John Bartholomew

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 2109 on Chess.com. The Kalashnikov Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5) can be considered to be a more … [Read more...] about Careless move order in the Kalashnikov Sicilian | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. 2101

The Accelerated Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6) is a durable option for Back in the Sicilian galaxy. Compared to the normal Dragon, Black may benefit from withholding ...d7-d6 in favor of the direct strike ...d7-d5. In this game, my opponent and I play into an unbalanced variation featuring a different pawn push, 8...a5. Although I'm out of book on move 11, my … [Read more...] about Crash Course in the Accelerated Dragon | Standard Chess #305

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 1690 on Chess.com. The Anti-Fried Liver Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6?!) is a popular response to the Italian … [Read more...] about Cracking Down on the Anti-Fried Liver (3…h6?!) | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. 1690

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