Exeter Chess Club

Playing with Black Pieces in E-Pawn Games

An Exeter Junior Chess Club booklet
Edition 2.9, April, '95

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

I. Introduction

The two general opening rules are:

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.

I.A. II. Analysis

III. Less usual tries for White

III.A. The Vienna Opening, 2. Nc3

III.B. Bishop's Opening, 2. Bc4

III.C. The King's Gambit, 2. f4

III.D. Centre Game, Danish Gambit 2. D4

IV. White plays 2. Nf3

The best reply, is, of course:

IV.A. .. Nc6

IV.B. Ruy Lopez, 3. Bb5

IV.C. 3. D4 Scotch Game and Gambits

Lastly, but most importantly, we must consider how you should reply to:

IV.D. 3. Bc4

You can defend the GIUOCO PIANO, which is OK, except you cannot rely on White to play an interesting open game. The best way to get a good game going is:

IV.E. Two Knights Defence, 3... Nf6

V. Example Games

V.A. Max Lange Attack

V.B. Main Line Two Knights Defence

V.C. Wilkes-Barre Variation

WARNING

These games contain uncut scenes of chess violence. Do not play through them late at night, or in the presence of sensitive adults.