Good Solid Opening and Strategy for Black

Hi. Need some help here please.

So I've noticed that I've got a higher loss ratio when I play black. It's particularly hard when I play against the computer.

I know, I know. The computer has been getting a lot of slack. But I've found it extremely helpful when warming up before a good chess session. After 2 quick warm up games I'm good to go. I set the difficulty high and even when I loose, it seems like my chess is a lot better in the next few games agains non-androids (people). What's your opinion?

I also noticed that the way I think is more defensive in black and more attacking in white. Is that normal?

Is the best openings for black the same as what white would play?

Any comments would be appreciated.

By definition, your role with black is different than with white, and so you shouldn't just blindly play the same moves.

 

But the same principles hold true. Develop your pieces, get castled, try not to blunder all your stuff away, and get ready for the middlegame. 

 

Take a brief look in any database and you can see a lot of approaches for black against all of the main white opening moves (1. e4, 1. d4, 1. Nf3, and 1. c4). They're all playable at class level. Experiment and see what you like. A lot of people would say to meet e4 with e5 at the lower ratings, since it's supposedly the most instructive way to play, although I'm not sure I believe that's necessary if you want to play another opening. 

^Gotta equalize before winning. That's the difference.

Crush your enemy, see him driven before you, and hear the lamentation of his woman!

Thanks a lot!! Really appreciate the effort you made.

OK. The a6 h6 moves are to counteract the diagonal the opposing bishop has as soon as the e2 and d2 pawns are moved. it squeezes the opponent for a little more space and it gives me a comfortable knight position and safe from the bishop threat of pinning the knight against my king or queen. It also help to develop the opening better rather to exchange very early. Does it make sense? It's just the logic going on in my mind. Not sure how it fits in with chess theory.

I do actually analyze most games afterward. I review my mistakes and blunders all the time. I've only been playing seriously for about a year and 12 years before that I was a hobbyist with a few games here and there. Started on 1300 dropped all the way to around 900 and came back and made it to over 1300 a week or so ago and got my winning ratio better than loosing.

It does seem like I've hit a bit of a wall though. But I'm still feeling good about my progress.

Thanks again.

Thanks!! I am listening. Just got home from work!! I love chess! 

What if it's a woman you're playing against?

To add on to post #3, in looking at what he's doing, I don't think he understands the concept of weak squares.  Weak pieces, sure, but not weak squares.

 

So many beginners do this.  They play a3 and h3 or a6 and h6 (depending on what color they are) like it's automatic and such a great move.  Sure, let's stop Ng5 or Bg5!

 

Here's what they don't get.  That last sentence is incomplete!  More accurate would be:

 

Sure, let's stop Ng5 and Bg5, AND SEVERELY WEAKEN f5 IN THE PROCESS!!!!

 

Nobody that I know below 2000 understands this concept.  Playing a6 weakens c5.  Playing h6 weakens f5.  Playing a3 weakens c4.  Playing h3 weakens f4.

 

Easy explanation behind hit.  Let's say you play the following:

 

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 - The standard starting position of the Closed Ruy Lopez. 

The move a6 forced White to decide what to do with the Bishop immediately, and allowed future expansion on the Queenside.  c5 is not a major issue for Black with the pawn on d6.

The move h3 is necessary to prevent Bg4, but there's a point behind Bg4.  It's not just to avoid a Bishop for Knight trade.  That knight is playing a vital role, protecting d4 when White gets d4 in.  9.d4 Bg4 is not good for White.

 

However, notice that a3 and h6 are not played.  They are not necessary!  And with White looking to play Nb1-d2-f1-g3-f5 anyway, playing h6 is completely stupid because it just exponentiates Black's problem with the coming Nf5.  If he plays h6, and White plays his Knight to f5, Black has a hard time playing g6 to kick it away as h6 hangs in most cases.

 

Play your rook pawns because you have to, not because you are scared of a minor piece to g5/g4/b5/b4.

Search colorado's opening.

Not this again!

Can we get pfren and aww-rats in here?

I don't know if you intended to offend all non-experts, but I understand this concept very well, thank you very much. 

I'm on the white side of Closed Spanish structures seemingly every tournament. This is a really simple idea which should be understood by anyone playing such structures.

Also, the line after 9. d4 is perfectly playable for white, even after 9...Bg4. Ivanchuk, Svidler, Grischuk, and Adams have all played it in standard tournaments, with reasonable results. 

I also it's funny that you said it like that. I am 1450 because I hang pieces, overlook tactics, and position my pieces on the wrong squares- not because I don't understand that a6 and h6 are wasted tempos that weaken squares!

It is difficult to figure out when best to play those moves though.

The philidor is a tough and interesting opening. In the 18th and 19th centuries it had a reputation as poor opening that blocked the dark square bishop and allowed white to take over the center with an early and uncontested d4.. But then in the 20th century it made a huge comeback as a hyper modern opening. Players started playing the Philidor again, but then played moves like Nd7 and g7 Bg6. These moves were never tried in the 18th century when the philidor was first intrudocued, people just tried to develop as normal and got crushed. 

You seem to be playing it the 18th century way and not realize that the Philidor is actually a hypoermodern defense.

In a hypoermodern defense, you should definitely not be focused on grabbing space! In a hypermodern opening, black's goal is to:

Develope all his pieces

Entice white to make pawn moves, so he is behind in development.

Have no weaknesses

GIve white no counterplay.

The move h6 is not a very hypermodern move, because it creates a weakness. The point of a hypermodern opening is that you emerge from the opening without much activity or space, but also with no weaknesses. It enjoyed its successes in the 20th century because while white followed all the rules and then came to a supposedly winning position, he would often find himself with no plan and no way to capitilize on that advantage.

There are exceptions, but if you're going hypermodern, the idea is to:

Try to move as few pawns as possible

Try to create as few weaknesses as possible

Try to develop your pieces as quickly as possible

Try to entice white to make lots of pawn moves that slow down his development.

This is slightly different than "Develop your pieces, control the center, and get castled" which could be the reason why players at our level are sometimes discouraged from playing hypermodern openings.

 

I agree with the wise old man advice of Jengaias though. It looks like you emerge fine from the opening.

Glad to see pfren restate the same objection I had to ThrillerFan's post :P

Thanks for the feedback.

The f5/f4 squares are protected by the bishop on c1/c8 if you play d3/d2 somewhere in the opening. Also you can move g3/g6 to protect f4/f5 and fianchetto your bishop.

Lets say I'm white. the game goes 1.e4 e5 2.d3 d6 then I'll play 3.h3... because the threat of the bishop was already created from the start and the d6 pawn is blocking the f8 bishop so moving a3 is useless. 

 Thanks again for the advice.

 

Clearly you are putting words in my mouth.

 

1) I did not say no non-expert knows of the concept.  I said nobody that "I Know" that's under 2000 has shown an understanding of this.  I don't know you - therefore you don't count!  Having spoken to you a time or two on chess.com and "knowing you" are not the same thing!

2) You are twisting my second statement implying that I'm saying 9.d4 is refuted by 9...Bg4.  I never said that.  It has of course been played, but is still considered to be far inferior compared to 9.h3.  Also, "Not Good For White" and "-0.50" are NOT synonomous!  If White has the opportunity to get an advantage, let's say 0.3, and plays a move that has no advantage, like 0.0, then the move is not good for White.  If you look in any book, not all "??", "?", or "?!" are "losing" for the offending player.  If you go from +3.5 to +0.1, you've blundered, like it or not!  Blunder and lost are also not synonomous!

 

See, even your response shows a lack of understanding.

First off, Why after 1.e4 e5 are you playing 2.d3?  Actually, 2.d3 is not very good at all.  The King's Indian Attack, which in essence is what you are showing signs of playing with 2.d3, is not good against 1...e5.  Black gets easy equality in these lines.

Second off, how on earth do you consider 3...Bg4 a "threat"?  After 1.e4 e5 2.d3 d6, there is no purpose to preventing 3...Bg4.  You can reply to such a move with 4.Nf3, 4.Ne2, or 4.Be2.  There is no logic, rhyme, or reason to prevent 3...Bg4.

In addition, you severely weaken the f4 square with that move.  It doesn't matter that a Bishop covers f4.  I plop a Black Knight on f4, you take with your Bishop as otherwise the Queen is coming in and threatening to get at your King, and I take back with either the e-pawn or another piece that protected f4.  You have just thrown away your light squared bishop, and proceed to get creamed by Black via an attack on the light squares.  If you play g3, then ...h5/...h4 and Black opens the h-file.  If you played h3 and trade B for N on f4, then you have what is called a "hook" on h3, and advancement of the g-pawn along with an attack on the light squares gets you killed.

 

So even after your proposed line of inferiority, 1.e4 e5 2.d3?! d6, 3.h3? is bad!  (Yes, worse than dubious, which is what 2.d3 is against 1...e5)

<SIGH>...Here we go again.  

1. Forget about "defensive" and "attacking"  

2. Follow Opening Principles.

3. Tactics...tactics...tactics...

Youre trying to find the "right" opening when you dont even follow Opening Principles.  After reviewing some of your games, I have no idea where you think youre "attacking" as white, and being "defensive" as black.

@ThrillerFan "far inferior" is a bit much, don't you think? 9. d4 is a sideline, but a highly respectable one at that, and I think there are a number of super-GMs who would love to argue with you if you assert that black has some easy path to dead equality.

 

Meanwhile, it may be true that you don't know any U2000 players who can understand basic positional concepts...but that's certainly not true where I live. If what you've said is true, I can only assume my rating would be higher if I lived in North Carolina

Spartan, in my opinion, you are pushing too many pawns in the opening...like others have said, develop your minor pieces normally before pushing that 2nd pawn.  Forget the Philidor for now. 

1)  Morphy said/did it well, he tried to castle super fast, so he pushed knight, then bishop then castled on the 4th move.  Can't go wrong there. 

2) Again, you're pushing too many pawns after the first few moves, get both knights, both B's, of course already castled, probably Q and another R move, before pushing numerous pawns.  That's what getting developed means.  I saw you push a pawn early on attacking the opposite side of opponent's castled King, for no good reason. 

3) Take your time and look around...try to make a move that will mess opponent's plan up AND develop YOUR pieces.  The moves that mess him up AND go on the attack for YOU, are the best moves.  They ARE usually out there to make.  IF you can't find one, then get your pieces developed...sometimes that means getting your Q out of the way so that your Rooks protect each other. (meaning 'clear out' that back row except for the Rooks.) 

4) Except for an occasional early Bishop out there, try not to have a minor piece out there that is totally unprotected. (hanging)  They make good targets for opponent. 

5) Great quote by Bobby Fischer brought up by genius player about how to think when playing black.

6)  Do research and look for all the small 'need to do' plays, e.g. move a Rook to own a file.  Look for holes, where a piece, N or B can't ever be touched or attacked by a pawn.  Try to get your N far down field, it increases in value the further it goes. (on the 5th, 6th or 7th row, it can be worth as much as a Rook and great for forks.)  If you cannot find a good offensive move and all your pieces are developed, then make a good defensive move, like THEN move a pawn up where his N cannot then land. Many more...

   Yes, all the guys said learn good solid positional moves first and forget about openings, BUT if you must, check out the Petroff for Black.  Easy to learn and it often has surprise value against players like yourself. 

Have fun out there in the 64 jungle! 

Solidity.
Against Ruy Lopez, Go for Berlin
Against e4- Caro Kann, provided you're okay in endgames
Against d4, go Queen's Indian Defense
Against c4- go copycat
The above defenses are solid, and can result in an okay position from the opening.
And again
be careful of tactics.
Castle quickly.
Control the center
A flank attack has potential only if the center is held.