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Chess beginners - everyone welcome, of course!

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JulesR Feb 2021 9:36pm, 26 Feb 2021 26,010 posts	Quote Pin JulesR Here’s an easy example from an opening that I play as black. After white pushes a3 to threaten black’s bishop, the swap BxN+ followed by Bxp wins a pawn so is obviously a good swap. If the pawn wasn’t on e4 to be won, then BxN+ would damage white’s pawn structure by giving them a doubled c pawn & an isolated a pawn, but it’s not as clear cut swap as the first case where black wins material:
Joophy Feb 2021 9:54pm, 26 Feb 2021 329 posts	Quote Pin Joophy Thanks Jules, makes sense. I just get into the mindset of a bishop being slightly more valuable than a knight. In your example Ba5 is probably what I would have played to keep up the pin.
Angus Clydesdale Feb 2021 12:32am, 27 Feb 2021 21,986 posts	Quote Pin Angus Clydesdale Bizarre, isn’t it? I tend to value Knights over Bishops because the former can jump, which is a USP.
jennyh Feb 2021 1:16am, 27 Feb 2021 5,641 posts	Quote Pin jennyh Me too Angus
GimmeMedals Feb 2021 8:47am, 27 Feb 2021 20,016 posts	Quote Pin GimmeMedals Knights are sneaky too; they appear when you least expect them.
JCB Feb 2021 2:36pm, 27 Feb 2021 2,321 posts	Quote Pin JCB Just note that keeping up the pin by moving Ba5 means it can be attacked again with no safe square. Fallen for that a few times!
SPR Feb 2021 2:50pm, 27 Feb 2021 33,392 posts	Quote Pin SPR In the example above yes because of the fianchetto setup so your options are take or retreat along the Bc5 diagonal but Jules has said why taking is better in the example above. Having played JCB 6 times I know he's a fan of the fianchetto setup, lol.
JCB Feb 2021 2:57pm, 27 Feb 2021 2,324 posts	Quote Pin JCB SPR, I did go through a phase of a couple of months trying that out... 🤣 I think you’ve out me off it!
JCB Feb 2021 2:57pm, 27 Feb 2021 2,325 posts	Quote Pin JCB I think you’ve put me off it!
SPR Feb 2021 3:01pm, 27 Feb 2021 33,393 posts	Quote Pin SPR 🤣 I did enjoy trying to attack the setup and I think I was generally successful in breaking it up but our 2/ 2/ 2 current score across our games says whatever success I had against it wasn't decisive.