*** Chess Low Content Thread *** - Page 19 - Chess and Board Game Strategy

Steinitz variation is 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5.

2. e5 is not good. It is basically a loss of tempo as the pawn on e4 was not attacked. It does nothing for White's development. Black can basically either just ignore the move and play 2... d5 as planned (when White's probably should transpose to the Advance variation with 3. d4, which is certainly not the critical test of the French). Or Black can play a Sicilian set-up with 2...c5 when the pawn on e5 is looking a bit silly.

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04-23-2010 , 09:57 PM

#452

ganstaman

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Quote:

Originally Posted by CrushinFelt

The French:

1. e4 e6

Why not 2. e5?

Better question for you to answer is: why? (seriously, before deciding against a move, you should at least see that it would benefit you in the case that we can't find something wrong with it)

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04-23-2010 , 11:20 PM

#453

CrushinFelt

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ganstaman

Better question for you to answer is: why? (seriously, before deciding against a move, you should at least see that it would benefit you in the case that we can't find something wrong with it)

Turns out it mostly ends you up in the same spot as other variations. Played a few games with it. Pretty "meh"

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04-24-2010 , 11:44 AM

#454

ganstaman

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Quote:

Originally Posted by CrushinFelt

Turns out it mostly ends you up in the same spot as other variations. Played a few games with it. Pretty "meh"

But that doesn't really answer the question. Why is it that you considered the move to begin with? What is it that you were hoping to gain by playing it?

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04-24-2010 , 11:58 AM

#455

CrushinFelt

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ganstaman

But that doesn't really answer the question. Why is it that you considered the move to begin with? What is it that you were hoping to gain by playing it?

Make black a little more cramped. Simple as that.

I end up losing tempo pretty quickly or end up in the same spot as the other French variations.

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04-25-2010 , 03:23 PM

#456

CrushinFelt

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Code:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7

Why 5. ... Be7 and not Nxe4?

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04-25-2010 , 03:30 PM

#457

CrushinFelt

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Heh...

Link to Nxe4 games

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04-25-2010 , 03:39 PM

#458

swingdoc

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Quote:

Originally Posted by CrushinFelt

Code:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7

Why 5. ... Be7 and not Nxe4?

Taste? Nothing wrong with Nxe4 and playing the Open Spanish. Be7 leads (generally) to the Closed Spanish systems.

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04-25-2010 , 04:15 PM

#459

CrushinFelt

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Let me ask a follow-up then. Why is white willing to sacrifice that pawn?

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04-25-2010 , 04:23 PM

#460

Ajezz

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This is not a sacrifice. Black can't keep the pawn. After 5...Nxe4 White plays 6. d4 and Black has to give up the pawn because of the pin in the e-file. Play usually continues 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6. Only this is the starting position of the Open Ruy Lopez.

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04-26-2010 , 11:34 AM

#461

CrushinFelt

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Where online can I just find a chess board where I can mess with the pieces as I see fit to explore different variations?

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04-26-2010 , 02:03 PM

#462

BobJoeJim

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Quote:

Originally Posted by CrushinFelt

Where online can I just find a chess board where I can mess with the pieces as I see fit to explore different variations?

http://www.chess.com/analysis-board-editor.html

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04-26-2010 , 05:46 PM

#463

swingdoc

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Stupid question:

How do you name diagonals that run right to left when looking at the white side. Is it the f1-a6 diagonal or the a6-f1 diagonal. h1-a8 or a8-h1, etc? I think I've seen both in books and I always go in number order (f1-a6). There's no disagreement about the other direction since letter and number order are identical.

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04-26-2010 , 08:48 PM

#464

Ron Burgundy

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srs question:

Are conjoined twins allowed to compete in chess tournaments? I would think having two brains would give them an unfair advantage, but otoh, not allowing them might violate the americans with disabilities act or something.

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04-26-2010 , 09:05 PM

#465

swingdoc

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Burgundy

How are they going to use both brains? Only one can play at a time. If they share one body, then only one hand gets to make the moves.

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04-26-2010 , 09:12 PM

#466

CrushinFelt

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajezz

Thanks Ajezz.

But what about this?

1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 a6
4.Ba4 Nf6
5.O-O Nxe4
6.d4 exd4
7.Nxd4 Nxd4
8.Qxd4

Then move the knight to safety and white has no middle pawns and white has lost a pawn.

Or

8. Re1 Nb5
9. Rxe4+ Be7

And now black is ready to O-O.

Seems like black can keep the pawn if he's willing to trade knights.

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04-26-2010 , 10:47 PM

#467

garcia1000

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7. Re1

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04-26-2010 , 11:25 PM

#468

CrushinFelt

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oic

thx

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04-27-2010 , 01:50 AM

#469

swingdoc

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Quote:

Originally Posted by garcia1000

7. Re1

I didn't know anything about this line, so I looked it up. Amazingly, black appears to reach ~ equality in this line. The main line is rather complex and contains at least two chances for black to get a perpetual check on white's king. The end of the main line is this position:

Honestly, this line looks like a great line to prepare for use against higher rated players or anytime you'd be happy with a draw. Not a whole lot of critical sidelines, infrequently used, and with a complex endgame that's ripe for home analysis. Only downside is that white can force black to take the perpetual.

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04-27-2010 , 01:55 PM

#470

Ron Burgundy

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Quote:

Originally Posted by swingdoc

How are they going to use both brains? Only one can play at a time. If they share one body, then only one hand gets to make the moves.

They don't need more than one hand to make moves obv. But they could communicate through facial expressions or body movements.

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04-27-2010 , 02:01 PM

#471

CrushinFelt

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Where's the perpetual?

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04-27-2010 , 02:10 PM

#472

smilingbill

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1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 exd4 7. Re1 d5 8.
Nxd4 Bd6 9. Nxc6 Bxh2+ 10.Kxh2 Qh4+ 11.Kg1 Qxf2+

10.Kh1 Qh4 11.Rxe4+ dxe4 12.Qd8+ leads to the endgame given by swingdoc.

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04-27-2010 , 02:18 PM

#473

smilingbill

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here's a little exercise from a corres game i played against a friend:

Evaluate 1.-Rxb6. (especially a possibly resulting pawn ending)

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05-02-2010 , 09:50 PM

#474

Donkey OT

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Question for you guys, since I'm not real sure on this.

Let's say you're playing somebody, and early on you get a piece up, (not a pawn, knight/bishop/rook/queen). Is it generally a good idea to start trading pieces or does it depend on the difference in skill between the players, and maybe other factors?