Chess school d2 d4 read. Closed openings in chess. Queen's Gambit Declined

At tournaments they often play d4 against Olesya, to which she responds with d5. Today coach Oleg Kislitsyn tells Olesya how to correctly build black defense against d4 .

It is difficult for White to organize pressure on the d5 pawn. The result is a closed position.

2. c2-c4 c7-c6

On the move c4 you should never move your knight to f6 , because after this White will kill cd, Black will kill Nd5. And White captures the center with e4 - completely free of charge. The black knight goes to f6, “giving up” the center.

On the move c4, the d5 pawn needs to be supported by the e6 pawn or the c6 pawn.

3. Kb1-c3 Ng8-f6

When White moves his knight to c3, he cannot move the bishop to f5 , otherwise black will have problems. First you need to move your knight to f6.

On the diagram, moves No. 1-3 in style Slavic defense .

If White moves to e4, Black will move to b5 and strengthen the doubled pawn.

4.Ng1-f3 e7-e6 or Bf5.

When moving the bishop to f5, you need to be careful, because if the queen moves to b3, it will be dangerous.

Many modern chess players playing the Slavic defense strive to make such a position in order to subsequently win the c4 pawn.

Hunting for pawn c4

Slavic formations are very treacherous for whites and many are afraid of building a Slavic defense.

Good day to you, dear friend!

Which chess player was the first to think of making the first move other than e2-e4 is not known for certain. People, like no other creature living on earth, love to look for new ways and create problems for themselves and others. Chess players are no exception. This is probably how closed openings appeared in chess.

What are closed openings?

The understanding of which openings to call closed has changed several times in the history of chess.

At first, closed openings were everything that was played differently than 1.e2-e4 e7-e5

Then all the openings that arise during the first move for White d2-d4.

The theory of openings does not stand still. As it grows, new variants arise that are literally screaming to be given a more or less memorable name.

This is how the Indian Defense, the King's Indian Defense, the Nimzowitsch Defense, the Dutch Defense and some others appeared, in which Black on 1.d4 makes a different move than 1…d7-d5.

Today such openings are called semi-closed. And openings that begin with the first move 1.d2-d4 d7-d5 are called closed.

Although in some sources, perhaps, you will come across an old classification. However, by and large, this question is not so fundamental, in my opinion. As my grandmother used to say: “Call it a pot, just don’t put it in the stove.”

Review of closed openings

1.Queen's Gambit

The Queen's Gambit is classified into several openings.

1.1.Queen's Gambit Declined

Black avoids taking the c4 pawn. Queen Refused has a reputation as a quite reliable opening. There may be some passiveness at first, but if Black manages to repel White's attempts to gain an advantage, he can count on seizing the initiative.

1.1.1.Orthodox defense

The orthodox defense is well studied. Has a reputation for being quite reliable for Black, although somewhat passive

1.1.2.Tarrasch Defense

The idea of the Tarrasch Defense is active piece play instead of isolating the pawn on d5, which appears in many variations. The Tarrasch Defense went through different times, but after another “disgrace” it was revived in the games of leading grandmasters, firing unexpectedly, like a jack-in-the-box.

1.1.3. Yanovsky's defense

The idea of the Yanovsky defense is to carry out a two-move d5:c4 and b7-b5, developing the light-squared bishop on b7 at a tempo. However, White has enough choice to thwart Black's plans. For example 4.с4:d5.

1.2.Queen's Gambit Accepted

Black takes the pawn on c4. But not to hold her back. Clinging to a pawn with tenacity worthy of better use can quickly lead to fiasco:

In accepted queen move, Black returns the c4 pawn, trying to complete the development faster and put pressure on White's center. Moreover, sometimes they themselves sacrifice a pawn.

Example batch:

Fogelman – Bronstein 0:1

Now an example of a White victory:

Alekhine-Bek 1:0

2. Catalan beginning

“Catalanka” is an independent debut. It can occur by rearranging moves from many other openings.

By fiancheting the king's bishop, White puts pressure on Black's queenside, making it difficult for the pieces to develop. In addition, the bishop g2 can successfully support a program break in the center with the move e4.

3.Slavic defense

The idea of Slavic defense is similar to the Karo-Kann defense. Black leaves a free diagonal for the light-squared bishop to exit.

In addition, the move c6 strengthens the center and creates the preconditions for an attack on the queenside with the move b7-b5, and, if possible, to hold the c4 pawn.

Example batch:

Fokin – Suetin 0:1

The Slavic Defense is a strong and at the same time tactically interesting opening with an excellent reputation.

4.Debut of Queen's Pawns

White refuses the move 2.с4 in favor of the moves 2. Bg5, Nf3, Bf4 and some others. Sometimes White makes the move c2-c4 a little later. Positions of different nature arise. So to speak, “not for everyone.”

5.Albin's Counter Gambit

We discussed this interesting method of counterplay in the article

6.Chigorin's defense

Chigorin's idea of defense is figure play and pressure on the center. Leads to sharp positions in many variations. In most of them, according to modern opening theory, White has the advantage.

Example batch:

Teichman - Chigorin 0:1

Should I play closed openings?

“I don’t want to play the French defense. How can White win there? I just can’t consistently get an advantage in this opening. It's about the same with the Spanish party. What else to play in response to 1... e7-e5 besides the Spanish one?”

The leap into the unknown ended with a complete transition to closed openings. As they say, the main thing is to get into a fight, and then we’ll see. I won't say that I'm a big fan of this phrase, but there is some truth in it.

I will repeat my thought once again: in chess it is important to test different openings. Even those that at first seem unfamiliar and incomprehensible. Only in a practical game will you be able to understand whether it is for you or not.

This does not mean that you need to try every opening known in theory. But I highly recommend the main, most popular and well-developed ones. This way your opening preparation will be more balanced.

Later, as you grow, you will make conscious choices in favor of one opening or another. Already taking into account your opponent and the connection of the opening with the middlegame and endgame.

Thank you for your interest in the article.

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Today we will look at the 14 most important openings that every chess player must know. Many of these openings are actively used by the most famous masters in their games. However, this does not mean that you have to be Kasparov to play the Queen's Gambit, or Kramnik to use the Catalan Opening. With the help of our material, you will be able to play the opening well, regardless of your current level.

King's Indian Defense remains one of the main weapons against 1.d4, when playing to win. This popular defense has had its ups and downs throughout modern practice. This opening was very popular in the 50s, thanks to players such as Bronstein, Geller, Gligoric, whose games gave a big impetus to the development of the theory of the King's Indian Defense.

Before we begin the presentation, we will cover a basic comprehension question for this article: “ What is the Carlsbad Pawn Structure?».

This concept refers to the pawn structure resulting from the Exchange Variation in the Queen's Gambit, which was first encountered in 1923 in Carlsbad. In the following diagram, we see this pawn structure:

Volzhsky Gambit, also known as the Benko Gambit, one of the most popular choices against 1.d4 in modern practice. This opening gives Black the opportunity to impose a strategic fight mixed with tactical techniques, which gives good results. Although this gambit has never been the main weapon at the top level, such famous chess players as Veselin Topalov, Alexei Shirov, Mikhail Adams and Evgeniy Bareev often used it, showing very interesting and double-edged swords.

Caro-Kann, as is known, is a solid defense against 1. e4. Over the years, she has developed a reputation as a passive starter whose goal is to fight for a draw. And this is not far from the truth!

Tip: To improve your game, you need to not only study the opening, but also focus on positional understanding and endgame play. If you want to play endings well, I suggest checking out where we study a lot of common endings. After studying these materials, you will no longer have to guess about the winning approach. You will simply apply a refined technique:

« English Beginning" - a solid debut for White. Usually the game is reduced to a closed type, with minimal exchanges. From the very beginning the game becomes tense and there are not many forced options for each side. In his prime, Garry Kasparov quite often used the English principle, in which he achieved remarkable victories. He made a significant contribution to the development of the opening theory of this opening.

Berlin Defense V Spanish Party has become part of the main weapon for Black today. Berlin has a reputation for being boring and a draw for Black. However, everything changed when Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik used it against Garry Kasparov in the World Championship match.

In recent years, the popularity of the move 1…e5 has increased significantly. For a long time, this answer to the move 1. e4 was considered less ambitious compared to the Sicilian Defense. However, times have changed, and now 1…e5 perceived differently.

The Dragon Variation is one of the most difficult openings in Sicilian defense. As a rule, those who play the “Dragon” are very well prepared. The goal of these chess players is to lure their opponent into sharp positions full of tactical traps. It is also worth noting that the Yugoslav attack ( Be3, f3, Qd2 etc.) today the main weapon against Blacks.

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Today we will look at how to fight against the Najdorf Variation. This opening is most common after the moves 1. e4 c5. For White, I will offer well-known and successful ideas that will help defeat Najdorf, without any difficult options or the risk of losing the game.

The Grand Prix variation against the Sicilian Defense is one of those openings that are studied once and then only practical application.

For every chess player who plays 1. e4, Scandinavian defense has always been unpleasant debut. Not because it is so dangerous for White, but because the main lines in which White gains a theoretical advantage are quite complex And difficult to remember. This defense is rarely seen in practice, making it even more difficult to use existing theory against it.

By revising closed variation against the Sicilian Defense, one cannot fail to mention ex-Champions Vasily Smyslov and Boris Spassky. Each had their own playing style and contributed greatly to the opening theory of this variation.

Today Catalan beginning- one of the Whites' main weapons against Queen's Gambit Declined. This opening has become popular thanks to the efforts of players such as Kramnik and Gelfand, who use it frequently and with great success.

The Slavic Defense is considered one of the three best openings for Black against 1.d4. After the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 White must know not only the main line with 4...dxc4, but also 4...e6- semi-Slavic continuations. The number of options in these continuations is quite large and a chess player does not always have enough patience and time to study them.

Note: If you are aiming for sharp increase in chess level, then it is necessary to systematically work on all elements of the game:

Tactics
Positional play
Attack Skills
Endgame technique
Classic Games Analysis
Psychological preparation
And much more

At first glance, it seems like there is a lot of work to be done. But thanks to our training course Your training will be easy, efficiently and with minimal time. Join the "" training program right now!