Some Random Thoughts About Chess Openings
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What exactly is your job during the opening phase of a chess game?
Is it to start a quick attack against the enemy king? Is it to extract a theoretical advantage by playing a memorized 20-move variation of the ‘this-and-that’ opening? Is it to bring out your pieces as fast as you can?
I believe it was Grandmaster Suetin who gave a satisfactory answer to the question above – “Your duty in the opening phase is to achieve a playable middlegame.”
But here’s the bigger question – how’re you going to achieve a playable middlegame from the opening?
Assuming that, like me, you also have a table to bring food to and bills to pay, spending long hours memorizing the latest innovations in the Ruy Lopez, Sicilian Defense, French Defense, etc. is out of question. I don’t know about you but I’d rather spend my spare time on other aspects of chess – the middlegame, endgame, tactics, etc. rather than the opening.
IMHO, to achieve a playable middlegame from the opening, one must start creating major differences in both positions to give each side something to play for and develop their pieces to right from the first move.
Let’s take a look at the Sicilian Defense – 1.e4 c5, White claims his share of the center by moving his King-pawn while Black prevents his opponent from establishing the central pawn duo by preventing d2-d4. Let’s look a little deeper – 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4. It doesn’t take a master to see that the development of both Knights is aimed at the d4-square.
White prepares d2-d4 with his second move while Black adds more influence to the d4-square by moving his Knight to c6.
On his third move, White challenges Black’s control of the d4-square by pushing his Queen Pawn 2 squares up.
Note though that he could’ve chosen other moves that prepare d2-d4 or challenge Black’s control of that square like Bb5 followed with Bxc6. However, this move would give Black the Bishop Pair. It would be favorable for Black to open the position since the two Bishops can cut across it. That’s another major difference between the White and Black camp.
On the other hand, after Bxc6, Black would have doubled-pawns no matter which way he takes. This means he’ll have an extra open file for his Rooks, more control on central squares…especially d5, but that also means White has a target – the c5-pawn.
White could also opt for 3.c3 to prepare d2-d4. But since that doesn’t threaten anything, Black can start central action right away with 3…d7-d5. If White takes with 4.exd5, Black follows up with 4…Qxd5 and White can be saddled with an isolated d-pawn, another major imbalance, after 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4.
Both camps would then play to control the square in front of the isolated d-pawn. White have greater mobility for his pieces and he can use that to start an attack while
Black is still bringing his pieces to optimal squares. On the other hand, Black will try to subject the isolated d-pawn to pressure with his heavy pieces while trying to exchange minor pieces to reduce the pawns defenders in an effort to win it.
OK, I’m not an opening expert, and I don’t know if that rant about chess opening made sense to you.
But I do hope you get the part that during the opening phase of the game, you don’t just bring your pieces out and make moves for the sake of developing them…you must develop your pieces in accordance to the imbalances present on the board.
