Nice vid Brucewallace

One point I would like to make is you seem to be very reliable on chess engines. They are not always correct and especially, ESPECIALLY :) in the opening phase!
For example in the Bc4 lines you show the move d6 which does very little in the center, maby it's playable and good but I just don't like it.
The reason why this particular black's set up is so reliable against the grand prix attack is because if white goes Bb5 black goes Nd4 and if white puts his bishop on c4 then black goes for a e6 Nge7 d5 based plan which in fact wins a tempo on the white bishop. Flexibility, that's what's important and the fact that white played a flank pawn move like f4, a flank attack is best refuted by a central counter attack as they say

Allright, now to the 7. ...d5 line:

The line with exd a6 Nc3 Nf6 d4 Nxd5 dxc Nxc3 Qxd8+ Kxd8 bxc Bxc3 Rb1 Kc7 Bb2 Bxb2 Rxb2 black doesn't have to make a lot of non developing moves and head towards the position you showed :P
A lot more human move than the line you showed seems Be6 followed by Bd5-c6 with a better game for black due to black's superior pawn structure and a bishop vs knight

My 8. ...d4 was kind of wierd :) Maby 8. ...a6 Nc3 d4 Ne4 Qd5 is a worthy alternative but I didn't want white to go d4 so badly

Hi Armis

Apart from being reliable on chess engines :-) which doesn't take much skill I do play regular tournament chess and analyse my games without and with an engine. In the line you played I would have gone for Nd4 myself because its a fighting move and it stops white doubling blacks c pawns. I don't play the line with g6 because I prefer an early e6 because I think it's more flexible and white isn't used to it.

I don't like lines, if I'm playing myself, where I have played g6 and then play e6. Even if I get in Nge7 I still think this creates too many dark square weaknesses on h6,f6 and d6. With an early e6 you have the option of playing your N to e7 without disturbing you kingside pawns. Richard Paliser recommends this line in 'Fighting the Anti-Sicilians' largely because g6 is practically the main line so why not face white with something different?

Engines give a range of opening moves as you know and they aren't always the best book moves. If Bc4 after Nd4 black can play Bg7, e6, d6, d5!?, Nf6, Nh6, Rb8, a6 the list is endless. Now I cant look at every line or the vid would be 20 hours long. These are only possible suggestions not what you might want to play dependant on your style or experience.

The line under discussion where white ends up with doubled pawns and N v B I rather favour black. Whites pawns are a mess and provided black gets his pieces into play should have a very nice game.

However after KB got his pawn back you were fortunate as he had a solid position. You wouldn't have got away with this against me
:-). We are human after all and chess would be boring if we played like Fritz. I could see from watching the original vid that c4 was a weak move as was h3 without an engine.

I thought your d4 was good, without an engine, and I played this in a game against the Grand Prix myself without a B on g7 and it was still OK. But then we're not playing against masters so we can get away with commital moves.

Thx for the comments Armis.

Allright, sorry, I probably got a bit too harsh on the engine theme.

I think I should look up the e6 line one day. What's most annyoing about the g6 line is that sometimes the bishop gets boxed in by white's pawn on e5

Yeah the pawn got pretty weak that was exactly what I was worried about!

No problems with you mentioning the use of engines as I have a thick skin. Yeh your pawn got weak but it only got weak in the end game if you are going for such a commital move it requires energetic tactical play to maintain it which you did. I'd recommend trying out the e6 line. Grand Prix players hate it. It keeps white guessing about blacks intentions.

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Thanks, Bruce. Another nice analysis video. I especially liked the lines revolving around the "push the e pawn or play exd?"

I thoroughly enjoyed watching armis annihilate KB. it was anyones game during the middle i think

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@5:31 I prefer ...c4 with the idea ...b5 and ...Bb7 and I think white is just positionally busted.

@7:05 In the line with the tripled pawns I think like you showed ...Bxc3 probably only helps white who gets some useful moves like Rb1 and a good exchange with Bb2. I think I would prefer to finish development with ...Bf5 and if Nd4 then ...Be4 supported by ...f5 if needed and black has a monster bishop on e4 and still has the bishop pair and the rooks are ready to play now after ...Kc7. I am such a sucker for the bishop pair.

Very good video as always...maybe I can trick you into making one of those for me one day?

Ah yes, b5. I totally missedd that! That looks nice
And the idea of not taking on c3, I like it as well

Thanks Zibbit

Ingvar,

I think I would be a bit presumptous to even consider analysing one of your games as I am a patzer. I have to say that it's good to have controversy over a game. c4 then b5! yeh quite a pawn wedge and then Bf5. Full scope for the bishop pair. A question tho. There is a game in Silman's 'Amateurs Mind' or 'Re-assess Your Chess' where two N's crush the two B's. Would you agree that having the B pair isn't an absolute advantage but is dependent on the position. I've played a few Nimzo Indians where I get the 2 N's v 2 B's as the dark squred B usually gives itself up for the N on c3. Where the position is blocked I've found my N's and R's combining beautifully with tactical threats throughout whites position. Paradoxically whites dark squared B bites on granite and the white squared B hits thin air.

Any comments?

Oh and thanks for the kind remarks on the video.