Shadowing Practice: bobbyFischer shadowing vid1 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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in school oh well so so you know yeah i flunked a couple of subjects
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but uh i made them up i mean uh i got a good enough mark
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so i let me head
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and i passed them with flying colors this was in oh no no i didn't finish high school two
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and a half years why didn't no my head's always pretty clear
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so it is okay no no somebody else asked me
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that no i never dreamed about chess not
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that i remember yeah yeah American checkers I just you know
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I don't know how to play yeah no good oh yeah
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I'm pretty fast about you oh it depends on the position maybe depends I say sometimes just one
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or two there are many sub variations but
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if it's just a forced line say I can I see
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10 20 moves even in certain positions it's a simple position
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when you have it in your subconscious as you know
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when you leave the board and you work on a a little bit when you come back, you sort of have the move.
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About everybody can do that, yeah, who plays.
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No, it's just, you know, it's a thing, it's a show.
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It's nothing.
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Really, something really hard is some players can play a whole lot of people blindfolded.
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I can't do that.
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I think the record is about 40 players blindfolded.
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I don't know, it's rough.
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I asked the guy who did it, he told me he was, about two months after that, he couldn't do anything, he was just exhausted He plays a good game both ways.
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Yeah, no These old books they you know, they didn't know that much way back then so I
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Think the rules we have about I mean so that maybe I could all I could survive Well,
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I have to take on this other Russian Petrosian So after I take care of him I place basket thing
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I was around before Clay.
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I don't know.
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It picked up from me.
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That's right.
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I was US champion before anybody heard of Clay.
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Is there only one mathematical possibility of how that can happen or are there a number?
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No. And who figures those out or did they come up naturally?
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What other books do you read?
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Yeah, well, we got too many things in this country.
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That's the problem.
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You know, we got all these entertainments, movies, you know, just too many things people can do.
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Some of these communist countries...
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There are no good women chess players, are there?
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Have you ever had a grand mistress?
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What?
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Has there ever been a grandmistress of chess?
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You can take dollars out of Yugoslavia.
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Oh.
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Hmm, that's a good one.
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I got a little lost there, but...
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I did too, but I finally...
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Yeah, he just knows something went wrong somewhere, you know.
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Yeah.
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Come on, when they actually resign, or when they resign, they're not getting checkmated, they just give up because there's nothing left to do.
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There is no...
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It's inevitable.
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They could play on, say, 20 moves, but why waste time?
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This is a position from a famous game, Morphy against the Duke of Brunswick, back in the 19th century.
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Am I his grace?
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Duke's got a rook.
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And, well, it's a forced mate.
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Well, he took off the rook check.
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You what?
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He took off the rook check with the bishop.
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And then he took back with the knight And now it's forced mate in two moves White, yeah, checkmate in two moves, right?
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At the end of the game, you know what I mean?
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Yeah Right, right.
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Want me to show it?
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No, I just assumed you showed me...
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Now...
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Show slowly where you went from where to where.
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You took what and put it where for the people who really know what's happening here.
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I played the queen down, check.
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See, the queen moves like a rook and like a bishop too.
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Now the king can't go anywhere, because he can't go here, the bishop is on this diagonal, holding that square.
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The pawn blocks this square, knight blocks this square, and there's nothing back here, you can't go back there.
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So you have to make, so this move is covered by the bishop and the queen.
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So everything's covered.
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Only thing to do is take the queen.
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And the rook comes down here, and that's a mate.
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Well, that's the way the rook moves.
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It moves in a straight line. In one move, yeah.
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If there's nothing in the way, shoot right down.
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And now the king's in checkmate.
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Because he's threatening to take it.
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Can't go here again because of this.
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Can't go here because of the pawn.
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And now you can't go back.
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Can't take it because the bishop protects it.
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So, actually, you don't take the king off.
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The game's over when you have it.
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And when it's in a position where it can't get away.
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And the Duke of Brunswick connection, Morphe was one of the old time greats.
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There were a couple of cases where I remember the lights went out.
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Just to learn the move, oh, 20 minutes.
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Yeah, but is there enough time?
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A few hours, an hour or two, a couple hours.
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Not a big deal, the last five moves.
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What was it?
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Oh, yeah, that's what, well, I forget what they call it as a matter of fact.
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It's like two-move mate, two moves.
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What is it?
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You win the game in two moves, checkmate.
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And is it?
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Well, two, but they're basically the same, just slight variations.
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They probably came up, sure.
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Mainly magazines, not too heavy on books.
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I never tried to develop myself in all these things.
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Well, the best woman player in the world, I guess, was Vera Menchik.
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She was Hungarian.
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But they have a very good one now in Russia, too.
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Oh, they do?
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I thought it was all men.
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Yeah, got Prindashvili.
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It was real good.
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I'd say a master of strength.
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What You'll Practice in This Shadowing Lesson

This video features a casual, conversational dialogue with a relaxed tone—perfect for practicing shadow speech. You’ll mimic natural speech patterns, including pauses, filler words, and informal phrasing. It’s a great way to learn English with videos, as the unscripted flow mirrors real-life conversations. By the end, you’ll feel more comfortable with everyday English rhythm and intonation.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases to Notice

  • Flunked a couple of subjects: Failed a few classes (informal)
  • Passed with flying colors: Succeeded easily and impressively
  • Forced line: A sequence of moves in chess with no obvious alternatives
  • Blindfolded: Playing a game without seeing the board (here, chess)
  • Resign: Give up a game before being checkmated
  • Sub variations: Smaller, alternative sequences within a larger plan

Tips for Mastering the Shadowing Technique

The speaker’s pace is moderate with occasional pauses, making it ideal for beginners. Start by listening once to get the gist, then replay short segments (5-10 seconds) and repeat immediately—this is the core of shadowing. Focus on matching the tone: notice how the speaker softens words like “uh” and “you know” to sound natural. If you stumble, slow the video down (most platforms allow this) and practice until the rhythm feels easy. For extra challenge, try shadowing the entire clip without pausing—this builds fluency and listening skills. Remember, shadowspeaks practice is about mimicking, not perfection. Use this video as a tool to make your English sound more conversational, just like a native.

Whether you’re new to shadowing or looking to refine your skills, this video is a valuable resource. It’s a great example of how a shadowing site can use real dialogue to boost your speaking confidence. Dive in, and let the conversation guide your practice!

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itwas just exhausted · is covered
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thingguy who did · people who really

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →