Comments on https://lichess.org/@/mizant83/blog/pawn-chains-and-direction/hBfZGP42
Chess speaks for itself
Benoni ASMR: Put the opponent to sleep
Average London enjoyer: Wait that's my job
BenonI Wall: Good luck putting your bishop on f4 after ...e5
It's like you are on a road with a clear direction and say "well, I attack where the road leads", but then you get to a fork in the road and now the biggest question is which direction you should take. And the answer is obvious: the one that takes the least time. Whether that means taking the shorter or the one with the least potholes or traffic.
I am not a good chess player, but I always felt chess is a game that tries to gain time, not space.
@TotalNoob69 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/1RFOb31E)
> It's like you are on a road with a clear direction and say "well, I attack where the road leads", but then you get to a fork in the road and now the biggest question is which direction you should take. And the answer is obvious: the one that takes the least time. Whether that means taking the shorter or the one with the least potholes or traffic.
>
> I am not a good chess player, but I always felt chess is a game that tries to gain time, not space.
Wow, this analogy with the fork in the road is great! I'd like to "steal" it for another video, if that's okay.
the legend has returned! thanks for the post and the video!
Worth noting that the Czech Benoni is the only opening where you fianchetto the knight to g7 instead of the bishop in the mainline :-)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e5 4. Nc3 d6 5. e4 Be7 6. g3 O-O 7. Bg2 Ne8 8. Nge2 Nd7 9. O-O g6 10. Bh6 Ng7
Nice to see this exact position and pawn chains being discussed! Had this exact same issue with the closed Benoni for many many years, and went for the exact same plans - Bd3-c2-a4 or Be2-g4. Kudos for explaining the misconception of open/closed structures.
As for what to do when pawn chains point in both directions, personally I like to look at the most advanced pawn and what side of the board it is on. Old Benoni - d5 pawn. Queenside pawn. Thereby whites space advantage is largely on the queenside, and I would plan to play there, with b4 pawn break and such.
Another example - French defense, Steinitz Variation. White has pawns on d4-e5-f4. e5 is most advanced. Kingside pawn. Whites space advantage is therefore largely on the kingside, and I would plan my play there.
Sincerely, observations of a 1900-rated patzer.
I think the kingside fianchetto makes sense when considering pawn pushes. White has 2 of them, f4 and b4. If black meets f4 with exf4, white would like to recapture with a pawn to control the e5 square and possibly threaten to push e5 himself. If we're going to play g3 anyway at some point, might as well put the bishop on g2 where it's safely out of the way and well-placed for when (and if) the center opens up through pawn breaks. It's hard to see where the bishop should be otherwise, on e2 it takes away a potential key square for (either) knight, and on d3 it's potentially vulnerable to a black f5-push ( 12...f5 13.exf5?! gxf5 + 14...e4 with move numbers assigned randomly).
Where have you got this beautiful blue chessboard?