1. Joined
    12 Jul '08
    Moves
    13814
    14 Nov '15 18:21
    I was reading up on 1.b3 again and ran across this.

    1. b2b3 e7e5
    2. c1b2 b8c6
    3. e2e3 g8f6
    4. f1b5 f8d6

    Ilya says that strong players like to support e5 with the bishop then bring the bishop back to e7 to move the pawn.

    It seems to me that this means in the early game development is more important than tempo, which seemed counter intuitive to me since I thought development and tempo went hand in hand. I can see how the developing the bishop both supports the pawn and clears the way for castling. Having to then lose tempo later just seemed a bit odd.
  2. Subscribermoonbus
    Über-Nerd
    Joined
    31 May '12
    Moves
    8144
    14 Nov '15 19:26
    Originally posted by Eladar
    I was reading up on 1.b3 again and ran across this.

    1. b2b3 e7e5
    2. c1b2 b8c6
    3. e2e3 g8f6
    4. f1b5 f8d6

    Ilya says that strong players like to support e5 with the bishop then bring the bishop back to e7 to move the pawn.

    It seems to me that this means in the early game development is more important than tempo, which seemed counter intuitive to ...[text shortened]... he pawn and clears the way for castling. Having to then lose tempo later just seemed a bit odd.
    I wouldn't recommend ... Bd6 in all cases. In this case in particular, White has developed rather slowly himself (b3, Bb2) and this hands Black a free tempo to do with as he pleases.
  3. Standard memberBigDogg
    Secret RHP coder
    on the payroll
    Joined
    26 Nov '04
    Moves
    155080
    14 Nov '15 19:28
    Originally posted by Eladar
    I was reading up on 1.b3 again and ran across this.

    1. b2b3 e7e5
    2. c1b2 b8c6
    3. e2e3 g8f6
    4. f1b5 f8d6

    Ilya says that strong players like to support e5 with the bishop then bring the bishop back to e7 to move the pawn.

    It seems to me that this means in the early game development is more important than tempo, which seemed counter intuitive to ...[text shortened]... he pawn and clears the way for castling. Having to then lose tempo later just seemed a bit odd.
    When you open with b3 and e3, you're giving Black plenty of time to waste some tempi.
  4. Joined
    12 Nov '06
    Moves
    74414
    14 Nov '15 20:40
    Originally posted by Eladar
    I was reading up on 1.b3 again and ran across this.

    1. b2b3 e7e5
    2. c1b2 b8c6
    3. e2e3 g8f6
    4. f1b5 f8d6

    Ilya says that strong players like to support e5 with the bishop then bring the bishop back to e7 to move the pawn.

    It seems to me that this means in the early game development is more important than tempo, which seemed counter intuitive to ...[text shortened]... he pawn and clears the way for castling. Having to then lose tempo later just seemed a bit odd.
    Bd6 doesn't lose a tempo at all. The bishop d6 only gets in the way and will have to move again if white doesn't play Bxc6. If white doesn't play Bxc6 his bishop will have to retreat to e2 eventually. So white has to move his bishop twice as well. This also means that if white wants to avoid this Bxc6 dxc6 variation he needs to keep e2 open for the bishop, so no Ne2 (Which is where the knight usually goes. With f4 in mind).
  5. Joined
    12 Jul '08
    Moves
    13814
    17 Nov '15 23:16
    I've heard the same idea from the Romanlab guy in his dvd about the Qd6 Scandinavian. Moving the queen early is usually bad and moving the queen around so much is usually bad, but white has to waste so many other moves that in the end it really isn't bad for black.

    One side wastes moves so it is ok for the other side to do the same.
  6. Joined
    28 Dec '09
    Moves
    7308
    18 Nov '15 16:57
    Nothing wrong with 1. a3
    Anderssen played it 3 times against Morphy for the world championship, and scored one win, one draw and one loss with it. It's a kind of white playing the black pieces with a3 already played. A waiting move.
  7. Standard memberbyedidia
    Mister Why
    San Carlos, CA
    Joined
    21 Feb '12
    Moves
    6039
    18 Nov '15 21:33
    Originally posted by English Anderssen
    Nothing wrong with 1. a3
    Anderssen played it 3 times against Morphy for the world championship, and scored one win, one draw and one loss with it. It's a kind of white playing the black pieces with a3 already played. A waiting move.
    Call me a pedant, but it was not a world championship match.
  8. Joined
    12 Jul '08
    Moves
    13814
    18 Nov '15 23:31
    According to Ilya, you really shouldn't play a3 because it is good, but because you like it.

    As a weapon, it is much more useful in blitz games where black would be unaccustomed to positions giving an advantage and more likely for black to make mistakes.
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