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Hello and welcome to the page that details the Oil position on a chessboard.
This position is fairly uncommon and difficult to achieve, but may offer substantial
rewards if it is achieved. Do not go out of your way to achieve this position. However,
sometimes the opportunity presents itself, and then you could possibly attain a similar
position to this one. |
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Advantages
- A symmetrical setup with good control of the center with the minor pieces and the
Pawns.
- Paired Bishops in the center make for a very strong attack in the 2nd half of the
game.
- The "Oil" is so named because of the similarity of the position to the bottles of
so-called medical oil that were peddled around the world during the middle of the 20th
century.
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Disadvantages
- The Knights are easily subjected to pins, as advancing the flank Pawns would weaken the
position.
- The Queen does not really influence the game until the middlegame, since it is contained
by its own minor pieces.
- A pronounced lack of support on the Queenside, which must be remedied slightly before
pushing the entire batch of pawns up to attack the opposing
Queenside.
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Move Sequence
- e4. King's Pawn Opening.
- d4. Many defences allow this second move.
- Nf3. Trying to overprotect d4.
- Nc3. Both Knights are out in the center.
- Bd3. Better this for the castling possibility.
- Be3. Completing the bottle layout of the pieces.
- 0-0. Perhaps better then castling long.
- This setup has long been described as the optimum one to strive for when playing an
opening. However, due to the frequent non-cooperation of the opponent, many have forgotten
how to look for this position.
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Pitfalls
Throughout the entire opening sequence, black can give white trouble with these moves:
- Bg4 is a pin that is difficult to get rid of without weakening the position
- Nb4 seeks to trade the cramped Knight for a Bishop which could wreak havoc in the
middlegame
- Bd6 with a Qc7 in attendance could be deadly for h2, which is the eventual target of an
attack on the Kingside
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Similar Openings
1. d4 d5 2. e3 Nf6 is the Queen's Pawn Game.
3. Bd3 is the Stonewall Attack of the
Queen's Pawn Game. |
Medicated Oil