Coaching help with a private email game

[rpdatchessnia]

Hi,

 

I would like some chess coaching with an email game I am playing.Is this possible?

The game moves so far are:

1 e4 d5

2 exd5 Nf6

3 Bc4 Nbd7 [scandinavian B01]

4. Nc3 Nb6

5. Bb3 a5

 

I am White and would like advice on what my next best move is and how I decide on that.

I have so far taken advice from my Fritz & internet databases on what moves to play so far.

However now 5...a5 is not in these game databases, so I have no games to compare with &

have to make my own decision (I do not want to use an engine for this, but to try to reason

the best move out with chess principles only as if I was playing OTB).

 

I think 6.Nf3 seems fine (developing the knight) but wonder whether I need to move the a pawn

in response to 5...a5 (what is black possibly trying to do with this a pawn move?).

 

I would appreciate any help and advise anyone can offer to me with coaching for this game.

If anyone is able & willing to advise and coach me through this game I would be very grateful.

Of course I hope this will be possible and am happy for any replies/advice.

I have just registered at this site which looks very good and I am keen to use it's resources to help my chess improve (& if I can help anyone similarly I will try!).

 

Thanks

[Javier]

I guess you don't want other people to actually play this game for you and if you have the computer's advice, chances are you will not make a tactical mistake, so I understand that you're only asking for "abstract" advice on how to find better moves for this game?

 

 

If you follow Cecil's Purdy's advice ("ask yourself what your opponent is threatening after each one of his moves") I'm pretty sure you can see black's threat from this position

As for the best move, there's not such a thing as the "perfect move" in most positions. It's a bit like asking which is better, 1.e4 or 1.d4.

Of course, whenever there's a threat you have to do something about it and then you need to have a plan, follow your style, etc.

 

We do not provide move by move assistance here, it's unethical. you should think by yourself and play your own game and try to learn from it. I'm sure a victory will taste much better that way.

[rpdatchessnia]

Hi Javier,

 

Thanks for your reply to my game query. The board graphic is neat & helpful.

 

I can see the white d5 pawn is attacked x3 and defended only x2.

Sadly, even though you think I can see the point of 5....a5 I still do not know what this is threatening!

Could you please explain the point of 5....a5 directly for me?

 

As I also said, I felt 6.Nf3 was a reasonable move.

If though I play 6.Qf3 then this will defend the d5 pawn but gets the Queen out early before

developing the minor pieces.

Also I could play Ba4+ and then either a. swop off the light square bishop for the knight at b6(recapturing it with my knight at c3) or

b.swop off the light square bishop for either blacks light square bishop(c8) or either black knight, when black will probably take back with the queen and the d5 pawn will remain threatened.

Can you clarify this a little more here for me please?

 

I feel from any game position there are many alternative move choices and many do depend on personal style,

but how do I learn which ones put most pressure on my opponent, which is the personal style I would like to play with!

 

Many thanks and best wishes again to you & for this fine website that gives help to all learning to improve their chess games.

[Javier]

Ok, if you're just taking your first steps in chess, forget about putting pressure on your opponent: you have other priorities!

In other words, you should be more than happy if you actually manage to see your opponent's threats and intentions.

What you've said about your opponent being able to take on d5 is true: you only have 2 pieces defending it and your opponent has 3 attacking it. But don't forget that he could have taken your pawn on d5 inmediately, but he hasn't...

 

Have you actually followed Purdy's advice? did you find out why your opponent has played ...a5?

I'll give you a tip: the principle of "inertia" also applies to chess pieces, but particularly to pawns. If a pawn advances, chances are your opponent will want to keep advancing it. What will happen then? these are the questions which you have to answer...

 

Btw, welcome to chessnia's site!

 

Tip: Do not use the "quote" feature if the message you're replying to is immediately above.

[rpdatchessnia]

Javier,

 

Thanks for your last & prompt return reply.

I now see what threat you were alerting me to- if black pushes the a5 pawn to a4 I will lose the bishop, as it has no safe escape square to go to.

That prompts me to consider the opponents direct & immediate threats and then to consider what threats could occur some moves later (I may call these static & dynamic threats). Is this what Cecil Purdy was advising? Where do I find out about Cecil Purdy's advice? (who is/was Cecil Purdy?) I will do an internet search for this!

 

Thanks for your advice with this game & welcome to the site. I am going to look at some of the games on the free download page & try to learn from them. I have also downloaded the email book & it is good, but I need to look at all of it. There is a lot of good material here to help to play chess better, and it will take a while to study it.

 

I hope your games and chess plans are going well. Here is a link to the junior club I help at www.buryknightschess.org.uk

 

My son (u12) plays there & enjoys chess & I am trying to keep up with him!

We have several good coaches there (& this is a game I am playing against one of them!).

 

If I get any more questions or problems I may mail you again!

I am sure you are a good chess coach and again thank you for your help, and goodluck with your coaching & playing.

[Javier]

That's ok.

 

Cecil Purdy was the first World Correspondence Chess Champion. He was also the best Australian player for several decades and he wrote several books for beginners and intermediate players, explaining his methods.

I'm glad that you have identified the threat, but if it took you a while to see that ...a4 was coming, forget long term threats and concentrate on elementary tactics, that's your priority.

 

Thanks for your kind words. I'm going to add the link you have provided to our links section (you can find it in the country specific section, UK)

 

Feel free to use this forum at any time and I hope you can challenge your son in equal terms sometime in the future.