May-19-16
 | | kingfu: To all French players: Is the Fort Knox playable by us mere mortals? I would like to see Navara and Jobava play this line against each other. Navara wins with white.
Jobava wins with black. |
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May-19-16
 | | WannaBe: Fort Knox is only playable if you have Goldfingers. |
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May-19-16
 | | perfidious: <kingfu: To all French players: Is the Fort Knox playable by us mere mortals?> No reason why not in my opinion, but it was only in the 1990s that I had a desire to play anything but the Winawer. Tried the Classical several times, but never wanted to play the Fort Knox. |
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May-19-16
| | kingfu: Good one, Wannabe.
I love the Winawer! The supposed big fear is 7. Qg4. I play 7...Kf8. Let the King play for himself! I never liked monarchy as a form of government anyway. |
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May-19-16
| | perfidious: <WannaBe: Fort Knox is only playable if you have Goldfingers.> WannaBe: Do you expect me to talk?
Auric Goldfinger: No, Mr WannaBe, I expect you to die! |
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May-25-16
 | | Honza Cervenka: More active 37...Qc3!? seems to give black more practical chances for survival. After that the game can continue with 38.Rd1 e3!? (but not 38...Qxa3? for 39.Rxg7+!! with decisive attack) 39.fxe3 Qxe3+ 40.Kh1 h5 (once again there is no time for 40...Qxa3?, as 41.Rxg7+! wins easily) 41.Qb6 Kh6! (now 41...Qxa3? loses for 42.Qf6 with quick mate) 42.Qxa6 Rc2! (diagram) with good counterplay of black.
click for larger view |
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May-26-16
 | | Domdaniel: 1.d4 e6 2.e4 is actually a very rare opening sequence. The vast majority of players who open either 1.d4 or 1.e4 tend to stick to their guns rather than switch over at move 2. In decades of playing the French, and ...e6 against 1.d4, I can only think of 3 or 4 games where White played 1.d4 and 2.e4. Although one of them was Tony Miles. |
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May-26-16
| | Domdaniel: As for playing the Fort Knox ... it's OK, I guess. Though I'd really rather not have to offer a draw on move ten in order to get castled? |
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May-26-16
| | Domdaniel: <perf> - < it was only in the 1990s that I had a desire to play anything but the Winawer. Tried the Classical several times, but never wanted to play the Fort Knox.> Me too. Well, I played 3...dxe4 sometimes in the past, but I was never drawn to the Fort Knox. And anyhow the whole line is too passive for my liking. Lately, my Winawer hasn't been doing so well -- I even lost a game to a player rated a couple hundred points below me, which is a bad habit I thought I'd left behind. So I may try the Classical for a while. And there's always ideas like 3...a6, with which I think I've scored 100%, ie 1/1/. |
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May-26-16
| | perfidious: <Dom> As Black, believe I had 1.d4 e6 2.e4 only once, against Michael Tomlinson, who was himself a French specialist. He went into one of the sidelines of the Winawer after 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 and I won fairly easily. Playing White, there had to have been a few instances of 1.d4 e6 2.e4, but none which spring to mind just now; I was not averse to playing either colour in the Tarrasch. |
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Jun-06-16
| | Domdaniel: <perf> I've generally managed to avoid the White side of the French, by playing 1.c4 or 1.Nf3. Or, if I'm feeling adventurous, 1.f4/1.b3/1.e3. I sometimes play an early d4, but not if it leads to a French. I remember one tournament where games were posted online, and it was clear to all that I was playing 1...e6 against both 1.e4 and 1.d4, usually leading to a French or Dutch. Despite this pattern, two of my opponents hadn't decided what to do when the game began. One played 1.d4 e6 [pause for 15 mins] 2.e4, and soon lost. (The other guy won, which was entirely my fault). |
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Jun-06-16
| | Domdaniel: kingfu's question - < Is the Fort Knox playable by us mere mortals?> - deserves a better answer. After 40 years of playing the French, with occasional side trips into 3...dxe4, my conclusion is that it's just not very good. Playable, just about, if you want to draw, but not good as a winning attempt. I wish matters were otherwise. It would be great if both 3.Nc3 and 3.Nd2 could be met by a single strong line. But it ain't the case. |
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Kibitzing
