Providing educational content for players looking to improve their chess.
My name is Sam, and I have a peak FIDE rating of 2262. Some of my accomplishments as a player include representing Australia's (Online) Olympiad team in 2021, and finishing =2nd in the 2024 Australian Championships.
Пікірлер
If you said "here" less, you would definitely have more subscribers. :)
First time youtube algorithm does good job, got my sub
Great video, I love the focus on positional and tactical ideas rather than concrete theory as just positional understanding is so much more important for less experienced players. I will certainly be checking out your other videos! And you mentioned you didn't know why it was called the "150 Attack", the story goes is that in England, they thought that the attack was so easy to carry out that even a 150 ECF rated player could win with it as White (exact conversion to FIDE doesn't really exist but it would be like 800-1200 FIDE at the time of the opening name originating). So it was mostly a joke at the expense of the Modern and Pirc defense.
Cheers. Yeah funny you mention why - I was talking with a friend the other day and he explained this very same thing to me and another guy haha.
Absolutely lovely video. Love your stuff
Also worth noting that tiger has changed his mind regarding the modern specifically when it comes to the Austrian attack and vascillates between the pirc pepper and the modern
Yeah I remember that from his book. Too confusing to cover both approaches in this video though.
Are you planning on covering the Grunfeld defense?
I will definitely make one it eventually. I made a rough outline a few months ago but haven't "put it on paper" yet, so to speak.
@@SamAsakaChess Do you agree that the Grunfeld defense should only be played by GMs?
That's a bit extreme - so no - but I do think that it is better for players who are already maybe over 1600 to start playing.
34:27 did he just hang the queen?
yeah sorry looks like I pulled a botez gambit. Not sure how this was not pointed out already haha
I've just started learning it. Helpful video thanks
Can you make a video about the queens indian? Since the move order i reach the catalan is d4 c4 Nf3 :)
You got my sub. I am just very early in my journey ( 500 ELO ) but love playing the Catalan and like your Videos. Your very authentic and that's why I will now watch many more videos of your channel :)
Cheers mate
Most people should just get a subscription to the online apps, which is cheaper in the long run. ChessBase application itself is a complete mess - - too many releases pushing too many "new features" which may reflect that year's trends but don't work well enough to be useful and are never fixed or improved.
Great video. Please do a Catalan speedrun
Goated
I really enjoy all these instructive catalan structure type of videos. please keep making them! :D
btw, in the open catalan c5 line I would consider your move Qb3 against Be7 an inaccuracy. You could have played Bf4 Rc8 Nxd7 Qxd7 Ne5 Nxe5 Bxe5 when you have the two bishops, the pawn on d4 will drop and black has to play very precisely to hold on
But Qb3 is fine as well of course
Amazing video thanks so much! Just discovered your channel recently and it is a goldmine for educational content!
I am 1700 USCF and play the Sveshnikov, King's Indian, and Modern Benoni. All your videos have been extremely helpful haha.
Cheers, great to hear that
Definitely instructive video. But your presentation is very fast, maybe next time a more relaxed explanation.😵💫
Yo i just reached 1900 by playing this opening. Hopefully I reach 2100 in the next 2 weeks😂
Awesome stuff
@sam You inspired me to learn the Catalan. Is it possible to force the Catalan against 1.d4d5 2.c4e6 ? Or do you need a QGD repertoire against 1.d4d5 2.c4e6 ? Is the Catalan strictly against 1.d4♘f6 2.c4e6 ?
You can play 3.Nf3 against 1...d5 2.c4 e6, and then after 3...Nf6 4.g3 and we are in Catalan territory :)
Another instructional video on Catalan setups, including Ne5 against that pesky c5 line. Do you prefer to play 3) Nf3 against a possible Queens Indian or 3) g3 against a possible Benoni with c5? I'm starting to think I'd rather face the Queens Indian as you did in game 3. Studying hard for 3 tournaments next month!
I'd rather face the Queen's Indian - at least that's how my preference has evolved in more recent times. Wow - 3 tournaments is a lot haha
excellent recap
Really helpful material 👏 Please make a "all ideas you should know" for the petroff defence
Why haven't I found this sooner? No, this channel sooner. I would've subscribed and been set on my theory for most openings because of my understanding, allowing me to not just memorise moves.
Your videos deserve more views but honestly I'm glad they don't because my opponents will be less prepared. Ty for uploading the Catalan content
hahaha cheers mate.
I am really trying to understand your accent LoL, anyways thanks for this book review.
This is a very nice summary of key ideas in the Najdorf variation of the Sicilian Defence. Sam's videos are excellent!
Is that Cameron and Brendan on the board next to you ?
Yep!
I always learn a lot from your Catalan videos. "Wojo" was a fixture at tournaments in the DC area in the 90's and 2000's (where I used to live and play) until his death in 2006. He made all these wins look so easy. In Part II, do you recommend his simpler dxc5 line (after black plays c5, Nc6) rather than the main line with Qa4, Bd7, Qxc4 which gets messy after b5!
That's really cool you got to see him in action! The ...c5 line is actually really solid, so I'm not sure I have a clear best recommendation (I myself struggle finding a line I like against it). 7.dxc5 is certainly decent (and pretty risk-free I'd argue), but 7.Ne5 is probably the one I like most at the moment.
Boss, how far can these books really boost you in elo?
Good one Sam, thanks for uploading this !
Always seem the catalan, always loved the idea of simple long-term pressure out of the opening and good piece play. I know you haven't blown up, but your videos and the ideas, combined with the frames you choose (20 ideas you must know, looking at the games of a famous practicioner) make these really rewarding. Thank you for the hard work
Cheers man, appreciate it.
I'm only 1700 uscf. This seems way too complicated for me. Is there a book or online course you recommend to learn it?
Keep it simple 1.d4 by IM Christof Sielecki would be a decent place to start. I also made a video called '20 Ideas Every Catalan Player Must Know' which focuses on the position after d4 d5 c4 e6 nf3 nf6 g3
@@SamAsakaChess Ok, thank you
I knew I recognised you from somewhere Ive seen your 20 ideas for catalan players video This and that Both are great videos
Cheers
As a prisoner Im Catalanananananaananannananannanaa
I'm pleasantly surprised that you know of Wojtkiewicz. And nice to get a video from you!
Great video, thanks) I think you can also make a video about naka's nf3 b3 setup. It's genius how this system avoids all tricky stuff.
Thank you for this video its very very helpful to understand :)
Any book for the Benoni Sir?
what level are you?
@@SamAsakaChess Master level or GM level sir
@@rowlandsibakwe2039 There are some Modern Benoni courses you can find by GM Mihail Marin on a site called Modern Chess - Marin is great for explaining strategic concepts and ideas - but the theory might be a bit out of date. I'm not too familiar with recent books on the topic, but there is one by FM John Doknjas from everyman chess which I reckon should be pretty decent, as his book on the najdorf I liked.
Hmm. Position start s out 1. b3 d5 2. Bg5 3. Nf3 Bxf3 4. ef After this I thought that white would follow pawn structure patterns like in the Korchnoi variation of the Caro-Kann where black usually advances its doubled f-pawn to f5, then places a knight on f6. That is a very solid pawn structure in the Korchnoi variation. Very hard to break. Sure enough, when I put this position to Stockfish, that is what it did most of the time from the starting position. Stockfish would create the same pawn and piece structure but for white! Stockfish as white would quickly play g3, Bg7 and f4. , then eventually white positions its queen's knight on f3. This might involve white playing d3, but sometimes d4. Either way, the white knight goes to Qd2 then on to f3. Once the knight is on f3, White gets a very playable game,. Frankly, I think the white position is a bit easier to play. White just arranges his pieces on natural squares. Harder for black to find a good plan IMO. On the other hand, I will definitely try your approach as black and see what happens!
One of the most useful chess videos ive seen in years. Thank you so much!!
I searched up how to play these positions, and this came up. You really explained it well, keep it up!
Being a long-time d4 player, I always enjoy your d4 game recaps with explanations of your thought process. The stonewall seems like one of those openings where white should be better but it's always a struggle until you understand the importance of trading off the black-square bishops.
Yeah the Stonewall is definitely a tricky opening to play against. Even with the trade of DSBs however, it often isn't super straight-forward in many cases though as well!
That's exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much!
In your next video you cannot use the word "here".
Never knew Keanu Reeves played Chess 😳😂
T00 much theory
Not really. Depends what level you are, but if you're <2000 online, you can get away largely with just knowing the key ideas. Below this level very few really have any clue of what they're doing vs the Catalan.
@@SamAsakaChess I guess I will give it a try.
catalan the better london system/bigger brother of the london
Sam is the go to guy for all Catalan content 👌
What do you think are the most annoying openings to face for a lot of people? I think the Catalan French Kings Indian Scandinavian Alapin
Annoying for White for ALL club players are Modern/Pirc systems g6,d6, and Czech Pirc d6,c6,Qa5, . For Black, annoying are the Catalan, Reti and English.
For me, as a d4 c4 player, the King's Indian is the most annoying. So slippery!
What about kings pawn?
my glorious king 😍😍😍😍