Steinitz Attack

I loathe all things french. This is my baby against 1..e6 and here is a recent blitz(5/0) game where I unleashed its awesomely powerful beauty upon my opponent.

I'm rather surprised that your opponent chose to block in his dark bishop instead of developing it. After those three pawn moves, you're behind a bit in development. Your opponent was generous.

Originally posted by Eladar
I'm rather surprised that your opponent chose to block in his dark bishop instead of developing it. After those three pawn moves, you're behind a bit in development. Your opponent was generous.

After those four pawn moves I have open lines for both my bishops and my queen. 3...cxd6 is a perfectly acceptable and solid move, in fact this pawn formation occurs in the Sheveningen variation to the Sicilian.

After 1.e4 you have open lines for your bishop and queen. How are the two additional moves helping you out?

Originally posted by Eladar
After 1.e4 you have open lines for your bishop and queen. How are the two additional moves helping you out?

Both bishops and an open file. The more open lines the better I say and I didn't even have to gambit a pawn to get them.

why didn't you play the reccomended 2.d4 ? I'm sure 2.e5 is inferior. Don't know why though!

Originally posted by Goshen
why didn't you play the reccomended 2.d4 ? I'm sure 2.e5 is inferior. Don't know why though!

dude are you leaving us for a while? haste ye back as they say in Scotland!

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
dude are you leaving us for a while? haste ye back as they say in Scotland!

Oh sorry I just got back today. Haven't updated my profile yet. How are you doing Mr. Robbie? Finished reading Capa's book yet?

Originally posted by Goshen
Oh sorry I just got back today. Haven't updated my profile yet. How are you doing Mr. Robbie? Finished reading Capa's book yet?

no my friend, i gave up on it, been playing really badly trying to assimilate end game principles into my games, perhaps one day i shall appreciate the endgame, but for now, the Gods have placed the middle game before it!

i like you suspect that the move is inferior to 2.d4, it wastes a tempo, it develops nothing, black instantly gets the half open c file for his use and free development, i dunno, it just seems suspect, but saying that, who can argue with success?

Originally posted by Goshen
why didn't you play the reccomended 2.d4 ? I'm sure 2.e5 is inferior. Don't know why though!

If I played 2.d4 then it wouldn't have been a Steinitz attack and I already mentioned my dislike for the French defense so I chose a line that keeps the position open and isn't boring like the exchange variation.

The Steinitz Attack still gives your opponent a lead in development. That's generally not a good idea.

Originally posted by Eladar
The Steinitz Attack still gives your opponent a lead in development. That's generally not a good idea.

Another 1300 dogma follower. There is more to openings than just a lead in developmen. In this case black can't do anything threatening and his development will be cramped unless he makes some freeing pawn moves. I will gain that lead back since my development is easy and natural, my pieces finding good squares. Another thing of note is that bringing a piece off the back row and developing it are two dif things.

I said generally, not always.

Just because your opponent played poorly, that doens't mean your play was sound.

Black is cramped because he took with his pawn trapping his bishop. One other thing, cramped is how French players choose to defend. It is this attack that gives black a chance to gain space and be ahead in development.

Black is +1 on development. Black has +2 force on the central squares, while white has zero. Black has greater mobility.

I remember when I played the French that I played a guy who tried this at FICS. He was behind the entire game. Of course he wasn't very good, but still, after just 3 moves black has the better position in regard to space, development and mobility.

I don't think this is something that will cause you to lose many games. Unless you are very, very good, the opening really isn't all that important.

But I guess you get one really good piece of compensation, you aren't playing against the French anymore. 😉

Originally posted by Eladar
I said generally, not always.

Just because your opponent played poorly, that doens't mean your play was sound.

Black is cramped because he took with his pawn trapping his bishop. One other thing, cramped is how French players choose to defend. It is this attack that gives black a chance to gain space and be ahead in development.[fen]rnbqk1nr/ppp2ppp/3 ...[text shortened]... et one really good piece of compensation, you aren't playing against the French anymore. 😉

Wow. After white plays d4 black will have a hard time playing e5 keeping his bishop trapped in while white has all open lines. What do you not understand about that? Also, once again, black cannot do anything with his extra development. It will take him a few moves to get his light squared bishops somewhere useful while, once again, whites development is natural and easy. This means that black has more difficult problems to solve then white who has control of the center and completely open lines. I keep stressing that but you don't seem to understand. To criticise any opening or another players choice of openings when you barely understand chess yourself is ignorant.

Wow. After white plays d4 black will have a hard time playing e5 keeping his bishop trapped in while white has all open lines.

I don't see it since I play the queenside fianchetto. I'd absolutely love a wide open center like that. But if believe the bishop needs to be on the c8-h3 diagonal, then I can see where you have a point.