The best channel (in my opinion...) for someone trying to actively improve is Daniel Naroditsky's: https://www.youtube.com/c/DanielNaroditskyGM

You will learn a lot more than from Agadmator, who's channel is very good, but shows a lot of engine lines without too much explanation of the deeper ideas.

Bartholomew's 'climbing the rating ladder' content is at a similar level if you've finished with Naroditsky but I think Chessbrah's 'Building Chess Habits' speedrun is even better for most people. In that one GM Aman sets very simple ways to play and doesn't deviate from them even if it loses him some games while climbing or if there are obvious tactics he can use for a quick win. Naroditsky while great will often go into lines that a lower rated player is very unlikely to see or pull of and is very often winning out of the opening by knowing all the moves to punish suboptimal moves which lower rated players won't know.

0. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl9uuRYQ-6MCBnhtCk_bT...

1. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8N8j2e7RpPnpqbISqi1S...

Bartholomew and Climbing the Rating Ladder series fan. I sure wish he'd focus on those videos more than his live streaming. The former is much more educational than the latter.

I agree, I think Naroditsky is the best video content in terms of being educational while also being entertaining. Some others are maybe more rigorous, but not as entertaining, or vice versa.

Someone once correctly said that Agadmator doesn't teach chess.

I totally agree, what a great tutor he is.

I like Agadmator's channel, but a similar option that mixes in more live play and self commentary is Eric Rosen's channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXy10-NEFGxQ3b4NVrzHw1Q

https://www.twitch.tv/imrosen

Also Levi Rozman/Gothamchess has some excellent analysis and commentary of other matches, and is very approachable for beginners:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHX6ViZmPsWiYSFAyS0a3Q

https://www.twitch.tv/gothamchess

Oh no my Queen!

Oh no my pieces!

His ability to steal the win from opponent with stalemate in time scramble is fun to watch too.

The two have very different content. Hikaru is mostly live blitz play with commentary by one of the best in the world (possibly the best for the formats he plays) while Agadmator is only analysis of typically classical games by an otherwise weaker player.

As for me, I prefer neither and like more educational content that doesn't focus on games at the very top (e.g. Naroditsky's or chessbrah's speedruns) but that doesn't change that Hikaru is more popular than them or Agadmator.

He and Hikaru have different different approaches, with Nakamura being a grandmaster and so has much deeper potential for analysis of his own positions, but agadmator is nevertheless a daily-watch for me. His channel is my favourite thing on YouTube.

do you pause the video or just enjoy the show?

No, I love chess but I don't go in for head-grinding through hard positions. I just like playing moves and having fun on an intuitive level. Also sadly forgot to open my comment with "Hello Everyone."

Congratulations if you've guessed correctly.

I enjoy agad's balkan charm from time to time. His slow motion finishing bishop moves and his logical meanderings after an obvious statement are fun to watch. And he always keeps a couch for medo to chill on.

queen captures, bishop captures, now pause the video to see the next move or just continue to enjoy the show

Now we have a forced check mate in fifty moves

Bushup to c4, with check, and now we have a brand new game of chess.

Antonio is fantastic! If you like him I would also strongly recommend Eric Rosen's YT and Twitch channels -- he's a very laid-back, wholesome IM who's very funny and very instructive.

Agadmator isn't a streamer.