wanting to help the viewers comes across in a positive way. 👍🏻
I Loved watching the C.O.W. move, Critical Opportunity Wins or Conquer Opponent Wisely that will help me use it often in the first 6 moves
Great explanation, Anna! I've tried to grasp this sort of analysis before from books, but never really got it. I'm a lot closer to understanding now.
This was helpful Anna, thank you. As a chess newbie, it's easy to dismiss the power of pawns to the end game, treating them as easily expendable and wanting to protect the more valuable pieces with my life, even to the point of not wanting to make any "exchanges" because it feels like to do so, you are losing your most powerful weapons. Which is why I am amazed after watching many of your videos at how quick and breezy you are at trading pieces to winnow down the other player's pieces but also your own. These are the hardest mindsets to break free from as a newbie which is why your videos are so important to watch and learn from.
I would like to see more videos like this! Great tips Anna!
Thanks 🔥
I need more continuation! What if bishop to h3, now guarded by the queen, with the idea of displacing the great knight to open up the checkmate square on g7? Is the rook forced to exchange? Does that even things back up? My unrated sub-1000 brain can’t cope…
Yes that's what i was also thinking.
After captures on Rxc3, Rf3 blocking and challenging the Rc3, now Bh3 is coming and taking the blacks only defender leaves black to come up with a better continuation than capturing c3 with the Rook ..
@cndbrn7975 that's why I think instead of capturing the second pawn she needed to play Rc8! So Bh3 Qd8! Bxe6 Bxe6 Qh6 then Qf8 saves the day. I think she is lost after taking that pawn
Yes, I enjoy your teaching videos. I hadn't played in forty years, then the algorithm stared serving up your videos. I just watched "One." A week later I had an online chess account, and was up at night watching your videos about pawn structure etc. You are a good teacher. As a beginner, choosing one voice to listen to as a teacher helps. Trying to learn anything on RUclips can be like trying to drink from a fire hose. I like that you talk about the fundamentals. Not just 'if x, then y' but how and why.
A couple of things I'd like to understand better:
1. When and why to sacrifice, trade, or defend a piece. As a beginner, I want to protect and defend ALL of my pieces. Every taken piece feels like a failure. However, when I watch better players they will seemingly happily trade, or sacrifice even the Queen, if it's the 'right' thing to do. How do you know when, and why to defend or not?
2. When is it time to be done 'Opening' and developing, and start to attack? How do I know when I've moved from opening to the mid-game? Should I think about them differently? And then, when do I start to think about endgames? How do I control those changes in the game? Can or should I force those moments on my opponent at times of my choosing or advantage? Or, is this something that just happens organically as the game proceeds, and I need to identify it and adapt as I go ?
3. The initiative. Related to #2 and controlling the flow of the game, how and when to take initiative and press; so that I don't spend the rest of the game on defense and running for my King's life. Even more importantly, how do I take it back when I am on defense? How do I create the space, or steal a tempo to begin a counterattack before it's too late?
4. Traps. How to set, bait, and spring them? Conversely, and more importantly how to detect and avoid falling in to them? My biggest blunders seem to happen when I think I'm being clever, and setting a trap; and then I get crushed from someplace I never saw it coming. That, "Oh man, how did I fall for that?" feeling is the worst!
This lesson was a good one. I actually did write it down in my notebook. Lots to think about in what you laid out here. Thanks Anna.
¡Thank you Anna!, this is very useful because sometimes we think we are lost, but this help us to analyze difficult positions.
Great video. Many of us need this kind of teaching videos, and yours was very clear and useful. More like this, please.
4:40 here is where she starts talking about the method
I'm just starting to get into competitive chess, and I really appreciate your content after just a couple videos. Thank you for helping me get traction in my progression! Subscribed.
we love your instructional videos, make more please
Thank you so much for making this video! Chess evaluation has always been a mystery for me. This is exactly what I needed!
Thank you Anna for this amazing video!! I love these videos that make me a better chess player. Please keep doing more of these and I would totally watch a video of you going through more of these positions and evaluating. And explaining more of how to implement this in my games to be a better chess player
Thanks Anna. Yes, definitely. Would love to see more instructional videos like this👍.
Great job Anna. These are extremely valuable. If you're ever in Beverly hills California, my wife and I will take you to dinner
Jump to 3:50 to avoid the waffles.
Knight to G7
"YOU SANK MY BATTLESHIP!"
Stop not funny and stupid
Thanks!
In chess, one should be totally Ruthless if you want to be the best. From Merriam Webster "Ruthless can be defined as "without ruth" or "having no ruth." So what, then, is ruth? The noun ruth, which is now considerably less common than ruthless, means "compassion for the misery of another," "sorrow for one's own faults," or "remorse." And, just as it is possible for one to be without ruth, it is also possible to be full of ruth. The antonym of ruthless is ruthful, meaning "full of ruth" or "tender." Ruthful can also mean "full of sorrow" or "causing sorrow." Ruth can be traced back to the Middle English noun ruthe, itself from ruen, meaning "to rue" or "to feel regret, remorse, or sorrow."
I’m 70 and about to playing my first ever Classical Chess tournament in the BC Open Seniors Chess Tournament…Pia will you be my ‘Second’! Thanks for the great advice Anna!
You’re both my inspiration to enter!
video starts at 4:33
I would like more instructional videos! But I do love Mom evaluating you during your competition as well!
You don't talk too fast which is good, you speak in a way that beginners could easily follow which is good you show what you're talking about with your Mouse pointer which is good. I have watched a few of your training videos and I can say without a doubt that you are 100% the best video teacher that I have ever watched when it comes to chest. I can't say this enough, I would love to watch a series where you show different openings different strategies different kind of tactics and all sorts of different things for more beginners to people stuck in the middle to people that are more advanced. You are the reason that I started getting in the chess. I wish that I could get some training from you one-on-one.
What?! The advice isn't knowing how to play the cow?? 😂
Please more of these..I don't have a coach so these kind of contents help me a lot..thank you so much..
Determinate.
Ugh, I can't even. This video has completely changed my game. I've now won so many games by giving up material to weaken their King's position, now that I really understand that that is the most important question.
Absolutely love your content, thank you so much for being so generous with your knowledge.
Great advise, I’ve been watching the Botez sisters OTB and found that in many positions they mis misevaluate their advantage. You have very solid fundamentals and have a great understanding of the overall game and that’s what makes you a very strong player. 👍👍
Anna, a light went on in my head when you made the connection between pawn structure and Queen trades. I had not really thought of it that way. Before I'd evaluate the desirability of Queen trades based on if I was up material, or my opponents queen was extremely active and threatening.
This was really really valuable to me!
Thanks a lot Anna! I love videos like this. I hope you make more of them :)
Hi Anna,
Thenks for the video! This approach is really for me!
I often get fustrated in mid games, being overwhelmed by the options I have.
This guidlines seem simple enough follow for my simple mind :) .
What I like about it, is that it allows me more spontaneous thinking by taking away the fustration..
More of such videos would be really great!
I've been looking for something like this. This is very helpful.
Please post more videos like this. Analyzing these things, in combination with your "checks, captures and attacks" mantra could probably help me a lot.
Art of sacrifice. I give pieces a value (Which can change as the dynamics in the game change) This determines if I take/exchange a piece.. I try to clear the board early in the game once defenses are in place. Understanding how a chess computer program works is also helpful
SUBSCRIBED !!!
For me, this was very insightful for not only the calculus but for the fact of assessing the real threat of a powerful piece in your backyard and maybe not needing to be too freaked-out; and that by placing a strategic piece with an appropriate capability (in this case a Knight) you do not have to be so preoccupied to the point of distraction!
As a side note (and maybe a video for your?) is the use of the King as an active piece and weapon. I have had so much better results with strategically (and tactfully) using my King to not only attack, but to bolster the power of my other pieces, even if they are pawns that have already moved forward. I used to just about ignore my King and found that I spent so much time, material and calculation on keeping him safe--yet dormant; whereas if i looked to him as a support-piece, I found that I could free up so many-more resources especially in an attacking campaigns!
So for me, I would really appreciate as many instructive videos as you feel would be valuable. Thanks You Very Much Anna! 😀
Great tips Anna, much appreciated! However, after 1. Qg5-h6 Rd3xc3: instead of 2. h4-h5, how about if white moves Rf1-f3? This threatens the black rook at c3, but more importantly it safeguards the white bishop on g3, allowing it to attack Black's defending knight. For example (from scratch):
1. Qg5-h6 Rd3xc3
2. Rc3xf3 Bg3xf3
3. [any move] Bf3-g4
which gets rid of the knight on e6, after which there is no defence against Qh6-g7 mate. Or:
1. Qg5-h6 Rd3xc3
2. [any move] Bg3-h3 with the same result.
The three best pieces of chess advice I have learned are all from Anna Cramling. The first is not to move a piece to a square where it is undefended or cannot be defended easily. The second is CCA, which has unlocked so many positions for me. The third is to get all my pieces working. Now I have another tool!
CCAA ?
@@royzammit CCA: check, capture & attack method to calculate moves. In one of her videos she explains it. I found it great advice
Can you make a part two of this that tells you how to play given different imbalances? Like when your king is safe do this, or when your activity is good or bad this is the plan. I’m good at evaluating positions but not great at coming up with plans based on them if there isn’t a concrete calculation available.
My game has improved watching Anna's videos much more than other videos from other folks
Wow! very clear and engaging narration. This was very helpful. I just love the way you presented this.
It’s fun to watch you and the two sisters together! It’s like all three of you are sisters and master chess players who are very competitive and hate to lose to each other. Have fun!
“If your heart is not working you’re having health issues”
impossible not to love this young lady. such a great personality
Thanks for the KMPPS. Very easy to follow. In the final position, White can attack the Knight with Bh3. I had been checkmated on the back rank numerous times even though I was winning. Constant awareness of king safety is a must and first thing.
Piece Activity and Space (along with the Center) in some books are bundled as one. This is probably because it uses the same counting method for evaluation (number of squares the pawns and pieces each side controls). So evaluation in chess is further simplified as KMAP (A = Activity of the Pawns/Pieces). Also, take note that in the endgame, the King becomes an important piece with regards to activity.
King Safety can be evaluated numerically by determining its exposure against the opponent's pawns/pieces, and by how many of its own pawns/pieces can protect it at a given time. The method is a bit complicated (oftentimes underestimated) compared to Material and Space/Activity. Also King Safety becomes less of a factor in the endgame.
Material advantage is where chess evaluation in general is numerically based (pawn counting). This is determined by adding the relative value of the pieces on the board (Pawn = 1, Knight/Bishop = 3, Rook = 5, Queen = 8). A computer evaluation of +1.0 means White (or -1.0 for Black) is relatively ahead by one pawn (clear advantage). If the computer evaluates the position as +2.0 or greater, this means White (-2.0 or greater for Black) is relatively ahead by two pawns (winning).
Further, in case you are playing a Chess game and encountered a type of pawn structure that you are not familiar with (IQP, Boleslavsky, Slav, QGD, etc.) you might still be able to get away with it with some pawn fundamentals:
1. Counting the number of pawn islands
2. Doubled/tripled pawns. This can be checked visually. Counting the number of files that the pawns cover on each side will probably lead to the same result.
2. Space advantage as a result of the existing pawn structure. The rank and file of the pawn(s) in relation to the opponent's King and pieces (center, flank, kingside, queenside) become the main factors here.
3. Weaknesses in the structure. Just like King Safety, it needs to be checked for its exposure to the opponent's pawns/pieces and if the base of the pawn chain can be protected by its own piece(s) at any given time.
4. In the endgame, the King becomes a very important piece with regards to pawn protection
“An equal position does not always mean a draw” HUGELY important.
“Last and foremost” made me chuckle
Glad you mentioned pawn stacking.
The Bodmas rule follows the order of the BODMAS acronym ie B - Brackets, O - Order of powers or roots, D - Division, M - Multiplication A - Addition, and S - Subtraction or its called BIDMAS
Good advice. Didn't know about Happy pawns. Gotta make your pieces happy. Love it.
You are so good in explaining, I'm getting better every day.
Thanks Anna✌️
At last! A video on how to evaluate a position. I've been needing and wanting that. Now I need a video on each letter explaining in detail how to evaluate those individual bits. Still, thank you very much.
The most exciting games for my layman eyes are those where this logic gets moot due to some ingenious move. There could be positional advantages (maybe not even listed here) like control of the center or the diagonals, especially when asymmetric on materiel. And the best of them all: tempo. When you see you should be able to checkmate the other in 6 moves but you are just one move behind.
Anna, can you next talk about opening strategies? I've heard you mention opening, midgame, and endgame. I'd like to know how to set yourself up for success in the opening.
More videos like that Anna!! It's so helpful! Thank you ❤😊
Awesome channel! Love seeing brilliant women doing positive things! Truly awesome!
16:30---Yeah, in the end it comes down to calculation, which requires visualization and tactical savvy as well. And as GM Niclas Huschenbeth sez, "Tactics are the foundation of everything else."
Great video Anna! I dig your continuing passion for the game, as well as your passion for teaching!
I haven't played chess in years, but this video is so informative, I feel like playing now, and I will definitely follow this advice.
You explain the things so well
Very lucid teaching and explanation of that method. Thanks, Anna. 🙂
Thanks Anna - great advice, especially with the K-MAPS acronym suggested by others. In the "white to move" moment, I went for Bh6 first because it is forcing, so I can look ahead further. Stockfish 16 Lite depth 22 rates this and h5 the same. I think white is winning with either of these moves: black will probably need to force a trade of queens to survive, losing material in the process. So I evaluate this position as winning for white.
Wow! This is top notch. Thanks. I learned some really important things. Please make more analysis videos.
she charms her opponents with cuteness and distracts them with beauty, and then eats them alive...
These rules are a good rule of thumb, however unlike the mathematics example, they aren't set in stone. King safety is a no brainer, most important thing, no questions asked. However the issues begin with number 2: material. As a rule of thumb this is absolutely true. However, there are many cases where a sacrifice move, as in getting into a material deficit, is actually the correct, and often times winning, move. Which brings us nicely to point 3, piece activity, which is the reason said sacrifice move was a good move in the first place. The thing with material is that it's only important under the assumption that all the pieces are relevant(or in other words active). You can be 1 or more pieces down(regardless of type btw, not just pawns) and still be ahead because your position made more of your opponent's pieces inactive despite still being on the board.
It's an old concept called local advantage, a concept generals, from Hannibal to Napoleon, used to great effect. The chess AI Torch showcases this concept perfectly in the chess realm, and is the reason it's so far ahead of the other chess bots that adhere to the concept of material above all else(other than king safety of course) no matter what. Basically it doesn't matter how large your army is if you can only bring a fraction of it into battle. In chess terms it means you can be at a significant material disadvantage but if you're attacking from 1 of the flanks for example than any piece on the other flank are irrelevant unless you can somehow bring your king towards that other flank to reactivate all those pieces. Of course this an advanced concept so for the vast majority of players strictly focusing on material is still good enough, I'm just saying it's not absolutely true like in the mathematics example you brought up.
Excellent instructional video. As a beginner VERY valuable!!!
More please! That was incredible.
Thanks for the information/advice/instruction ....yes please do some more videos like this.
Awesome video. Thank you Anna! Yes a video showing how to convert the pawn piece/structure endgame advantage to a win would be great. How and which pawns to move in the endgame is difficult for me and makes me anxious even when im up in material 😅 thanks again for the great content 🙂
3:25 lining up to punch me in the mouth if I don’t jot down this advice 😂
Finally someone brought this! I was asking and not even ChatGPT or Bard could really explain
There is another important point that is seldom mentioned. Always study your opponent's most recent move first before executing your own. There is a reason he/she made that move, and it was often studied long and hard before the move was decided upon. Figure out what your opponent is up to. Many players just knee-jerk on execution of their own strategy while giving their opponent's move little analysis.
(4:00) Well :D The utter most important thing - as you realize looking at this - is: Training! To make it your hobby! To have plenty of time and events to make yourself familiar with the goal at hand (in this case: evaluation of chess configurations). Even such simple things like math rules on operator precedence will put you down if you have no continued and thorough training in it, but will become drastically trivial if you have. The same with chess (even not as trivial as operator precedence rules).