Meet#7: Rook Lift!

Hello everyone,

This weekend, the themed opening is the "Hypermodern" classic - The English Opening!

Note: Casual and noob players, relax! The chess opening strategy, like the one mentioned below and being used as a theme for our chess meetup group, is only to introduce you very roughly, to the world of chess openings, not to scare you into thinking we are professionals. We are not. We are very ordinary players trying to improve our chess. We just spent a little more time studying chess theory, that's all! :P

This is a very popular flank opening (which means, instead of moving the center pawns in the first move, white starts with the flank pawns to control the center!). In this case, white starts with the opening move 1. c4

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/9/2/1/600_436034625.jpeg

Looks very innocent but the intention of white is to control the d5 square and use it to launch a volley of attacks, if black is not careful. This is the so called "Hypermodern" opening i.e. white tries to control the center, with her minor pieces (i.e. Bishops and Knights) from a safe distance, instead of immediately controlling it using the center pawns. How to have a more complete control the very important d5 square ? follow up with moves Nf3 and g3/Bg2.

While White is building up her game in this manner, Black has her own plans up her sleeve. With white trying to control the d5 square, black usually responds with 1...e5, which is also called the reverse Sicilian and tries to control the black squares at the center.

Both sides develop quite slowly at first, before fireworks finally start all over the place!

Please join the meet, hoping to meet you there!