Links to other Opening Practice Puzzles
Sicilian Defense - Najdorf Variation - Black
Sicilian Defense - Najdorf Variation - White
Sicilian Defense - Dragon Variation - Black
Sicilian Defense - Classical Variation - Black
Queen's Gambit - Declined 1 - White
Queen's Gambit - Declined 2 - White
King's Gambit - Accepted - White
Fried Liver Attack Defense - Black
Evan's Gambit Accepted - White
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This was pure rubbish. In what way are these moves ''better'' than for example going into the exchange version?
In fact, if we want to get really picky we can say that nf3 is inaccurate because it commits the knight to f3 when there are plenty of plans in the exchange variation where white wants it on e2
Your comments make no sense. If by "exchange version" you mean Queen's Gambit "Accepted", then you have no control over that because it is up to Black as to whether to Accept or Decline the Gambit, and in this case you are playing "White" so you have no control over that choice. The whole point of the above puzzle is to practice what to do if Black "Declines" the gambit.
Also, the Knight cannot go to the "e2" square because there is a pawn on that square. Sure in the Gambit Accepted version (Exchange Accepted) we might want to bring the Knight to the e2-square, but this puzzle is NOT the exchange version. It is the "Declined" version. So read the title before making comments.
The exchange variation is when white takes with the c pawn on d5. So 1. d4 - d5 2. c4 - e6 3. Nc3 - Nf6 4. cxd5 ...
The exchange variation is a very good alternative to the classical queens gambit decline in order to avoid dreaded defences like the lasker defence and the capablanca defence. Kasparov played the exhange btw
The pawn structure can lead to many plans (for example minority attack but also to oposite side castling with while attacks). Acivilized is right when he states that in many of these variations the white knight is better placed on e2 than on f3.
Thanks for these, Bill! Would you mind doing more? I find them incredibly helpful.
The Queen's Gambit is a very popular opening for White, in which White opens up with the d-pawn and then offers up the c-pawn as a sacrifice (that's the gambit). If Black captures the c-pawn, then he is accepting the gambit, and if he refuses the gambit (does not capture the pawn) then it is known as Queen's Gambit Declined. In the puzzle below you can practice playing the Queen's Gambit Declined as a White player.
It should be noted that after three moves, the Gambit can go off in many different directions, so this is only one variation that can occur. So mainly focus on those first three or four moves as part of the Gambit, after that just try to make the best responses to Black's moves.
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