Udemy
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
    •  
Turn what you know into an opportunity and reach millions around the world.
Learn More
Your cart is empty.
Keep shopping
The Queen's Knight Attack Chess Opening System (1. Nc3)
Rating: 4.6 out of 5(28 ratings)
288 students

The Queen's Knight Attack Chess Opening System (1. Nc3)

Learn the Queen’s Knight Attack (1. Nc3) Surprise Opening System: Chess Tactics, Strategy, Positional Play, Provocation
Created byTryfon Gavriel
Last updated 4/2024
English
English [Auto],

What you'll learn

  • A system which is an interesting alternative to mainline opening theory
  • A system which is a great alternative to having to learn tonnes of overgrown fashionable theory
  • A system which can get you surprising positions to get the opponent out of book early
  • A system which provides great options for transposition to get positions with great attacking prospects
  • Model games from Danish CC-Grandmatser Ove Ekebjaeg who was the 14th runner up World correspondence champion making great use of 1. Nc3 (6/7)
  • Model games from Ted Dunst who had a lot of fun miniature quick wins with it
  • Great options after 1. Nc3 e5 - starting with 2. Nf3 with idea of a quick d4 - so no need to transpose into the Vienna game
  • The balance between repertoire options for speed chess vs classical chess - as well as even correspondence chess
  • Very original fun provocative situations arising after 1. Nc3 d5 2. e4 which can sometimes give great attacking chances if the player with Black overstretches
  • Model games from FIDE master Zvonko Mestrovic
  • A system which is simple to play yet effective - perfect for time-poor lazy people who want to watch Netflix and other stuff instead of opening theory
  • A system which based on Nc3 can simplify playing against the Caro-Kann - namely 1. Nc3 c6 2. e4 d5 3. Qe2 or 1. c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Qe2
  • Can enhance a 1.d4 repertoire with an alternative to the Queen's Gambit which opponents would usually find surprising and have to improvise more
  • Can enhance a 1.e4 repertoire with Nc3 based "Anti-systems" that cut down theoretical burdens and where you are often more likely to gain info. advantages
  • A system which will equip you with the Jobava London system key insights where 1. Nc3 d5 is a "default" response but to be well prepared here
  • A four quadrant model of thinking where you can make the informed tradeoff between surpris value and accuracy and apply it to your opening repertoire in general
  • Model games from GM Baadur Jobava which relate to 1. Nc3 d5 2. Nc3 - Nc3 will add surprise value here and you will have backing of many high level game examples
  • Model games from successful online GM Alexsur81 who often plays 1. e4 d5 2. Nc3 - The Closed Scandinavian which by transposition enriches this course

Course content

29 sections257 lectures18h 40m total length
  • A Nc3 styled opening repertoire19:32

    Explore a Nc3 styled opening repertoire within the queen's knight attack system, merging provocative knight tango concepts with D4/E4 options and a four-quadrant accuracy-surprise model.

  • Why Kingscrusher passion for 1. Nc3 ?11:09

    Explore the passion for knight c3 as a versatile 1. Nc3 anti-systems that provokes weaknesses, traps, and practical online success against Vienna and Scandinavian setups.

  • Key Terminology explained including Transposition, Accuracy, Evaluation14:34

    Explore key terminology like transposition, accuracy, and evaluation, and see how king safety, material balance, pawn structure, and piece activity create favorable imbalances.

  • Four Quadrant Diagram "Surprise vs. Accuracy" - useful for playing and research15:11

    Apply the four quadrant diagram to balance surprise and accuracy in chess, aiming for the top-left. Use practical examples and engine insights to map openings and research.

  • What is the value of Surprise in Chess?12:38

    Explore the value of surprise in chess by creating opponent problems with unique opening ideas, online fast-time play, and engine research on anti-Sicilian lines.

  • Why avoid main line opening theory?16:14

    This lecture argues that mainline theory is high maintenance and proposes anti-system sidelines, like knight c3 setups, to reduce preparation, cut theory load, and sharpen winning chances.

  • Why is Nc3 an important component of Anti-systems?11:52

    Why Nc3 is a key anti-systems move: it delays center commitments, controls the d5 square, and supports flexible lines like the London system against many setups.

  • Why include some blitz game examples from world of online chess?7:59

    Explore why the course includes blitz game references and how post-mortem engine analysis reveals themes and patterns to improve both blitz and longer games.

  • Why prioritise iconic instructive games in Transposition sections?11:22

    Prioritize iconic instructive model games to enrich understanding of the knight c3 system, emphasizing opening phase lessons, transposition ideas, and core lines through revisited, engine-backed analysis.

  • Course Evolution Plan8:20

    Drive the queen's knight attack chess opening course with a four quadrant evolution plan, prioritizing surprising and accurate, engine-approved variations that deliver independent value.

  • Pointers for Exponent driven further research6:18

    Explore exponent driven research in chess openings, leveraging direct and indirect exponents from grandmasters and transpositions to gain strategic insights and advance study.

  • Tips and Pointers for Online database research6:29

    Explore online game databases and explorers to study human games, watch for transposition bias, and use post-mortem engine analysis to learn from losses.

  • Enriching a 1.e4 or 1.d4 repertoire with Nc3 based anti-systems5:34

    Enrich your e4 or d4 repertoires with knight development Nc3 based anti-systems, offering flexible ideas against Sicilian, Scandinavian, and Grunfeld through practical enrichment and simplified theory.

  • Art of War principles - applied to Four Quadrant Diagram :)8:06

    Apply art of war principles to chess by knowing yourself and the enemy, using a quadrant diagram to locate top-left strengths and exploit weak opponents with surprising moves.

  • Art of War principles - in recap summary7:08

    Apply art of war principles to chess by using a quadrant diagram to know yourself and the enemy, avoid strong setups, and attack unguarded spots with surprise moves.

  • Nc3 as an opening component played at move 2 or move 3 - research opportunities14:07

    Explore Nc3 as an opening component on move 2 or 3, researching its use in various defenses, pawn structure, and transpositions to gain surprising, quieter, and central control advantages.

  • Some of the major premises the course is built on10:40

    Master the course premises of balancing accuracy and surprise, deception, and engine-guided decisions within a quadrant diagram to adapt against higher or lower rated opponents.

  • Course section ordering considerations3:11

    This lecture explains how the course is ordered by popularity from an online database, prioritizing D5, with D4, E4, or 9f6 options and anti French two Knights lines.

  • 1.Nc3 d5 - is it better to play 2.d4 or 2.e4 ? - Example #1 - Alexsur81 vs KC15:25

    Weighs whether to play 2.d4 or 2.e4 against 1...d5 in the Queen's Knight Attack, using blitz and correspondence examples and engine considerations to guide choice.

  • 1.Nc3 d5 - To 2.d4 or 2.e4 - Example #2 with 2.e4- Austin Lockwood vs Sam Sharpe7:04

    Analyzes a high-level iccf correspondence game: 1.Nc3 d5 leads to a nimzowitsch-inspired attack, with bishop e5 and long-term structural edge shaping a tense endgame.

  • 1.Nc3 d5 - To 2.d4 or 2 - Example #3 with 2.d4 - Lockwood vs Schuller11:50

    Analyze a top-level correspondence game, 1.Nc3 d5, focusing on the Jehovah system with bishop f4 and d4 ideas, while noting engines push toward solid, often drawn outcomes.

  • On a lighter note - Magnus Carlsen using 1.Nc3 in bullet in a shockingly fun way9:53

    In this funny bullet game, Magnus Carlsen uses 1.Nc3 to test casual play and gift tempo, illustrating the Queen's Knight Attack and the risks of early sacrifices for development.

Requirements

  • Knows how the chess pieces move

Description

Do you like Adventure? Do you like "secret gardens" like the Novel "Secret Garden" - which we can use to spice up our chess and wake up from the over-trodden paths which can put us to sleep? Do you like Surprise? Are you sometimes a Maverick? Be a Top Gun in chess with 1. Nc3 :)

Surprise is a powerful weapon in Chess. Kingscrusher has made great use of 1. Nc3 in online chess especially at faster time controls to get much better positions often than following standard opening theory. This course dissects the surprise value of 1. Nc3. It shows with greater informational preparation you can force the opponent to have to improvise more than you from early on in the game and win much more easily than playing in a more conventional manner. The suggestion was made by one of Kingscrusher's non-chess-playing friends once about playing a surprising opening move to bypass a master's preparation. This is that kind of move - leading often into unique relatively unexplored territories. There is often a choice to transpose back to standard territory or investigate the powers of the unique values and positions that 1. Nc3 can generate.

Even modern top-flight Grandmasters are making use of Nc3-based systems to surprise opponents such as Baadur Jobava and Richard Rapport.  We can make use of transpositions sometimes to the relatively unexplored territory where these Grandmasters and others have cut through enormous amounts of opening theory to get Nc3-based positions where they have room to be creative and resourceful in original positions rather than the "Beaten tracks" of opening theory.


1. Nc3 is known by many names - in fact, it has some of the biggest alternative name lists of any opening in existence.


Queen's Knight Attack Opening

Queen's Knight Opening

Dunst Opening

Heinrichsen Opening

Baltic Opening

Van Geet Opening

Sleipnir Opening

Kotrč's Opening

Meštrović Opening

Romanian Opening

Millard's Opening

Knight on the Left, and (in German) der Linksspringer.


Kingscrusher has made great use of 1. Nc3 especially in faster time controls. 1. Nc3 tends to take opponents by surprise early on and encourages them to improvise badly away from their more theoretically prepared territory. 1. Nc3 can also be a great transpositional tool heading for some great attacking 1. Nc3-based destinations.

Kingscrusher's use of it often gets amazing attacking opportunities early on because opponents tend to want to chase the knight to g3 and in doing so create light square weaknesses. If Bc4 is allowed, then White often has amazing attacking potential making use of the h-pawn quite often later. But there is a more solid "boring" alternative in 1. Nc3 d5 2.d4 with a view to playing the Jobava London system - a name which GM Simon Williams has given to the particular variation of the London system where a Knight is placed on c3 instead of a pawn on c3.

Some very strong correspondence chess players make use of 1. Nc3 frequently, and it is occasionally seen over the board as well. This course aims to establish an objective "truth" for this opening and its possible effectiveness at different time controls of bullet, blitz, standard one-day chess, and correspondence chess, which is the ultimate test of its "Scalability"




Who this course is for:

  • Beginner to Intermediate players
  • Advanced players who want a great surprise weapon especially at faster time controls