3 Check Opening Ideas For Black Against 1. Nf3
Plans and ideas:
- If White plays an early Nf3 before pushing their e-pawn, then you can play e5 as a pawn sacrifice. In exchange for this sacrifice you get quick development and open lines for your pieces. If White declines to take the e-pawn then you can use this pawn to gain space in the center.
- Qf6 is a strong counter to 3. Nxf7. The idea is to either win the Knight on f7 or sacrifice your Queen on f2 depending on White's next move.
- A capture on c6 should always be met by recapturing with the d-pawn if possible. This will accelerate your piece development even further by giving you more open lines.
- If White delays castling then look for ways to blast open the center. Sometimes this can be done by sacrificing pawns or pieces.
- Look for opportunities to sacrifice your Queen on d2, especially if that square is only defended by White's King.
Where to put your pieces:
- The Queenside Knight goes to c6.
- The Kingside Knight goes to f6.
- The dark squared Bishop goes to d6 where it applies pressure to h2 and makes it more difficult for White to castle in many cases.
- The light squared Bishop is often developed to block a check on c6 or to pin White's Knight on g4. You can also consider leaving this Bishop on c8 for a while if you don't see a useful role for it yet.
- The King usually castles Kingside but you can consider castling Queenside as well, especially if your opponent goes for Kingside fianchetto.
- The Rooks and Queen usually go to the open files in the center.
If you want more examples of how to play when your opponent declines to take the e-pawn then you should read the posts below if you haven't already:
