IamA Kingscrusher - Chess Entrepreneur and very keen Chess Enthusiast AMA!

Hello there!

What are the basic strategies of chess that everyone who wants to learn chess should know?

When starting chess, I feel that:

• Controlling the Center
• King Safety
• Piece development
• Material
• Tactics ( a complement of "strategy" )

are very important concepts to get used to

Meta/cognitive questions;

Tell me about your thought process within your turn... Intuitive? Brute force or guided what-if scenarios?

I ask because I play intuitively (this "seems" to progress my goal etc) and not exhaustively contemplate potential moves and counter moves. How many moves do you think ahead? Or is it a question of pattern recognition/ memorization of layouts?

Lastly are you in an attacking or defending mindset?

I created quite a few conceptual tools over the years including:

"Strategic crush" "Appreciating the signficiance of all the seemingly insignificant details" "Docking computer" (with many examples on the channel - how forcing moves are really important to show tactical vulnerabilities) "Maintaining the tension"

See this playlist for concrete examples: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL03851A93F2E0E80E

These all are like "double-edged-swords" which is the current level of abstraction I use at the moment with some great success in recent long OTB games.

If we took your two tools you just mentioned:

"Moves thinking ahead" "Pattern recognition"

You really need them to work together once you see they are both double-edged-swords

For example what is the point of calculating a variation 15 moves ahead but not evaluating properly the final position ?! And vice-versa

Evaluation needs Calculation and Vice-Versa

Within calculation, there are important "don't bother analysiing further" stop signs like "No counterplay here" etc.

Can you explain piece development and material?

Kasparov looks at Chess like this:

Material, Quality and Time

These are like three inter-dependent aspects of Chess.

You can often sacrifice material to gain time or Quality. Time or Quality can often be used to gain material or just a strong attack on the Opponent's king.

"Material" is measured by the amount of bits you have, and the standard piece values:

King - infinite value
Queen - 9.5
Rook 5 
Bishop 3.5
Knight 3
Pawn 1

But these values are very contextually dependent.

"piece development" literally means trying to get your pieces "developed" into good roles for the position. E.g. a strongly placed knight, or bishop.

Rooks generally need open files. 
Knights need "outposts". 
Bishops need nice diagonals. 
etc

"Development" is in context - in closed positions for example, fast development might not be that essential.

Are you as good as Jerry from Chess Network?

Well, I think if he plays on the ICC, maybe his statistics would be just as good as mine. He is a very good player and great commentator. We never really played above two minute chess. I have a game on Youtube with him here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Ze-cb427w

As a follow up, are there any members of the chess community who you feel are allies? It always struck me as odd that high level players seem so... solitary? Why not teams, at a high level, or clubs, do those exist at your level for study/practice/fun purposes?

Yes my chess club team mates at Barnet Chess Club and Muswell Hill Chess club in particular. We go to tournaments together as well sometimes.

It has been said that if Chess is a battle, then Go is the war.

What is your opinion on Go?

I don't really know much about Go except that Computers struggle with it for beating the best Go players. It is great that games exist like that which can't yet be programmed for beating the top players.

Bobby Fischer: genius or just a good kisser?

Clearly a chess genius.

Thank you for your time. :)

Thank you - here is my Bobby Fischer Youtube playlist if you are interested in Fischer's games:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9JCz2Gsbqe6SHLYX3WIpYHcaqVSpc7eK

• Is it hard to pick up chess as a hobby?
• What are some of the best resources to use for learning chess?
• What is the most important thing to work on when learning chess to improve quickly?

The mechanics and rules of the game can be picked up in less than 10 minutes.

But many people then use a lifetime fo study chess and never really "master" it :)

To improve quickly it is generally thought that studying tactics is the most important thing for getting good results. Often many people do puzzle training to this end.

I know how to play chess, but I have no strategy and my friends always beat me. Please share some tips on how to win?

Here is a Reddit Chess Tips Youtube video I created: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efQubM3Q2Kg

What's your prefered opening?

Right now it is certainly not the french defence - I had a string of losses with it last season, and have taken up the Sicilian defence in more recent games against 1.e4

Against 1.d4 I still like to use the Kings Indian Defence - probably because of influences from Fischer and Kasparov. I feel I ought to know more about the Slav defence to 1.d4.

With White I generally like to mix things up with 1.d4 1.e4 1.c4

Hi Kingscrusher, and thank you for doing this. I have a few questions for you:

Is chess your primary method of earning a living? How is it working out for you (no need for numbers)?

What is a typical day for you like? You produce lots of videos--what goes into that?

Do you think the chess community suffers from a lack of diversity (under-representation of women, personality type, etc)?

I have lots more, but I don't want to overwhelm you!

Well I am degree qualified 2:1 from Brunel University (West London) in Computing in Business, so am able to do IT stuff as well. Chess is a significant part of my living though, and it stared with Chessworld.net back in 2001 which is still going well.

Do you think the chess community suffers from a lack of diversity (under-representation of women, personality type, etc)?

Well I think individuals will be attracted to what they are attracted to.

Some girls/women are chess fanatical. Chess also has special women's titles and women's events. The 4NCL chess league encourages one female player per team. Maybe initiatives like that help to get more women into the game.

Can you boost me in league?

Generally it is good to get higher rated people to play on the high boards if you want to do well in your chess league - aim for the lowest board possible as teams are ordered generally by rating :)

If you want some chess traps, try here:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL17D9F35805CE0A76

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I think both are needed. Practice is really important in Chess. Often if just reading about chess theoretically e.g. pawn structures and doubled pawns, the "exploitability" of such theory needs to be put into an actual real game - e.g. where the Kings are,etc, for any of the theory to actually be effective.

How has your rating progressed with age?

I seem to have flatlined around 1400 in online blitz games in my early 20s. Been stuck there for about 7 years now, but I just play casually. ANy chance of me ever getting better at this point?

Yes just consider every single concept you have ever thought of as a "double edged sword" and try playing with that guide. It has helped me get a performance rating equivalent of 225 ECF ( over FIDE 2420 ) in my recent games in the Herts league.

Check my initial ECF grade progression here:

http://www.gtryfon.demon.co.uk/bcc/About_BCC/aboutbcc.htm

Do you think about life like it's a chess game, like strategically/logically work out all your actions? And does chess skills ever come in handy in real life?

Well in life you don't have complete information.

In Chess you do have complete information.

Kasparov has an interesting book about this - "How life immitates chess"

http://www.amazon.com/How-Life-Imitates-Chess-Boardroom/dp/1596913886

I think I agree with his of his observations

But life has passion, love etc which is much richer than the logic on a chessboard :)

Hi, there... Love your youtube channel and watch them regularly. Have a few questions:

1. What do you think is the best opening (for both black and white) for weak players like myself?
2. I always have trouble (playing as white) when I play against Sicilian Defense... Any help?
3. Is using Houdini regularly the best way to develop skills?
4. I know you kinda answer this already but I have to ask again: Borislav Ivanov, did he cheat?
5. Which type of chess (time wise) do you like the most?

Apologize of the long list of questions and thanks for doing such AMA. Cheers )

1. Whatever you enjoy most, because if you enjoy the positions you will generally put more enthusiastic mental "work" in during the game

2. Try different "styles" of play against the Sicilian - e.g. the Closed Sicilian, or anti-sicilians, or Gambits against it - e.g. Smith-Morra Gambit. Find the style that suits you best.

3. No - it is good for finding clinical resources though and getting to the truth of positions more from a technical perspective. This can be a useful tool.

4. I reckon overall based on the evidence it is 95+% + likely he did

5. My club OTB chess brings me the most pain and pleasure right now

What is your favorite style/design of chess piece?

Do you feel any connection with the style and tactile feel of the pieces such as felting and weighting? Wood/marble, etc?

Does your favorite design improve your play?

Staunton design - which is standard for UK tournaments.

There is a strong link for me between aesthetics of a chess environment :

lighting, quality of chess sets, space at board, availability of drinks etc and the motivation I have to play

I remember once playing on a terrible board with ridges and felt demotivated and unable to play that well.

Yes I feel the right conditions for play generally give me a nice mood and motivation.

You've taken quite a few GM and IM scalps in your blitz series - if you have a good season in league do you ever think about playing in a few tourneys to try and upgrade your CM to an FM?

Thanks for doing this btw, very enjoyable.

Yes possibly - although the new concepts I have of "double edged swords" have given me a 228 performance in the herts league over 8 games (and I also now have 3 wins in the Middlesex league) , i have yet to try my luck on one day FIDE time controls. I should try and play in some FIDE this year. Maybe one can be content with a good ECF rating though - they are based for me on far more games.

What openings would you say are essential to learn if you're just starting out?

The Giuoco piano has a lot of lessons to be learned like the f7 square, piece development etc.

How do you feel about chess-boxing?

It is getting very popular and combines two seemingly very different activities in a fun and entertaining way for the general public.

BTW Lennox Lewis is apparently very keen on Chess.

Hi! Thanks for doing the AMA. Big fan. Do you have any tips for an aspiring handmade chess set maker (www.etsy.com/shop/toolchess)?

Probably to try and check out why the Staunton chess piece design is so successful. The angles of aesthetics and functionality need to be married to each other.

Good afternoon, Kingscrusher!

I want to first thank you for your videos - I've learned so much from them (especially your more detailed analyses of GM-level matches) and truly appreciate the service that you provide fledgling players such as myself.

My question: How do you feel about lower ELO players using more dubious openings such as the Blackmar-Diemer and Smith-Morra under normal time controls? On one hand I like to play attacking chess, but on the other I don't want to get into the habit of making unsound choices.

Thanks again!

The style of play is largely dictated by the time control. For most club players, a game in the evening is vastly different from a one day FIDE rated game. As such Gambits can be really effective for generating pressure in a practical sense, and I have often done well in Club level chess with gambits.

At the extreme, correspondence style chess is all about solidity and accuracy at every single move.

Hi, I view a lot of your youtube videos and find them entertaining and instructional. My question: How often/common is it to blunder during blitz games? I play 30 min games online sometimes and still blunder even after thinking over moves for minutes at a time. What's the best way to avoid blunders in blitz?

Part of the entertainment of blitz are the blunders from both sides. It is not something to be concerned with - humans generally are much much weaker tactically than engines.

What one can do in rapid chess which often the 2700+'s did in the recent London Classic is play for quieter opening systems with less emphasis on tactics - e.g. Kings Indian Attack formation with White.

Whats your favourite film?

This year it is American Hustle. Amazing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1800241/

Yea! Nice to see some Chess love! I'm sure you're a heavy hitter from your resume there Kingscrusher. Do you ever play the variations, like Fischer (randomized back row) or 3D chess?

Yep I played a lot of Chess 960 (Fischer Random) on Chesscube and lichess

• What's the reason for stopping doing the five-minute liveplay vids - just tired of the format? Are you still playing them a lot off-camera or are you just on a break from the format entirely?

• Do chess video makers receive remuneration from chesscube for doing live commentary of the warzones/other tournaments? (not that there's anything wrong with that, just interested).

• When are you going to do some more 5min dual commentary vids vs chessexplained? :)

From a personal perspective hitting 2380 on the ICC autopairing just encouraged the use of a very fixed strategy - for me it was "access paths" which when applied to a long game just isn't good enough - in a long game, one needs to combine a lot of ideas, and blitz doesn't really encourage that.

Q2 - no, not unless I guess they wanted to have the videos as part of their online store. I think generally Chesscube features IM and GM titled videos in their video store.

Q3- I'm not really keen on playing other channels anymore

Why can't I ever beat my computer in chess?

Because it is checking millions of positions as second, and computers have overtaken the strongest humans from the 1990s.

Hello! Big fan of your videos.

My question is this: what should one study to go from ~1500-2000+

Honestly any idea or generalisation you make - try and make sure it isn't too rigid - try and undertand its pro's and con's and aquire multiple skill sets - like positional play, tactics, endgames etc. Having just one area of training like puzzles doesn't seem right to me. A "balanced diet" of chess improvement should be good for most people to improve.

An emphasis on tactical training with puzzles is often recommended. Maybe put priority here but also try for multiple-skills development.

What is one good advice you can give to some chess novice like me?

Have fun and try not to be disheartened when losing games - try and learn from losses.

Hey Kingcrusher,

I am FIDE rated player myself and I thank you very much for doing this AMA.

1) I have been unable to play in FIDE approved tournaments for about 1 year now and my rating keeps falling.Is there a provision to contact FIDE and freeze my rating for some time?

2) Also what are your thoughts on Magnus Carlsen?

3) How to start learning blind chess (it scares the crap out of me) ?

1) If you don't play in FIDE tournaments, your FIDE rating remains unchanged

2) He is a genius and shows a new style of chess quite distinctive for our times.

3) I wouldn't myself - too much mental strain

Mato Jelic. I watch quite alot of his youtube videos. He provides excellent chess analysis. What is your opinion on him?

I like quite a few other channels in different ways - I feel each channel attracts a particular niche. Matojelic is a popular channel who clearly serves his niche well.

What are your thoughts on the Sicilian Defense?

I have had some fun games with the Sicilian defence this season - for me as black it is good to try and get rid of my pawns and aim for piece play. The Sicilian often achieves this better than the French defence.

WOW surprised to see this AMA on here and let me say, I am a huge fan and have been a subscriber on youtube for over a year now. The level of your analysis was a whole new dimension of chess for me at the time; thank you.

My question is: how long did it take for you to feel like a big figure in the online chess community, when did you realize your contributions? Or do you not feel this way?

Well I am really suprised recently - I didn't know for example if anyone would have been that interested in my commentary for the recent World championship and was really shocked at the viewing numbers on the channel. It has taken me by suprise to be honest in a very pleasant way :)

Do you have any other interests in games, other than chess? I feel that an understanding of other strategy games can help improve overall strategy. How do you go about learning strategy? Any significant readings? "The Art of War"?

Yes I am a compulsive "Scramble" player on the Iphone. I don't mind losing to by sparring friend by a ratio even of 100 to 1. It seems to use another part of my brain and is quite relaxing.

The Art of War - and also the film "The Karate Kid" have a lot going from them in terms of higher level generic strategies.

I feel that abstraction for any concepts one deduces combined with cynicism on their use (understand their pros and cons thoroughly - treat them as "double edged swords") - allows one to coordinate and understand more the dynamics of any strategic abstractions.

I'm hosting a chess strategy workshop at my high school in a few weeks, I thought I'd teach about pins, forks, and keeping control of the center if the board. Would you say those are the fundamentals, or would you add anything to that?

Perhaps right from the beginning emphasise the "double-edged-sword" aspect of any generalisations presented. So for example if "knight on the rim id dim" show some exceptions to the rule. For central control, emphasise "control" and not just "occupation". For pins, forks, etc, emphasis the underlying "forcing move" calculation aspects of this - and how even analysing outrageous forcing moves can help awareness of tactical vulnerabilities in a position. See my "docking computer" videos in this regard here:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kingscrusher+docking+computer&sm=3

I fear that if you feed too many crutches, although it can get someone to a certain ratiing, they may end up stuck there for years after.

What advice do you have for a 16 year old like me?

Chess in moderation - School work comes first. Education first. Chess is a game.

Thanks for doing the IamA Chess is a fascinating game, just wondering is there any statistical difference in what color you start out with correlated to winning? Like the white pieces have a 1% edge? Also, would the edge be different based on skill level? Like if two moderates were playing, maybe White is 5% edge? Just curious, also how many times has the Blitzkrieg worked for you?

Generally it is assumed that having the White pieces is a good small advantage to have in Chess.

For myself I think it linked with your own psychology. If you can enjoy playing with the Black pieces, and enjoy counterattack, provocation etc, then it can be very rewarding to have the black pieces.

One should never be disheartened - whatever colour one is playing.

Hi KC thanks for doing this AMA, I enjoy your videos and particularly appreciate your activity on r/chess!

What are your thoughts on the recent Ivanov cheating scandal? Do you foresee other chess players attempting to replicate this as technology grows to permit it, or perhaps this is just a blip in the chess world.

Thanks in advance.

This is a concern for the security and integrity of Over the Board Chess and may get worse in the future with increasingly subtle technologies. It may lead to increased security measures taken.

When I Play against my dad he always brings the queen out early and consistenly uses it in the early game to disrupt my development. As in every time I develop he looks for ways to pressure my king, so I spend my pieces trying to defend rather than developing towards the center. What should I do in this kind of situation as I KNOW early queens are not necessarily advisable.

Secretly get this book:

"How to Beat Your Dad at Chess"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beat-Your-Chess-Gambit-chess/dp/1901983056/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389334195&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+beat+my+dad+in+chess

What's your favorite game played by others?

How about your own personal favorite game?

This playlist has most of my absolute favourite games of all time:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL715BAB00B3591E0F

Some of my own games are on this playlist :)

Probably beating the two IMs Danny Kopec and IM Collin Crouch are among my favourite memorable games too.

What is your favorite site to play online matches on?

http://www.chessworld.net/chessclubs/asplogin.asp?from=1053 for correspondence style chess - my own site

ICC (chessclub.com) and Chesscube.com are more two favourites for real time chess

have you ever played Go? What are your thoughts on it?

I have not played Go. I think it is perceived as being in some ways as more complex than Chess - it has been beyond computers for much longer than Chess.

What are your thoughts on Marcel Duchamp?

I have a video about him here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdOjtqAL3xI

Are there any famous historical games that you'd recommend to take a look at?

This playlist has some "immortal games" :

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9JCz2Gsbqe56TurQe8JSg9OTwR-Iqjy8

What do you think about talented Chess players transitioning to poker and how chess skills translate. Have you ever contemplated a move to playing poker for an income or do you think this isn't something feasible for many chess greats.

I haven't really ever got into Poker but I am aware a lot of strong chess players did get into it and moved to poker.

Hi KC! I have watched almost all of your videos and I love them all. I also appreciate your posts on r/chess. It's the only reason why I daily check youtube. My question is: how much do you analyze a game before you make a video?

I try and make sure I am not in total shock when playing through a game. I try and "smoothen the ride" and try and make sure I know or have a good chance of knowing why most moves were played.

I won a chess tournament in high school.

Congrats :)

what would you do if chess were solved with the help of quantum computing?

Still play it - Computers beat the top GMs from the 1990s. When you go to play chess in real life, you are up against human beings. Part of the fun of chess is actually the mistakes and the psychology behind the mistakes.

I used to play a great deal in Junior High and High school. Competed and won some regional junior Tournaments and belonged to a local club. (gave it 25 years ago) I Carried a USCF rating as a 16 year old in the high 1700's. Have seriously considered picking it back up. I'm sure the internet has made playing easier. Where would recommend someone like myself looking online to try it out again?

You may be able to get some insights from live commentary like this playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9JCz2Gsbqe6A-nrQLSqAWfVuWk-HstNk

Hi and thanks for doing this! Please share with simpletons like myself, what tips (mnemonics or otherwise) you use to memorise positions, strategies etc?

It is best not to try and "memorise" - but rather understand, and also to be able to be resourceful in the middlegame and endgames.

If you "understand" then you can always dynamically recreate to a large extent. The same with academic subjects to some extent.

What sparked your interest in chess?

Watching my father and brother play chess

Are you better than them now?

I believe so :) My brother though is like a profound strategist - we have often very abstract discussioins about Chess, Music, Programming, etc. These can often help improve my chess :)

What you think about FIDE position related to this! scandal?

IMHO FIDE should aim to be as country neutral as possible. I am concerned myself at the composition of the 1948 AVRO tournament which was when FIDE was in its infancy. This is a recent hot topic of discussion on the ECF History forum.

I've been waiting for this for ages! Hi KC! When I started chess 4 years ago, your videos were some of the first I found. Thanks for all your hard work!

As for my question, I was wondering what you currently do for a living, and how do you manage to be so active on YouTube while maintaining a career?

Well I am webmaster of Chessworld.net - a very popular correspondence chess server since 2001. Join me for a game by registering here, and I will invite you for a game at some point.

http://www.chessworld.net/chessclubs/asplogin.asp?from=1053

Youtube is quite useful for advertising.

Who is, in your opinion, the best chess player of all time? And why?

I think personally Kasparov trounced his rivals more than anyone in recent Chess History.

Each generation sits on the heads and shoulders of previous ones.

best chess board??

Staunton design - combines aesthetics with functionality.

Hi KC!

Long time subscriber and love your channel!

What do you think about the tools that we use to analyse, understand and develop our skills as chess players? As a IT guy, I believe that you have a couple of thoughts about :D

I believe that we have a couple of great tools to evaluate positions and such, but its really hard to understand the reasoning behind some moves and sequences without a more deep knowledge in the game.

Thanks for all and keep up the great work!

Engines are good but they are presenting increasingly "black box" variations which it is difficult to see the "workings out", or even to really have any real human "empathy" for why moves are played.

Somehow if this could be made possible, the engine analysis view of games might be more interesting. But also a measure of how dangerous moves are from a human perspective would be good too. I have mentioned issues like this in videos such as this one:

CHESS ENGINES: Instructive discussion: An issue with using engines: "Mainline Syndrome!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DxyIWHRECw

How do you feel about modified rules in chess? For example, 3D Chess, Hexagonal Chess, etc. Do you think they take away from the experience of a "proper" chess game, or do you think they help bring people who might think of chess as "that game my grandpa plays a lot" to the game?

Also, given the fairly recent surge in board game popularity, thanks to shows like Tabletop and Shut Up And Sit Down, what, if any, chess variants could you recommend to possibly ease a brand new board game enthusiast into the world of "proper chess"?

Kasparov's virtuality reality match with Fritz was fascinating. I might do a video about that soon. It helps indentify mental habits and things we take for granted.

Blitz chess is a kind of chess variant. Maybe that would be fun for some people.

What do you think about Paul Morphy´s style of game??

Very attractive and sparkling. It has a clarity in common with Fischer's style of play, and I can see why Fischer considers him one of his favourite players of all time.

Has being a bad ass at chess ever gotten you laid?

Well when I won the Lloyds UK national U-18 in 1989, I had lots of girls surrounding me... does that count ?! :)

Hey big fan! How many moves ahead do you think?

If the variation tree is quite forcing in nature with few branches - then it is possible to think many many moves ahead.

how can we set up a game id like to play ya

Use this link to join my correspondence style simul, and I will invite you for a game in a few days after you register.

http://www.chessworld.net/chessclubs/asplogin.asp?from=1053

Do u lifT?

Please elaborate. I do lift pieces generally to move them around :)