The 3 Keys to Playing Good Defense
Dear Chess Friends!
Everyone likes to attack, but chess is not only how to attack. It’s very often when you have to defend the position first and then overtake the initiative and try to outplay your opponent. Usually it happens when you play with black pieces.
Do you want to know how to defend your position properly? If yes, go further and watch this video from the beginning to the very end.
You may know I’m an expert of Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation. I even created a special course “Sicilian Kan - Secret Weapon for Black”. And that’s why I decided to demonstrate everything by the example of playing this opening.
Ok, this is FM Victor Neustroev and the 3 keys to playing good defense in chess!
When you play a certain defense, you should understand peculiarities of the positions that you get. For example, I’m an expert in Kan Sicilian and I just know how to locate pieces in this or that continuation that my opponent chooses. Let me share some of them.
- e5 is a key square that black should control
- one of plans is to play d5
- Nc6 too early is a mistake
2) Flexibility
What means not only a flexibility of your pawn structure, but a flexible formation of your pieces and pawns together.
3) Counter-attacking
And finally, the best way to defend your position is to counter-attack. There is even a rule that every strong chess player knows. If you are under a kingside attack, look for a counter-play in the center. It can be just a plan that initiates a pawn trade in the center and helps your pieces to maneuver from the other side of the board to the kingside much faster.
In this video you learned the 3 keys to playing good defense in chess and, of course, some basic ideas of how to play Kan Sicilian.
If you think Kan Sicilian positions are suitable to your playing style and would like to learn more about this opening, please, leave a comment into the comment section and I’ll do my best and provide you with some extra content that will help you to learn this opening much better and even make it your primary opening.
If you have any suggestions, comments or recommendations, please, share them in the comment section.
Best Regards,
FM Victor Neustroev
