Accelerated Dragon #6

Ideas in the Accelerated Dragon

Idea #6  -  White's main line with 7.Bc4 and 8.Bb3

As we saw in Idea #5, this line is probably White's last chance to try for a Yugoslav Attack.

The moves up to this point:

1. e4        c5

2. Nf3     Nc6

3. d4       cxd4

4. Nxd4  g6

5. Nc3    Bg7

6. Be3    Nf6

7. Bc4    0-0

8. Bb3    

Idea 4 in that post recommended the move 8...a5.  This was based on the pattern of white having a minor piece on b3 (so ...a4 would be a threat).  This move also gives the rook a potential entry via a6.

If White ignores the threat and plays something like 9.0-0, then the e-pawn will fall after 9...a4.

White can try to stop ...a4 by playing 9.a4 first.  This means that if the Bishop on b3 is ever traded, White will have to recapture with the c-pawn.  So Black can play 9...Ng4, knowing that after 10.Qxg4 the move 10...Nxd4 will threaten discovered check against the white queen, and one of White's bishop will be traded for the knight.

So at move 9,  White's main line is 9.f3

Now black finally gets to play 9...d5, in one move which has always been the objective.

Here, White's hopes for a Yugoslav Attack are crushed.  It would be too risky to try to castle queen side and advance king side pawns when Black can open the center and the a-pawn advancing is a nasty threat.

If White captures with the e-pawn,  Black will play ...Nb4 and will eventually get the pawn back.

Note:  It would be a mistake for White to take first on d5 with knight and then with Bishop.  Black would then take twice on d4, leaving the white queen on d4.  Now the white bishop is pinned.

Here is an interesting game that shows a lot of Black's ideas.

Accelerated Dragon #5

Ideas in the Accelerated Dragon

Idea #5 -  When white tries to prevent 8...d5 with 7.Bc4  --  Patterns to know

Let's take a look at the main line sequence:

1. e4        c5
2. Nf3     Nc6
3. d4       cxd4
4. Nxd4  g6
5. Nc3    Bg7
6. Be3    Nf6
7. Bc4    0-0

With 7.Bc4, White is signalling the intention to play a Yugoslav Attack while trying to prevent Black from playing 8...d5.  As usual, Black plays 7...0-0.   Now White proceed with caution, as it is easy to make a mistake.

Since Black will not be able to play 8...d5, I will show you 4 patterns to guide your response, depending on what White plays.

Pattern 1 -   White plays 8.f3 leaving the bishop on e3 undefended.

This position is common in amateur play.  White is continuing to try for the Yugloslav attack.
But 8.f3 is inaccurate for White, leaving the bishop on e3 unprotected.

Black can exploit this by playing 8...Qb6, attacking the unprotected pawn on b2, and an x-ray attack on the e3 bishop.

White's best choice is probably 9.Bb3, but this lets Black unleash the monster bishop with 9...Ng4 or 9..Nxe4 initiating tactics that favor Black.  (Note:  White can set a trap with 9.a3 hoping to trap the Black queen, but Black can avoid the poison pawn and play 9...Qc5.)



Pattern 2  -  White plays 8.Qd2 leaving the square g4 undefended.

This move is also common in amateur play.  White is again trying for a Yugoslav Attack, but unfortunately the move 8.Qd2 leaves the g4 square undefended.

Black takes advantage of this by playing 8...Ng4 with a discovered attack on the knight.

White cannot move the bishop without losing the knight, so will either have to give up his bishop for a knight, or play 9.Nxc6 with simplifications that favor Black.

Pattern 3 -   White plays 8.0-0 allowing the "fork trick"

Sometimes White gives up on a Yugoslav Attack and plays 8.0-0.

This allows the "fork trick" (a similar situation occurs in the Two Knights Defense) with 8...Nxe4.

If White recaptures with 9.Nxe4,  then 9...d5 forks bishop and knight.  

White can try 9.Bxf7+ leaving Black a rook on the semi-open f-file and two central pawns.

Pattern 4 -  White plays 8.Bb3 tempting the a-pawn to advance.

If White doesn't what to play into one of the 3 patterns above, the best move left is 8.Bb3, which avoids the fork trick, and might still lead to a Yugoslav Attack if Black complies.  This should probably be considered the main line.

The pattern for Black to notice here is a minor piece on b3.  When you see this, you should automatically consider 8...a5, threatening 9...a4.  

White has several replies, which will be covered in the next post.

Accelerated Dragon #4

Ideas in the Accelerated Dragon

Idea #4  -  If White doesn't prevent it, play 8...d5

As we saw in the post,  Accelerated Dragon #1, Black wants to play the d-pawn to d5 in one move.  When Black is able to do this, he generally equalizes.  And this move throws a wet blanket on White's plans for a Yugoslav Attack, or Classical Dragon.

As we saw in the post, Accelerated Dragon #2,  Black's first 7 moves are usually the same.  So move 8 is the right time to play ...d5.

Here is in interesting game where Black gets his way.

The next few posts will look at ways White tries to stop Black from playing ...d5.

Accelerated Dragon #3

Ideas in the Accelerated Dragon

Idea #3 -  Black's dark square bishop is a monster.

The moves 1...c5 and 2...Nc6 have softened up the central dark squares. Blacks bishop on g7 threatens to run amok on the a1 to h8 diagonal. White must always be on the lookout for discovered attacks when Black moves the f6 knight.

White would like to trade off Black's dangerous bishop. Plans with Qd2 and Bh6 are common, as is Nxc5 and Bd4. Unfortunately for White, these plans are usually 1 move too slow.

Black wants to avoid trading off his valuable bishop, unless he gets something substantial for it. This would be something like:

• Win of material.
• Double White's pawns on the half open c-file, especially if it exposes White's king after castling queenside
• Transition into a better endgame.

Black would especially like to trade one of his knights for White's dark square bishop. Then the monster on g8 will rule the dark squares unopposed.

Here is an example showing all these ideas.  Note: this does not represent best play by White, but all the moves seem plausible and often happen in amateur play.

Accelerated Dragon #2

Ideas in the Accelerated Dragon

Idea #2:  Black plays the same first 6  moves whenever possible, and usually castles on the 7th.

These moves are:  

1.e4        c5

2.Nf3     Nc6

3.d4       cxd4

4.Nxd4  g6

5.Nc3    Bg7

6.Be3    Nf6   

7.Bc4    0-0     

   or 7.f3      0-0  
   or 7.Qd2  0-0  
   or 7.Be2   0-0  
   or 7.Nb3   0-0  

Of course this only works if White cooperates.  We will look at deviations by white in later posts.

Accelerated Dragon #1

Ideas in the Accelerated Dragon

Idea #1 - Black wants to play ...d5 in one move

In the Sicilian Defense, ...d5 is generally an important freeing move for Black. With ...d5 and the resulting open lines in the center, White's plans of king side attack (with f3, g4, h4, h5 as in the Yugoslav Attack, or 0-0, f4, f5 as in the Classical Dragon) invite more risk for the first player.

In the standard Dragon move order, black plays an early ...d6, which means that ...d5 costs another tempo later. To illustrate the impact of this difference, we will compare two common Dragon strategies (the Yugoslav Attack, and the Classical Dragon) with the Accelerated Dragon.

Note: Of course, White does not have to allow Black to play the Accelerated Dragon. In particular, the Maroczy Bind and the Rossolimo Variation would derail Black's plans. But that is for another chapter.

Openings for Beginners

What opening should I play?

I see this question a lot on internet forums.  There are so many openings, with multiple paths and transpositions, it is no wonder beginners are confused.

General Advice

The advice most often given to beginners is to play the open games.  These are the openings that start with White playing 1.e4 and Black responding with 1...e5.  These openings are called the open games because there are usually pawns traded on the center squares resulting in open central files and diagonals.  With all these open lines, the pieces come into play quickly and it is often easy to figure out the best squares for your pieces.  Quick development, king safety, and the fight for the central squares are usually the main priorities of the open games.

All of the above tends to make the open games good for learning, but I think the best reason to play the open games is that when you lose, it will usually be easy to figure out your mistake because it will be punished tactically right away.  In the closed games, your positional mistake may not be exploited for another 10 moves, and the beginner will not be able to make the logical connection.

Who is the target audience of this advice?

The title says openings for beginners, and certainly anybody just learning to play chess should consider the opening advice listed below.  I would think players rated under 1200 should also be trying out these openings.  All the lines I give have been played by masters, so there is no need to worry that these lines are unsound.  If they suit your style you could play them as you progress up through ratings of 1600 to 1800.

I should also note that these recommendations are intended to maximize learning, not increase short term performance.  You may lose a higher percentage of games at first if you adopt these openings, but I am confident that your understanding will improve, and in the long term, so will your results.

Now for some specifics

To cut to the chase, I am recommending the Scotch Game, but using a modified move order.

The Scotch Game is usually reached by:

1. e4  e5
2. Nf3  Nc6
3. d4

when Black almost always plays  3...exd4




The move order I recommend is:

1. e4  e5
2. d4  dxe4
3. Nf3

and if Black responds with 3...Nc6, then we will have reached the same position.


  


Why this move order?

There are a couple of reasons why I recommend this particular move order.

• Some of Black's best options are avoided with this move order (see notes below)
• There are more opportunities for Black to make a mistake

Of course nothing comes for free, and Black will have a few options against this move order that are not available otherwise, but these are of little consequence.


What if Black doesn't play those moves?

That is a very good question.  I first want to show some lines in the Scotch Game, then I will give some advice on how to play if Black plays moves other than those that lead to the Scotch Game.

The Scotch Game

We will consider two main variations in the Scotch Game following these moves:

1. e4  e5
2. d4  exd4
3. Nf3  Nc6
4. Nxd4

Black will usually play either 4...Bc5 or 4...Nf6.   You will also need to prepare for 4...Qh4.   Beginners will sometimes play 4...Nxd4, but this should cause you no trouble.


Gambit options for White

White can choose not to re-capture the pawn on move 4.  There are some options where White can sacrifice a pawn to gain a lead in development with lots of open lines that may lead to an early attack.
4.Bc4 is the Scotch Gambit
4.c3 is the Goring Gambit.



When Black does not play 3...Nc6

These are some moves that Black may play instead of 3...Nc6
3...Nf6 is a variation of the Petroff Defense
3...d6 is a line in the Philidor Defense
3...Bb4+ and 3...Bc5 are options that are unique to this move order, but not problems for White.
3...c5 is sometimes played by beginners and is just bad for Black.


 

What if Black does not play 1...e5?

That will have to be another chapter.  In most cases, the idea of playing 2.d4 will be the right move, and against the Sicilian, you can follow up with 3.Nf3.


Summary

As White, I recommend beginning players aim for the Scotch Game (or possibly the Scotch Gambit) using the 2.d4 move order.   This will lead to positions that beginning players will be able to understand and learn from.  This last diagram is a summary of the lines discussed above.

Opening Names - Tree Diagrams

What is the deal with opening names?

There are sequences of opening moves that are played over and over again.  This is because the moves make sense in accomplishing the goals of the opening.  These goals are:

• Develop the pieces off the back rank and into the game
• Fight for the center of the board
• Castle your king into safety

The names of openings have been assigned pretty much by accident over history.  Openings can be named after:

• The first player who popularized the opening
• The city or country where the opening was first popular
• A descriptive name of the what is happening on the board

Do I need to learn all of the opening names?

No, you don't need to learn the names of all of the openings, but you should probably learn the names of the openings you play.  The best way to do this is to write down the moves of your next game (if you are playing online, most servers will record the moves for you).  After the game, look up the moves on the tree diagrams below and try to find the name of the opening you just played.  If the moves you played do not have a name, you may have been playing inferior moves and should consider one of the moves from the diagram instead.

Once you know the name of the opening you play, you can search on the internet for more information about that opening.  There are even videos that explain the finer points of each opening.


And now, the tree diagrams

I couldn't fit all of the openings on one diagram, so I broke them up according to the common classification system, which is explained in the first diagram.  Note:  There are many other openings that I did not include here.  These are either very rarely played anymore, or are not suited for improving players.

Next Steps

Now that you know the name of the openings you like to play, you can make your own tree diagrams showing the variations and sub-variations of those openings.  There are plenty of internet resources to guide you.  Old school players like me still read about the variations in books.

You should also plan to spend some time learning about the openings your opponents might use to prevent you from playing your opening,  For example, suppose you like to play the Scotch opening as White.   From the diagrams, you will notice that Black does not have to follow the path that leads to the Scotch.  After 1.e4 e5,  2.Nf3 Black does not have to play 2...Nc6.   Black can choose to play 2...Nf6 (Petroff Defense) or 2...d6 (Philidor Defense) instead.  Also, Black does not have to reply with 1...e5, but could choose any of the Semi-Open defenses instead.

I enjoy learning about the openings and I hope this information will help you get started improving your opening play.

Thoughts on Opening Repertiore Choices

Why have a specific opening repertoire?

• To specialize in a limited set of openings
• To minimize the amount of study required

Why have I chosen to have to have 2 sets of opening choices?

• Because my objectives differ when playing higher or lower rated opponents
• To get exposure to a larger set of opening ideas and positions
• To avoid boredom and stagnation
• To have a back-up plan in case my opponent is prepared for my opening

Objectives against higher rated players.

• To paraphrase Simon Webb -  The tiger must lead the elephant into the swamp.
• Maximize my tactical chances
• Unclear / dynamic positions
• Drawish lines OK – especially forcing tactical lines
• All pawn structures, including IQP
• Stay in book.  I want them to leave book worried about my prepared lines.

Objectives against lower rated players.

• The tiger waits for the rabbit to make a mistake
• Minimize my opponent's tactical chances
• Strategically sound positions
• Avoid drawish lines
• Avoid symmetrical pawn structures
• Avoid pawn weaknesses
• Get them out of their prepared lines.

How to Lose at Chess - Checkmate in the Opening

Checkmate in the Opening

In the opening, you can increase your chances of being checkmated by failing to develop your pieces off the back rank and by making lots of pawn moves that expose the king. Also, you should never castle if that would make your king safer.

Fool's Mate

It is possible to be checkmated in just a few moves. The following example is often called the “Fool's Mate”.

Notice that by moving his pawns on the f and g files, White has done an excellent job of exposing his king to check along the diagonal that runs from e1 to h4. When you want to lose quickly, move the pawns protecting your king.

Scholar's Mate

The f7 square is a particularly weak square right next to Black's king. If you are lucky, White may try to checkmate you quickly on f7.

Black could have defended f7 by playing 3...Qe7 or blocked the queen check with 3...g6. Surely you would not play either of those moves.

Be sure to keep the square f7 unprotected if you want to be checkmated early in the game.

Legal's Mate

Many players of the White pieces will not bring their queen out early to attempt the Scholar's mate. A more sophisticated way to get checkmated is Legal's mate.

Black's move 4...g6 was a clever losing strategy. Developing a piece by 4...Nc6 or 4...Be7 would have avoided the mate.

Moving pawns instead of developing pieces in the opening is a good way to get checkmated early.

Blackburne Shilling Mate

The story says the master Blackburne would play amateurs for a shilling a game. He would often play these moves as Black and usually win quickly.

White did not have to take the pawn with 4.Nxe5. Greedily grabbing pawns instead of developing pieces is an excellent technique for losing quickly.

Notice how in all of these examples, the losing side did not develop the back rank pieces and castle. It is usually harder to get checkmated if you castle early.

How to Lose at Chess - Introduction

How to Lose at Chess - Losing by Checkmate