A positional chess game – Improve Your Chess Rating #4

Hi everyone it’s Jerry I’m going to play another 15-10 game this is video four the improve your chess rating playlist okay so facing E4 opponent’s rating is 1832 for this game let’s go with a Carol con for this game just looking to put a Pawn on D5 maintain upon on D5

So let’s see what we get D4 Knight C3 there’s also C4 okay Pawn Duo challenge it right away the consistent follow-up okay so I did have a couple options there capture right away it’s one of my favorite lines to face the exchange variation Advanced is the usually the most testing so

My reply to Knight C3 pretty much has to be to take on D4 and break up the pawn Duo it’s an interesting case early on where there really isn’t a wide range of moves this guy can’t get out just yet I’m playing this you don’t want to do that

So we want to get the bishop outside of the pawn chain in the Carrow and playing this move is only asking for E5 with the tempo so gotta break it up and go from here so a couple options one is to immediately Play Bishop F5 but the one I have most experience with

Is Knight to F6 there’s also this odd looking move H6 I’m not recalling at the moment what the name of this is um one of the ideas behind H6 is to play Bishop F5 next and if there’s the counter punching Knight G3 you could go all the way back to H7

The main line goes like this and then there’s these H4 moves H5 with tempo okay the bishop can be bothered on G6 I don’t think I want to go with H6 though so I think I’m probably gonna go for Knight F6 straight away yeah let’s go for this one so

Let’s see first of all if there’s the capture that’s usually the way forward to saddle black with doubled pawns and it’s not okay so Knight to G3 I did have an option after the capture and the one I’m most familiar with is the bronstein Larson taking with the G pawn and playing with

This not so common structure very early on but we’re not there the Knight simply retreated so Bishop G4 and yeah I pretty much have to do this no that’s too strong I don’t have to do that I could consider H5 yeah H5 is interesting H5 and H4 normally you know if this was

A Blitz game or a bull game I’d immediately play to G4 with my Bishop but I want to try and play as best I can so what is objectively best H5 threatening to scare the Knight away maybe provoke a weakness and only then Bishop to G4

If I play H5 Knight F3 and they allow this kick Knight there this pun is going to be really disruptive Let’s see H5 H4 yeah I don’t know I don’t I don’t the more I look at I don’t know if I really want to weaken my G5 Square so I’ll just play it solid I guess we can say I’m not going to make any crazy pawn moves weakening G5 just development and I’m

Prepared this this is the guy that I view as expendable my light Square Bishop I’ll have pawns around to watch over my light squares okay if F3 I was prepared to back off Knight takes Knight takes and this Pawn is kind of in the way of the night so

I don’t have too much Choice here pretty much have to exchange light Square Bishops okay um I was thinking initially to take with the queen but maybe they were concerned about Queen takes D4 not normally one to be greedy and grab a pawn but uh yeah maybe I would be able to get

Away with taking that pawn and things would be cool yeah if this Pawn was already here I should point out and then let’s say there’s this capture I think the queen is the preferred way to recapture on E2 because this Knight would really like to get to F3

So as it is right now this furthest Advanced Pawn for white is not yet connected with any other white piece so the Knight was on F3 we could see a nice jump into the E5 Square I can make use of one of these two pivots but that’s not the case here

How do I want to play this E6 and then shoot for C5 or do I want to consider maybe a fiend catto I don’t think about I don’t think I want to go for a fin Keto so I’m gonna go with just something very simple

This is a move I could regain the pawn like that but I like this move for a couple quick reasons The Bishop’s eyes are opened and I keep a watchful eye over that F5 Square so right now this Knight is the worst piece in the game I’d say it doesn’t really have a

Safe move right now besides going to the corner now I was pointing out this straight away am I okay with that this what if that maybe I need a little bit more support if I could get these two moves in that would be great

Okay so if this I think that is a good reply and if I’m capturing then this Knight is improving and it’s bothersome I’m not able to get in Knight to C6 so fast so I mean I don’t think I have to challenge this Pawn I could probably play Within the structure some

And I think I’m going to go for that um so where to go with my Bishop one of these two I guess I guess I’ll I guess I’ll pick E7 not entirely sure why E7 instead of D6 maybe I’m not so welcome to a dark Square Bishop Exchange I don’t know

This guy’s out maybe I could think about a Tempo against the bishop at some stage I think it’s at some point C4 might be good for white okay C4 is more ambitious C3 more solid just hang on to your fourth rank Pawn Okay so Bishop there let’s go with castles not

Sure what I want to do with this guy just yet I haven’t forgot about C5 I might play it a little bit later okay so they are going with C4 and maybe Queen C7 Rook here or still just kind of maneuvering I think so we might be in for a long game

Okay let’s connect my Knights so I don’t have anything special here I think white is the side who’s slightly better right now these are always useful moves within this structure it’s um looks to maybe plant upon one day and A3 maybe provoke some weakness February 3 I have A4 and I have some

Clamp on the light squares it’s also okay so this this all of a sudden becomes a little bit more appealing but not right away do you have to address this thread on B7 I believe my knee-jerk reaction is to play Queen B6 with caution because at some point there could be

That but okay so this Queen takes I would not mind seeing that okay let’s offer a queen Exchange and see what white does I don’t think there one scan I did just before playing that was to see if there’s some wonderful queen move you know that let’s

Say here with check and then all of a sudden this could hit but there isn’t a a fast strike like that in the position but it’s a it’s a quick thought that just ran through my mind before making that move so this would not be a good decision now

And just be the loss of a pawn I would exchange queens and then chop away on D5 I have plenty of Support over this point my Bishop on E7 is unprotected this could maybe be an issue if the Rook is on the half open file possibly some knight jump into F5

There’s a lot of clearing out that what I would need to do before that’s even a threat this could be useful or this half open file this type of regrouping is not uncommon okay so they are ducking the queen exchange so I have to be on the lookout now for D5

So my queen has to find a new Square and I don’t think she has anything better than to go to C7 I’m prepared to meet Bishop F4 Bishop D6 now this is not not in this position but sometimes this could be a move it is very weakening for the D5 square

If this move is to be played it would normally be with an eye on planting a knight into the D6 square at some point but white is a long ways off from doing that like if C4 and this Knight could somehow get to if C5 and then the Nike get to C4

It coordinates really well but that’s a it’s a long ways off okay so I was pointing this move out earlier let’s play it A5 keep an eye on the clock it’s grabbing a little space on the queen side okay so do I want to play this move I think I do

To be a little careful um all right so it could be attacked a second time but I would have Queen there I’m gonna go for that so now if ever this move is in there this guy would become isolated and probably quickly drop off so I have a slight

This this last sequence I think I have some very slight pulse structurally speaking I wouldn’t be afraid to enter a very simplified position so if we were to exchange all all minor pieces and enter a heavy P specific ending I think you know I’m a real big fan of the the

Resulting structure so prep work for this advance I think a healthy move is maybe Rook here or queen there I don’t want to play it maybe let’s start with Rook here not afraid of this break this takes takes exchange Queens night there so this is probably not the best move

I don’t know maybe this one maybe that one Bishop F4 I could challenge it or or play here I have my eye on this Knight C3 Queen A5 need to hang onto this pawn and it can’t be hit a third time okay so they’re making a flight Square

They’re also there’s some stability now for the bishop this move was never really crossing my mind it does weaken the dark squares okay hmm okay maybe maybe now I get my queen to a little more active post yeah let’s go here I I mean at some point this queen could

Move and then this might be an idea you know and then the Rook is all of a sudden hitting my queen so I think she’s safer here she has some nice flexibility from A5 I think this might be a move to question her straight away and there could be the

Uh the bishop could look to reroute on C3 and start to observe some of my king side squares or at least hint at this idea to break with D5 I should also be mindful of some Pawn sacrifice with let’s say this this this and when I take what my knight

Maybe there’s some fancy night move at some stage undermining my knight support this this Pawn could be overloaded in some cases trying to watch over F5 and a knight on D5 but my queen is there supporting that in order in order to justify these two Rook moves I think white really needs to

Get this move in but it’s a bit tricky to get that in punt move wise I thought about this this was probably the first thing I thought of as soon as H3 was there kind of saying all right it’s your move I I did the same thing I have a flight

Square as well h2h7 are the flight squares okay so my queen is hit I don’t have any great moves along the fifth rank they’re all covered so let’s go with this I’ll put some pressure on this point I pointed out Bishop C3 that’s not there right now because of the pressure on C4

Um I’m wondering a bit about B5 okay so they’re and you’re just going back uh let’s see so what about B5 what would B5 accomplish pry open the D5 Square but I am opening up this so it’s kind of tricky I wonder if I could maneuver my night

What are my where am I even going though with that not sure okay I think I am gonna go for B5 so let’s see a lot to consider with the structural changes B5 takes takes with the pawn and I am really well coordinated I’m opening up this file but I do have

An eye on this maneuver Knight B6 into D5 if I could get that construction I’d be very happy also worth okay I think well oh let me also point out I think this there might be that move but then I could still go here and here I get that similar Construction

I’m gonna give it a shot I’m not sure about it entirely let’s see first of all what White’s reaction is I think this would be a very common move although I don’t know that it’s best common because you know you’re got that Rook on C1 you want to open the

File right on the C the C line but is it really best so we’ll find out um this is you know if the tension is maintained I could increase the pressure with Knight to B6 so we will see down on time as usual even some situation where I might lose

Upon there could be compensation okay so I think that that is an excellent uh decision let’s see my idea was to play Knight D5 so let’s play Knight D5 right now be a little careful if some Knight is able to go here and I can’t capture it this is

You know I I don’t ever really want to have to play this move and weaken two of these Square F6 and H6 would still three minor pieces around if any pawn move that but as of right now I’m not I don’t feel that there’s a need to create a flight score just yet

I would not mind a queen exchange I would not mind an ending I pointed out earlier about this Pawn clamping down on this structure I could also look at it as having a better Bishop ties in well with my fixed Pawn so this could be a long-term problem

The attention is going to have to shift well that’s too strong of a word I was going to say have to shift towards the king side but uh I could maybe shoot for a pawn break here I think for starters I want to get this night here so maybe maybe this

Yeah I don’t think the Rook is purposeful on E8 anymore so it’s a slower position just trying to find ways to improve a hair inch by inch might have a Night Exchange it seems right around the corner one way or the other Knight E4 seems sensible Sensible like a

Queen exchange All Right One Night Exchange and a queen Improvement she could pivot towards the king side I think I’d like to reroute my queen maybe get her on D5 if I could exchange both nights I think that that would be wonderful because then I could pivot about on this

D5 square with my queen with my Rook um I can put my Bishop on this Square to watch over for watch out for any Rook move that might challenge my queen on D5 so Knight exchanges are welcome to me um that’s the main one I’m thinking about I

Would love to see both Knights come off yeah okay so Bishop there hmm not really on my radar it’s the idea behind it not sure because it never see ends up seeing the world if my knight remains here so what to do move my queen where to guess here

I don’t know if there’s a great difference for some reason I was thinking Queen CA first but whatever I think in the end I wanna be on this Square yeah probably best to keep the direct connection between the Rooks I also maybe hint at playing B4

And this is a possible Pawn break that white has to maybe weigh I would love to see this pawn move chop and then I could put all my attention on the weak Pawn A3 this is Rock Solid this Knight is under control again this Knight right into this Square I’m thinking

If there’s a best piece in the position it’s probably this guy okay clean there headed four Maybe This Night jump or to stop the B4 Advance maybe that okay let’s go here now I’m stopping a Night Exchange before I was just saying I was welcome to it but

It’s a slight Improvement for my queen now there’s no good forward night move I wonder if I should have considered H6 no yeah I wanna probably just keep control over that night jump what in what other way could I improve I have to watch out maybe in some

Positions you know Bishop A5 so I can’t be going with the a rook on this half open file I get skewered so that’s something to keep in mind the battery how to improve from here I mean I could try this maneuver not sure where we’re going from there

Maybe some rerouting for white this guy to the half open file maybe if I don’t have any fear of a knight getting to this Square I could think about putting the bishop there okay so that’s a little bit unusual hmm now as much as I like my knight on D5 I

May want to consider capturing the bishop I could force a queen exchange then this queen takes Queen here as long as both Knights can’t coordinate on D6 directly I should be fine covering the weakest Square in my camp on D6 could also try something like this Bishop A5 would win the queen

That seems a little too fancy I think nearby there’s this idea is now the time for a flight Square maybe I get the flight score in now yeah let’s go for this right now maybe this is a move at some stage so we’ll see could show up

Let’s say Knight C3 takes Bishop takes Knight there and then there’s Knight to E4 now these guys are at a a bit of a standoff right now big fight over the E4 point barely any exchanges in this game okay yeah so if I try some maneuver like this

Then I hops into E4 straight away okay well let’s see maybe maybe this and then this idea to take Queen here I’m gonna go for that be careful as mentioned earlier some some fancy night move also this move is running through my mind I don’t know that it’s great but

With this Pawn still on H7 I was prepared to meet a move like F4 with G6 but then there could be the reply F5 and I take on F5 somehow maybe with the F Pawn and then there’s Queen takes there so to keep that in mind we’ll see very tight game

Very very level I don’t know that there’s been any tactical misses by either side up until this point just a light Square Bishop exchange and a pawn exchange pretty close to a full board you can also consider Queen F4 if this Knight moves I should point that out I think I do like

That Knight C3 Queen F4 takes takes like D3 might be a move if the Queens are off I could maybe think about having my F Pawn go to F5 I could play King F7 but to play F5 now with the Queen’s on that’s way too weakening

But these two moves would be nice to get in even even though it weakens this Square I have nights around covering some important squares K Rook C2 its purpose is not so sure maybe I play Rook D7 first seems like White’s struggling to find a product a productive move I’m gonna go

With this for starters remain flexible defending my Bishop maybe preparing this at some point okay maybe this this and then Bishop here or the ID to take in Bishop A5 keep an eye on the clock as much as I want to maybe get the coins off with this maneuver don’t think it’s right

My knight on D5 is more valuable than the bishop on B4 slow going that’s how it is sometimes still no good forward Knight moves besides Knight C3 I wonder if this is maybe a maneuver as soon as that guy moves though I think I’m gonna run in for that

Bishop there and if I am allowed to capture the pawn would have to take then I could think about a break that should be quick to Take Over Control the a file so clean there not sure what the story is with that so now I am wonder if they see this idea

They have to take with the pawn if I take the bishop this move or this within that I think this is a great Square so I’m staring towards the king side and still watching over the D6 point I see three maybe I want to exchange one night

I wouldn’t mind if this Pawn captures The Bishop’s kind of stuck there is a pawn break I wouldn’t mind seeing that Knight C3 Exchange Knights Queen F4 Bishop there okay so he’s going in for that maneuver so so if I take here the pawn has to capture this maybe there’s that move hmm

I don’t want to take that Bishop um and it definitely wouldn’t take it hoping for this bad reply either so something else I should watch out for is that this night maneuver you know the pressure on there could be some pressure on C6 so I wonder if I

Could maybe welcome a Night Exchange I think this guy’s White’s best piece right now also yeah no I don’t want to take that night either I don’t want to take this or that let’s see what their best piece is I think it’s this guy

Try and get rid of it I think I could as mentioned again I would not mind seeing both nights come off this is a step in the direction of having the nice come off Knight here 95 I could take Pawn takes exchange Rooks and then Queen takes Pawn

Let’s do this let’s welcome a Night Exchange oh it’s more than welcoming a Night Exchange I’m I have pressure on D4 so this is definitely a forcing move I’m giving some direction to White okay we got another exchange it’s been a while now Rook D4 says opened up Knight E5

So I could think about a superior minor piece positions if I’m allowed to now exchange here then I have this Knight that is wonderful but let’s still keep this guy here Knight on F6 94 takes Queen takes and probably pivot here Bishop might get kicked

Fall back and then I look to reroute my queen okay going in that direction so this is always one of those cases where is this a worthwhile check to insert and then draw a fallback I’m gonna say it is because maybe one day this Pawn is sensitive

Some night move and then I’m within checking distance so I’m gonna flick that one in and then hurry back 2 F7 pretty much or excuse me C7 kingside I want to be on the king side so these squares are covered this night I have these squares covered

Clean here night move Queen coming over towards the king side okay let’s start with this one any fancy moves I don’t think I’m tactically vulnerable in any way okay so if I play Knight here guess the knight’s gonna go there but then I could play here seems very active okay

Let’s go for this they’re going to duck The Exchange they have a lot of pieces on D6 Bishop Pawn but I could always remove one Defender I have enough support Okay so here we are we have both the knights off don’t want to take with the pawn I want

To work on this backward Pawn I’m taking with a pawn then this guy isn’t really seen as a a Target I can’t put pressure on it along the D file and I want I want to be able to do that so my plan here is to pile up on this guy

Clean H4 Rook here also I should keep in mind this Pawn break possibly taking advantage of a pin on the D file it’s easy to end up in a pin also there are these ideas forming a battery into H2 so there’s no way to get at this point

Stopping Queen H4 with that last move okay I get my queen here wouldn’t mind the queen Exchange I think that would make my task easier to try and convert better Bishop in the ending okay let’s go with clean right here Queen G5 new piece ready to enter I have pressure on The Rook

It’s defended well enough nearby there could be Queen F5 if I want to get the queen Exchange I may be running back like this with my Bishop yeah get the Queens off something like this and then some push I’m gonna see how white manages to hold

On to this Pawn I mean Bishop there is a tall Pawn you know this guy isn’t the most productive it’s just going to be a defensive piece as far as I could see from this point on let’s see tough to suggest and move for white I’m not sure how to improve the

Position and not weaken the position approaching the two minute mark all of a sudden I’m ahead on the clock I’m not in a rush to play Rook here okay so this is really close to forcing the coins off this is the best piece on white side at least double Rooks first

Let’s not double Rooks first let’s play here straight away why am I staying away from this it may be that if white maybe tries a break with B3 maybe I want to keep that guy still in A4 okay so ducking the queen Exchange all right well

I wonder as odd as this may look I wonder if this is an idea still trying to play it where maybe I’ll have an easier time taking advantage of this pinned Pawn eventually after I come back over and I have a lot of time to work out all the details hmm

Should I be playing this first hmm let’s go here and with this one first this move my queen she could be attacked but a long ways off from being trapped this is my plan staying flexible put pressure here first you know this seems like a nice healthy healthy move

And Bishop d8 Bishop F6 maybe I poke around try and provoke a weakness oh no that’s hitting all on its own so oh let me write about now I am much more inclined to maybe go for this is weird as that looks to give up that strong Bishop um

Hmm that’s a really interesting move maybe maybe I should be playing with this I weaken my own King position but hmm maybe maybe I could withdraw The Rook Queen takes pawn queen takes Pawn check gotta hurry up I’m under a minute no I don’t know that I like that idea

Let’s go with this one still not entirely clear to me how to break this down very weakening the F4 move but how am I taking advantage of it exactly what about this right now actually I think this is good breaking down this structure trying to do something on this diagonal

Trying to maybe demonstrate this bishop is better than this one all right this guy is not offsetting the bishop on C7 so I am successfully breaking down this structure so let’s break this up and do what next Target this guy I think let’s go Queen here

Watch over this as well this Pawn is pinned if I could get these two moves in that would be wonderful this is also a move yeah this is maybe even more aggressive not giving white the time to play this possibly to open up the Bishop’s eyes so if this this

The the threat against H3 must be met and then I could plant this Rook here okay so even right now this move first threatening to win the queen and now this guy gets here really big focus on the light squares these guys are all very weak

This is my weakest Pawn but it’s not accessible now I could look to pinpoint this guy seems like this one’s going to be secure I should have also considered a check there was a check for these past couple of moves wasn’t there actually after that first capture

Queen E4 should have been on my mind all right what about now Queen E4 check let’s go for Queenie for a check right now now time for mate I’m prepared to play G6 to defend the main threat even though it opens up this diagonal I don’t plan on budging with this Rook

Okay so we have a queen the offer of a queen Exchange take now I am winning this oh no it’s more than a pawn this Rook is stuck I think they had to take with the King Okay so just double checking everything I’m coordinated winning upon in the exchange next okay they resigned

All right good game all right let’s hop into the analysis board very tight game let me flick on the engine or that somebody already clicked it there so actually before I even click on the engine let me just kind of skim through um this isn’t the most common move

But yeah it seems really really level for quite some time I don’t I think A3 is maybe where the engine will say I don’t know about that move I’m like okay let’s let’s just maybe see right around here not going to be a huge shift or anything but

What is it suggesting here yeah Knight to C3 trying to exchange off this Knight maybe a little bit sooner might have been a a way forward but I feel like I gained however again however slight a little something here with this arrangement yeah what’s the what’s the graph saying

It’s still crunching the numbers B5 yeah and I think that’s the best reply yeah C5 takes I would have like I wanted to see that there’s I wanted that in there then then we would definitely get some exchanges we have an open C file you could see at least one set of Rooks

Coming up probably two and I had these light squares to work with so it’s this guy really ended up not being the most productive throughout is the graph done what does it have to say you know there we go I mean Super Duper level for the first 19 moves

Knight D5 and then a different plan I guess here for white wasn’t easy to break through I mean this isn’t some decisive Advantage really got 37 Moves In it’s pretty even I guess this is where white is going wrong best is to exchange queens and then improve the king

Try and hang onto the pond so this this move will maybe only after I should have pointed this out only after the Queens are off but to play it right now with the Queens on probably asking for trouble and it comes the H5 idea with H4 and it’s officially broken down

So even without you know the missing the end losing the pawn and then the exchange right here um this structure there’s no there’s no real save to it at this point everything’s still coordinated you could pinpoint this guy this guy this guy and the king is safe throughout all of it

Okay so what more to maybe have a look at I’m not really sure this was a well played game slow going throughout um yeah I think there was some nice decisions here made by white this this right here trying to do something with the darks dark squares Maybe

That night maneuver was at least an attempt um yeah I don’t know very very tight game here positional throw okay anyhow Feel Free as usual to leave any feedback to this video in the comment section below hope you enjoyed it and maybe took a thing or two away

That’s all for now take care bye foreign

Featured is a 15+10 rapid game I played against a player rated 1832. The opening is a Caro-Kann Main Line, with 4…Nf6. Much of my attention in this strategic game is on careful positional considerations where I attempt to continually make small improvements without creating unnecessary weaknesses. The idea with this type of video is to simply help chess players improve their understanding of the game by sharing my train of thought while I play one rapid time control game. Accompanying my train of thought is a mini blackboard where I list some helpful notes throughout. The “Improve Your Chess Rating” playlist is a work in progress and is meant to compliment the “Beginner to Chess Master” playlist which is primarily theoretical knowledge. The videos in “Improve Your Chess Rating” are not uploaded by order of ratings.

Improve Your Chess Rating:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQsLDm9Rq9bHx8pzlzskIMA-uY-XaFM_K
Beginner to Chess Master:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQsLDm9Rq9bHKEBnElquF8GuWkI1EJ8Zp

I’m a self-taught National Master in chess out of Pennsylvania, USA who was introduced to the game by my father in 1988 at the age of 8. The purpose of this channel is to share my knowledge of chess to help others improve their game. I enjoy continuing to improve my understanding of this great game, albeit slowly. Consider subscribing here on YouTube for frequent content, and/or connecting via any or all of the below social medias. Your support is greatly appreciated. Take care, bye. 🙂

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