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Train this openingAbout this opening
Black has prepared d5 without blocking it, so the center is about to be contested directly. d4 is the most played move here, and it is the critical one: you take the full center and make Black commit. The structure that follows is the whole opening. If the pawns lock, Black's light-squared bishop is stuck behind its own pawns, and that bishop is Black's main problem for the rest of the game. In return Black attacks your center with c5 and Nc6, and the queenside is where the counterplay comes from. Nf3 and Nc3 are playable, but they let Black off the hook.
Plans
- Play d4 and take the whole center.
- Advance e5 to lock the center and gain space.
- Attack the d5 pawn with Nc3 and Bg5.
- Castle short and play f4 to support the pawn on e5.
Where the pieces belong
- Pawn: e5, the wedge that cramps Black
- Pawn: d4, the base Black attacks with c5
- Knight: c3, adding pressure to d5
- Bishop: d3, aiming at the king once the center locks
- Pawn: f4, holding e5 for the kingside attack
A structural fight. You attack on the kingside where you have more space, and Black hits your center with c5 and pieces. Do not let the base of the chain fall.