Exeter Chess Club
Playing with Black Pieces in E-Pawn Games
An Exeter Junior Chess Club booklet
Edition 2.9, April, '95
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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
-----
File in PGN format
2nd half in PGN format
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:
- RULE 1. Try and build a big centre with c3,d4
etc.
- RULE 2. Try and destroy Black's hold in the
centre with f4 or d4
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:
- RULE 1. Develop as fast as you can
- RULE 2. Try to hang on to your own stake in
the centre, or at least make
sure you destroy White's as well.
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 natural break is f4/...f5,
and either side can hope to plant a Knight on f4/f5. |
The open e-file usually means exchanges of the
heavy pieces, as neither side can afford to abandon
control of the file. The right square to plonk a
Knight is e4/e5. |
With both files open exchanges are likely, and unless one
side can seize the centre by force, or has the two
bishops, play is drawish.
|
So, let's have a look at some variations.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3
The most common and probably the best move here, but there
are alternatives. We
divide this booklet into:
- White plays 2. Nf3
- Less usual tries for White
This old move is not bad: it threatens nothing but holds
up Black's ...d5, and
leaves open the possibility of 3. f4. How should Black
reply?
2... Nf6
This is RULE 1: Develop as fast and as actively as you
can.
White has several choices here:
are common.
III.A.1.
VIENNA GAMBIT, 3. f4
3... d5
And this is RULE 2: Keep hold of your share of the centre,
or hit back
with ...d5.
[The move 3...d6 looks half-right, but
blocks in the Bf8 and gives
up on playing ...d5. 3...d5 is all right.]
Now you should get an equal game, although, as always, you
must be careful.
4. fxe5
[4. exd5 exf4 5. d4 Bd6 6. Qe2+ Kf8! Inkiov -
Pinter, 1982
. BCO2 give
this as a slight edge to Black]
4... Nxe4
5. d3
[Natural development by 5. Nf3 Be7 6. d4 O-O 7.
Bd3 f5 8. exf6 Bxf6
9. O-O Nc6 10. Ne2 Bf5 11. c3 Qd7 12. Bf4 Rae8 leads to a
level d-pawn type of
centre.]
Now after 5. d3 Black can simplify carefully and gain
equality:
5... Nxc3 6. bxc3 d4
6...Be7 is more solid-looking,
perhaps
7. Nf3 Nc6 8. cxd4 Nxd4
[Instead 8... Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 Nxd4 11.
c3 Nxf3+ 12. gxf3
Qh4+ 13. Qf2 Qxf2+ 14. Kxf2 f6 is level.]
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.
Return
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.
Return
III.A.3.
VIENNA GAME with 3. Bc4
If White plays this I recommend you reply
3... Nc6
[There is an exciting line 3... Nxe4 4. Qh5 Nd6 5.
Bb3
when Black can survive with ... Be7, but I don't
think you should let White
get into this line]
4. d3 Bb4 5. Nf3 d6 6. O-O Bxc3 7. bxc3 Na5
[Fritz reckons you should play 7...
h6]
8. Bb3 Nxb3 9. cxb3
When play is level.
Return
This became fashionable as a way of avoiding the PETROFF.
The right move is:
2... Nf6
Now White's most common move is:
3. d3
[The line 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 is the dangerous
URUSOFF Gambit 4...Nxe4
when 5. Qxd4 Nf6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Nc3 c6 8. O-O-O d5 9. Rhe1
Be6 leads to a strong
attacking game for White.
Simply 4... Nc6 5. O-O transposes to the TWO
KNIGHTS lines below]
3... Nc6 4. Nf3
This transposes to a quiet line of the ITALIAN (Giuoco
Piano/Two
Knights) group of openings.
[4. f4 is the only attempt to be original, but is
a poor version of the
KING'S Gambit where White has been committed to d2-d3.
One line might
go:
4...exf4 5. e5 d5 6. exf6 dxc4 7. fxg7 Bxg7 8. Bxf4
cxd3 9. cxd3 Qe7+ 10.
Ne2 Bxb2, when White is in all sorts of
trouble]
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.
Emanuel Lasker, world champion after Steinitz, said that
gambit pawns should
always be taken if you haven't broken any opening rules.
He adds, you take
them, not to hang on to them, but to make your opponent
waste time and energy
getting the pawn back. Meanwhile, you can develop and
prepare to hit back.
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
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.
Return
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
Now 4...Bh4+ is a fair try, but it's easier to
go
4...Nf6 5. e5
5... Ng4 6. O-O d6
Black has an equal game.
Alternatives include
But these should cause you no
trouble.
Return
Don't mess around, just play
2... exd4
Now White has a choice:
(a) CENTRE Game, 3. Qxd4
(b) DANISH Gambit, 3. c3
(c) SCOTCH, 3. NF3 White can try
to
transpose
into this.
III.D.1.
CENTRE Game, 3. Qxd4
This exposes the Q to attack, when it is hard to find a
good retreat.
3... Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7
[or 5... Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. O-O-O Re8 8. Bc4 d6 9.
f3 Na5 10. Bb3 Be6
=+
with slight advantage to Black, according to
BCO2]
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.
Return
III.D.2.
DANISH Gambit, 3. c3
3... dxc3 (Lasker!)
[Although 3... Qe7 is an interesting way of
declining]
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+
[or 6... Nf6 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qxd8 Bb4+ 9. Qd2
Bxd2+ 10. Nxd2
is a level ending with rival majorities, and is as
good try to win as any for
Black.]
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.
Return
The best reply, is, of course:
White has a few different tries here, the main ones being
3. Bb5, the RUY LOPEZ
3. d4, the SCOTCH Game
3. Bc4, the ITALIAN game which can lead
to the GIUOCO PIANO.
This is the most important move at master level. The
'Spanish torture' (Ruy
Lopez was a Spanish priest) is the main winning weapon for
White and has held
centre stage for hundreds of years. At junior level,
though, there are a few
ways to play it, depending on how much you trust your
opponent to play lines
you like. John Walker recommends the exciting
OPEN MORPHY
Defence with
5...Nxe4, but White can veer off into some really dull
lines on moves 4 and 5,
and if anything your two moves tempt White to play a dull
line. The OPEN
MORPHY is very well known and hard to play for both sides,
so I'll throw in one
more alternative: the ARCHANGEL
Variation. See what you
think for yourself.
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
(a) 5. d4 or
(b) 5. O-O BARENDREGT line
5. Nxe5 is met by 5...Qd4,
regaining the pawn.
IV.B.1.a)
Old MAIN Line 5. d4
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.
Return
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
5... f6 6. d4 exd4 7. Nxd4 c5 8. Nb3 Qxd1 9. Rxd1
Bg4 10. f3 Be6 11. Bf4 c4
12. Nd4 O-O-O 13. Nc3 Bf7 14. Nf5 Rxd1+ 15. Rxd1 Ne7 16.
Ne3 Ng6 17. Bg3 Bc5
18. Kf2 Rd8 =/+=
(Vitolins - Romanishin, 84) with at most a small
advantage for White.
But I reckon at junior level the line
5...Bg4
is worth a punt:
6. h3 h5!
Now
7. hxg4 hxg4 8. Nxe5 Qh4 9. f4 g3
So White should play either
7. c3
with a probable draw after
7...Qd3 8. Re1
[8. hxg4 hxg4 9. Nxe5 Bd6 10. Nxd3 Bh2+ 11. Kh1
Bg3+ 12. Kg1 Bh2+
drawn
(7. c3 Qd3 8.Re1 line).
8... Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Qxf3 10. gxf3 O-O-O 11. Kf1 Be7
12. Ke2 Bg5 13. Na3 Ne7
14. Rg1 Bh6 15. Nc4 f6 16. h4 c5 17. d3
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. c3 f6 17. Be3 += bco2]
16... Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Bxe5 18. c3 g5 19. Be3
g4
Return
Return to Introduction
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:
There is also:
[5. Qe2
which is no problem, but it does stop you playing
your intended 5...Nxe4.
Instead 5...Be7 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. b3 Bd6 8. Bb2 Qe7 9. d3
=
9... Bg4 10. Nbd2 O-O-O is simply
level]
Return
IV.B.2.
LOPEZ FOUR KNIGHTS Variation, 5. Nc3
5. Nc3
Now ...d5 is difficult, but White has little chance of
advantage.
5...b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. d3
[7. a4 is more risky: 7...b4 8. Nd5 Nxe4
when Black may have the edge.]
7... d6 8. Nd5 Na5 =
with equality: BCO2.
Return
IV.B.3.
The ANDERSSON-STEINITZ Line, 5. d3
White intends 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.
Return
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
5... b5 6. Bb3 Bb7
which I discuss below.
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.
Return
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
[or 4. O-O Nge7 5. c3 Bb6 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 d5 8.
exd5 Nxd5 9. Re1+
Be6 = Evans - Fischer, 1960]
Now the only lines I could find in BCO2
started 4... f5
...with White getting the advantage after
- 5. d4 fxe4 and
- 5. exf5 e4.
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
[5... Bb6 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 exd4 8. cxd4 d5 9. e5
Ne4
drawn shortly, Unzicker - Fischer,
60]
5... exd4 6. e5 Ne4 7. O-O
[7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Bd2 Nxd2 9. Nbxd2 O-O 10. O-O a6
11. Ba4 d6 =
Jimenez - Fischer, 60]
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.
Return
IV.B.6.
An Alternative to the OPEN MORPHY:ARCHANGEL Variation
with 5...b5
5... b5 6. Bb3 Bb7
Now the best line is:
(c) 7. Re1, but White has
been tempted to go for a
quick
break with either
(a) 7. d4 or
(b) 7. c3 and 8. d4
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.
Return
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.
Return
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. Na3 g5 15. Bg3 h5 16. dxe5
[16. h4 was essential: 16...gxh4 17. Bxh4 Rh6 18.
Nxb5 Rg8 19. Qd3 exd4 20.
cxd4 Nb4 and Black is still spuddling away well]
16... h4 17. exf6 hxg3 18. hxg3 g4 19. Nd4 Rh7 20. Bd5
Rdh8 =+
with an edge for Black, according to
BCO2]
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, according to BCO2
Return
Return to first Morphy
moves
Continue Black Responses to
1.e4
Index to Black Responses to
1.e4
