Scandinavian Pawn Structure

I was watching a video about the weak f7 and f2 squares. The guy noted that this is typically true for 1.e4 openings but not necessarily 1.d4. I have been playing the Qd6 Scandinavian based on a Roman lab video. Here is a typical pawn structure I see.


So I googled pawn structures and what I found is that it popped up my structure as something from a slav or some other d4 opening. So white ends up with a weak f3 pawn while black has a better protected f7 pawn.

In essence when white plays 1.e4 I say no thanks I prefer d4 trying to avoid the cramped advanced French. I just did not know it lol.

Any thoughts on general strategic ideas I should be shooting for? Yes I am playing a game as black right now but not with this pawn structure, at least not atm.

What strikes me and it is something I already knew
being an old 'Center Counter' player was the Caro Kann formation.
These two opening can sometimes flick in and out of each other.
In the past I've called the Centre Counter a poor man's Caro Kann.

The great news about a Centre Counter is it gets rid of White's e4 pawn.
The bad news is that that Black has nothing to undermine and attack.
All other Black openings from the Petrov to the Sicilian to the Latvian Gambit
revolve around the weakness of the e4 pawn which will either need piece
protection or pulled onto e5.

@greenpawn34

It is true, the only comment the video had about this defense is that coming out of the opening black will be pretty equal.

I assume you played the traditional Qa5 variety. Very rarely will I play Qd8, usually only if white plays 4.Nb5.

White will need to retreat his knight after a6 or c6 so white really is
not greatly ahead in development.

I played 2...Qxd5 and 3...Qa5 or 2...Nf6 looking for an Icelandic Gambit
should White try and hang onto the pawn with c4. I would never as
White play 3.Nb5 in that game you posted. 3.d4 and Black will lose
time with the Queen,

@greenpawn34

3.d4 usually turns out something like this.

Just throwing something out there...but isn't it best to start out playing a more open, tactics-heavy style of chess when one is a beginner?

It takes a lot of experience to play the slow, strategic games well. The advantages therein are much more subtle at times.

@BigDoggProblem

Rarely do I get a closed center. Although d4 can lead to more strategic ideas I think it takes more knowledge than either I or others in my ratings level really have. So we end up winning or losing due to a blunder or tactic just like any other opening.

I just think the d4 pawn structure if preserved leads to greater king safety.

I will probably play 1.e4 one of these years. I like 1.d4 better than 1.b3 which I used to play. I started playing the colle then zukertort then 1.b3. QG is better than all those it seems.

But still I think most of my greater success in chess will be due to better understanding strategy, being more patient and consistent in board vision as well as tactics. At least that is how I see it atm.

@Eladar

My impression is that 1.e4 leads to more open/unbalanced positions [unless it's a Ruy]. 1.d4 seems to be more positional/strategic in nature.

@bigdoggproblem said
@Eladar

My impression is that 1.e4 leads to more open/unbalanced positions [unless it's a Ruy]. 1.d4 seems to be more positional/strategic in nature.

As I said, it all depends on how good the chaps are who are doing the wood pushing. At least that is how it seems to me.

@eladar said
As I said, it all depends on how good the chaps are who are doing the wood pushing. At least that is how it seems to me.

That is trivially true.

A good player can play almost ANY opening and beat weaker players.

Here's my suggestion. Ignore teachers who claim to increase your chess strength based on what opening they would have you play. The opening choice only really matters for people of master strength.

Instead, work on the basics. Tactics. Win material, storm the enemy King position, put Rooks on open files, get ahead in development, etc.

@BigDoggProblem

Put a weak player in a strategically superior position, then he will not know how to use it. As you said opening does not matter. Looks like we are pretty much in agreement here.

@greenpawn34 said
What strikes me and it is something I already knew
being an old 'Center Counter' player was the Caro Kann formation.
These two opening can sometimes flick in and out of each other.
In the past I've called the Centre Counter a poor man's Caro Kann.

The great news about a Centre Counter is it gets rid of White's e4 pawn.
The bad news is that that Black has nothing t ...[text shortened]... volve around the weakness of the e4 pawn which will either need piece
protection or pulled onto e5.

It is worth noting that Larsen referred to the Scandinavian as an improved Caro Kann.

In the Scandinavian (especially the ...Qd6 version), black very often can play directly against White's d-pawn, the reason being that White usually blocks his c-pawn with an early Nc3, so the d-pawn can't be easily supported. The half-open d-file adds to this.

The variation with ...Qd6 has been my most successful opening on RHP. A book by Michael Melts, and a Fritz Trainer by GM Tiviakov are "The Bible" and "The Bible: The Motion Picture" for me. There are also a huge number of games by recent GMs to follow in the variation. (I have worried a bit that by following a recent GM game in the opening, I am really following the GM's computer, but that's life with modern databases.)

I just watched the video and I am amazed by all the things I am doing wrong.

The one specific to what has been mentioned is this thread. 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.d4

Black is supposed to play Nc6 and if the line continues does not play Qd6 at all. Lol and now Paul shows a game using that variation.

@eladar said
I just watched the video and I am amazed by all the things I am doing wrong.

The one specific to what has been mentioned is this thread. 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.d4

Black is supposed to play Nc6 and if the line continues does not play Qd6 at all. Lol and now Paul shows a game using that variation.

I think it is community serendipity that all of our threads and posts in the Only Chess forum seem to dovetail so nicely, among several different players. It takes a village to teach a chess player. Sometimes, at least!