John Bartholomew

Alexander Rustemov is an experienced Russian Grandmaster who I've battled on ICC and Chess.com over the years. After taking a break from blitz on Chess.com for awhile, I'm in for a hard time! My goals in this series are to 1) stay even or ahead of my opponents on the clock, and 2) trust my decision-making. Follow along as I try to avoid perfectionist tendencies and apply … [Read more...] about Pushed to my Limit vs. GM Alexander Rustemov | Using the Clock as a Weapon #46

In this continuation of the "Climbing the Rating Ladder" series I take on players of various ratings levels while pointing out typical mistakes and spots for improvement along the way (possibly my own!? :)). Here I commentate a 15+10 game against a player rated 1535 on Chess.com. In an offbeat Slav Defense (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.a4), I focus on quick development with Black pieces, … [Read more...] about Defusing an Aggressive Queenside Pawn Pusher | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. 1535

It's TeamScandi time in this 15+15 Classical game! In recent years I've gravitated towards the 3...Qa5 variation, as it has undergone a reevaluation due to the system with ...Bc8-f5, ...e7-e6, ...Bf8-b4, and likely ...Nb8-c6 (as opposed to the more traditional ...c7-c6). In this game my opponent offers a straightforward exchange of the light-square bishops on move 6, and after … [Read more...] about Sharpening the Struggle in the Scandinavian | Standard Chess #304

In this continuation of the "Climbing the Rating Ladder" series I take on players of various ratings levels while pointing out typical mistakes and spots for improvement along the way (possibly my own!? :)). Here I commentate a 10+0 game against a player rated 1810 on Chess.com. The Alapin Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.c3) is my go-to recommendation for players at the amateur level, as … [Read more...] about Why the Alapin Sicilian is an Ideal Weapon | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. 1810

I've had some community requests for a double king pawn game (1.e4 e5), and I oblige in this 10+5 rapid game against a 2309. The Bishop's Opening: Vienna Hybrid line we enter (2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.f4) can produce sharp positions, and at the 2000+ level, a vague knowledge of theory may not be enough! Although I'm happy with my position after delivering a queen check on … [Read more...] about Brink of Disaster in a Vienna Hybrid | Standard Chess #303