Stefan Buecker wrote on 10/03/11 at 07:07:15:
BPaulsen wrote on 10/02/11 at 23:33:07:
Getting some compensation for a pawn doesn't qualify as a cheapo. Cheapos would be a line in which there's tactical traps to avoid (the 3...h5 stuff earlier might qualify as white has to at least pay attention early on).
So yes, my statement stands as of right now.
I see, it means fool-proof: teacher can walk around without having to worry that his pupil makes a terrible blunder in the first few moves. I agree. 3.g3 is a perfect choice in this respect.
The entirety of ECO offers no system that can protect a scholastic player from being outplayed tactically, or from making gross blunders. Scholastic games are riddled with ridiculous mistakes, and the whole problem of developing scholastic players comes down to inculcating sound principles and good tactics. My approach was to encourage players to play into open positions where tactics come to the fore. If you go the opposite way, I think you really risk that your players won't develop the tactical acumen essential for this game. It's great when a kid comes to you after the round and says, "I found a tactic!"
Also as a matter of principle, I would criticize a scholastic player who played 3.g3, saying that it may be a system, but why make another pawn move when your bishop already has an open path? For us, such an observation seems stilted and even silly, but it's exactly what scholastics need to hear. The idea that each and every move is a vital chance to pound your opponent is something you really have to develop in young players. Later there'll be enough time for sophistication.
This thread is probably not the place to debate all that, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
P.S. If you teach a scholastic player to play g3, you substantially increase the likelihood of his being mated on g2.