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 2210 on Chess.com. The Exchange Slav (1.d5 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5) is a line I've championed for several years on my channel, as it's a fantastic practical weapon for White. You avoid all the other nuanced Slav openings (Classical Slav, Semi-Slav, Chebanenko Slav, Schlechter Slav), and you force Black to try and equalize down a half-move. Not an easy task - especially if your opponent is a little shaky with their theoretical knowledge! In this game, Black chooses a solid but slightly defensive setup with 6...e6. The game soon turns dynamic when I float the idea of Nf3-e5, but my opponent beats me to the punch with 8...Ne4!

Review this game on Chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/95121...

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1950 Dubrovnik reproduction set (Bobby Fischer's favorite!) on Chess Bazaar: https://www.chessbazaar.com/the-repro... You can use coupon code JOHN30 for 30% off!
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