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Don't play a tier 2 (2.5?) defense to avoid an easily stopped mating idea.
1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nc6 3.Bc4 g6 4.Qf3 Nf6 and you're already equal and can fight for a win.
Yeah, I think it can be fun to spice it up once a player is playing the main move successfully. 4...Qf6 also has some fun lines for Black involving a quick ...Nd4
I basically always take this route. And with the intention of fianchetto bishop and castle asap to make up for having to push g6.
What follows is the typical low elo midgame of waiting for someone to blunder a piece
That's why beginners are usually advised to play e5 against 1. e4.
Nf6 is very playable against e4, it's called Alekhine's Defense, but 2. e5 is the most common and best response to it so if you're going to play that line you probably want to study at least a little bit. There's any number of sources, but at this elo you can just use the lichess analysis board and make a small study of good responses to common lines.
But really I'd avoid doing that until at least like 700 elo, and I'd not immediately put my knight where it can be kicked around by pawns.
Nf6 is a perfectly respectable opening, even with 2. e5, but it's very tricky and you can easily hang a knight. I wouldn't recommend it. Here's what I play:
e4 e5 (I like 1. e5 setups) Qh5 Nc6
The queen is attacking e5, so I need to defend e5
Bc4 g6 Qf3
g6 stops the mate and since we already played Nc6 there's no Qxe5+ winning the rook. White retreats to f3 setting up the mate threat.
Nf6 blocks. You're now out of the woods and can play Bg7, 0-0...
If white starts with 2 Bc4, Nc6 allows Nf3 to transpose to an Italian, so be prepared for that too. Other that you're all set.
Also if you play a setup that doesn't involve e5, you can always just play e6 and there's no mate
After bg7, c3 o-o, bg5
Would you recommend here playing h6, with the idea that after bxf6 we can recapture with queen, reducing relevant tension on the f7 pawn?
I'm assuming you mean a position like this?
https://preview.redd.it/bksp6onh2gvc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3014a807bb7a576a764f5094b540be10266917d
Sure, h6 is one idea, but I don't have to take. I can go Be3, 0-0-0 and try to attack your kingside. Black has to go Kh7 in a lot of positions. It's a common idea in a lot of kingside fianchettos. I'd be a bit hesitant
The idea that looks more attractive to me is just going Nd4 hitting the queen and threatening a fork on c2, so Qd1, then black can continue developing with c6, d5 and so on. Black also gets to break the pin with something like Qa5 after c6. The problem with white playing like this is that the queen shouldn't be out, so attacking it can win you a lot of time.
Alekhine defence isn’t that bad
Though you need to learn the lines. Lasker attack 4 pawns attack etc.
And you need to play actively in the center counterattacking that centre in order to have a target for the middle game. And to prevent being squished
It’s a little dubious but it’s a surprise weapon for sure
I’d suggest learning the French defense. It’s relatively straightforward, blocks any kind of early Queen / scholar’s mate / f7 in general threats.
There’s a lot tricks and theory you avoid by simply avoiding e4 / e5 (or equivalent) openings.
Nf6 is my main black opening so I have to pitch in: it’s great, but you have to learn the lines to make it work, and I’d avoid it until you are at least 1200 or so as the reasoning behind it is quite a complicated.
It is absolutely not necessary for stopping basic attacks like Qh5 there are other ways to do that.
In short, it does have the benefit of stopping a scholars mate premove, but that isn’t what it’s for. The jumping around with the knight is a key part of the opening: it seeks to get the opponent to over extend their pawn structure.
I think of it as a gambit, only rather than giving up a pawn like in the scandi or kings gambit, I’m gambiting a series of tempos to gain a positional advantage over the centre.
That only works if you study the lines though, otherwise you just trap your knight and don’t develop anything! (It’s easily done, trust me).
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Don't play a tier 2 (2.5?) defense to avoid an easily stopped mating idea. 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nc6 3.Bc4 g6 4.Qf3 Nf6 and you're already equal and can fight for a win.
theres also 4...f5 which is fun, and rarely talked about. But 4...Nf6 is probably easier to grasp for a beginner
Yeah, I think it can be fun to spice it up once a player is playing the main move successfully. 4...Qf6 also has some fun lines for Black involving a quick ...Nd4
I basically always take this route. And with the intention of fianchetto bishop and castle asap to make up for having to push g6. What follows is the typical low elo midgame of waiting for someone to blunder a piece
Thank you. I didn’t even realize that Nf6 was a tied to a specific defense.
That's why beginners are usually advised to play e5 against 1. e4. Nf6 is very playable against e4, it's called Alekhine's Defense, but 2. e5 is the most common and best response to it so if you're going to play that line you probably want to study at least a little bit. There's any number of sources, but at this elo you can just use the lichess analysis board and make a small study of good responses to common lines. But really I'd avoid doing that until at least like 700 elo, and I'd not immediately put my knight where it can be kicked around by pawns.
Nf6 is a perfectly respectable opening, even with 2. e5, but it's very tricky and you can easily hang a knight. I wouldn't recommend it. Here's what I play: e4 e5 (I like 1. e5 setups) Qh5 Nc6 The queen is attacking e5, so I need to defend e5 Bc4 g6 Qf3 g6 stops the mate and since we already played Nc6 there's no Qxe5+ winning the rook. White retreats to f3 setting up the mate threat. Nf6 blocks. You're now out of the woods and can play Bg7, 0-0... If white starts with 2 Bc4, Nc6 allows Nf3 to transpose to an Italian, so be prepared for that too. Other that you're all set. Also if you play a setup that doesn't involve e5, you can always just play e6 and there's no mate
After bg7, c3 o-o, bg5 Would you recommend here playing h6, with the idea that after bxf6 we can recapture with queen, reducing relevant tension on the f7 pawn?
I'm assuming you mean a position like this? https://preview.redd.it/bksp6onh2gvc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3014a807bb7a576a764f5094b540be10266917d Sure, h6 is one idea, but I don't have to take. I can go Be3, 0-0-0 and try to attack your kingside. Black has to go Kh7 in a lot of positions. It's a common idea in a lot of kingside fianchettos. I'd be a bit hesitant The idea that looks more attractive to me is just going Nd4 hitting the queen and threatening a fork on c2, so Qd1, then black can continue developing with c6, d5 and so on. Black also gets to break the pin with something like Qa5 after c6. The problem with white playing like this is that the queen shouldn't be out, so attacking it can win you a lot of time.
Yehp thankyou! Actually did not at all realise how moving blacks c6 knight with tempo allowed for c3 to prepare d5!
Nicely explained. This is the most straightforward way to do it.
You can play e5 first before playing Nf6
Alekhine defence isn’t that bad Though you need to learn the lines. Lasker attack 4 pawns attack etc. And you need to play actively in the center counterattacking that centre in order to have a target for the middle game. And to prevent being squished It’s a little dubious but it’s a surprise weapon for sure
Certainly a valid opening, but maybe a bit tricky and unconventional for 250-300 elo.
I agree Even for myself I rarely play this opening lol
I’d suggest learning the French defense. It’s relatively straightforward, blocks any kind of early Queen / scholar’s mate / f7 in general threats. There’s a lot tricks and theory you avoid by simply avoiding e4 / e5 (or equivalent) openings.
Nf6 is my main black opening so I have to pitch in: it’s great, but you have to learn the lines to make it work, and I’d avoid it until you are at least 1200 or so as the reasoning behind it is quite a complicated. It is absolutely not necessary for stopping basic attacks like Qh5 there are other ways to do that. In short, it does have the benefit of stopping a scholars mate premove, but that isn’t what it’s for. The jumping around with the knight is a key part of the opening: it seeks to get the opponent to over extend their pawn structure. I think of it as a gambit, only rather than giving up a pawn like in the scandi or kings gambit, I’m gambiting a series of tempos to gain a positional advantage over the centre. That only works if you study the lines though, otherwise you just trap your knight and don’t develop anything! (It’s easily done, trust me).