{"id":1799,"date":"2024-04-01T17:51:05","date_gmt":"2024-04-01T15:51:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skolasachu.com\/?p=1799"},"modified":"2024-04-02T11:55:27","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T09:55:27","slug":"out-of-nowhere-the-middlegame-appeared-it-turned-out-that-neglecting-the-explicit-popularity-loss-is-a-waste-of-time-in-the-opening-as-a-new-trend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skolasachu.com\/en\/kde-se-vzala-tu-se-vzala-stredni-hra-se-ukazala-ze-zahrobi-zapomneni-na-vysluni-popularity-ztrata-casu-v-zahajeni-coby-novy-trend\/","title":{"rendered":"Out of nowhere, the Middlegame appeared. From the abyss of oblivion to the height of popularity. A waste of time in the opening as a new trend?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Performance-level, let alone top-level chess players, of course cannot ignore modern trends in the opening. Today, however, the author does not want to focus on entirely new ideas and variations that appear in practice at various levels and tempos of play, but on attempts to revive entire old openings. True, if it is possible to bring new ideas or concrete improvements into them, then all is well. But even this is not quite our case today. The developmental tendencies of our time are transferring into chess, and so in our beloved game it has begun to apply: \u201eEverything new is just well-forgotten old.\u201c<\/p>\n

Currently basking in the height of popularity is an opening known for decades to be completely harmless \u2013 the middlegame 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4<\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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How to fight against it and still strive with Black for more than just equality? Of course, with a Classic with a capital \u201aC\u2018!<\/p>\n

Knowing three, four, five moves is not enough<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Even as a beginner, I used to replay in the only magazine available to me at the time, the diligently prepared monthly \u010ceskoslovensk\u00fd \u0161ach, a game starting 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. I will never forget the comment on the third move (paraphrased): \u201eSometimes even an innocently looking mushroom can be fiercely poisonous, and so such a bland move can hide a plethora of pitfalls.\u201c If the reader transfers this witty and instructive remark from the early 1970s into the practice of today's Middlegame, they should conclude that if Black plays open games (1...e5) regularly, they must know how to respond. Their knowledge cannot end at the move 3...Nc6 4.Qe3<\/strong> or 4...Nf6 5.Nc3<\/strong>. True, such devilish<\/em> knowledge, which a 12-year-old boy demonstrates in the excerpt from the cult film below, one may not have, but still! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

https:\/\/skolasachu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Damien-znalosti-historie.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

Giving Black developmental tempo on move 3, which Caissa previously gave to White \ud83d\ude42 cannot of course be the right thing, and it is quite clear that from a higher perspective this cannot bring anything good to White. True, White can boast a spatial advantage thanks to the small centre, but that in itself requires care of developed and preferably centralised pieces. Besides, it makes little sense to further philosophise without variations<\/em>, if we can read the words of the most qualified!<\/p>\n

The Middlegame was precisely characterised by Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine. He wrote: \u201eIt is clear that such queen moves in the early stage of the opening can hardly give White any advantage. However, Black must respond precisely so that the opponent does not gain chances to attack on the kingside.\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

Excited videos with bombastic titles<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

I call for myself or somewhat provisionally today the hundreds if not thousands of videos that swarm at an incredible pace mainly on the YouTube platform, dealing with some notoriously known opening. Usually, these are guaranteed winning gambits<\/em>: \u201eThis will win you the game, dear viewers and visitors, without you having to think!\u201c write the authors, if I may exaggerate the statement \u2013 but only slightly. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

But let us return. Recently I watched the following videos, of course again with pompous titles, after watching which a less experienced or trusting chess player has the same feeling as laymen sometimes had in Anderssen\u2019s times: \u201eIt does not matter what the position is, but that White is a magician.\u201c<\/em> Judge for yourself!<\/p>\n