Questions tagged [opening]
Questions relating to the initial moves of the game and their aims
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What openings fit the tastes of a positional player? [closed]
I am a very positional player, but, I cannot find good openings that suit my tastes. What are the lists of openings that result in strategic / positional positions?
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Opening name change of one game at Chess.com
Here are the first few moves of a game that I played at chess.com and the name of the openings is shown by the system:
c4 (English Opening) c5 (English Opening; Symmetrical Variation)
Nc3 Nc6 (...
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In a side line of the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, why is blacks a point ahead here?
In this position, which seems very similar on both sides (with even a bit more center control from white because the pawns are higher up), the engine thinks black is up a whole point (-1.1 according ...
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Does this chess variant exist, and has it ever been considered for official tournaments?
Inspired by this question: Why did Magnus Carlsen not play the World Chess Championship in 2023?
It's not the first time I've heard about GMs (not just Magnus Carlsen) being tired of the current state ...
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Center control - Model games
I'm searching for some games to explain 3rd/4th grade kids the concept of "good control over the center" opposed to "bad center control". Since I want them to somehow see that ...
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What do I do in unfamiliar openings?
Recently I lost to an FM in 28 moves due to lack of opening knowledge. Can someone help me out and summarize the general principles to follow in unfamiliar openings? Please make it easy to memorize.
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Can't understand where is my fault in this game
I played with white. I suspect that not having control in the center might be the problem. Is that true or is there something else?
The game GIF: https://lichess1.org/game/export/gif/qtKvS9zz.gif
The ...
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Why is Bd3 better than any other moves involving activating the bishop in this position?
The line is the following (Danish Gambit declined):
e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 Nc6 4. cxd4 Bb4+ 5. Nc3 d6 6. d5 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Nce7
My question is why is Bd3 better than Bc4 or Be2 for instance? (None of ...
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search for the debut chess book
I have been playing chess for a long time, I think every chess player who was more or less eager to comprehend the vastness of this game and reach new heights has a challenge - there is no single main ...
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Lucas Chess Issues with Chess Openings
I am using Lucas Chess but its opening lines don't display appropriately. Here the engine doesn't show opening lines automatically. What opening book can I use with engine for preparation of absolute ...
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How to play Botvinnik-Carl's defence in the Caro-Kann when White responds with 4. c3?
In the Caro-Kann, Botvinnik-Carl's defence, Black typically wants White to take on c5 so Black can play e6, preparing Bxc5 and Nc6. However, I have been seeing the move c3 after c5 a lot.
How can I ...
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Chess Atomic Openings
I'm studying Atomic Chess. Where can I find openings at? I've found the site Vlasov's Atomic-Chess Homepage so far.
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Are there any recent resources on the Keres Defense?
I am changing my Black repertoire, and became interested in the variation:
d4 e6
c4 Bb4+.
I wonder if there are any recent resources about this "Keres defense" to learn some plans and ...
user35834
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Theory behind the Cow Opening
Recently IM Eric Rosen played the Cow Opening every game in Titled Tuesday, scoring 6.5/11 and increasing his rating. He streamed it and put it on YouTube. It is a Hippo style opening which can play ...
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Trying to improve
I have a question hopefully someone can help me out.
3 days ago I won a tournament (25+5) semi-rapid section under 1450 OTB. I scored 5/5 beating some high rated players.
My rating OTB semi-rapid ...
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What's wrong with the way white is playing?
I have played an opening I can't find anywhere online. So I'm guessing it's wrong. Can someone tell me what are the weaknesses in white's strategy? Or is it simply a matter of black not being able to ...
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Good response to the french defense [duplicate]
I am rated 1840 rapid(10+0) chess on chesscom and 1500 semi rapid (25+5) OTB.
I am preparing for a tournament and I want a suggestion regarding an approach to the french defense.
I tried playing the ...
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Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit vs. Morphy Gambit
I just got an ad for the book Taming Wild Chess Openings by Watson & Schiller. I'm not planning to buy the book, but I was intrigued by the table of contents, especially the two lines quoted below ...
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Tricky sidelines against the French?
In my experience, the French is my weakest opening after e4. I used to play the advance variation against it but found that black gets really nice pressure in the center and by the middlegame white's ...
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How to use chessbase to find moves that produce "only winning sequences" if present?
A lot of times you may find yourself in a losing position, and with best play surely, you'll stay losing, but there is a possibility that you make a move which is not necessarily considered the best ...
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Albin countergambit question about a line
In the albin countergambit, after this line:
d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. e3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 dxe3 6. fxe3 Qh4+ 7. g3 Qe4 8. Qf3 Bxd2+ 9. Nxd2 Qxe5
Why is the position better for black? Is it the fact ...
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Can black win (or even draw) after 3. Qxf7 Kxf7?
Recently I've been watching a streamer who plays chess. He's been using an aggressive opening with 3. Qxf7 (when he's white). The opponent is forced to respond with Kxf7. And the streamer always wins ...
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Every longbow-wielding peasant's finest hour?
It's called the English opening - some reference to Howard Staunton and the perambulations of the mid to late 19th Century; but, does the variant name refer to the Ancien Regime charging up a muddy ...
user35277
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Is it okay to use Scholars mate against strong players?
I am comfortable using scholars mate opening in my game. If it does not work then I can always transform it into a good offense/defense.
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Which openings have a 0-0-0 long castle as white and as black?
Long castling is not very common. Are there any statistics as to how many games have long castle? And how many of them are won?
Which openings can one typically play where there is a long castle, as ...
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Ruy Lopez exchange variable [duplicate]
In the exchange variation of Ruy Lopez, why doesn't black capture using the B-pawn? As per good strategy shouldn't we capture towards the center of the board?
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why is ...Bg4 not so popular in this Ruy Lopez line?
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 Bg4
in this line of the Berlin variation, 8 ...Bg4 is not popular among chess masters (it has been ...
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I would like to make engine play specific openings
I would like to organize an engine tournament on Arena and restrict it only to one opening. How do I do that?
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This variation in Open Sicilian: why give back the exchange?
This is my first foray into the Sicilian from the perspective of black.
So I'm messing around with the open Sicilian on my engine, in particular 4 ...Qb6 5 Be3 Qxb2.
In this variation, apparently even ...
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The difference between 2. Nc3 and 2. Bc4 after 1. e4 e5
After 1.e4 e5 what are the ideas behind 2.Nc3 versus 2.Bc4?
[fen ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 (2. Bc4)
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Who has the edge in "gg chess"?
EDIT: I think a better name is gg chess, because "gg" (good game) is what folks frequently say at the end of a game.
At major chess events, at the end of a drawn game, the players & ...
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Ponziani 5.. Nce7?! why is this a blunder?
The following position is from the Ponziani opening.
Starting 5.. Nce7, the computer gives over +3 advantage for white, but throughout the line I couldn't see why this is such a clear positional ...
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Why is 4. e3 preferred over 4. e4 in this line of the Slav?
Why is 4. e3 preferred over 4. e4 in this line of the Slav?
rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 dxc4 4. e3
I would expect 4. e4 to be preferred, as it ...
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What are the 18 moves?
Last week New in Chess' book of the week was Zlotnik's Middlegame Manual by Boris Zlotnik. Zlotnik was Caruana's coach during his youth when he was living in Spain and Caruana wrote a foreword for the ...
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Is it a good idea for white to play the Botvinnik system in the Sicillian defense?
After 1. e4 c5, the following line is not popular:
[fen ""]
[startply "3"]
1. e4 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nge2 e6
Is there any reason that this line is not ...
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Chebanenko Slav vs Queen's Gambit Declined?
I am around 1400 ELO (on chess dot com) and mostly play daily chess.
I like solid positions where I get to a roughly even middle game without a lot of blazing tactics.
Right now, I am learning the ...
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What are some decent books for explaining the positional ideas of the 4...Nxd5 line of the QGD from black's perspective?
Specifically, this line.
[fen ""]
[Startply "8"]
1.d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 Nxd5
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Do you have an example of forced losing lines when you play the obvious move?
I teach my students that the obvious move isn't always the right one.
Whenever I need to explain this in-depth, I show the Queen Amadala trap from the QGD (see below).
Obviously, a more talented ...
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Why is this line of the Caro-Kann playable for white?
Today in an online game my opponent opened with e4 and I played the Caro-Kann, as I usually do. We went into a line that was new to me, shown below:
rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq -...
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slav defence: 3. nc3?
[fen ""]
[Startply "40"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3
I found no slav defence (or other) tutorial discussing this move. It seems 3. Nf3 is always played, but I found no reason why ...
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What's the positional threat in this opening of the London?
In a London system course, when explaining the following line, the author mentions that with 4.Ne5 "White is creating a big positional threat of Nxg4."
[FEN ""]
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3....
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Best Repetoire Building Tools
I want to build an opening repertoire manually.
what are the computer tools to do that?
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London system move order nuances Qb6 without Nc6
In the London system, playing early Nd2 is recommended to react against Qb6. For example if we take this move order
[FEN ""]
1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nd2 Qb6 6....
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Should I get into the Najdorf?
I'm a ~1500 rated player on Chess.com's scale (highest rating is 1420 or so, but rapidly growing so we'll say 1500). A few months ago I participated in an invitational tournament against another ...
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How wide or how narrow should be the repertoire of a 1800 Elo player who still wants to continue to improve?
Should he have one defense against 1.e4 and one defense against 1.d4, or two defenses against 1.e4 and two defenses against 1.d4?
Should he always play the exact same sub-variation of the exact same ...
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I can play the London system exclusively up to what rating?
There are many GMs who sometimes play the London system, but none of them play it exclusively. By "exclusively" I mean play it in over 99% of my games when I'm White, I mean adopting the ...
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London system plan against Qxb6 when white has time to go a3 and Rc1 getting out of pin
In the London system where white doesn't develop the b1 knight early the Qxb6 followed by a3 is considered a mistake due to the following sequence
[FEN ""]
1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 c5 4. ...
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QGD is 3... Be7 better than 3...Nf6
3...Be7 a.k.a the Alatortsev Variation is a possible response as black for QGD players
When I checked with the database 3...Nf6 is the most played move instead of 3...Be7.
When black plays Nf6 they ...
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Nc6 vs Nd7 in Albin-Blackburn gambit
So while studying Philidor lines I quickly stumbled across the 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.dxe5 line that usually splits off into the following notable outcomes:
4...Bxf3 5.Qxf3 dxe5 Reliving the ...
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Which gambits do engines rate positively? [duplicate]
I often hear about "dubious" gambits - those that may be successful against mediocre opponents, but with correct preparation or against an engine are inaccurate.
Which gambits do the engines ...
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