Fight that impulse. Fight it!
The knight would be better on c2 - on b5 I just drive it away with a6.
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
This is a classic French Advanced position. White has more space, but his central pawns are under threat.
White’s next move is tricky, as Nc3 and Nbd2 both lose the d4 pawn. Even Na3 loses that pawn (although White gets some compensation as Black gives up his good bishop on e7…)
Zombywoof - you’ll need to think about this move!
I’m using this position in another thread as an example of how players analyse, so will post a copy here for Zombywoof.
I decided to play 10. … Be7 as generally:
- it developed a piece
- it prepared castling
- it kept my co-ordination
My selection of White’s likely replies was:
(a) g4
(b) Nc3
© Nbd2
(d) Na3
(e) Qd3
and my specific analysis of each was:
-
g4 Nh4 12. Nxh4 Bxh4, when the d4 pawn is still under pressure and White’s king-side pawns might become weak
-
Nc3 Ncxd4 winning a pawn e.g. after 12. Na4 Nxf3+ 13. Bxf3 Bxa4 14. bxa4
(or a piece after 12. Nxd5? Nxf3+ 13. Bxf3 exd5) -
Nbd2 - same winning a pawn variations as with Nc3
-
Na3 Nfxd4 and now
-
Nxd4 Bxa3 13. Bxa3 Qxd4 (I’ve won a pawn and unless White exchanges Queens, I win another)
-
Nxd4 Bxa3 13. Nxc6 Bxb2 14. Rb1 bxc6 15. Rxb2 (I’m a strong central passed pawn ahead)
-
Qd3 Rc8 and if 12. Nbd2 (the point of Qd3) Nb4 13. Qb1 Nc2 and Black wins the exchange.
Thanks, will check back in soon.
I do see how Nc3 and Nbd2, and Na3 all ultimately weaken the defense of the d4 pawn.
I had been wondering if your last move was setting up the possibility of following up with 11…f6 to attack my e5 pawn, at which point if I captured 12. exf6 and you recaptured 12…Bxf6 my d4 pawn is attacked 4X, defended 3X and lost.
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4 Nh4
If 12. Nxh4 Bxh4
It’s certainly a possibility.
At the moment you’d be unwise to play exf6, for the reasons you gave. But you wouldn’t have to, isnce e5 is well defended…
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4 Nh4
- Nxh4 Bxh4
At this point my thinking is that (for lack of seeing anything to immediately attack or defend) I’d like to get my a-file Rook freed up (to maybe move to the c-file?). Playing Qd3 to follow up with Nd2 loses the d4 pawn as explained above; Na3 doesn’t accomplish much in itself (and goes against the general advice to keep your knights away from the board edge, no?), however I don’t see anything obviously wrong with it either…
- Na3
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4 Nh4
- Nxh4 Bxh4
- Na3 Be7
Welcome back!
Note that your bishop on b2 is now ‘overloaded’, i.e. it protects both d4 and a3 - so I threaten Bxa3 and then capturing on d4…
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4 Nh4
- Nxh4 Bxh4
- Na3 Be7
- Nc2
I see…my thinking here is to get the Knight out of harm’s way while further defending the d4 pawn.
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4 Nh4
- Nxh4 Bxh4
- Na3 Be7
- Nc2 OO
This last move is a classical decision, especially where there is a blocked centre (as here):
- which side do I castle?
- where do my rooks go?
I’ve decided I will be safe on the K-side (it helps that if White advances his K-side pawns, he weakens his own king’s defences.)
My rooks will come to c8 and f8 (I plan to play f6 as White has defended d4 well…)
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4 Nh4
- Nxh4 Bxh4
- Na3 Be7
- Nc2 OO
- Rc1
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4 Nh4
- Nxh4 Bxh4
- Na3 Be7
- Nc2 OO
- Rc1 f6
Since Zombywoof has carefully defended d4, I switch to pressure on e5.
I also hope to show that g4 was a weakening move (at the time it was a natural move to get rid of my annoying Knight on f5.)
Pawns can’t move backwards, so any ‘bold’ advance is a potentional weakness…
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4 Nh4
- Nxh4 Bxh4
- Na3 Be7
- Nc2 OO
- Rc1 f6
I’m not sure there’s anything I can do about the threat to e5 specifically…my thought here, for what it’s worth, is to get my Queen into a more active position, controlling more squares with more mobility.
- Qd3
(if 16…fxe5 then 17. dxe5)
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4 Nh4
- Nxh4 Bxh4
- Na3 Be7
- Nc2 OO
- Rc1 f6
- Qd3 fxe5
- dxe5 Bg5
A good summary!
I now feel Black has enough advantage to analyse some lines.
I first looked at 17. … Bc5 18. Qg3 Rf7 19. Kg2 Raf8 20. f4, but here White has broken the pin on f2 and supported e5 successfully.
So my move prepares to attack e5 whilst preventing f4 by White.
Zombywoof Glee
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- e5 c5
- c3 Nc6
- Nf3 Qb6
- Be2 Bd7
- OO cxd4
- cxd4 Nge7
- b3 Nf5
- Bb2 Be7
- g4 Nh4
- Nxh4 Bxh4
- Na3 Be7
- Nc2 OO
- Rc1 f6
- Qd3 fxe5
- dxe5 Bg5
- Rce1