Category Archives: Opening Analysis

Horsham Club Quickplay Knockout 2010-11: Mansson – Forster

I played the final of the Horsham Chess Club quickplay knockout last night against Mike Forster, and I emerged victorious 1.5-0.5.

Posted in Club Quickplay Knockout, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The French Defence, The Sicilian Defence | Leave a comment

1 Nf3 repertoire: The Symmetrical English with 2…Nc6

One of Black’s trickier move orders in the Symmetrical English is 1 Nf3 c5 2 c4 Nc6. Here Black creates the possibility of …e5, hoping to establish a strong position in the centre. White needs to decide how to confront … Continue reading

Posted in 1 Nf3 Repertoire, Opening Analysis, The Caro-Kann Defence, The Symmetrical English | 1 Comment

1 Nf3 repertoire: The Symmetrical English with 2…Nf6 and 3…d5

After 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 Nc3, an important option for Black is 3…d5. This is different to 3…Nc6 4 g3 d5, discussed in the previous post, in a couple of important ways: After 3…d5, White cannot play … Continue reading

Posted in 1 Nf3 Repertoire, Opening Analysis, The Symmetrical English | Leave a comment

1 Nf3 repertoire: The Symmetrical English with 2…Nf6 and 4…d5

One of the features of symmetrical positions is that the same basic moves are possible for each side. However, because one side is a move ahead, the same move does not necessarily have the same value. For instance, in the … Continue reading

Posted in 1 Nf3 Repertoire, Games, Opening Analysis, The Symmetrical English | 1 Comment

Horsham Club Championship 2010-11: Comley – Mansson

Last night I played yet another club championship game, against Ian Comley. I usually manage to win against Ian, although this time he managed to hold out for a draw.

Posted in Club Championship, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Reti Opening | Leave a comment

1 Nf3 repertoire: The Semi-Tarrasch with g3

The position after 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 Nc3 Nc6 4 g3 e6 5 Bg2 d5 6 cxd5 Nxd5 can arise from a number of move orders after 1 Nf3. For instance, Black’s first and second moves can … Continue reading

Posted in 1 Nf3 Repertoire, Opening Analysis, The Semi-Tarrasch Defence | Leave a comment

Horsham Club Championship 2010-11: Mansson – Taylor

Last night I scored an extremely lucky win against Paul Taylor in the Horsham Chess Club Championship. Although early on I had the opportunity to secure a slight advantage, I passed this by, and instead developed my position very ineffectively. … Continue reading

Posted in Club Championship, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Dutch Defence | Leave a comment

1 Nf3 repertoire: The Ultra Symmetrical English

One question in a range of openings is what happens if Black simply copies White’s move? Sometimes, of course, this is not especially good, e.g. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c5 3 cxd5, but sometimes it is (arguably) the strongest … Continue reading

Posted in 1 Nf3 Repertoire, Opening Analysis, The Symmetrical English | 2 Comments

Horsham Club Quickplay Knockout 2010-11: Mansson – Taylor

Following my brief encounter against John Cannon, I took the chance to play my Quickplay Knockout match against Paul Taylor. A couple of complex games saw me progress further.

Posted in Club Quickplay Knockout, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Caro-Kann Defence, The Scotch Game | Leave a comment

Horsham Club Championship 2010-11: Cannon – Mansson

My club championship game against John Cannon last Tuesday was a low key affair, ending in a draw after 23 moves. I had some early chances to put the pressure on White, but didn’t take them. In fact, when the … Continue reading

Posted in Club Championship, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Sicilian Defence | 1 Comment