http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-opening-database/moves/d4-d6-c4-g6-Nc3-Bg7-e4-c5-Nf3-Qa5
looks like an interesting defense.
Pterodactyl Defense
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Why would I have to learn the d4 d5 openings first?
The pterodactyl is vs. e4 not d4.
why do people become obssed with putting time into silly openings?
Learn the basics, learn an opening that you can develop as you get better not one that will leave you scratching your head everytime you play someone slightly stronger
Everyone wants a pet line, I suppose. Especially beginners.
The Pterodactyl
At its heart this is a universal Black system which almost always plays the moves g6, Bg7, c5 and Qa5. This means that it can be against many things, not just 1. d4, or 1. e4. Basically, the formation aims to generate earlygame pressure on the dark squares. Hence the Pterodactyl is especially effective when there is a White pawn on d4.
However, I have to poop your party - the Pterodactyl is not an unusual opening. Far from it. It's actually a collection of Sicilians, Benonis, Indians, and Robatch Defences. In other words, standard openings adding the move Qa5.
Because these are really standard openings, therefore they are probably sound (the merits of Qa5 can be debated, though). Good news for you! However, once you really learn those openings you will realize that Black may have other options, which may be better than Qa5. In this respect one might say the Pterodactyl lacks flexibility. Let's see how this may hurt:
On the other hand it is easy to setup, can be used against almost everything White throws at you, and will probably work as a good "crutch" until you get better at chess.
So you want to learn the Pterodactyl? Read up on the
- Robatsch Defence (most important!)
- Sicilian Accelerated Dragon
- Closed Sicilian
- Benoni Systems except the Benko Gambit
- Queen's Indian Defence
...and simplify it by considering only variations with Qa5. By the way, if you do face the e4-d4 formation, do yourself a favor, and play the actual Robatsch lines, unless you want to count on your opponent not memorizing the line that will smash you to bits.
Here's an older article by Schiller on the Pterodactyl.
http://web.archive.org/web/20070827145829/www.chesscountry.com/article_show.php?articleID=167
He also has two Pterodactyl videos up on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAjbLp_O7No
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XmwmKF5UL4
Interesting the comments by people saying it's necessary to learn double d-pawn openings. I've never played a double d-pawn opening in my life - with White or Black. I'm rated over 2000 elo, and I feel like I have done okay without knowing the Queen's Gambit. Maybe my rating would be higher if I'd studied 1. d4 d5 at some point?
Also, the comment by whisperwalk that after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 c5 4. dxc5 Qa5 5. c3 ("The key move. White shores up his dark squares and asks Black 'what have you achieved from the opening?'") Qxc5 that White "has the advantage" after 6. Be3 is not borne out in practice. According to my database of 21 games, Black has scored better than 50 per cent from this position. One main line goes:
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 c5 4. dxc5 Qa5 5. c3 Qxc5 6. Be3 Qc7 7. Bd4 Nf6 8. e5 Ng4, and Black has one win, one loss and two draws from this position (all players rated over 2400).
Nothing is wrong with Pterodactyl. It is completely sound opening and a good way to avoid maroczy bind in hyper-accelerated dragon. After e4 c5 nf3 g6 d4 bg7 if c4 play qa5 no maroczy!
"so much for flying dinosaurs" +1
Honestly, I don't know what all the hate on the flying dinosaur is about anyway. Isn't chess supposed to be fun? If you want an opening with a cool name then do it! Have fun! If you get beat then fix the problems and make solutions, fix your lines to better prep you for your opponents. Be an innovator for your newfound opening! They are right that you need to study other theories to be better. Opening principles get you very far in improving your openings. P.S. you picked one badass opening name too. Excellent selection.
^...says the angry 1400
Bankwell wrote:
Estragon wrote:
beebejoe wrote:
The pterodactyl is vs. e4 not d4.
Sorry, had it and the Vulture confused in my mind.
Same thing applies, though. Learn 1 e4 e5 before the unusual stuff, or you're just wasting your time.
It's like learning arithmetic before calculus . . .
This is why this site is a joke.
Why is this guy even allowed to give advice to novices?
He hasn't made a single non-engine move in his last ten correspondence games. Go check them, if you like. Odds of this happening "coincidentally?" Zero. Literally...zero.
Your advice should have been: if you want to be good, consult Rybka every single solitary move.
It's what you do. Why tell others to follow a harder path when you, yourself, have never followed it?
A word of advice to novices: if you ever, ever, EVER see a player on here with a rating in excess of 2200, but who isn't a member, assume he fears his membership might be revoked. It's amazing how many of these clowns, when you take the time to look at their games, are so obviously full-time cheats that they don't even bother to hide the fact any more.
You're free to report him as a cheater to chess.com. Of course he isn't a cheater and so it would be a waste of time, but you can if you want.
If instead you are interested in improving your chess, my suggestion is to apologize for your self-humiliating post, and follow Estragon's advice.
Estragon wrote:
Why is it that people always understand that in any other field, you must learn the basics before you get into the finesses, but they expect there to be some shortcut in chess, a game so complex it hasn't been solved in 500 years of active trying?
But it is clear that to study the game one must deal with central pawn structures, since the pawns in the center area determine what the strategies for both sides are. And attempting to understand this by jumping into complex formations first cannot be productive, and in fact slows down your progress in the long run.
The e4/e5 and d4/d5 opening structures are not only basic, but in many of the "flexible" structures a major feature is the chance to change the game into one of them, or the variants. Many players seek out unusual variations to avoid learning what they must know to understand the game deeper than they do.
i didnt really play d4 d5. i disliked the slav.
i skipped that and played the nimzovitch or king's indian defense and i was fine.
chess does have shortcuts in learning such as being efficient with training.
i wouldnt recommend the pterodactyl either tho.
There are some unsound variation of Pterodactyl. So I would only recommend playing it only through Sicilian move order (against 1.e4). Against 1.d4 better take a look at Benonis if you like these types of positions.
carld wrote:
Here's an older article by Schiller on the Pterodactyl.
http://web.archive.org/web/20070827145829/www.chesscountry.com/article_show.php?articleID=167
He also has two Pterodactyl videos up on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAjbLp_O7No
and
You lost me at "Schiller"...
1. d4 d5?
I play the Kings Indian Defence with Black and I always have - no need to worry about transpositions to double d-pawn openings!
Aug 9, 2011
0
#20
newzild wrote:
Interesting the comments by people saying it's necessary to learn double d-pawn openings. I've never played a double d-pawn opening in my life - with White or Black. I'm rated over 2000 elo, and I feel like I have done okay without knowing the Queen's Gambit. Maybe my rating would be higher if I'd studied 1. d4 d5 at some point?
Also, the comment by whisperwalk that after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 c5 4. dxc5 Qa5 5. c3 ("The key move. White shores up his dark squares and asks Black 'what have you achieved from the opening?'") Qxc5 that White "has the advantage" after 6. Be3 is not borne out in practice. According to my database of 21 games, Black has scored better than 50 per cent from this position. One main line goes:
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 c5 4. dxc5 Qa5 5. c3 Qxc5 6. Be3 Qc7 7. Bd4 Nf6 8. e5 Ng4, and Black has one win, one loss and two draws from this position (all players rated over 2400).
I have to admit I have never played d4 d5. I have always played the Dutch defense and got to expert using it. Should I have also played d4 d5 first to have become a stronger player?
I am trying to learn this, but I cannot find any info on it. Help!