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1. e4
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My usual is e4. I suspect a Sicilian or e5 to get my attention for different reasons. If it will be Sicilian I will have my work cut out for me. If I get e5 then I can get the game over with rapidly. If I get Caro-Kann against me (god forbid) I will have to deal with that. If I get Alekhine's then I deal with that. If I get French Defense I'll breath a sigh of relief like I would do with the slow Ruy Lopez (e5).
What will my opponent do? |
 
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1... e6
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He elects the French Defense. I guess he studied my records and wanted to do this to show me that the French Defense is worthy. I don't care. The second he chose this defense I knew what to do. |
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2. e5
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I advance against the blockade he is thinking he is going to set up for the usual French Defense Blockade and get him thinking again about this choice (poor choice) as a Black Defense according to all my records and experience. |
1 comment
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2... d6
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Well, he could have done d5 but the move is the same since we have the en passent here... |
2 comments
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3. Nf3
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Just developing instead of trading here. Development is attack and I am white. |
1 comment
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3... dxe5
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Expected. He wanted that passed pawn. |
4 comments
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4. Nxe5
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Trading into his territory with a piece there...a knight. |
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4... Nd7
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Black is trying to develop as well as get my knight into a forced move... |
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5. Nf3
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I move back even with black. His knight is in the way of his queen and his queen bishop but my queen and king bishop are free with his king bishop. |
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5... Ngf6
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He doubles his knights together and this is a proper thing to do with a pair of knights that are developing. |
1 comment
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6. Be2
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Clearing house for 0-0. Why not? Black can't do anything to prevent me from protecting my king. |
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6... Bd6
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He's clearing house too. We both expect to 0-0 soon... |
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7. d4
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This pawn to d4 is a development and attack at the same time. |
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7... O-O
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He ensconces his king out of the way. Understandable.
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8. O-O
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Oh, why not? If your opponent 0-0s and you can 0-0 why not? |
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8... Re8
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Good move rook to the e rank. It is a strong position that is often taken after a 0-0. |
1 comment
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9. Nbd2
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The French Defense works in some ways like a Sicilian: it waits for white to make a mistake when white tries to take control too fast.
No need ever to rush against the French Defense. Just be thinking about development and getting things in order while that Defense is waiting for you to make a mistake.
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2 comments
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9... e5
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Black is forging a straight path with the support of that rook on e rank. There isn't really anything else to do here since he chose the French Defense. I'd have chosen the Caro-Kann or Sicilian instead but that is the way I think about defense. I'd have even chosen the Alekhine's Defense before the French Defense. In fact I don't think I even ever used the French Defense since I knew Sicilian and Caro-Kann before encountering it. I did study the French Defense open and closed and either way I felt the Sicilian or Caro-Kann or Alekhine's was better. The Ruy Lopez I never use. I have used it recently just to see if it is as viable as my chosen e4 defenses. To date I feel the Ruy Lopez is a dead defense. |
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10. Nc4
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Some sparkle in developing and protecting. Many times a move like this is in waiting for us. It's a move when you clear the way for more development at the same time you protect (and attack)! |
1 comment
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10... exd4
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He takes a pawn but I really want his bishop and also to isolate/stack his pawns on the d rank. |
2 comments
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