Chess/Questions Answered by Expert Len Molden
| Subject | Date Asked |
| French Defence | 12/13/2011 |
| Q: For the French Defence, I am wondering what are white's usual third moves and the reason behinf for ... A: The usual 3rd move in the Sicilian Defense is: 3.Nf3 ===== The reason for 3.Nf3 is that is develops ... | |
| French Defence | 12/11/2011 |
| Q: For the French Defence, I am wondering what are white's usual third moves and the reason behinf for ... A: The usual third moves in the French Defence are Nc3 and e5. 3.Nc3 ===== The reason for 3.Nc3 is ... | |
| Kasparov's games & King's Indian Defense | 11/23/2011 |
| Q: What is unique about Kasparov's playing style ? Thanks, I appreciate your reponse ANSWER: Hi ... A: Black's basic plan in the King's Indian Defense is to let White occupy the center, then strike back ... | |
| Kasparov's games | 11/19/2011 |
| Q: What is unique about Kasparov's playing style ? Thanks, I appreciate your reponse A: To sum up his playing style: Garry Kasparov was known as a dynamic, aggressive and energetic player. ... | |
| The King's Gambit | 11/17/2011 |
| Q: can u give me advice on how to play the king's gambit in chess and is it is affective or risky. im ... A: The king's gambit is considered a somewhat unsound opening at the higher levels of chess, but for ... | |
| Bobby Fischer + chess openings | 11/7/2011 |
| Q: How did Bobby Fischer study chess openings? A: From what I know, Bobby Fischer studied chess openings the way we all had to in the pre-computer ... | |
| Paul Keres | 10/28/2011 |
| Q: Mr.Molden: Thank you in advance for your time and expertise. In the past you have given me very good ... A: Paul Keres was a great attacking player, and is known as the "strongest player never to become World ... | |
| Tactical books based on grandmasters? | 10/11/2011 |
| Q: I appreciate your responses over the past. Is there books that are similar to Mikhail Tal:Tactical ... A: There is one book that I've heard about that uses the same format: ... | |
| Chess Indoor Game - Reinventing. | 9/30/2011 |
| Q: Re engineered Chess Board Layout. where the Total Number of squares will be 144 i.e. 12 square ... A: Your ideas are very good and I like the concept of the Jack (or Lieutenant as it is also called). ... | |
| Chess Indoor Game - Reinventing. | 9/26/2011 |
| Q: Re engineered Chess Board Layout. where the Total Number of squares will be 144 i.e. 12 square ... A: Your new chess variant sounds quite interesting and I wish you all the best in promoting it. It ... | |
| Chess opening | 9/12/2011 |
| Q: Respected sir! Will you please let me know that which chess opening(s) is/are the best for a chess ... A: The general consensus backed by statistical data is that the best first move for White is either ... | |
| Chess Puzzle Opening Book Follow-up | 8/21/2011 |
| Q: I was wondering what are the best chess puzzle books? Thanks. ANSWER: Hi Edward, Thanks for this ... A: Actually if you can it would be good to get both, as not only Evans a good instructional chess ... | |
| Chess Puzzle Opening Book Follow-up | 8/21/2011 |
| Q: I was wondering what are the best chess puzzle books? Thanks. ANSWER: Hi Edward, Thanks for this ... A: Yes, there are two books that I really like that do this: <a ... | |
| Chess Puzzle Opening Book | 8/21/2011 |
| Q: I was wondering what are the best chess puzzle books? Thanks. A: as chess puzzle books are an excellent way to keep your combinational ability sharp. Here's one of ... | |
| Dutch Opening | 8/1/2011 |
| Q: I am a d4 player. for dutch I play staunton gambit or Bg5.( I dont like g3 system against dutch) ... A: This is a good way for Black to enter the Dutch Defense if they also play the French Defense as ... | |
| Question About Playing Style | 7/29/2011 |
| Q: now first let's start with how do I know my style or of the others to see what to play for ,what ... A: To answer them: 1) What makes me aggressive or defensive? === This largely depends on whether you ... | |
| defense against Nf3 and c4 | 5/7/2011 |
| Q: Hey Len, I've built up a nice repetoir against e4 (french) and d4 (Benko Gambit). However, I can't ... A: I too faced this issue for a long time and tried a variety of setups. What finally brought me good ... | |
| Philidor's Defence: | 3/29/2011 |
| Q: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 c5 5.? How do I punish this because I looked in the M.C.O. and it ... A: White can get a slight advantage from: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 c5 ...with play something ... | |
| Gruenfeld Nadanian Variation | 3/21/2011 |
| Q: After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Na4 Ashot Nadanian recommends 5...Bg7. What is wrong ... A: The problem with both of these moves is the weaknesses it creates on the white squares: 5...Bf5 ... | |
| Sicilian Defense | 3/16/2011 |
| Q: 1.e4 c5 2.e5 ? What is wrong with e5 for white and give me the line up to move 10. A: The problem with 2.e5 is that Black can play this: 2...Nc6 3.f4 (if Nf3, then it will be difficult ... | |
| Sicilian Defense | 3/16/2011 |
| Q: 1.e4 c5 2.g3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Qf3 ? What I want to know is the line up to say move 10. Also why does ... A: 4.Qf3 is the best move in this position and is an old idea of Emmanuel Lasker. Even though most GM ... | |
| Style of Play: Passive vs. Aggressive | 2/18/2011 |
| Q: basically i am a passive player.i love and feel comfortable with endgames and early queen ... A: If you find yourself uncomfortable with complex, tactical attacking games, then you should broaden ... | |
| Endgame Books | 1/29/2011 |
| Q: I am wondering what books you recommend for endgames? I prefer the books to more beginner oriented ... A: Here are two chess endgame books which I recommend for you: ... | |
| An Incorrect Draw | 12/19/2010 |
| Q: I was playing the chess game on my computer.I was one move from check mate and I had not previously ... A: Probably what happened was that the position was repeated on the board three times, which is also a ... | |
| chess coach | 12/9/2010 |
| Q: I was wonedering if you can tell me where i can find chess coaches? I live in Toronto,Ontario. If ... A: I don't know of any offhand, but I know there are some good ones there. Email or phone this person, ... | |
| chess move repetition | 12/9/2010 |
| Q: is there such a rule that states its illegal to move a chess piece back in forth several times over ... A: It is not illegal to do this. However - you need to be aware of the "Threefold Repetition of the ... | |
| Sicilian Defense Kan Variation | 11/21/2010 |
| Q: Mr Molden: Thank you in advance for your time and expertise. I am USCF 1300 to 1400 and I play chess ... A: As the Sicilian Kan is probably the most positional variation in the entire Sicilian complex, it ... | |
| Sicilian Defense | 11/16/2010 |
| Q: Mr Molden: Thank you in advance for your time and expertise. I am USCF 1300 to 1400 and I play chess ... A: The variation I'd recommend is the Sicilian Kan: http://www.chessmastery.com/sicilian-kan.html ... | |
| Chess | 8/21/2010 |
| Q: How to win chess in the least amount of moves? I played my Grandfather groing up, and he could ... A: The four move checkmate goes like this: 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Qh5 Nf6 4. Q:f7 mate It can be ... | |
| chess openings | 8/7/2010 |
| Q: I am a beginner but know the fundamentals of chess. I prefer defense with some counterplay measures. ... A: I'd recommend that you study the games of GM Yasser Seirawan of the United Sates (who now lives in ... | |
| chess openings | 8/1/2010 |
| Q: I am a beginner but know the fundamentals of chess. I prefer defense with some counterplay measures. ... A: Here's some good opening plans for you. As White ======== One proven principle which helps, is to ... | |
| best mid-game move | 7/1/2010 |
| Q: Do you know of any online program (website) that will allow me to find the best move in MID-GAME? I ... A: Any commercial program like ChessBase or Chess Assistant allows you to set-up positions from any ... | |
| Guaranteed Checkmate? | 6/18/2010 |
| Q: I heard there is a certain "guaranteed" checkmate, where an opponent takes a certain piece of yours ... A: No, there is no such thing as this. It can only occur if one side allows this to happen purposely. ... | |
| Chess Traps | 3/26/2010 |
| Q: give me new moves o trap a player A: There are many books available on chess traps. Go to my site http://www.chessmastery.com and click ... | |
| Question About Openings | 3/3/2010 |
| Q: This one is hard because it is specific and I know you are only an expert. Just wondering what your ... A: Here's his answer to your follow-up"For most people the primary motivators in playing chess are fun ... | |
| Question About Openings | 2/27/2010 |
| Q: This one is hard because it is specific and I know you are only an expert. Just wondering what your ... A: This was indeed a very difficult question to answer and as I didn't feel that I could, I enlisted ... | |
| K+R+B vs K+R | 2/16/2010 |
| Q: What is the general idea of winning a king and rook and bishop vs king and rook endgame? A: This is a very complicated ending for both sides, one which even masters can have trouble with. ... | |
| Improving One's Chess Game | 12/23/2009 |
| Q: Greetings Mr. Molden, I have already asked a question before!(Closed sicilian & Alapin). I ... A: Based on your opening repertoire, you would benefit from playing over the games of a player like ... | |
| King Under Attack | 12/22/2009 |
| Q: can a king kill when in check or does it have to move? or if i have a bishop and move next to him ... A: When the King is in check, I'll quote this from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_(chess) "Check ... | |
| Best First 5 Chess Moves | 12/2/2009 |
| Q: the best first 5 moves A: The best first 5 moves in chess are: 1.e4 1.d4 1.c4 1.Nf3 1.b3 If you mean however, 5 moves ... | |
| fastest way to check mate | 11/21/2009 |
| Q: hi i have a game coming up and i would like to know some ways in which i can check mate my opponant ... A: Though I don't recommend this approach (along with all chess writers), one of the quickest way to ... | |
| Failed to call checkmate | 11/15/2009 |
| Q: I put my opponent in check and later realised that in fact it was checkmate. My opponent argued that ... A: Checkmate means the game is over no matter what and you're not required to say anything. In ... | |
| Two doubts in the Sicilian defence. | 11/15/2009 |
| Q: In the closed Sicilian(3.g3) why do they move the Knights to C1 and D1? & What is the best ... A: The Knight moving to d1 occurs quite often for three main reasons: 1) White usually develops his ... | |
| grandmaster | 8/10/2009 |
| Q: 1)Is there any point system or anything else to become a grandmaster? or >is there any ... A: Yes there is. Here's information on the chess grandmaster title: ... | |
| En Passant Capture | 8/9/2009 |
| Q: I play alot of computer chess and the PC seems to take advantage of the en passant move. I have ... A: Here's the complete rules about the en passant capture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En_passant ... | |
| chess stalemate or draw or win | 7/11/2009 |
| Q: my opponent had only king i had my king knight and rook.After that 15 moves we played with no result ... A: The ending which you describe can be drawn by the side with the King and Rook provided the best ... | |
| How to choolse opening based on my style? | 7/6/2009 |
| Q: I am a newbie, there are a lot of openings out there. How can I determine a particular style? What ... A: Can you provide me with some more information so that I can give you the best possible answer: - ... | |
| Queen's Indian Defense | 6/27/2009 |
| Q: I wanted to ask you about a certain opening move-order which I cant find in any database but still, ... A: This is an interesting question about move order. As I don't play this particular line of the ... | |
| Openings | 3/31/2009 |
| Q: How many possible moves can you make at the beginning of the game? A: There are 20 different moves for each side at the beginning of a chess game: - each pawn can move ... | |
| Nimzowitch Larsen Attack | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: Can you show me great ideas and positions about the Nimzowitch Larsen Attack, 1.b3 A: The Nimzowitsch/Larsen Attack (also called the Nimzo-Larsen) has been played since the time of the ... | |
| chess championship format | 1/27/2009 |
| Q: My question concerns the format of chess championships and tournaments, for a story that I'm ... A: Many large chess tournaments have the top boards play on stage as well as other matches between ... | |
| Chess Openings | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: I am teaching my daughter chess who is about 1000. She is 8 and quite bright. She can use some help ... A: MCO is still being printed with a new edition recently released (!). However, the times have ... | |
| Which one??? | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: Are school is holding a chess competition, I have made it to the semi finals which are going to be ... A: Congratulations for making it to your school's semi finals! Here's some good opening plans for you, ... | |
| En Passent | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: Is a player allowed to en passent out of check? A: I believe this would be a legal move as it would be like a player capturing a piece that is giving ... | |
| Chess strategies: using pawns | 7/25/2008 |
| Q: I am a part-time novelist who is hoping to use a chess strategy as a plot point. I was wondering if ... A: It's good to see that you'll be using chess strategy for your plot as not enough books or movies ... | |
| Where I Stand | 6/30/2008 |
| Q: im Rijen im 16 ive been playing chess for about 11 years now, when i was ten i beat one of the ten ... A: Before I can answer your question, I need some more information from you please: 1) What country do ... | |
| Caro-Kann Advance Variation 4 g4!? | 6/24/2008 |
| Q: Any new moves to the stem game HAHN/ALEKHINE 1941? How about an early e5 for black? 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 ... A: The move 9.Ne2 has become the main line instead of g5. Here's a master-level game that demonstrates ... | |
| Colle vs King's Indian | 5/9/2008 |
| Q: Mr Molden:Thanks again for your advice.I have been practicing and studying your recommended line for ... A: I'm glad this line has worked out for you. Incidentally, I drew GM Hikaru Nakumura (2686 FIDE) on ... | |
| 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 | 5/4/2008 |
| Q: Playing as Black i always lose when they do that. I know there is a simple response for black but I ... A: This deployment of the Knights is usually used as a transpositional device to avoid certain lines of ... | |
| Chess Openings | 3/29/2008 |
| Q: Len, I'm having difficulty with openings in general. I exhaust myself reading threough opening books ... A: This is a common question I receive with regards to chess openings and one which I had to deal with ... | |
| further on the fried liver attack | 2/12/2008 |
| Q: I didn't make myself clear. I was talking about the ..Nxd5 line where white then plays Nxf7, and it ... A: Fried Liver Attack ================== Hi Russell, The reason I didn't consider 5...N:d5 leading to ... | |
| best first five opening moves in a chess game | 2/7/2008 |
| Q: what are the best first five opening moves in a chess game A: If you're referring to the five best opening moves for White in a chess game, they would be in order ... | |
| Fried Liver Attack | 1/29/2008 |
| Q: If my opponent plays the fried liver attack, and we both play properly, whom should the whole mess ... A: This is a good question as not too many people play the Fried Liver Attack nowadays, but many Black ... | |
| Keeping chess nuts busy | 1/17/2008 |
| Q: I am a volunteer chaperone for a chess club in our elementary school called Chess Nuts. When the ... A: You should check this site as it contains rules and images of the pieces and how they move: ... | |
| Colle vs King's Indian set -up | 12/3/2007 |
| Q: Molden: Thank you in advance for your time and expertise. I took up chess two ... A: As I too play the Colle System on occasion, I've also faced this problem. Black's setup of g6 stops ... | |
| Opening Repertoire | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: I'm a 1900 strength player returning to tournament competition after a 10 year hiatus and I'm hoping ... A: Welcome back to the tournament scene. Here's what I recommend for you: Grunfeld: The best line in ... | |
| Aggressive Openings | 10/14/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to learn to play white aggressively and defend with black correctly when white is the ... A: The best way to play aggressively is start with 1.e4 as white and play an open game. As black, ... | |
| Opening Moves | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: what should be my starting move to win the game . i ussually start off with my pawns which leave my ... A: e4 or 1.d4 though there are other good moves as well like 1.c4, 1.Nf3. All of these moves can ... | |
| Self Training | 7/9/2007 |
| Q: I'm going to be a freshman in high school after this summer is over, and I have not played any chess ... A: If you can get a copy of Bobby Fischer's "My 60 Memorable Games" then this would be good. It's ... | |
| Caro Kann | 7/7/2007 |
| Q: I'm a newcomer to the opening so I dont no much about it. Would it siut a player with an aggresive ... A: It can be played in an aggressive manner as in the following variation but White has many ways to ... | |
| chess openings | 7/1/2007 |
| Q: molden, i asked a question before about openings for white, can you give me somew specific ... A: but you'll need specific books like the ones I recommended earlier, as there's far too many ... | |
| Best Opening for White | 6/27/2007 |
| Q: i am a disabled retired chief of police from new jersey who is very interested in improving my ... A: Personally, I gave up playing computer chess a few years ago because it became too difficult to beat ... | |
| Best Opening for White | 6/22/2007 |
| Q: i am a disabled retired chief of police from new jersey who is very interested in improving my ... A: e4 or 1.d4 though there are other good moves as well like 1.c4, 1.Nf3. All of these moves can ... | |
| Defences against d4, c4 and Nf3. | 6/11/2007 |
| Q: I am a beginner player (rated about 1200, and 1500 on the internet), and I usually play 1. e4. ... A: A: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 Queen's Gambit Declined. B: 1.c4 e6 followed by d5, often transposes to the ... | |
| Cramped by the Caro-Kann g4 spike | 5/16/2007 |
| Q: In the Caro-Kann, 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. g4!? how should Black proceed so that he does not ... A: This is a line that can be troublesome for a Caro-Kann player who doesn't know it. It's not one of ... | |
| Evans Gambit | 5/13/2007 |
| Q: I have a question on the Evans Gambit. (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4) What happens if the ... A: This move is not played and isn't a recognized line with a name because of White's 5.B:f7+ This ... | |
| Chess Openings | 4/18/2007 |
| Q: I OPEN BY KINGS PAWN E4, 2.QKC3,4.KNH3,5, BISHOPS AND THEN CASTLE KINGSIDE FOR PROTECTION , BUT ... A: It's important to remember is that the sole purpose of the opening is to "reach a playable ... | |
| 50 Move Draw Rule | 3/30/2007 |
| Q: Do u know anything of a 15 move rule at the end of a game when a player only has a king he moves 15 ... A: see #5 with regards to your specific question about the king (it's 50 moves): 1. The game is ... | |
| Openings - Danish Gambit | 2/27/2007 |
| Q: Panov attack seems intresting - I used to play danish gabit when I was a C player.What would you say ... A: usually as a surprise weapon as it's underestimated by many players. Most people decline it by 1.e4 ... | |
| Chess Tactics Training | 2/27/2007 |
| Q: What would you say is the best book to get on the kings gambit and or the sicillian dragon at the ... A: here's my recommendations: http://www.chessmastery.com/chess-tactics.html ... | |
| Openings | 2/26/2007 |
| Q: I need a good 2200+ refrence for the Caro Khan and something for the Kings Gambit as white. I also ... A: http://www.chessmastery.com/kings-gambit.html http://www.chessmastery.com/caro-kann.html Just in ... | |
| Sicilian Defense | 1/28/2007 |
| Q: Whenever I play against amateur players, they always want to play B-C4 when I try the Sicilian ... A: Black can attack the Bishop quickly with e6 followed by d5. The other option for Black is to play ... | |
| chess strategy move | 12/24/2006 |
| Q: When an opponent challenges one of your chess pieces (not a pawn), is it best to go ahead an take ... A: For example, you might be able to get a winning endgame by exchanging queens as you might have a ... | |
| Is this wrong? | 12/7/2006 |
| Q: I used to play 1-e4 an 2- Nf3 to develop very fast and control the center regardless the opponent ... A: e4 as white, you should consider getting a good repertoire book or CD that covers all of the major ... | |
| Whats this strategy called? | 9/29/2006 |
| Q: I don't know the name for it but I read before it fooled even the most experienced chessmasters in ... A: One type of Queen sacrifice idea I have seen used in Hollywood movies and in TV shows is seen in the ... | |
| EN PASSENT | 9/23/2006 |
| Q: Do you need to verbally say 'en passent' as you make the move. Is is true that if there is no ... A: No, there is no need to actually say "en passant" when making this capture. Here are the official ... | |
| Computer Chess | 8/19/2006 |
| Q: I would like to play chess against a computer. I try to download what seems to be a good chess ... A: http://downloads.zdnet.com/search.aspx?kw=play+chess ... | |
| queen's gambit accepted | 7/24/2006 |
| Q: I am just wondering, what is White's next best move after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 be6 I dont ... A: you can play 4.Na3 but an even better plan is to weaken Black's position by taking advantage of his ... | |
| Chess Training Tips | 7/16/2006 |
| Q: iam from India.iam 15 y old now.i have a fide rating of 2094.My question is that How to train at ... A: Tactics - 9 Endgame - 6 Strategy - 3 Opening - 2 To use ChessBase effectively, you should consider ... | |
| B-c4 in the Sicilian | 5/8/2006 |
| Q: Whenever I play the Sicilian against players who have never studied openings, the game always seems ... A: ..Nf6 with the idea of 4...e6 then 5...d5 if White doesn't transpose to normal Sicilian lines with ... | |
| chess | 4/8/2006 |
| Q: I NEED A CHESS STATEGEY NOW FOR SCHOOL!!!! A: can you please elaborate for me so that I may properly answer your question? Are you playing at ... | |
| the Caro Kahn Defense | 3/26/2006 |
| Q: how do i set it up? A: 1.e4 c6 Usual now is 2.d4 d5. It's an excellent defence to use against White's most popular ... | |
Chess
Answers by Expert:
Len Molden
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Questions about specific chess openings and advice about which opening repertoire is suited to a particular style. For example, the Sicilian Defense is suited to aggressive players, while the Caro Kann Defense appeals to defensive players.
Experience
I've been studying chess since I was 12. Apart from a vast library of specialized chess opening books, I also have a huge database collection of games.
Education/Credentials
University, College
Past/Present Clients
I've been playing in chess tournaments in the United States and Canada since 1972. I've won many tournaments in both countries and I'm ranked as a Canadian Expert. I've also written articles for chess magazines and one of my best victories ever is featured here:
Chess Team Competition
My chessmastery.com site helps chess players from around the world with free advice.
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