Chess Openings: Learn to Play the Saragossa Opening

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Chess Openings: Learn to Play the Saragossa Opening

There are 20 different chess moves that white can play to start the game. These moves include e4, d4, the English Opening, Bird’s Opening, and King’s Indian Attack. All of these chess openings are good for white, but also extremely common. Is there any chess moves white can play which is strong but rare? Avoiding endless opening theory but maintaining a high level of play and flexibility going into the middlegame? In today’s video, I am recommending the Saragossa Opening which begins with c3 from white. Many may laugh at this move, but it’s simply like a Caro-Kann or Slav Defense with an extra tempo. In fact, white is guaranteed a slight advantage coming out of the opening. Both the Caro-Kann and Slav Defense are known as great chess openings for black. We as white simply want a Caro-Kann or Slav Defense system but with an extra move, and it’s virtually impossible to prevent white from getting the desired set up. The Saragossa Opening may be seen as passive, and in some respects it is. If you want to checkmate your opponent’s king within 10-15 moves, the Saragossa Opening might not be for you. However, if you are a Caro-Kann and/or Slav Defense Player, and like slower games with che strategy, the Saragossa Opening is a great option. Chess strategy, chess moves, chess principles, chess tips, and chess ideas are all important in the Saragossa Opening. In this chess opening video, we review the chess opening principles, chess opening moves, chess opening ideas, and chess opening strategy surrounding the Saragossa, as well as the chess opening variations that do the best at the Grandmaster level!

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31 Comments

  1. White wins in this opening 30% and loses almost 50% of the games. Even people like Keymer who is 2700 lost last year to 2400. Great opening must admit.

  2. I like the Saragossa, because t can morph into the Philidor/ Old Indian , or the new Elshad.

  3. i subscribe! love your game in coffee chess vs boston mike ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. great video! I tried in bullett and already won 2 games ๐Ÿ˜€

  5. The Saragossa is easy to play and has a lot of flexibility. It can transpose into a London system or a Torre attack. You said this is an underrated opening and I have to agree that it is much better than its reputation.

  6. Thanks for this great video. Always play Saragossa with white and Caro Kahn with black. Hard to find videos about Saragossa with tips. Thanks! I learned to first move the bishop because otherwise it's blocked by the great defense structure.

  7. Thanks for sharing this great opening video .Keep up the good work.

  8. I'm trying to use this against my friend and he's using an engine to play, wish me luck please

  9. love this very helpful, currently freestyling as a chess novice with openings and I have gravitated towards this one. Your breakdown was great!

  10. im a new chess player and i love this opening!! but i've been playing it wrong because i keep blocking my bishop with nd2 after d4. thank you for the tips!!

  11. When I played against this the first time, I had no idea what the hell was my opponent thinking. But then I got all over the board and lost. Good opening to catch the opponent off guard

  12. Love this. Super helpful. This opening has been nice for my newb self as itโ€™s more foolproof than most it seems. Would ya consider a little tutorial on the Dunst opening please and thanks!

  13. A lot of people give stick to this opening, but it's quite useful. You can use it to avoid any Englund Gambit nonsense as a Stonewall, London System or Colle System player, or use it to play with the opponent's mind by switching the colours (c3 e5 d3 d5 d4 is the Caro with reversed colours, same with c3 e5 c4 being a Sicilian). You can use it for transpositions as well (c3 c5 e4 is the Alapin Sicilian, and c3 c5 d4 PxP PxP d5 is Slav Exchange). Or you could just use it to get a sound position no matter the opposition's defense. It has a lot more going for it than most people assume pre-study.

  14. ุฌู†ูŠ ุงู„ู…ุฑูŠุฎ says:

    Thanks

  15. To be honest, I just played this accidentally. I was in the process of learning the Caro-Kan, it's just coming out why not try it out in white, and then boom, this is my 3rd favourite opening๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜

  16. love this system but what do you suggest if the bishop on G5 gets chased around & backed up by pawn pushes for not taking the knight? is there a good escape plan or way to counter attack & not lose the bishop?

  17. Being a Caro-Kann player myself, I reckon Saragossa opening is an opening that may put your opponent off-guard as majority of the players are expecting e4/d4/c4 moves in the beginning of the game. I'm gonna deep dive with this opening, with instructions, in my channel too. Thanks ๐Ÿ‘

  18. we would love a video on how to destroy this opening as black
    Thank you

  19. you play gentle chess i would start ripping the material bishop takes knight any day

  20. True, I had just watched a video of the Karokann and by mistake I played the Saragossa opening (lichess told me). Even if I didn't know all the plans I managed to win the game! So nice to keep discovering openings, this time by the name of a lovely and brave city. Thanks so much for the video, very good one!

  21. I always play the Saragossa..i started as a ruy player but naturally became a saragossa player

  22. I have been playing this opening with white and Caro or Slav with black consistently in the last few years. They do the job and I did not have to learn theory. At my level, 1300, opening theory is pointless anyway, all that matters are mistakes in the middle and end game.

  23. No matter what I open with as white….e4, c4, nf3, g4?????, I groan when I see 1…..c6. Why not try it from the start as white?!?!?!

  24. I got my first Brilliancy on this opening as white

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