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Questions tagged [1.e4]

1. e4 is White's most common first move (except at the top grandmaster level). It tends to produce open games.

First move as white: pawn move from e2 to e4. This tag may be used for topics which relate to openings beginning with 1.e4.

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Is there value to learning openings as a new player?

Am a new player (had played before hadn't picked up a board for 3 years having never taken the game that seriously) and am going to try and commit to at least 1 rapid (10+5) game per day. Have made it to 950ish on Lichess (and was disappointed to…
user8812
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Openings - e4 vs d4

In more than 90% of chess games I play in, the first move is either d4 or e4. When I am black, I try to counter e4 with Caro-Kann and Sicilian, and against d4 I usually just play d5 and see where it goes from there. I'm however puzzled by one…
OmnipresentAbsence
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An aggressive opening for Black against 1. e4

I am a novice at chess. I am around 1400-1600 chess rating. I have struggled to find any sound aggressive openings for black against E4. As white I play the Scotch Gambit which I have great success with. Can anyone recommend any sound openings for…
Stash
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Ideas behind the 8.Bd3 line in the 4.Ng5 Two Knights Defense

In the Two Knights Defense, after [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8. Bd3 has become fashionable recently, and is considered a serious way for…
A. N. Other
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How to best respond to an early black Qa5 in the Smith-Morra gambit?

I often play the Smith-Morra gambit. Recently I've been seeing black play an early Qa5, such as [fen ""] 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Qa5 4. * or [fen ""] 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Nf3 Qa5+ 4. * It seems to throw a spanner in the works as to how I'm…
Douglas S. Stones
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Harry Potter Chess Analysis

So, I've been reading Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. If you haven't read the book yet, or watched the movie, and you don't want any spoilers, stop reading this question. Continuing, there is this chess scene, where Harry, Ron, and…
Anonymus 25
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Caro-Kann Apocalypse Attack

What are the main points, tactical or otherwise, backing up the so-called Apocalypse Attack vs the Caro-Kann? [Title "Caro-Kann Apocalypse Attack"] [fen "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"] 1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4.…
A. N. Other
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Is the Ulvestad variation playable for black?

The Ulvestad variation starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 b5 Now white's best is 6.Bf1 Nd4 7.c3 leading to this position: [FEN ""] [StartPly "13"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 b5 6.Bf1 Nd4…
Andrew
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What is the opening value of 1. e4 in 2020?

Bobby Fischer: e4 -- best by test. What is the current theory or trend in theory behind this statement? We have seen huge strides taken in chess AI in the past two years. How is this affecting opening theory regarding the "best first move"?
Senrab
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What is the current theoretical state for the Chinese Dragon?

I use this line a lot, as it tends to lead to interesting games, and I was wondering whether any advances in theory have been made here. [FEN ""] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 Bd7 10.…
atarw
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The Vienna Game: Good, inferior or bad?

I have been taking a look at 1.e4 2.e5 2.Nc3, which is known as the Vienna Game. At this point I have become familiarized with a substantial amount of variations and main lines. The principal bifurcation comes on 2...Nf6 or 2...Nc6 by Black, which…
lafinur
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What is a sharp line against the Lion?

What is a sharp line for White against the Philidor Lion: [FEN ""] 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 with 4...e5 The majority of games seem to be slow positional battles where Black is quite solid. 4.g4 looks interesting, but are there other…
Ywapom
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1. e4 with backup plan

I recently started playing 1. e4. Since black has a big choice of replies, I would like to learn one opening at a time. If black plays something I haven't learned yet, I would like to resort to a King's Indian setup (pawns on d3, e4, g3, bishop on…
user1583209
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What's wrong with 4...e5 in the Open Sicilian?

I like to play 4...e5 in the Open Sicilian in my games, usually facing something like this: [StartPly "8"] [fen ""] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb3 Nc6 I do this to: Chase the knight so that it doesn't block advancing my…
Amr Ayman
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Why isn't the English Attack popular vs. the Sicilian Kan?

As title above states, why isn't the "English Attack" popular vs. the Sicilian Kan? I mean the White setup in the Open Sicilian with Be3, Qd2, f3 and eventually g4 and h4. As far as I know, it is fairly popular vs. the Najdorf, the Scheveningen, the…
A. N. Other
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