BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kasparov/Keene, Batsford Chess Openings
Levy/Keene, An Opening Repertoire for the Attacking Club Player
Walker, Chess Openings for Juniors
Various magazines and other books
Rule 1: Develop as fast and as actively as you can
Rule 2: Get a stake in the centre, and try to stop your opponent
What does this mean in the E-pawn openings?
PLAN 'A' FOR WHITE:
You can see that the move d4 may do both: after ...exd4, cxd4 Black's centre pawn has disappeared and White has the perfect pawn centre. This is the worst case for Black.
PLAN 'A' FOR BLACK:
Both sides may be able to maintain the E-pawn centre with pawns on e4/e5, or these may disappear and both sides have a central D-pawn (d4/d5). Lastly, all four central pawns may vanish. In each case Black should have equal play.
if White doesn't do much, grab as much of the centre as you can.
Again, the move ...d5 often forms part of Black's plans. If Black can play this in safety, you will usually have equalised at least.
E-pawn Centre D-pawn Centre Vanished Centre With or without the d-pawns The open e-file usually With both files open the natural break is means exchanges of the exchanges are likely, and f4/...f5, and either side heavy pieces, as neither unless one side can seize can hope to plant a Knight side can afford to abandon the centre by force, or has on f4/f5. control of the file. The the two bishops, play is right square to plonk a drawish. Knight is e4/e5.So, let's have a look at some variations.
2... Nf6
This is RULE 1: Develop as fast and as actively as you can.
White has several choices here:
3... d5
And this is RULE 2: Keep hold of your share of the centre, or hit back
with ...d5.
Now you should get an equal game, although, as always, you must be careful.
4. fxe5
4... Nxe4
5. d3
Now after 5. d3 Black can simplify carefully and gain equality:
5... Nxc3 6. bxc3 d4
7. Nf3 Nc6 8. cxd4 Nxd4
9. c3 Nxf3+ 10. Qxf3 c6 11. d4 Qh4+ 12. g3 Qg4 13. Bg2 Qxf3 14. Bxf3 Be6
with a level endgame; not much chance for Black to win in this line I'm afraid.
III.A.2. VIENNA GAME with 3. g3
This line was fashionable amongst masters a few years ago. White isn't doing
much, so just follow Rules One and Two. First develop:
3... Bc5 4. Bg2 O-O 5. d3 Re8
Then hit back with ...d5.
6. Nge2 c6 7. O-O d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Kh1 Bg4 =
with a level game, as in Portisch - Toran, 1961.
III.A.3. VIENNA GAME with 3. Bc4
If White plays this I recommend you reply
3... Nc6
4. d3 Bb4 5. Nf3 d6 6. O-O Bxc3 7. bxc3 Na5
8. Bb3 Nxb3 9. cxb3
When play is level.
2... Nf6
Now White's most common move is:
3. d3
This transposes to a quiet line of the ITALIAN (Giuoco Piano/Two Knights) group of openings.
4... Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. Bb3
Having developed quickly, you are now ready for:
6...d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Re1 Bg4 9. h3
Now, the book line goes:
9... Bh5 10. g4 Bg6 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Rxe5,
when BCO2 gives:
12...Nb6! =
Dolmatov - Chekhov, 1981.
This is a move Gary Lane ignores in his popular book.
But Lane does suggest the magnificent mess starting:
9... Bxf3
e.g.
10. Qxf3 Nd4 11. Qxd5
Qxd5 12. Bxd5 Nxc2
If you prefer this sort of game, this is a nice try.
This is good advice, but just as in the VIENNA Gambit, we will also look quickly at a line with ...d5.
2... d5 3. exd5
Now you can try the relatively unanalysed 3...c6
3...c6
The NIMZOVITCH Counter-Gambit; 3...e4 is the old FALKBEER Counter-Gambit.
Either way you get a good gambit line of your own against the KING'S Gambit.
But Lasker would undoubtedly play:
2... exf4
Now White has two main ways of continuing:
III.C.1. KING'S BISHOP Gambit, 3. Bc4
Black can play simply
3... Nf6 (RULE 1)
4. Nc3 c6 (RULE 2)
with good chances.
III.C.2. KING'S KNIGHT Gambit, 3. Nf3
I have always liked
3... Be7
This CUNNINGHAM Variation reinforces the ancient weakness on the e1-h4
diagonal, and covers the e-file.
4. Bc4
4...Nf6 5. e5
Alternatives include
After
Black has an equal game.
2... exd4
Now White has a choice:
This exposes the Q to attack, when it is hard to find a good retreat.
3... Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7
6. Bd2 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5 Qxd5
Black is ahead in development, which makes the opposite-side castling difficult
to play for White. The game is equal.
3... dxc3 (Lasker!)
Now 4. Nxc3 is a sort of 'half-Danish', and is likely to transpose to the GORING Gambit, dealt with under the SCOTCH Game section below. The DANISH proper is:
4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2
When White has a genuinely dangerous lead in development. Correct technique
here is to return some of the material to get your own development back on
track.
5... d5 6. Bxd5 Bb4+
7. Nc3 Nf6
when Black has good chances of an advantage - either securing the two bishops
in an open position, or developing quickly and then keeping the pawn. If you
find yourself as Black thinking about odd or cramped moves just to try and hang
on to the pawn, my advice is: let it go.
My own recommendation is the old CORDEL Defence with
3... Bc5
Bobby Fischer played this a few times in the 'sixties, and never had any
trouble reaching a level game. It avoids any trouble you may have with the
EXCHANGE Variation and LOPEZ FOUR KNIGHTS lines below. Let's look at how you
can try and get into the OPEN MORPHY lines, and perhaps then you can will see
why I started looking at the CORDEL line.
To get into the OPEN MORPHY line you play
3... a6
hoping for
4. Ba4
White has an important alternative here, which might be played just out of nerves.
IV.B.1. The EXCHANGE Variation 4. Bxc6
After
4. Bxc6 dxc6
White can play either the old main line
White is going for the better ending with this move; the hope is that all the pieces will come off, when White can create a passed pawn on the K-side with f4-f5 and e4-e5-e6 while your Q-side majority is crippled. So Black should avoid too many exchanges and play very actively, using the two bishops and open lines.
5... exd4 6. Qxd4 Qxd4 7. Nxd4 c5 8. Nf3 Bg4
with equal chances.
IV.B.1.b) BARENDREGT Line 5. O-O
Bobby Fischer revived this in the 'seventies, and it is still being tried.
What should you do? The book line is roughly equal after
But I reckon at junior level the line
5...Bg4
is worth a punt:
6. h3 h5!
Now
So White should play either
7. c3
with a probable draw after
7...Qd3 8. Re1
Or, the best line,
7. d3
White can get a small advantage here I think, but has to play lots of good moves.
7... Qf6 8. Nbd2 Ne7 9. Re1 Ng6 10. d4 Bd6 11. hxg4 hxg4 12. Nh2 Rxh2 13.
Qxg4 Qh4 14. Qxh4 Rxh4 15. Nf3 Rh5 16. dxe5
16... Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Bxe5 18. c3 g5 19. Be3 g4
]
If White plays the main line with 4. Ba4,
we continue to steer for the OPEN MORPHY with
4... Nf6
hoping for
5. O-O
Sadly, White has several alternatives here, and if all your opponent knows about the RUY LOPEZ ends after the third move, you may well startle White into playing one of these lines:
IV.B.2. LOPEZ FOUR KNIGHTS Variation, 5. Nc3
5. Nc3
5...b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. d3
7... d6 8. Nd5 Na5 =
with equality: BCO2.
IV.B.3. The ANDERSSON-STEINITZ Line, 5. d3
White intend to play slowly. There's not much you can do but trot out the
usual recipe: develop and play ...d5. This should lead to level play.
5. d3 d6 6. c3 Be7 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. Nf1 b5 9. Bc2
9... d5 10. Qe2 Re8
with equality.
After 5. O-O we can at last enter the
IV.B.4. OPEN MORPHY Variation with 5... Nxe4
The main line of the OPEN MORPHY variation goes:
6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Bc5
When Black has superb development, although may look a little loose. The OPEN
variation has been a great favourite of fighting players like Euwe and
Korchnoi.
10. Nbd2 O-O 11. Bc2
Now you might even consider the DILWORTH line:
11... Nxf2 12. Rxf2 f6 13. exf6 Bxf2+ 14. Kxf2 Qxf6
Botvinnik has tried this, although it is clearly risky to give up a piece in
such an apparently equal position.
There are many alternatives in the OPEN MORPHY at each point for both players, so I have only indicated some of the outlines above. Look in books like BCO2 for more information. Or, if the number of variations you see in the books frightens you, please consider the ARCHANGEL Variation
But I have a feeling that most White junior players won't let you play these lines, and instead will veer off with the natural-looking EXCHANGE or FOUR KNIGHTS lines.
IV.B.5. CORDEL DEFENCE 3...Bc5
Having seen the number of ways White can shoot off into odd lines, you can see
why I would like to recommend the CORDEL variation. After
3...Bc5
White's best try is
4. c3
Now the only lines I could find in BCO2 started
4... f5
...with White getting the advantage after
But Fischer's treatment was more simple: e.g.
4... Nge7 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8. Qxd2 a6 9. Ba4 d5 10. exd5
Qxd5 11. Nc3 Qe6+ 12. Kf1 Qc4+ 13. Kg1 O-O 14. d5 Na7 15. Re1
15... Nf5
which was soon drawn: Tal - Fischer, 1960.
Fischer also had several games with the bolder line
4... Nf6
For example
5. d4 exd4
6. e5 Ne4 7. O-O
7... d5 8. Nxd4 O-O 9. f3 Ng5 10. Bxc6 bxc6
drawn Gligoric - Fischer, 60.
So on this evidence, the CORDEL Defence is a simple way to get your pieces out against players who you don't trust to enter the main lines.
IV.B.6.
An Alternative to the OPEN MORPHY:
5... b5 6. Bb3 Bb7ARCHANGEL Variation with 5...b5
Now the best line is:
IV.B.6.a)
ARCHANGEL with 7. d4
7. d4
This is nothing to be scared of.
7... Nxd4 8. Nxd4 exd4 9. e5 Ne4 10. c3 dxc3 11. Qf3
This looks awkward, but Black can survive happily.
11...d5 12. exd6 Qf6 13. d7+ Kd8!
14. Qxf6+ Nxf6 15. Nxc3 Kxd7 16. Bf4 =
With equality, according to Vlastimil Hort.
IV.B.6.b)
ARCHANGEL with 7. c3
This is more patient but not stronger.
7. c3
Black can now make a mess with
7...Nxe4 8. d4 Na5 9. Bc2 exd4 10. b4 Nc4 11. Bxe4 Bxe4 12. Re1 d5 13. Nxd4
Bd6
14. f3 Qh4 15. h3 Qg3 16. Nf5 Qh2+ 17. Kf2 O-O-O 18. fxe4 dxe4 19. Qg4 Kb8
20. Qxe4 Rhe8
Black is doing fine here.
IV.B.6.c)
MAIN line ARCHANGEL with 7. Re1
7. Re1 Bc5
White now plays his Plan A
8. c3 d6 9. d4 Bb6
Black is solid and well-developed, as in many lines of the LOPEZ, but here has
posted the bishops on much more active squares, pointing at the White King.
Black can play very actively now, castling Queen side and hammering down the
other wing.
10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 Qd7 12. a4 O-O-O 13. axb5 axb5
14. Bxf6
This is the strongest line:
14... gxf6
Now White does best to try and keep things under wraps with
15. Bd5
But Black can give White some nervous moments with:
15...Rhg8 16. Kh1 Qg4 17. Rg1 exd4 18. cxd4 f5 19. Nc3 fxe4 20. Nxe4 Qf5 21.
Nc3 Nb4 22. Bxb7+ Kxb7=
Klovans - Shirov 87: equal, accoring to BCO2
3... exd4 4. Nxd4
People have recently found some new ideas in lines that had been abandoned, but I think interest is waning again as these ideas become better known. The natural move is
4...Bc5
when White has two natural moves:
[If 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 Ne7 7. O-O d5 should hold, but more accurate
5...Qf6! 6. Qe2 bxc6 7. Nc3 Ne7=]
IV.C.1. SCOTCH GAME with 5. Be3
5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bc4
White has tried many moves in this position, but this Icelandic line is the most current.
9... Bxe3 10. Nxc7+ Kf8 11. fxe3 Rb8 12. Nd5 Qg5 13. Nf4 Qc5 14. O-O g5 15. Nh5 Be6
After 7. Bc4 the equaliser used to be 7...Ne5 8. Be2 and 8...d6/8...Qg6 (see BCO2), but that has started to creak.
Will Black succeed in re-enforcing the line? Karpov has still happily played
7... O-O 8. O-O Bb6 9. Nc2
9. Nc2 d6 10. Bxb6 axb6 11. f4
Now
leaves White with a small space advantage. In the game Kasparov - Short (Linares 1991) Black tried
11...g5!? 12. f5 Ne5 13. Be2 Bd7 14. c4
would have been the best line.
IV.C.2. SCOTCH GAME with 5. Nb3
You must retreat with
5... Bb6
Now White usually chases the Bishop with
6. a4 a6
Gary Lane reckons this gives White good chances, but one move order he doesn't consider is
7. Nc3 Nge7 8. Bg5 f6!
Now
9. Bh4 O-O
and now
and according to ChessBase, Black has achieved a pleasant equality.
IV.C.3.
SCOTCH And GORING Gambits
After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4
White may try
4. c3
Black can equalise with
4... d5
5. exd5 Qxd5 6. cxd4 Bg4 7. Be2 Bb4+ 8. Nc3 Bxf3 9. Bxf3 Qc4
10. Qb3
Neither:
nor
16... Qa2 17. Ra1 Qc4 18. Rc1 Qb4
10... Qxb3 11. axb3 Nge7 12. O-O a6 =
with equality, Ljubojevic - Ree, 72.
Lastly, but most importantly, we must consider how you should reply to:
IV.E.1.
The MAX LANGE Attack 4. d4
After 4. d4 Black must reply:
4... exd4
The alternatives are unattractive:
Now
5. O-O
Black now has a choice:
I include analysis of both lines in case you fancy playing this as White.
IV.E.1.a)
MAX LANGE with 5... Nxe4
This is the most complex line.
6. Re1 d5
Now White has two important attacking alternatives:
Although, both lines are tricky and sacrificial!
IV.E.1.a)(1)
SACRIFICIAL 7. Nc3
7. Nc3 dxc3
8. Bxd5 Be6
9. Bxe4 Bb4 10. b3 Qxd1 11. Rxd1
11... Rd8 12. Be3 a6
Black has an extra pawn which is hard to keep and harder to make use of. The storm has blown itself out.
So let's look at the alternative
IV.E.1.a)(2)
TRICKY 7. Bxd5
7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. Nc3
Another surprising Knight move. This is a terribly well-analysed position, so
whoever knows most about it should win. One line goes:
8... Qa5
9. Nxe4 Be6 10. Neg5 O-O-O 11. Nxe6 fxe6 12. Rxe6 Bd6
13. Qe2 Qh5 14. h3 Rde8 15. Bd2 Ne5
And again White's attack has blown out.
IV.E.1.b)
MAX LANGE with 5... Bc5
5...Bc5
6. e5
Black has only one good move here:
6...d5
To see why:
[6... Ne4 7. Bd5 f5 8. exf6 Nxf6 9. Bg5 +-
Now the main line of analysis goes:
7. exf6 dxc4 8. Re1+ Be6 9. Ng5 Qd5 10. Nc3 Qf5 11. Nce4 O-O-O
This is exciting stuff! White has a strong K-side attack and control of the
e-file. But Black has an extra pawn, good central hold and has sent the King
off into safer territory. Black can even think about a K-side counter-attack.
For example:
12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. fxg7 Rhg8 14. Bg5 Rd7 15. Nf6 Qxg5 16. Nxd7 Rxg7
and White has run out of steam...
Now, you can research this lot for yourselves, but there's a lot to it. For example, if you check this line in the Levy/Keene book, they give 12. g4!
They also say Black's 8...Be6 is "more or less forced, since on
8...Kh8 comes 9. Bg5 cxb2 10. Bh6+ Kg8 11. Nc3! with a tremendous game for the pawn...
e.g. ... 11...Bf8 12. Bxf8 Kxf8 13. Ne4 followed by 14. Qd2 with clear
advantage to White
." Whereas, if you look in BCO2, you find
"8...Kh8 9. Bg5 cxb2 10. Bh6+ Kg8 11. Nc3 f8 12. Bxf8 Kxf8 13. Ne4 f5 =+" - that is, advantage to Black, and instead White can only hope for equality after 12. Nxd4 Bxh6!.
So I don't know how many recent books you need, although Andrew Soltis (who seems to be going for the world record of chess books published) has written a repertoire book from White's point of view about the MOLLER and the MAX LANGE.
IV.E.2.
MAIN Line TWO KNIGHTS with 4. Ng5
The MAIN line, which I recommend, goes:
4... d5
But there is an alternative: the WILKES-BARRE Variation or TRAXLER
Counterattack.
This is wild and exciting chess, although I have a nasty suspicion that White can just play safe with
5. Bxf7+ Ke7 6. Bb3
[or 6. Bd5]
6...Rf8 7. O-O d6 8. Nc3
But it's worth a look, and I include some examples in the games section. Even if you don't ever play the variation, you might learn from some of the tactical ideas.]
After 4. Ng5 d5, White should try
5. exd5
Now the best move here is probably
5... Na5
[5... Nxd5 can lead to the famous FRIED LIVER Attack
But White can actually play the simple 6. d4
After 5...Na5, play usually goes
6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6
When there are two well-known gambit lines
and
IV.E.3. CLOSED VARIATION with 4. d3
The idea is: in the slow CLOSED MORPHY Variation (5...Be7) of the RUY LOPEZ: Black often re-organises with ...O-O, ...Rfe8, ...Bf8, ...g6 and ...Bg7. Now with 4. d3, White has said that they plan to play it slow, so you might as well put the B on g7 straight away. The only way to take advantage of this apparent waste of time is to break open the centre with d3-d4, but this is also a loss of time (d2-d3 then d3-d4), and Black can adjust.
5. O-O
5... d6 6. c3 g6 7. d4 Qe7 8. Nbd2 Bg7 9. Re1 O-O 10. h3 Bd7 11. Nf1
Rae8 =
Nunn - Spassky, 82
with equality, BCO2
IV.E.4. TWO KNIGHTS with 4. Nc3
4... Nxe4 5. Nxe4
[5. O-O
5... d5 6. Bd3 dxe4 7. Bxe4 Bd6
with equality.
12. Qd8+ Kf7 13. Nxe4 fxe4 14. Rad1 Bd6 15. Qxh8 Qxg5 16. f4 Qh4 17. Rxe4
17... Bh3 18. Qxa8 Bc5+ 19. Kh1 Bxg2+ 20. Kxg2 Qg4+
21. Kf1 Qf3+ 22. Ke1 Qf2 # 0-1.
V.A.2.
Estrin - Riskin (Moscow) 1963
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5
8. Nc3 Qa5 9. Nxe4 Be6 10. Bd2 Qf5 11. Bg5
11... h6 12. Bh4 g5 13. Nxd4 Nxd4 14. Qxd4 gxh4 15. Nf6+ Ke7 16. Nd5+
1-0.
8. Be2 h6 9. Nf3 e4 10. Ne5 Bd6 11. f4 exf3 12. Nxf3 Qc7 13. d4 Ng4
14. Nc3 Bxh2 15. Nxh2 Qg3+ 16. Kd2 Nc4+ 17. Bxc4 Qe3 #.
V.B.2.
Hoffer - Unknown, 1913
8. Qf3
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6
bxc6
Black chooses an unusual reply which goes badly wrong.
8... Qb6 9. Nc3 Be7 10. d3 h6 11. Be3 Qc7 12. Nd5 Nxd5 13. Qxf7+ Kd8
14. Qxd5+ cxd5 15. Nf7 #.
These games contain uncut scenes of chess violence. Do not play through them late at night, or in the presence of sensitive adults.
7. Kg1
7... Qh4 8. g3 Nxg3
9. Nxh8 d5 10. Bxd5 Bh3 11. c3 Nd4 12. Bf3 O-O-O 13. Nf7 Rf8
0-1.
V.C.2.
Estrin - Zaitsev, 1969
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5
5. Bxf7+ Ke7 6. Bd5
6... d6 7. c3 Rf8 8. d4 exd4
9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. O-O dxc3 11. Nxc3 h6
12. Qe2 Bg4 13. Nf3 Nd7 14. h3 Bxf3 15. gxf3 g5 16. Be3 Ne5 17. Bxc5 dxc5
18. Kg2 Rxf3 19. Rh1 Qg8
White resigned, seeing no way to stop the threats of ...Raf8 and ...g4,
combined with perhaps ...c4-c3 and ...Nd3. Estrin was world correspondence
champion, and has published a book on the WILKES-BARRE Variation!
V.C.3.
Estrin - Weiss,1972
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Bxf7+ Ke7 6. Bd5 Nb4 7. d4 exd4
8. O-O Nbxd5 9. exd5 Re8 10. Qd3 h6 11. Qg6 hxg5 12. Qxg7+ Kd6 13. Bxg5 Rf8 14.
c4 dxc3 15. Nxc3
Black resigns, for if 15... Bd4 16. Nb5+ Kxd5 17. Nxd4, and the King will die
in the centre of the arena.
V.C.4.
Kunz - Hentzgen, Corr.1973
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 Qe7 7. Nxh8
d5 8. exd5 Bg4 9. Be2 Bxe2+ 10. Qxe2 Nd4 11. Qxf2 O-O-O 12. Ke1 Ne4 13. Qf7
Qh4+ 14. Kf1
14... Qg4
White resigns.
V.C.5.
Wirtz - Fahnenschmidt (Marburg) 1955
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5
5. Nxf7 Bxf2+
6. Kxf2 Nxe4+
7. Ke3 Qe7 8. Kxe4 d5+ 9. Bxd5 Qh4+ 10. g4 Bxg4 11. Bxc6+
11... Bd7+ 12. Ke3 Qd4+ 13. Ke2 bxc6 14. Rg1 Bg4+ 15. Rxg4 Qxg4+ 16. Ke1
Qh4+ 17. Kf1 O-O 18. Qe2 Rxf7+ 19. Kg1 Raf8 20. d3 Rf2
White resigns.
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