What moves could I have played in the opening to improve my position? I wasn't sure what to do after I castled. (Black)
Your 9...h6 is slow. In the final position it makes no difference if the pawn is on h6 or were on h7. You could play 9...g5 right away. The white knight on f3 is tied to defend d4, so he cannot take fxg5 fxg5 Nxg5 cxd4. You threaten 10...g4 with attack on d4.
You could just have taken a central pawn with 13...Bxc5.
Both sides played too fast. This was a 5+3 game and both sides had 4.5 and 5 minutes left at the end, so both played as if it were a bullet game.
You could just have taken a central pawn with 13...Bxc5.
Both sides played too fast. This was a 5+3 game and both sides had 4.5 and 5 minutes left at the end, so both played as if it were a bullet game.
White's 5.f4 wasn't the most accurate move, and your 5...f6 wasn't the best way to combat it. In the French Advance as Black you normally want to be attacking the d4 pawn, and f4 firstly doesn't defend d4 and secondly allows you to get the other knight onto f5 without it being chopped off on h6.
So if you play 5...Qb6 followed by 6...Nh6 (along with cxd4 and Bxa3 if the knight goes to a3) followed by Nf5 then I'm not sure how White even defends his d4 pawn.
So if you play 5...Qb6 followed by 6...Nh6 (along with cxd4 and Bxa3 if the knight goes to a3) followed by Nf5 then I'm not sure how White even defends his d4 pawn.
@FletchMK64 is right and the whole opening is good for black.
However, white can defend his d4 pawn in three ways.
1) Play Bd3 to answer ...Nf5 with Bxf5
2) Play b3 and Bb2
3) after ...cxd4 cxd4 play Nc3 and Ne2
An example
However, white can defend his d4 pawn in three ways.
1) Play Bd3 to answer ...Nf5 with Bxf5
2) Play b3 and Bb2
3) after ...cxd4 cxd4 play Nc3 and Ne2
An example
@tpr #3 you're right of course, that there are ways for White to try to defend d4 - but I don't think any of them are quite good enough.
In particular, I don't think Black should take on d4 and allow Nc3 - he should wait until Na3 before taking on d4, because dxc5 just looks like trouble for White along the a7-g1 diagonal.
Here are a few lines, looking at your suggested plans for hanging on to d4:
In particular, I don't think Black should take on d4 and allow Nc3 - he should wait until Na3 before taking on d4, because dxc5 just looks like trouble for White along the a7-g1 diagonal.
Here are a few lines, looking at your suggested plans for hanging on to d4:
@FletchMK64 you are right of course. However, white can answer ...cxd4 with Nxd4, this enables the bishop d3 to retreat to c2 without being annoyed by Nb4. Example:
I also want to point out that white losing castling rights after b3 Bb2 and ...Bb4+ is not a big deal and happens often in the French advance and in the French in general. In the recent Alpha Zero-Stockfish match Alpha Zero won a nice French Steinitz with its king on e3.
I also want to point out that white losing castling rights after b3 Bb2 and ...Bb4+ is not a big deal and happens often in the French advance and in the French in general. In the recent Alpha Zero-Stockfish match Alpha Zero won a nice French Steinitz with its king on e3.
@tpr of course! :)
Yes, that Nxd4 line is just about playable - but it's still quite good for Black, compared to the standard lines without f4. And Kf`1 isn't a really big deal, but in the line I gave, the bishop is still on f1 so White would have to go Ke2 which I think is much more of a problem!
Anyway, I think we're both agreed that 5.f4 isn't the best plan for White in this opening!
Yes, that Nxd4 line is just about playable - but it's still quite good for Black, compared to the standard lines without f4. And Kf`1 isn't a really big deal, but in the line I gave, the bishop is still on f1 so White would have to go Ke2 which I think is much more of a problem!
Anyway, I think we're both agreed that 5.f4 isn't the best plan for White in this opening!
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