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Train this openingAbout this opening
White attacks the knight that guards e5, but the threat is not real yet: Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5 runs into Qd4, forking the knight and the pawn on e4, and Black gets the material straight back. The real point is slower. White provokes a6, drops the bishop back to a4 and then c2, and from c2 it stares at the black kingside for the rest of the game. Meanwhile White builds with c3 and d4. a6 is the most played reply here. It asks the bishop to declare itself before you spend a move on anything else, and it gains a tempo you will want later for b5 and c5.
Plans
- Play a6 to question the bishop before you develop further.
- Follow with b5 and c5 to gain queenside space.
- Play Nf6 to hit e4 and keep White honest.
- Castle short, then reroute the knight through c6 to e7 and g6.
Where the pieces belong
- Pawn: a6, asking the bishop to commit
- Knight: f6, attacking e4
- Pawn: b5, gaining time and space on the queenside
- Bishop: e7, modest but safe behind the pawn chain
- Knight: e7 heading for g6, once the center is settled
A long maneuvering game. White presses on the kingside with pieces while you expand on the queenside, and the center stays locked for many moves before either side commits.