This is a training game (I’m a retired professional chess coach) and should interest spectators as well.
Chessic Sense can:
take a move back (if he happens to blunder horribly, I’ll point that out!)
ask my advice on his next move
ask questions about strategy + tactics
read my running commentary on the game
I’d prefer he didn’t use a computer (I do practice against them, but this is about Chessic Sense learning for himself) and I’d appreciate spectators not making suggestions here (for the same reason.)
So here is a thread for spectator comments:
**N.B. If a kind soul would like to link this thread to a board position, that would be much appreciated. **
Chessic Sense, you have Black (I’m varying colours between games.)
There is no time limit (so don’t worry if real life intervenes…)
We’ll be using the standard algebraic notation (e.g. e4.)
Thanks to Chessic Sense for conditionals (which speed the game up) and to Mosier for his helpful diagrams.
This opening for Black is the Nimzo-Indian defence (named after Grandmaster Nimzovich) and I am playing the Saemisch variation.
White gets the two bishops and a pawn majority in the centre. However this comes with doubled pawns, giving an interesting, unbalanced* game.
I have played this a lot as Black, so it should be fun to try the White side of things.
*unbalanced in rhe sense of ‘not likely to end in a draw’, rather than crazy!
Glee Chessic Sense
1.d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Bb4
4. a3 Bxc3+
5. bxc3 b6
Glee, should I be making commentary on my moves here or in the other thread? Am I even allowed in the other thread?
…b6 follows the theme of color complexes. Black lost his dark-square bishop, but removed the White knight that had the responsibility of covering e4 and d5, the light squares. This means Black has to concede the dark squares to White while taking his prize and lock down the light squares for himself. Since Black has two knights, it’s better to keep this game closed, and that means stopping pawn advances. …b6 does just this.
I want to form a pawn centre with e4, and ‘open up’ the game for my bishops.
You’re welcome to comment here, as it’s your game!
I suggest you look at the other thread after the game finishes - then it will be like having a post-mortem (always a good idea in chess.)
This is an interesting analysis.
You’re absolutely right that you having more knights than my bishops means you prefer to keep the game closed (i.e. by having pawns block each oither.)
I should have a slight advantage on black squares (through my bishop), but it will be tough for you to keep me out of White squares (though that’s a good objective to have.)
Since …b6 locked down the pawn on c4, it’s now my target. Qc8 and Na5 are coming. Should e4-e5 be played, the night will relocate to potentially f5, though I’m not sure about that yet.
It’s quite an experience for me to play the White side of this opening for the first time.
I have a massive pawn centre, but a lack of development. So you need to act fast, before I consolidate and achieve a crushing space advantage…
I’m now outside my book knowledge and thinking on my own. My understanding is that Black wants a closed center and an open c-file. I see some counterpunches for White, but I think they all lead to a busted pawn formation that will make it difficult to survive an endgame.
With this move, you have to push through, capture, or ignore it (like always). If you push through, you lock up the pawn formation which is good for my knights. If you take, I get the c-file. If you ignore it, I also preserve the option of taking the c-file. I still worry about e4-e5, but I don’t think it causes immediate problems. I’m prepared to be shown the error of my ways.
Black would indeed like to open the c-file, since White has potentially two weak pawns on it.
For example, 11. dxc5? Qxc5 is almost lost for White.
Allowing Black to play cxd4 is just as bad.
Now you’re right that you want to block the centre, but I’m assuming you can’t.
If you play e5, I can reply f4.
If you don’t play e5, then I can.
Although your bishop on a6 and knight on a5 are attacking my weakness, unless you can build on that, they are out of play if the game opens up.
This is a very instructive game, as both sides have clear (and incompatible!) plans…
