Carlsen Teaches How To Play 1.b3 Opening Aggressively

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In this video lesson, you will learn how Magnus Carlsen used the 1.b3 chess opening (Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack, or Queen's Fianchetto Opening) to dominate his opponents.

Playing 1.b3 prepares White to fianchetto their queen's bishop with Bb2, taking control over the center. It also aims for a powerful kingside attack in the future.

Watch the full video lesson to see how Magnus Carlsen effectively employed this opening as White. You will learn the main ideas and some key attacking plans.

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► Chapters

00:00 Magnus Carlsen Plays 1.b3 Chess Opening
00:11 Game-1: Magnus Carlsen vs Sahaj Grover
01:14 Carlsen Attempts Scholar's Mate
03:10 Beautiful sacrifice
06:49 Game-2: Magnus Carlsen vs Alexander Grischuk
08:33 Amazing sequence of moves
11:35 Deadly Kingside attack begins
13:29 THE FINAL BLOW

#IgorNation #MagnusCarlsen #ChessOpenings #ChessOpeningsForBeginners

[jdmec]

After watching a couple dozen of your videos I finally caved subscribed. You really teach chess better than anyone I’ve seen!

[GMIgorSmirnov]

► Chapters

00:00 Magnus Carlsen Plays 1.b3 Chess Opening
00:11 Game-1: Magnus Carlsen vs Sahaj Grover
01:14 Carlsen Attempts Scholar's Mate
03:10 Beautiful sacrifice
06:49 Game-2: Magnus Carlsen vs Alexander Grischuk
08:33 Amazing sequence of moves
11:35 Deadly Kingside attack begins
13:29 THE FINAL BLOW

[ReflectionOcean]

00:00:18 Play Bishop B2 to put pressure on the pawn and control the diagonal.
00:00:25 Encourage studying Magnus Carlson's games to learn proper opening strategies.
00:00:36 Defend against attacks strategically, considering potential future moves.
00:01:23 Consider unconventional moves to surprise opponents and create opportunities.
00:02:00 Be prepared to sacrifice pieces for strategic advantages.
00:02:08 Look for unexpected tactics like sacrificing the queen for a sneaky checkmate.
00:02:15 Recognize and exploit opponent's weaknesses, such as pinned pieces.
00:02:51 Maintain pressure on the opponent by making instructive moves.
00:04:41 Utilize sacrifices to open up key attacking diagonals.
00:05:28 Understand the importance of piece activity and opening up attacking lines.
00:07:36 Avoid releasing tension prematurely to prevent opponent's counterplay.
00:08:01 Counterattack creatively to disrupt opponent's plans.
00:10:38 Use prophylactic moves to anticipate and prevent opponent's threats.
00:12:28 Finalize development before launching a decisive attack.
00:13:17 Guard against opponent's tricky moves and maintain a strong position.
00:13:31 Finish the game with unexpected moves to surprise and overwhelm the opponent.
00:13:44 Capitalize on opponent's mistakes to secure a winning position.

[pedrorodriguez]

Opponent: Blunders queen

Me: To take is a mistake

[tusharbokade]

I dont understand why g5 is not possible @10:42. g5 hxg5, hxg5 Rhxh1, Bxf6 and white wins the queen through fork

[baran-ej]

10:52 bxf6 will literally win the queen

[divyanshkumar]

10:50 if black plays Rxh1 white has Bxf6+ winning the queen (something they both missed)

[jebestakonesto]

Igor, is there a class on how to counter this opening? I have some trouble playing against this
thanks for your classes, you are a really good teacher of chess

[sisez]

8:25 but If Nh5 Nxh5 then white could capture the rook one h8 or not?

[melody]

10:53 white threatens g5 even if the pawn is “pinned” to the rook because after rook takes rook, bishop takes knight winning the queen did i miss smth?

[y-s-]

at 8:24 if white goes Nh5, black ...Nxh5, then Bxh8. How is that not good for white?

[jimsullins]

Igor: At 10:52 you say he can't play d5 because he'll loss the rock, but actually black would lose the queen, right ?

[lospaul]

could you do a video to the subject from the black perspective, playing against 1.b3 ... ? Thnx for youtr great job!!

[unclebob]

Igor I was wondering if you had an opinion about the Elo ratings of world champions like Steinitz, Casablanca, Lasker and Morphy.
Also Tal is my favorite player. I've always felt if it wasn't for his drinking problem he would have been the first player to reach 2800. Do you agree?

[sam]

11:10 Igor messed up very badly here, completely misunderstanding why the moves were played. at 10:47 g5 is infact a threat, because after Rxh1 white wins blacks queen after Bxf6.

The point of c5 mentioned at 11:10 is not prophylaxis but to defend against g5, giving blacks queen the checking square a5, so black won't get forked like in the other line.

[mjmorriplymouth]

Probably the most famous game with this opening is Larsen-Spassky, Belgrade 1970. A Crush by Spassky.

[baran-ej]

8:28 Take night with bishop and then Nh5

[bookfantastic]

Larsen's Opening. I remember when Larsen first used it.

[atariwashik]

GM Igor, you've got me moving up.... 😊

[Jason-Moon]

If anyone ever gets a craving to play with pure tactics and no theory, play chess 960. It's the superior game. Standard chess is literally 1/960th of the game of Fischer Random Chess. Studying openings and book theory eventually turns chess into a series of memory tests rather than an actual game- until or unless an unknown position is reached for one or both of the players . At the highest levels, the opening phase is completely predetermined and preselected optimal move responses based on memory of theory. That's not exactly a game, it's testing knowledge of outcomes. I believe 960 returns chess to what it was meant to be and upholds the true spirit of the game.