John Bartholomew

Here's another collab! I spoke with Stjepan Tomić (aka Hanging Pawns) about the benefits of my beloved Scandinavian Defense over his favored Caro-Kann Defense 😉

We're running a 50% off sale on my Scandinavian course Mar. 28-Apr. 5: chessiverse.com/courses/scandi Use code "SCANDI50"

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 12

John Bartholomew

Linked up with an old friend of mine, NM Matt Jensen of ChessGoals, to discuss our predictions for the Candidates tournament!

Who do you guys favor to win?

1 month ago | [YT] | 8

John Bartholomew

A pleasure to join Jonathan Zhi on his underrated Underpromoted podcast! https://youtu.be/OZcOD-JryQs?si=APdmV...



Gem of a channel. Jonathan has interviews with many prominent players whom you don't see see profiled too often, e.g. Wei Yi. Highly recommended.

1 month ago | [YT] | 15

John Bartholomew

Attention Minnesotan and Wisconsin chess players: I'll be giving a 24-board simul at the 133rd Minnesota Open this Friday, Feb. 20, and there are still FIVE spots available!

The simul begins at 6:45 pm, and it's only $10 to play (free if you're playing the MN Open). All proceeds go to the Minnesota State Chess Association. See www.minnesotachess.com/mn-open for registration and full details.

1 month ago | [YT] | 118

John Bartholomew

Out now: my podcast appearance with ‪@MustreaderChess‬ ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGOEW...

We discuss YouTube, the GM journey, Chessiverse (my new venture - creating human-like chess bots!), and we even get in a high-accuracy 3...Qa5 Scandi blitz game at the end :)

Thanks to Greg for having me on. He's a very well-prepared host, and his questions/editing are top-notch.

1 month ago | [YT] | 12

John Bartholomew

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

I'll be doing an AMA (ask me anything) on the Reddit chess forum (www.reddit.com/r/chess) tomorrow (Sunday, Dec. 21) at 18:00 UTC. We'll be discussing chess improvement, Chessiverse, and anything else people want to ask me! Feel free to post a question or look for the thread 😊

4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 229

John Bartholomew

Had to share this unique idea from Adams-Gordon, London Chess Classic Super Rapidplay 2025, played just a couple days ago.

Black to move and gain a large advantage!

4 months ago | [YT] | 82

John Bartholomew

Today I published a 3k+ word newsletter post called "What I Learned from Spending 1,000+ Hours Writing an Opening Course." It's a personal reflection on my journey writing my Scandinavian course, and I also give a step-by-step breakdown of how I'd go about studying a new opening.

If anyone here on YouTube missed the post but would like to read it, please get in touch with me at johnbartholomewchess.com/contact/ and I'll forward it to you. Also, if you like this sort of long-form written content, make sure to sign up for The Chess Mindset Newsletter (it's free).

Finally, my course is 50% off through Dec. 1 for Black Friday: chessiverse.com/courses/scandi Have a great weekend, everyone!

4 months ago | [YT] | 212

John Bartholomew

Hey guys. If you're looking for a way to honor Daniel Naroditsky's memory, please consider a donation to the Daniel Naroditsky Memorial Fund: givebutter.com/naroditsky

The Naroditsky Memorial & Fellowship Endowment has been established by the Naroditsky family and the wonderful people at the Charlotte Chess Center. The goal is to 1) hold an annual event for both amateurs and professionals, The Naroditsky Memorial Blitz & Rapid Championship, and 2) fund The Naroditsky Fellowship, which will support talented young chess players. Please see the above link for more details.

Any amount is appreciated. If money is tight or you are unable to donate, that's OK too. I'd be personally grateful if you took a couple minutes to read about the endowment or share this initiative with a fellow chess player. I have made a personal donation, and I will be mentioning the fund's efforts in my next video.

Thanks for reading. I know many of my viewers were HUGE fans of Danya, and it's still surreal to think that he's gone. Let's continue to honor Daniel's legacy of curiosity, camaraderie, and chess excellence 💗

5 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 1,225

John Bartholomew

Pleased to announce that after 1,000+ hours of work, my course is officially HERE! chessiverse.com/courses/scandi The course is 50% off through Nov. 14

The Comprehensive Scandinavian: A Complete Repertoire Based on 3...Qa5 by IM John Bartholomew

It features:
• 225,000+ words of instruction
• 25 Model Games (another 59,000+ words!)
• 10 "Repertoire Rumble" videos, where I play the course LIVE
• 75 Key Positions
• A 6.5+ hour Move Order Guide
• Course Game practice vs. the Chessiverse bots

The Scandinavian is an excellent practical weapon against 1.e4, and I've created this repertoire to provide both amateurs and titled players with a reliable repertoire where we can fight on our terms. This project was a true labor of love, and I would be honored if you checked it out (it's also the very first course we're releasing on Chessiverse!).

I'll be posting a longer YouTube video about the course soon. In the meantime, feel free to watch the free content on the landing page. I've posted a 45+ minute "Repertoire Rumble" game, which is similar to my "Climbing the Rating Ladder videos.

Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest in this course over the past 2+ years I've been working on it. I consider this project my "magnum opus," and I'm thrilled to finally share it! 😊

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5 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 384