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Black versus white differences in chess


  • 14 months ago · Quote · #1

    Crazychessplaya

    Just a bunch of observations on how the white player's strategy may differ from the black player's, especially in the opening:

    • The fianchetto is much more likely to be used by the black side, as evidenced by opening systems such as the Sicilian Dragon, the King's Indian Defence, the Robatsch, etc. True, there are many opening systems where white fianchettos too, such as the Larsen or the Reti, but the fianchetto frequency definitely favors black, it seems to me.
    • Black is much more likely to have to deal with the locked-in bishop problem (the French, the QGD, the Philidor). In open games (1.e4 e5), white almost never locks in his bishop voluntarily. White may have a locked in bishop in the Queen's Gambit complexes, but in general he does well to avoid it.
    • For some unfathomable reason (to me at least) the black player will NOT fianchetto on the queenside on the second move. The Owen Defence 1.e4 b6 is the backwater of backwaters. Even if a queenside fianchetto does take place (the Queen's Indian Defence, for example), it's occurrence is rather rare.
  • 14 months ago · Quote · #2

    uhohspaghettio

    Crazychessplaya wrote:
    The fianchetto is much more likely to be used by the black side, as evidenced by opening systems such as the Sicilian Dragon, the King's Indian Defence, the Robatsch, etc. True, there are many opening systems where white fianchettos too, such as the Larsen or the Reti, but the fianchetto frequency definitely favors black, it seems to me.

    A major reason black fianchettoes more is for easier development of his bishops. White tends not to have this problem as much. The English, the mainline Taimanov, mainline Dutch and the Catalan are much more respected openings where white fianchettoes than the ones you listed. 

    Crazychessplaya wrote:
    Black is much more likely to have to deal with the locked-in bishop problem (the French, the QGD, the Philidor). In open games (1.e4 e5), white almost never locks in his bishop voluntarily. White may have a locked in bishop in the Queen's Gambit complexes, but in general he does well to avoid it.

    That's because white greatly hinders black development in any good opening. It's no mystery. Sometimes white also has a hard time getting a good place for his bishop. 

    Crazychessplaya wrote:
    For some unfathomable reason (to me at least) the black player will NOT fianchetto on the queenside on the second move. The Owen Defence 1.e4 b6 is the backwater of backwaters. Even if a queenside fianchetto does take place (the Queen's Indian Defence, for example), it's occurrence is rather rare.

    Don't take this the wrong way but it's only unfathomable to you because you have no idea what you're talking about. It's fine to ask questions, but don't talk about it being "unfathomable" like that.

    On of black's essential roles in the opening is to develop his king's side and castle before white launches a massive attack and hinder white's development ie, by not allowing e4 and d4 straightaway. The Pirc and Robatsch allow white a good centre, though the Robatsch is worse, but they involve hasty castling. Even then, white often launches a fierce early kingside attack because he has the full centre. To forego both the centre and to do nothing on the kingside is, or should be, just suicide.

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #3

    AndyClifton

    uhohspaghettio wrote:
    Don't take this the wrong way but it's only unfathomable to you because you have no idea what you're talking about.

    On the plus side, Crazy, at least it is implied that there is some right way to take this... Smile

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #4

    buho

    Main difference... the color

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #5

    Crazychessplaya

    Glad to read spaghettio's comments with the characteristic "trademark" insults!

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #6

    AndyClifton

    Hey, he's just trying to help all us lame doofuses (so really his heart's in the right place).

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #7

    Crazychessplaya

    The guy is 1499 in Tactics!Laughing

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #8

    AndyClifton

    Still, I don't think people who unduly beat their chests like Tarzan really ought to be encouraged...

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #9

    Crazychessplaya

    Someone should start posting pictures in this thread...

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #10

    TheGrobe

    You should get to know him first, then decide which side to err on.

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #11

    AndyClifton

    Let somebody drone on like some closet genius without correction and you are possibly being an a-shole by omission. Smile

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #12

    AndyClifton

    And since there has been a request...

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #13

    AndyClifton

    ciljettu wrote:
    I really want to try to better myself spiritually and be nice to everyone regardless. The key to finding happiness is spreading love.

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #14

    AndyClifton

    Not at all.  Let kids run around like jerks now and they'll probably go on being jerks in perpetuity.  Sometimes it's "nice" to pass on to people some sense of reality, lest they suffer from its absence at some later date.

    (Nietsche?  Eek!)

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #15

    AndyClifton

    Hey, I don't need your validation!!!

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #16

    RoffleMyWafflez

    I play a queenside fianchetto as black in the Nimzo Indian all the time.

    In fact, I believe it may be mainline. 

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #17

    waffllemaster

    The owens is backwater of backwaters?  I've actually faced a fair number of owens as white.  Sure I generally get comfortable positions, but the owens is fully playable.

  • 14 months ago · Quote · #18

    shequan

    what is stated here, if the context is chess enthusiasts playing on the internet, is actually more true than false I think. black doing a queenside fianchetto is rare, probably because you are less likely to see nimzo and queens indians being played. blacks white squared bishop usually is a problem piece in games between chess enthusiasts where e4e5 or e6 is played, while whites light squared bishop often is very strong, so strong that a lot of these games between chess enthusiasts played on the internet literally revolve around black trying to kill that bishop, nullifying the pressure it is exerting on the kingside (sitting on the a2-f7 diagonal, familiar?), at least for the first 20 moves of the game. I think it is worth noting this dynamic too. 

  • 10 months ago · Quote · #19

    mauricejones

    what is with the program giving me black all the time? They say it averages out well thats like the traffic reporter in a helicopter saying there is a slow down on the tollway but if your down there stuck in traffic it is not a slow down believe me~why is it the puter decides the draw of the color? why cant that be done by agreement~


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