Originally posted by beebejoephilidor is nice and easy. simply protect the pawn with another pawn and then get your pieces out. at lower levels most white players wont even play 3.d4.
What is a good, simple (so not the Sicilian) defense for black?
I tried the Latvian, but it works the best against those who don't know it. Otherwise, I usually get beat (beaten?) using it.
Originally posted by beebejoeIt depends on whites opening.
What is a good, simple (so not the Sicilian) defense for black?
I tried the Latvian, but it works the best against those who don't know it. Otherwise, I usually get beat (beaten?) using it.
i assume you mean e4 though. In that case learn the Scandinavian.
The main line is good.
Also, a variation is the icelandic-palme gambit which I enjoy. Its the most aggressive line of the scandinavian
I think the Scandinavian with 2...Nf6 is much stronger... I use a few gambits and tricky lines and it works like a charm, but it's not all that simple. The main line gets the queen out for no apparent reason while white develops... It can't really be hard to play against..
My main defense is Caro-Kann, it's simple, super solid and the moves are logical so you easily find good moves. Plus you can use the slav for the other openings and transfer knowledge between those 2. You'll be very comfortable no matter what white throws at you. Except the panov-botvinnik attack, you actually have to learn some theory to be ready for it. 🙁
Also, Grunfeld is NOT easy. 😲
Originally posted by utherpendragonyeah, scandinavian was what I was going to suggest as well. and although the 'word on the street' is that it's 'drawish', I don't think I've ever drawn one. it has plenty of possibilities, especially in the Qd6 lines.
It depends on whites opening.
i assume you mean e4 though. In that case learn the Scandinavian.
The main line is good.
Also, a variation is the icelandic-palme gambit which I enjoy. Its the most aggressive line of the scandinavian
tiviakov is a great modern scandinavian player to check out. he's got simply amazing score with it. (well, now that I checked out, he hasn't been doing that well in the last 2 years. I guess his opponents have noted his crushing performance before, and prepared better.)
another advantage of the scandinavian is that it limits white's possibilities, and as a result you have that much less to learn.
The scandiniavian structure is often like the caro-kann's, but if you play the caro, you'll have to face the panov attack, the advance variation, the fantasy variation (3.f3), etc...
Nothing such in the scandinavian. Hard for white to find other good moves than 2.exd5 ...
And if you want to limit theory to the maximum, you can try some offbeat lines that will make white players think by themselves, like 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8, or even 3...Qe5+!? (idea : reach a caro-kann like position with c6 Qc7 Bf5 e6 Nf6 Nbd7 etc...)
this latter line was recommended by opening expert Andrew Martin, under the appealing name "patzer variation" !
check this :
http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_bits_pieces/053003_patzer_var.html
Originally posted by Maxacre42And my cats play the piano.Albeit not in virtuose fashion 😛
What? I learned the slav defense I use now in an hour and it's my best opening. Obviously mastering an opening takes time, but many openings are easy to play and have simple concepts.
Sorry,I do not believe you.I think you either
-played a lot of games with it before you got good at it
-were already familiar with it
-do not play the slav well(not meant to offend,I haven't even seen you play)
but I do not believe for a second you learned to play it well in a hour.
Besides,I meant playing a certain defense in its entirety,not just the opening moves.The first 5-10 moves may be easy,the concepts may be simple,but then you must learn the various middlegame plans for both sides,the common tactics for both sides,the positional concepts and the most common endgames arising from the various middlegames.
Nothing simple about it.Chess never is.
Originally posted by nimzo5Agreed emphatically. Games are rarely won in the opening and your opponent can go "out of book" at any time so memorizing dozens of opening lines does nothing except get you into positions you don't understand.
I subscribe to GM Yermolinsky's point of view.
vs e4 play e5
vs d4 play d5.
Until you can play those reasonably well, why bother with others?
Originally posted by Ajuin1) It's a variation of the Slav with almost no theory, because thankfully, theorists call it dubious.
And my cats play the piano.Albeit not in virtuose fashion 😛
Sorry,I do not believe you.I think you either
-played a lot of games with it before you got good at it
-were already familiar with it
-do not play the slav well(not meant to offend,I haven't even seen you play)
but I do not believe for a second you learned to play it well in a hour.
Besid ...[text shortened]... common endgames arising from the various middlegames.
Nothing simple about it.Chess never is.
2) I never said I was good at it immediately, I said I learned it in an hour
3) I think it was closer to 50 minutes.
4) and I was good at it immediately
5) Please note that getting good at an opening with black, means getting to a playable middlegame pretty much everytime.
6) The description you're giving of learning an opening pretty much means mastering it Bobby Fischer style.
7)The guy starting this thread has around 1200 in rating... Why would he want/need to master an opening? I'm pretty sure he meant : learn an opening to a playable level.
8) The guy starting this thread has around 1200 in rating... don't scare him with how hard mastering chess is, especially if the word you're using is ''learning''. You'll make a beginner with potential potential (not a typo) quit before he has the chance to fall in love with chess.
9) Have a nice day.
Originally posted by Maxacre421) I will,thanks.
1) It's a variation of the Slav with almost no theory, because thankfully, theorists call it dubious.
2) I never said I was good at it immediately, I said I learned it in an hour
3) I think it was closer to 50 minutes.
4) and I was good at it immediately
5) Please note that getting good at an opening with black, means getting to a playable mid typo) quit before he has the chance to fall in love with chess.
9) Have a nice day.
2) You have a nice day too 🙂