Terrific post! Very instructive and I love the dynamic way you write about chess - Sarathi
May I ask exactly how to outplay opponents with bad pieces?
soul of every piece
Interesting to read.
Italian Giuoco Piano
"Why would White be able to claim any kind of advantage at all when Black has no weaknesses, has a share of the center, and has developed pieces?" * according to engines, ICCF correspondence games and e.g. Nepomniachtchi-Carlsen world championship game white has no advantage.
"The reason is simply the knight on c6 - being dominated by the c3-pawn, this knight is the problem piece in many positions of the Italian and Ruy Lopez, which has the same structure." * Most fun is the Breyer 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 O-O Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 O-O 9 h3 Nb8 re-routing said knight to d7. The problem is not the pawn on c3, but the pawn on c7 that cannot fight for the center being blocked by Nc6. Also 7...O-O intending 8...d5 or 5...Nxe4 give white no advantage according to engines and ICCF correspondence.
Najdorf Defence
"Another topical position, in which one of the main reasons for Black not being worse with the backward pawn on d6 and weakness on d5 is the horrible knight on b3, far away from the important squares, and nicely restricted by the d6 and e5 pawns."
* The main reason that the backward pawn on d6 and the hole on d5 are OK for black is that pawn a6 prevents Nb5.
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5 6 Ndb5 d6 is also fine for black despite there being no knight on b3, e.g. Caruana-Carlsen world championship match.
Berlin Defence
"At first glance, it would seem that Black is busted, since the king is stuck in the middle of the board"
* The king in the center is no disadvantage when queens are traded.
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 e5 4 dxe5 dxe5 5 Qxd8+ Kxd8 is fine for black
Italian Giuoco Piano
"Why would White be able to claim any kind of advantage at all when Black has no weaknesses, has a share of the center, and has developed pieces?" * according to engines, ICCF correspondence games and e.g. Nepomniachtchi-Carlsen world championship game white has no advantage.
"The reason is simply the knight on c6 - being dominated by the c3-pawn, this knight is the problem piece in many positions of the Italian and Ruy Lopez, which has the same structure." * Most fun is the Breyer 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 O-O Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 O-O 9 h3 Nb8 re-routing said knight to d7. The problem is not the pawn on c3, but the pawn on c7 that cannot fight for the center being blocked by Nc6. Also 7...O-O intending 8...d5 or 5...Nxe4 give white no advantage according to engines and ICCF correspondence.
Najdorf Defence
"Another topical position, in which one of the main reasons for Black not being worse with the backward pawn on d6 and weakness on d5 is the horrible knight on b3, far away from the important squares, and nicely restricted by the d6 and e5 pawns."
* The main reason that the backward pawn on d6 and the hole on d5 are OK for black is that pawn a6 prevents Nb5.
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5 6 Ndb5 d6 is also fine for black despite there being no knight on b3, e.g. Caruana-Carlsen world championship match.
Berlin Defence
"At first glance, it would seem that Black is busted, since the king is stuck in the middle of the board"
* The king in the center is no disadvantage when queens are traded.
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 e5 4 dxe5 dxe5 5 Qxd8+ Kxd8 is fine for black
Thanks! Great post!