I Pinned Myself… and Almost Lost

Welcome back to Inside the Chess Master’s Mind, where I play serious games against strong opponents and explain my full thinking process during the game. In this episode, I got myself into trouble in the middlegame by making a very awkward mistake — I basically pinned myself and nearly paid a huge price for it. At first, it looked like my opponent had a great chance to take over the game. My position became uncomfortable, my pieces were tied down, and I had to find a way to survive. But chess is never that simple. Just when it seemed like I might get punished for my mistake, my opponent also went wrong and gave me a second chance. That completely changed the story of the game. In this video, I break down the critical middlegame moment, explain why the self-pin was so dangerous, show what both sides missed, and look at whether I was able to recover and turn the tables. Can I escape after almost ruining my own position — and can I still win the game? Let’s get into it. #chessmaster #learnchess #chesscom #chessstrategy #chesstricks