In our Chess Opening Tutorial, Unusual First Moves, we discuss classifying chess moves as good, bad, and ugly. The three moves in the previous paragraph are the 'good' moves in our current position. What about the bad and the ugly?
Looking again at the diagrammed position, Black's first priority is to meet the attack on the Pawn at e5. Two of the good moves defend the Pawn, while the third (2...Nf6) attacks White's undefended e-Pawn. When a piece is under attack, an attack on a piece of equal or greater value is often an adequate defense.
Black has other moves that defend the Pawn on e5 or that attack White's Pawn on e4. These moves are considered inferior for reasons that are not immediately obvious.
The bad: Moves that are unplayable.
- 2...Bd6
- 2...Qf6
- 2...Bc5
The ugly: Moves that are playable, but awkward.
- 2...f6
- 2...d5
- 2...f5
Why bother with these moves? The first reason is educational; the refutation of bad moves often involves basic tactics that teach a lot about the use of the pieces. The second reason is psychological; if you can't beat your opponent's bad moves, how can you expect to beat the good moves?
Some opening manuals point out bad moves and give reasons why they are bad, but few show the variations that refute the bad moves. Let's look at these moves more closely.
