Sports & Gaming

Molly's Game

Lesson time 06:04 min

“It seems like the whole army is coming for me.” After Molly opens with the Sicilian, Garry counters with a quiet move. From there, Garry talks through how he developed his pieces and explains how Molly could have created more discomfort for him.

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Garry Kasparov

Teaches Chess

Garry Kasparov teaches you advanced strategy, tactics, and theory in 29 exclusive video lessons.

Preview

So before you played-- Sicilian. Right, Sicilian. Learning. Learning the Sicilian. e6. And I decide to play this quiet move. Played against Wesley So in blitz here in St. Louis. I lost the game, but I was totally winning and blundered a piece. And it's a decent move. Not too ambitious. And I think black probably should play d6, just to prepare development, and just to stop our pawn moving, because here is a-- I think I had slight edge. I forgot to-- It's not a big deal, so I just made a quiet move. So, it's one of the options. There's another one maybe, to play Na3, or just Bb5. Different ways of playing this position. Because this poor pawn just creates some kind of discomfort here. This is the like long-term plan. Because eventually we can play d6, for instance, and then go back, just to make sure that my bishop is not taking the pawn, then to take this. But white eventually develops the pieces, and Bg2, 0-0, and then playing d4. But that will be probably the best for you so just to go after this pawn. To go get it. So that's why I think I would recommend Na3 go just to, or just to play Bb5. And still playing with this pawn, preventing you just to attack my stronghold. I thought it would be-- I should leave it there to keep your bishop out of here. Yeah, I know but-- OK, that's what's happened so, 0-0. And then, I don't know, we still gotta play d6, exd6. And then either playing Bf6 or take here, but still, I go d4 and then I just have two knights can't get the bishops, especially this one. It gives me some edge. b5 is not really a bad move, because you now keep your knight here. So I play Na3 here maybe. I don't know, maybe you could have played Ba6 here. Instead of that. a6, I guess c4. So now, the exchange, my knight. OK, and that's where it's going anyway. Yeah, now that my knight is here, Bb7, d4, and now white has a comfortable position. It's probably not a big deal. So if you wanted to play a5, I would have played here a5 immediately, and then to bishop here. So it's still OK, but this move is lousy because I put my rook here, and it'll be X-ray. So that's why, if you want to put your queen, so you rather go b8, maybe. But still I would make this exchange because Qc7, I took-- I'm going to start my-- Attack. Attack, because then Ne4 and Nd6, that's one plan. But this one is also good so, I do an exchange and actually to threaten eventually, just go on f5. So for instance if you take this pawn and I just have this Nf5. And it's all now, just all hanging. Everything. My queen is in trouble. All this in trouble. So now you had to probably still take here. Just to put bishop here and just try to hold on this square. Because that's bad news. Now we start an attack. We want to cut this bishop, but you ended up with is bishop playing the de...

About the Instructor

At age 22, Garry Kasparov became the youngest world chess champion. After beating Bobby Fischer’s peak rating, he outranked his fiercest competitors for over twenty years. Now, Garry is ready to share the chess strategy that made him a six-time world champion. Through detailed lessons, including his favorite openings and advanced tactics, you will develop the instincts and philosophy to become a stronger player.

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Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov teaches you advanced strategy, tactics, and theory in 29 exclusive video lessons.

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