ARGHHHH!!!!!

Take this game as an example:

Game 1285436

How do I counter the pawn/bishop/knight combo that's used in the beginning? As you can see, I got murdered because of it.

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Here's another example, same problem:

Game 1275768

Again, I got slaughtered like a cow. Any suggestions? Please...

Yes, the f7 and c7 squares are very weak. There are several things you can do.

1. KEEP THE KNIGHT OFF G5 OR B5- THIS CAN BE COMMONLY ACCOMPLISHED IN THREE WAYS
A. playing h6 of a6 (or c6 or f6) to prevent the knight from coming there. Be wary of doing this too early in the game, as it wastes a tempo, thus allowing your opponent to develop.
B. Defending the square with a piece or pieces. If you attack the square more times than it's defended, he can't play the knight there. For example, the g5 square is usually defended by your queen thus preventing the knight from coming there. It's dangerous to block that diagonal by playing Nf6 if his bishop is on c4, and his knight is on f3. Also watch out for it if he plays d3 which defends the g5 square
C. Having a check with the queen (only defends b5). In the common instance where you've moved your c pawn, and your opponent has moved his d pawn, then you'll probably have a check with Qa5+. In most cases, this won't win his knight, but it's probable that it'll force it back to c3 to block (or else it'll be taken), and the threat has evaporated. However, this is not usually advisable as it gets your queen out too early.
2. DEFEND THE C7 OR F7 SQUARE- clearly, this can't be done with your queen, as if the queen recaputures, it loses material. But it can be done with the rook, or any other piece, provided there's another defender too. This is not so hard to achieve, as the square is usually already defended once by the king or queen. But if many pieces are still on their original squares it may be impossible. Some common ones to remember: Na6 or h6(not usually a good idea to develop knights on the rim, but if it's your only option...) Be6 or d6 (either leads to the loss of a pawn, or bad pawn structure) 0-0 (this only works when it's the f7 pawn being attacked, and your back rank is cleared out, but it defends the threat, while getting your king to safety. Next, you play h6 getting rid of the knight, and your opponent has lost time. Don't worry about the bishop or knight capturing on f7. It's usually a bad trade.
3. BLOCK THE BISHOP'S ATTACK WITH A PAWN- this means either e4 or d4 depending on which pawn is being attacked. It may lose a pawn, but in most cases, it's a playable move that leads to complexities.

Originally posted by Wildfire
Take this game as an example:

Game 1285436

How do I counter the pawn/bishop/knight combo that's used in the beginning? As you can see, I got murdered because of it.

---------------------------------------------------------- ...[text shortened]...

Again, I got slaughtered like a cow. Any suggestions? Please...

Originally posted by Wildfire
Take this game as an example:

Game 1285436

How do I counter the pawn/bishop/knight combo that's used in the beginning? As you can see, I got murdered because of it.

---------------------------------------------------------- ...[text shortened]...

Again, I got slaughtered like a cow. Any suggestions? Please...

Originally posted by Wildfire

Here's another example, same problem:

Game 1275768

Again, I got slaughtered like a cow. Any suggestions? Please...

All this talk about chess...

😴

Originally posted by Wildfire
Take this game as an example:

Game 1285436

How do I counter the pawn/bishop/knight combo that's used in the beginning? As you can see, I got murdered because of it.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Here's another example, same problem:

Game 1275768

Again, I got slaughtered like a cow. Any suggestions? Please...