5.d3 is pretty strong in the diagrammed position.
That's called the Petroff Defense, but 3...Nxe4 cannot be recommended as a try for equality.
C42: The Petroff Defense - Damiano Variation - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4.
I agree. It's considered a beginner move, but White or Black can lose quickly if not careful. Below are just a few of the many (oops!) lines covered by GM Boris Alterman.
Muskamole->May I challenge you to a training game?
I have a higher rating, but you clearly know more about openings than I do, so I think we could teach each other a lot/
Musik, why did white play 4. d4?? in the two Petrov games you diagrammed? 4. Qe2 is practically winning on the spot after black's blunder
I think it is good for both ones, white lost his light sqaure bishop and takes the pawn on e5 but black can attack and has 2 pawns on echother so good and bad for every color
I can't be bothered reading most of the posts above, but at GM level, most 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 games begin with a Ruy Lopez, rather than scotch or Italian. Alot of those GM claim that they only way to get an advantage from the opening as White (e4e5nf3nc6) is to play the Ruy. I wonder what those "advantages" are...
I would say that the biggest bar to getting an edge with the Ruy is the Marshall Gambit.
But...but...but...Fischer said e4 was best by test =P. You can't argue with the man that single-handedly beat the Russians!
Sure you can! I'll argue it all day! Fischer was a patzer. Rybka, Houdini, even Fritz, would rip Fischer to Shreds!
1.d4!! BEST -- BY -- TEST!!!!!
But...but...but...Fischer said e4 was best by test =P. You can't argue with the man that single-handedly beat the Russians!
Fischer did not support his views with evidence. I do.
yes, I do think the ruy lopez is not as good as the italian game or the scotch,danish etc. gambits to teach beginners but, as our concern is only the best opening I think the best might be the ruy lopez, its a really nice opening and the closed lines can also be very tactical.
In the ruy lopez, after white moves Bb5, white will inevitably move the bishop 2 more times to a4 and b3 (since it's not the exchange variation). I feel that this is a waste of 2 tempi because the pin of the knight to the king after the d6 pawn moves is not a real threat/ pressure since the black's b pawn ends up forcing the bishop to b3.
So, what is the advantage of these moves that causes the ruy lopez to be a better opening than say, the italian. Does it create weaknesses in black and if so, how can I exploit it? Help/explanations would enhance my understanding considerably :)
Try reading the earlier posts or search the forums for several other similar threads.
You know, it always amuses me to see amateur players debate which opening is "best". Unless your rating is over 2400 FIDE, any opening that doesn't have a specific refutation is playable. Below 1600, even openings that DO have a specific refutation are playable (I never lost with the Englund Gambit as black at that level). The player who better knows the opening and middle game patterns that come from it will be the one who has the advantage, regardless of the objective strength of the opening. And then the game will often be decided by tactics and endgame skill, anyway.
And count me among those who think low-intermediate level players (myself included) should stick to 1. e4 to get open games, so you can get better at tactical positions from experience. But the Ruy Lopez doesn't necessarily lead to an open game, so play just about any of the other 1. e4 e5 openings instead (Italian, Scotch, Vienna, Danish Gambit, Scotch Gambit, King's Gambit, Goring Gambit, Center Game, etc). The point is to shoot for a central pawn exchange early in the opening and active piece play thereafter.
I subscribe to this wholeheartedly. I play at the club level and enjoy creating my own theory no matter how imperfect since I am playing at the imperfect level. Technique is all.
I am biased in favor of the breyer simply because it is one of my earliest choices in my opening repertoire and one of the very few that I have kept for almost 40 years now.
That statement says much in favor of the opening.
Musikamole, study the opening with confidence, but when you need to win with Black, the Sicilian is a better choice. The Breyer alone will not give you a repertoire.
@ Ziryab and Reb - Excellent posts. Thank you.
To all -
As a relative beginner, I am working on tactics, checkmates, calculation, and simple endgames. Opening theory serves as a launch pad for arriving at both a playable and enjoyable middle game, where I look to such authors as Dan Heisman and Jeremy Silman for help with positional analysis.
In my training games with Ziryab, various launch pads were employed - Evans Gambit, French, Sicilian, Petroff, Slav...maybe a few more. Positions both interesting and instructive followed.
When teaching chess to my elementary band and orchestra students, I show them basic opening moves like 1.e4 e5 and 1.d4 d5. Why? If I don't, 1.e3, or 1...a6 is played most often.
I have a theory as to why this is so. Children are afraid of having one of their pawns taken, so they proceed with great caution. To them, chess is a game of take away or keep away. That's how I viewed chess until just a few years ago.