Learn the Anti-Bayonet Attack in 60 minutes

The Bayonet Attack is unquestionable one of White’s most aggressive and direct approaches, and Black has tried a variety of counters over the years. Romanian grandmaster Mikhail Marin proposes to help you navigate the treacherous waters in this quick one-hour course. Spread over seven videos the Romanian trainer and player prepares the black player to deal with White’s aggression with confidence.

Part of the problem with an opening as rich in theory as the King’s Indian is that while it is not hard to acquire all the main lines, it is another story truly understanding how to deal with the positions that ensue.

Marin does not propose a magic bullet with some miracle sideline no one has heard of (a fairly ridiculous idea when you think about it), but which lines to play, and the myriad plans and maneuvers both sides will need to contend with and when.

Black has two main moves to reply. After Black’s main move 9...Nh5 the position opens, leading to many forced lines. Instead, the Romanian grandmaster suggests 9...a5 as the preferred antidote with sound positions in which the focus is on strategy not on tactics.

The grandmaster appreciates that his listeners are not fellow colleagues, and does not hesitate to impart the occasional didactic touch that often seem to clear up the haze in a position that can leave one more than a bit uncertain.

An example in case, in the above position, the author acknowledges that both Black’s and White’s knights are sustaining their own pawns, and both have their e- and f-pawns advanced to the center, so the quick question is: what is the key factor to unravel it? As a rule, it comes down to who is better developed, and in this case it is White whose pieces can swing to either side more easily.

An introduction by the author

It is this combination of timely strategic pointers, and well-chosen theory and plans that help make this quick course work as well as it does. If you were looking for a set of tools to fight this line, this 60-minute course should do the trick. Bear in mind that although the video material does indeed last about one hour, you will probably be watching some of the videos more than once to get the most out of them.

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