Letsplaychess.com: The most talented player of all time?! - Sulthan Khan - Queens Indian Game

[iliginjaili]

Hmmm....Bobby Fischer spent his entire childhood, adolescence and adulthood on chess opening theory though...

[kingscrusher]

Please like this video if you got something out of it, or even better add it to your favourites. Help crush the Trolls! You could also subscribe to this channel to get notified of any new videos - subscribing is free and easy.Cheers, K.

[SuperBunts]

Sir Umar then brought him back to his homeland, where he gave up chess and returned to his humble life. David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld call him "perhaps the greatest natural player of modern times". Although he was one of the world's top players in the early 1930s, FIDE, the World Chess Federation, never awarded him any title (Grandmaster or International Master).

[haine920]

The "natural" talent doesnt exist anymore in our time (i speak about chess of course) because now, we have a very advanced learning process (especially with all of books and computer databases) wich makes all humans equal. The only thing that can separate from everyone, is the persevering hard work. Everyone can be a top master but everyone dont have the wish to be a top master.

[solzalez]

ur right thank u.

[AlanWattParrot]

a GM wrote a good article on chess d ot com a year or so ago about this unique figure - i was amazed, still am - he often used to follow up e4 with 2. e5

has to be in everyone's top ten -and if Capablanca refers to him as a genius who's arguing? Takes one to know one...

Fischer, Capa, Morphy, Kasparov, Tal...hard to argue with tho Fischer described Morphy as the greatest genius of them all & some of Morphy's games more than any other greats leave me almost despairing as to why i bother

[Parouty]

Tal number one always!!!

[SHYviol3t]

paul morphy is the most talented chess player of all time

[SeerTravisTruman]

Perhaps his differing style of play (and also was his games well known?) helped him against capa?

[MrPropapanda]

It's Al-ya-kan. Not Al-la-kine.

[CycklopsGT]

Another sign that Khan was a bad-ass, he made Kingscrusher look at this game from his perspective instead of Capablanca's...and Kingscrusher usually flips the board so he's seeing the stronger players point of view.

[79cristoff]

capa was the best ever.and alekhine too

[seafarer91]

Best ever? Quite simply: NO!

Go to: Chess-dot-com > Read > Articles

In the "Search Articles" field, type "best player ever".

That takes you to an article on this topic about Khan.

Read the post by "Chessoholicalien" on that page.

He totally debunks the claim that Khan was "the best player ever"!

[MVesteraas]

@seafarer91 Kingscrusher never claimed that Mir was the best player ever. Best and most talented is two very different things. From what I understand, Mir had a short career, probarbly learned the game at a quite old age, and was a complete illiterate. Still he managed to beat some of the top players of his time!

Mir will never be one of the greatest player ever, but he very well might be amongst those with most talent. We can only imagine how god he would be under "ideal circumstances".

[erikpk0]

Paul Keres!!!

[EGarrett01]

I had never heard of this player, but now that I am looking it up it is very fascinating. Thank you!

[roaddog481]

"....and Capablanca had had enough." Could you imagine causing one of the greatest chess players of all time to resign?  Great game by Sultan Khan.

[Icreatemore]

I just ordered a book on Khan...he's my kind of player...great video

[gur0004]

great vid. very educational

[sukujomi]

this is what i do cant be bodord to read books and my rating is 2900 elo

[Darrowthebassman]

Mir Sultan Khan was beaten by the first female chess champion: Vera Menchik.

[imran03452164785]

MIR SULTAN KHAN is a great great Chess player...I love him and he is also my chess hero.

[Akabane009]

lol its funny how people always try and corect these vids. ñ_ñ

[mermadeinheaven]

The difference between a talented chess player and a learned chess player is that the talented player did not have to study chess (theory) to master it. In that regard, I would say that the most talented chess players of all time are...

Jose Capablanca

Mir Sultan Khan

Paul Morphy

[whatusayplayer]

lol he couldnt read its like the Gipsy Kings they cant read the notes also so i was toled

[federerowns]

Hi, at ~7:40 mins white can play Bh5, directly trapping the queen with Rh2.

[HolyAnniliation777]

True, but that requires a bishop sacrifice. Plus, White needs the bishop to keep an eye on d8 so a rook can lay claim to it later on. Positionally, the bishop sack would not have been suitable, though it would've won quite a bit of material.

[HolyAnniliation777]

Also would like to point out that if the bishop goes, black gets some counterplay with Nf7d8-f7-e5, hitting the backward e-pawn (which would require a rook to keep an eye on, as a king wandering out would take too long to stop the pawn should it break free), and white cannot move on with his plans. So which Bh5 is a tempting move, I would have to give it ??.

[HolyAnniliation777]

Please ignore everything I've said prior to this posting. After Bh5, the queen can slip out via ...Qg4 after it takes the bishop. I messed up on my analysis a couple minutes ago.

[krisDag17]

I am surpised you didn't start the series with Bobby. Also, I would like you to cover Paul Murphy. He would be a logical choice, because at the time he was only unoffical the world champion. Also, Chess Theory wasn't as highly developed at the time, so most players who were talented were for the most part naturally so.

[LennoxLewis86]

Everytime I watch a video I REALLY want to play, you tell it with so much enthousiasm so please don't stop posting! On topic: He indeed was a genius, amazing play! I wonder if the 1st chance of queen checkmate would've been a better win.. A full rook up and an incredible position.. with the c file open white can't lose

[oxiigen]

Yes, who was the most talented chess player depends who you ask, here is the pool result from 1969. They asked strongest GM's from that time who was the best, and here is the result:

Alekhine 17 votes

Lasker 16 votes

Capablanca 10 votes

Botvinnik 4 votes

Morphy, Tal and Fisher 3 votes

Spaski, Steinitz, Rubinstein, Philidor and Bronstein 1 vote

You can find more about this pool on Tal's second page on chessgamesDOTcom.

[bastymanguy]

I'm sorry, but Magnus Carlsen has to be included in this category, i mean the guy is 17 yrs old. A grand master and competes with players of the top levels in big tournaments. He just comes off as a natural to me.

[KNIGHTSTALE22]

yes i agree, magnus carlsen is a natural talent, but you carnt really put a player to the list until the end of their career when you can see their achievements in camparison with that of the past players. Many players have been child prodogies but somehow never reached the dominance expected.

[strickmatic727]

Point in case Josh Waitzkin, although it can be argued that he never reached to the level that he was expected not because he couldnt aquire the talent but mainly he played for different reason than most chess players with his talent.

[RedmapleGamer]

English isn't my mother tongue, however, you explain so well and clearly, using a very international English, that I can't misunderstand a thing of what you say. Thank you for those awesome videos hoping you will keep doing some for a while. I am very grateful to you!

[SMallarme890]

Just wanted to say King that I'm very grateful for these videos. Thanks for all the work you do.

And I'd love to play in one of those socials too next time I get across to London from Paris.

So pleased to have met Mir Sultan Khan. Chess just is, sometimes, such a beautiful thing.

[Vonzi0000]

thanks!!

[furrer08]

Great stuff* ! And good to see you use wikipedia!

[kingscrusher]

I forgot to put a credit in the video, so I have now added to the comments:

"Thanks to Wiki, for some factual information about Mir Sultan Khan that was used in the introduction of this video. "

[KNIGHTSTALE22]

Joint first, Wilhelm Steinitz (pioneer of positional play and theory). Paul Morphy (father of complex combinations and the one who created the need for deep defensive understanding)

Like the Orville and Wilbur Wright brothers, who created the first mechanical plane, everyone after them who created jumbo jets, concords ect, wich are no doubt wonderful creations, only had the knowledge and know how from the greats before them.

It is much easier to expand on theory than it is to create it.

[KNIGHTSTALE22]

dont ask me where that whopping space come from lol. Sometimes you carnt help but feel the people who build on the foundations always get more credit than the ones who laid it.

[kingscrusher]

This is a really good point - the earlier generations had to be more inventive, as there wasn't all the knowledge that there is available today. So it is difficult today to tell, the "talented" players from those that are simply assidious from a young age with chess resources.

[KNIGHTSTALE22]

oh, and brilliant video as usual

[furrer08]

Didnt think I would ever be able to find you making a mistake :)

[KNIGHTSTALE22]

I am also very pleased you brought the sultan into the vid, it's a mystery how he came from the blue and slapped around some of the big boys. I also believe he was awarded land for his achievements in chess. very interesting character.

[furrer08]

Great staff!!

[darioteodori]

Very good game and commentary. Notice how passive are black pieces. With the position closed, the king secured and whites two bishops blacks queen couldnt do anything. Also look how BAD was the black bishop just defending the c6 square

[lucy6M]

Great stuff! Was the key factor in white allowing the exchange of queen for 2 rooks the potential for a closed position? I presume that's why Khan declined Qxd5+ just before this. I'm never quite sure when the exchange benefits me in games, so I tend to avoid it. To be so good, yet illiterate, speaks of great natural talent.

[fLowKnows]

As a positional player, I tend to force exchanges that give me a positional advantage - such as a strong pawn structure; a follow up attack (giving me a tempo); a better defensive position. Maybe a tactical player would prefer to exchange where there is a tactical advantage (I think computers do this).

[kingscrusher]

Maybe king-attacking players can be considered "positional" in the sense that they are working backwards to visualise strong attacking positions. They are using creativity and imagination, to imagine where they want their pieces to be, and working backwards to achieve that.

[KNIGHTSTALE22]

I have to be honest, i am finding it difficult to understand the working backwards theory, was does it mean and how does it work?

[kingscrusher]

It just means visualising positions you think would be good, and seeing how you can get there from the current position. In other words, creating a plan - then seeing how you can implement that plan.

[KNIGHTSTALE22]

I see, thanyou for explaining. I have never heard anyone refer to visualising positions in this way before. by the way, if you feel i am bogging you down with too many messages just let me know. I will cut back anyway because it would begin to annoy me lol.

[KNIGHTSTALE22]

maybe at some point you could do a more concentrated video on the theory of working backwards as i heard u mention this in the last video and it sounds very interesting.

[kingscrusher]

I think the Queen to win usually against two rooks as a generalisation, needs supporting pieces, and points of attack, as well as open lines to sweep around with in all directions.

So in this game, Khan, closed the pawn structure on both sides, and simply secured a win by invading with Rc6 later. The Queen was quite helpless in the game.