Moving pawn to 5th rank.

I think you waste a move, when progressing your pawn to the 5th rank in early exchanges. Surely it is better to move a major piece, although opponents who do this. cause brainaches, the pawn is exposed to attack while restricting my knight, for example.

Originally posted by Mike Rice
I think you waste a move, when progressing your pawn to the 5th rank in early exchanges. Surely it is better to move a major piece, although opponents who do this. cause brainaches, the pawn is exposed to attack while restricting my knight, for example.

I think you're being a bit vague; it should always depend on the position. Could you present an example?

Originally posted by wittywonka
I think you're being a bit vague; it should always depend on the position. Could you present an example?

Examples would help, although I do see your point of development over pawn push.

Originally posted by Mike Rice
I think you waste a move, when progressing your pawn to the 5th rank in early exchanges. Surely it is better to move a major piece, although opponents who do this. cause brainaches, the pawn is exposed to attack while restricting my knight, for example.

philidor also say's pawns should not be moved to the fifth rank too early because it makes them vulnerable to attack by a simple pawn move. Kasparov approves this principle, saying that it was an early justification of Alhekine's defense.

this is one of the reasons I'm happy when white plays e5 when I'm playing the french. there are many ways to break white's center (like ...c5, hitting to the back of the chain or direct hit by ...f6)

Originally posted by diskamyl
philidor also say's pawns should not be moved to the fifth rank too early because it makes them vulnerable to attack by a simple pawn move. Kasparov approves this principle, saying that it was an early justification of Alhekine's defense.

this is one of the reasons I'm happy when white plays e5 when I'm playing the french. there are many ways to break white's center (like ...c5, hitting to the back of the chain or direct hit by ...f6)

GM`s who plays 3.e5 in French and Caro-Cann would disagree with you.

Originally posted by diskamyl
philidor also say's pawns should not be moved to the fifth rank too early because it makes them vulnerable to attack by a simple pawn move. Kasparov approves this principle, saying that it was an early justification of Alhekine's defense.

this is one of the reasons I'm happy when white plays e5 when I'm playing the french. there are many ways to break white's center (like ...c5, hitting to the back of the chain or direct hit by ...f6)

😞

Alekhine's Defense with an early e5 is a respected, book opening.

And as Korch said, White's early e5 vs. French and Caro Kann are main lines.

I seriously doubt that Kasparov thinks that 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 is a bad line for White. 'Approves' is probably the wrong word. More likely, Kasparov was speaking of the evolution of opening theory and how some of the old principles generated the new openings.

As a general rule, a pawn advance to the 5th rank that attacks an enemy piece is stronger than one which doesn't. Often this is the difference between a reasonable opening line and one that's second-rate (albeit still playable)

Examples:

Good: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5
Not So Good: 1.e4 g6 2.e5

Good: 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nd4, intending 4.Nxd4 cxd4
Not So Good: 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.b3 Nd4

Good: 1.d4 d5 2.e4?! dxe4 3.f3 e5!
Not So Good: 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4?! dxe4 4.f3 e5?!


This is a separate topic from moving e5 vs. the Caro or the French. Notice that this isn't done until the pawn moves to d5 - otherwise e5 can be challenged with ...d6.

Originally posted by Korch
GM`s who plays 3.e5 in French and Caro-Cann would disagree with you.

I know that. I didn't say it is objectively bad or anything. I said I'm happy when my opponents play it.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
😞

Alekhine's Defense with an early e5 is a respected, book opening.

And as Korch said, White's early e5 vs. French and Caro Kann are main lines.

I seriously doubt that Kasparov thinks that 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 is a bad line for White. 'Approves' is probably the wrong word. More likely, Kasparov was speaking of the evolution of opening theory and how some of the old principles generated the new openings.

you may be right about the word approve. English isn't my native language so I don't know the precise meanings of words I'm using.

I cannot give the exact phrase to what has Kasparov said because my resource isn't in English. But it's just after the first game of "My Great Predecessors," and the title is "From Greco to Philidor".

"pawns pushed to the fifth rank, especially central pawns, lose half their power, because this way they could easily be attacked by the pawns from the 6th rank." (Philidor)

and Kasparov says something like "A real tribute to the Alhekine's Defense!"

so yes, probably approve is not the word.