Demo # 6

4. Bh2  Bd7

5. e4  ...

Black To Move.

Looks sketchy to me... 

Only took 6 topics for the first comment to be posted.

This was the first time that I have played game type 3 with double drops.

I played the double drop Bh2 to show that white was trying to gain 2 tempo

First with the double drop and second with the attack on the black knight which can be captured and is not defended by the black pawn on the side board.

But black has a good response, the double drop Bd7 that also blocks the diagonal so that black does not have to move the black knight.

The white bishop on h2 may be on the wrong square now due to the black pawn on d6.

The other thing that I wanted to show was creating space and staying flexible.

The first white move Nd2 was active and lifted a central pawn and created space for drops.

The first black move Nb8 was rather passive and this is the reason why black feels a bit cramped.

The white position after the first move has more space and is more flexible as the king can still be deployed to a central file or to either flank.

The last thing that I wanted to show was king transfer options.

White deployed the king directly to a corner section of the board to avoid the central files and to keep central squares open for drops.

White however now has only one option for king transfers, to the square g1 should it be required.

Black deployed the king to a central file to keep king transfers as flexible as possible, black can transfer to either square b8 or g8 later on.

But the black king occupies a central square that can not be used for drops and black will have to spend a move later on to transfer the king to a flank.

White may have to transfer but could save a move by playing actively with pawns on the other flank starting with e4, this may force black to transfer the black king to the same flank as the white king.

Game Type 3

Symmetry is a feature of the game.

Black may mirror the white moves during deployment.

As long as black mirrors the white moves white will keep the slight opening move advantage.

A key point when playing the symmetrical game types 1 and 3 is when black decides to break symmetry and play the first move that is not a reflection of the white move.

Black could break symmetry as early as move one but could also maintain symmetry for a number of moves.

In any event black will be forced to break symmetry at some point to avoid losing material or to avoid losing the game.

In this example for game type 3 black mirrors the white moves during deployment.

Black can not simply mirror the white moves for the asymmetrical game types 2 and 4.

1. Nd2  Nd7

2. Ng1  Ng8

3. Kb1  Kb8