Three Vicious Brilliant Moves Punish Disastrous Knight Moves | 100+ Modern Masterpieces

I LOVE efficiency in chess—when each move has a purpose, each piece fulfills a function, and everything is harmonious!

Efficiency is rarely more important than in the opening. Both players start with zero development, and as the pieces race to claim squares and take powerful posts, each move is critical. Later in the game, with the armies fully mobilized, a lost tempo or two may not decide the game, except in critical moments. In the opening, wastes of time can easily lead to a rapid and possibly humiliating defeat.

One of my favorite chess opening principles is simple. Don't move the same piece twice in the opening.

Never forget the lesson of Leeroy Jenkins. Pieces should not attack by themselves.

Yes, there are tons of exceptions. Pieces will be attacked and need to retreat. Some pieces - especially knights - may need a couple of moves to reach the right square. Each case is unique, but in general, striving to spend your moves bringing out new pieces rather than repeatedly moving the same pieces is the wise decision.

This is a mistake I regularly see new players make. The haste to attack and to make threats, to feel aggressive, leads many to make multiple, easily defended threats with the same pieces. Against a strong opponent, the outcome is predictable, they defend the threats AND develop new pieces, push your overextended pieces back, and soon, they are fully developed and castled while you are neither. Defeat will likely be swift, total, and bloody.

100+ Modern Masterpieces Guaranteed To Improve Your Chess: The Opening

1. Almasi Crushes The Center - Modern Masterpieces: Control The Center
2. The Greatest Blitz Game Ever! - Modern Masterpieces: Develop Your Pieces
3. The Big Greek Immortal - Modern Masterpieces: Don't Push Too Many Pawns In The Opening
4. 3 Vicious Brilliant Moves - Modern Masterpieces: Don't Move Pieces Twice In The Opening

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Today's game features NINE (!!) brilliant moves - 3 in the main line and 6 in the variations in only 18 game moves.

In Delgado vs. Borges, 2006, White plays a theoretical line involving an early knight sortie into the center on move 5. While this move is sound, White also needs to follow up on move 6 with another odd knight move, to the edge of the board. When White doesn't play this follow up, he is already worse, and Black quickly takes over the initiative.

Initiative in hand, Black has a knight sacrifice to open the center of the board, and then brilliant move after brilliant move is available to Black to clear the lines, secure the necessary tempos, and checkmate white in the middle of the board.