Chess question, easiest life as black

~~robbie carrobie~~

Only Chess

02 Jul '12 09:18

greenpawn34
e4
Joined
06 May '08
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42492
03 Jul '12 10:231 edit
Every month CHESS magazine publish the openings that are
being used by the top players.

The top 20 Openings played by Grandmasters in April.

1. Slav Defence 56 games
2. Kings Indian Defence 45 games
3. Semi Slav 37 games
4. Nimzo Indian 33 games
5. Caro Kann 31 games
6. Reti 29 games
7. Najdorf 29 games
8. Grunfeld 27 games
9. English (1.c4 c5) 26 games
10. Lopez (Berlin Defence) 25 games
11. English (1.c4 e6) 19 games
12. English (1.c4 Nf6) 19 games
13. Sicilian Kan 19 games
14. Queens Gambit Declined
15. Sicilian Taimanov 17 games
16. Queens Indian Defence 15 games
17. English .(1.c4 e5) 14 games
18. Semi Slav's 14 games
19. The Scotch Game 13 games
20. Ruy Lopez 12 games.

For that reason alone it will be worthwhile taking up the French 🙂

(....and the King's Gambit, The Petrof, The Latvian, THE CENTRE COUNTER,
The Pirc, The Alekhine.....and the Colle!)
~~robbie carrobie~~
Account suspended
Joined
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Moves
38239
03 Jul '12 10:351 edit
Originally posted by greenpawn34
Every month CHESS magazine publish the openings that are
being used by the top players.

The top 20 Openings played by Grandmasters in April.

1. Slav Defence 56 games
2. Kings Indian Defence 45 games
3. Semi Slav 37 games
4. Nimzo Indian 33 games
5. Caro Kann 31 games
6. Reti 29 games
7. Najdorf 29 games
8. Grunfeld 27 games
9. English (1.c mbit, The Petrof, The Latvian, THE CENTRE COUNTER,
The Pirc, The Alekhine.....and the Colle!)
. . . .and the Colle!

Can I get a Witness! 😛
Shallow Blue
Joined
18 Jan '07
Moves
12431
03 Jul '12 16:40
Originally posted by greenpawn34
As a 1.e4 player I can confirm THE CENTRE COUNTER was (still is) an annoying opening to meet.
Ah, but that's annoying to white, not easy for black. Those are not the same thing. The best for black against 1. e4 is almost certainly the Sicilian, but nobody claims that it allows you to play without thinking. And that's what robbie wants: a system - not an opening, a system - where he can play his moves without thinking, ignoring his opponent's moves, and get a boring draw no matter what line white chooses. This certainly does not work with the Sicilian, but it also does not work with the center counterReveal Hidden Content
spelling chosen for symmetry, not for correct English
.

What robbie wants is, therefore, the Robatsch. Just move a few pawns a single square - never, no matter the temptation, two! - your bishops to the vacated squares or perhaps your third, at least one knight to Q2 or maybe even K2, and your queen no further afield than QB2. Then sit back and watch the onslaught break on your fortress. Easy. Not good, but it doesn't require thought.

Richard
Shallow Blue
Joined
18 Jan '07
Moves
12431
03 Jul '12 16:44
Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Can I get a Witness! 😛
Surely you aren't allowed to get any other kind of girl?

Richard

~~robbie carrobie~~

Joined: 26 Aug '07
Moves: 38239

03 Jul '12 18:182 edits

Originally posted by Shallow Blue
Surely you aren't allowed to get any other kind of girl?

Richard

LOL, very astute dear Dutchman, I post this recently finished game in your honour, a
Colle no less, dig it!

Invert Board PGN Headers Comments

~~robbie carrobie~~
Account suspended
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03 Jul '12 18:48
Originally posted by Shallow Blue
Ah, but that's annoying to white, not easy for black. Those are not the same thing. The best for black against 1. e4 is almost certainly the Sicilian, but nobody claims that it allows you to play without thinking. And that's what robbie wants: a system - not an opening, a system - where he can play his moves without thinking, ignoring his opponent's mov ...[text shortened]... onslaught break on your fortress. Easy. Not good, but it doesn't require thought.

Richard
no this is not quite true, i want a system that's the easiest to play, classical style, that is
with pawns in the centre, the Robo is a hypermodern opening and one needs to know
what one is about. i have played the modern but i dont know, we should be trying to
reduce our opponents choices me thinks, thats why the scandi and the French are
appealing, especially the scandi, what choice does white have after 1.e4 d5

~~robbie carrobie~~

Joined: 26 Aug '07
Moves: 38239

03 Jul '12 18:593 edits

here is an endgame position from our previous game, black to move, is there any
way for black or white to force a win? Blacks up a minor piece for two pawns.

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Marinkatomb
wotagr8game
tbc
Joined
18 Feb '04
Moves
61941
04 Jul '12 02:12
Ooh, i just rediscovered this site i'd forgotten about, have a peak... 🙂

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2ora23/:1Qd_BPoTv:M-x1bDN6/www.chesspublishing.com/content/repert.htm/
greenpawn34
e4
Joined
06 May '08
Moves
42492
04 Jul '12 15:552 edits
Hi Robbie.

The note after move 8 in the Colle game you posted:

"...this innocent little move allows me to set a cunning trap that even GP
would have been proud of...."

Yes indeed, but again just to emphasise the relative link all openings have,
(It is the same game....never forget that.) that trick/trap/blunder can come
from any opening. Not just the Colle.

Here are 4 short examples, 3 from 1.e4 openings including the Centre Counter

Arj14 - revgard RHP 2008 French Defence

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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ Qxf6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Bg5

Ed Bernheim - Glock9mm RHP 2007. (Queens Gambit Declined/Slav)

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1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 c6 5. Nf3 Bd6 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Re8 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 {Black now saves his Colle Bishop.} 9... Bc7 10. Nxf6+ Qxf6 11. Bg5 {And losses his Queen. 1-0.}

Tripcyc - whiterook1 RHP 2008 Centre Counter

People are calling 1.e4 d5 The Scandinavian, (or even the 'Scando’ to sound cool and trendy.)
They are wrong. This opening is called the Centre Counter.
A Scandinavian (apart from being a native Scandinavia) is a style of haircut.
It's that daft pointy thing currently being worn by chavs, ynaffs and skanks.
The fashion is to have one and wear a checked shirt.
A bunch of limberjack sheep with stupid haircuts.

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1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bd3 e6 7.0-0 Bd6 8.Bd2 0-0 9.Ne4 Qd8 10.Nxf6+ Qxf6 11.Bg5

Atomick - elsbeth RHP 2008 The Atomic Trick in the Ponziani

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1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c3 Nxe4 4. Be2 {This 'tame' move is tempting Black to play d6 to hold the e-pawn so White can win the Knight with Qa4+} 4... Bc5 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. O-O O-O 8. Bd3 d5 9. h3 {Played to stop Bg4. White has very little for his pawn sac. The ½ open c-file might mean something later...much later. But it possibly does lull Black into a false sense of security.} 9... Qf6 10. Be3 Nc6 11. Nc3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Be6 {OOPS!} 13. Bg5 {The Black is lost. 1-0.}

The idea behind the Atomick gambit (3.c3) is to pick up a Knight should it
it ever take on e5 and leave a check on a4.
Atomick has picked up half a dozens Knights this way. I've not checked but
I very uch doubt if it's mentioned in Ponziani opening theory.

You can study 1,000 opening books but if your tactical ability is not up
to standard then you are wasting your time.

This is relevant to this thread. A proper Opening trap.
See Thread 147375 for three under 10 moves examples of
The Atomick Trick in action (one humerous example of White blundering
the piece back.)
~~robbie carrobie~~
Account suspended
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Moves
38239
04 Jul '12 16:35
Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi Robbie.

The note after move 8 in the Colle game you posted:

"...this innocent little move allows me to set a cunning trap that even GP
would have been proud of...."

Yes indeed, but again just to emphasise the relative link all openings have,
(It is the same game....never forget that.) that trick/trap/blunder can come
from any opening. No ...[text shortened]... The Atomick Trick in action (one humerous example of White blundering
the piece back.)
how vewy vewy intwesting dear GP, i did not intend to set a trap, I am far too innocent
for that, merely having stumbled across it in the course of the game, but that it should
occur, so often, in so many guises is truly amazing and a source of wonder to be
honest. Thanks for that.
geo86012
Joined
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Moves
24482
05 Jul '12 09:33
Who wants an easy life, with Black or White?

Maximum complications = maximum fun.
~~robbie carrobie~~
Account suspended
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Moves
38239
05 Jul '12 10:454 edits
Originally posted by geo86012
Who wants an easy life, with Black or White?

Maximum complications = maximum fun.
Its my understanding that the greatest chess player of all time, José Raúl Capablanca
is quoted as saying that he avoided complications whenever possible. Yet even so, it
appears to me that some players do better in 'clear', and simple positions, others do
better in 'irrational' or complicated positions. It is my firm belief that chess is played
strategically and is governed by certain principles, which at times may be flaunted with
risk, but ignored at ones peril. Winning is fun, losing is not.
Shallow Blue
Joined
18 Jan '07
Moves
12431
05 Jul '12 13:08
Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Its my understanding that the greatest chess player of all time, José Raúl Capablanca
Beh...

Winning is fun, losing is not.

Beh...

How boring. Playing is fun, starting the game with a draw in mind is not.

Richard
~~robbie carrobie~~
Account suspended
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Moves
38239
05 Jul '12 13:17
Originally posted by Shallow Blue
Beh...

Winning is fun, losing is not.

Beh...

How boring. Playing is fun, starting the game with a draw in mind is not.

Richard
'Playing is fun???', the cry of the wussie, winning is fun, make no mistake about it!
Losing is not, although, we do learn more from our defeats. That with proper play the
game is essentially a draw has been well known for some time, Fischer said as much.
plopzilla
under your bed
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05 Jul '12 17:08
I think the 'scando' Ahem.. centre-counter 🙂 is practically refuted after the 3.Nf3 line which for some reason everyone seems to ignore - yet it scores very well:

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Be2 Nf6 5.O-O e6 6.d4 Qd8 7.h3 Bh5 8.c4 c6 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Be3 O-O what has black got other than perhaps a draw or hoping for a blunder at best?

Maybe GP can shed some light on the best line after 3.Nf3 - (4.g6?)

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Chess question, easiest life as black