tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post4682522444002791201..comments2023-12-28T02:11:22.501+00:00Comments on The Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog: Variations club players don't seem to playTom Chivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-48254251109178950332007-09-25T18:34:00.000+01:002007-09-25T18:34:00.000+01:00ejh: I was playing slow and blitz. White never eve...ejh: I was playing slow and blitz. White never even got to the point where he could play an <I>anti</I> Marshall, much less let me play my dang Marshall. I realized that getting good at the Marshall would take years given the current rate of white playing along in book. So I switched to the Scandinavian. :)Blue Devil Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12045468316613818510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-57785110239277196472007-09-25T08:23:00.000+01:002007-09-25T08:23:00.000+01:00You played twenty games as Black in one month?You played twenty games as Black in <I>one month</I>?ejhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01582272075999298935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-44919768507837379972007-09-25T07:11:00.000+01:002007-09-25T07:11:00.000+01:00I played the Marshall for about a month, learning ...I played the Marshall for about a month, learning the ins and outs. In about 20 Ruy games as black, white got to the point where I could play it...once. White deviated quite early.<BR/><BR/>I lost.Blue Devil Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12045468316613818510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-11299886746663463582007-09-24T10:40:00.000+01:002007-09-24T10:40:00.000+01:00I forgot to say...the lack of popularity of the QG...I forgot to say...<BR/><BR/>the lack of popularity of the QGD at club level, as compared to say Nimzo/Queen's or Bogo Indian, as always mystified me.<BR/><BR/>The main disadvantage of playing ...Nf6, ... e6 and something other than ... d5 seems obvious to my eyes - you have to learn TWO openings not one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-80957166157918363582007-09-24T10:38:00.000+01:002007-09-24T10:38:00.000+01:00I played this line - as Black - last year in the L...I played this line - as Black - last year in the London League. I lost via a winning position as it happens.<BR/><BR/>My opponent was clearly struggling to remember the theory but played into the sharp 0-0-0 lines anyway. After he'd castled long he immediately went out of book with a harmless variation from the mainline. He told me after the game nobody had played a regular QGD against him for a long time.<BR/><BR/>My experience playing the QGD as Black is that most d4 players don't seem to face it very often. I've also found that e3 before developing the Bc1 are the most popular set ups.<BR/><BR/>That's at my level of course - which is somewhat lower than yours Justin.<BR/><BR/>Funnily enough I also play Bf4 set ups as White - though not since the end of the season before last.<BR/><BR/><BR/>PS: I seem to remember the Marshall being quite popular at the end of the 80s/early 90s - back when you had a reasonable chance of White accepting it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-34458077304044254352007-09-24T10:10:00.000+01:002007-09-24T10:10:00.000+01:00I'm not sure how often you see a good old fashione...I'm not sure how often you see a good old fashioned QGD from black though, either... Not playing 1.d4 I'm not sure, but my hunch is whilst not as obscure as the Marshall at club levels, not at the same height of raging fashion that 2.c3 is v the Sicilian.Tom Chivershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.com