Most Common Chess Opening MISTAKE | Key Tactical Pattern

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In this video lesson, GM Igor Smirnov will share with you the most common chess opening mistake ever. This opening error has been played in more than 2.4 millions of chess games!

You will learn how to avoid making this opening mistake yourself and how to punish your opponents when they make this most common opening mistake.

It happens in one of the most common chess opening positions after the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4. It also happens in other openings – therefore, you simply have to remember this key, common tactical pattern to punish this blunder!

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► Chapters

00:00 Most common chess opening mistake EVER!
00:29 This mistake happened in 2.4M+ games
02:10 Winning position for Black
03:23 If White plays 6.Bb5 instead of 6.Bxd5
05:36 If White plays 5.Bxf7+ instead of 5.Nxe4
08:39 White’s best response
09:44 Same tactical pattern for White
10:10 Tricky move 3.Be2, setting the trap

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113 Comments

  1. the engine has told me to play this exact combo countless times and I never understood why until now. I thought the bishop check in-between that you showed refuted it but clearly not. thank you, this will really change how I open the game

  2. What do you do if white plays Bishop to C4 before Knight to C3?
    Which gives him time to play D3 or D4 afterwards before you can play Knight takes E4?

  3. Actually one thing you can do is to let Black grab the pawn and just castle, inviting a superior reversed Stafford. Won a nice game like this.

  4. After Nf6 captures e4, Bf7 check is also a line. So calling Bc4 a mistake is right on the margin of being dubious.

  5. 5:55 Bxf7+ after Ne4 looks good, but as you say, d5 spoils the fun.

  6. I had a chess friend that used to develop this way every single game, so once I took a look into engine to see this exact tactic to make him play other way xdd

  7. "bishop is stronger than knight overall"??………….

  8. I have never pursued this opening personally but it presents some interesting possibilities. Thank you for presenting this video so I know what to look for in future matches. Also the possibility to bait my opponent when given the opportunity. Well presented.

  9. I really enjoy your videos. Is there anything good about the move Bc4 after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6? it obviously avoids lots of nasty traps but is it sound? Can't find anything about anywhere!

  10. This doesn't seem to be a mistake, just a tricky opening.

  11. In spite of it being wrong, I win MANY games by sacking the bishop with B×fP+
    It may be incorrect, but many players panic if they can't castle. Proof of this attachment to castling is in how some players try almost anything to stop you castling!

    G.M. Smirnov, do you have a video specifically about how to strengthen the king in the centre if your opponent is intent on stopping you from castling? I usually get the bishops in the centre near the king and advance the flanks in chains to support the knights but it doesn't always work.

    BTW this is yet another game changing tutorial from you, thanks. My favourite chess teacher.

  12. This is great! I was making this mistake and planned on looking up solutions/ways to avoid this and this video had it all! Thanks 👍

  13. He shouldn't have flipped the board as it makes things confusing. Not a good move !

  14. We can play f5 even when bishop moves to d3 as there will be again 2 pieces trapped with pawn push

  15. You make it sound so easy how to take advantage of this mistake. And it is easy, once one knows about it. Thanks, great video!

  16. This is now one of my favorite videos, because I see this opening somewhat frequently; so, hopefully I’ll get to put it to use soon. This is a brilliant response to a common opening position, but then everything you post strikes me as brilliant. You’re an excellent chess coach and I appreciate the straightforward manner in which you present these videos, avoiding superfluous talk, getting right into the learning that we all come here for. Most of us out here are not properly trained and don’t really know what we’re doing. We’re just learning little bits like this along the way and hopefully improving. Much of our chess knowledge is out of context with overall strategy play. That’s why I also appreciate you demonstrating so many different variations that can happen with this position and how to respond accordingly. I’m now a faithful subscriber, looking forward to watching more of your videos. Thank you!

  17. After Nxe4 the best way for White is to continue in a gambit way, simply castling.

  18. What If after Qg5 White plays Nxc6, threatening a discovered check? Is Black going for Qxg2 next anyway?

    Ah, I see, then Just Qxb5 and the knight is lost as well. Piece up for Black.

  19. And what if ,after black takes the e pawn with his knight, white takes f7 pawn with check…

  20. I remember playing this as a kid and was not aware it was a blunder, where I reacted the "correct" way.
    Here's the thing:
    It's not a blunder.
    There are ways ito blunder after Bc4 Nxe4, but Bc4 is not a blunder.
    Good job of getting views tho.

  21. After 2.30…. White horse can cheak black king. Then black queen will be captured.

  22. Alright…
    1.e4 e5
    2.Nf3 Nf6
    3.Nc3 Nc6
    4.Bc4……and arrived at the said position…
    4……. Nxe4? is an outright blunder
    why? because of…
    5.Bxf7+!!

  23. I always play Italian opening and when someone play this against me. I just take pawn with bishop first so opponent king can not castle and then takes knight. Almost always works for me. And I learned it from 1-2 games like this

  24. Very well done video. Thank you! I've had a hunch that there was some counterplay to what looks like a boring opening, and now I've found it. Thank you!

  25. Watched this video today and just had a game for Black with this opening (4 knights and then White brought out the bishop) and I mated in 14 moves. Thank you!

  26. Yea No.
    This is just a regular opening it isn’t a mistake lol

  27. @10:43s if the white queen on d4 takes the pawn on g7, what is the best response for white if black plays queen to f6 (i.e. the black queen is stopping you from taking the rook, which itself is defended by black's knight on g8)?

  28. Very useful video Igor.I have encountered theses positions as black and white.Now,I gonna put your ides to use.Thanks and keep turning out your videos.Love them

  29. Don't take the Knight yet , bishop check first then take the n

  30. Тот момент, когда узнаешь себя на принимающей стороне. 🙂
    Спасибо!

  31. this is mistake for white
    black: yeahh..
    but white can counter it with..
    white: yeahh..
    but black can use this tactic..
    black: yeahh..
    but white also can do..
    white: yeahh..
    but clack can win it with..
    black: yeahhh

  32. thank you very very very much, you help me a lot

  33. At this point 0:26, white knight should capture pawn e5. If black knight captures e4, then there's queen e2, effectively capturing the black knight or queen.

  34. Chess fascinates me! Always has! But I am very bad at it… Even then, your VERY INTERESTING video taught me one thing or two! Kudos on your *SUPERB TEACHING SKILLS*!!!!!!!!!!

  35. What’s the best continuation after 6.Bb5 dxe4 7. Nxe5 Qg5 8. Nxc6?

  36. Grandmaster Igor Smirnov has the best chess channel on you tube.

  37. This video singlehandedly took me from 610 ELO to 635. Thank you GM Igor Smirnov.

  38. it's such a disgusting idiot move for black, not really mistake for white for beginners chess. I was in this situation many many times as white and rarely lost. Don't listent to this lier

  39. Thanks so much for the info…I play italian game a lot and see this a few times…now I know what to do

  40. White is fine in this line. It avoids a lot of theory.

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