How to Win Chess Openings: Playing Black

How to Win Chess Openings: Playing Black - Chess Openings are defined as the first few moves of any chess game. This crucial time in the game can determine the winner. The most important principle of chess openings is development. If you can develop more pieces in the opening than your opponent, then you control the mid and eventually end game - increasing your chances of checkmate and a win.

Chess algebraic notation is used to explain moves.

The French Defense Winawer Variation

The French Defense is one of the best known, and effective openings at black's disposal.

1

e4 e6

• e4 - Moving the King Pawn two spaces forward is the most common move played in professional and amateur chess.
• e6 - Moving the king pawn a conservative one space forward is the defining move of the French Defense. Although it does not control the centre squares as e4 does, it can lead to many strong positions.
• Nimzovich in the book, "My System" made a case that the best ploy by white was to move d4 on the second move and e5 on the third move and go for a space advantage and an attack on the king. Because of this, most players will play this way as white and this gives black the first attack on the queenside starting with 2) ... d5 and 3) ... c5, the Advance Variation.

2

D4 D5

• D4 - Moving the Queen Pawn forward two spaces, now completely dominates the centre squares.
• D5 - Moving the Queen Pawn two spaces forward now forms a strong pawn chain(both the Classical and Winawer Variation of the French Defense complete this move).

3

Nc3 Bb4

• Nc3 - Again a logical move, white is now covering the pawn on e4 and has developed another piece.
• Bb4 - Moving the bishop to B4 successfully pins whites Knight to the king. This move allows development of another piece while prohibiting the movement of white.

The Sicilian Defence Modern Dragon Variation

The Sicilian Defence is one of the most aggressive openings at black's disposal. This opening has one of the highest black win ratios in professional chess.

1

E4 C5

• E4 - Moving the King Pawn two spaces forward is the most common move played in professional and amateur chess.
• C5 - Moving the Queen Bishop pawn two spaces forward is defining move of the Sicilian Defence. This aggressive first move is strong, because if an exchange occurs with white's queen pawn, than black's centre pawns still remain in play, while black is structurally weak. This move also avoids symmetry with white.

2

NF3 D6

• NF3 - Moving white's knight to F3 is the normal and best move. The main advantage of this move is it clears the king side pieces in order to perform an early kingside castle. It is also strong as it controls one of the centre squares.
• D6 - This logical move forms a pawn chain and stops e5 chasing the knight

3

D3 G6

• D3 - A common move in this situation, white forms a pawn chain of their own. However, 3.d4 is more aggressive and best.
• G6- The final move of the pawn formation. This move sets black up to complete a king side Fianchetto; finishing their defences and setting themselves up for a strong queen side attack.

Queen's Gambit Accepted

The Queen's Gambit Accepted is a vital opening to learn; because if played against a player who does not know Queens Gambit theory, then the opening can easily be won and if played against an experienced player, than you can play on your own terms.

1

d4 d5

• d4 - Opening by moving the queen pawn two spaced forward is widely thought to be the more aggressive alternative to e4 lines.
• d5 - Copying whites move is the logical response to this attack, and is likely to happen in a game scenario.

2

C4 dxc4

• C4 - This is the defining move of Queen's Gambit lines. White has placed black in an uncomfortable position; either take the hanging pawn and accept the positional disadvantage or decline and stay materially equal.
• dxc4 - Black has chosen to accept the Queens Gambit; in continuations of this line black struggles to protect the weak pawn on c4.

3

E4

• E4 - As Grandmaster Chris Ward stated, "If the QGA [Queen's Gambit Accepted] is to be refuted, then 3 e4 is probably the place for White to look." This is because White now completely dominates the center leaving black with closed center and a hanging pawn.

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