Original subtitles

what's up y'all welcome to the chess giant

this is Solomon and del and in today's video

we're covering a

surprisingly solid and underrated system for black

against the move of e 4 which is this move of a knight

c 6 with the Nimzowitsch defense

now guys one of the biggest advantages of this move

on top of the fact that it is a solid system

is the fact that the E4 player is hardly

ever gonna be prepared against it

in fact I myself have played E4 since I was a kid

and I gotta be honest

I have not studied from the white perspective

the theory against the Nimzo witch a single time

growing up simply because I never saw

in fact I don't think I saw night C6 a single time

in an over the board tournament game guys

often times night C6 gets swept under the rug

from both the E 4 player and the black player

going against that centralized move

I mean there's so many different things

the e 4 player has to worry about right

this move of e 6 with the French

more classical option like e 5

the perk Scandinavian Carl Hans Sicilian owns defense

modern Alekhine's there's so many different things

that this e 4 player has to worry about

and if you never see this move in nice e 6

why study against it so I mean honestly

when you first play this move

96 whites probably not gonna be too worried

they're probably gonna think

that you're playing a subpar opening

but

this has been played thousands of times at the master

and grandmaster level but

if you really try to memorize the lines and variations

shown in this video

and also watch it through a few times

to really get the concepts

ideas and strategies

you're gonna be on your way to getting great

middle game positions and going on to win more games

now most of the time here guys

White's gonna play this move d 4 right

if white doesn't play d 4

we always have that option of playing e 5

and just entering into a regular e 4

e 5 and nice c 6 setup

if here white does play the move d 4

Black has two main options

both of which we're going to be covering in this video

the first is the Scandinavian variation with D5

putting some pressure on E4

and secondly we have the Kennedy variation of E5

putting some pressure on D4

I'm gonna be going over both again in this video

and I'll leave it up to you on which one you like more

and which one you wanna go with

on top of that if you kind of like both

you can always try both out and see how you like it

from a practical level

let's first cover this move of d 5

this is the most popular option

at the master and Grandmaster

level putting some pressure on e 4 and in this video

we're gonna be covering four main moves from white

including the main question okay

what happens if white just takes on d 5

we're then gonna be covering this move of e 5

White trying to expand in the center of the board

with the advanced variation

will cover this move of knight c 3 as well

which sometimes white tries to go with

if they are prepared for the theory

and finally this move of bishop b 5

you don't really see this move a ton as black

but I do want to cover it

simply because

if black doesn't know what they're doing

we can fall into trouble very quickly so guys

let's first again cover this move

the obvious question

what happens if white takes on d 5

unlike a French defense

or a Caro can defensive type system

we can't take back with a pawn

but we are gonna capture back with our queen

and put a ton of pressure on d 4

and here if we see a move like knight of 3 even

we're gonna continue with e 5 yet again guys

we have to play active in the Nimzo Witch defense

after knight c 6 we can't play passive chess

we gotta develop our pieces

as quickly as we possibly can

and in this case

we don't have one or two pieces attacking d 4

but also this pawn on e 5

and our bishops are locked and ready to go

on the back rank at a moment's notice

now guys

there are a few different things that white can try

here but let's answer this question of

why white can't just take on e 5 right

I mean okay

sure we're putting a ton of pressure on d 4

why can't white just get rid of that pressure however

and take on e 5

whole idea being if we take on e 5 back with a knight

we simply lose our queen well guys

in this case

we don't need to worry about winning this pawn off

right away in fact

we're simply gonna trade off

and notice now this white king cannot castle

and our king can

we're gonna continue here with this move of bishop g 4

threatening to win this pawn on e 5

as this knight is pinned to the king

and look

white can try to keep holding on to their pawns

they can play a move like bishop f 4

they can play a move here like king e one

holding on to f 2

they can play a move here like knight b 2

but we're just gonna continue with knight g 6

putting some pressure on this bishop

notice this key knight maneuver

and here if a move like bishop g 3

we can simply castle queenside

we are down upon

but you plug this into a computer program

it's gonna give you an advantage for black

every single time

simply because the activity of our pieces

and on top of that the fact that the whites

not really gonna be able to hang on to this pawn

for very long right

I mean at the moment we have two attacking pieces

our knight on g 6 and our knight on c 6

we have a move like rook h e 8 on the way

putting even more pressure on that pawn

and against the king on e 1

and remember guys this king simply cannot castle

we have a bishop on g 4 very active

putting pressure on f 3

a bishop on c 5 is also active in this game

putting some pressure on f 2

this knight on c 6 isn't just attacking the pawn e 5

but also eyeing ideas like knight d 4

at a moment's notice guys

from the white perspective

this is just a very hard position to work with

you are you are up a pawn

but that being said

trying to hold on to it is a nightmare

and this king is simply

not gonna be feeling comfortable for quite a while see

I'll go back to this key position of e 5

putting some pressure on d 4

if white wants to take on e 5

we're completely fine with that

we're gonna take away the right to castle

for the rest of the game

continue with Bishop g 4 pinning the knight on f 3

continuing to develop our pieces

and black there

with a very natural middle game position

what happens here

if white tries to move like knight c 3

trying to kick our queen around

well guys we're not gonna even move our queen

in fact we're just gonna play this move of bishop b 4

pinning that knight and here if I move like bishop d 2

okay snatch that knight off

play a move here like e 4

I mean if you wanna play knight d 2

we have knight f 6 with a space advantage

in a very solid game here

for move like 95 we'll snatch that knight off

play move like 97 notice here guys

we don't want to take this queen on d 1

because that would simply activate white truck

but instead we'll just support the queen and here

if y ever wants to take on d 5

we'll capture back with the knight

and have a very active

minor piece right in the center of the board here

if we see a move like bishop e 2 however

we can always play bishop f 5

just naturally developing our light square bishop

defending that pawn e 4

and then continuing with a move

like hassling queenside

and here black has achieved a quality

so y'all nice c 3 tries to kick this queen around

but it really doesn't

because of this move of bishop b 4

simply pinning it to the king on E1

what about this move of c 4

now this may seem a little bit scary

and at first sight it seems as if okay

I mean our queen's gotta run somewhere

and then a move like d 5 is gonna come in

but guys we actually have this option of queen e 4

with check against the king

notice how white simply cannot get this d 5 move in

if we see a move like bishop e 3

we're actually just going to

take the pawn off the board

and from this point

continue to trade and trade and trade

all the way to move 9

in which case we can now play bishop f 5

and then castle queenside

notice how often we're castling queenside

in the Nimzo witch defense here

if White castles queenside as well

we can play a move like 97 followed by night c 6

putting some pressure on d 4 guys

we have a very active bishop on f 5

and here

I would actually give a practical edge to black

we're both castled queenside

and white does have this pawn on c 4

but I would say that this actually helps black

in this case simply because of the fact

that this bishop is much more active

and we as black

are putting some pressure on d 4 at the moment

as well as e five we have a very nice square here

such as bishop b 4

for this bishop putting pressure on c 3

followed by putting a rook on e 8

I think that White's position is a little bit too loose

and this king may not be feeling comfortable

in the future I'm giving this position to black

in terms of who has the edge

see I'll go on back to the Scandinavian variation

in which case we play d 5

if white wants to take on d 5

we're simply going to capture back with our queen

look at e 5 ideas activate both of our bishops

and we are going to have ourselves a very active

middle game what happens here however

if white tries to lock the game up with e 5

going into the advanced variation

well in this case

black actually has a pretty simple game

we're gonna play bishop f five

followed by the move of e 6

notice how we're playing bishop f 5 first

and then playing e 6 instead of playing e 6

and then having a tall pawn on d 7 and or e 8

and here if we see a move like bishop d 3

we can always play knight g e seven

play a move here like Queen d 7

this is one of the options black has here

a very quiet move very practical option

I mean

here if white tries to play a move like Night g 3

we can always just snatch that bishop off

and really try to create more

of a presence on the king side of the board

with a move like h 5 looking to play h 4

kicking this knight around from some key light squares

and here if white stops this with h 4

we can play night g 6 now usually guys

if we have a pawn on h 5

having a knight on g 6 could be a little bit awkward

but guys notice there is no bishop on d 3

there's only a queen

and there's really no way for white to get rid of this

knight anytime soon

we're already putting pressure on h 4

we're eyeing a key square like f four

and from this point

black has some very easy developmental moves ahead

so y'all in this advanced variation type system okay

we're just gonna lock things up with Bishop f 5

e 6 etcetera

we could play Queen t 7

which is definitely a move here for black

but we could also try this idea of f 6

if you're really trying to mix things up a little bit

and create more inequalities look

we're putting some pressure on E5

if we see a move here from white

such as Bishop F4 or F4

we can always just continue developing right

play Queen d7 Castle on queen side

and keep the pressure in the center of the board here

on F6 and E5 and if white ever tries to take on F6

OK we take back with the G pawn

if I move like 9 to 4 here

we can snatch off that bishop like queen d 7

castling queenside is one move away

we currently have knight f 5 and also e 5

ideas available just kicking this knight around on f 4

Black here with a playable game

so if we see a move like e 5

going back to the Scandi variation

we can always just play bishop f 5

e 6 and then from that point

do you want to develop your pieces

or do you also want to throw in this move of f 6

that's really up to you

my biggest warning there is if you do play f 6

don't take on e 5 most of the time

allow white to take on f 6

and from there

you're gonna have a nice little pawn chain

set up in the center of the board

what about this move of knight c 3

now you're probably not gonna see this move very often

unless white is prepared for the Nimzo with defense

this is the Bogoljubov variation

white here putting some pressure on d 5

and also defending the pawn on e 4

and really the main idea here from white

is the fact that if we take on e 4

which by the way is the best move here

white is able to play d 5 look

if white wants to take on e 4

we can simply win this pawn on d 4 right

because we currently have two attacking pieces

on that pawn and here if we do see the move d 5

we're actually gonna centralize our knight to e 5

and here again white can fall into trouble very quickly

look if they want to take on e 4

which seems like the very easy move okay

they kicked away our knight

they can now take upon we now play this move of e 6

and there's surprisingly a ton of pressure

on that pawn on d 5

and if white wants to take on e 6

you know the drill we're gonna take on d 1 with check

play Bishop takes e 6 Castle coinside on black

there is gonna have an advantage in development

and here if we see a move like c 4 expanding

trying to defend that pawn

we can always play this move of night f 6 right

trying to put some pressure on that knight

if white wants to take on f 6

we can capture back with the queen

and if we see a move here like bishop g 5

which is played quite a bit in online chess

we can simply take off that pawn on d 5

play bishop before check

forcing something like knight c 3

in which case we can now castle kingside

and it goes without saying guys

that black here is simply better right

I mean we have a huge edge in development

five pieces out

white on the other hand only has two pieces developed

this knight is pinned on c 3

this isolated pawn on d 5 is a big target

and we have a move here like Rook e 8 on the way

really trying to aim towards that king on e 1

White here in some major major trouble

so y'all going back to this BOGO Jew up position

which case white plays d 5 forcing knight e 5

White here shouldn't really take on e 4

because we have e 6

eyeing to capture that pawn off on d 5

and if white defends it

with the most popular move online

was c 4 we have potential knight f 6 taking on d 5

and bishop b 4 check options available instead

the best move for white is actually queen d 4 right

just trying to kick her knight around

I mean we could play move here like f six

but this is only gonna make our development

extremely awkward

and also really compromise the safety

of our king on e 8

so instead we're just gonna play this move

knight g 6 and if white takes okay

we play knight of 6 if a move like queen a 4 check

we play bishop d 7 White can

continue to try to put as much pressure as they want

on our position

but we can always just play move here like a 6

whole idea being that we are

threatening to take this bishop

because the rook is defended now

since we play bishop d 7

and if white decides to take on d 7

we can simply take back with the queen

capture back with the knight

I would say that here white has a slight edge

in terms of the position and the evaluation

but that being said guys I mean

black here has very close to Equality

we have moves like night b 6 putting pressure on d 5

we can also castle Queenside here

black with the playable game

so we just covered a few different key variations

for white against the Scandinavian variation

and what to do against them

but I also wanted to cover this move of bishop b 5

again not very popular

but we need to know what we're doing

in fact right now

we're not gonna play a passive move like queen d 6 or

you know play a 6 trying to attack this bishop guys

we're simply gonna just take off the pawn on e 4

and we don't actually have to be worried about d 5

because of this move of a 6 right

attacking the bishop whole idea being

if you want to play a move like bishop a 4

we simply have b 5 right

expanding on the queen side

if you want to take on c 6

we can capture off your queen

take on e 4 we're currently up a pawn

I mean

right here can play a move like n a C 3 in which case

okay I mean we simply can't hold on to both

but we can play a move there like e 5

continue to rapidly develop our pieces

and notice that their king cannot castle

and our king can very interesting position here

I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that

Black's pawn structure is amazing

but that being said we are up a pawn

so if white wants a pawn okay

I mean from that point

we're just going to

continue to naturally develop our pieces

play chess and also try to put pressure on c 6

one key idea here for black

that you can use is playing e 5

and then trying to play knight e 7

and simply snaps that pawn off the board

which is really gonna free up some of our squares

on the queenside camp

see y'all against D5 again

we have to play this move of a 6 if we don't play this

we're simply just gonna lose a piece right

I mean if we don't play a 6

we're simply gonna lose a piece

and we're gonna have a lost game

so we gotta play this move of a 6

prepare to play B five against the move like bishop a 4

what happens here if white captures off the knight

with either the pawn or the bishop

let's first cover this move of bishop

captures on c 6 with check

well in this case okay

we take back with the b pawn

capture off the queen

and here black with a relatively simple and easy game

if white tries to win this pawn on e 4

we can always play a move here

like bishop f 5 defending it

and from this point okay

I mean we have ideas like castling

queenside with check and knight

e 7 again followed by knight captures on c 6

black here with a solid position to work with

so the bishop takes c 6 okay

we just capture off that bishop

take the queen and we're sitting at even material

what about this move of d takes on c 6

well in this case yet again take on d 1 with check

make this king uncastled

and then simply play a takes b five alright

we're looking to capture on c 6

and if white wants to take on b 7

we simply capture back and here's the deal

we're up a pawn in material

we have castling queenside for the 30th time in a row

looking to check this king

we're defending the pawn on e 4

development comes very easy

and you know what I'm gonna say

we're just playing chess see y'all again

going back to this bishop b 5 move

we don't need to be afraid of d 5 right

in fact if white does play d 5

we simply play a 6 holiday being if you take my knight

I'm gonna take your minor piece as well

and if bishop a 4 we have b 5 ready to go

but what happens here

if white plays a move like nice c 3 right

not playing d 5 which runs into a 6

but instead just naturally developing a piece

and actually looking to capture off this pawn on e 4

we'll notice guys

we cannot capture this pawn on d 4 okay

if you do that you might as well just resign

because this knight cannot capture back

as is pinned to the king on e 8

so queen takes d 4 is definitely not the answer here

the answer is actually this move of bishop d 7 right

just defending the knight on c 6 and here

if we see a move like knight takes e 4

we're actually gonna go up a pawn in material

because we can capture off that pawn on d 4

whole idea being if you want to take on d 7

we play queen captures and we're defending the knight

and if queen captures d 4

we snatch off the bishop and here yet again guys

we're up upon black here with a one game

so we play this move of bishop d 7 against knight c 3

whole idea being look

you can take on e 4

which actually seems like a very solid move I mean

why wouldn't white just take upon here

and then be looking at ideas like d 5

well the answer is that we have knight takes c 4

and we're going to be the ones going up

a material there what happens if white plays d 5 now

well in this case okay

we'll just play 95

we'll be prepared to capture back with the queen

and if they move like queen d 4 again

the common idea dropping our knight back to g 6

knight f 6 ready to go and we're just playing chess

so y'all that concludes our segment

on the Scandinavian variation

with d five right

just pushing that light squared pawn

putting some pressure on e 4

and playing chess from that point

a ton of nice variations and ideas there however

there is another way for the Nimzoff

defense player to approach the system

and that is by playing the Kennedy variation with e 5

right using the e pawn

putting some pressure on d 4

as I mentioned

the Scandinavian variation is the most popular option

at the master and Grandmaster level

but e 5 is the most popular option as a whole

a lot of players really like going with this

especially in online chess

we're putting some pressure on d 4

and white now has a big decision to make

the moves that we're really gonna be covering

that give us the most to study

include these moves of d 5

attacking our knight

and also this move of pawn takes on e 5

but before we do these two main options of D5

advancing the pawn

and simply capturing off the pawn on E5

let's look at this move of knight F3

I just wanted to mention this move

because we actually just transposed into a Scotch game

and I'm not going to spend a ton of time here

because we just transposed

into a totally different opening system

but usually guys this position would be reached by E4

d 5 knight of 3

knight of 6 and then d 4

if I was walking by a board and I saw this position

I would probably not think that

but it was originally a Nimzo

Witch defense type position

but okay I mean

in this position guys

you can take on T4 and against night takes T4

you have a lot of different options here

including night of 6

Bishop C5 and queen f 6 attacking the knight on d 4

there's also this move of bishop b 4 with check

which some players like

but I personally don't really like it

for black as white can simply play c 3

so my recommendations there are playing knight f 6

simply developing playing bishop c 5

going to the classical variation

or Queen F 6 simply putting some pressure on d 4

it's gonna take some study time

let me know if you think

I should make a video on how to play

against the Scotch game

in a video down in the comments below

so y'all night

F3 is one way that white can kind of transpose

into a different opening system

there's also this move of C3 right

really just trying to defend the pond on t 4

and keep these ponds intact

and here

there's actually a few different things that we can do

as black

one of them is just playing this move night of 6 right

putting some pressure on e 4

whole idea being if you play move like d 5

we can always transfer our knight to the king

side of the board

we're eyeing squares such as bishop c 5 for our bishop

potentially and really

we're just creating a presence

on the king side of the board right

both of these knights are very active

we're eyeing key dark squares such as f 4 and h four

and we have a solid game ahead of us

so y'all one option here is playing night F6

ready to play night E 7 followed by night G6

kind of a Mortimer variation type system there

we could always just take this pawn on d 4 as well

and then play d 5 right

very simple way to play I mean

just take that pawn advance in the center

if you see a move like he takes d 5

okay we take back with the queen

and we're really going up against an isolated pawn

with moves like bishop b 4 and bishop g 4

ready to go if these nights ever come in

and here if you see a move like e 5 from white

we can always just develop here with Bishop f 5

the computer variation is actually this move of f 6

right just trying to put some pressure on e 5

but black can fall into trouble there

if they're not careful

a move like Bishop f 5 is very safe

and it's just a good natural developmental move

in any case bishop f 5 or f 6 here

and you're gonna have yourself a solid game of chess

see how we can play a move like that f 6

we can take on d 4

we could also even just play a move like d 5 right

expanding in the center of the board immediately

whole idea being if he takes d 5

we capture back with the queen and if d takes e 5

we're able to play bishop e 6 here

there's actually a few different moves

that black can go with

including I take e 5 taking the pawn night e 7

I personally find this bishop e 6 move

forward to be very fascinating right

I mean we're looking to Castle Queenside very quickly

we're already up in development and if you take on d 5

we're actually gonna take back with the queen

holy idea being look

you can trade down

we are down a pawn but here's the thing

just because Queens are off

the board doesn't mean that attacking chess is over

here we're gonna play this move of a f 6

simply looking to take our pawn back

and here if we take on f 6

we're gonna get our knight active and into the game

we have moves here

such as bishop c 5 and rook h e 8 available

this bishop on d 5 is an absolute monster

putting pressure on g 2

as well as a 2 if y ever decides to castle queenside

and if you play a move like c 4

you can kick our bishop back

but then you're gonna have weak squares

such as d four and b 4 for our knight

and our bishop on f 8 here

black with a big advantage

I'm taking black here any day of the week

so on top of knight f 3 going into the Scotch game

I did want to mention c 3

which defends the pawn on d 4

in that case however we have achieved Equality

we have a lot of different moves there

including knight f 6 taking the pawn

and d 5 expanding in the center of the board

immediately what happens if white here

goes into one of the main lines

with d captures on E5

what happens if white just takes off this pond

well here okay

we're gonna even out the material now

white has two main moves that you're going to see

most of the time one of them just night of three

putting some pressure on E5

and the other playing F four

trying to kick this night around

let's first take a look at this move of night F3

in this case we're simply gonna capture off the night

and then play a move like Queen F6

and guys white

here is gonna have to deal with the fact that

we're simply gonna trade off Queens

or that this queen's gonna have to run away right

White's gonna have to play move like Queen G3

actually a pretty good move putting pressure on C7

we have to be careful here

we don't wanna play d six

because in the development

is gonna be very awkward and cramped

we're instead actually gonna play this move of Bishop d

6 attacking the queen on g 3

white here with yet again

another decision to kind of run away with the queen

another time to score like d three or B 3

why here could also try this move of f four

which is the best option now

actually

threatening ideas like E5 and the future potentially

but we are gonna play this move of bishop b 4

with check again

attacking the king if you play a move like nice e 3

we'll snatch that knight off

giving you some pretty terrible pawn structure

if you play bishop d 2

we're gonna win the pawn on b two

and if I move like c 3 we're gonna play bishop c 5

I don't usually recommend

playing three straight bishop moves in a row

but notice what we did here

by doing so

we really did nothing but allow white to play f 4 and c

3 does this help or hurt white in the long run

I would say that it's actually more beneficial

for black because first off

f 4 does two things for us sure

I mean white does have more of a space advantage

in the center of the board now

but in terms of the black perspective

this pawn on c 7 is no longer attacked right

we played Bishop d 6 forcing f four

and okay Queen takes c 7 is no longer a threat

on top of that by forcing white to play f 4

our bishop on c 5 is preventing the white king

from castling kingside right

and on top of that sure

white does have that space advantage

but if white ever does play this move of e 5

the light squares are gonna be extremely weak

and I just don't see any real threats against the king

on E8 in a position like this

I mean even a move like Queen G6 is very playable

just looking to trade down

putting some pressure on H2 and looking at night e 7

night f 5 ideas very nice game here for black

so y'all if we ever see a move like e 5

we can simply slide our queen over one step to the left

and we're gonna be okay

what about this move of knight d 2

or a move like knight d 2

White just trying to develop their pieces

we actually have this idea of d 5

expanding in the center of the board again

if white wants to play e 5

these light squares

particularly the square of f 5 is gonna be very weak

and if white takes on d 5 here

well f 5 is gonna be weak anyways right

we have this move of knight h 6

I'm key squares like g 4 and f 5

both of which put pressure on these highlighted

dark squares

which are already attacked by our bishop on c 5 right

I mean just talk about a monster position for black

we have ideas like castling

kingside and rook to 8 in the air

night of 5 with tempo against the queen

and then just throwing our knight right into e 3

I mean there's so many different ideas here

white here with a very cramped and awkward game

this king cannot castle kingside yet again

because of our bishop it's actually very interesting

I mean if you plug this into a computer program

it's gonna give you a 0.4 advantage for white

so technically here white is doing okay

however guys

this is a computer speaking

this is stockfish this is a

you know really computer analysis

assuming that white is going to play perfect defensive

chess one slip up

and black could win this game very quickly

without much warning

so that covers the smooth of knight f 3 right

against the Kennedy variation

white takes on e 5 plays knight f 3 in that case

OK just snatch off that knight

play queen f six and we're just playing chess

what about this move of f 4

this may seem very intimidating

as right now white is currently attacking four squares

on the 5th rank at the moment

but that being said guys black is completely okay

in fact in this position

we're looking again at a move like bishop c 5

preventing this king from castling kingside

and if white tries to stop this with a move

like Bishop e 3 obviously can't play Bishop c 5

but we can play this move of d 5

shocking response fighting for the center of the board

putting some pressure on e 4

here's the thing if white plays a move like e 5

their position is just gonna be absolutely miserable

right I mean these pawns are way too overextended

we have d 4 ideas in the air

f 5 is extremely weak right

so e 5 black there with the edge

no doubt about it if white here takes on d 5

we have this key knight before idea

by the way if white plays queen takes d 5 okay

let's take the queen and then play knight before

if white takes right away we had knight before

putting pressure on both d five and c 2

and some of you are probably wondering okay

what's the big deal here right

I mean

what happens if white just plays a move like night c 3

defending the pawn on d 5

well in this case

we have the key idea of queen e 7

attacking the pinned piece on e 3

which originally

was just trying to stop bishop c 5 from happening

now it's pinned because of this d 5 and queen e 7 idea

white here has to defend it

if they defend it with a move like queen e 2

we can always just take on c 2

distracting the queen

and then evening out the material

playing a move like bishop c 5

and notice just how much of a monster this bishop is

attacking f 4 attacking the knight

preventing white from castling queenside

very easy development on the way

and black here with the edge

now going back to this move of queen e 7 okay

if you see a move like queen e 2

just take on c two

and you're gonna have yourself a nice game there

what about king f 2

well in this case white is holding on to material

but yet again the key idea

Knight h 6 this looks so strange

but guys we're not just trying to attack g 4

we're also trying to hide the square of f 5

and if you look at this position

at first sight it may seem as if

Black's pieces are a little bit awkward

but they are doing a beautiful job

we're currently threatening night g 4

check against the king

simply winning this bishop and check

meeting that king very quickly after

a lot of threats a lot of ideas on the board

I mean if white ever plays a move like h 3

we have night f 5 looking at

you know queen takes e 3 and queen h 4

followed by activating our bishop

guys here black with a hyper dynamic and active game

and in just a few moves

white may be close here to throwing in the towel

so that covers this move of d takes e 5

right against the candy variation

if white accepts this pawn

we're just going to take back with the knight

whole idea being if f 4 we have knight c 6

and if knight f 3 okay

we take off that knight play queen f 6

and we're just playing chess

what about this move of d 5

this is by far

White's most popular option in online chess

but I actually really like this line for black

because here we're going to play this move of knight c

e 7 right

what happens here

if white plays the most popular option of c 4

expanding on the queen side of the board

well really the main idea here guys

is that

we're trying to transfer our knight over to the king

side of the board right

again key idea

knight e 7 knight g 6

and now one of the biggest questions

that we have to ask ourselves is

how to activate this bishop properly

on f 8 guys

we don't wanna play passive chess here

we don't wanna play d 6

and then just put this bishop on e 7

where it's barely gonna be able to move

we wanna put this bishop on either c 5 or b 4

and white simply cannot stop both right

for example

let's say white here plays a move like bishop e 3

trying to prevent bishop c 5 from coming into the game

okay we play bishop b 4 check

and we now play knight f 6

threatening to win this pawn on e 4

as this knight is pinned and here

if we see a move like f 3

I'm actually a big fan of this idea of playing b six

notice guys

we can't play d 6 here because of queen a 4 with check

and we just lost ourselves a minor piece right

so going back to f 3 we got to play b 6 here

but we're not just playing b 6

to really develop this bishop and not lose the bishop

on b 4 we're actually playing this move of b 6

not so much to Fianchetto this bishop

but to actually play bishop c 5 right here

if white plays a move like a 3

we're going to play bishop c 5

attacking the bishop on e three here

if white decides to take on c 5

we're going to take back with the pawn

lock this game up with a move like d 6

and black here with a fantastic position

I mean

talk about owning the dark squares here night at 4

we're eyeing the square of h 4 we have knight h 5

knight at 4 queen g 5 queen h 4 ideas there

Knight h 5

followed by those queen moves are very strong

we have a move like rook p 8 attacking the pawn on b 2

guys there's so many options here for black

white here with a very awkward game

so if we see a move like bishop takes c 5 okay

we're not actually too worried about getting

double pawns

we're gonna play d 6 followed by knight h 5

knight f 4 queen g 5 you get the drill rook b eight

they're black has a fantastic game

what happens here

if white declines to capture off the bishop

and just plays a move like queen e 2

well okay we're not gonna take this bishop

we're actually just gonna play this move d six

and continue developing right

it's gonna be very hard for white

to make anything happen here

and black here with the practical edge

so against the move d 5 we're playing knight e 7

we're transferring our knight over to g 6

and we're really gonna try to activate our bishop on a

f 8

by either putting it on c five

or by putting it on b 4

either of these are great for black however

I wanted to finish this video out by covering this move

of f 4 at first sight guys

this may seem very scary

it may seem as if black is simply getting steamrolled

in this position and if we play a move like d 6

that may be true but guys

we're surprisingly just gonna play Knight g 6 anyways

remember against c 4 how we just play knight g 6

well things don't really change against the move of f 4

because of the fact that we have this queen h 4

check idea against the king

if white wants to take on e 5 or play f 5

in either case we have queen h 4 against this king

if you want to play g 3 we got about a boom

about a bang

winning that rook on h 1 as we check that king

and white's gonna have to block

and here if I move like king d 2

I actually don't really care at all

about this knight on g 6 right

I mean I just don't care

I'm gonna try to checkmate this king on d 2

as quickly as I can I'm gonna play knight f 6

looking to capture on e 4 with check

I mean here if white plays a move like night c 3

it's obvious to say that black here is simply crushing

and if they take the knight trying to go up a piece

well this game is almost over right

we play knight takes E4 forward check

this king is simply not gonna be surviving very long

thank you guys for watching today's video

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