r2qkb1r/pp1b1ppp/2n1pn2/1Bpp4/8/1P2PN2/PBPP1PPP/RN1Q1RK1 w kq - 0 7
I've got a question about this position. From Lichess's Masters database the most commonly played moves for White are d3, Bxc6 and c4. White is basically looking to give up a perfectly good Bishop for no reason I can figure. Stockfish gives d4 as its top move, which makes plenty of sense to me, but I am not a high rated player, so apparently I am missing something.
Can anyone fill me in on why Masters are choosing to give up the light-squared Bishop? I am accustomed to seeing this in the Caro-Kann, which makes sense because in that opening Black tends to place most of their pawns on light squares, but I am just not able to figure out what their thinking might be.
Thanks -
george
I've got a question about this position. From Lichess's Masters database the most commonly played moves for White are d3, Bxc6 and c4. White is basically looking to give up a perfectly good Bishop for no reason I can figure. Stockfish gives d4 as its top move, which makes plenty of sense to me, but I am not a high rated player, so apparently I am missing something.
Can anyone fill me in on why Masters are choosing to give up the light-squared Bishop? I am accustomed to seeing this in the Caro-Kann, which makes sense because in that opening Black tends to place most of their pawns on light squares, but I am just not able to figure out what their thinking might be.
Thanks -
george