05 Mar '10 06:48>
Ok so I was just black in a French Rubenstein Variation. I like the Rebenstein. you see, I play the French somewhat hoping for the Advanced Variation, but when White plays the Main Line 3. Nc3, I like having something less theoretical than say the Winawer as my opening of choice, and the Rubenstein is exactly that. For me the goals are simple for black: develop your pieces actively, and once the c5 pawn push is in, you can press your development advantage into an attack across an open centre. I especially like using the bishop pair against the white king. in this game, I let white disrupt my kingside quite a bit. It's actually a single pawn gambit that removes 2 defenders from in front of my king. From it, however, I gain a powerful open file for my rook, which works in cooperation with my bishop pair and queen. However, with the complete nakedness of my king, did white just miss a tactical shot? Or is black's play sound and correct?
I'm going to try to find out through analysis.
1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
The French Defense. As mentioned earlier, I include this in my opening reperitoire hoping for the Advanced Variation with 3. e5 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 Qb6 and 6. ... Nh6.
This is a popular continuation after 1. e4 of my opponents, and i find it favorable for black. Every now and then, however, I come across a white player that will try to get into the more complicated waters of the Main Line which follows as this game went...
3. Nc3 dxe4
4. Nxe4 Nd7
The Rubenstein Variation. Much less theoretically involved than the Winawer (3. ... Bb4) or the Classical Variation (3. ...Nf6), the Rubenstein offers fairly straightforward play at my skill level.
5. Nf3 Ngf6
6. Nxf6 Nxf6
7. Bd3 b6
Through move six is normal play in the Rubenstein. Sometimes, if white is unfamiliar with the Rubenstein, he will try to defend the e4 knight, but this is no good after 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Bd3?! Nxe4! 7. Bxe4 Nf6 and black wins a tempo hitting the bishop, which usually retreas to d3. Here, however, white has played correctly, waiting until after the exchange to develop his bishop. Black's idea is to fianchetto his light-squared bishop and use it in combination with the dark squared bishop (which will either be posted at d6 or c5 depending on white's play) in an attack on the kingside.
To be continued...
I'm going to try to find out through analysis.
1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
The French Defense. As mentioned earlier, I include this in my opening reperitoire hoping for the Advanced Variation with 3. e5 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 Qb6 and 6. ... Nh6.
This is a popular continuation after 1. e4 of my opponents, and i find it favorable for black. Every now and then, however, I come across a white player that will try to get into the more complicated waters of the Main Line which follows as this game went...
3. Nc3 dxe4
4. Nxe4 Nd7
The Rubenstein Variation. Much less theoretically involved than the Winawer (3. ... Bb4) or the Classical Variation (3. ...Nf6), the Rubenstein offers fairly straightforward play at my skill level.
5. Nf3 Ngf6
6. Nxf6 Nxf6
7. Bd3 b6
Through move six is normal play in the Rubenstein. Sometimes, if white is unfamiliar with the Rubenstein, he will try to defend the e4 knight, but this is no good after 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Bd3?! Nxe4! 7. Bxe4 Nf6 and black wins a tempo hitting the bishop, which usually retreas to d3. Here, however, white has played correctly, waiting until after the exchange to develop his bishop. Black's idea is to fianchetto his light-squared bishop and use it in combination with the dark squared bishop (which will either be posted at d6 or c5 depending on white's play) in an attack on the kingside.
To be continued...