# Very Simple Chess Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-chess-question/627492>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [July 7, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-chess-question/627492 "2012-07-07T03:23:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DaveBfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DaveBfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveBfd)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-chess-question/627492/1 "2012-07-07T03:23:14Z")

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Our game has gone like this:

1. nf3 nf6
2. d4 d5
3. h3

What is the purpose of h3 in this situation? I cant figure it out. I am black.

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**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-chess-question/627492/2 "2012-07-07T10:29:00Z")

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> [@DaveBfd](#):
>
> Our game has gone like this:
> 
> 1. nf3 nf6
> 2. d4 d5
> 3. h3
> 
> What is the purpose of h3 in this situation? I cant figure it out. I am black.

Largely to keep your Bishop off g4, I guess, so you can’t trade off White’s Knight and possibly spoil his pawns. But there would have been many better moves.

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**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-simple-chess-question/627492/3 "2012-07-07T11:57:08Z")

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> [@Malacandra](#):
>
> Largely to keep your Bishop off g4, I guess, so you can’t trade off White’s Knight and possibly spoil his pawns. But there would have been many better moves.

And to prevent the pin on the knight when the e-pawn moves. It also serves as luft, preventing back rank problems later in the game after castling. Generally it does waste a tempo this early in the game as the pin is easily dealt with and you can provide luft a number of ways later on. Punish him by playing centrally.