Wednesday I had my first chess lesson with IM Fernando Valenzuela Gomez, my new coach, and it was great to get some feedback on my play. I think Fernando pinpointed my main issue well, which is my lack of opening knowledge. We had technical difficulties, so the lesson was not recorded. I should be able to fix this for the next lesson!
Lack of opening-knowledge
We began by discussing my current opening repertoire. He immediately pointed out that my Nf3-g3 approach is more effective than the London System.
He explained that many players are not well-prepared against Nf3/Reti compared to the London setup, so go out and buy Nate’s course! (but keep it a secret)..
He recommended that I continue using this opening and deepen my understanding of its intricacies. In the last months, I have just applied the setup from Nate Solon’s course with my knowledge from playing Christof Sielecki’s Keep-it-simple-system based on d4-Nf3-g3-Bg2.
We looked at a game where I automatically played d4 instead of looking at what the position calls for. Not that d4 isn’t playable, but it is what Black expects and I do not create any pressure.
I should have played Qb3! pressuring the b7-pawn that is unguarded.
Fernando emphasized the importance of consistency in openings. He advised against playing random stuff, as this can lead to superficial understanding and poor results. He has listed ‘opening expert’ in his coaching bio, so I must admit that I subconsciously knew I needed some opening work.
He encouraged me to stick with a few reliable openings and learn them thoroughly. Overall, he approved of my current selection of openings but noted my lack of depth was like giving up a pawn in the opening without compensation.