Chess forum by Grandmasters

Scotch Game

Hello!

I just played a Scotch game that I won, but after the game was over, I realized that Black missed a move that would have caused problems, and the incorrect move I made to allow it was extremely subtle. I admit that I'm not yet all the way through the complete Scotch course and annotated games, but I wanted to share the game that I played as well as the error which should have cost me a pawn and my attack.

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 exd4
4. Nxd4 Bc5
5. Nb3 Bb6
6. Nc3 d6
7. Qe2 Nf6
8. Be3 0-0
9. 0-0-0 Be6

This was the first Black move that I don't recall seeing in any of the videos, but I continued with the typical plan of attacking on the kingside with f3. However, what I'm overlooking is the strength of the move Ne5 and Bc4 from Black. In this position, Stockfish 16 suggests Kb1 followed very closely by my move f3.

10. f3 Qe7

I'm not sure I understand why Black played Qe7 here, but it's not relevant to my error.

11. g4!? Ne5!

This is the move that indirectly causes a problem after Black's reply, …Ne5! This was the second opportunity I had to play Kb1. I saw the moves Nc4 or Bc4 coming, so I prepared to move my bishop out of the line of fire by playing Kb1, but it was too late and I didn't realize it. I didn't play Kb1 on move 11, because if I had, there would have been no good escape square for my bishop after …Nc4. I would have been forced to either take the bishop on b6 or retreat to g1 and leave the c1-h6 attacking diagonal. Most importantly, the move Kb1 hadn't even entered my calculations before move 12 because I wasn't considering the move Ne5 followed by Nc4.

12. Kb1? Nc4?

Here, Stockfish said that Black should have played Bc4! and been winning either the f3 pawn and gaining the initiative (if 13. Qe1) or winning the queen and two pawns for 3 minor pieces (if 13. Qf2). However, after Nc4, I played Bc1 just as I had planned never realizing my mistake until after the game. I wanted to point out this line in case it is of value to someone else. I also would like to request a video covering the move …Be6 in the …Bc5 lines if it doesn't already exist (again, I am still in the process of watching the full Scotch course). I will share the remainder of my game as it turned out to be quite a nice game other than the minor mishap!

13. Bc1 Ne5

14. h3 Bc4 { h3 was preparing to play g5 followed by f4 }

15. Qg2 Ba6?

16. Bxa6 bxa6

17. g5 Ngd7

18. f4 Nc4

19. Nd5 Ne3?? { That was of course the blunder that ended the game }

20. Nxe7+ Black Resigned

I want to add that I am extremely pleased with the Scotch course! I have never felt like I had more of an understanding of how to play any opening since I've been playing chess. I am going to continue and finish the full course. I am optimistic and excited by the prospect of finally having an opening repertoire. I think that's been my biggest overall weakness in both classical and blitz. Thank you for being so thorough with the opening courses!

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I want to correct one sentence, but I've already edited once so I can't update it. Please change this sentence:

“I didn't play Kb1 on move 11, because if I had, there would have been no good escape square for my bishop after …Nc4.”

to

"I didn't play h3 on move 12, because if I had, there would have been no good escape square for my bishop after …Nc4.”

Dear Joel,

10.f3 is perfectly good. 11.Kb1 is a nice move taking king to safety, and we play this move many times in many variations, but we analyzed with GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan's a similar position without the Qe7 but Ne5 played one move earlier, and he said to me that it would be interesting to play 11.Qd2 with the idea to play 12.Be2 and try to play g4 later. The bishop on e2 is already protecting the pawn on f3! Don't go g4 so fast in these positions. 😀

Scotch Game 4...Qh4 Line

Hello Again!

I am writing hoping that my comment will be helpful to some who are struggling with the 4 …Qh4 line in the Scotch Game. I personally am not a big fan of the Nc3 line followed by getting my pawns doubled and the complicated game that arises thereafter. Perhaps it's because I am not a master, but until watching the advanced course, I have been playing 5. Nb5.

When GM Avetik changed to recommending the Nc3 line due to Black's Bc5 and Nd4 moves, I was disappointed. However, I want to point out the move that I am going to try for a while so that I can keep playing the Nb5 line.

After the line:

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Qh4
5. Nb5 Bc5
6. Qf3 Nd4

Here I am going to try the move Nxc7+. The continuation is as follows:

7. Nxc7+ Kd8

8. Qf4 Nxc2+

9. Ke1 Qxf4

10. Bxf4 Nxh1

11. Nxh8

This to me seems to be easier to play. White is not down an pawn and has only 2 pawn islands compared to Black's 3. Further, Black has the isolated pawn in the endgame which is a target for White. If there is a serious issue that I'm not considering, please let me know. But I like this line better than the 5. Nc3 line.

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Labourdonnais Variation

I was aiming to play the French attack and ran into the Labourdonnais Variation. Any thoughts on the best way forward? Since Carlsen recently played it (July 4, 2023), perhaps it deserves a closer look.

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After f4, which is not a good move so soon, we can go d5 as per the program. I like d4 against e5 instead of the more usual c5. And against Nf3, dxe4, Nxe4 and c5 with very interesting play Sicilian style.

With Blackmood Opening against Bird 1.f4

a)How do we play after 1.f4, e6 2.Nf3, f5, if White continues with 3.g3?

This seems to prevent our Nf6/b6/Bb7/d6 set-up (White is first on the long diagonal), or do we want to continue with 3…b6 right away, e.g. 3.g3, b6 4.Bg2, Bb7 5.O-O, Nf6 6.d3, but even then we cannot really continue with our set-up 6…d6 !?

b)And how do we play after 3.d4, Nf6 if White does not continue with 4.c4, but with 4.e3? We can again play 4…b6 5.Be2, Bb7, but after 6.O-O we again cannot really continue with our usual set-up 6…d6 !?

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Odysseus, maybe you could ask GM Avetik as the “Master” of Blackmood Openings for his thoughts on how to play as Black in these 2 variations - thanks!! 

Hi Didi,

Just in case this is not that concrete and so many options are playable. 

Answer to question a) Yes, looks like b6-bb7 will be possible - depending on the opponent's moves you will continue the development. 
You can play Qe7 prior to d6 in order to protect the e6 pawn in advance.

Answer to question b) if white goes with this d4 setup their light squares are super weak anyways and you can continue the development trying to extract max positional values out of that. It's impossible to cover all white replies and GM Avetik just gives positional insights on how to play that structures.

Doubt in Sicilian Line

Hi ChessMood,

I was going through this line- e4,c5,nf3,g6,bc4,bg7,0-0, e6,c3,ne7,d4,cxd4,cxd4,d5,exd5 and I was wondering why the engine suggested exd5, giving us the IQP as well, whereas I thought nxd5 would be better as we don't have the IQP? Also is there a specific reason why you recommend the accelerated dragon in the black mood openings instead of hyper- accelerated because isn't the hyper accelerated just a cheat opening to escape the theory of the rossolimo and later transpose into the accelerated? 

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CM recommends the acc. dragon (allowing the Rossolimo with 3.Bb5) and not the hyper acc. dragon (2…g6), as White then would have at least 2 good lines playing either 3.d4, cxd4 4.Qxd4 +=, or 3.c3, which is also good for White and a difficult variation for Black, as Black has already played g6.

Dear Chess Player, 

The line you mentioned is not in our openings, and usually we don't analyze the other lines here. You are very much welcome to ask questions from our lines, although very deep engine analyses are not appreciated. Even though our variations are clear, often we try to make good practical choices and offer easier positions to play.

As an exception, I would tell to you that in your mentioned variation instead of c3 white can get an advantage with the d4 move which opens the position. Since Black has played g6 their bishop will go to g7 and square on d6 would be pretty weak.

Good luck 😀

The most underrated question...

Hi Chessmood team! 

Recently I have noticed that I am thinking in a scatter-brain way and hence taking a lot of time and then of course blundering in time trouble

So the question from the above observation is : How do GMs like Avetik sir and Gabuzyan sir think from any given position (both positional and complex) in a 90 min classical tournament game ? It would help more if you could write the time taken for each step . Kindly recommend me some books on this topic too.

Always appreciate the effort made for us members! Super excited for the upcoming courses!

Regards

Vedant

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