First improved Grand Prix as white
Last night, I boned up on the improved Grand Prix Attack as white (1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 instead of 2. f4). Lo' and behold, in my game at ICC today I got white and black played the Sicilian, indeed the specific line within the GPA that I studied last night! As I have been trying to do in general lately, I played aggressively, opening up my kingside to harass his queen. She ended up trapped and he resigned. The game is here.
Playing more aggressively is just fun. Move 8 (Nd5) was a gift from the tactical module I've been trying to develop the past two years. I was hoping he'd take my bishop so I could get the royal fork.
posted by Blue Devil Knight at 5/22/2007 08:26:00 PM
13 Comments:
2.Nc3 in stead of 2.Nc6 you mean.
Good game. I play 2.Nc3 all the time with more succes than when I played the Smith Morra or the Alapin. While I know only the first 3 moves actually. It just seems to fit my style.
Very sweet game. His poor queen just painted herself into a corner!
Tempo: thanks. Fixed it.
I also really like the opening: you need to know just a couple of lines, and natural-seeming developing moves lead to a comfortable game for white. And black must live with the fear of Qe1-Qh4!
Very nice game. And Nd5 (move 8) is a real corker. It is a shame the rook is on A8, cuz that is exactly the kind of "gift" that people take.
And the squeeze on the queen was quite good.
Very, very nice game.
How does the improved Grand Prix differ from the closed Sicilian?
Zweiblumen: I have no idea. I've never played the closed Sicilian to my knowledge. I assume it doesn't involve 3. f4 whereas that is the defining move of the improved GPA. My game follows book for about six moves or so, so you can see what the difference is.
YES! that rocked, congrats...
Good game--and very nice queen trap. I like how you focused on development.
Thanks Michael and chessloser.
It really seems to be working out for me recently, focusing first and foremost on threats. Checks, captures, and simple tactics. I know this is what Heisman has been saying all along. But I foolishly spent too much time focusing on subtle strategery during games, only a small fraction of my time attending to threats. Now I spend almost all my time thinking about threats and calculating variations in situations where the forces clash. Major breakthrough I had thanks to Soltis, who reassures the reader that this is also what the GMs spend most of their time thinking about (in How to Choose a Chess move).
My coach has been good about getting me to develop better in the opening.
Excellent game! In the Closed Sicilian the white Bishop is fianchettoed to g2 while in the Grand Prix it goes to b5 or c4. I've been playing the Closed bit it's uncomfortable. you've converted me - I'm swithching to the Grand Prix.
Thomas: if black plays an early a6, they recommend transposing into the closed sicilian, but with an extra tempo because of the wasted a6. I didn't understand that before but now I do.
" Soltis, who reassures the reader that this is also what the GMs spend most of their time thinking about "
i recall that Buckley says the same thing. his early chapters talk about the "threat hierarchy"...
you played a practically perfect game. although, it must be said that e7-e6-e5 was a particularly stunning maneuver by your opponent.
Grand Prix is probably the coolest opening name ever, I'm not too good playing with it though
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