UP | HOME

I honestly haven't played chess in ages and I first wrote this page several years ago. Keep reading if you're painfully curious.

Opening Lines

1. e4 e5

Scotch

e4 e5  
Nf3 Nc6  
d4 exd4  
Nxd4   Here, black can continue with Nf6 or Bc5.
  Bc5 White can continue with Be3, Nb3, or Nxc6
Be3 Qf6 Here, Qf6 is a good system, with Ne7 following. Another move is Bb6. At this point if Nxc6, then Bxe3 threatens mate and is good for black.
     

Four Knights Scotch

Line 1:

e4 e5  
Nf3 Nc6  
Nc3 Nf6  
d4 Bb4  
Nxe5 Nxe4  
Qf3 Nf6  
Be3 0-0  
Bd3 Re8  
0-0   and here, white is fine.
     

Alternatively, 4.. exd4

  1. Nxd4 Nxd4 is a mistake.
  2. Qxd4

Once the queen enters the center white has a lot of control. Here, d6 is necessary to stop e5.

Lots of people play c5 trying to attack the queen, but Qa4 prevents d6 and prepares e5. Can put the light squared bishop on c4 (e4 pawn is defended well enough). If no squares are appealing, can even fianchetto the bishop.

  • Line 2:
    1. e4 e5
    2. Nf3 Nc6
    3. Nc3 Bc5?!
    4. Nxe5 Bxf2

    Bxf2 is a classic mistake. Black has given up lots of tempi AND the dark square bishop.

    1. Kxf2 Nxe5
    2. d4 Qf6+
    3. Kg1 Ng6

    At this point, white can go with the quiet Be3 and Qd2. White can also go with e5. Nd5 is not great because it sends the queen back to d8 and invites c6.

    1. Be3 Ne7

    Here, Bd3 Nf4 is annoying, so Qd2 instead.

    1. Qd2 0-0
    2. Bc4 d6 loses a queen.
    3. Bg5!

1. e4 c5

1. d4

♔ ♞

After 1. d4 d5 2. c4, there are a number of lines. Here are a few:

  • Semi-Slav Defense (e6 with eventual c6)
  • Slav Defense (c6)
  • Albin Countergambit (e5)
  • Chigorin Defense (Nc6)
  • Baltic Defense (Bf5)
  • Symmetrical/Austrian Defense (c5)
  • Marshall Defense (Nf6)

Queen's Gambit Declined

From wikipedia: White will try to exploit the passivity of Black's light-squared bishop, and Black will try to release it, trade it, or prove that, while passive, the bishop has a useful defensive role.

Black will usually not take dxc4 as that surrenders the control of the center. However, he might do so if he can extract a tempo (eg. if White has already played Bd3).

One of Black's main ideas is to attack and put pressure on d4.

Queen's Gambit Declined can also be used to meet the English Opening. If c4, then e6.

  1. d4 d5
  2. c4 e6

Mainline:

  1. Nc3 Nf6
  2. Bg5 Be7
  3. Nf3 h6
  4. Bxf6 Bxf6
  5. e3

A little move order trick:

  1. d4 d5
  2. c4 e6
  3. Nc3 Be7

This prevents Bg5.

A Danya game continued from here:

  1. cxd5 exd5
  2. Nf3 c6
  3. Bf4 Bd6

This c6, Bd6 combo seems like it wastes tempi, but it's a fairly good system for Black because the center is strong.

  1. Bxd6 Qxd6
  2. e3 Bf5
  3. Be2 Nd7

This is a subtlety. Playing Nd7 before Nf6 prevents White from playing Ne5 which can be annoying.

  1. 0-0 Nf6
  2. h3 0-0

One idea here for white is a minority attack. First, Nh4 to kick Black's dark square bishop, then Rb1 to push the pawns.

  1. Qd2 Rfe8
  2. Rfe1 Ne4
  3. Nxe4 dxe4
  4. Nh2 Nf6

Ideas for Black here include: Positional approach with Nf6-d5. Aggressive with Qg6. Rook lift Re6.

  1. Rec1 Nd5
  2. a3 a5
  3. Rc2 Re6

Could've played a4 here, permanently stopping b4. But there's no need, since the Rook on a1 is now hanging. That's why, Danya proceeded with the rook lift instead. Cus he had the time to do so.

  1. Bg4 Bxg4
  2. Nxg4 f6

f5 here allows Ne5 which is a permanent outpost. In order to push the knight away, we need to do it very carefully.

  1. Nh2 f5
  2. Nf1 a4

The idea here is that we want to go Rf8 and push f4, but that would leave a-pawn undefended. So, taking the clinical approach.

  1. Rac1 Rf8
  2. Nh2 h5
  3. Rf1 f4
  4. exf4 Nxf4
  5. Rc3 Rg6
  6. Rg3 Rxg3
  7. fxg3 Qxd4
  8. Qxd4 Ne2+
  9. Kh1 Nxg3+
  10. Kg1 Ne2+
  11. Kh1 Rxf1+
  12. Nxf1 Nxd4

Now, up 2 pawns in a winning Knight endgame. All we gotta do is bring King to the center of the board.

  1. Ne3 Kf7
  2. Kg1 Ke6
  3. Kf2 b5
  4. g4 h4
  5. Ke1 Ke5
  6. Kd2 Nf3+
  7. Kc3 Ng1

Important. Here, it's Ng1 instead of Ng5 because after Nf5, we can play g5 supporting our h pawn.

  1. Nf5 g5
  2. Kb4 Nh3
  3. Kc5 Nf2
  4. Kxc6 h3
  5. Kxb5 h2
  6. Ng3 Kf4 and game is won.

Common Trap:

  1. d4 d5
  2. c4 e6
  3. Nc3 Nf6
  4. Bg5 Nbd7
  5. cxd5 exd5
  6. Nxd5 Nxd5!
  7. Bxd8 Bb4+
  8. Qd2, and Black is up a piece.

Orhodox Variation:

  1. d4 d5
  2. c4 e6
  3. Nc3 Nf6
  4. Bg5 Be7
  5. e3 0-0
  6. Nf3 Nbd7
  7. Rc1 c6
  8. Bd3 dxc4

Remember that Black only takes the pawn once White's light-square bishop has moved, in order to gain that tempo.

  1. Bxc4 Nd5

The point of Nd5 here is to offer the trade of dark-square bishops and to simplify with piece trades.

  1. Bxe7 Qxe7
  2. 0-0 Nxc3

More trading! Simplification is best for Black.

  1. Rxc3 e5

Sideline: if

  1. e4 Nxc3
  2. Rxc3 e5

Here, Black has to contest the center. Better e5 than c5, because this way the diagonal gets opened up for the bishop.

One of Danya's speedrun games continued:

  1. dxe5 Nxe5
  2. Nxe5 Qxe5

Black has essentially equalized, just gotta get bishop out, to neutralize White's bishop. White could go Qb3.

  1. Qc2 Be6
  2. Bxe6 Qxe6
  3. Rd1? Qxa2 gets a free pawn.
  4. h3 Qe6
  5. Rd3 Rfe8
  6. Rd7 Re7
  7. Rd6 Qe5
  8. Qb3 Qb5
  9. Rd8 Re8
  10. Qxb5 cxb5
  11. Rd7 Rab8
  12. R1d5 a6
  13. Rc5 Rbc8
  14. Rxc8 Rxc8
  15. Rxb7 g6
  16. Ra7 Rc1
  17. Kh2 Rc2
  18. Kg3 Rxb2
  19. Rxa6 h5
  20. Rb6 b4
  21. Kf3 Rb1
  22. Ke2 b3
  23. Kd2 Rb2+
  24. Kc3?? and the game was lost.

Tackling inaccuracies:

  1. Qc2 c5

Qc2 is inaccurate. It leaves the d4 pawn unattended. If dxc5, we play d4!

  1. Rd1 cxd4
  2. Nb5 Bb4+
  3. Bd2 Bc5

Going to move the bishop back along the diagonal (cus we don't want Nd6+). Might as well make it harder to recapture the d4 pawn.

  1. Nf3 Ne4

Notice that the king is out of squares.

  1. b4 d3
  2. exd3 (forced) Bxf2+
  3. Ke2 Nxd2 and the game goes on. Both sides have fair chances.