Well yes. What would you have done if he'd played 5. e5? It's more normal to take on e4 and then play Bg4. I would have played 5. Qxd5 but I don't think pawn takes was bad. I think you played pretty well. I liked g6. There was no way you were going to lose after the 11th move. Well done.
Playing with black - Am I on the right track?
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Optimissed wrote:
... What would you have done if he'd played 5. e5? It's more normal to take on e4 and then play Bg4. ...
It seems to me that it would invite difficulties if White were to go for 5 e5. My understanding is that 3...Bg4 is a recognised alternative to 3...dxe4.
I think you'd be better off replying 1...e5 instead of playing the Caro-Kann. You may win some games with the C-K but it will probably slow your progress.
Dec 20, 2019
0
#5
In my opinion, the Caro-Kann is a relatively solid and defensive reply to 1.e4. You tend to get nice pawn structures in the endgame with the Caro-Kann so a possible way to proceed would be to learn about various pawn structures and endgames.
With regards to your game, 7.d4?? is a blunder. Can you see why?
Good luck with improving your chess!
Optimissed wrote:
Well yes. What would you have done if he'd played 5. e5?
I would probably push my Knight to d7.
Phoenix_tactician wrote:
With regards to your game, 7.d4?? is a blunder. Can you see why?
Yes, I basically could have taken his Bishop with 7...Qa5+. Oh well, lesson learned!
RedGirlZ wrote:
for a beginner i'd say don't play an opening like that, but its up to u.
Why?
RedGirlZ wrote:
thats like a caro kan or however u spell it opening, from what i remember it's a more advanced opening, not something a beginner should be playing i'd say.
You're probably right. I might consider the Scandinavian instead.
Dec 22, 2019
0
#10
Kiminal wrote:
RedGirlZ wrote:
thats like a caro kan or however u spell it opening, from what i remember it's a more advanced opening, not something a beginner should be playing i'd say.
You're probably right. I might consider the Scandinavian instead.
I don't really like the Scandinavian for beginners for three reasons:
1) After exd5 Qxd5 the queen tends to get chased around the board. You lose quite a bit of tempo (momentum/development) from that. This also violates some basic opening principles (do not bring out the queen too early, avoid moving pieces more than once in opening whenever possible)
2) If you don't take back with the queen you're most likely down in material. Unless you're ok with playing down a pawn, it's better to take with the queen and face the problem described in 1.
3) Scandinavian positions can easily become quite tricky to play.
I feel that the Scandinavian is not really that suitable for beginners either; but feel free to experiment with it if you're keen. I'd say that the Caro-Kann is more 'beginner friendly' than the Scandinavian.
My opinion is that the most 'beginner friendly' openings for black against 1.e4 are e5 (King's pawn, logical to play, usually more aggressive) and e6 (French, easy to learn, good balance between offense and defense).
"... As Black, I think that [players with very limited experience] would do well … playing 1...e5 versus 1 e4 …" - IM John Watson (2010)
Optimissed έγραψε:
Well yes. What would you have done if he'd played 5. e5?
He would have called the arbiter: 5.e5 is an illegal move.
Dec 22, 2019
0
#13
Phoenix_tactician wrote:
Kiminal wrote:
RedGirlZ wrote:
thats like a caro kan or however u spell it opening, from what i remember it's a more advanced opening, not something a beginner should be playing i'd say.
You're probably right. I might consider the Scandinavian instead.
I don't really like the Scandinavian for beginners for three reasons:
1) After exd5 Qxd5 the queen tends to get chased around the board. You lose quite a bit of tempo (momentum/development) from that. This also violates some basic opening principles (do not bring out the queen too early, avoid moving pieces more than once in opening whenever possible)
2) If you don't take back with the queen you're most likely down in material. Unless you're ok with playing down a pawn, it's better to take with the queen and face the problem described in 1.
3) Scandinavian positions can easily become quite tricky to play.
I feel that the Scandinavian is not really that suitable for beginners either; but feel free to experiment with it if you're keen. I'd say that the Caro-Kann is more 'beginner friendly' than the Scandinavian.
My opinion is that the most 'beginner friendly' openings for black against 1.e4 are e5 (King's pawn, logical to play, usually more aggressive) and e6 (French, easy to learn, good balance between offense and defense).
In the Scandinavian white loses time first by playing 2.exd which brings black's queen out for free... so tempo isn't a problem.
I think the Scandinavian is a sub par choice for new players because there's very little variation in the types of positions you'll get, and the positions themselves are a bit dull. Compare to the rich and varied positions in the Spanish, for example.
Dec 22, 2019
0
#14
Kiminal wrote:
Hello, fine folk of the chess world! So recently (just now) I've started thinking about improving my black side play. Mainly getting stronger defensively to give me a fighting chance. I just had a match against 1. e4 and if anyone can take a look at it and tell me if I'm at least headed in the right direction or not? Thanks in advance!
You placed and maintained a pawn in the center (other than 4...Nxd5)
You developed your pieces and castled.
You completed development a bit late, but only because you were winning material, so that's ok.
So yeah, you're on the right track with your opening play.
If this game had been played by a 1600 I would think that's pretty normal, so yeah, good job.
kindaspongey wrote:
Optimissed wrote:
... What would you have done if he'd played 5. e5? It's more normal to take on e4 and then play Bg4. ...
It seems to me that it would invite difficulties if White were to go for 5 e5. My understanding is that 3...Bg4 is a recognised alternative to 3...dxe4.
Sorry, typo, 4. e5. After playing e5, white threatens in such positions to push e5-e6 if black is not in a position to capture with the bishop. Having the N on d7 doesn't make things better for black, I think. White follows up with d4 and clamps down on e5.
Optimissed έγραψε:
Sorry, typo, 4. e5. After playing e5, white threatens in such positions to push e5-e6 if black is not in a position to capture with the bishop. Having the N on d7 doesn't make things better for black, I think. White follows up with d4 and clamps down on e5.
4.e5 Ne4 is OK for Black, due to the presence of a knight at f3. Sample:
Either 3...Nf6 or 3...Bg4 are Black's most common answers to this system. 3...dxe4 is somewhat compliant, unless Black intends to play (3...dxe4) 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6! when the knight's position at f3 is not perfect- white would like to substitute this with the regular pawn at d4.
4...Bf5?! and 4...Bg4?! aren't terribly smart choices after 3...dxe4.
Yes, I asked him what he would have played. As you say, it's fine for black if black doesn't go wrong. I did not mean to imply that 5. e5 was automatically bad for black. It's different from the type of game one gets after 1. e4 ... c6 2. Ne2 ... d5, 3. e5 ...B f5 4. Ng6 and black moves the B off the c8 - f5 diagonal.
But in the two knights Caro Kann I thought that 3. .... de and 4. ...Bg4 are main line. I've always played it, at any rate. Ratified by GMs etc?
Kiminal wrote:
Optimissed wrote:
Well yes. What would you have done if he'd played 5. e5?
I would probably push my Knight to d7.
That might be problematic after e5-e6 by white. Pfren can tell us! 
Hello, fine folk of the chess world! So recently (just now) I've started thinking about improving my black side play. Mainly getting stronger defensively to give me a fighting chance. I just had a match against 1. e4 and if anyone can take a look at it and tell me if I'm at least headed in the right direction or not? Thanks in advance!