The Catalan
Looking for a very sharp opening with White pieces? FM Viktor Neustroev recommends… Max Lange Attack.
This is a perfect choice for attacking players that will always keep your opponent on their toes.
And if they don’t know the theory the game will lead straight to a HUGE upset!
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Scandinavian Defense: Need a low-theory, and a simple-to-play response to 1.e4?
FM Viktor Neustroev recommends one of the oldest and most well-tested openings… the Scandinavian Defense.
Tactical 1.e4: When it comes to building an Opening Repertoire, it is important to consider the player’s strengths and weaknesses. Many people underperform because their openings don’t match their style. It is easy to imagine a strong positional player getting lost in tactical jungles as well as a strong tactician making no sense in a strategic battle.
Four Knights Game is one of those openings that are popular at both beginner and grandmaster levels. It has solid positional ground and most of the time leads to calm positions.
At the same time, some lines are so sharp that it is not surprising that many strong and creative players favored the Four Knights Game. The list includes Magnus Carlsen, Alexei Shirov, John Nunn, Nigel Short, Wei Yi, and many others.
Max Lange Attack is a dangerous attacking weapon that White has at their disposal in a number of openings. You can reach the same position from six different move orders and we will take a look at those in a moment. The line got its name after Max Lange, a German player, theoretician, and problem composer.
Win with Black Pieces: The player with the White pieces moves first in chess, which gives them a certain advantage. They can choose what direction the game will take and can fight for the initiative from the start. At the beginner level, such an advantage doesn’t matter.
Studying openings is one of the most popular activities among chess players.
It is reasonable: if you are good at openings, you get a head-start for the middlegames or even endgames. The first stage of the game is also the most predictable one. You can cook certain lines or traps at home and then catch your opponents with them.
Sveshnikov Sicilian: The Sicilian is the most popular answer to 1.e4 and is one of the openings we can find at any level, from club players to the very top.
The reason why so many players employ it is it usually arises from unbalanced positions, with good fighting chances for both sides.
It is also an opening that requires knowing a fair amount of theory, so beware of this before you decide to play it.
Here’s a fun fact. Fischer beat Reuben Fine in a friendly game in just 17 moves. Opening used? Evans Gambit.
Fine later said Black’s job gets more difficult in this opening since you can’t play …d6 or give up a pawn to gain equality.
Are you looking for a serious upgrade to your anti-1.d4 repertoire? If you play Queen’s Gambit Declined (QGD) with black pieces I have great news for you.
FM Zaur Tekeyev is here to present a trendy novelty when it comes to QGD!
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