Last week I discussed two London System move orders, either 1.d4 followed by 2.Bf4 or 1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.Bf4. Both of these could form the basis for an economical opening repertoire for White, but what about Black? I have frequently recommended the Queen's Gambit Declined (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6) and French (1.e4 e6) for Black, but these are not the only options.
After the Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD) I'd say that the Slav Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6) is Black's simplest choice. As with the QGD it's a set-up that can be adopted against Flank Openings. There is some theory but it's theory that makes sense, some sharp openings require exponents to play wonderful moves that defy most peoples' attempts to remember them.
What about 1.e4? The Caro-Kann isn't bad, and it features the same two pawn moves as the Slav with 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5. Yet I'd tend towards recommending the Scandinavian instead (1.e4 d5) because White tends to be less well prepared and the Advance Caro (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5) is difficult to handle.
Vimeo Closing Its Video On Demand
Unfortunately Vimeo is closing its Video On Demand service in November, so I'll no longer be offering any titles through them. Those who have purchased one of my videos on this platform will be able get access to the materials at Tiger Chess by the time Vimeo closes this service. Please send me your receipts which are available here when you are logged onto your Vimeo account.
Sam's Youtube Chanel
My son Sam runs a Youtube channel in which he streams his live games on chess.com. This shows considerably more bravery than I'm able to muster, so please check it out and subscribe. I think he's doing a nice job.
Upcoming Events
This is how things look right now, with nothing in particular planned after November. If I'm invited I'll play in Nova Gorica (Slovenia) in January next year and then Maya (Portugal) in August:
October 23-25: Scarborough Congress
I've now entered this one and booked my hotel. Details can be found here.
November 2-13: European Youth Championships, Crete
I've been appointed as one of the coaches for this event, which basically rules out the English Senior Championships because the two events only have a day's break between them.
Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis at Lichess, featuring selected opening variations. You can check out what's coming up here.
Have a good weekend.
Nigel
