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when will it become important?

when will it become important?

Only Chess

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Yeah, I always get a good laugh when I play the French Defence. People always think you are booked up like crazy and so play wierd crap against it and end up screwing themselves over. It's just one of those perks of playing the french I guess 🙂

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Originally posted by cmsMaster
Once you're about 1600/1700 and people stop dropping pieces so often you'll find that center control can be important...
I don't think anyone is claiming that the center isn't important. The question is WHEN to occupy the center. I don't care if I occupy the center on move three if my opponent gets to occupy the center on move twenty.
1 a3 allows for a possiblility of the aggressive 1 b4 while avoiding bothersome pins on my king.

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When you play 1.e4 2.Bc4 and 3.Qf3 do you expect Black to roll over and die? I don't mean to be harsh, but playing 1.a3 and 2.b4 is just as bad as playing for fool's mate. Black will have no troubles gaining advantage in the game.

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There is no argument here... 1. a3 is a bad move, and a bad idea too.

But if you do play with it, save some games, id love to watch.

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Originally posted by Deity
There is no argument here... 1. a3 is a bad move, and a bad idea too.

But if you do play with it, save some games, id love to watch.
Okay, so you think that 1 a3 is a bad move. If nothing else, White at least gets to play Black with the often useful QRP advance played for free!

IM Michael Basman beat fellow IM's with the moves 1. a3 and 2. h3.

Tony Miles won on the Black side of 1 e4 a6 against then world Champion Anatoly Karpov.

Basman (again) beat at least one GM with 1 g4 (the "discredited" Grob).

Spassky drew Petrosian twice as Black in a World Championship Match with the Hippopotaumus (...g6 ...Bg7 ...b6 ...Bb7 ...e6 ...Ne7 ...d6 ...Nd7.)