In tournaments, Olesya often plays d4, to which she responds with d5. Today coach Oleg Kislitsyn tells Olesya how to correctly build black defense against d4 .
It is difficult for White to put pressure on the d5-pawn. It turns out the position of the closed type.
2. c2-c4 c7-c6
On move c4, you can never move the knight to f6 , because after that white will kill cd, black will kill Nd5. And White captures the center with e4, completely free of charge. The black knight moves to f6, having “surrendered” the center.
On the c4 move, the d5-pawn must be reinforced by the e6-pawn or the c6-pawn.
3. Kb1-c3 Ng8-f6
When White moves the knight to c3, the bishop cannot be moved to f5 , otherwise Black will start having problems. First you need to move the knight to f6.
On the diagram, moves No. 1-3 in the style Slavic defense .
If White moves to e4, Black will go to b5 and strengthen the doubled pawn.
4.Ng1-f3 e7-e6 or Bf5.
When moving the bishop to f5, you need to be careful, because if the queen moves to b3, it will be dangerous.
Many modern chess players who play the Slav defense strive to make such a position in order to win the c4-pawn in the future.
Hunt for the c4 pawn
Slavic formations are very insidious for White and many are afraid of the formation of the Slavic defense.
Good day to you, dear friend!
Which of the chess players first came up with the idea of making the first move different from e2-e4 is not known for certain. People, like no other creature living on earth, love to look for new ways and create problems for themselves and others. Chess players are no exception. This is probably how closed openings in chess appeared.
What are closed debuts?
The understanding of which openings to call closed has changed many times in the history of chess.
In the beginning, everything that was played differently than 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 was called closed openings.
Then all the openings that occur during the first move for White d2-d4.
The opening theory does not stand still. As it grows, new variants appear that literally scream for a more or less memorable name.
This is how the Indian Defence, the King's Indian Defence, the Nimzowitsch Defence, the Dutch Defence, and some others appeared, in which Black on 1.d4 makes a different move than 1…d7-d5.
Today such openings are called semi-closed. Openings that begin with the first move 1.d2-d4 d7-d5 are called closed openings.
Although in some sources, it is possible that you will come across an old classification. However, by and large, this question is not so fundamental, in my opinion. As my grandmother used to say: “Call it a pot, but don’t put it in the stove.”
Review of closed openings
1. Queen's Gambit
The Queen's Gambit is classified into several openings.
1.1 Rejected Queen's Gambit
Black avoids capturing the c4-pawn. The rejected queen has a reputation for being a completely reliable opening. There may be a little passive at first, but if Black succeeds in fending off White's attempts to gain an advantage, he can expect to seize the initiative.
1.1.1 Orthodox defense
The orthodox defense is well studied. Has a reputation for being quite reliable as Black, although somewhat passive.
1.1.2 Tarrasch Defense
The idea of the Tarrasch Defense is an active piece play instead of isolating the pawn on d5, which occurs in many variations. The Tarrasch Defense has gone through different times, but after another “disgrace”, it was revived in the games of leading grandmasters, shooting unexpectedly, like a devil from a snuffbox.
1.1.3 Yanovsky defense
The idea of Yanovsky's defense is to carry out a two-move d5:c4 and в7-в5, developing the light-squared bishop on в7 with a tempo. However, White has enough choice to thwart Black's plans. For example 4.с4:d5.
1.2 Queen's Gambit Accepted
Black takes the pawn on c4. But not to keep her. Clinging to a pawn with tenacity worthy of a better use can quickly lead to a fiasco:
In the accepted queen move, Black returns the c4-pawn, trying to complete development faster and put pressure on White's center. Moreover, sometimes they sacrifice a pawn themselves.
Batch example:
Fogelman - Bronstein 0:1
Now an example of White winning:
Alekhin-Bek 1:0
2. Catalan start
"Catalan" is an independent debut. It can occur with a permutation of moves from many other openings.
By fiancheting the king's bishop, White puts pressure on Black's queenside, hindering the development of the pieces. In addition, the bishop on g2 can successfully support a programmatic breakthrough in the center with e4.
3. Slavic defense
The idea of the Slavic defense is similar to that of the Caro-Kann. Black leaves the diagonal free for the light-squared bishop to come out.
In addition, the c6 move strengthens the center and creates the preconditions for an attack on the queenside with the c7-c5 move, and, if the opportunity arises, to hold the c4-pawn.
Batch example:
Fokin - Suetin 0:1
The Slav Defense is a solid and at the same time tactically interesting opening with an excellent reputation.
4. Queen's pawns opening
White gives up 2.c4 in favor of 2. Bg5, Nf3, Bf4 and some others. Sometimes White plays c2-c4 a little later. There are different positions. So to speak, - "for an amateur."
5.Countergambit Albin
We discussed this interesting counterplay in the article
6. Defense of Chigorin
The idea of Chigorin's defense is figure play and pressure on the center. Leads to sharp positions in many variations. In most of which, according to the modern theory of openings, White has an advantage.
Batch example:
Teikhman - Chigorin 0:1
Should I play closed openings?
“The soul does not lie in playing the French defense. How to win with White? I can't consistently get an edge in this opening. Roughly the same with the Spanish party. And what else to play in response to 1 ... e7-e5 except for the Spaniard?
The jump into the unknown ended with a complete transition to closed openings. As they say, the main thing is to get into a fight, and then we'll see. I will not say that I am a big fan of this phrase, but there is some truth in this.
Let me repeat my point once again: in chess it is important to test different openings. Even those that at first seem unfamiliar and incomprehensible. Only in a practical game will you be able to understand whether it is yours or not.
This does not mean that one should try all the openings known in theory. But the main, most popular and well-developed - I highly recommend. So your opening preparation will be more balanced.
Later, as you grow, you will make conscious choices in favor of this or that opening. Already taking into account your opponent and the connection of the opening with the middlegame and the endgame.
Thank you for your interest in the article.
If you found it useful, please do the following:
- Share with your friends by clicking on the social media buttons.
- Write a comment (at the bottom of the page)
- Subscribe to blog updates (the form under the social network buttons) and receive articles in your mail.
Have a nice day!
Today we will look at the 14 most important openings that every chess player should definitely know. Many of these openings are actively used by the most famous masters in their games. However, this does not mean that you have to be Kasparov to play the Queen's Gambit, or Kramnik to play the Catalan Opening. With the help of our material, you will be able to play the opening well regardless of your current level.
King's Indian Defense remains one of the main weapons against 1.d4, when playing to win. This popular defense has had its ups and downs throughout modern practice. This opening was very popular in the 50s, thanks to such players as Bronstein, Geller, Gligoric, whose games gave a great impetus to the development of the theory of the King's Indian Defence.
Before starting the presentation, we will address the basic question for understanding this article: “ What is the Carlsbad pawn structure?».
This concept refers to the pawn structure resulting from the Exchange Variation in the Queen's Gambit, which was first encountered in 1923 in Carlsbad. In the following diagram, we see this pawn structure:
Volga Gambit, also known as the Benko Gambit, one of the most popular choices against 1.d4 in modern practice. This opening gives Black the opportunity to impose a strategic struggle mixed with tactics, which gives good results. Although this gambit has never been the main weapon at the top level, such famous chess players as Veselin Topalov, Alexei Shirov, Mikhail Adams and Evgeny Bareev often used it, showing very interesting and double-edged parties.
Caro-Kann is known to be a solid defense against 1 e4. Over the years, she has developed a reputation for being a passive start, the goal of which is to fight for a draw. And that's not far from the truth!
Tip: In order to improve your game, you need to not only study the opening, but also focus on positional understanding and endgame play. If you want to play endings well, I suggest checking out where we go over a lot of common endings. After studying these materials, you no longer have to guess about the winning approach. You will simply apply the perfected technique:
« English Start» - a solid debut for White. Usually the game is reduced to a closed type, with minimal exchanges. From the very beginning the game becomes tense and for each side there are not many forced variations. In his prime, Garry Kasparov quite often used the English opening, in which he achieved remarkable victories. He made a significant contribution to the development of the opening theory of this opening.
Berlin Defense V Spanish Party has become part of the main weapon for Black today. Berlin has a reputation for being a boring and draw option for Black. However, everything changed when Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik used it against Garry Kasparov in the World Championship match.
In recent years, the popularity of the move 1…e5 has increased significantly. Long time, this answer is on the move 1 e4 considered less ambitious than the Sicilian Defence. However, times have changed and now 1…e5 perceived differently.
The Dragon Variation is one of the most difficult openings in Sicilian Defense. As a rule, those who play "Dragon" are very well prepared. The goal of these chess players is to lure their opponent into sharp positions full of tactical traps. It is also worth noting that the Yugoslav attack ( Be3, f3, Qd2 etc.) is by far the main weapon against Blacks.
( , )
Today we will look at how to fight against the Najdorf variation. This opening occurs more often than others after the moves 1. e4 c5. For White, I will offer well-known and successful ideas that will help to defeat Najdorf, while without sharp variations and the risk of losing the game.
The Grand Prix variation against the Sicilian Defense is one of those openings that are studied once and then only for practical application.
For every chess player who plays 1 e4, Scandinavian defense has always been unpleasant debut. Not because it is so dangerous for White, but because the main lines in which White gains a theoretical advantage are quite complex And hard to remember. This defense is rarely seen in practice, making it even more difficult to apply existing theory against it.
By revising closed variation against the Sicilian Defense, it is impossible not to mention ex-Champions Vasily Smyslov and Boris Spassky. Each had their own style of play, and they contributed a lot to the opening theory of this variation.
Today Catalan start- one of the main weapons of the Whites against Rejected Queen's Gambit. This opening has become popular thanks to the efforts of players like Kramnik and Gelfand, who use it often and with great success.
The Slav Defense is considered one of the top three openings for Black against 1.d4. After moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 White must know not only the basic line with 4...dxc4, but also 4...e6- Semi-Slavic continuations. The number of variations in these continuations is quite large and a chess player does not always have the patience and time to study them.
Note: If you are looking for a sharp increase in chess level, then it is necessary to systematically work on all elements of the game:
- Tactics
- Positional play
- Attacking Skills
- Endgame technique
- Analysis of classic games
- Psychological preparation
- And much more
At first glance, it looks like there is a lot of work to be done. But thanks to our training course Your learning will be easy, efficiently and with minimal time. Join the training program "", right now!
