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Playing on chess.com against the first advanced bot, "Antonio", I've lost a game and looked at the analysis.

The following is the state of the game not far from the beginning, where I had done only those moves that the engine considers either "book" or "best":

r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/n1p1p3/8/3PN3/5N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w - - 0 2

At this point my move was c3:

r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/n1p1p3/8/3PN3/2P2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQKB1R w - - 0 2

which the engines deems "excellent", whereas the "best" move would be

r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/n1p1p3/4N3/3PN3/8/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w - - 0 2

My question is, why is this a better move? What advantage does it give to me? Is it in the short term?

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    To all practical effects, they're equally as good. I'd prefer a more "human" developping move, though
    – David
    Commented Jan 19, 2021 at 21:16
  • The chesscom analysis is done on such low depth that very little faith should be put into its difference between best, excellent, and even good in positions where there are no immediate tactics. I would not read anything into this.
    – NoseKnowsAll
    Commented Jan 19, 2021 at 23:52

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Maybe because it threatens BxN PxB, Nxc6, gaining a pawn? Therefore it reduces the range of moves that Black can play this move. Qa4 can then follow up (to a move like Ne7) to place pressure on the A knight and the C pawn.

It also allows threats like Qf3 or Qh5, whose refutations might weaken Black's pawn structure?

Just speculating.

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