user25315: Playing on chess.com against the first advanced bot, "Antonio", I've lost a game and looked at the analysis.
The following is the state of the game not far from the beginning, where I had done only those moves that the engine considers either "book" or "best":
r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/n1p1p3/8/3PN3/5N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w - - 0 2
At this point my move was c3:
r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/n1p1p3/8/3PN3/2P2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQKB1R w - - 0 2
which the engines deems "excellent", whereas the "best" move would be
r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/n1p1p3/4N3/3PN3/8/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w - - 0 2
My question is, why is this a better move? What advantage does it give to me? Is it in the short term?

user11071: Maybe because it threatens BxN PxB, Nxc6, gaining a pawn? Therefore it reduces the range of moves that Black can play this move. Qa4 can then follow up (to a move like Ne7) to place pressure on the A knight and the C pawn.
It also allows threats like Qf3 or Qh5, whose refutations might weaken Black's pawn structure?
Just speculating.

25315: <p>Playing on <a href="https://www.chess.com/home" rel="nofollow noreferrer">chess.com</a> against the first advanced bot, &quot;Antonio&quot;, I've lost a game and looked at the analysis.</p>
<p>The following is the state of the game not far from the beginning, where I had done only those moves that the engine considers either &quot;book&quot; or &quot;best&quot;:</p>
<pre><code>r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/n1p1p3/8/3PN3/5N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w - - 0 2</code></pre>
<p>At this point my move was c3:</p>
<pre><code>r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/n1p1p3/8/3PN3/2P2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQKB1R w - - 0 2</code></pre>
<p>which the engines deems &quot;excellent&quot;, whereas the &quot;best&quot; move would be</p>
<pre><code>r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/n1p1p3/4N3/3PN3/8/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w - - 0 2</code></pre>
<p>My question is, why is this a better move? What advantage does it give to me? Is it in the short term?</p>
 11071: <p>Maybe because it threatens BxN PxB, Nxc6, gaining a pawn? Therefore it reduces the range of moves that Black can play this move. Qa4 can then follow up (to a move like Ne7) to place pressure on the A knight and the C pawn.</p>
<p>It also allows threats like Qf3 or Qh5, whose refutations might weaken Black's pawn structure?</p>
<p>Just speculating.</p>
