Icannos/chess_studies huggingface dataset:
[Event "Picking an opening for your styleğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�: Openings for HMs Part II: Nimzo-Indian"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/2UY1KmMC/FmReocMI"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/GBA87"]
[ECO "E58"]
[Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense, Exchange Line"]
[UTCDate "2018.06.01"]
[UTCTime "13:03:57"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ We already went over the SÃ¤misch Variation (Chapter 18), but the other variations will be covered here } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 ( 4. Qc2 { The Classical Variation. White prevents the doubling of his c-pawns } 4... O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 7. Bg5 Bb7 8. f3 h6 9. Bh4 d5 10. e3 Nbd7 $10 ) ( 4. Nf3 c5 5. e3 ( 5. g3 { The Catalan } ) 5... O-O 6. Bd3 d5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qc7 10. cxd5 exd5 $10 ) 4... O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qc7 $10 *
[Event "Picking an opening for your styleğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�: Openings for HMs Part III: French Defense"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/2UY1KmMC/Ag8kr7sN"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/GBA87"]
[ECO "C19"]
[Opening "French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation"]
[UTCDate "2018.06.01"]
[UTCTime "14:06:19"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 { The advance French is covered in Chapter 18, but here we will cover the other variations. } 3. Nc3 ( 3. Nd2 Nf6 ( 3... c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Ngf3 cxd4 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Nb3 Nc6 9. Nbxd4 ) 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. cxd4 f6 ) 3... Bb4 ( 3... Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 a6 8. Qd2 b5 ) ( 3... dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Nxf6+ Nxf6 7. Bd3 { Is good for White } ) 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 O-O *
[Event "Picking an opening for your styleğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�: Budapest Gambit"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/2UY1KmMC/rfMFs9i0"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/GBA87"]
[ECO "A52"]
[Opening "Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Rubinstein Variation"]
[UTCDate "2018.06.01"]
[UTCTime "13:12:17"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ I have a study on this opening: https://lichess.org/study/2k7K9euu } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 $5 { Sacrificing a pawn in exchange for Positional pressure. It didn't really got in any of the other categories so I put it by itself } 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 { This returns the pawn I exchange for a slight positional edge } ( 6. Nc3 { This hangs on to the pawn but gives Black active pieces and a superior pawn structure. } 6... Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Qe7 8. Qd5 f6 9. exf6 { Fully accepting the gambit } 9... Nxf6 10. Qd3 d6 $13 ) 6... Qe7 7. a3 ( 7. e3 Ngxe5 8. Nxe5 Nxe5 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O ) 7... Ngxe5 $1 8. Nxe5 $1 ( 8. axb4 $4 Nd3# ) 8... Nxe5 9. e3 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 d6 11. Be2 O-O *
[Event "Picking an opening for your styleğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�: Openings for SPs Part I: Caro-Kann"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/2UY1KmMC/l1Sdaqey"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/GBA87"]
[ECO "B19"]
[Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Spassky Variation"]
[UTCDate "2018.06.01"]
[UTCTime "13:19:40"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ I have a study on the Caro-Kann here: https://lichess.org/study/uhHtS3jE } 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 ( 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Nd7 6. O-O ) ( 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 ) 3... dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 Ngf6 *
[Event "Picking an opening for your styleğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�ğŸ‘�: Conclusion"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/2UY1KmMC/z0nWKg2q"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/GBA87"]
[ECO "?"]
[Opening "?"]
[UTCDate "2018.06.01"]
[UTCTime "14:15:16"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Thank you for looking at my study. I hope it has helped you select a opening, and please remember to hit the heart button! } *
[Event "May 2021 Blitz Titled Arena Puzzle Pack: Ohanyan - Sarana"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/6SlE9jHQ/U442D2af"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Emin Ohanyan"]
[Black "Aleksei Sarana"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Lichess"]
[BlackElo "2907"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/2b3p1/2P5/2B3Pp/2P1k3/1p5K/1P6/8 b - - 4 51"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.05.09"]
[UTCTime "23:49:25"]
[Variant "From Position"]
[WhiteElo "2554"]
[WhiteTitle "FM"]

{ These puzzles are taken from games in the May 2021 Lichess Blitz Titled Arena won by Aleksei Sarana. Please hit the heart button if you like what you see.
This position is from Ohanyan - Sarana. Black to play and win. } 51... g6 { The only winning move! With the Kingside now locked up with a protected passed pawn there is nothing to stop the Black king from taking everything on the queenside. Other moves are worse. 51... Kf5 52 g6! is a draw and 51... Kf4 52. g6! actually loses. } *
[Event "May 2021 Blitz Titled Arena Puzzle Pack: Rasulov - Mamedyarov"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/6SlE9jHQ/Z6xJ0VHp"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vugar Rasulov"]
[Black "Shahkryihar Mamedyarov"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Lichess"]
[BlackElo "2887"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "1k1r4/1p3p2/pR2ppp1/7r/Q3P3/7P/PP2qPP1/5RK1 w - - 3 21"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.05.09"]
[UTCTime "23:49:25"]
[Variant "From Position"]
[WhiteElo "2701"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]

{ This is Rasulov - Mamedyarov. White has a chance to land a knockout blow, but he must be precise.
White to play and win. } 21. Qc6 { There are a few moves that attack b7 but this is the only one that doesn't allow Rd7 or Rb5 to defend. White is winning.
Full Game: https://lichess.org/4VEaEzdf } *
[Event "May 2021 Blitz Titled Arena Puzzle Pack: Tsydypov - Le"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/6SlE9jHQ/BmGSzL7j"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhamsaran Tsydypov"]
[Black "Minh Le"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Lichess"]
[BlackElo "2798"]
[BlackTitle "IM"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/1Qnk4/2p1p3/p1q2p2/P4N2/4PP2/1P3K2/8 w - - 1 45"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.05.09"]
[UTCTime "23:49:25"]
[Variant "From Position"]
[WhiteElo "2813"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]

{ White to play and Win } 45. Qxc7+ Kxc7 46. Nxe6+ Kb6 47. Nxc5 Kxc5 { White has an extra pawn and the victory should not be too difficult.
Full game: https://lichess.org/fJbTCkKW } *
[Event "May 2021 Blitz Titled Arena Puzzle Pack: Sanal - Sarana"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/6SlE9jHQ/0nsx2IgC"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vahap Sanal"]
[Black "Aleksei Sarana"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Lichess"]
[BlackElo "2914"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "5rk1/5qp1/1PbpN3/3r4/5p2/5B2/Q6P/5R1K w - - 0 38"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.05.09"]
[UTCTime "23:49:25"]
[Variant "From Position"]
[WhiteElo "2735"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]

38. Bxd5 { This is from Sanal - Sarana. Taking the rook was a mistake. Do you see why? Black to play and win. } 38... Qxe6 { Taking advantage of 2 pins. } 39. Rd1 Rf5 { Black is winning.
Full game: https://lichess.org/p8KNUKPd } *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Introduction"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/ZMlyDjrW"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/3BB3/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Welcome to another instructive study by NoseKnowsAll. This interactive study is for players <2000 lichess, taking you through an important middlegame strategical concept: activating your bishops. Let's see how we can improve our bishops to their utmost by ripping open important diagonals! Importantly, we'll also learn how best to avoid dooming our own bishops to passivity.

Please check out my other middlegame strategy studies as well:
* Knights | How to dominate your opponents! https://lichess.org/study/kI8ikTU4
* Rooks | Infiltrate for activity! https://lichess.org/study/U7tTRtdj
* Always sacrifice the exchange! https://lichess.org/study/h3ccaYFE

Throughout this study, I will also provide general middlegame tips that these positions showcase. Whenever this general advice occurs, I'll write it just like this:

PRO TIP: Bad bishops can defend good pawns!

If you find this study useful, please heart it and share it with any friends! [%cal Bd4a7,Be4a8,Bd4h8,Be4h7,Be4h1,Be4b1,Bd4g1,Bd4a1] } *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Good and bad bishops"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/467VfNtg"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp2bppp/2n1p3/3pP3/2pP4/2P2N2/PPB2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w Qq - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ First let's introduce a key concept: a "good" and "bad" bishop.

Good bishops are on the opposite color of your fixed pawns (usually in the center). Because they're on the opposite color as your pawns, they have a lot of freedom to move around the board and often control lots of squares. The good bishops for each side are marked in green here. [%csl Gc2,Ge7,Rc1,Rc8] } 1. g3 { Bad bishops are on the same color of your fixed pawns (usually in the center). Because they're on the same color as your pawns, they are restricted in the number of squares they can move to and control few squares. The bad bishops for each side are marked in red here. [%csl Rc1,Rc8,Ge7,Gc2] } 1... b5 { PRO TIP: Your bad bishop is almost always on the same color as your opponent's good bishop and vice versa. Therefore it can be a smart decision to trade your bad bishop for your opponent's good bishop, leaving your opponent with only a bad bishop.
However, these terms can sometimes be misleading as we shall soon see... [%csl Ge7,Gc2,Rc1,Rc8] } *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Active and inactive bishops"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/FwlGQnkK"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/pp3ppp/2n1pn2/2pp4/3P1B2/2PBP3/PP1N1PPP/R2QK1NR b KQkq - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Just because a bishop is "bad" does not always mean that the piece is a bad piece! To better explore how that can be, let's look a position that showcases the difference between "active" and "inactive" bishops.

Here is a common position in the London, where black must decide how to finish developing. Notice white's bishop on f4 and black's bishop on c8 are both "bad" due to the locked d pawns. [%csl Rf4,Gf8,Gd3,Rc8] } 1... Bd6 $1 { Black willingly trades their good bishop for white's bad bishop. Why? Because the f4 bishop is an extremely active piece controlling several key squares in black's position! This active, bad bishop is much stronger than black's inactive, good bishop would be on e7. } ( 1... Be7 $6 2. h3 O-O 3. Ngf3 $14 { If black never challenges this f4 bishop, it's not clear how to finish development effectively. Black's bishops are both inactive. } ) 2. Bxd6 Qxd6 3. f4 { After getting rid of their bad bishop, white has rushed to place all the pawns on dark squares. The good bishop on d3 remains actively placed towards black's future kingside. White can dream of playing Ngf3-e5. [%csl Gd3] } 3... cxd4 4. cxd4 Bd7 $10 { Meanwhile, black's bad bishop remains inactive on d7, locked behind the pawn chain. However, black's king will be reasonably safe on the kingside and there are no weaknesses on the black side of the board, so the position is roughly equal, with white having a slightly easier game. [%csl Rd7] } *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Bad bishops defend good pawns"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/Ic8sVrjO"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "2r1r3/1pqbppkp/3p2p1/3P4/B6P/5P2/1PPQ2PK/3RR3 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ An important exception to our rule of trading bishops is when you have more space. Then, it's better to avoid all trades.

Here, the pawn on d5 is very strong. With more space, white's pieces have influence on both sides of the board. Black also has to think twice before moving that backwards e pawn because dxe6 will leave black with further weaknesses. } 1. Bb3 $1 { White's bishop is technically bad on b3, but it is definitely playing an active role. Without this bishop, black would get counterplay on the queenside. With the bishop on b3, it defends the important pawns on c2 and d5, stops black's e pawn from moving forever, and shields b2 from direct attack.
Meanwhile, what is black's "good" bishop doing on d7? Nothing. } ( 1. Bxd7 $2 Qxd7 $10 { Now c2 is a weakness on an open file, and playing c3 does not solve the queenside pressure. Eventually, black will get in the b5-b4 minority attack to again create an accessible weakness. } ) 1... Qc5 $16 { Black is without a plan, while white can start to attack the black king with h4-h5 or double rooks on the e file to further attack the e7 weakness.
PRO TIP: Bad bishops defend good pawns! Defending a pawn from behind with a bishop is acceptable if the pawn is restricting your opponent's pieces, and you have active play with the remainder of your pieces. } *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Exercise 1: Bishop trades I"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/bY0437u9"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "rn1qk2r/pbp2ppp/1p2p3/3pP3/1b1P4/2NB1N2/PPPQ1PPP/R3K2R b KQkq - 0 9"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ White has a huge center, hopes of a kingside attack, and a lead in development. But not everything is as clear cut as it might first appear. } 9... Ba6 $1 10. Bxa6 { Exactly! Our bishop on b7 was bad because of our fixed central pawns on e6 and d5. By trading our bad bishop for white's good bishop, we are eliminating any chances of a later kingside attack. Note for instance that h7 is no longer a target. } 10... Nxa6 11. a3 Be7 $10 { Nice! It is best to retain this good bishop for the future since it works well with our pawns fixed on light squares. After an eventual c5 pawn break, the position may open up further and allow this bishop to shine. } ( 11... Bxc3 $6 { Probably inaccurate. After Qxc3, why have we given up our good bishop for this knight? } 12. Qxc3 $14 ) ( 11... Ba5 $4 { Oh no! After b4, your bishop is trapped! } 12. b4 $18 ) *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Exercise 2: Bishop trades II"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/xNENJODk"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r4rk1/2q2ppp/p1p1bn2/2b1pN2/4P3/3B4/PPP3PP/R1BQ1R1K w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ White needs to complete development. Is there a way to accomplish this while preparing a beneficial bishop trade? } 1. Qe2 a5 { The queen was misplaced on the open d file. Taking up a better post on e2 with tempo allows us to implement which beneficial bishop trade? } 2. Bc4 $1 { Exactly! The fixed e4 pawn was keeping our d3 bishop bad and inactive. Now, our bad bishop improves and offers to trade itself for black's best piece. Since black cannot afford the tempo to retreat (among other moves, Nh6+ is currently a threat), we are guaranteed to get in this trade. Moreover, once this defender on e6 is removed, we can dream of attacking the kingside. } *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Exercise 3: Bishop trades III"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/FfZCrLSb"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r3kbnr/p4ppp/bpn1p3/2p5/4P3/2P2NP1/PP3PBP/RNBK3R w kq - 1 3"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

3. Bf1 { White has seen that after O-O-O+, our pieces are menacingly converging on d3 and has played Bf1 to stop this. What is the best way to continue? } 3... O-O-O+ ( 3... Bxf1 $6 { Releasing the tension too early. After Rxf1, we have just traded away our piece that can best take advantage of the weaknesses in white's camp. } 4. Rxf1 $10 ) ( 3... Bb7 $6 { Not a bad idea, but there's a better way to get more from this position. } ) ( 3... Rd8+ $6 { The right idea, but why not get our king out of the center at the same time? } ) 4. Nbd2 { It is often a good idea to develop with tempo whenever possible. } 4... Bb7 $1 $15 { Exactly! By rerouting to the long diagonal, our bishop has become a fantastic piece! We have no interest in trading our newly active bishop on b7 for white's misplaced bishop on f1. None of the bishops in this position are "bad" because neither side has fixed pawns.
From this position, the black player Lajos Portisch (one of the strongest non-Soviet players behind Fischer) went on to win brilliantly. Check out the game here: https://lichess.org/GR8Z7etn#20 } ( 4... Bxf1 $6 { Releasing the tension too early. After Rxf1, we have just traded away our piece that can best take advantage of the weaknesses in white's camp. } 5. Rxf1 $10 ) *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Activating a bad bishop"]
[Site "Mar del Plata"]
[Date "March 31, 1966"]
[Round "15"]
[White "Leonid Stein"]
[Black "Samuel Schweber"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[BlackTitle "IM"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r3kn1r/p1q1npp1/4p3/1p1pP1Np/b1pP3P/2P3PB/2PB1P2/R2Q1RK1 w kq - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]

{ White has a huge space advantage, a safe king, and the bishop pair. However, black is up a pawn with a solid position. If black has enough time, he will be able to play against the doubled c pawns and push his passed a pawn to victory. } 1. Bc1 $1 { Always retreat! Stein correctly recognizes that he needs to activate his bad bishop previously stuck behind the central pawn chain. } 1... g6 { Meanwhile black's bad bishop on a4 is at least outside the pawn chain. But it can hardly be considered "active" since it only controls 3 squares and has 2 legal moves - both of which lose the bishop. } 2. Ba3 { The previously inactive bishop now breathes fire along the a3-f8 diagonal. Because black is missing a dark squared bishop, there is no counterpart to challenge this newly created monster. [%cal Ba3f8] } 2... Nh7 { PRO TIP: When you are being attacked, trade pieces. Attacks with less pieces are less likely to succeed. } 3. Nf3 $1 { Just as we should not trade active bishops for inactive bishops, we do not trade the active knight on g5 for the passive knight on h7.
Stein is clearly better and can launch an attack on Schweber's king no matter which side of the board he ends up residing, as in the game: https://lichess.org/ztgf1ASG#41 } *
[Event "1990 World Chess Championship"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/UdBVQRCq"]
[Date "1990.12.15"]
[Round "20"]
[White "Garry Kasparov"]
[Black "Anatoly Karpov"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[BlackElo "2730"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r2qrb1k/1b4p1/p2p1n1p/1ppP1p2/Pn2P3/4R2P/1P1N1PPN/1BBQR1K1 w - - 4 20"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteElo "2800"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]

{ In this 1990 WCC game, Karpov has just played Kh8 to tuck his king away to a safer square. Kasparov notices a flaw in this idea and launches a terrific attack, meanwhile activating his worst piece: the c1 bishop. [%cal Gg8h8] } 20. b3 $1 { This bishop heads to b2. On the long diagonal, it sits on a diagonal that cannot be shut down. At the end of this diagonal lies the ultimate target: Karpov's king. } 20... bxa4 21. bxa4 c4 22. Bb2 $16 { Kasparov's bishops have reached their best diagonals. He went on to win this game by launching a beautiful kingside attack, thereby securing a 2 point lead and retaining the world chess championship title. Check out the full game here: https://lichess.org/Zs9FZapB#43 [%cal Bb2h8,Bb1h7] } *
[Event "Lund Schackstudion"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/9OI37YiX"]
[Date "2011.04.15"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Jasmin Bejtovic"]
[Black "Axel Smith"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[BlackElo "2452"]
[BlackTitle "IM"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/1p2rkbp/1R4p1/5p2/2Ppp3/3P2P1/4PPBP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteElo "2415"]
[WhiteTitle "IM"]

{ Both sides here have bad bishops, and if the rooks are traded, the game will surely end up in an opposite-colored bishop draw. But there is still a lot of play left in the position, so the position becomes a question of who can activate their bishop first. } 1. g4 $1 { A fantastic move aimed at activating the g2 bishop. } 1... Be5 ( 1... fxg4 $2 2. Bxe4 $18 { White's bishop is clearly much better than black's, and the b pawn will soon fall. As long as white can retain rooks on the board, white will win this game. } ) 2. gxf5 gxf5 3. Bh3 $16 { White has found a way to activate his bad bishop, which now targets an unprotected pawn. Black is trying to do the same, but h2 is easily defended while f5 is not. White has serious winning chances here. } *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Ripping open a diagonal"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/i0AYXTc0"]
[Date "2005.02.10"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Marek Vokac"]
[Black "David Navara"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[BlackElo "2644"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "1nrq1rk1/1b2bppp/p2pp3/1p6/1P2PP2/P1BP1N2/4N1PP/R3QR1K b - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteElo "2476"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]

{ In this typical Sicilian position, black has the bishop pair but neither bishop is inspiring. David Navara finds a brilliant way to activate his b7 bishop at all costs. } 1... d5 $5 { d5 is almost always a strong move in the Sicilian, since it often creates central tension that activates black's pieces. Here, however, the resulting position is not so clear. } 2. e5 $6 { Vokac probably thought he was fine in this position. Isn't the b7 bishop now bad, locked behind the pawn chain?
Well no actually - the d5 pawn is not actually fixed on d5! } ( 2. Ng3 dxe4 3. dxe4 Bf6 $10 { In this position, at least white's king is not coming under heavy fire. } ) ( 2. exd5 $2 Qxd5 $19 { A dream scenario for black along the long diagonal. } ) 2... d4 $3 { Never take no for an answer! Navara is happy to sacrifice a pawn in order to activate his unopposed light squared bishop on b7. } ( 2... Nc6 $2 3. Ned4 $1 $16 { Given only one more move, Ned4 will consolidate white's advantage. The bad bishop on b7 is more of a bystander than a contributor in this position. } ) 3. Nexd4 { PRO TIP: A well-timed pawn break can be a crucial tool to activating your pieces. } 3... Nc6 4. Bb2 Nxd4 5. Nxd4 Qd5 $17 { While black is down a pawn, that pawn on d5 would actually be a traitor to black's active pieces. Without that pawn, black is able to use the long diagonal to white's king, and has more than enough compensation.
Compare each piece in black's position to the starting position and see how much they have improved. Meanwhile white's minor pieces are actually worse off than in the starting position. } *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Exercise 4: Bishop activation I"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/b6TqGmmu"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "q4rk1/pbr1bppp/1pn1pn2/8/2PP4/P2B1N2/1B1NQPPP/2RR2K1 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ White's pieces look well-placed for a kingside attack, but how can we fully activate our bishop pair? } 1. d5 $1 ( 1. Ne4 $6 $16 { This move does not come with a threat, so black has time to further bolster their kingside defense with Qd8. } 1... Qd8 $17 ) ( 1. Ng5 $6 $16 { A tempting move, but this does not improve the bishop pair. } ) ( 1. Bxh7+ $4 $17 { It's far too early to consider sacrificing a bishop - most of your pieces are not yet attacking! } ) 1... exd5 $6 { How does sacrificing the d pawn help generate play for our bishop pair? } ( 1... Na5 { Moving the knight instead does not help black either: } 2. Ne4 $1 exd5 3. Nxf6+ Bxf6 4. Bxf6 gxf6 5. Nh4 $18 { And black will have to hemorrhage material to avoid getting mated. [%cal Ge2g4,Gh4f5,Gg4g7] } ) 2. cxd5 ( 2. Bxf6 $6 { Cashing out too early is not so convincing because we are giving up our amazing bishop pair! } 2... Bxf6 3. cxd5 $18 ) 2... Nxd5 $2 { A critical position. Black calls your bluff and asks, "Where is your compensation after giving up a central pawn?" } 3. Qe4 $1 ( 3. Bxh7+ $4 { This move regains the lost pawn, but why are we giving up our best attacker in order to snag a measly pawn? } ) 3... Nf6 { Excellent! There was a double attack on the d5 knight and h7 square, so black's move was forced. } 4. Bxf6 $1 Bxf6 { We finally cash out because recapturing our bishop on f6 was impossible. I'll allow you to do the honors. } 5. Qxh7# { In this exercise, all we needed to overwhelm black's defense was a clearance sacrifice (the d4 pawn) and a removal of black's best defender (the f6 knight). With both bishops activated effectively, tactics were sure to follow.
PRO TIP: The bishop pair often work well together on adjacent diagonals. On open boards, it is hard for your opponent to shut down both diagonals simultaneously. } *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Exercise 5: Bishop activation II"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/5w5ZqsQq"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r2q1rk1/pb1n2pp/1pp1pb2/3p1p2/NPPPn3/5NP1/PBQ1PPBP/R2R2K1 b - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ We have reached a common Stonewall Dutch middlegame, but all of our army is not yet deployed efficiently. How to best make progress? } 1... Ba6 $1 ( 1... Qe7 $6 { This normal developing move does not address black's problem piece. } ) ( 1... Qc7 $2 { The queen is not well-placed here because the c file can open and expose her. } ) ( 1... c5 $2 { A combative move that certainly tries to improve the b7 bishop, but tactically opens up the position for white who is better developed. After for instance bxc5 bxc5, Nxc5 Ndxc5, dxc5 your queen is opposite white's d1 rook and the c5 pawn is immune from recapture because it is x-ray defended by white's queen. You'll need an alternative approach here instead. } 2. bxc5 bxc5 3. Nxc5 Ndxc5 4. dxc5 $16 ) 2. c5 { Nicely done! The Stonewall bishop peaks out from behind the pawn chain in order to further influence the board. What is its optimal square? } 2... Bc4 3. Nd2 { White recognizes the power of this bishop and immediately seeks to challenge it. However, there is a flaw to white's move. } 3... Nxd2 ( 3... Bxe2 $4 { Don't get greedy! After Nxe4 Bxd1, Nxf6 comes with check and white will have the uncontested bishop pair against our passive rook on a8. } 4. Nxe4 Bxd1 5. Nxf6+ Qxf6 6. Rxd1 $16 ) ( 3... b5 $2 { The right idea, but after Nxc4 bxc4, f3 our knight on e4 gets banished back to our side of the board. Can you improve upon this move order? } ) 4. Qxd2 { Trading knights is simple and good. Now we can cement our bishop on c4 and shut down white's queenside play forever. } 4... b5 $17 { The previously sleeping bishop on b7 has become a monster on c4. Furthermore, if it is ever captured, black will get a connected passed pawn on c4 in its place. } *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Exercise 6: Bishop activation III"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/vBX0SPrA"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r1b2rk1/1pq2ppp/p1n1pn2/2p5/3P4/P1P1PN2/4BPPP/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ In this Nimzo-Indian position, black has given up the bishop pair to speed up development and challenge white's center. Considering both sides' bishops, how can we best activate our pieces? } 1... Rd8 $1 ( 1... e5 $6 { Possibly a little rushed. After d5 Rd8, e4! we would have to move our c6 knight. Note that Nxe4?? in that position runs into Qc2 with a double attack on our knights and black is lost.
Nowhere in these variations are we activating our c8 bishop. Can we improve upon this idea? } 2. d5 Rd8 3. e4 Nxe4 $4 4. Qc2 $18 ) ( 1... b5 $6 { It is an interesting idea to fianchetto the light squared bishop on b7. However, after a4!, white will be able to punish our lack of development and open up the position for their bishop pair. } 2. a4 $1 Bb7 3. axb5 axb5 4. Rxa8 Rxa8 5. Bxb5 $14 ) ( 1... b6 $6 { This soft move doesn't activate the bishop to its best square. After Bb2 Bb7, dxc5 bxc5, c4 - white's bishop pair is felt on the board. } 2. Bb2 Bb7 3. dxc5 bxc5 4. c4 $16 ) ( 1... cxd4 $2 { After cxd4, you've just improved white's position tremendously. } 2. cxd4 $16 ) ( 1... Na5 $5 $14 { An interesting idea to get out of the way for the bishop on c6 and the long diagonal. But this move doesn't place enough pressure on white's center, so white has time for Ne5, a4, Ba3 - all improving moves that are tough to meet. } ) 2. Qc2 { Rd8 is a nice improving move, so white is quick to get off the same file as the rook. Now that d5 is stopped for good, what is the true idea behind this move though? } 2... e5 ( 2... Na5 $5 $10 { An interesting idea to get out of the way for the bishop on c6 and the long diagonal. But this move doesn't place enough pressure on white's center, so white has time for Ne5, a4, Ba3 - all improving moves that are tough to meet. } ) 3. Bb2 { Nice! Placing all of our pawns on dark squares complements our remaining light squared bishop. How can we finally activate this piece? } 3... Bg4 $10 { The bishop on g4 places maximum pressure on white's center. With all this tension in the center, none of white's central pawns can move without leaving behind a weakness. Black has full compensation against white's bishop pair. } ( 3... e4 $5 { An equally valid move if your follow-up to Nd2 was Bf5. Bad bishops defend good pawns! } 4. Nd2 Bf5 $10 ) ( 3... Be6 $2 $16 { After Ng5 our bishop will have to move again immediately. } ) ( 3... Bf5 $4 { Oh no my bishop! } 4. Qxf5 $18 ) *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Exercise 7: Bishop activation IV"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/3CHE7ONJ"]
[Date "1977.04.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anatoly Karpov"]
[Black "Raymond Keene"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r2q1r1k/pppnn3/3p3b/3Pp3/4Pp2/2N4P/PPPQBBP1/3R1RK1 w - - 0 18"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]

{ The 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov has already won a pawn. However, every pawn lost is a file opened, and Keene will be quick to attack Karpov on the newly opened g file.

How can we activate our bishops while pre-empting any kingside attack? } 18. Bg4 $1 ( 18. Rfe1 $6 { If your idea is following up with Bf1, then nice job on finding a solid defensive setup. Unfortunately, this piece configuration is quite passive and therefore gives black more play than he deserves. } ) ( 18. Bf3 $2 { The bishop is nothing more than a tall pawn and a target from this square. } ) ( 18. Bh4 $6 { The bishop on f2 was already somewhat active. After Nf6 and a later Ng6, your bishop will simply be kicked backwards. } 18... Nf6 19. Kh1 Ng6 20. Qe1 $14 ) 18... Nf6 { Our bishop is more effective outside the pawn chain, but what is its ultimate destination? } 19. Be6 $1 { Nicely done. From e6, our "bad" bishop has become a unstoppable force. By controlling g8, it single-handedly prevents black from ever realizing dreams of a kingside attack on the g file.
From here, Karpov went on to gain space on both the kingside and queenside before suffocating his helpless opponent after 44 moves: https://lichess.org/AzQg7yMV } ( 19. Qe2 $6 { This move was played in the game, but after Nxg4 Qxg4, black will still have an attack on the open g file. } ) *
[Event "76th Brazilian Championship"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/KBuiJIcU"]
[Date "2009.12.04"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Everaldo Matsuura"]
[Black "Giovanni Vescovi"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[BlackElo "2648"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "1r3rk1/3qbppp/p1npbn2/1p2p3/4P3/P1NBN3/1PP2PPP/R2QBR1K b - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteElo "2478"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]

{ We arrive at a tense middlegame in the Sicilian Kalashnikov. Black's pieces are slightly more harmonious than white's, but as compensation white has the d5 hole under his control and therefore the d6 pawn will remain backwards for a long time. How to improve further? } 1... Bd8 $1 ( 1... Rfe8 $6 $10 { A fine move that doesn't change the nature of the position, but we're looking to improve our bishop here instead. } ) ( 1... Ne8 $2 { Retreating this knight to play Bg5 is an interesting idea overall. But retreating removes a key defender of d5 for white to jump into, so white is going to be slightly better here. } 2. Ncd5 $14 ) ( 1... d5 $4 { Directly loses a piece after exd5. } ) 2. Qe2 { A star move! Our bad bishop was passively overprotecting a weakness (d6) that is not even attacked. But where is this bishop heading? } 2... Bb6 $10 { Excellent job. Now that the bishop knifes into white's position along the a7-g1 diagonal, black can look to make further progress with his other pieces. I call this maneuver the "bishop wiggle," hopefully for obvious reasons. The bishop wiggle is a common maneuver to activate your bishop in Stonewall structures like in Exercise 5 as well!
Note that as a long range piece, there's no need for this bishop to continue forward and land on d4. It's performing mostly the same duty safely tucked away on b6. [%cal Bb6g1] } ( 2... Bc7 $2 $14 { This bishop is just as sad here as it was on e7. } ) ( 2... Ba5 $6 $14 { The knight on c3 is over-protected by the e1 bishop. While not bad, what exactly does this move accomplish? } ) *
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Morphy showing off bishop mastery"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/G6WVWnci"]
[Date "1849"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Paul Morphy"]
[Black "Alonzo Morphy"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "C51"]
[Opening "Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense"]
[Termination "Normal"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ We conclude with a game from the young Paul Morphy against his father in 1849. Morphy had a great sense of how to open up the position and activate his pieces. Let's see one example of him using his bishops to their utmost. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 { The fearsome Evans Gambit was a favorite of the Romantic Era. } 4... Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 Bb6 8. O-O { In exchange for a single pawn, white has a huge lead in development and the center. } 8... Na5 $6 { This poor move is no longer played because the knight on the side of the board aims at nothing after Morphy's next move. } 9. Bd3 d5 $2 { Opening up the center before you are castled is unwise. } ( 9... d6 10. Nc3 Ne7 11. h3 O-O $10 { Black has castled to safety, but white retains full compensation for the pawn. } ) 10. exd5 Qxd5 11. Ba3 $1 { Morphy keys in on the problem in black's position: the centralized king! Activating the bishop on a3 controls f8: the black king's escape square, ensuring that a future check on the e file will lead to devastation. [%cal Ba3f8] } 11... Be6 { Black hurries to close the e file and castle, but that flimsy defense will only last for so long... } 12. Nc3 Qd7 13. d5 $1 { Morphy removes the e file blockade to continue opening up lines and diagonals towards black's king. } 13... Bxd5 14. Nxd5 Qxd5 15. Bb5+ $3 { A crushing blow that draws the queen away from the king's defense. Notice how the bishop pair on adjacent diagonals slice across to black's king. [%cal Bb5e8,Ba3f8] } 15... Qxb5 ( 15... c6 16. Qxd5 $18 { And the pawn is pinned. } ) 16. Re1+ Ne7 17. Rb1 { A final finesse that further draws the queen away from the defense. } 17... Qa6 $2 ( 17... Qd7 18. Rxe7+ Qxe7 19. Bxe7 Kxe7 20. Qd5 $18 { Up a queen against black's poorly placed pieces, Morphy would surely convert this position. } ) 18. Rxe7+ Kf8 19. Qd5 $1 { Going for style points, Morphy saves his discovered check by creating an even bigger threat: Qxf7#. [%cal Rd5f7] } 19... Qc4 { X-ray defense of f7 ends up insufficient. } 20. Rxf7+ Kg8 21. Rf8# { The bishop on a3 has the last laugh, creating an aesthetic double checkmate along the key a3-f8 diagonal. } 1-0
[Event "Bishops | Slice through the opposition!: Thanks for enjoying this study!"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l/owNOxFsf"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/3BB3/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2022.02.04"]
[UTCTime "18:10:24"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Be sure to like this study and share with your friends if you enjoyed it! Feel free to ask/answer any questions in the chat room if you're stuck on a key idea. You can check out my other instructive studies too if you're working on improving your game.
-NoseKnowsAll

* Beginner endgames you must know! https://lichess.org/study/wukLYIXj
* Intermediate endgames you must know! https://lichess.org/study/UsqmCsgC
* More endgames you must know! https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi
* Advanced endgames you must know! https://lichess.org/study/UO2zqigQ
* Rook endgames you must know! https://lichess.org/study/bnboDhFM
* Knights | How to dominate your opponents! https://lichess.org/study/kI8ikTU4
* Bishops | Slice through the opposition! https://lichess.org/study/kNn68T8l
* Rooks | Infiltrate for activity! https://lichess.org/study/U7tTRtdj
* Always sacrifice the exchange! https://lichess.org/study/h3ccaYFE
* Beautiful checkmates https://lichess.org/study/YtBYXc3m [%cal Bd4a7,Be4a8,Bd4h8,Be4h7,Be4h1,Be4b1,Bd4a1,Bd4g1] } *
[Event "Anti-London | Crazy Knight Attack: Introduction"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/rxrdqKAi/TfjO2OpL"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/CheckRaiseMate"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Indian Defense"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.08"]
[UTCTime "18:07:40"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. d4 { The London System is one of White's most popular setups and one of the most annoying to face. London players typically want to play the same opening moves regardless of what we do as Black.
This response is designed to take the White player out of their comfort zone by disrupting their usual setup and taking the game into uncharted territory! } 1... Nf6 { We have to start with Nf6. Putting a pawn on d5 is not part of our plans. } 2. Bf4 c5 { Immediately challenging the center. White could advance with d5, but most London players aren't happy with advancing so early. [%csl Rd4][%cal Gc5d4] } 3. e3 { They want to build the "pawn triangle." [%csl Ge3,Gd4,Gc3][%cal Gc2c3] } 3... Nd5 $5 { The key move of our setup! We are threatening to take the bishop and double their pawns, so they more or less have to retreat. Part of the value of this move is psychological: it looks really weird and takes them out of their usual setup. But it's also completely computer-approved. [%csl Rf4][%cal Gd5f4] } 4. Bg3 Qb6 { Now this is our real point. The big downside of the London is that by developing the bishop so early White leaves the queenside undefended. We're threatening b2 and it's not so obvious how to defend it.
Note also that Black smashes in this position in the Lichess database. 54% vs. 40% with the Black pieces! [%csl Rb2][%cal Gb6b2] } *
[Event "Anti-London | Crazy Knight Attack: Why 3...Nd5?"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/rxrdqKAi/hGTiaUY7"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/CheckRaiseMate"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Indian Defense"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.08"]
[UTCTime "18:15:29"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ But okay, we can't play a weird move JUST to freak out London players. That's not how chess works. It must also be a good move in its own right. In this chapter we'll see why 3... Nd5 actually makes sense. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Qb6 { What if we played 3... Qb6 immediately, without first 3... Nd5? [%csl Rb2][%cal Gb6b2] } 4. Nc3 $1 { Now this is a good move. Our main move 3... Nd5 is designed precisely to prevent this. } 4... Qxb2 5. Nb5 { Our queen is sort of trapped and White is threatening a knight fork. The computer says even this is playable, but it doesn't look like much fun. [%csl Rb2][%cal Gb5c7] } *
[Event "Anti-London | Crazy Knight Attack: 5. Nc3"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/rxrdqKAi/t3SuFyRa"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/CheckRaiseMate"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Indian Defense"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.08"]
[UTCTime "18:18:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Let's start examining White's responses to our main line. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Nd5 4. Bg3 Qb6 { They have various ways to protect b2, but all of them have downsides. [%csl Rb2][%cal Gb6b2] } 5. Nc3 { What if they just do this anyway? } 5... Nxc3 { This is the whole point: we're ready to chop their knight and give them doubled pawns. } 6. bxc3 Qa5 { Immediately targeting the weak c3 pawn. [%csl Rc3][%cal Ga5c3] } 7. Qd2 e6 { Getting ready to develop the bishop and castle. There's also a nasty trap in this line. } 8. Nf3 cxd4 9. cxd4 $4 { Positionally, this is the capture White wants to make to iron out the doubled pawns, but... } 9... Bb4 { Whoopsies. The queen is lost. [%cal Gb4e1] } *
[Event "Anti-London | Crazy Knight Attack: 5. Qc1"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/rxrdqKAi/bPtfr92D"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/CheckRaiseMate"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Indian Defense"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.08"]
[UTCTime "18:20:02"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Nd5 4. Bg3 Qb6 5. Qc1 { White defends the b-pawn without compromising their pawn structure, but this drops the d-pawn. [%csl Rd4] } 5... cxd4 6. exd4 Qxd4 7. Nf3 Qc5 { White does have some compensation for the pawn in the form of faster development, but with two center pawns against zero I like our chances. [%csl Ge7,Gd7] } *
[Event "Anti-London | Crazy Knight Attack: 5. b3"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/rxrdqKAi/jTgSRSZM"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/CheckRaiseMate"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Indian Defense"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.08"]
[UTCTime "18:21:45"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Nd5 4. Bg3 Qb6 { [%csl Rb2][%cal Gb6b2] } 5. b3 { This is the most common move. It's not a mistake, but it does have the downside of weakening the dark squares on the queenside. [%csl Rc3,Rb2,Ra3] } 5... cxd4 { This is a good moment to exchange. } 6. exd4 g6 { Getting ready to bring out the bishop to attack the weakened dark squares. } 7. Nf3 Bh6 { The more standard Bg7 is also fine, but I like this weird move. We're preparing Nf4, and also a queen check. [%csl Gf4][%cal Gd5f4,Gh6c1,Gb6a5,Ga5e1] } 8. Bd3 { Let's see what happens if White does their best to continue with a normal London setup. } 8... Qa5+ $1 { This check is awkward to meet. } 9. Nbd2 Nc3 $1 { Taking advantage of the weakened dark squares. } 10. Qc1 { It's awkward to step into the pin, but the queen has no other safe square. [%cal Gh6c1] } 10... Nc6 { White is stuck in multiple pins. [%cal Gh6c1,Ga5e1,Gd7d5,Gc8f5] } *
[Event "Anti-London | Crazy Knight Attack: 5. Na3"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/rxrdqKAi/n5O1OSfV"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/CheckRaiseMate"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Indian Defense"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.08"]
[UTCTime "18:25:54"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Nd5 4. Bg3 Qb6 5. Na3 { It looks odd to move the knight to the rim, but there's some logic to it. The knight has good jumps from here. [%cal Ga3b5,Ga3c4] } 5... Qb4+ $1 ( 5... Qxb2 6. Nb5 { This actually transposes to a line we could get from 3... Qb6 (see the "Why 3... Nd5?" chapter). Playable, but not what we're after. } ) 6. c3 Nxc3 $1 { [%csl Ra3] } 7. Qd2 ( 7. bxc3 $4 Qxc3+ { [%cal Gc3e1,Gc3a1] } 8. Ke2 Qxa3 { This is just winning. We're up two pawns and White's king is stuck in the center. } ) 7... Ne4 8. Qxb4 cxb4 9. Nb5 { [%cal Gb5c7] } 9... Na6 { Our pieces are a bit tangled, but we've got an extra pawn. From here we want to gradually untangle and trade off some pieces. [%csl Gc7][%cal Ga6c7,Gd7d6,Gc8d7,Ge4g3] } *
[Event "Anti-London | Crazy Knight Attack: 5. c4"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/rxrdqKAi/4JMB0TBd"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/CheckRaiseMate"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Indian Defense"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.08"]
[UTCTime "18:30:16"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Nd5 4. Bg3 Qb6 5. c4 { Counterattacking our knight. This is actually a good move, but it wouldn't be most people's first thought, so it's quite rare. [%csl Rd5][%cal Gc4d5] } 5... Nf6 ( 5... Qxb2 6. cxd5 Qxa1 7. Qc2 { We're up an exchange but our queen is at risk of being trapped. This is still highly unclear, but not my cup of tea. [%csl Ra1] } ) 6. Nc3 Qxb2 { Okay, now I'll take. } 7. Nb5 $2 ( 7. Nge2 cxd4 8. exd4 e6 { White has enough compensation for the pawn, but not more. [%cal Gf8b4] } ) 7... Qb4+ 8. Qd2 Qxd2+ 9. Kxd2 Ne4+ 10. Kd3 Nxg3 11. hxg3 Na6 { In this endgame White doesn't really have any compensation for the pawn. } *
[Event "Anti-London | Crazy Knight Attack: Reference File"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/rxrdqKAi/xvkqHTsx"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/CheckRaiseMate"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Indian Defense"]
[UTCDate "2023.01.21"]
[UTCTime "18:49:29"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. d5 { A good move and likely what I would do with White, but most London players are attached to their triangle setup. } 3... b5 { I like this move, going for a Benko Gambit-like setup. We're thinking about surrounding the d-pawn. [%csl Rd5][%cal Gc8b7,Gb7d5] } ( 3... Qb6 4. Nc3 Qxb2 5. Bd2 { I wouldn't recommend grabbing this pawn - White gets good compensation. [%cal Ga1b1,Ge2e4] } ) 4. c4 ( 4. a4 b4 5. c4 d6 { With a strategic battle ahead. The break ...e5 can be a good way to gain space in the center. [%cal Ge7e5] } ) ( 4. e3 Qa5+ { Defending the b5 pawn with tempo. } 5. c3 Bb7 { White is having problems defending the d5 pawn. } 6. d6 exd6 7. Bxd6 Qb6 $1 8. Bxf8 Kxf8 { Black has a big lead in development and the king will be safe on g7. [%cal Gg7g6,Gf8g7] } ) 4... g6 ( 4... bxc4 $6 5. Nc3 { This gives White easy development and central control. [%cal Ge2e4,Gf1c4] } ) 5. cxb5 a6 6. bxa6 Bg7 { With a Benko where White has played the not-very-helpful Bf4. [%cal Ge8g8,Gc8a6] } *
[Event "Anti-London | Crazy Knight Attack: 5. Nc3"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/rxrdqKAi/t3SuFyRa"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/CheckRaiseMate"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Indian Defense"]
[UTCDate "2022.12.08"]
[UTCTime "18:48:47"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Let's start examining White's responses to our main line. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Nd5 4. Bg3 Qb6 { They have various ways to protect b2, but all of them have downsides. [%csl Rb2][%cal Gb6b2] } 5. Nc3 { What if they just do this anyway? } 5... Nxc3 { This is the whole point: we're ready to chop their knight and give them doubled pawns. } 6. bxc3 Qa5 { [%csl Rc3][%cal Ga5c3] } 7. Qd2 e6 8. Nf3 cxd4 9. cxd4 Bb4 { [%csl Rd2][%cal Gb4e1] } *