Here’s the new thread:
https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21996841&posted=1#post21996841
Thanks, I’ve re-posted my first move there. In any kind of ‘serious’ game, I always start with e4. I just prefer the type of more open game it tends to lead to, compared with the other choices, plus I know a little bit of theory around some of the more common lines (but mainly I just try to stick to the principle of rapid development rather than try to memorise variations). I’m most comfortable against 1…e5, but when I used to play more regularly I feel like the Sicilian was a more common response. In this game, I don’t mind what glee chooses (even 1… d5 :)) as it’s unimportant for the purposes of this game - I will learn a lot in any case.
I’ve replied 1. … e6 (The French Defence.)
It’s a defensive set-up. Black prepares to play 2. … d5 and can then recapture with a pawn if necessary, keeping a foothold in the centre.
N.B. I’m having trouble getting the diagram from www.apronus.com to load.
If some kind soul could go there, type in the moves and then post the position in the game thread, that would be great!
White’s 3. Bd3 is slightly inferior.
The main moves (known as ‘book’) are:
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- Nd2 … steady, keeping the option of c3 open
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- Nc3 … attacking, but allowing complicated variations like 3. … Bb4
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- e5 … often leads to blocked positions (where knights are better than bishops)
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- exd5 … quiet, leading to drawish symmetrical positions
After 3. Bd3 dxe4 4. Bxe4 Nf6, White’s choices are:
- retreat the bishop, which means Black gains time and effectively equalises
- defend the bishop - but after the resultant exchange Black has the two bishops in an open position (where bishops are slightly superior)
Here’s my thinking behind Bd3. My natural inclination was to play Nc3, but I didn’t like the look of Bb4 - it seemed to me that Bd2 Bxc3 Bxc3 dxe4 wasn’t great, while Bd3 Bxc3 bxc3 leaves White with doubled pawns. Then again, I probably hadn’t thought far enough ahead about the implications of Bd3. I didn’t even consider Nd2 as I didn’t want to block in my queen and bishop. I knew e5 and exd5 were perfectly playable but I just felt I could develop a piece rather than make a third pawn move.
I’m happy to live with my move and see where it goes, but I’d be interested in continuing a short discussion of the better alternatives.
A lot of ‘book’ moves seem less likely at first glance. However after a hundred years and billions of games, due to all that experience the openings have ‘settled down’.
After 3. Nc3 Bb4 White usually continues 4. e5.
Now it’s true that the c3 knight is pinned, but White will soon break that with a3.
The pawn on e5 hampers Black’s development (Nf6 is impossible) and White has a space advantage.
On the other hand, White often gets doubled pawns if Black plays Bxc3+.
There are many sharp lines arising from this position!
Yes, 3.Nd2 temporarily blocks Q + B. However Black cannot successfully pin with 3. … Bb4 as 4. c3 is good for White.
So White preserves his pawn centre, and will unravel later on.
You’re right to be wary of too many pawn moves in the opening!
‘Develop your pieces, control the centre and get castled’ is the best general advice.
However after 3. e5, the centre is solidly blocked. This means neither King is in danger for now and that there’s time to develop without risk.
So White elected to defend the Bishop on e4.
Now Black has a slight advantage with the ‘two bishops’ in an open position.
It’s not much - but it is proven to be useful.
Black will try to keep the position open (exchanging pawns rather than blocking them.)
Bishops are better than knights in open positions because they can cover both sides of the board simultaneously (and move faster in general.)
I decided that although I have conceded the two bishops, my queen can’t be chased immediately and Black has exchanged his only developed piece. On the other hand, I can see that Black is doing pretty well out of the opening so far. However, White does have more control of the centre at the moment.
Once queens have been exchanged, control of the centre and King safety matter less.
Also it’s true that White is ahead in development - but it’s not clear what he can do with it. (The knight on e4 has no safe square to advance to…)
Black has the ‘two bishops’, so let’s look at the advantages of bishops v knights.
Knights like to be in the centre and to have ‘outposts’ = a square no enemy pawn can attack (and preferably covered by one of your own pawns.)
An example would be after 1. e4 e5 2. c4 Nc6 (position here), where the d4 square is a great central outpost for the Black Knight.
In our game there is no such square for White’s knights.
Bishops like open lines (no pawns blocking each other.)
In the actual game fter 7. Nd2 Qxe4 8. Nxe4 b6 (position here), Black’s bishop is coming to b7 where it will threaten the knight on e4, the pawn on g2 and the rook on h1.
And one useful point - White has no way to ever exchange off the bishop on b7…
I want to complete my development and castle kingside ASAP. My thinking behind retreating the knight to d2 is otherwise Black can saddle me with very weak doubled f-pawns, which I feel would be worth giving up the two bishops for. It does block my bishop again which is a pity but I think I want to develop it on to the long diagonal anyway, and I should have enough time to accomplish this. A later b3 will also support the knight moving to c4, perhaps.
Castling is less important once Queens have been exchanged.
On the other hand, after your K-side castling the King on g1 defends the pawn on g2.
Now you make an important point 
about not allowing me to play Bxf3 if it forces gxf3. You would then have three weak pawns (doubled and isolated f-pawns and an isolated h pawn.)
(N.B. Isolated pawns cannot be defended by other pawns - and doubled isolated pawns are twice as weak.)
This is a good example of exchanging one type of advantage (two bishops) for another (weak pawns.)
Yes, there’s no rush to get pieces out. I have a threat down the b7-h1 diagonal, but that’s all.
The interesting thing about our minor pieces is that my bishop on b7 can’t be driven away. However if your knights advance, they can be pushed back by my pawns.
I hadn’t expected c5, and my first thought was it was going to let me split Black’s queenside pawns. Then I saw Black would obviously recapture with the bishop instead. So rather than assist with his development, I’ve castled - the pawn is adequately defended by my knight for the time being, and castling protects my kingside pawns (as per the previous post, that was my priority - and getting the rook into play - rather than King safety).
The opening phase is over and it’s the middle game.
Both sides have developed pieces and got some control of the centre.
(Since queens have been exchanged, king safety is less important.)
In the middle game, it’s important to have a plan (strategy) and carry it out (tactics.)
With a lot of pieces on the board, tactics such as pin / fork / overload are important to spot.
With queens exchanged, the game is more ‘positional’ and a steady build-up of a plan matters more.
Although White has played sensible moves, Black has a slight advantage with the two bishops.
This advantage will increase with:
- a more ‘open’ position (some pawn exchanges; no blocked pawns)
- some piece exchanges (it’s a pretty strong advantage in an endgame)
- mobile pawns (especially with pawn majorities i.e extra pawns on each side of the board)
Hope everything’s OK - was beginning to worry! Please don’t be concerned about the game, life is more important. But, thanks for continuing when you can.
Thanks for the concern - no it was all good (mainly the run-up to Xmas!)
We now have our first tactic in the game: the pawn on d4 is pinned because if it moves (or captures), the bishop on b2 is lost (and a bishop is worth around 3 pawns.)
You can spot tactics by looking for clues, such as:
- undefended pieces
- pieces ‘lined up’ (like the bishops on b2 and f6)
- pieces ‘barely defended’ (i.e. as many attackers as defenders)
- ‘exposed’ important pieces (uncastled King, Queen out in front)
I find myself in a bit of a bind, with not many good options. I’d quite like to play Nc4, as it threatens Nd6+ now that the Black bishop has moved diagonal, and although this is easily defended, c4 also seems like a reasonable square for the knight. It may provoke …b5, which slightly weakens Black’s queenside set-up. However, I don’t want to leave my other knight exposed to being exchanged on f3, as previously mentioned.
So instead, I now hope to play Ne4, which will also threaten to exchange Black’s bishop on f6. Obviously Black has ways to avoid this, but it feels like the best way to attempt to improve my position at the moment. Black has no immediate threats, and it feels like neither side wants to be the first to break the tension on d4.
Yes, this positional stuff is how I play (although I can spot a tactic when one appears!)
You haven’t played any bad moves - but just a couple of inaccuracies have allowed me to equalise. I’m hoping you’ll get bored / stressed and make another weaker move. 
Your plan to exchange Knight for Bishop is sound.
I thought of avoiding this by g6, meeting Ne4 with Bg7? But then Nd6+ is strong for you.
So instead I’ve set up a possible tactic - ‘discovered attack’ - by placing my Rook behind my Knight. When the Knight moves, the Rook will spring into action.
You make a good point about the tension on d4 / c5. This often happens with centre pawns … it’s interesting to see who exchanges first.
I’ve played Ne4 anyway, because I can’t see any reason why not (I could well have missed something - but then, it wasn’t like Black could really prevent me playing it, anyway).
I don’t expect Black to exchange his white-squared bishop for my knight by taking on e4, as that doesn’t seem to improve his position (and would add my rook as another defender to my d4 pawn, so it’s not really under threat even if Black’s knight moves out of the way). I wouldn’t be surprised if he allowed me to take on f6, since that would activate Black’s knight, which is pretty useless at the moment - literally nowhere to go except the back rank. But then, I guess Black can choose to give it a square by exchanging pawns on d4, at the (small) cost of breaking the central tension. I also think Black won’t want to allow Nd6+, which would let me exchange my knight for his most annoying bishop. But if he plays Be7, I think I can win a pawn with dxc5, since this also threatens his pawn on g7. The main variation I analysed here was: 15. Ne4 Be7 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Nxc5 Bxf3 18. Nxe6 fxe6 19. gxf3, where White appears to have won a pawn and is still threatening two others, with Black not being able to defend both. OK, White’s kingside pawns are now extremely weak but being 2 pawns up ought to be more than enough compensation for that. Obviously glee will have seen this line, too, and will either avoid it, or I have overlooked something about it.
I’m very interested to see how glee chooses to respond to all this!
Not to derail the analysis, but I’m a only ok beginner who started one of these threads a couple of years ago and got better because of it.
I play super slow games (multiple days per move) with friends on chess.com and the chess time app. If any other lower level players want to play a slow game with me (higher level too, but I don’t know that you would want to) I would be happy to play for practice.
Well I have seen some complications after two exchanges and at least I expect to get a slight advantage in an ending.
I agree that your Rook on e4 defends the d4 pawn - but I hope in some variations to attack that valuable exposed piece.
I didn’t want to exchange my lovely unopposed bishop on b7 - but you played four accurate moves in a row (b3 / Bb2 / Rfe1 / Ne4) and it’s hard to do anything else.