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How to Evaluate Positions, Part #1

Very instructive thank you so much.

Question: how is it that nowadays in the Najdorf white players tend to plug the hole on d5 with 10 Nd5?
Example: game of the ongoing ICCF World Championship
https://www.iccf.com/game?id=1513721

Very instructive thank you so much. Question: how is it that nowadays in the Najdorf white players tend to plug the hole on d5 with 10 Nd5? Example: game of the ongoing ICCF World Championship https://www.iccf.com/game?id=1513721

@tpr said in #2:

Very instructive thank you so much.

Question: how is it that nowadays in the Najdorf white players tend to plug the hole on d5 with 10 Nd5?
Example: game of the ongoing ICCF World Championship
https://www.iccf.com/game?id=1513721

Great question @tpr! It's not that White is being generous, or doesn't know the key ideas.
The issue is that, if Black plays very well, you never get to control the d5-square because
they somehow manage to fight for it well (by trading on d5, or by breaking ...d6-d5, etc).

A lot of theory, in fact, revolves around that exact battle. If Black plays badly, you end up
in a game similar to what we saw in the two canonical wins. If Black plays well, just ends
up in a balanced game of various types.

@tpr said in #2: > Very instructive thank you so much. > > Question: how is it that nowadays in the Najdorf white players tend to plug the hole on d5 with 10 Nd5? > Example: game of the ongoing ICCF World Championship > https://www.iccf.com/game?id=1513721 Great question @tpr! It's not that White is being generous, or doesn't know the key ideas. The issue is that, if Black plays very well, you never get to control the d5-square because they somehow manage to fight for it well (by trading on d5, or by breaking ...d6-d5, etc). A lot of theory, in fact, revolves around that exact battle. If Black plays badly, you end up in a game similar to what we saw in the two canonical wins. If Black plays well, just ends up in a balanced game of various types.

Great structure, but it really echoes how Capablanca, Karpov, and Petrosian evaluated positions long before engines — by recognizing types, not calculating everything from scratch.

are modern players over-relying on engine numbers and under-learning these canonical templates that made the old masters so consistent?

Great structure, but it really echoes how Capablanca, Karpov, and Petrosian evaluated positions long before engines — by recognizing types, not calculating everything from scratch. are modern players over-relying on engine numbers and under-learning these canonical templates that made the old masters so consistent?

@kingmizaan said in #4:

are modern players over-relying on engine numbers and under-learning these canonical templates that made the old masters so consistent?

I think modern players still learn these ideas, but the very top players are so good tactically (because they learned from the engine) that they can often find clever ways to avoid these positions or somehow get out of them, etc. But for anyone below 2300, I'd say learning these is extremely helpful, so I'd recommend it. The very top players rely on these ideas as well, but they combine them with insanely precise calculation.

@kingmizaan said in #4: > are modern players over-relying on engine numbers and under-learning these canonical templates that made the old masters so consistent? I think modern players still learn these ideas, but the very top players are so good tactically (because they learned from the engine) that they can often find clever ways to avoid these positions or somehow get out of them, etc. But for anyone below 2300, I'd say learning these is extremely helpful, so I'd recommend it. The very top players rely on these ideas as well, but they combine them with insanely precise calculation.

Absolutely phenomenal content!

Absolutely phenomenal content!

But the amount reference positions is pretty huge for most players. You need quite bit of them. But yes evaluation for most of time cannot be deep and wide analysis as most of recreational player will fail on those.

But the amount reference positions is pretty huge for most players. You need quite bit of them. But yes evaluation for most of time cannot be deep and wide analysis as most of recreational player will fail on those.

I only checked the video, but it's pretty good! Thank you GM Mauricio Flores Rios!

I only checked the video, but it's pretty good! Thank you GM Mauricio Flores Rios!

@princessunicorns said in #8:

I only checked the video, but it's pretty good! Thank you GM Mauricio Flores Rios!

Thank you! Glad you liked it ;)

@princessunicorns said in #8: > I only checked the video, but it's pretty good! Thank you GM Mauricio Flores Rios! Thank you! Glad you liked it ;)

Nice video! but what if black tries to generate some play with f5 as in the worse position #3 example? with the pawn on g5, its easier for black open the f-file with f6. however, let's say the pawns are back on g2 and h2. can't black prepare f5 followed by fxe4?

Nice video! but what if black tries to generate some play with f5 as in the worse position #3 example? with the pawn on g5, its easier for black open the f-file with f6. however, let's say the pawns are back on g2 and h2. can't black prepare f5 followed by fxe4?