Oheka Castle
It was built on a 443-acre estate. Its centerpiece, Oheka, was a 126 room French Chateau that rose dramatically from the highest point on Long Island’s Gold Coast. At the time of its construction Oheka was, and still is today, the second largest private residence ever built in America. When completed in 1921, it was described by the New York Times as “the finest country estate in America”. 
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
A very elegant castle! Susan I have a very hard question to ask you that has nothing to do with the castle. lol I am playing in an email club and I have the BLK pieces. What are good replies for a patzer against 1. Nf3? I seem to always have problems with The Reti, or Kings Indian attack. I was looking at Kaspy’s, Karpovs, Anands, Korchnoi’s, yours Judit’s and Fischers replies to a05 through a09 lol. I am really lost, because I dont understand the theory behind much of it. Any sugesstions would be greatly appreciated. ; )
TFK
I Imagine d5, or Nf6 are logical.
Spassky liked to play d5 and c5 along with Nc6. I think Fischer liked to play Benoni or a Sicilian type defence against Nf3.
TFK
Hello anon, here is some advice from an experienced internet club player. 1.Nf3 is a good move, developing a piece, and you can do nothing to push him back to g1 quickly, only later. Therefore, you have to make peace with this fact and start developing some pieces. I suggest 1…f6, taking away all the center and side squares from the Knight. Don’t worry about castling, your plan should be to castle on the longer side. Later you will attack him with g5!!
BTW, if you choose to play my recommendation, I will name it as the “Oheka Castle defence”!
I understand that you are lost. All super grandmasters playing all different replies! What can you conclude from this? That none of them really knows what the best move is? That all of them will suggest a different move? Yes. Probably. There are many moves of the same value? Probably not. Until computers solve the game of chess, we will really never know. Anyways, according to Fritz, Shredder, Hiarcs and Chessmaster, you can only make a mistake if you play 1.g5(?) All other moves are ok.
Why is g5 wrong? Its just another gambit!! Look at this 1.nf3 g5! 2.ng5? e5!! 3.nf3 e4! 4. Ng1 and you have what you wanted! The knight on g1!! And development advantage worth 2 points + a free move to play!
Be careful of traps: Masefield – Trinka, Omaha (US Open) 1959 1.e4 g5 2.d4 f6?? 3.Qh5 checkmate 1-0
Here is some study material:
[Date “1987.??.??”]
[White “Battig,W “]
[Black “Schneider,W “]
[Result “0-1”]
1. Nf3 g5 2. Nxg5 e5 3. d4 h6 4. Nh3 d5 5. dxe5 Bxh3 6. gxh3 Bc5 7. Qd3 c6
8. b3 Qh4 9. Qg3 Qe4 10. Bg2 Qxc2 11. O-O Ne7 12. Bd2 Rg8 13. Qd3 Qxd3 14. exd3 Nf5
15. Bf4 Bd4 0-1
[Date “1986.??.??”]
[White “Battig “]
[Black “Schneider,W “]
[Result “0-1”]
1. Nf3 g5 2. Nxg5 e5 3. d4 h6 4. Nh3 d5 5. dxe5 Bxh3 6. gxh3 Bc5 7. Qd3 c6
8. b3 Qh4 9. Qg3 Qe4 10. Bg2 Qxc2 11. O-O Ne7 12. Bd2 Rg8 13. Qd3 Qxd3 14. exd3 Nf5
15. Bf4 Bd4 0-1
[Date “1986.??.??”]
[White “Prins,J “]
[Black “Nickl,K “]
[Result “0-1”]
1. Nf3 g5 2. Nxg5 e5 3. Nxf7 Kxf7 4. e4 Qh4 5. Bc4+ Ke8 6. O-O Nf6 7. Qf3 Be7
8. Nc3 Nc6 9. Nb5 Kd8 10. d3 d6 11. Qe2 a6 12. Nc3 Nd4 13. Qd1 Be6 14. Bxe6 Nxe6
15. Ne2 Nh5 16. Ng3 Nhf4 17. Nf5 Qg5 18. g3 Qg6 19. Kh1 Rg8 20. Qf3 Nh3 21. c3 Kd7
0-1
[Date “1986.??.??”]
[White “Kettl,H “]
[Black “Daikeler,E “]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
1. Nf3 g5 2. Nxg5 e5 3. d4 Bg7 4. e4 exd4 5. Bc4 Nh6 6. Qh5 Qf6 7. O-O d6
8. Nf3 c5 9. Bxh6 Bxh6 10. e5 Qg6 11. Qxg6 hxg6 12. exd6 O-O 13. Re1 Nc6 14. c3 Bg4
15. Nbd2 Rad8 16. Re7 Bxd2 17. Nxd2 Rxd6 18. Rxb7 dxc3 19. Ne4 cxb2 20. Rxb2 Rd1+ 21. Rxd1 Bxd1
22. Rd2 Rd8 23. Rxd8+ Nxd8 24. Nxc5 Nc6 25. h3 1/2-1/2
[Date “1984.??.??”]
[White “NN “]
[Black “Diemer,E “]
[Result “0-1”]
1. Nf3 g5 2. Nxg5 e5 3. d4 h6 4. Nf3 e4 5. Ne5 d6 6. Nc4 b5 7. Ne3 d5
8. c4 bxc4 9. Nc3 c6 10. g3 Ne7 11. Ng2 f5 12. Bf4 Bg7 13. f3 Qb6 14. e3 Qxb2
15. Rc1 exf3 16. Nh4 f2+ 0-1
For Susan
Stairy, stairy height…
Paint your palette blue and gray
Look out on a summer’s day
With eyes that see the darkness in pro chess.
Shadows on the boards
Sketch the games and scorecards
Torn into little tiny shards
Behind a smile hiding your duress.
Now I understand…
What you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your charity
How you tried to set them free
They would not listen they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now
Stairy stairy height
Flaming words that brightly blaze
Vows to raise long forgotten days
Reflect in Susan’s brilliant eyes of blue…
Patterns deftly cast…
New solvers posed, solutions fast
Your purpose now, your future past,
All poised to show chess a better day.
For they could not love you
But still your love is true
And if no hope is left inside
On that stairy, stairy height
You’ll lose your oath as lovers often do
But I could have told you Susan
That chess was never meant for one as…
beautiful as you
Stairy stairy height
Grandeur lost on empty halls
Wasted moves on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget
Like the players that you’ve met
The struggling pros in ragged clothes
The last game lost, the forgotten moves
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Now I think I know…
What . . .you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your charity
How you tried to set them free
They would not listen. . . .they’re not listening still
…
Perhaps they never will
with apologies to Don McClean
1.Nf3 d5? must be wrong, as it leaves the square e5 weaker than ever before.
1.Nf3 Nf6 is a copycat move, and should be played very carefully. For example: 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Qh4?? 3.Qxh4 and white should win.
TFK, just follow the basic principles of chess. Any reply such as 1…d5, 1…Nf6, 1…g6, etc. is fine.
Vincent’s Ghost, thank you. I like the rendition of Josh Groban.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
http://www.SusanPolgar.com
I disagree. Patzers don’t understand logical moves and the logic behind them. Patzers can’t play like grandmasters. Hey patzer, play like a patzer and win with style! Don’t look at Kaspy’s games, as you won’t understand any move he and his opponent (unless a patzer) played. I advise looking at Napoleon’s games instead. Hum, I just noticed you didn’t ask me anything, so why am I posting?? Sorry. It will take some time to adjust to a ladies blog, unlike most of the horror male blogs I am a member of. Sorry again.
I don’t understand the basic principle behind playing g6 in response to nf3? The move you suggested doesn’t control the center. Also which are the other fine moves behind ‘etc’?
Nice castle, OK I will buy it. no sense in asking the price. only those who can not afford it ask the price. We can throw chess parties there every weekend. I figure about $100 million should do it.
WWCC well this round is complete. we are now down to 4 players.
Khurtsidze(0.0) – Galliamova(2.0) Galliamova
Sebag (0.5) – Matveeva(1.5) Matveeva
Xu Yuhua(2.5) – Kovalevskaya(1.5) Xu Yuhua
Cmilyte(2.5) – Chiburdanidze(1.5) Cmilyte
Bb7 by black seems to give me the most problem when I play KIA myself
I wish I knew what to do against it.
Susan,
I’m a big fan of the song “Vincent” (Starry, Starry Night) written by Don McLean in 1971, too:
http://www.don-mclean.com/articles/vincent.asp
After seeing “just follow the basic principles of chess. Any reply such as 1…d5, 1…Nf6, 1…g6, etc. is fine.”, I know that it’s someone else blogging in Susan’s name. Bye bye to all.
Anon,
I’m sorry to disappoint you but I get thousands of messages and e-mail weekly. Do you expect me to write a 2-page essay to respond to each of them?
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.PolgarChess.com
http://www.SusanPolgar.com
It seems like alot of people are sarcastic and insulting on this blog. I hope you realize that Susan works very hard with her chess responsibilities, not just on this Blog but her chess center, her monthly columns and the betterment of chess in America for children, girls, and all Americans! This site is free, appreciate it, dont be ungrateful! Some people are never satified!
TFK
satisfied*
TFK