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Punish That Annoying Bishop Pin
Suggestions by GM Igor Smirnov
Signing up for Igor’s Master Class got me on his email list. Usually, I file the emails to view later. Not this time. I was sick of getting pinned on Black’s second move when I saw this video by Igor Smirnov on the most effective way to deal with it. Spoiler: breaking the pin with Be2 is the most common and the least effective. Who’d have thought that ignoring it would be a decent option? How many of us waste time with h3 to prevent it?
The suggestions in the last half of the video are more advanced. At my level as White, I’ll settle for ignoring the pin and focusing on my development. I’ll use my first moves as Black to get an attacking position. I have SO much to learn about openings, but I do follow the basic principles.
I enjoy his teaching style. Studying the other 14 videos on his Bg4/Bg5 Bishop Pins on Knights — How to Punish Them playlist is on my chess to-do list. For more of GM Igor’d resources, check out his YouTube channel and Social Media profiles: Twitter/X profile, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
