I found the following concepts. Or "rules" if you like.
- In the opening speedy development is paramount
- A pawn move is not a development move
- Only pawn moves that occupy or support the center are allowed in the opening
- Don't move the flank pawns in the opening, unless it is a closed position where development is slower
- Maximum two pawn moves in the opening
- Win tempo's by threatening enemy pieces
- Develop with one move per piece
- When your opponent does a non development move, you can do likewise without getting behind in development
- Don't trade pieces in which you have invested much tempo's
- Liquidate the center when your development is impeded
- Method 1: exchange with gain of tempo
- Method 2: liquidate the center followed by a development move or a freeing move
- Mobile center pawns are criminals that should be eliminated or put under severe restraint. Prison or death. Or both.
- If you chase a piece away, beware that it has no better place to go where it can maintain itself
- Keep your center intact whenever possible
- Make your own center pawns mobile by undermining the restraint
- Don't grab pawns in the opening, there is no time for that
- Unless it is a center pawn. But that is motivated by the center, not by the wood.
18 concepts. Not bad. Needless to say that you can break the rules when there is a good reason for it. Just be aware that you are breaking the rules and be sure that your reason is valid.
Most concepts are familiar. Yet I'm not aware of it during the opening phase. That must change.
The concept of when to liquidate the center is new to me.
For "modern" openings (i.e., those which have become popular long after Nimzovitch passed away), several of these "rules" are not applicable - or require considerable re-interpretation. Those "rules" were derived from classical chess, which emphasized the static elements. The modern opening approach emphasizes the dynamic elements over the static elements. The HAD is a case in point of a very dynamic opening.
ReplyDeleteIM John Watson addressed the apparent "rule independence" of modern chess in his excellent book Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances since Nimzowitch. It is a great companion volume to the Quality Chess version of My System by Aron Nimzowitch.
Rules with exceptions is probably not a good metaphor. It is about concepts organized in a hierarchical structure. If we deem the concept density of My System as 20 concepts per chapter, then it adds up to 280 concepts. John Watson should be studied for new concepts and refinement of the old ones.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, we need a database of valuation concepts. How must I value the activity of my pieces compared to the backward pawn that I must invest for it?
Chess can be played and be understood in many ways. I would disagree with most rules of "my system ch 1 rules", and I think that is because I think your understanding of development is "wrong".
ReplyDeleteMy thinking is much more based around "how can I motivate my opponent to capture my piece".
The main rule is "to take is a mistake" (see video GM Smirnov "the most common mistake").
That explains why gambits are "ahead" in development.
Example: 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3
with your "my system" you explain this be tempo move counts. White has his knight out and both his bishops are already unblocked (dont need a pawn move to free the bishop on c1, whereas black needs to unblock his Bc8 bishop).
But I understand it differently: Black took white. and "to take is a mistake" because with every take you tend to "draw" a piece into the center, while at the same time your attacker is gone. so I understand the position: the attacking black pawn disappeared (is gone), while the white pawn on c3 is replaced by its defender - the knight. Now a knight is sitting on c3 instead of a pawn.
And with only passive recapturing, white's knight has been "drawn" into the center.
Understanding this compared with a simple tempo count made it possible for me to find openings, where I play a "gambit" without actually losing any pawn (material) at all!
Take this example: black gets his pieces "drawn" towards the center. Others can only see the result, black is ahead in development. But it is much more important to understand how this happened:
1.e4 Nc6
2.d4 d5
3.e5 f6
4.exf6 --> there you have it: "to take is a mistake". By capturing this pawn, the attacking pawn e5 is "gone" (disappears).
4...Nxf6 (the pawn f6 got replaced by a knight which only recaptured, whereas the square e5 is now void-emptym, and it is again whites move. Same position, it is whites move like before, but the difference is: e5 disappeared, and instead of a pawn there is now a knight on f6).
Looking at the tempo counts, you will discover that black is ahead in development. How comes?
And dont explain it with tempo count. Sure, that is like counting the outcome, but the very true idea is not "centralization" nor is it "dont move your pawns, but develop with every move".
Black did not do that!
No, black did move a flank pawn f6. And black didnt go much for the center other than the d5 pawn move.
This black opening (the nimzowitch defense) is out of fashion, but it was never refuted.
But I am not going into openings here. It is about a misconception of "development".
I play 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 and after 2...dxc4 3.e4 it is better for black not to try to hang onto the pawn win. Still, the white pawn move was a flank pawn move, and I really wonder how this fits into "my system ch 1 rules", after 3...b5 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Nc3 Bd7 7.d3 cxd3 8.Bxd3
Now looking at "development" and counting moves is entirely beside the point. White hardly did "first develop a piece with every move", but instead white lured black into "to take is a mistake" and by doing "mistakes" (captures) white motivated black into more of such mistakes until Bf1xd3 was developed for free. But really, the move Bf1xd3 is just a "passive" recapture.
In that sense, white defends most of the game until his pieces are drawn before the opponents king (check mate). The more my opponents capture the more I am "at their throat".
Its a bit like the fairy tale: for every head Ivan cut from the Hydra-dragon, 3 more heads grew in place of the old head.
"Make my opponent capture me" - this is the idea how to get ahead in development.
because I think your understanding of development is "wrong".
DeleteIt's Mr. Nimzowitsch' understanding, actually.
You have a strong point. Nimzowitsch mentions that one of the reasons to put your pieces in the center is to invite your opponent to trade them. When you take back with a pawn, lines are opening up.
I play the Nimzowitsch Defense! Nimzo played it himself, but apart from him, it is a rare sight in tournaments. For no good reason, really, confirms Kasparov. Kasparove believes the Nimzo Defense is excellent, but incompatible with his sicilian (Kasparov's main weapon).
ReplyDeleteand the Nimzo Defense can be avoided with 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 after which 2...d5?! is inaccuarte: 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nc3 Qh5 5.Nb5! and black simply loses.
So best is probably 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 or 2...d6 or 2...e6, all of which are transpositons into something else than a Nimzo-defense game.
But if Kasparov knew his opponents would play 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 - he would go for that Defense, he said: 2...d5!
About "when you take back with a pawn, lines are opening up":
Here I have a game of mine (played today, I am black), where my opponent has the center, and still, he captures. You dont need to have the center to recapture, and actually, it is even better if he has the center IF HE DOES the mistake to initiate the first captures.
https://lichess.org/pbmPN3hv6OBi
The game is amazing, because I only recapture all the time, and by doing so I get a strong center, despite I went for the opposite (leaving the center to my opponent).
I recapture, defend, defend, until my pieces are so far ahead that I win a knight which already is a part of a forced mate sequence. Only when I capture that knight, this together with my e4xf3 pawn-capture is the first "active" capture I did in the entire game. All others, my opponent "forced" me to recapture.
https://lichess.org/pbmPN3hv6OBi
A totally passive game by me. I did nothing for going forward, and indeed I rather do backward moves when possible (...Qe6, ...Ba7) just to avoid exchanges.
https://lichess.org/pbmPN3hv6OBi
Really, I did "nothing", it was him forcing me upon him.
I get your message.
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