Rough Opening (Chess)
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| Moves | 1.d4 e6, 2. g3 d5, 3. Bg2 Nf6 (Main Line) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Named after | RoughlyUnderscore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Queen's Pawn Game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Rough Opening is a chess opening that normally appears after moves:
Named after RoughlyUnderscore, who has invented the Rough Opening. Usually transforms into a closed games where king's side is more advanced than the queen's side. Generally, this opening has several variations and these are the main three:
The evaluation of these positions is almost equal, with white commonly having an advantage that will appear in a few moves.
| This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves. |
Description[edit]
The Rough Opening was created in a friendly game where it was noticed that the development is both defensive and quick for white, when as for black they have to attack more aggressively, which will likely be punished. It's noticed that the king's side is developed much more, so it's safer to castle king-side rather than queen-side.
Possible plays[edit]
1.d4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6[edit]
This is the main line of the Rough Opening. White usually plays 4.Bf4 or 4. Be3, developing their bishop on a short diagonal.
1.d4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5. Bxf6[edit]
That's called Rough Opening: Main Line, Dark Gambit, trading the dark-squared bishop for a knight, that way removing a defender of d5 and intending to put the other pawns on dark squares. Black can play any move after Bg5 and taking the knight (or the queen in some cases) will still be the Dark Gambit. Normally they play 4...Be7 so they develop their bishop as well. According to the engine, black is winning, but overall the position is fine for both sides equally.
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.b3 e6 4.Bb2[edit]
This is a transposition of the main line with the reversed fianchetto, but here white wants to put their knight on e5 later on. This variation is called Rough Opening: Ambidexter Variation, as it develops on both sides, unlike the Main Line.
1.d4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bf5 5.Nbd2[edit]
This is Rough Opening: Knights Variation. Some engines say that black is winning here, whereas both players are pretty much equal. Going Nbd2 protects new squares that the opponent could potentially have gone into, especially e4 and c4, also gives a new layer of protection to the knight of f3. Sometimes white plays Ng5 and f3 in order to get even more control on e5.
Alternate non-mainline plays[edit]
1.d4 d5 2.g3 Bf5 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nf3 c6 5. Bg5[edit]
A so-called Rough Opening: Spin, Protected Attack is a solid Rough Opening variation that attacks the queen. After some piece protects it, white rolls back to f4, which is not a waste of moves, as we spent one move to make black play defensively on the fifth move of the game. In some cases, you would like to take the defensive piece (unless it's a pawn), because you can safely trade it and put other pawns on the dark squares. So 5...Be7 6.Bxe7 or 5...Nf6 6.Bxf6 would lead into a Rough Opening: Spin, Protected Attack, Dark Gambit Variation.
1.d4 g6 2.b3 Bg7 3.Bb2 Nc6 4.Nf3[edit]
A passive-aggressive semi-equal opening called Rough Opening: Defensive Attack, Fourth. After a few moves, more pieces would be developed, but most likely the d4 will be protected by white, as of the queen. That's why if black plays this, white can safely push the e2 to e4 and develop other pieces.
Perfect position[edit]
If black would not play any moves, this is the perfect position for white:
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |              | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
Could be achieved with 1.d4 2.Bd2 3.g3 4.Bg2 5.Bb4 6.Nc3 7.Ne4 8.e3 9.Ne2 10.O-O (optional) 11.c3 12.Qb3 13.h4 14.a4 This position has nothing hanging, except for the knight on e2, but it's easily protected with (optional) 15.Re1. The downside is that it takes a lot of moves to get a nice setup of Rough Opening and it won't even work if black would have played. However, normal variations work well. If to describe the perfect position:
- The pawns are moved to the dark squares to trade the bishop later;
- There's a pawn pyramid in the centre for better control;
- The queen is threatening to attack the weak pawn on the F-file;
- The knight on e2 is protecting 2 pawns;
- The knight on e4 is threatening to attack together with the queen;
- The bishops are controlling the important diagonals.
Example games[edit]
- RoughlyUnderscore vs xPandorumx, 2021:
1.d4 d5 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nf3 b5 5.O-O Nf6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.c3 a5 9.h4 a4 10.a3 Na6 11.Nbd2 c5 12.e4 cxd4 13.Nxd4 Nc5 14.Nxb5 Nb3 15.Nxb3 Ba6 16.Nc5 Bxb5 17.Nb7 Qb6 18.exd5 Qxb7 19.dxe6 Bxf1 20.Bxb7 Rd8 21.Qxf1 h5 22.Bc6+ Ke7 23.Qa6 Rd6 24.Qb7+ Kd8 25.Qb8+ Ke7 26.Qxh8 g6 27.Qe8# 1-0
See also[edit]
References[edit]
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