The Chess Mind

It's a line I've covered on the blog and its predecessor, but that was long, long ago. The variation, invented, as far as I know, by German FM Stefan Bücker, begins 1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3. That was all I knew about it when I learned of its existence, and over the years I worked out some interesting ideas that proved quite dangerous, at least in games with short time controls. Objectively, it's dubious in the extreme, but practically speaking, it can be a rather nasty weapon. To see how it works and what makes it as effective as it is, tune in here and see for yourself. (Next week will be part 2.) The show is free, available on-demand, and requires no special software; the main requirement is an alert mind. Enjoy the show and give the line a try!