Thanks for the great game and analysis John! 10... b4 is considered slightly inaccurate. 10... Nfd7 is the preferred option, like you mentioned. By the way: 7... b5 is played much more often than 7... Be7. The development of the dark squared bishop in this line is a few moves delayed to allow a quick h5 or Nbd7 and Nb6. I'm basing this on optimizing opening books for computer chess and win percentages in computer vs computer matches (long time controls). In a way it will not be representable for humans, but then again it's also chess from a "higher truth", so it should not be totally disregarded. For example, after 9. 0-0-0 there is an 80% win percentage for white in the line you played.
Thrilling game and really nice spot of the Qc4 defense to the potential nc3++ mate line, your visualisation skills really come in handy there. It seems at least half my Najdorf games feature an English attack by white, and e5, although positionally inferior to e6, seems much safer, direct/forcing/easier to play, and possibly stronger. I wonder what the database would say. I like e5 because instead of that white knight on d4 sitting there the entire game, you force it back to b3, where you can harass it further with a5-a4. It speeds up the attack in a race situation. And if you manage to get in the d6-d5 advance like in the game, there is no more hole on d5 and it's not an issue anymore. Also I was going to say this is one of the rare times where I completely misread the evaluations because I thought you were in trouble having not castled, but the evaluation did eventually swing hugely in white's favor. It was looking quite scary. I really like castling in my Najdorfs, but I've only seen a few high-level games without castling. It probably depends on the particular white choice, but in the English attack, castling seems to be the play(?) Not castling makes for a fun game however.
On move 26 when you played Ne4 I thought you were baiting him into taking twice on d6 renewing your beautiful mate Nc3. I yelled "Nooooooo," when you took back and my wife asked if something tragic had happened suspecting I had seen some horrific event on the news. Time was against you but those are the hardest to choke down after a game.
u played d5 too early and Be7 was superfluous unless you are playing Scheveningen style with Nc6 etc. the engine evals are often very wrong in the short term, knowing the theory and move order subtleties is particularly important in this line.
Sorry about that.I see at the end you've covered it up. :) Thanks for uploading. Very instructive video.
Vishwesh #RUclips Thanks for watching!
Really interesting analysis strong nerves needed for this defence!
Thanks for the great game and analysis John!
10... b4 is considered slightly inaccurate.
10... Nfd7 is the preferred option, like you mentioned.
By the way: 7... b5 is played much more often than 7... Be7. The development of the dark squared bishop in this line is a few moves delayed to allow a quick h5 or Nbd7 and Nb6.
I'm basing this on optimizing opening books for computer chess and win percentages in computer vs computer matches (long time controls).
In a way it will not be representable for humans, but then again it's also chess from a "higher truth", so it should not be totally disregarded.
For example, after 9. 0-0-0 there is an 80% win percentage for white in the line you played.
Edwin Bakker Great comment. I knew about 7...b5, but for some reason I automatically played 7...Be7.
Hi John,
Appreciate your videos, they are all very informative and entertaining. I hope you bring back some more blitz though!
Zoltan Adanko Thank you for watching, Zoltan!
Great game. Thanks for uploading.
Schachmalanders Thanks for tuning in!
Thrilling game and really nice spot of the Qc4 defense to the potential nc3++ mate line, your visualisation skills really come in handy there.
It seems at least half my Najdorf games feature an English attack by white, and e5, although positionally inferior to e6, seems much safer, direct/forcing/easier to play, and possibly stronger. I wonder what the database would say. I like e5 because instead of that white knight on d4 sitting there the entire game, you force it back to b3, where you can harass it further with a5-a4. It speeds up the attack in a race situation.
And if you manage to get in the d6-d5 advance like in the game, there is no more hole on d5 and it's not an issue anymore.
Also I was going to say this is one of the rare times where I completely misread the evaluations because I thought you were in trouble having not castled, but the evaluation did eventually swing hugely in white's favor. It was looking quite scary. I really like castling in my Najdorfs, but I've only seen a few high-level games without castling. It probably depends on the particular white choice, but in the English attack, castling seems to be the play(?) Not castling makes for a fun game however.
Whoa, is that Fins playing a Sicilian that isn't the Kan? Seems like rare stuff :P
On move 26 when you played Ne4 I thought you were baiting him into taking twice on d6 renewing your beautiful mate Nc3. I yelled "Nooooooo," when you took back and my wife asked if something tragic had happened suspecting I had seen some horrific event on the news. Time was against you but those are the hardest to choke down after a game.
They blundered their king at the end.
Always better to miss a M1 for you than against you I suppose! lol fantastic game :)
+Ryan Foster Haha - thanks, Ryan :)
miss your daily lichess vid :(
u played d5 too early and Be7 was superfluous unless you are playing Scheveningen style with Nc6 etc. the engine evals are often very wrong in the short term, knowing the theory and move order subtleties is particularly important in this line.
At move 29 isn't Nc3 mate?
Vishwesh #RUclips I was shouting to the screen at 26:38
Good game! Am I hallucinating or did you miss 28. ...Nc3# at 26:35 that you mentioned a few minutes earlier?
davidkalekoable JK you noticed it in the analysis around 38:40. Ignore me!
-n3utrino
davidkalekoable Watch the whole video dopey :)
Attacking AND denying😄