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Reviving the KID with Sam Shankland

For the comment about playing a move/variation that you know is worse for yourself, is it primarily because you may be more familiar with the nuances of the position while your opponent would have to work for the potential chance of getting a better position, or because "worse" in modern day chess is not as bad as it looks as long as play still remains on the board, or is there another reason entirely? In any case, I would really love to hear your answer to that question, and keep up the wonderful content!

For the comment about playing a move/variation that you know is worse for yourself, is it primarily because you may be more familiar with the nuances of the position while your opponent would have to work for the potential chance of getting a better position, or because "worse" in modern day chess is not as bad as it looks as long as play still remains on the board, or is there another reason entirely? In any case, I would really love to hear your answer to that question, and keep up the wonderful content!

Yes, in that line, Shankland was well-prepared for the complications so even though he was worse, it was much more difficult for his opponent to find the right path. This is quite a common approach at the top level, accepting risks for better practical chances. However, it requires a lot of work because Shankland likely only planned to use this line for one game. If he repeats it, there's a high risk that his opponent will work carefully with their computer to navigate the unclear lines and get an advantage.

Thanks for your comment!

Yes, in that line, Shankland was well-prepared for the complications so even though he was worse, it was much more difficult for his opponent to find the right path. This is quite a common approach at the top level, accepting risks for better practical chances. However, it requires a lot of work because Shankland likely only planned to use this line for one game. If he repeats it, there's a high risk that his opponent will work carefully with their computer to navigate the unclear lines and get an advantage. Thanks for your comment!