How to coordinate white dark-squared bishop with other pieces in e3-d4 pawn formations?

xth25k8rrx6l1trl

This bishop especially makes me sick in QGA-like positions with exchanged c and d pawns. Where to put it, and what job should it do?
On d2 it supports your a-b minority attack, but your d4 pawn get pinned, and you often need a heavy piece to babysit this bishop. Also, when you successfully open up queenside, opponent can get counterattacking chances by winning a tempo against this bishop with 2nd rank infiltration.
On b2 it stares at the d4 pawn that you rarely push and against black g7 bishop d4 pawn get pined too. And it blocks your rook from supporting a b-pawn push.
if I want to play e4 to "free" it up, why did I play e3 in the first place? And with light-squared bishop on g2, why block it with e4?
Any of the placements creates more problems than solutions

Maybe some famous guy played a lot of positions like that and there their annotated games somewhere, so I could extract the knowledge that way?

This bishop especially makes me sick in QGA-like positions with exchanged c and d pawns. Where to put it, and what job should it do? On d2 it supports your a-b minority attack, but your d4 pawn get pinned, and you often need a heavy piece to babysit this bishop. Also, when you successfully open up queenside, opponent can get counterattacking chances by winning a tempo against this bishop with 2nd rank infiltration. On b2 it stares at the d4 pawn that you rarely push and against black g7 bishop d4 pawn get pined too. And it blocks your rook from supporting a b-pawn push. if I want to play e4 to "free" it up, why did I play e3 in the first place? And with light-squared bishop on g2, why block it with e4? Any of the placements creates more problems than solutions Maybe some famous guy played a lot of positions like that and there their annotated games somewhere, so I could extract the knowledge that way?

AsDaGo

The bottom line is, though 3. e3 is a perfectly fine move, your dark-squared bishop may be less active in some lines (or you'll get an isolated pawn, e.g. 3. e3 e5 4. Bxc4 exd4). If you'd like to avoid that, I would recommend trying a different move like 3. e4 or 3. Nf3. In the 3. Nf3 line, after 3...Nf6, White's main move is 4. e3 anyway, so I would recommend you try 3. e4 instead.

I assume you're talking about 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3. Maybe you would prefer to play 3. Nf3 or 3. e4 instead. 3. Nf3 is the main move in the masters database (though surprisingly rare in the Lichess database), but I actually prefer to play 3. e4 myself. The reason to play 3. Nf3 is to stop 3...e5, after which taking is not good since White loses castling rights after the queen trade and is a bit over extended (e.g., 3. e4 e5 4. dxe5?! Qxd1+). However, after 3. e4 e5, you don't have to take and can play 4. Nf3, and if 4...exd4, then 5. Bxc4. If they try to defend with 5...c5, then 6. Ne5 is strong, because after 6...Be6 7. Bxe6 fxe6, there is 8. Qh5+ g6, and then you can play 9. Nxg6, but actually 9. Qh3 is even stronger. The bottom line is, though 3. e3 is a perfectly fine move, your dark-squared bishop may be less active in some lines (or you'll get an isolated pawn, e.g. 3. e3 e5 4. Bxc4 exd4). If you'd like to avoid that, I would recommend trying a different move like 3. e4 or 3. Nf3. In the 3. Nf3 line, after 3...Nf6, White's main move is 4. e3 anyway, so I would recommend you try 3. e4 instead.

HighlyCruciferous

Whatever you do, don't put it on f4

RemRus edited

Find Colle system (e3-e4-exchange) and Zukertort (b3-c4-Bb2). 2 ways for bishop.

lizani

There are two basic setups
1.Colle
Develop your other pieces, castle and prepare e4. Yes, it's a loss of tempo e3-e4 but you're waiting for the best moment to play it. The games of Colle himself are a good model.
2. Zukertort
Fianchetto the bishop on d2 where it exerts pressure on e5 (a good outpost for the knight). If needed white can prepare d4-d5 to open the diagonal. Take a look at Yusupov's games.

There's a whole opening book 'e3 poison' by Axel Smith on how to play these positions.

There are two basic setups 1.Colle Develop your other pieces, castle and prepare e4. Yes, it's a loss of tempo e3-e4 but you're waiting for the best moment to play it. The games of Colle himself are a good model. 2. Zukertort Fianchetto the bishop on d2 where it exerts pressure on e5 (a good outpost for the knight). If needed white can prepare d4-d5 to open the diagonal. Take a look at Yusupov's games. There's a whole opening book 'e3 poison' by Axel Smith on how to play these positions.

xth25k8rrx6l1trl

@AsDaGo said in #2:

The bottom line is, though 3. e3 is a perfectly fine move, your dark-squared bishop may be less active in some lines (or you'll get an isolated pawn, e.g. 3. e3 e5 4. Bxc4 exd4). If you'd like to avoid that, I would recommend trying a different move like 3. e4 or 3. Nf3. In the 3. Nf3 line, after 3...Nf6, White's main move is 4. e3 anyway, so I would recommend you try 3. e4 instead.
The goal is not to find a line I'm happy with, but to understand why a sound opening is indeed sound. There is something e3 players understand about middlegame that I don't. I need to bridge that gap.

@lizani said in #5:

There are two basic setups
1.Colle
Develop your other pieces, castle and prepare e4. Yes, it's a loss of tempo e3-e4 but you're waiting for the best moment to play it. The games of Colle himself are a good model.
2. Zukertort
Fianchetto the bishop on d2 where it exerts pressure on e5 (a good outpost for the knight). If needed white can prepare d4-d5 to open the diagonal. Take a look at Yusupov's games.

There's a whole opening book 'e3 poison' by Axel Smith on how to play these positions.
Oh, so you don't want to push a-b pawns as fast as possible, like in QGD. You want to open up the center to activate your bishop first or to get an outpost. And what do you usually do with this outpost? Threaten kingside attack to win something on a qeenside?
How do Catalan bishop interact with this e4 push? Should I accept blocking it in exchange for other bishop activity?

@AsDaGo said in #2: > The bottom line is, though 3. e3 is a perfectly fine move, your dark-squared bishop may be less active in some lines (or you'll get an isolated pawn, e.g. 3. e3 e5 4. Bxc4 exd4). If you'd like to avoid that, I would recommend trying a different move like 3. e4 or 3. Nf3. In the 3. Nf3 line, after 3...Nf6, White's main move is 4. e3 anyway, so I would recommend you try 3. e4 instead. The goal is not to find a line I'm happy with, but to understand why a sound opening is indeed sound. There is something e3 players understand about middlegame that I don't. I need to bridge that gap. @lizani said in #5: > There are two basic setups > 1.Colle > Develop your other pieces, castle and prepare e4. Yes, it's a loss of tempo e3-e4 but you're waiting for the best moment to play it. The games of Colle himself are a good model. > 2. Zukertort > Fianchetto the bishop on d2 where it exerts pressure on e5 (a good outpost for the knight). If needed white can prepare d4-d5 to open the diagonal. Take a look at Yusupov's games. > > There's a whole opening book 'e3 poison' by Axel Smith on how to play these positions. Oh, so you don't want to push a-b pawns as fast as possible, like in QGD. You want to open up the center to activate your bishop first or to get an outpost. And what do you usually do with this outpost? Threaten kingside attack to win something on a qeenside? How do Catalan bishop interact with this e4 push? Should I accept blocking it in exchange for other bishop activity?

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