20 Sep 08
2 edits
Originally posted by tomtom232tomtom, please forgive my ignorance i am a noob, for sure, how can you have a half move? is it some measurement of how many moves the computer will look ahead in all branches of a variation? as for that game, it took me about ten zillion tries to find some sequence of moves that it did not like and that was only through trial and error and remembering the sequence, it was memory, not chess, even then i had to lose a pawn for some strange reason. i really want to know how to play against computers, its my ambition. i had read somewhere that Yasser Seirawan had made this into an art form although i cannot find any resources. all i have gleaned is try to get it out of its, 'book moves', then it will have to try to 'think', for itself, like a computer can think,??? play therefore unorthodox openings.
1 ply = 1 half-move
It didn't seem like you had any trouble punishing it in that game.
20 Sep 08
Originally posted by robbie carrobieA full move would be 1.e4 e5 or two ply a half move would be 1.e4 or one ply.
tomtom, please forgive my ignorance i am a noob, for sure, how can you have a half move? is it some measurement of how many moves the computer will look ahead in all branches of a variation? as for that game, it took me about ten zillion tries to find some sequence of moves that it did not like and that was only through trial and error and remember ...[text shortened]... ry to 'think', for itself, like a computer can think,??? play therefore unorthodox openings.
The only thing I can think of is to play positionally and keep away from tactics... The only time to enter into tactical land is if you see a promising sac because, like I said, engines are greedy.
20 Sep 08
I know nothing about Bangiev's "square strategy", but his recommendation on one of his DVD's (which I learned about from Robbie) of playing 1...g6, 2...Bg7 and 3...c5 against virtually any White opening is quite interesting and I have scored well with it in blitz games. (I don't have the DVD, but I've played the Modern Defense for some time, so I know many of the motifs that arise out of that opening.)
BTW, wasn't this thread about the French Defense a few days ago?
20 Sep 08
Originally posted by gaychessplayerThreads that go longer than about twenty posts usually turn to randomness.
I know nothing about Bangiev's "square strategy", but his recommendation on one of his DVD's (which I learned about from Robbie) of playing 1...g6, 2...Bg7 and 3...c5 against virtually any White opening is quite interesting and I have scored well with it in blitz games. (I don't have the DVD, but I've played the Modern Defense for some time, so I kno ...[text shortened]... out of that opening.)
BTW, wasn't this thread about the French Defense a few days ago?
20 Sep 08
6 edits
Originally posted by gaychessplayerhi, gaychessplayer, i know, judging from your posts that you are quite an experienced player and obviously an avid reader, therefore i ask you what in fact is the modern defense? i have done a little research and find that it does indeed begin with 1...g6 and bishop 2...Bg7, however after this there seem to be varied and twisted roads, for example 3...d6, or 3...c5, or even in one Mamedyarov game that i was following ...c6. it seems that it very much lends itself to any type of hybrid and in many instances even lead to a kings indian, a scicilian and even a fianchettoed French. its awesome, i love it when white takes the center and finds that if he wants to keep he had better fight for it. i reproduce the Mamedyarov game for your enjoyment, regards Robert.
I know nothing about Bangiev's "square strategy", but his recommendation on one of his DVD's (which I learned about from Robbie) of playing 1...g6, 2...Bg7 and 3...c5 against virtually any White opening is quite interesting and I have scored well with it in blitz games. (I don't have the DVD, but I've played the Modern Defense for some time, so I kno ...[text shortened]... out of that opening.)
BTW, wasn't this thread about the French Defense a few days ago?
and i am almost sure that one of the other posts that Paul posted had a Fischer game with 1...g6, 2...Bg7 and our favorite move 3...c5 and rather interestingly I.M. Andrew Martin states that its is an excellent choice to play against people who will try to blow you off the board due to its provocative nature, they overextend and get hit, which is probably why its good for blitz.
21 Sep 08
Originally posted by robbie carrobieGenerally, the Modern Defense occurs when Black plays 1...g6 and 2...Bg7 but does not play ...Nf6 in the opening.
What in fact is the modern defense?
For example, after 1 e4 g6 2 d4 Bg7 3 Nc3 d6 4 f4, Black could transpose into a Pirc Defense with 4...Nf6, or stay in Modern territory with moves like 4...a6, 4...c6, or 4...Nc6.
Another example: After 1 d4 g6 2 c4 Bg7 3 Nc3, if Black plays 3...Nf6 the game transposes into the highly popular King's Indian Defense. A move like 3...c5 would at least temporarily keep the game a Modern Defense. Black can usually transpose into a Benoni, King's Indian or Pirc structure whenver he wants. An advantage of the Modern Defense move order is that Black can avoid certain lines of the Pirc or King's Indian Defense that s/he doesn't like playing against by delaying ...Nf6.
21 Sep 08
Originally posted by gaychessplayerYes ... The Modern is 1. ... g6. One of the early true masters of the opening was Canadian GM Duncan Suttles. He is a GM in both over the board and correspondence chess, which is a rare feat. He played 1. ... g6 vs just about any opening in almost every single game as black. There is nothing wrong with the Modern, but mastery of it (like he did) is very hard. You have to know when to make the necessary pawn breaks ( e5 or c5) and when to just wiggle around and wait for a mistake. As gaychessplayer said Nf6 sooner or later transposes to the Pirc or King's Indian Defense. Theoretically after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4 Nf6 (transposing to the Pirc Austrian) is the only real equailizing move. 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 is known as the Averbakh system. Normal is 3. ... d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 or something of that nature. 3. ... c5 is really an attempt at a Benoni structure. 4. dxc5 Bxc3+ is known as the Dzindi Indian (or beefeater) Defense. 5. bxc3 f5 is the idea. Black has to play carefully with all the weaknesses but does have the doubled pawn complex to work on. John Speelman says he has played this with success but generally distrusts it. The name Modern Defense for this system was coined by Raymond Keene, perhaps in his classic book on the opening. It has also been called the Rat. I will now include a very dynamic fighting game betweeen Duncan Suttles on the black side vs Pal Benko. ... Next Post
Generally, the Modern Defense occurs when Black plays 1...g6 and 2...Bg7 but does not play ...Nf6 in the opening.
For example, after 1 e4 g6 2 d4 Bg7 3 Nc3 d6 4 f4, Black could transpose into a Pirc Defense with 4...Nf6, or stay in Modern territory with moves like 4...a6, 4...c6, or 4...Nc6.
Another example: After 1 d4 g6 2 c4 Bg7 3 ...[text shortened]... the Pirc or King's Indian Defense that s/he doesn't like playing against by delaying ...Nf6.
24 Sep 08
2 edits
Originally posted by gaychessplayeri would really like this book but i have promised Paul that i will buy nor read anymore chess books. Bangiev has infact a repertoire for black based on this system, although he advocates 3...c5, however to my detriment i was playing on another site and i dunno, after black exchanges the c pawn for whites d pawn and advances his own e pawn to e5 it creates a hole on d5 which white can exploit to his advantage, which is what happened. 🙁, but (between you and i, i just purchased it from Amazon, should arrive from the states within one or two weeks.)
One of my favorite chess books is Winning with the Modern by GM David Norwood. For about a decade or so he played 1...g6 in virtually all of his games as Black. (He may have played it in every game as Black during that time span.)
25 Sep 08
Go for it Robbie. You can buy whatever you want. I won't say another word about it. 🙂 It's really a Caro-Kann in the Modern book. 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4 d5. The idea is a to put all the pawns on white squares, play Bg4 xf3, and block the position. Then Bf8 and c5 comes in. It's not really a conventional Modern. Soltis wrote Black to Play And Win With 1. ... g6 at about the same time. It includes the same system as the Winning With The Modern book.
Nd7 Qb6 Bf8 and c5 to follow. It's a rather straightforward system.
I have the Modern Defense by Keene, Black To Play And Win With 1. ... g6 by Soltis, Winning With The Modern by Norwood, and a few books on the Pirc (The best being Pirc Alert which actually discusses structures and covers the Modern.) None of them really give the correct feel for the system in my opinion. That's why I said Suttles was the way to go. 🙂
I bought all of those books, played the Modern for a while, and gave it up. It's really hard to dazzle or outplay an opponent from that locked pawn structure with c6 and d5. There is even a forced draw in the Modern vs 1. d4 line Soltis recommends. Black "wins" a pawn and gets his queen perpetually attacked to 3 fold repetition.
03 Oct 08
Originally posted by passedpawn22Right now 3.Nc3 seems to be in vogue, but there is nothing wrong with 3.Nd2 or 3.e5. It has to do with the kind of game you're trying to obtain. If you want to put maximum pressure on Black you should play 3.Nc3, inviting a Winawer, Rubinstein, or Classical. If you're more akin to a positional and maneuvering game, then the Tarrasch might be a better choice for you.
Two variations interest me against the French as white: The advance variation (3.e5) and the KIA (2.d3 d5 3.Nd2) or (2.Nd2, but I believe this is the Tarrasch variation). Anybody have thoughts or experience with these 2 or 3 variations? I haven't faced the french often but would like to be prepared for it.
Thanks!
I don't believe that White gets much of a realistic chance for the full point against a decent opponent with the Advance var, but if you know it well and it's what you're comfortable playing, it could be your best choice.