John Bartholomew

This session features a mouseslip against a tough opponent in game #2, a key find in a sharp position in game #3, and a useful pawn ending simplification in game #5. In this video, I play five blitz games (3+0) on Chess.com. 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 … [Read more...] about Mouseslipping for the Win! | Using the Clock as a Weapon #15

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 5+3 game against a player rated 1633 on Chess.com. "Tension" is a major theme in chess, and it refers to situations where pawns or pieces are attacking … [Read more...] about Keeping the Tension | Climbing the Rating Ladder vs. paluch666 (1633)

Playing another 10-game session against GM DuleMudule. #Chess #BulletChess Support the channel: https://streamlabs.com/johnbartholomew or via PayPal: https://t.co/VBFOLJHt2m Follow me on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/johnbartholomew Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fins0905 Add me as a friend on Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/member/fins0905?ref_id=1761842 My … [Read more...] about Another Duel with GM DuleMudule | Bullet Chess #296

Grappling with my time time management in four 5+0 blitz games. Thanks to a viewer, Andreas, for the new score counter! Support the channel: https://streamlabs.com/johnbartholomew or via PayPal: https://t.co/VBFOLJHt2m Follow me on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/johnbartholomew Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fins0905 Add me as a friend on Chess.com: … [Read more...] about Old Habits Die Hard | Blitz Chess #503

When you "have the initiative," you're creating threats that lead to other threats. By virtue of this momentum, you can dictate the play and narrow the amount of acceptable replies from your opponent. A well-executed initiative can potentially lead to a win, but you don't always want to to get there violently! In this game I played in 2013, I demonstrate how a single pawn … [Read more...] about How to Think About The Initiative in Chess