BASI c I

CHESS
OPENINGS I

l ltl

kl

J. !,-
! ll la l 1 !
 BASIC
CHESS
OPENINGS
GABOR KALLAl

EVERYMAN CHESS
Everyman Chess, formerly Cadogan Chess, is published by Everyman Publishers, London
F1rst published in 1997 by Gloucester Pubhshers pic, (formerly Everyman Pubhshers
pic), Northburgh House, 10 Northburgh Street, London, EC1V OAT

Copynght 1997 Gabor I<:illa1

Repnnted 2000

The nght of Gabor IG1la1 to be Identified as the author of this work has been as
serted m accordance with the Copynghts, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rtghts reserved. No part of tlus pubhcation may be reproduced, stored m a retrieval
system or transnutted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic
tape, photocopying, recordmg or otherwtse, without pnor pernuss1on of d1e publisher.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the Bnttsh Library.

ISBN: 978 1 85744 1130

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To Manka, 0/i, Bem and Lilt

Adv1sor: Janos Szaboicsi

Translator: Z1ta Rajcsanyl

Proofreadmg: Ttm Wall and Alexander Meynell

Typeset by ChessSetter

Pnnted and bound m the US

Contents

Symbols 4
Foreword 5
Introduction 7

OPEN GAMES

Centre Gambit 8
Danish Gambit 10
1 e4 e5 2 f3 11
Ponziani Opening 13
Scotch Game 15
Four Knights Defence 21
Two Knights Defence 25
Italian Game 31
Ruy Lopez/Spanish 36
Philidor's Defence 68
Russian Game/Petroffs Defence 71
King's Gambit 76
Vienna Game 86
Bishop's Opening 90

SEMI-OPEN GAMES

Scandinavian Defence 92
Caro-Kann Defence 95
French Defence 104
Sicilian Defence 121
Alekhine Defence 180
Pirc Defence 185
Nimzowitsch Defence and other eccentricities 191
Symbols

+ Check
;!; Slight advantage to White
+ Slight advantage to Black
Clear advantage to White
+ Clear advantage to Black
+- White wins
-+ Black wins
00 Unclear position
?? Blunder
? Weak move
?! Dubious move
!? Interesting move
! Good move
!! Outstanding move
Foreword
Gabor Kallai has undertaken a
tremendous task in writing this
book. He has composed a hand
book that embraces the entire
opening theory of chess!
How is this possible, the reader
may ask, when even the Encyclo
paedia of Chess Openings, with
its five huge phone book-like vol
umes fails to do this? Naturally
this job can only be done with
strict selection. In the first place
the book contains the main lines
of each opening, taking into ac
count modern fashion. The author
explains every opening in detail
and gives a diagram at the end of
each section, sketching the plans
for both sides in the middlegame.
These 'plans and counterplans'
explanations are tremendous:
they not only supply answers to the
question 'What happens next?',
but also provide us with guide
lines for the execution of these
ideas. The latter is particularly
important as it is no use knowing
what our goal is if we do not have
the technique to achieve it.
This book is not aimed at
grandmasters. It will probably be
most useful for players between
the rating of 1700 and 2300. But
even stronger players may find it
useful when, for example, devel
oping a new repertoire, if they
want to see the typical possibili
ties and get a feel of a certain
opening. Of course for more de
tailed preparation, an opening
monograph is required. For those
who are relatively new to chess I
suggest that they thumb through
the book from the beginning to
the end. It will provide them with
a reliable basic grounding in chess
openings that will help them to
choose a suitable opening to play.
Allow me to provide a short in
troduction to the author as well.
Gabor Kallai has been one of the
strongest International Masters
in Hungary for a long time. It was
a pleasant surprise that, while
writing this book, he first made a
grandmaster norm in the French
Team Championship in 1994 and
then repeated this success in a
grandmaster tournament in Bala
tonber{my the following year!
Thus at the FIDE Congress in
Paris he was awarded the Grand
master title. Besides individual
tournaments, he also plays first
board for first division teams in
France, Hungary and Belgium.
He has also been my second sev
eral times in world-class tourna
ments and we have two co-written
books that have been published in
English. He also publishes chess
articles regularly. His writing- as
6 Basic Chess Openings

you will see in this book- reflects
a search for understanding at
every stage of the game.
The author and I hope that you
enjoy reading this book and hope
that it will help you to create in
teresting and successful games.
Grandmaster Zoltan Ribli

Publisher's Note: This book is the first volume of a two-part work cov
ering every chess opening. Basic Chess Openings deals with all vari
ations in which White's first move is 1 e4.
More Basic Chess Openings is the second volume which completes
the series, and covers all other first moves, including 1 d4, 1 c4 and 1
lbf3.
Introduction
This, the first volume of Basic
Chess Openings, is entirely con
cerned with those openings start
ing with the move 1 e4. The first
part deals with the Open Games,
viz. those openings starting with
the moves 1 e4 e5, which are so
named because they usually lead
to middlegames with an open cen
tre, thanks to the fact that White,
utilizing his one-move advantage,
often starts a central offensive
against Black's e5-pawn at a very
early stage. This he can do by d2-
d4 (with various piece constella
tions and perhaps prepared by
the pawn move c2-c3) or by f2-f4
(King's Gambit, Vienna Game).
The characteristic of Open
Games is a lively tactical battle in
which the two players often tar
get the squares f2 and f7, and in
this chapter we will come upon
gambits and counter-gambits that
aim to accelerate one's develop
ment to this end. The theory of
Open Games is now very well de
veloped, so to play these positions
it is not enough to enjoy a compli
cated fight and possess the ability
to cope with tactical variations:
one must be familiar not only
with the strategic aims of the
opening, but also with some very
heavily analysed variations. Al
though it is not easy to keep up
to-date with the latest trends, the
reward is worth the effort: colour
ful and exciting games.
Semi-Open Games are those in
which Black does not play 1.. .e5
in answer to 1 e4. There are sev
eral possible strategies. For exam
ple, Black may nibble at White's
e4-pawn with ...d7-d5, either right
away (Scandinavian Defence)
or prepared by l...c6 (Caro-Kann
Defence) or with l...e6 (French
Defence). Another idea is to pre
vent White from gaining further
space in the centre with l...c5.
This is the most fashionable vari
ation of all, the Sicilian Defence.
Among the more unusual strate
gies, Black has Alekhine's De
fence - where he lures White's
pawns forward in order to under
mine them later - and the Pirc
Defence where Black places his
faith in his fianchettoed bishop on
g7. The Nimzowitsch Defence
(l...lLlc6) and Black's other first
moves are not without some point,
but they still do not provide suffi
cient possibilities against a well
versed opponent.
Centre Gambit
1 e4 e5 2 d4 exd43 xd4
B Black a piece to 7 f4) 7 exd6+ .te6.
Why is this a gambit? Well,
White sacrifices not material but
time, making use of the (much
too) early development of the
queen to castle queenside quickly.
Black has nothing to fear if he
plays correctly.
3 c6 4e3
d5. Note that 8 'ii'g3 fails to the re
On 4 a4 Black develops easily
via 4 ...f6 5 .tg5 .te7 6 c3 0-0 7
f3 d6 8 0-0-0 .td7!
4...f6
An immediate development of
the pieces is necessary. Also play
able is 4 ....tb4+ 5 c3 (5 c3 .ta5)
5 ...ge7 6 .td2 0 -0 7 0-0-0 d6 8
'irg3 Wh8 9 f4 f5 and the position
is level. 4 ...b6, 4 ...d6 and 4 ....te7
are chicken's moves but perhaps
4 .. g6 is acceptable.
. .txc3 and Black can hardly deal
5 c3
An interesting idea is 5 c4 to
stop Black's freeing manoeuvre
...d7-d5. Sharp and unclear, but
not very good, is 5 e5 on account
of 5 ...g4 6 e4 d5! (of course
taking the pawn on e5 would cost
Now on 8 dxc7 Black may choose
between 8 ...'ii'xc7 and 8 ...1i'd1+;
he can meet 8 .tc4 by 8 ...f6 9
e2 xd6 10 .txe6 fxe6; while on
8 .ta6 one can play 8 ...1i'xd6 9
hb7 4+ 10 xb4 b4.
5 ....t b4
A foolproof alternative is the
reply 5 ....te7. On 6 'ii'g3 follows
6 ...b4 and White has to give up
one of the bishops, while after 6
.td2 d5! and 6 .tc4 b4 7 .tb3 d5
Black has absolutely nothing to
worry about.
6 .td2 0-07 0-0-0:le8 8 .tc4
Warding of f the threat of ...d7-
sponse 8 ...:Xe4!
8 ... d6 (D)
It is risky to snatch the pawn:
8 ....txc3 9 .txc3 xe4 (9 ...:lxe4?
10 .txf6 wins) 10 'iVf4 and White
has a nice attack. Black can try
8 ...a5 9 .td3 d5 but after 10
ge2 c5 11 a3 d4 12 'irg3 White's
threats compensate him for the
sacrificed piece: 12 ...dxc3 (better
is 12 ....txc3) 13 xc3 .txc3 14
with the simultaneous threats of
15 .t b5 and 15 e5 (planning 16
.txh7+).
 Centre Gambit 9

Plans and Counterplans:

White can build up an attack
w against the black kingside but in
the meantime he has to watch out
for his e4-pawn. Black neutral
izes the strong white bishop with
.....te6 and opts for the break ...d6-
d5. A possible continuation is 9
f 3 llle5 10 ..tb3 ..te6 11 llld5 with
even chances.
Danish Gambit
1 e4e5 2 d4exd43 c3 dxc3
This reckless gambit, in which
White sacrifices two pawns for
rapid development and an attack,
is rarely seen in tournament prac
tice. The reason is that Black can
defend with success -provided, of
course, he knows the way!
Declining the gambit by 3 ...d5
(less good is 3 ...'ife7 4 cxd4 'ifxe4+
5 .tea f6 6 c3 .tb4 7 f3 and
White's attack unfolds because of
the further tempi Black has to lose
with his queen) 4 exd5 f6 (for
4 ...'ifxd5 5 f3 c6 6 cxd4, see
the Scotch Gambit) 5 i..b5+ c6
(5 ...i..d7 6 i..c4) 6 dxc6 bxc6 7 i..c4
.tc5 8 'ife2+ 'ife7 9 'ifxe7+ Wxe7
10 cxd4 i..xd4 11 leaves White
a little ahead. It is better to accept
the challenge.
4i..c 4
4 xc3 c6 5 f 3 transposes
into the Scotch Gambit.
4 cxb2 5 i..xb2
..
White has sacrificed two pawns;
in exchange he has both of his
bishops nicely developed, ready to
attack. Black can parry the attack
but the price is one pawn (or per
haps even two).
5 ...d5
Mter 5 ...d6 White has a strong
attack: 6 3 f6 (or 6 ...c6 7
c3 i..e6 8 d5 with advantage to
White) 7 'ifb3 and Black's game is
far from attractive. 5 ...6 6 e5
d5 7 i..b5+ c6 8 exf6 cxb5 9 fxg7
i..b4+ 10 Wfl llg8 11 'ifd3 is good
for White.
6hd5
If 6 exd5 then Black can play
6 ...6, followed by ...i..d6, and
the attack is stopped.
6 ...f6 7 i..xf7 + Wx7 8 'ifxd8
.tb4+ 9 'ilfd2 hd2+ 10d2
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Almost directly from the opening
we have arrived at an endgame.
The position is even but certainly
not a draw! Both sides have a
passed pawn and good squares for
their pieces. If Black plays ...c7-c5
then White can try to place a
knight on d6, while Black, in tum,
can obtain the d4 outpost for his
knight.
1 e4 e5 2 t2Jf3
B must be combined with building
A natural, multi-purpose move
which develops a piece, attacks
the e5 pawn, prepares for d2-d4
and - after bringing the fl. bishop
out - arranges castling. A lot
worse is 2 e2, when after 2 ...f6
3 bc3 6 either 4 d4 exd4 5
d4 ..tb4! or 4 d3 d5! planning
.....tc5 and ...0-0 or 4 f4?! d5! 5 fxe5
e4 6 d4 ..tg4! (threatening to
play ...'ilfh4+, ....tb4, ...f7-f6 or
...'ilfd7 and ...0-0-0) gives Black an
equal game. On 2 3 Black's al
ternatives are protecting his e5-
pawn or a counter-attack on e4.
However, defending by 2 .f6?
would put him on the verge of los
ing at once: 3 e5! fxe5 (or
3 ...'i!Ve7 4 f3 'ilfxe4+ 5 .te2 and
3, 0-0, l:te1 with a tremendous
advantage f or White) 4 'ilfh5+
We7 (or 4 ...g6 5 'ilfxe5+ winning
the h8-rook) 5 'ilfxe5+ rM7 6 ..tc4+
d5 7 ..txd5+ Wg6 8 h4 h5 9 ..txb7!
..txb7 10 'ilff5+ Wh6 11 d4+ and
the show is over. The moral of this
is that protection of the e5-pawn
up a position with either 2 ...d6
(Philidor Defence) or 2...6 (Ruy
Lopez, Scotch Defence etc.) For
an attack on e4 the correct move
is 2 ...f6 (Russian Game).
Other possibilities are:
a) 2 d5? 3 exd5 e4 (alterna
tively 3 ...'ilfxd5 4 c3 'ilfa5 5 d4!?
with a huge lead in development)
4 'ilfe2 f 5 5 d3 6 6 dxe4! fxe4 7
c3 ..tM 8 'ilfb5+ c6 9 'ilfxM exf3
10 .tg5 cxd5 11 0-0-0 and Black's
game falls apart. A similar con
cept is realized in the Latvian
Counter-Gambit:
b) 2 f5?! White's tactical an
swer is 3 ..tc4!? fxe4 4 e5 'i!fg5
(or 4 ...d5 5 'ilfh5+ g6 6
7 ..tb5 +! - depriving the knight of
the c6-square- 7...c6 8 'ilfe5+ ..te7
9 xe7 'ilfxe7 10 'ilfxe7+ Wxe7 11
..te2 winning a pawn, although
White's position is a little passive)
5 d4 'ilfxg2 6 'ilfh5+ g6 7 .tf 7+
Wd8 8 ..txg6 'ilfxh1 + 9 We2 and
the attack breaks through, for ex
ample 9 ...c6 10 c3 f 6 11 'ilfh4
..te7 12 ..tg5! 'ilfxa1 13 ..txf6 ..txf6
14 'ilfxf6+ Wc7 15 c4! and the
lone black king is more and more
squeezed by the hostile white
pieces. Although this line is very
tempting, these days attention
has turned to the less risky 3
12 Basic Chess Openings

lillce 5 1Wf6 4 lLk:4! fxe4 5 ltlc.'3 1Wg6
(or 5 ... 1We6 6 d3! exd3+ 7 ltle3
dxc2 8 1i'xc2 c6 9 .i.d3 and 0 -0,
..td2, lhe1 breaking Black's resis
tance) 6 d3 (this is why White did
not play 4 d4 instead of 4 ltlc4!)
6 .....tb4 (6 ...exd3 loses beautifully:
7 .i.xd31i'xg2 81i'h5+ and now on
8 ...g6 91i'e5+ followed by 10 ..te4
or on 8 ...Wd8 9 .i.e4! wins) 7 ..td2
.i.xc3 8 .i.xc3lLiffi 9 .i.x8 gx8 10
dxe41i'xe4+ 11ltle3 . Black's un
developed position is a wreck
while White has an easy attack
with 1Wh5+, 0 -0 -0, ..tc4 (..td3) and
llhe1.
Ponziani Opening
1 e4e5 2 ttlf3 ttlc6 3 c3
B ..ig2), 0-0 and an eventual b2-b4.
White wants to play d4 and af
ter ...exd4 recapture with the
pawn. This, however, is a little too
slow, not to mention the fact that
the c3-pawn occupies the queen's
knight's natural square. Now is
the right moment for Black to at
tack the e4-pawn.
3 ttlf6
with an unclear position. A good
Another good move is 3 ...d5
with sharp play, e.g. 4 'ili'a4 (after 4
exd5 'ili'xd5 Black is okay as the
queen cannot be chased away with
a tempo) 4 ...f6 5 .tb5 ttle7 6 exd5
'ili'xd5 7 d4 and White is more ac
tive. Black may instead sacrifice a
pawn for development: 4 ...ttlf6 5
ttlxe5 ..id6! 6 ttlxc6 bxc6. Now tak
ing another pawn would grant
Black a decisive development plus,
but even after the correct 7 d3!
0 -0 8 ..ie2 lieS or 8 ...'ili'e8 Black
has compensation for the pawn
4d4
Should White wisli to avoid theo
retical lines he can choose 4 d3,
then ttlbd2, 'ili'c2, ..ie2 (or g2-g3,
Of course he cannot hope for any
special advantage with this slightly
passive setup but altogether it is
not bad.
4 ttlxe4
Worse is 4 ...exd4 5 e5.
5 d5
After 5 dxe5 d5 and ....tc5 Black
has a good game.
5 ttl b8
Playing it safe. The sacrifice
5 ....tc5!? is interesting: 6 dxc6
..ixf2+ (of course not 6 ...ttlxf2? 7
'ili'd5 and White is better) 7 e2
bxc6 811i'a4 (to stop ....taG+) 8 ...f5
9 ttlbd2 0-0 10 ttlxe4 fxe4 11 'ifxe4
..ib6 12 d1! d5 13 'ili'xe5 ..if5!
attacking player would never avoid
such a position where the enemy
king is stuck in the middle. White,
a piece ahead, may hope to win in
the long run ... if he can survive
the immediate storm!
6..id3
After 6 ttlxe5 ..ic5 711i'g4 0 -0 8
'li'xe4 d6 9 ..id3 f5 10 'ili'c4 b5! 11
'ili'xb5 Ve7 12 0-0 dxe5 13 ..ig5
'ili'd6 Black has compensation for
the pawn.
6 ttlc5 7 ttlxe5 ttlxd3 + 8
ttlxd3 d6 9 0-0..ie7 10 'li'f3 0-0
14 Basic Chess Openings

Plans and Counterplans:

The position is even with a peace
w ful, positional character. White
must try to transfer his minor
pieces to the kingside for an at
tack and may occupy the e-file
with his rooks. Black develops his
knight to f6 or f8 and activates
his queenside with a well-pre
pared ...c7-c5 and ...b7-b5.
Scotch Game
1 e4e5 2 lilf3 lilc6 3 d4
White, in similar fashion to the
Sicilian Defence, does not make a
preparatory move but starts the
central fight right away. He can
achieve a slight spatial plus in the
centre, bu! Black can fight for
equality with quick piece play and
often the counter-thrust ...d7-d5.
3 exd4
3 ...d5? fails to the simple 4
e5! e5 5 dxe5 dxe4 6 'ifxd8+
xd8 7 lilc3 .tb4 8 .td2 fol
lowed by 0-0-0, .tc4 (.tb5), l:hel.
4 lilxd4
In order to accelerate his devel
opment, White can attempt the
Scotch Gambit, the two forms of
which are the following:
a) 4 .tc4 .tc5 (not 4 ....tb4+ 5
c3 dxc3 6 0-0 d6 - 6 ...cxb2? 7
hb2 lilf6 8 e5! - 7 a3! .ta5 8 b4
.tb6 9 'ii' b3 'ii'f6 10 c3lilge7 11
.tb2 0-0 12lild5 'ifg6 13 a4! with a
tremendous advantage to White)
5 c3 dxc3 6 c3 (an even game is
reached after 6 .txf7+ xf7 7
'ii'd5+ f8 8 'ii'xc5+ 'ii'e7, and
now 9 'ifxc3!? 'ifxe4+ 10 .tea d5 co
or 9 'ifxe7+ lilgxe7 10 lilxc3 d5!
and ...lilc6-b4 = ) 6 ...d6 7 .tg5
l:jge7 8lild5 and White bears down
unpleasantly on the black centre,
for example on 8 ...0-0 9 0-0 .te6
10 lilf6+! h8 (after 10 ...gxf6 11
.*.xf6, 12 'ii'd2 followed by 'ii'g5 or
'ii' h6 is unavoidable), then 11 l:cl
and lilh4, 'ifh5 with a forceful at
tack. Also 8 ...f6 9 .txfs!? gxf6 10
lLlx6+ f8 11 'ifc1! is promising
for White. If Black does not want
to defend, then on 5 c3, instead of
5 ...dxc3, a good alternative is to
take on the Italian Game with
5 ...lilf6!?
b) 4 c3 d5!? (also good is
4 ...dxc3 and now after 5 c3,
5 ....tb4 6 .tc4 d6 7 'ii' b3 .txc3+ 8
bxc3 'ifd7 9 'ifc2 lilf6 and ...0-0 is
better for Black, or on 5 .tc4 d6 6
lilxc3 lilf6 7 'ii'b 3 'ii'd7 8lilg5 lLle5
9 .tb5 c6 10 f4 lileg4 11 h3 cxb5
12 hxg4 b4!? 13lild5 b6 14lilxf6+
gxf6 15 l:xh7 l:xh7 16lflxh7 .te7
when the g4-pawn is hanging and
the threats are ....tb7, ...0-0-0 or
even ...d7-d5!?) 5 exd5 'ii'xd5 6
cxd4 .tg4 7lilc3 .tb4 8 .te2 hf3
9 hf3 'ifc4 with mutual chances.
The moral is: a Scotsman should
not sacrifice! Let us get back to 4
lbxd4!
B
16 Basic Chess Openings

Black's main continuations are: .i.e3 l:te8 11 l:te1 and with his king
4 llf6 (section I) and 4 .i. c5
stuck in the middle and the queen
(section II) . It is also worth men side undeveloped, Black is f ar
tioning a few other options. For behind. For example: 11 ...a6? 12
example: lld6! cxd6 13 .i.f3 and the black
a) 4 d5? 5llxc6 bxc6 6 exd5
queen has no good options in view
'ii'xd5 (6...cxd5 7 .i.b5+ +-) 7 .i.d3! of the threat of mate, or 11 ...\i'e5
11t'xg2? 8 'ii'e2+ .i.e7 9 .i.e4 fol 12 'Ci'c1! d6 13 'ti'a3 followed by
lowed by hc6+ +-. l:tad1, c4-c5 initiating a strong at
b) 4 lJxd4? 5 'ii'xd4 'Ci'f6 6 e5
tack against the black king. If
'ii' b6 7 .i.e3 . Black accepts that a pawn is not
c) 4 11t'f6 5 llb5! .i.c5 6 11t'e2
suf ficient to warrant undertak
.i. b6 7 l11c3 llge7 8 .i.e3 .i.a5 9 ing risks in the opening, then in
0-0-0 a6! 10 lld5 lJxd5 11 exd5 stead of 6 ...'Ci'xe4 he can consider
axb5 12 dxc6 bxc6 (12 ...'ii'xc6 13 6 ...llf6!?, for example 7 0-0 (7
b4! .i.xb4 14 .i.c5+ wins a bishop) lldb5?llxe4) 7 ...d6! 8lldb5 .i.a5
13 .i.d4+ 'ii' e6 14 'ii'xe6+ fxe6 15 followed by ...a6 and ...0-0.
hg7 l:tg8 16 .i.h6 oo and in this
unusual endgame White's plan is I. 1 e4 e5 2 lM3llc6 3 d4 exd4 4
17 .i.d3. Black's pieces are discon llxd4llf6 5 llxc6
nected from the kingside; he needs
to mobilize his centre. White prepares e4-e5 which, if
d) 4 11t'h4!? A unique move,
played at once, would be a blun
the idea of which is that White der: 5 e5?llxe5 6 'Ci'e2 'Ci'e7 7llf5
has trouble defending his pawn 'Ci'b4+ and now on 8llc3 d6 or 8
on e4. But a serious drawback is c311t'e4 Black maintains the extra
that it abandons protection of the pawn.
pawn on c7. A strong suggestion 5 bxc6 6 e5

f or White is 5 llc3!? (after 5 Or 6 .i.d3 d5! 7 exd5 cxd5 8 0-0

llxc6?! 'ii'xe4+ 6 .i.e2 dxc6 White .i.e7 9 M 0-0 10 .i.g5 c6 followed
has nothing for the pawn and on by ...l:tb8 with a pleasant game for
5 llb5 Black plays 5 ....i.b4+! 6 Black.
l11c3 .i.a5! 7 .i.d3 a6 8 lla3 b5 6 1i'e7

with even chances) 5 ....i.b4 6 .i.e2 This is better than 6 ...lld5?! 7

'ii'xe4 7llb5 .i.xc3+ (7 ...1i'xg2 8
.i.f 3 and fuc7+ +- or 7...llf6 8
0-0! .i.xc3 9llxc3 'Ci'd4 10 .i.d3 0-0
11 llb5 11t'b6 12 .i.e3 'ii'a5 13 c3
lld5 14 b4llxe3 15 .i.xh7+! and
whatever Black's reply 1611t'h5+
wins) 8 bxc3 d8 9 0-0 llf6 10
c4! .i.b4+ 8 .i.d2 .i.xd2+ 9 1i'xd2
lle7 10 M 0-0 11 0-0-0 (the c8-
bishop is stuck) or 6 ...lle4 71i'f3!
11t'h4 (7 ...llg5 8 11t'g3 lle6 9 .i.d3
d5 10 0-0 g6 11 lld2 f 5 12 llb3
.i.g7 13 f4 0-0 1411t'f2! followed
by .i.e3 and White's control of the
 Scotch Game
dark squares d4 and c5 paralyses
Black) 8 ga! tbg5 9 'ife2 'ife4 10
.txg5! 'ifxh1 11 tbca and White
is threatening to trap the black
queen with 0 -0 -0, f 2-f4 (f2-f a),
.tf 4, .tg2, l:lh1, while the journey
tbca -e4-d6 may also be unpleas
ant. On 11 ...'ifh2 12 'iff3! followed
by 0 -0-0, .tda (c4), l:lh1 is a good
plan.
7'ife2 tDd5
Mter 7...tbg8 8 ba! the bishop
on c1 is threatening to emerge
with effcect on aa.
8 c4
On 8 tbd2, 8 ... .tb7 is possible:
9 c4 tbf4!? 10 'ifea tbe6 11 tbb3
(otherwise Blackcan play ll ...'ifc5)
11 ...a5!? co with the idea of ...a5-
a4, ....ta6.
8 tbb6
teresting, e.g. 9 ....ta6 10 'ife4 0-0-0
8 ....ta6!? offers good prospects
as well:
a) 9 tbd2 g6! 10 ba (10 tbe4
'ifh4+! 11 'ifd2.txc4+) 10....tg7 11
.tb2 tbb4! 12 tbfa c5 1a ga 0-0 14
.tg2 d5! and Black has seized the
initiative. In this variation we have
seen everything that is important
f or Black! First a quick ...g7-g6,
....tg7 and ...0 -0, then away with
the knight from d5 and play ...d7-
d5. White is not developed enough
to keep his opponent at bay.
b) 9 g3 g6! 10 .tg2 .tg7 11 0-0
0-0 12 tbd2 tbb6 1a f4 d5! + and
White is in trouble on c4.
c) 9 bar? g6! 10 f 4 (or 10 .taa
'ii'g5 11 ga tbca! 12 tDxc3 .txaa 1a
tDe4 'ife714 tbf6+ ..W8 followed
by ....tb4+ and ...d7-d6, ....tea
17
threatening to snuff out the pawn
on e5) 10 ...f6!? 11 .taa 'iff7 12
'ifd2 tbe7! 1a 'ifa5 and now Black
makes a fantastic sacrifice with
1a ...fxe6!? 14 'ifxa6 'ifxf4 15 tbd2
(15 'ifa5 'ifh4+! wins one of the
rooks!) 15 ...'ifd4! 16 l:lc1 tbf 5! 17
.txf8 l:lxf8 18 'ifa5 0-0-0! 19 'ifca
l:lde8, threatening ...tbf5- ea, with
serious compensation f<r the piece.
The plan 10 f4 had to be prepared
by 9 ba since af ter the immediate
9 f4 'ifb4+! White has no good in
terposition.
9tbd2
On 9 ba Black follows the usual
plan that works well on nearly
every occasion: 9 ...g6 followed by
....tg7, ... 0-0 and ...d7-d5. But the
nowadays abandoned 9 tbca is in
11 c5 .txfl 12 cxb6 .ta6 1a bxc7
rl;xc7 14 .td2!? and now White can
play either 0-0-0 or b4 -b5!?
9 .t b7
Of course now 9 ...g6? is bad in
view of 10 tbe4 .tg7 11 .tg5! 'ifxe5
12 .tf6! and wins. On the other
hand, 9 ...'ife6 is playable, with the
idea of ....tb4 and ...0-0.
10b3
White prepares to castle queen
side and at the same time strength
ens e5.
IO a5r
Apparently a strong move. Be
sides it is always a pleasure when
a pawn that would become weak
in a future endgame, plays the
main role in the middlegame!
ll a4
18 Basic Chess Openings
Not 11 i.b2 a4 12 'ii'e3 axb3 13
axb3lha1+ 14 i.xa1 1Wa3 and the
black pieces invade along the path
of the a -pawn.
u .. .'i!Ve6 12 i..b2 i.b4 13 0-0-0
0-0-01
Preparing an immediate ...d7-
d5, while the king is not badly
placed on the queenside either.
w xe4+ and 8 ...lbxg5.
Plans and Counterplans:
Black is preparing for ...d7-d5 and
White needs to be careful as his
kingside is undeveloped, while his
king is not bomb-proof either. For
example 14 f4? d5 15 exd6 'ii'xd6
and Black takes over with ...i.a3
and .. J1he8. Better is 14 lD31?
'ii'h6+!? 15 'ii'e3 (15 b1 d5 oo)
15...'ii'xe3+ 16 fxe3 l:tde8 17 i.d3!?
with mutual chances.
n. 1 e4 e5 2 lD3 c6 3 d4 cxd4
4d4 i..c 5
Black intends to develop his
pieces by means of ...1Wf6, ...d7-d6,
...ge7 and ...0-0. In the mean
time he would be delighted to
chase away the well-placed knight
on d4.
5 i..e31?
The knight cannot be protected
with 5 c3? owing to 5 ...1We7! 6 f3
i.xd4 7 cxd4 1Wb4 + winning the
pawn on d4, while if the knight
moves Black can obtain equality
with precise play:
a) 5 f3? f6 threatening
...g4, ...e4 and ...d7-d5, while 6
i.g5? fails to 6 ...i.xf2+ 7 xf2
b) 5 b3 i.b6! (it is better not
to exchange this bishop with
5...i.b4+ 6 i.d2! as from b6 it will
first attack f2 and then, after
White castles kingside, it will pin
the f-pawn, preventing f2 -f4) 6
a4 a6!? (6 ...a5 would hand White
the b5-square. The difference be
tween 6 ...a6 and 6 ...a5 is so tiny
that it is worth imitating the play
of a world-class positional player
- in the present case, Karpov. He
considers it important to control
the squares near his forces) 7 c3
'ii'f6 8 'ii'e2 ge7 9 d5 xd5 10
exd5+ e7 11 a5 i.a7 12 h4 h6!
13 i.d2 d6 14 i.c3 'ii'f4 and now
af ter 15 i.xg7, 15 ...l:tg8, followed
by ...i.d7 and ...0-0-0, offers Black
counterplay.
c) 5 lD5 d5!? 6 g7 + f8 7
h5 'ii'h4 8 g3 f6 9 i.e2!
(9 ...g4 must be prevented) and
now Black can choose between
the lines 9 ...e5 10 c3 eg4 11
i.xg4 xg4 12 'ii'xd5 i.xf2+ 13
e2 l:tg8!? and 9 ...xe4 10 0-0
i.e6 11 xe4 dxe4 12 i.e3 i.d6 13
 Scotch Game
g3 l:lg8. In both cases he has some
initiative for the pawn.
d) 5 &c6 'iff6!? (or 5 ...bxc6 6
.i.d3 tc,e7 7 0-0 0-0 8 (jjd2 !, when if
Black plays 8 ...d6 then White an
swers 'ife2, (jjb 3, .te3, a2-a4 and
forces the exchange of the strong
bishop on the diagonal a7-g1, and
if 8 ...d5 then 9 'ifh5! is dangerous:
besides attking the pawn on h7,
the queen is also threatening
horizontally along the fifth rank)
6 'ifd2 (on 6 f4, 6 ...'ifxc6 7 (jjc3
(jj f6 strikes at the white pawn
centre, while 6 'ife2 bxc6 followed
by ...d7-d6, ...a7-a5, ....taG and
...tc,ge7 yields Black pleasant play.
Finally, on 6 'iff3 good is 6 ...'ifxf3
7 gxf3 bxc6!? and ...d7-d6, ...(jjge7,
... .te6, ...ltb8 and ...a7-a5 with a
queenside initiative or 6 ...dxc6!?
with a quick ....i.e6 and ...0-0-0 to
follow) 6 ...dxc6 7 tc,c3 .i.e6 8 tc,a4
(on 8 .td3, 8 ...0-0-0 is possible)
8 ...l:ld8 9 .td3 .td4 10 0-0 (10 c3
.i.xf2+ 11 'ifxf2 l:lxd3) 10 ...a6! va
cating a square for the bishop af
ter which Black can complete his
development by ...Ci:Je7 and .. 0-0,
. oo and White has obtained suffi
although White can make life more
difficult for Black here with 11
'ifa5!?
5 'iff6 6 c3
the black queenside)
White should not allow his
pawns to become ravaged, as for
example after 6 (jjb5?! .i.xe3 7
fxe3 'ifh4+! 8 g3 'ifd8 9 'ifg4 <iPf8
10 'iff 4 d6 11 (jj1c3 a6 12 (jj d4
Ci:Je5, although here he has an
advantage in development to
counterbalance his inferior pawn
19
structure. Black can think of arti
ficial castling via ...Ci:Jf6, ...h7-h6,
...g7-g6, ...<j}g7 while White may
concentrate his forces on the open
f-me.
6 ...tc,ge7 7 .tc4!?
It is important both to develop
and to hinder Black's explosive
move ...d7-d5.
7 0-0
The other popular continuation
is 7...(jje5. Then after 8 .i.e2 (8
.tb3 d6 9 f4? (jjg4! demonstrates
the need to withdraw the bishop
to e2 in order to control the g4-
square) 8 ...'ifg6 9 0-0 Black has to
abstain from 9 ...'ifxe4?!: 10 b4
.tb6 (10 ....txd4 11 cxd4 and (jjc3
) 11 c4 d6 12 tc,c3 , threatening
to assail the pawn on c7 with
tc,cb5! So instead of 9 ...'ifxe4, it is
advisable to play 9 ...d6!?, which
prevents White's 10 (jj f5 while at
the same time preparing ....i.c8 -
h3. A characteristic example of
this double-edged position is 10
f4! 1Wxe4 11 .i.f 2 .i.xd4 12 cxd4
Ci:Jg6 13 g3 0-0 14 Ci:Jc3 'iff 5 15 .i.f3!
cient positional compensation for
the pawn (the bishop pair, a spa
tial advantage and an attack on
8 0-0.i.b6
8 ...d6?! is wrong here due to 9
tc,xc6 tc,xc6 10 hc5 dxc5 11 f4!
and White controls the centre.
9 tc,a3!?
On the passive 9 <iPh1 Black's
answer is 9 ..Jld8! followed by
...d7-d5. Black can also achieve
20 Basic Chess Openings

active play on 9 .tb3: 9 . . . a5! 10

.t c2 c4 11 .tel d6 and . . .c6 co.
Interesting is 9 c2! ?, refusing to w

live with the bishop on b6, e.g.

9 . . . d6 10 .txb6 axb 6 1 1 f4 ;!; or
9 . . . 'i!Vg6 10 .txb6 axb 6 11 d2
h8 12 e3. Therefore Black has
to act more aggressively, meeting
9 c2!? with 9 . . . e5! 10 .te2
5g6! l l .txb6 axb 6 12 e3 4!
and the knight manoeuvres have
created counter-chances.
9 d6 (D)
... an isolated doubled e-pawn) or
White gains time after 9 . . 'ilfg6
. the pawn sacrifice 12 . . . .tc5!? 13
10 'ii'd2 'ii'xe4 1 1 l:tael 'ii'g6 12 xe7+ 'ii'x e7 14 b4 .td6 (when
.t d3 'ii'h5 13 c6! c6 14 b5!, Black threatens 15 . . . a5, 15 . . .'ii'xe4
regaining the pawn on c!l with a and 15 . . . 'ii'e5, and although the
superior position. position has become complicated,
the chances are balanced) .
Plans and Counterplans: White failed to develop entirely
Black is preparing for . . . 'ii'g6, so smoothly in the opening as Black
White should lead the game along attacked his d4-knight which
a tactical path with an offensive White had to protect, having no
against the pawn on c7: 10 b5!? better options, with c2-c3. How
a6 1 1 xd6! .txe3 12 xeS and ever, then the knight on bl had
now Black has the choice between difficultiesjoining the game. This
12 . . . l:taxc8 13 fxe3 'ii'g5 14 'ii'f3 slight disharmony was enough for
e5 15 'ii'f4 'ii'h5 (when White is a Black to achieve a good position
pawn up but his advantage is only with natural moves.
Four Knights Defence
1 e4 e5 2 lM3 l0c6 3 l0c3
Recently we have seen a revival
of this opening, thanks partly to
the Latvian-hom superstar Alexei
Shirov who has a liking for spine
tingling complexities. It-is best for
Black tn follow the symmetry of
development since he is worse af
ter both 3 . . . .i.c5 4 l0xe5! t0xe5
(4 . . . .i.xf2 + 5 f2 l0xe5 6 d4 ) 5
d4 .i.d6 6 dxe5 .i.xe5 7 .i.d3 in
view of the threatened f2-f4, and
3 . . . g6 4 d4! exd4 5 l0xd4 (nothing
is gained by 5 l0d5 .i.g7 6 .i.g5
t0ce7! 7 t0xd4 c6! 8 t0xe7 t0xe7 9
'fld2 h6 10 .i.h4 d5! =) 5 . . . .i.g7 6
.i.e3 t0f6 7 t0xc6 bxc6 8 e5! lOgS 9
.i.d4.
3 l0fa
w would be to White's taste, but
Now White can determine the
character of the middlegame. He
can play 4 d4 in similar fashion to
the Scotch Game (section I: Open
Variation) or he can go 4 .i.b5,
keeping the centre closed (section
II: Spanish-like).
I. 1 e4 e5 2 lM3 l0c6 3 l0c3 l06
4 d4 (Open Variation)
4...exd4
It is simpler to clear the air in
th centre than to undertake the
complications of 4 . . . .i.b4 5 l0xe5
l0xe4 (5 ...'fle7 6 'fld3! l0xe5 7 dxe5
'ifxe5 8 .i.d2 followed by 0-0-0 and
f2-f4 is favourable for White) 6
'iVg4 lOxc3 7 'ifxg7 :CS 8 a3 .i.a5 9
t0xc6 dxc6 10 'ifxe5 + 'ife7 1 1
'ifxe7+ xe7 12 .i.d2 .i.f5 1 3 bxc3!
.i.xc2 14 c4! where White has a
central and spatial advantage.
5 l0xd4
On the tricky 5 l0d5!?, 5 ... l0xe4
6 'fle2 f5 7 l0g5! or 5 ... l0xd5 6
exd5 tOM 7 l0xd4 t0xd5 8 l0f5!
5 . . . .i.e7! 6 .i.f4 d6 7 l0xd4 l0xd5 8
exd5 l0xd4 9 'ifxd4 .i.f6 10 .i.b5 +
.i.d7 1 1 'ife3 + 'fle7 ensures Black
equality.
5 ....i.b4 6 t0xc6
There is no other satisfactory
way to protect the pawn on e4,
and 6 .i.g5 fails to 6 . . . h6! 7 .i.xf6
(or 7 .i.h4 g5! and 8 ... l0xe4 +)
7...'flxf6 8 l0e2 0-0 9 a3 .i.c5 +.
6 ...bxc6 7 .i.d3 d5!? 8 exd5
8 e5? is no good, as 8 . . . l0g4 9
.i.f4 f6! picks up the pawn.
8 cxd5
22 Basic Chess Openings
Also conceivable is 8 ... 'ife7+ 9
'ife2 cxd5.
9 0-0 0-0 10 .i.g5 c6
10 . . . -*.xc3 is too much of a sim
plification, as after 1 1 bxc3 White
stands better: his bishop pair is
strong, while the ugly queenside
pawns are impossible to attack
and obstruct the black queenside
just as much as if they were 'good
looking' . Besides, White is even
threatening the double attack 12
.i.xf6 'ifxf6 13 'ifh5! (h7, d5). On
10 . . . -*.e6, White can play 11 e2
and then d4.
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White gets nothing after 11 'iff3
since 1 1 ... .i.e6 12 .i.xf6 'ifxf6 13
'ifxf6 gxf6 is no better for him.
The critical plan is 11 a4!? and
an attack on the d5-pawn via c2-
c4, or the blockade of the black c
and d-pawns. Black's most pre
cise answer is 11 . . .h6 12 .*.h4 l:te8!
13 c4! .i.d6!? 14 cxd5 (14 l:tc1 .i.f4
15 l:tc2 'ifd6!?) 14 . . . cxd5 15 c3
.*.e5! with serious counterplay (af
ter 16 d5? 'ifxd5 17 .i.xf6 .*.b7!
Black wins a piece). We should
note that instead of 13 . . . -*.d6!?,
13 . . . d4? is a positional blunder as
the black pawn has not much to
say on d4 while White can com
fortably build up his game against
the weakened c- and d-pawns
with a2-a3, b2-b4, 'iff3 and l:tfdl.
The strength of the blockaded
passed pawn on the d-file is al
ways determined by concrete fac
tors in the position. In the present
case - since the black pieces are
unable to support it with active
play - the pawn would end up as a
weakness.
D. l e4 e5 2 c6 3 c3 f6
4 .i.b5 (Spanish-like)
White, just as he does in the Span
ish (Ruy Lopez), develops swiftly,
castles and attacks the pawn on
e5 by putting pressure on the c6-
knight.
4...-*.b4
Black can also deviate from the
symmetry:
a) 4 ... -*.c5 5 0-0 0-0 (or 5 . . . d6 6
d4! exd4 7 d4 .i.d7 8 5! .*.x5
9 exf5 . White is threatening to
play l:te1 + , .*.g5 and 4) 6 e5!
e5 7 d4 .*.d6 8 f4! c6 9 e5 .*.e7
10 d5! b4 11 exf6 .i.xf6 12 a3
.*.xc3 13 bxc3 d5! 14 'ifxd5 c6
15 'ifd3 cxb5 16 f5 ! and the white
attack on the kingside starts to
take shape.
b) 4 d4!? 5 .i.a4 (5 xd4
exd4 6 e5 dxc3 7 exf6 'ifxf6 8 dxc3
'ife5 + 9 'ife2 'ifxe2+ 10 .*.xe2 d5
 Four Knights Defence
and . . . c7 -c6 = ) 5 . . . c6!? (5 . . . .i.c5!? is
an exciting sacrifice, for example
6 e5 0-0 7 3 .i.b6 8 e5! - 8 0-0?
d5! 9 lC!xd5 lC!xd5 10 exd5 1i'xd5
1 1 lC!f4 Wg5! followed by . . ..i.g4
with a tremendous attack for
Black - 8 . . . lC!e8 9 lC!d5! d6 10 lC!e3
dxe5 1 1 lC!xe5 'ifg5 12 lCJ5c4 f5!
13 f4! ! 'ifxf4 14 c3 lC!e6 15 d4 and
White gains the advantage from
the complications) 6 lC!xe5 (on 6
d3, 6 . . .b5 7 .tb3 lC!xb3 8 axb3 d6 is
equal, while on 6 0-0 either 6 . . . b5
7 .tb3 lC!xb3 followed by . . . d7-d6
or 6 . . .'ifa5!? 7 :e1 d6 is playable
for Black) 6 . . . d5!? (6 . . . d6!? comes
into consideration as well: 7 lC!f3
.i.g4 8 d3 d5 ) 7 d3! .i.d6 8 f4
oo
dxe4 9 dxe4 .txe5 10 fxe5 lC!g4 1 1
0-0 0-0 and, utilizing his bishop
pair in an open position, White
can pester Black with 12 h3 e5
13 .te3 !
5 0-0
It is no use being greedy with 5
.i.xc6 dxc6 6 lC!xe5 as Black easily
equalizes with 6 . . ..i.xc3 7 bxc3
lC!xe4 8 We2 1i'd5! and then . . . 0-0.
5 0-0
5 . . . d6? is a mistake, since White
is on top after 6 lC!d5! .t c5 7 d4!
exd4 8lC!xd4.
6 d3
Not 6 .i.xc6 dxc6 7 d3 .td6 8
.i. g5 h6 9 .th4 c5 10 lC! d5 g5! 11
f6+ 'ifxf6 and Black takes con
trol on the kingside (+).
6 d6
1 1 h3 .th5 ( 1 1 . . ..txf3 12 'ifxf3
Black is worse in the variation
6 . . . .txc3?! 7 bxc3 d5 8 exd5 Wxd5
9 c4 'ifd6 10 .txc6 bxc6 1 1 .tb2
23
:ea 12 1i'e1 ! .tg4 13 lC!xe5 7 14
f4 f6 15 'ifg3 .
7 .i.g5!
Now Black needs to be ex
tremely careful! The threats are 8
lC!d5 and 8 .txf6 'ifxf6 9 5 fol
lowed by .txc6 and lC!xb4 bagging
a piece.
7 .txc3!
The only way to prevent the
move lC!c3-d5. A horrifying exam
ple of blindly maintaining the
symmetry is 7 . . . .tg4?! 8 lC!d5 lC!d4
9 b4 b5 10 lC!d5 4 1 1 Wd2
'ifd7? 12 .txf6 .txf3 13 lC!e7 + !
h8 14 .txg7 + ! xg7 1 5 Wg5 +
h8 16 'iff6 mate!
8 bxc3 We7!?
Black prepares the manoeuvre
. . . lC!d8-e6 with which he hopes to
eliminate the unpleasant pin of
the bishop on g5. Note that the
pin cannot be immediately bro
ken with 8 . . . h6?! 9 .th4 g5, as af
ter 10 lC!xg5! hxg5 1 1 .txg5 it
becomes permanent and White
will be winning after f2-f4.
9 l:[el
White plans d3-d4, gaining space
in the centre and opening the way
home for his bishop on b5. 9 lC!d2
prepares the opening of the f-file,
but this can be thwarted by 9 . . . h6!
10 .th4 lC!d8, e.g. 1 1 f4? exf4 12
:xf4 g5 - + .
9 lC!d8 1 0 d4 lC!e6
A worthy attempt is 10 . . . .tg4!?
lC!e6 13 .te3 c5!? ) 12 g4 .i.g6 13
oo
d5 c6 14 .tfl cxd5 15 exd5 1i'c7
with an unclear position.
24 Basic Chess Openings

ll c1
The bishop gets stuck on the
kingside after 1 1 h4 lbf4! fol w

lowed by ... h7-h6.

u ... :ds
1 1 . . .c5 used to be the recom
mended line, when after 12 dxe5
dxe5 13 c4 l:td8 14 d5 lbc7 15
c4 g4 16 h3 lbcxd5 17 cxd5 xf3
18 xf3 lbe8! , followed by ... lbd6,
Black tried to compensate for
White's passed d5-pawn with his
good blockading knight.
12 a41?
Less enticing is 12 fl!?, al
though it is still hard for Black to
come up with a plan. For instance
the gallop . . . lbf6-d7-f8-g6-f4 can
be rendered useless by g2-g3. But
perhaps he can play 12 ... c5!? 13 d5
lbf8 and ... h7-h6, ... g7-g5, ... lbg6,
... g4 to follow up with a kingside
initiative, naturally only because
the centre is closed!
12 c51?
..
White is better in the line
12 ...lbf8 13 lbh4! c6 14 d3 h6 15
f3 l:te8 16 lbf5 xf5 17 xf5 as
the bishop pair and possession of
the centre grant him a lasting in
itiative.
Plans and Counterplans:
White's dilemma is whether he
should open the centre (to make
use of the bishop pair) or close it
(to ensure a permanent spatial
plus). Here is an example of each
option: 13 dxe5 dxe5 14 e2
c7!? 15 c4 l:te8 16 lbh4 lD4
with mutual chances or 13 fll?
lbf8 14 d5 lbg6 15 lbd2 b6 16 lbc4
.td7 17 g3 h6 with a tough fight
in which White's game is a little
more attractive due to his spatial
advantage.
Two Knights Defence
1 e4 e5 2 lM3 lbc6 3 .tc4
This quick development of the
kingside is very natural, as after
castling the rook on h1 will have
important duties on el, while the
c4-bishop keeps an eye on Black's
Achilles' heel, the f7-pawn. The
humble 3 .te2 cannot be recom
mended. Black achieves easy play
with 3 . . . lb6 4 d3 d5 (also possible
is 4 . . . g6 and then ... .tg7, . . . d7-d6
and ... 0-0) 5 lbbd2 .tc5 6 0-0 0-0 7
c3 a5! (Without this move Black is
in trouble because b2-b4 and then
perhaps b4-b5 gains space on the
queenside while at the same time
sending the black pieces into dis
array!) 8 \i'c2 \i'e7 and the posi
tion is equal.
3 lMG!?
g4 .tg6 10 lbxe5 , but simple
w . . . h7-h6, . . . .tf8 Black can opt for
The Two Knights Defence is not
an opening for the timid! Black
does not chicken out of the attack
on his f7-pawn but develops in a
way that attacks the e4-pawn and
prepares the counter-thrust . . . d7-
d5. Such risky lines should only
be undertaken with a thorough
knowledge and analysis of the
consequences! (Alternatives to
3 . . . lbf6 are considered in the next
chapter, 'The Italian Game'.)
White has two active continu
ations which tum the position up
side down: 4 d4 (1. Violent central
attack) and 4 lbg5 (II. Attack on
the f7-pawn) . Tournament prac
tice has also seen the quieter 4
d3. Then Black should avoid im
mediately opening up the e-file
with 4 . . . d5? 5 exd5 lbxd5 6 0-0
.tg4 7 l:tel .te7 (7 . . . 6? 8 lbxe5!
.txdl 9 lbxc6+ + -) 8 h3! .th5 9
equality is granted by 4 . . . .te7 5
0-0 0-0 6 c3 d6 7 .tb3 lba5 8 .tc2
c5 9 l:tel lbc6 and after . . . l:te8,
. . . d7-d5.
I. 1 e4 e5 2 lb3 lbc6 3 .tc4 lbf6
4 d4 (Violent central attack)
4 exd4
4 ... lbxd4? is wrong: 5 .txf7+ !
xf7 6 lbxe5 + followed by 11fxd4
+ - . Also bad is 4 . . . lbxe4, as after
5 dxe5 White threatens 6 11fd5.
5 0-0
5 lbg5 is ineffective, as Black
can easily guard his f7-pawn from
26 Basic Chess Openings
attack: 5 ... t005 6 b3 h6 7 f4 hxg5
8 fxe5 e4 9 'ii'xd4 (9 0-0 d5 ! 10
exd6 'ii'xd6 11 xf7 + dB and
suddenly it is the white king that
has become vulnerable!) 9 . . . l0c5
10 l0c3 d6 followed by . . . b3 and
Black has the more harmonious
game, or 5 . . . d5!? 6 exd5 'ii'e 7+ 7
'ii'e2 lDb4!? giving Black excellent
counter-chances.
On 5 d4 e4 6 xf7 +
xf7 7 'ii' h5 + g6 8 'ii'd5 + g7 9
c6 bxc6 10 'ii'xe4, Black has an
unusual option: 10 . . . 'ii'e8! !, when
1 1 'ii'xe8 b4 + and 12 . . . lhe8
puts Black on top in the queenless
middlegame in view of his bishop
pair and development advantage.
The most important alterna
tive to 5 0-0 is 5 e5!?, when Black
can play:
a) 5 l0g4 6 'ii'e2 'ii'e 7 7 f4 f6
(or 7 . . . d6 8 exd6 cxd6!?) 8 exf6
f6 9 l0bd2 and White regains
ao
the pawn with l0b3-l0bxd4.
b) 5 ... d5!? (this central counter
thrust is almost always effective
against e4-e5 !) 6 b5 t004 7 d4
d7 8 xc6 bxc6 9 0-0 c5 !? 10
f3 l0g5 11 f4 l0e4 12 e3 b6 13
lDd2 d2 14 'ii'xd2 c5 15 l0f3 d4
16 with mutual chances,
White's plan is f4-f5 while Black
is ahead in the centre.
c) 5 l0e4!? 6 'ii'e 2 (or 6 0-0
d5 7 exd6 d6 = ) 6 . . . l0c5 7 0-0
l0e6! 8 lld1 d5 9 b5 ! c5 10 c3
d7 1 1 xc6 xc6 12 cxd4 b6 Plans and Counterplans:
13 l0c3 0-0 leads to an interest
ing, nearly balanced position.
5 l0xe4
..
Black takes on even more risk
in the Max Lange Attack: 5 . . . c5
6 e5 d5 (note that again the an
swer to e4-e5 is . . .d7-d5 ! ) 7 exf6
dxc4 8 lle1 + .te6. Now after 9
fxg7 llg8 10 g5 .te7! 1 1 xe7
xe7! Black is on top. Correct is 9
l0g5 ! 'ii'd5 10 l0c3 ! 'ii'f5 1 1 l0ce4
(after 1 1 g4? 'ii'g6 12 l0ce4 b6 13
f4 0-0-0 14 f5 xf5 15 gxf5 'ii'xf5
Black obtains more than suffi
cient compensation for a piece:
three pawns and a forceful at
tack!) 11 ...0-0-0 12 g4 'ii'e5 13 e6
fxe6 14 fxg7 llhg8 15 6 d3 !
with total chaos.
6 lle1
Black cannot answer 6 lbc3
with 6 . . . dxc3 owing to 7 xf7 + !
xf7 8 'ii'd5 + e8 9 lle1 e7 10
lhe4 d6 11 g5 cxb2 12 llae1, but
instead he can play 6 . . . c3 ! 7
bxc3 d5 8 .tb5 .te7 9 d4 d7,
when he is 'peacefully' ahead.
6 ... d5 7 .bd5!?
No better is 7 l0c3: 7 . . . dxc3 ! 8
.txd5 .te6 ! 9 .txe4 .tb4 10 b3
'ii'x d1 1 1 llxd1 d7 with . . . 0-0-0
to follow and Black is a pawn up.
7 'ii'xd5 8 l0c 3 'ii' a5 9 l0xe4
e6 (D)
Weaker is 9 . . . e7: 10 .tg5 ! 0-0
11 he7 e7 12 'ii'x d4, and now
White's development and spatial
advantage is clear. The main point
of 9 . . . .te6 is to prepare . . . 0-0-0.
White has shattered Black's cen
tre with the tactical blows 7 hd5
and 8 l0c3, but he is still a pawn
 Two Knights Defence
w B
down, which Black may not have
to give back after ... 0-0-0! 10 .i.g5
is pointless, as after 10 . . . h6 1 1
.i.h4 .i.b4 1 2 l:le2 g5 Black is still
able to castle. However, the pawn
can be regained with 10 eg5:
10 ... 0-0-0 1 1 lillce6 fxe6 12 :Xe6
.i.d6 and now 13 'ii'e2 'ii'h5 14 'ii'e4
l:lde8 and 13 .i.g5 l:lde8 14 'ii'e2
d7 15 l:le1 'ii'xe1 + ! 16 lillce 1
:Xe6 1 7 'ii'g4 l:lhe8 lead to more or
less even endgames. One attempt
to improve White's play is 10
.i.d2, but then it turns out that
Black can calmly choose between
10 . . . 'ii'f5 1 1 .i.g5 h6 12 .i.h4 .i.c5,
10 . . . 'ii'd5 1 1 .i.g5 .i.d6 12 .i.f6 0-0
13 xd4 lillcd4 14 'ii'xd4 'ii'xd4 15
.i.xd4 l:lfd8 and fmally 10 ... .i.b4
11 lillcd 4! lillcd4 12 c3 .i.e7 13 cxd4
'ii'd5 14 .i.b4!? .i.xb4 15 'ii'a4+ 'ii'c6!
16 'ii'xb4 0-0-0. In none of these
cases are his chances any worse.
n. 1 e4 e5 2 f3 l00 6 3 .i. c 4 f6
4 5!? (Attack on the f7-pawn)
Has Black overlooked the attack
on his pawn at f7? No.
27
4 d5!
This central counter-thrust is
the point of Black's play. This
move has been so successful that
it has almost completely removed
the daring and perhaps really too
risky 4 . . . .i.c5 !?, the Wilkes-Barre
(Traxler) Gambit from tourna
ment practice. However, it is worth
seeing a small selection from the
theory of this gambit:
a) 5 d4 d5 ! (a splendid idea,
opening the way for thebishop on
c8 and at the same time shutting
down that of the bishop on c4) 6
.i.xd5 (neither 6 exd5 lillcd4 7 d6
0-0 nor 6 dxc5 dxc4 7 'ii'xd8 +
lillcd 8 cause Black any problems)
6 . . . lillcd4 7 .i.xf7 + !? (after 7 lillcf7
'ii'e 7 8 xh8 .i.g4! 9 f3 - on 9 'ii'd2
or 9 'ii'd3 Black plays 9 . . . lillcd5 10
exd5 .i.f5 - 9 ..lillcd5 10 fxg4 'ikh4+
.
1 1 g3 'ii'h 3 followed by 12 . . .1i'g2
and Black is winning!) 7 . . . e7 8
.i.c4 b5 9 .i.d3 :rs 10 .i.e3 h6 1 1
3 .i.g4 and Black has sufficient
initiative for the pawn.
b) 5 t:illd 7 .i.xf2 + ! 6 fl (6
Wx2 lillce4+ 7 r,tlg1 1i'h4 8 g3 lillcg3
28 Basic Chess Openings
gives Black a promising attack)
6 . . . '61Ve7 7 h8 d5 8 exd5 .tg4
(analysts consider 8 . . . 4 to be
playable as well) 9 .te2 he2 + 10
<t>xe2! (after 10 '61Vxe2 4! 1 1
'Wxf2 0-0-0 and then . . JUS Black
maintains a dangerous attack)
10 . . . lbd4+ 1 1 <t>xf2 lbe4+ 12 <t>e3
'61Vg5 + 13 <t>xe4 '61Vxg2+ 14 <t>d3
'61Vh3 + 15 <t>e4 '61Vg2+ with a draw
by repetition.
c) 5 .txf7 + !? (White is unde
veloped, so it is logical that by
grabbing less material he has
more realistic chances of an ad
vantage) 5 . . .<t>e7 6 .td5!? (6 .tb3!?
IUS 7 d3 d6 8 .te3 !? also comes
into consideration) 6 . . . l:.f8!? (on
6 . . . d6 7 c3! 'WeB!? 8 d4 exd4 9
.txc6 '61Vxc6 10 cxd4 .tb4+ 1 1 .td2
e4 12 0-0! , White's king is
sheltered while its black counter
part is stuck the middle) 7 0-0 d6
and now on 8 h3, 8 . . .'61Ve8 followed
by . . . '61Vg6 is Black's plan, while on
8 c3!?, 8 ... h6 is possible with a
sharp, unclear game.
5 exd5 lba5!
Other possibilities are:
a) 5 .tg4? 6 lbxf7 ! '61Ve7 7 d6
cxd6 8 f3 l:.g8 9 d6 + '61Vxd6 10
fxg4 l:.h8 1 1 d3 .
b) 5 ...b5 6 .tfl ! (not 6 .txb5?
'61Vxd5 7 .te2 .tb7 ) 6 . . . d5? (for
oo
6 . . . 4 see the following line with
5 ...lbd4) 7 .txb5 .tb7 8 d4! . White
has an extra pawn and a better
position.
c) 5 lbd4 6 c3 ! b5 7 .tfl!
'61Ve2 .te6 1 1 lbe5 '61Vd4! 12 .txc6 +
lbxd5 8 cxd4!? (after 8 lbe4 '61Vh4
9 lbg3 .tb7!? 10 cxd4 0-0-0 1 1 d3
lbf4 12 .txf4 exf4 13 '61Vh5 '61Ve7 +
14 lbe2 g5 !? 15 lbd2 :Xd4 16 0-0-0!
White has an extra piece though
Black is not entirely without com
pensation) 8 . . .'Wxg5 9 hb5 + ct>d8
10 0-0 .tb 7 1 1 '61Vf3 l:.b8 12 lbc3 !
exd4 (but not 12 . . . lbxc3 13 dxc3
'61Vxc1? 14 '61Vxf7 + -) 13 d3 '61Vf6 14
'61Vg4! .tc8 15 '61Vh5 lbe7 16 lbe4
and at last White gets on top.
d) 5 lbxd5? (an unsound but
frequently played move, so White
must be prepared) 6 d4! (6lbx7?!
is not convincing: 6 . . . <t>xf7 7 'iVf3+
<t>e6 8 lbc3 lbb4! 9 '61Ve4 c6 10 a3
lba6 1 1 d4 lbc7, and White has
no clearly advantageous continu
ation, just a piece less) 6 . . . exd4
(alternatively, 6 . . . .tb4 + 7 c3 .te7
8 f7! <t>xf7 9 'iVf3+ <t>e6 10 '61Ve4
, threatening f2-f4, while 6 ... .te7
7 f7! <t>xf7 8 'i'f3 + <t>e6 9 lbc3
lbb4 10 '61Ve4 c6 1 1 a3 lba6 12
'61Vxe5 + <t>f7 13 d5 cxd5 14
.txd5 + <t>fB 15 0-0 is also better
for White) 7 0-0 .te6 8 l:.e1 '61Vd7 9
lbx7! <t>x7 10 'iVf3+ <t>g8 1 1 :Xe6!
and Black has to resign.
6 .tb5+
The artificial 6 d3 h 6 7 lbf3 e 4 8
'61Ve2 c4 9 dxc4 .tc5 and 1 0. . . 0-0
favours Black, whose natural fol
low-up moves are . . ..tg4 an . . . c7-
c6.
6 c6! 7 dxc6 bxc6 8 .te2
White is in trouble after 8 .td3?
lbd5 9 lbe4 f5 10 lbg3 lbf4 1 1 .tfl
.tc5 + or 8 .ta4 h6 9 lbf3 e4 10
c6 13 c6 '61Vd5! 14 '61Va6 .tc8
15 '61Va4 .td7 - + . However, Black
 Two Knights Defence
has a more difficult task after 8
'ii f3 !?, when 8 ... cxb5?! is insuffi
cient: 9 'iixa8 'ii'd7 10 'ii'f3 .i.b7 1 1
'iie2 hg2 12 llg1 .tc6 1 3 d3 fol
lowed by c!Oc3, .td2 and 0-0-0 .
Instead of 8 . . . cxb5?! , he should
play 8 ... llb8!? 9 .i.d3 (9 .i.xc6 +
c!Oxc6 10 'ii'xc6+ c!Od7 +. White has
a fatal lack of development and is
threatened by ...'ii'xg5, ...llb6 ....i.b7
and . . . e5-e4, after the withdrawal
of the knight from g5) 9 ... h6 10
c!Oe4 c!Od5 11 c!Og3 ( 1 1 b3 g6 12
'l'g3 .tg7 13 .ta3 c!Ob4! blocks the
a3-f8 diagonal) 1 1 ... g6 12 0-0 .tg7
13 lDc3 0-0 =F. The clumsiness of
the white pieces will be exposed by
... f7-f5 and . . . e5-e4 or ....llb4 fol
lowed by ... .tg4 or .. .ll f4. Another
typical attack against the knight
on g3 is ... h6-h5-h4.
8 b6
Plans and Counterplans:
The knight must be attacked
immediately, as after, for instance,
8 ... .i.c5? 9 d3! h6, 10 c!Oe4! is possi
ble.
9 lbf 3
9 c!Oh3!? seems totally bizarre,
but it is not! White has a lot of
trouble with this knight in any
case, so he would gladly trade it
for the bishop on c8. Another ad
vantage of 9 c!Oh3 compared to 9
c!Of3 is that Black's move . . . e5-e4
does not win a tempo. However,
Black still has several ways of
reaching an unclear, mutually
challenging position. In the lines
9 .. .i.c5 10 0-0 0-0 1 1 d3 c!Od5 co
. a) 10 'ii'd4 1 1 f4 ( 1 1 c!Og4
and 9 . . ..i.d6 10 d3 0-0 1 1 c!Oc3 c!Od5
12 .i.d2 llb8 co, .i.xh3 is always
Black is threatening 14 . . . e3! or
29
in the air. The threat is stronger
than the execution in this case, as
after the immediate 9 ... .txh3?! 10
gxh3 'ii'd5 11 .tf3 e4 12 c!Oc3 'ii'e5
13 .tg2 .td6 14 'ife2 0-0 15 d3! exd3
16 'ifxe5 he5 17 cxd3 White is
somewhat better in the endgame.
9 e410 c!Oe5
B
Black develops by attacking the
knight on e5. His ultimate goal is
an attack on the white kingside,
for which he is well organized due
to the pawn on e4 and active piece
play. White would like to develop
his queenside pieces some time,
and if it were his tum again, he
would most probably play d2-d4
in order to facilitate c!Oc3, .te3,
0-0, 'ifd2 and .lladl. Then he would
be in control owing to his pawn
advantage and Black's poorly po
sitioned knight on a5. Let us see
how things tum out in concrete
lines!
.txg4 12 .ixg4 .tc5 13 0-0 0-0 =i=.
30 Basic Chess Openings
14 ... 'ii'e5 and then ... .i.d6) ll ... .i.c5
12 l:fl .i.d6 13 c31!Vb6 14 "fla4! 0-0
15 b4! l0b7 16 "flxc6, and White
has sprung to life. He has re
stricted the black pieces and has
won yet another pawn.
b) 10 .i.d6!? Now Black ob
tivity) 12 lfficd 3 "flc7 13 b3! (13
tains a dangerous initiative if the
knight moves: U l0c4?! lfficc4 12
.i.xc4 l0g4 13 "fle2 0-0 14 h3 "flh4
+, threatening 15 . . . l0xf2 followed
by ... .i.g3 (15 0-0 is answered by
15 ... l0e5 and ....i.xh3) or l l l0g4?!
lillcg4 12 .i.xg4 "flh4! 13 .i.xcS
:XeS 14 "fle2 0-0 15 l0c3 llceS 16
b3 e3 ! 1 7 dxe3 .i.b4 1S .i.d2 "flf6
19 "fld3 lidS and Black wins the
c3-knight. So White has to choose
between two pawn moves to pro
tect the knight:
bl) 1 1 f4 exf3 (also playable is
l l ... "flc7: 12 0-0 0-0 13 l0c3 .i.f5
14 a3 l0d5 15 b4 l0b7 16 .i.b2
llaeS ) 12 l0xf3 0-0 13 d4 c5 14
oo
0-0 lieS =. Black will follow up
with . . . .i.b7, when he has active
play for the pawn and the white
king position is weak due to the
missing f2-pawn.
b2) 1 1 d4 exd3! (not l l . . . "flc7
this time due to 12 .i.d2! .i.xe5 13
dxe5 "flxe5 14 .i.c3! . Black has
regained the pawn but lost his ac
h3?! 0-0 14 0-0 .i.f5 15 lOd2l:tfeS
16 a3 lladS with complete com
pensation for the pawn) 13 . . . 0-0
14 .i.b2 and now based on the
lines 14 . . . l0d5 15 l0c3 l0f4 16
lfficf4 .i.xf4, 14 . . . l0e4 15 l0d2 .i.f5
16 lffice4 .i.xe4 or 14 . . . .i.f5 !? 15
.i.xf6? (better is 15 l0d2) 15 . . . gxf6
16 l0c3 lladS 1 7 "fld2 llfeS, Black
achieves full compensation.
It is worth noting how Black
disrupted White's impetus with
a pawn sacrifice after 4 l0g5 and
obtained an advantage in devel
opment. By the end of the open
ing the game has reached a
dynamic balance: Black has offset
White's extra pawn with active
piece play and pressure along the
e- and d-fiJ.es.
Italian Game
1 e4 e5 2 ll)f3 l006 3 .i.c4
What can Black do if he does not
want to enter the tactical com
plexities of the Two Knights De
fence? Should he opt for 3 . . .li)d4?!
and base his play on the trap 4
lDxe5? 'ifg5! 5 lDxf7? 'ifxg2 6 llfl.
'ifxe4+ 7 .te2 li)f3 mate(!)? No,
3 . . lDd4?!
. is positionally refuted
by the line 4 lDxd4! exd4 5 c3!
dxc3 6 lDxc3 d6 7 d4 . So should
Black prefer the solid 3 ... .i.e7 (the
Hungarian Defence)? Now that is
a better idea, only it produces a
slightly passive position: 4 d4 d6 5
lDc3 (White can create a centre
characteristic of closed openings
with 5 d5!? lDb8 6 .i.d3 li)f6 7 c4
with a typical King's Indian plan:
lDc3 , h2-h3 and then playing for
c4-c5 after the preparatory b2-b4
or .te3 with an initiative on the
queenside) 5 . . lDf6
. 6 h3 0-0 7 0-0
exd4 (Black is not well enough
prepared for 7 . . lDxe4?!
. : 8 lDxe4
d5 9 .i.xd5! 'ifxd5 10 lDc3 'ifd6 1 1
dxe5! lDxe5 12 lDxe5 'ifxe5 13
lle1 'ifd6 14lDd5 followed by .tf4
and Black's position is uncomfort
able) 8 lbxd4lDxd4 9 'ifxd4 c6 10
a4;;!;; with .te3 and llad1 to follow,
when White has permanent pres
sure.
Instead of playing for tricks or
being o:verly cautious, the player
who wishes to avoid the Two
Knights Defence should opt for a
plan whereby the pieces can de
velop and create effective coun
terplay. For these requirements
the Italian Game, typified by
3 .t c5!? , is a perfect solution.
..
w
Black intends to build his posi
tion with . . lD6
. (when lDf3 -g5 is
harmless, as Black can comfort
ably defend the pawn on f7 by
castling), followed by . . . 0-0, . . . d 7-
d6 and . . . .i.g4. Meanwhile, his c5-
bishop stops White's central thrust
d2-d4. Of course White has some
ideas, too: he can control the type
of middlegame that ensues and
the speed at which it is reached.
There are three basic plans:
I. With a closed centre, i.e.
without d2-d4.
IT. Moller Attack: c2-c3 and d2-
d4.
ill. Accelerated development:
The Evans Gambit (4 b4!?).
32 Basic Chess Openings
L With a closed centre
1 e4 e5 2 l0!3 lC!c6 3 .i.c4 .i.c5
4 c3
The position is equal after 4 d3
lC!f6 5 lbc3 d6 6 i.. g5 i.. e 6!? (or
6 . . . h6 7 .i.xf6 'ifxf6 8 l0d5 'ii'd8 9
c3 and now 9 . . . 0-0 10 b4 i.. b6 1 1
a4 a5 12 l0xb6 cxb6 1 3 bxa5 l0xa5
14 .i.d5 'ifc7 or 9 . . . lC!e7 10 d4
l0xd5 1 1 dxc5 lbf'4 both offer good
chances of equality) 7 lC!d5 .i.xd5
8 i..xd5 h6! 9 i..xf6 'ii'xf6. The situ
ation is similar in the line 4 0-0 d6
5 d3 lC!f6 6 i.. g5 h6 where 7 .th4?
is a mistake in view of 7 . . . g5! 8
.i.g3 .i.e6, when Black is threaten
ing to exploit the poor placement
of the bishop on g3 with . . . h6-h5-
h4 and at the same time initiate a
kingside attack.
4 lbf6
which cannot be forcefully pre
Besides this natural move we
should become acquainted with
two distinctive strategies:
a) 4 d6 5 d4 exd4 6 cxd4 .tb6!
19 'ii'fl 'ii'ffi ! with a storm of an at
(after 6 . . . .tb4+ 7 .td2 i..xd2 + 8
'ii'xd2 lC!f6 9 d5 ! l0e7 10 lC!c3, the
plan 0-0, lC!d4 and f2-f4 grants
White the initiative) 7 lC!c3 lC!f6 8
.i.e3 .i.g4 9 .i.b5 0-0 and Black has
handed over the centre in order to
attack the d4- and e4-pawns with
his pieces. Later on he can con
sider the moves . . .'ii'e7 and . . ..tx'3.
b) 4 'ilt'e7 5 d4 .tb6 (5 . . . exd4
6 0-0! dxc3 7 lC!xc3 d6 8 lC!d5 and
due to the threat of b2-b4, Black
can only obtain the silver medal
in this game) 6 0-0 d6 7 h3 lC!f6 8
l:te1 and now instead of the reflex
action 8 . . . 0-0 Black can continue
8 . . . h6!? 9 a4 a6 10 .te3 and pre
pare a kingside initiative by means
of 10. . . g5!
5 d3
For 5 d4 see section II, while on
5 b4 .i.b6 6 d3 d6 7 a4 Black
equalizes with 7 . . . a5 ! 8 b5 l0e7 9
0-0 0-0 10 .tb3 lC!g6 1 1 lC!bd2 c6
12 bxc6 bxc6 13 d4 l:te8.
5 d6
5 ... d5? is no good: 6 exd5 l0xd5
7 0-0 0-0 8 l:te1 l:te8 9 b4! and after
10 'ii'b 3 White wins at least the
pawn on e5 .
6 0-0 0-0 7 lC!bd2
7 b4 .tb6 8 a4 a5 9 b5 l0e7 10
lC!bd2 lC!g6 1 1 .ta3 lC!h5 !? 12 d4
(not 12 l0xe5?? l0xe5 13 'ii'xh5
.i.g4 - + ) 12 . . . lC!hf4 13 l:te1 .i.g4
yields Black strong kingside play
vented by his opponent: 14 h3?
.i.xh3! 15 gxh3 l0xh3 + 16 h2
lC!xf2 17 'ii'e2 lC!g4 + 18 Wg3 lC!f4
tack. Note also that 7 .i.g5 can be
answered by 7 . . . h6 8 .i.h4 a6 9
.i.b3 'ii'e7 10 lC!bd2 .i.e6.
7... a6!?
An important detail, vacating
the a7-square for the bishop on c5
and hoping to catch the bishop on
c4 with 8 ... l0a5.
8 .tb3! .ta7!?
Perhaps the most precise move,
sheltering the bishop and waiting
to see the enemy plan before de
ciding how to react. At the same
time this move permits Black to
 Italian Game
regroup by 9 ... e7 10 d4 (the
bishop on c5 was rescued from this
tempo!) 10 ... g6.
9 h3
On 9 l:.e1 Black can continue
9 . . . g4 10 l:.e2 <t>h8 1 1 h3 6
(how good that on move 8 Black
did not play . . . h7-h6 instead of
. . . .i.a7!?), followed by . ..f7 -f5. Black
acts promptly on 9 c4: 9 ... .i.e6
10 .i.g5 h6 11 .th4 .i.xc4! 12 hc4
5 13 2 'fie7 14 <t>h1 c4 15
c4 'fie6! =, and the tension
generated by the bishop on h4 has
been nullified.
9 h6 10 l:.e1 h5
w g4 9 d6! f2 10 'fib3 xh1 1 1
Plans and Counterplans:
Here Black has already shown his
hand: he wants to annoy White on
the kingside with . . . f4 followed
by ... 'fif6. White would first like to
force Black to retreat and then
carefully make progress in the
centre, gladly exchanging the ac
tive bishop on a7 if possible. De
pending on how White decides to
move his knight from d2, play
might continue:
33
a) 1 1M (not 1 1 e5? e5
12 'fixh5 d3 +) 1 1 ... 'fif6 12 .te3
f4 13 ha7 .:.Xa7 14 <t>h2 e7 15
3 l:.a8.
b) 1 1 c4!? f6 12 e3 f4
13 5 d5 14 hd5 .i.e6.
In both cases the game is a dour
fight (with all sixteen pawns on
the board!), with mutual chances.
n. 1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 .i.c4 .i.c5
4 c3 f6 5 d4 (Moller Attack)
5 ...exd4
5 ... .tb6? would be a bad mis-
take: 6 dxe5 e4 7 'fid5! +-.
6 cxd4 .i.b4+
On 6 ... .tb6 the white centre
pawns get going: 7 d5 7 8 e5
hf7 + <t>f8 1 2 .i.g5 + -
7 c3!?
A brave pawn sacrifice. 7 .i.d2
does not promise anything more
than equality: 7 ... .txd2 + 8 bxd2
d5! 9 exd5 d5 10 b3 ce7 1 1
0-0 0-0 12 l:.fe1 c6 13 a4 'fib6 = .
On 7 <t>fl? simplest is 7. . .d5! 8
exd5 d5 9 c3 .i.e6 followed by
. . . 0-0 and Black is on top in view
of the poor placement of the king
on fl.
7... e4
Not 7 . . . d5?! 8 exd5 d5 9 0-0
.i.e6 10 .i.g5! .i.e7 11 .i.xd5 .i.xd5
12 d5 'fixd5 13 .i.xe7 xe7 14
l:.e1 .
8 0-0 .i.xc3!
The only way! After 8 ...xc3? 9
bxc3 .i.xc3 (9 ... .i.e7 10 d5 a5 1 1
d6! cxd6 12 .txf7+ <t>xf7 13 'fid5+
34 Basic Chess Openings
<t>f8 14 ltlg5 'ife8 15 'ifxa5 h6 16
'iff5 + ) 10 .ta3! d5 (10. . .d6 11 l:lc1
.ta5 12 'ifa4 a6 13 .td5 .tb6 14
:Xc6 .td7 15 l:le1 + f8 16 l:lxd6!
+ -) 1 1 .tb5 ha1 12 l:le1 + .te6
13 'ifa4 l:lb8 14 ltle5 Black's posi
tion is in its last throes.
9 d5!
Forced, since on 9 bxc3 d5 10
.ta3 dxc4 11 l:le1 .te6! 12 :Xe4
'ifd5 13 'ife2 0-0-0 White is in seri
ous trouble.
9 .t f6!
'ifxb5 + 'ifd7 17 'ife2 ( 17 'ifxd7+
It is worth keeping the bishop
to provide protection for the king.
Another idea is 9 ... ltle5!? 10 bxc3
ltlxc4 1 1 'ifd4 0-0 12 'ifxe4 ltld6 13
'ifd3 ltle8, although after 14 .tg5
or 14 ltlg5 ltlf6 15 d6 White can no
longer lose.
10 l:le1 ltle7
On 10 . . . 0-0 White has a strong
attack: 1 1 :Xe4 ltla5 12 .td3 d6 13
g4 c5 14 g5 .te7 15 .td2 b6 16 'ife2
.tf5 17 l:le1! .
l l :Xe4 d6
Black is hamstrung after 1 1...0-0
12 d6 ! cxd6 (if 12 . . . ltlg6, then 13
'ifb3 cxd6 14 .td2 followed by
l:lae1 and hf7 + ) 13 .tg5 !? ltlg6
14 'ifd5 ! and it is hard for him to
make a move. White is planning
l:lae1 and l:le8.
12 .tg5
The strongest black defender
has to be exchanged. 12 g4 0-0 13
g5 .te5 14 ltlxe5 dxe5 15 :Xe5
ltlg6 is clearly and securely better
for Black, due to the scattered
white pawns.
12 .txg5 13 ltlxg5 h6!?
l:le3 d5 !? 18 l:lh3 l:lxh3 19 gxh3
After 13 .. .0-0 analysts have dem
onstrated that the game ends in
perpetual check: 14 ltlxh 7 7
15 'ifh5 + g8 16 l:lh4 f5!? (or
16 . . . 6 17 g4! l:le8 18 .td3 f8 19
'ifh8 + ltlg8 20 .th7 w 21 .tg6 + !
liPf8 2 2 .th7 with a draw by repe
tition) 17 :h3!? f4! 18 'ifh 7 + f7
19 'ifh5 + is one of the variations.
14 'ife2!?
Black is close to victory after
14 .tb5 +? .td7 15 'ife2 .txb5 16
xd718 ltlxf7 l:lf8 1 9 l:lf41iPe8 -+
or 17 'ifxb7 0-0 18 l:lae1 ltlg6 19
ltlf3 l:lfb8 ) 17 . . . f8 18 ltlxf7 (or
18 ltlf3 ltlxd5) 18 ... xf7 19 l:le1
ltlg8! 20 l:le6 f8 21 f4 ltlf6 22 l:le7
l:le8! - + .
1 4. . .hxg5 1 5 l:le1 .te6 16 dxe6
f6
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White plans to invade the black
camp with his major pieces, but
Black can hinder this and hope to
reach a favourable queenless end
game. Play might continue: 17
 Italian Game
g6 ! 20 'ilt'f3 'ilt'd6 2 1 'ilt'xf6 'ilt'f4 22
'ilt'h8+ 'ilt'f8 23 'ilt'd4 'ilt'f4 24 'ilt'h8+
'ilt'f8 with a draw or, instead of
17 ... d5, 17 ... f8!? 18 l:h3 l:xh3
19 gxh3 g6 20 'ilt'f3 rfl2 1 'ilt'xb7
'ilt'c8 22 'ilt'f3 l:b8 23 ..ib3 1i'b7 24
1i'c3?! 'ilt'b4, and although the situ
ation is unclear, Black's chances
seem to be more concrete.
m. Accelerated development:
The Evans Gambit
1 e4 e5 2 c6 3 ..ic4 ..ic5
4 b4!?
Sacrificing a pawn to speed up
his plan of c2-c3 and d2-d4.
4 .bb4
4 ... .tb6 is also quite playable: 5
a4 a6 6 c3 f6 7 5 d5 8
exd5 e4! 9 dxc6 exf3 10 1i'xf3 'ilt'e7+
and 11 ...dxc6 = .
5 c3 .tc5!?
5 ... .te7 is more passive, as after
6 d4! , 7 'ifb3 is threatened, while
after 5 . . . .ta5. the bishop is some
what out of play: 6 d4! d6 (6 ... exd4
7 0-0 dxc3 8 'Wb3 'iff6 9 e5 'Wg6 10
c3 ge7 11 .ta3 ! 0-0 12 l:ad1
and Black is tied up) 7 1i'b3 'ifd7 8
dxe5 dxe5 9 .ta3! .tb6 10 bd2
h6 1 1 0-0 f6 12 l:ad1 13 1i'b4
c4 14 c4 'We6. For a long
time this line was assessed as '=F',
but then a Cuban player contin
ued 15 l:d5 ! and it turned out that
Black's game is critical in view of
the threats 16 fxe5 and 16 l:fd1!
6 d4 exd4 7 0-0!?
Offering another pawn, though
this one cannot be accepted. On
35
7 cxd4, 7. . . ..ib4+ fails, as after 8
fl! White is threatening 9 'Wb3
and d4-d5. So Black should play
7 . . . ..ib6 8 0-0 d6 transposing to
the main line.
7 d6!
Not 7 ... dxc3? 8 ..ixf7 + xf7 9
'Wd5 + f8 10 'ifxc5 + d6 1 1 'ifxc3,
after which White has shattered
the black position for a mere pawn.
8 cxd4 ..ib6 9 ..i g4! 10
..ib5!
B
Plans and Counterplans:
The threat of d4-d5 should not be
thwarted by the retreat 10 .td7
as after 1 1 e5 ! ge7 12 i.g5 !
Black is even more pinned down,
while 10 ..ixf3? 1 1 gxf3 would
also strengthen the white centre.
That leaves us with 10 ...f8! M
ter both 11 .te3 ge7 12 a4 a5 13
..ic4 ..ih5 ! (the threat was 14
oo
.txf7) and 11 i.xc6 bxc6 12 .ta3
..ixf3 13 gxf3 'ilt'g5 + 14 h1 e7
oo, White has enough for the pawn
(the king is on f8!). However, as
he has no concrete threats, his op
ponent cannot complain.
Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
1 e4 e5 2 lbf3lbc6 3 i.b5
B counterplay or to meet it effec
This move was already the sub
ject of rigorous examination by
the Spaniards Lucena and Lopez
five hundred years ago, so it de
serves to be known as the 'Span
ish'.
The point of White's 3 i.b5 is
not to play the simple 4 i.xc6
dxc6 5 lbxe5, as Black would then
easily regain the pawn with
5 . . . 'i'd4, but to develop a long
lasting strategic initiative based
upon:
quick kingside development
and immediate castling, after
which White's king is sheltered
and his rook joins the central
fight from el.
pressure exerted by the white
light-squared bishop on the c6-
knight, strengthening his in
fluence on the important d4-
and e5-squares.
after first developing and build
ing up his position, the d2-d4
advance. In the meantime he
tries to clamp down on Black's
tively.
Black, according to his style
and temperament, can direct the
fight into a quiet, positional strug
gle, in which the pawn structure
is changing every minute, or into
a tactical minefield in which the
position is no less exciting than in
the sharpest lines of the King's
Gambit! Mter White's third move
Black's play can follow two main
tracks:
I. Black avoids 3 ... a6.
II. On the way to the Main
Line: systems with 3 ... a6.
I. Black avoids 3 a6
We will see in section II that
Black risks nothing with the
move 3 . . a6, and even obtains ex
.
tra chances to mobilize his queen
side. However, there are a few
lines that can only be undertaken
if the white bishop is still on b5 so
that Black can attack it at an im
portant juncture. Among these
systems it is worth investigating
the Berlin Variation (3 . . . lbf6),
section A, and the Janisch (or
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
Schliemann) Gambit (a ... f5),
section B, in detail. Besides these
lines Black has several other op
tions, which can be dealt with in a
nutshell:
a) 3 ..tb4?! 4 ca ..ta5 5 ltlaa !
should first play a . . . ltlf6 4 0-0 and
..tb6 6 ltlc4 d6 7 a4! a6 8 lbxb6
cxb6 9 ..tc4 is clearly better for
White.
b) 3 g6 4 ca!? (the other op
5 ..ta4 d6 6 d4 also comes into con
tion is 4 d4 exd4 5 ..tg5 !? ..te7 6
j.xe7 ltlgxe7 7 lbxd4 d5! and Black
equalizes) 4 . . . d6 5 d4 ..td7 6 0-0
..tg7 7 1i'ba !? (also good is 7 dxe5
dxe5 8 ..tg5! and on 8 . . . ltlge7 9
'ifc1, while 8 . . . f6 9 .tea is also
slightly better for White) 7 . . . ltla5
(the threat was 8 hc6 hc6 9 d5
and White would win the b7-
pawn) 8 'ii'a4 c6 9 ..te2 b5 10 'ii'c2
ltle7 11 .tea 0-0 12 dxe5 dxe5 1a
a4!, and in this position Black faces
serious problems on the queen
side.
c) 3 ..t c5 4 ca f5!? (4 . . . ltlf6 5
..
d4 j.b6 6 ..txc6! ? bxc6 7 lbxe5 0-0
8 0-0!? ltlxe4 9 l:l.e1 ltld6 10 ..tf4 ;t.
The black pieces are hard to de
velop, while White can consider a
kingside attack with ltld2, 'ii'h5
and Ilea) 5 d4! fxe4 6 j.xc6 dxc6
7 ltlxe5 ..td6 8 'ii'h 5 + g6 9 'ii'e2
(Black gains too many tempi after
9 lbxg6 ltlf6 10 'ii'h6 l:tg8 1 1 ltle5
'ii'e 7! 12 ..tg5 he5 1a dxe5 ltlg4!
14 'ii'h 5+ 'ii'f7 and the complica
tions lead to an equal endgame)
9 ...'ii'h4 10 lM2 he5 11 dxe5 ..tf5
12 ha 0-0-0 1a g4! ea ( 1a ... j.e6 14
ltlxe4 , threatening 15 ..tg5) 14
'ii'xe3 ..te6 15 'ii'xa7 ..txg4 16 'ii'a8+ !
37
d7 1 7 'ii'a4 ltlf6, when a seem
ingly unclear position is turned to
White's favour with 18 'ii'f4! ! llde8
19 0-0! 'ii'xha 20 exf6 +-. IfBlack
wants to play ... ..tf8-c5 then he
only then 4 ... ..tc5 - see section A
below.
d) 3 ltlge7 4 ltlca !? (4 ca!? a6
sideration, when the game trans
poses into the Improved Steinitz
Variation - see section II. Also
playable is 4 d4 exd4 5 lbxd4 g6 6
lbxc6!? lbxc6 7 j.xc6 bxc6 8 'ii'd4!
f6 9 ltlca ..tg7 10 'ii'c4!?) 4 . . . ltlg6
(White obtains a strong initiative
after 4 . . . g6 5 d4 exd4 6 ltld5 ! ..tg7
7 ..tg5 h6 8 ..tf6 ..txf6 9 ltlxf6 +
<ifi>f8 1 0 lbxd4 g7 1 1 'ii'd2! , a s he
has the murderous threat of 12
'ii'ca!) 5 d4 exd4 6 lbxd4 ..tc5 7
.tea hd4 8 hd4 0-0 9 .tea d6 10
0-0 and White, with his bishop
pair and spatial plus, enjoys a
clear advantage.
e) 3 ltld4. Black establishes
a knight on d4, thus thwarting
White's plan of d2-d4. White's
simplest answer is to capture: 4
lbxd4 exd4 5 0-0 ..tc5 (5 . . . c6 6
..ta4!? ltlf6 7 da d5 8 ..tg5! dxe4 9
dxe4 ..te7 10 e5 ! ltld5 1 1 ..txe7
ltlxe7 12 ..tba 0-0 1a ltld2 ;t, and
White's plan may be 'ii'e 2, ltle4
and l:tad1) 6 da c6 7 ..tc4 (threat
ening 8 ..txf7+ and 9 'ii'h5 +) 7 ...d6
8 'ii'h 5! 'ii'e 7 9 ltld2 ltlf6 10 'ifh4
and now on each of Black's alter
natives White achieves a small
plus:
38 Basic Chess Openings

el) 10 ... 0. 0 11lbf'3 h6 12 f4;!;; .
e2) 10 e6 11 c3! 0.() 12 xe6
'it'xe6 13 ltlb3 ;!;; .
e3) lO g5!? 1 1 'it'xg5 ! l:tg8 12
'it'f4 h3 13 g3 xfl l4 xfl and
White has full compensation for
the exchange.
f) 3 d6. This is the Steinitz
Variation . . . the refined version of
which (3 . . . a6 4 a4 d6, the 'Im-
proved Steinitz') we will see in
section II. 4 d4! .i.d7 (or 4 ...exd4 5
'it'xd4!? .i.d7 6 .i.xc6 .i.xc6 7 ltlc3
ltlf6 8 g5, followed by 0-0-0 and
l:thel, when White stands more
5 e5 ltle4 6 0-0 and now the lines
6 . . . a6 7 .i.xc6 dxc6 8 :tel ltlc5 9
g5 ! 'it'd5 10 ltlxd4 ltle6 1 1 ltlxe6
xe6 12 'it'h5 ! , with the threat of
13 ltlc3, or 6 ... d5 7 ltlxd4 d7 8
.i.xc6 bxc6 9 f3 ltlg5 10 f4, with
the nightmare of the rolling e
and f-pawns, promise White an
advantage. The theoretical rec
ommendation, 4 0-0, assures White
good chances as well.
B

freely) 5 ltlc3 ltlf6 6 0-0 e7 7

xc6! xc6 8 :tel exd4 9 ltlxd4
d7 10 h3 0-0 11 'it'f3 ;!;;, and with
12 .i.4 and then l:tadl White keeps
the centre under fire.
These examples demonstrate
White's ideas well. Against even
slightly passive play by Black,
White plays for an immediate d2-
d4, often with the help of the pre Here Black has to act actively
paratory move c2-c3. Then he since after either 4 . . . e7 5 d4
would gladly even give up the exd4 6 e5 ltle4 7 l:tel ltlc5 8 ltlxd4
bishop on b5 for the knight on c6 or 4 . . . d6 5 d4 d7 6 ltlc3 exd4 7
since the centre will be his! ltlxd4 .i.e7 8ltlf5!? .i.xf5 9 exf5 0-0
10 g4! he has problems. There are
A. 1 e4 e5 2 ltlf3 ltlc6 3 b5 ltlf6 two options:
(Berlin Variation)
Al. 4 .i.c5 or

4 0-0 A2. 4 ltlxe4.

If White protects the pawn on

e4 with 4 d3 or 4 'it'e2 then Black
smoothly develops via 4 . . . d6 fol
lowed by ... .i.e7, ... 0-0 and . . . .i.g4,
while 4 ltlc3 .i.b4 is the topic of the
Four Knights Game. 4 d4!? de
serves attention, however: 4 ...exd4
A 1. 1 e4 e5 2 ltlf3 ltlc6 3 b5 ltlf6
4 00 c5
5 c3!?
After 5 ltlxe5!? ltlxe4! (5 . . . ltlxe5
6 d4 c6 7 dxe5 ltlxe4 8 .i.d3 d5 9
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
exd6 d6? 10 :tel + .i.e6 11
:Xe6+ ! with 12 11fh5 and \li'xc5 +-)
6 \li'e2 e5 7 Wxe4 \li'e7 8 d4 !,
Black avoids dropping a piece in a
miraculous way. Mter 9 \li'xe7 +
.i.xe7 10 c3 Black is a little worse
but his position is solid, while on
9 \li' g4 Black achieves counterplay
on the kingside by 9 ... h5! 10 \li'xg7
..txd4.
5 ().() 6 d4 ..tb6
chances. An effective alternative
6 ...exd4? 7 cxd4 ..tb6 8 e5llhl5 9
.i.c4 ltlce7 10 .i.g5 ! would be cur
tains for Black.
7 i.. g5!
This is the most unpleasant
move. Mter the inferior alterna
tive 7 dxe5 e4 8 \li'd5 ltlc5 9
..tg5 ltle7 10 Wdl lile4 11 ..th4 d5!
12 lilbd2 c6 Black gets nearly equal
chances.
7 h6!
16 ... g4, 17 \li'f4! gxh3 18 ltl2f3 hxg2
A useful interpolation which
carries no risk as after 8 ..txffi
wxm 9 .i.xc6 \li'xc6! 10 ltlxe5 \li'xe4
11 llhl2 Wf5 12 lthlf3 d6 White
has nothing.
8 .i.h4 d6
w White should not drive the
39
Plans and Counterplans:
White is evidently squeezing his
opponent but it is not easy to find
the correct sequence for the moves
.i.xc6, dxe5, a2-a4, .Ldl3 and ltlbd2 .
For example, 9 a4 a5 10 :tel .i.g4
11 .i.xc6 bxc6 12 dxe5 dxe5 13
Wxd8?! (13 ltlbd2!?) 1 3... l:taxd8 14
e5 g5 15 .i.g3 e4 16 g4 f5
allows Black serious counter
is 9 i..xc6 bxc6 10 ltlbd2 l:te8 (not
10 ... ..tg4?! 11 dxe5 dxe5 12 \li'a4!
.i.xf3 13 f3 Wd6 14 l:tadl \li'e6
15 ..tg3 ltld7 16 \li'b3! and Black
has a lost endgame on his hands)
1 1 :tel exd4!? ( 1 1 ... g5 12 .i.g3
llhl7 13 \li'a4! ;t) 12 d4 .i.d7 13
Wf3 g5!? 14 ..tg3 h5!? 15 h3! h4 16
.i.h2 !, and Black has many posi
tional defects. For instance after
1 9 e5! is strong, because Black's
weak king position is a decisive
handicap in such an open posi
tion.
A2. 1 e4 e5 2 ltlf3 lbc6 3 .i.b5 lilf6
4 0-0 ltlxe4
5 d4!
knight away at once with 5 :tel as
it may well have to retreat of its
own accord. Mter 5 l:tel ltld6 6
e5 .i.e7 7 .i.d3 0-0 8 M e5 9
:Xe5 .i.f6 10 l:te3 g6! Black is fme.
5 ltld6
The recommended continuation,
even though Black's tournament
results in this line are nothing to
40 Basic Chess Openings
boast about! On 5 . . . a6, instead of
6 .hc6 dxc6 7 'ife2 .tf5 8 l:.d1 i.e7
9 dxe5 'ifc8 10 4 0-0 =, White
can transpose into the Open Vari
ation of section II with 6 i.a4.
Also played is 5 ... i.e7, when 6
1We2 d6 7 .hc6 bxc6 (or 7 . . . dxc6
8 dxe5 f5 9 l:.d1 i.d7 10 M 0-0
1 1 4! ;t followed by 12 .i.g5! and
White seizes control of the dark
squares) 8 dxe5 b7 (on 8 ... f5,
9 'ife4! g6 10 c3 and l:.d1 gives
Black problems) 9 c3 (9 d4 is
worthy of attention: 9 . . . 0-0 10
f5! d5 11 xe7+ 'ifxe7 12 b3!
followed by i.a3, when Black's
queenside pawns and pieces are
out of tune) 9 . 0-0 10 l:.e1 c5 11
..
.i.e3 6 12 l:.ad1 i, and Black
has not even solved the problem
of his d-pawn. On 5 . . . i.e7 White
can also react 6 l:.e 1 d6 7 i.xc6
dxc6 8 dxe5 f5 9 bd2, when
with the natural moves b2-b3,
i.b2, 'ife2 and 4 he achieves a
pleasant middlegame.
6 .b:c6
White may also try the specula
tive 6 dxe5 b5 7 a4 d6 8 e6!
fxe6 9 axb5 e7 10 c3 g6 11
1Wd4!
6 dxc6
On 6 ... bxc6?! 7 dxe5 b7 8 i.g5!
.i.e7 9 i.xe7 'ifxe7 10 c3 0-0 11
l:.e1 , Black i s unable to con
struct a healthy setup.
7 dxe5
Now we can. understand the
real point of 5 d4! White regains
the pawn and has achieved the
following benefits:
a) The pawn on e5 restricts
Black; it obstructs the develop
ment of his pieces.
b) By 'smuggling' his d-pawn
to the e-file White has fundamen
tally improved his pawn structure.
His three pawns on the queenside
obstruct the Black quartet since
the latter includes doubled c
pawns. Thus White has created a
pawn majority on the kingside!
c) The previous two strategic
gains are complemented by the
momentary situation after 7 dxe5:
the black pieces are unable to
achieve harmony after the forth
coming queen trade. These three
factors taken together guarantee
White's advantage.
7 5
On 7 . . . White should play
not 8 1Wxd8+ xd8 9 b3, as the
way for the bishop on c8 is open,
for example to g4, but 8 'ife2 i.f5
9 l:.d1 'ifcB 10 l:.d4!? c5 11 i.e3
i.e7 12 3 0-0 13 h4! .
8 'ifxd8+
It is worth swapping queens
here as the black king cannot find
a safe haven.
8 d8 9 c3 (D)
White should not give the check
9 l:.d1 + since Black's king stands
better on e8 than on dB, but play
able is 9 b3!? e8 10 i.b2 .i.e7 1 1
bd2 a 5 1 2 a 4 i.e6 1 3 e4 l:.d8
14 l:.ad1 h6 15 h3 i.
Plans and Counterplans:
Black would like to create some
harmony in his game while White
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening 41

B w

would like to lead the game into
more and more simple endings
by further developing his pieces.
We can better understand Black's
problems by examining three dif
ferent continuations:
a) 9 .i.e6 10 c!Og5! 'iPe8 1 1
7 and . . . 0-0, when Black is al
e6 fxe6 12 e4 l:ld8 1 3 c3!?,
and after f2-f4 White is threaten
ing both g2-g4 and the plan cj;lf2.
cj;>e2-.i.d2-l:lad1, when he can still
consider playing g2-g4 later.
b) 9 h6 10 h3 i..e6 1 1 g4 e7
and . . . 'fi'xe5 . For example 7 .te2
12 l0d4 .i.d7 13 .i.f4 c5 14 l0de2
'iPc8 15 l:lad1 . Black's problems
are not yet solved.
c) 9 e8 10 h3 h6 (or 10 ... h5
will be almost winning with . . . d7-
1 1 l:ld1 .i.e6 12 g5 .i.e7 13 e6
fxe6 14 e4 c5 15 c3 ) 1 1 .i.f4!?
.i.e6 12 g4 e7 13 .i.g3 l0d5 14
4 c5 15 %4! b4 16 c3 .i.d5 17
l0d2 6 18 lM> l:ld8 19 l:lfd1 and
f5-e3 again drives Black back.
B. 1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 .i.b5 f5 1 7
Janisch ( o r Schliemann) Gambit
Let us first take a look at why
Black did not interpose the moves
3 . . . a6 4 .i.a4 before playing . . . f7-
f5. That is, in which lines is it im
portant that the bishop stays on
b5? After 4 d4 fxe4 5 e5 (not 5
hc6 dxc6! 6 e5 'ii'h4! 7 0-0 .i.d6
8 f3 exf3 9 'fi'h5 10 l:le1 +
ready better!) 5 . . .e5 6 dxe5 c6!
At this point Black utilizes the po
sition of the bishop on b5! Besides
taking the bishop, Black is also
threatening the pawn grab ...'fi'a5+
'fi'a5+ 8 .td2 'fi'xe5 9 .th5 + cj;>d8 10
.tc3 'fi'g5 1 1 0-0 m gives Black a
clear pawn advantage. Later he
d5. Therefore on 6 . . . c6! White is
forced to sacrifice a piece: 7 !
cxb5 8 e4 d5! 9 exd6 m 10
'fi'd4! e4 1 1 'fi'xe4+ cj;lf7 1 2 .i.f4
'fi'e8 13 .i.e5 .i.xd6! 14 'fi'd5 + 'fi'e6
15 'fi'xd6 'fi'xd6 16 i..xd6 l:le8 + 17
fl .tf5 and even though Black is
a pawn behind, he seems to stand
a little better! Before we move on
to the main line with 4 3, let us
take a look at a few rare lines for
White:
42 Basic Chess Openings
a) 4 xc6 dxc6 5 lDxe5 'ifd4 6
lDf3 'it'xe4+ 7 'ife2 = .
b) 4 exf5 e4! 5 'ife2 'ile7 6 .txc6
dxc6 7 4 'it'e5! is a likely draw:
8 lDf3 'ile7 (8 . . .'ilxf5 9 d3!) 9 lDd4
'it'e5, etc.
c) 4 'it'e2 fxe4 5 'it'xe4 lDffl 6
'ife2 .td6! 7 .txc6 dxc6 8 lDxe5 0-0
9 d4 l:le8 10 0-0 .txe5 1 1 dxe5 'it'd4
is equal.
d) 4 d3 fxe4 5 dxe4 lDf6 6 0-0
.tc5!? 7 M (7 .txc6 bxc6 8 fue5
0-0 9 lDc3 d6 10 lDd3 - if 10 fuc6
'ife8! obtains excellent counter
play - 10 . . . .td4 1 1 lDe2 .tb6 12
lDg3 lDg4! gives Black a promising
attack and he can continue with
13 ...'it'h4) 7 ... d6 8 .tg5!? 0-0 9 5
'ith8 10 lDh4 lDd4 1 1 .tc4 b5 12
.td3 c6 13 lDxffl gxf6 14 .tea l:lg8
leads to a double-edged position.
So now let us see the antidote
to the Janisch Gambit!
4 lDc3!
We need this knight on the bat
tlefield.
4...fxe4
Weaker is 4 ...lDd4 5 exf5!? fub5
6 lDxb5 e4 7 d4 8 d3! or
4 . . . 5 exf5!? e4 (5 ... .tc5 6 0-0
0-0 7 lDxe5 lDxe5 8 d4 ) 6 lDg5 d5
7 d3 .tx5 8 dxe4 dxe4 9 'ife2 .tb4
10 .td2 'it'e7 11 'it'c4! .
5 lDxe4 d5
On 5 . . . lDffl the old answer 6
fuf6 + 'it'xffl 7 'ile2 .te7 8 .txc6
dxc6 9 fue5 0-0 10 0-0 .td6 11 d4
is slightly better for White, but
in this line 7 0-0!? could be an in
teresting improvement: 7 . . . lDd4!?
8 l:lel! lDxf3 + 9 'ilxf3 and after
9 . . . 'it'xf3 10 gxf3 White is threat
ening f3-f4.
6 e5! dxe4 7 c6
White could go astray with 7
'it'h5 + ? g6 8 fug6 hxg6! 9 'it'xh8
'filffl! 10 'it'xg8 .te6 1 1 .txc6+ bxc6
12 'ifh7 0-0-0 13 d4 l:ld7 and he
drops his queen.
7 'ilg5
Nobody plays 7 . . . bxc6 8 .txc6+
.td7 9 'it'h5 + 'ite7 10 'ile5 + .te6
any more, as after 1 1 f4 exf3 12
0-0 l:lb8 13 d4 White 'supposedly'
has an attack, although he still
has to prove this after 13 ...'ifd6!?
Instead of this risky piece sacri
fice, 1 1 .txa8! 'ilxaB 12 'it'xc7 + .td7
13 0-0 followed by 14 d3 is cer
tainly superior for White. An
other possibility for Black on the
seventh move is 7 . . . 'it'd5. Then on
8 c4! 'ifd6 (not 8 . . .'it'g5 9 d4! 'it'xg2
10 'it'h5 + ! g6 1 1 'ile5+ and White
is winning) 9 lDxa7 + .td7 (or
9 ... c6 10 fucB l:lxc8 1 1 .ta4 + -)
10 .txd7+ 'ilxd7 1 1 'it'h5 + ! g6
(ll ... 'itd8 12 lDb5 lDffl 13 'ile2 .tc5
14 0-0 l:lf8 15 d4! exd3 16 'it'e5 and
Black is worse owing to his ex
posed king position) 12 'ile5 + c:M7
13 lDb5 c6 14 'ild4! and Black has
insufficient counterplay for the
two pawns.
8 'ife2!
Not only protecting the bishop
on b5 but also attacking the pawn
on e4.
8 ...
The only move, because after
8 ... 'ilxg2? 9 'ilh5 + ! g6 10 'it'e5 +
Black i s losing straight away.
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
9 f4!
An excellent sacrifice, releasing
the pawn on g2 from attack with
gain of tempo.
9 1i'xf4
On 9 . . . 1i'h4 + an example taken
from Timman is 10 g3 1i'h3 11
e5 + c6 12 .i.c4 .i.c5 13 d3 g4
(13 . . . exd3 14 xd3 + .i.e7 15 e5
) 14 f7! .i.f2 + 15 d1 e3 16
1i'f3 h6 17 1i'e4 + f8 18 .i.xe3
.i.g4 + 19 d2 l:te8 20 e5 1-0.
10 e5 + ! c6 1 1 d4! 1i'h4 + 12
g3 1i'h3 13 .i.c4 .i.e6
Or 13 ... .i.d6 14 .i.f7+ e7 15
.i.b3
14 .i.f4
14 .i.g5 is similar: 14 . .. 0-0-0 15
0-0-0 .i.d6 16 .i.xe6 + 11Vxe6 17
Yi'c4 l:the8 18 11Vxe6+ lhe6 19 4
;t, and the less pieces there are on
the board, the weaker Black's e
pawn will become.
14 0-0-0
after the moves 4 .i.a4 f6 5 0-0
On 14 .. . l:td8 15 0-0-0 .i.d6 the
surprise move 16 .i.g5! puts White
on top: 16 . . .1i'f5 17 .bf6 gxf6 18
l:thfl! 1i'g5+ 19 b1 he5 20 .i.xe6
and the king is stuck in the mid
dle, or 16 . . . 0-0 17 11Vfl ! ! h8 18
11Vxh3 .i.xh3 19 f7+ wins an ex
change.
15 0-0-0 (D)
Plans and Counterplans:
White intends to play against the
pawn on e4 either directly, or in a
queenless endgame in which Black
cannot create counterplay. Black
needs to keep the pieces on the
board, especially his nagging queen
43
B
on h3 . A short sample variation:
15 ... .i.d6 16 b1 l:the8 17 he6+ !?
11Vxe6 18 h3! h6 19 g4 with slightly
better prospects for White.
II. On the way to the Main
Line: Systems with 3 a6
In this section we consider vari
ous alternatives after 1 e4 e5 2
f3 6 3 .i.b5 a6. The position
.i.e7 6 l:te1 b5 7 .i.b3 d6 8 c3 0-0
9 h3 can be considered the start
ing position of the Spanish (Ruy
Lopez) Main Line, but before we
reach this important position, we
need to become acquainted with
the sidelines for both sides. At
nearly every moment there are
several ways to deviate from the
main route, of which the follow
ing are definitely worth further
examination:
A. Exchange Variation: 4 .i.xc6.
B. Improved Steinitz Vari
ation: 4 .i.a4 d6.
44 Basic Chess Openings

C. Open Variation: 4 .ta4 f6

5 0-0 xe4.
w

D. Marshall Attack: 4 .ta4 f6

5 0-0 .te7 6 lle1 b5 7 .tb3 0-0 8 c3
d5!?

E. The Main Line of the vari

ation.

Within each of the variations

markedA-D, short passages named
'Sidelines' will sum up other in
teresting possibilities for White
and Black.
A. 1 e4 e5 2 13 c6 3 i.b5 a6 4
.txc6 (Exchange Variation)
can block his opponent's four
pawns with three of his own since
Black has doubled c-pawns. The
following king and pawn ending
would certainly mean victory for
White:

4 dxc6

4 ... bxc6? is inferior in every re

spect: 5 d4 exd4 6 'ifxd4! 'iff6 7 e5 w

'iVg6 8 0-0 .tb7 (White obtains a

very strong attack after 8 .. 'ifxc2
.

9 c3 followed by lle1 and ) 9

bd2 (9 e6? fxe6 10 e5 'ifxg2+!)
9 . . . 0-0-0 10 b3 c5 1 1 'flc3 f6 12
i.f4 fxe5 13 .txe5 and i.g3 is very
good for White, but perhaps even
stronger is 5 c3!? d6 6 d4 exd4 7
'flxd4 'flffi 8 'flc4! .td7 9 0-0 , and
all White has to do is centralise
his pieces (i.g5, llfe1, l:lad1 and
e4-e5) . Let us see the position af
ter 4 ... dxc6 (D).
White has voluntarily traded
his bishop, rather than retreat it.
Later by playing d2-d4 he will
swap Black's e5-pawn for his own
d-pawn to create a kingside pawn
majority. On the queenside White
White can easily create a king
side passed pawn, while Black, for
instance against the pawn con
stellation a3, b2, c3 could not do
the same on the queenside. So if
we took the pieces from our in
itial diagram, White would be win
ning! However, in the middlegame
Black enjoys excellent chances as
he has the bishop pair and his
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening 45

bishop on c8 can develop easily,
enabling queenside castling. Al
though Black's prospects are by no
means worse, he should always
keep in mind that thoughtless ex
changes can easily leave him in a
difficult ending!
5 0-0
5 lillce 5 does not come into con
sideration, as 5 ...1Wd4 and ...1Wxe4+
will only give White problems. In
stead 5 lt:!ca 'ifd6!? (5 ... f6 is also
good) 6 d4 exd4 7 lillcd4 (7 'it'xd4?!
.tg4 8 'it'xd6 .txd6 9 lt:!d4 0-0-0 = )
7 . . . 1Wg6 8 1i'fa .tg4 9 1i'ga 0-0-0 or
5 d4 exd4 6 1Wxd4 'it'xd4 7 lillcd4
.td7 8 .tea 0-0-0 9 lt:!ca l:.e8!? 10
0-0-0 .tb4 11 lt:!de2 f5 12 ex5 .txf5
produces an equal game.
5 f6
f2-f4.
Protecting the e5-pawn and pre
can pick the ideal moment) 7 ... 1Wf6!
8 lt:!bd2 lt:!e7 (8 . . . 0-0-0? 9 hxg4
hxg4 10 lt:!h2 'it'h4 and 1 1 1i'xg4 is
check!) 9 l:.e1 lL:!g6 10 d4! .td6 (not
10 . . . 0-0-0 1 1 hxg4 hxg4 12 lt:!h2
l:.xh2 1a 1Wxg4+ b8 14 xh2
1Wxf2 15 l:.fl 'it'xd4 16 lt:!ba and
Black's attack is over) 1 1 hxg4!
hxg4 12 lt:!h2 :Xh2 (12 . . . exd4 1a
e5! lillce5 14 lt:!e4 'it'h4 15 lillcd6 +
cxd6 16 .tf4 +-) 1a 1Wxg4 'it'h4
(1a . . . l:.h4 14 1Wf5! lt:!e7 15 1Wxf6
gxf6 16 lt:!f3 l:.h5 17 .tea followed
by g2-ga, g2, l:.h1 and dxe5 with
a huge plus for White in the end
game) 14 1Wxh4 l:.xh4 15 lt:!fa l:.h5
16 dxe5 lillce5 17 lillce5 .txe5 18 ca
;!;, after g2-ga, g2 and .tea White
can exchange rooks and then play
d) 5 'it'd6!? A very popular

paring for a queen trade following move. 6 da (instead 6 lt:!aa .te6 7

White's d2-d4. A few other op lt:!g5 .td7 8 da f6 9 lt:!c4 'if e7 10
tions are: lt:!fa 'iff7 co or 6 d4!? exd4 7 lillcd4
a) 5 .td6 6 d4! exd4 7 1Wxd4
.td7 8 .tea o-o-o 9 lt:!d2 lt:!h6! 10
f6 8 e5! ? fxe5 9 lt:!xe5 1We7 10 l:.e1 ha 'it'g6 11 'iffa f5! 12 l:.ad1 fxe4
.te6 1 1 lt:Jfa 0-0-0 12 .tg5 lt:Jf6 1a 1a 1Wxe4 lt:!f5! with a very messy
.txf6 gxf6 14 'ife3 ;!;; . position) 6 . . . f6 7 .tea c5 8 lt:!bd2
b) 5 lt:!e7 6 lillce5 1Wd4 7 1i'h5!?
.te6 9 lt:!c4 1Wc6 10 lt:!fd2 lt:!e7 1 1
g6 8 1i'g5 .tg7 9 lt:!da f5 10 e5 c5 a4 b 6 1 2 f4 exf4 1 a .txf4 lt:!g6 14
1 1 ba!? h6 ( 1 1 . . . 1i'xa1 12 lt:!c3!) 12 .tga .td6 15 lt:!xd6 + cxd6 1 6 lL:!c4
'it'ga f4 1a 'iffa .tf5 14 1Wxb7 .te4 l:.d8 17 lt:!ea 0-0 =. Black can later
15 1Wxc7 .txda 16 cxda .txe5 17 pick from the moves ...b6-b5,
'it'b7 l:.b8 18 'ifxa6 fa !? co, In this ... d6-d5 and ... lt:!e5.
very unclear position it is prob 6 d4
ably White who is trying to hold on. 6 lL:!c3 .tg4 7 ha .th5 is more
c) 5 ..i.g4 6 ha h5!? 7 da! (note
comfortable for Black.
that White must not capture the 6 exd4

bishop for a long time as by open Mter 6 ... .tg4 7 dxe5! 1Wxd1 8
ing the h-file he would get mated. :Xd1 fxe5 9 l:.da! .td6 10 lt:!bd2 b5
However, with cautious play he 11 b4! lt:!f6 12 .tb2 lt:!d7 1a c4 ;!;;
46 Basic Chess Openings
Black has some problems in view
of his inferior pawn structure.
7 l0xd4
7 'ixd4 'ixd4 8 lDxd4 .Li7 9 .tea
0-0-0 10 llk3 .tb4 11 Ne2 !De7 is
just equal.
7 c5 ! 8 b3 'ixd1 9 llxd1
.tg4!?
A slight finesse to weaken the
diagonal a7-g1.
10 f3 .td7
The other, somewhat safer, plan
is 10 . . . .te6, for example 1 1 .te3
b6 12 a4 e7 1a .tf4 c4! 14 d4
0-0-0 15 llka llxd4 16 :Xd4 g6 17
.tea .tc5 18 f2 .txd4 19 .txd4
with equality.
1 1 .tf4 000 12 c3 c4 13
a5!?
1a d4 e7 14 lld2 g6 15
.tea .td6 gives Black sufficient
counterplay.
13 .tc5 + 14 b5 15 d5
Plans and Counterplans:
With this attack on the pawn on
c7 White has somewhat inflamed
the opening after a lukewarm
start. Karpov - true, in a blindfold
game! - continued 15 c6 16 b41
.ta7 17 .tea .txea 18 xea e7
and it is hard to assess whether
White's a5-knight is well-placed
or not. A recognized pawn sacri
fice is 15 ...e7!?: 16 .txc7 xd5
17 llxd5 <3;xc7 18 llxc5 + <3;b6 19
b4! (or 19 lld5 .te6! 20 :Xd8 :Xd8
21 b4 lld2 and White cannot move)
19 . . . cxb3 20 lDxb3 and now after
20 ... a5 21 llc3 b4 22 lle3 .tb5+ or
20 . . . .te6 21 llc3 llc8! Black has
adequate play for the pawn.
Sidelines
1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 a i.b5 a6 4
.ta4
B
By inserting the moves a . . . a6
and 4 .ta4 Black has obtained a
serious additional possibility. At
any moment he can play . . . b7-b5
gaining space on the queenside,
creating a new way of develop
ment for the light-squared bishop
on b7, and chasing away the white
bishop from a4. Besides the main
line 4 f6 and the Improved
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening 47

Steinitz move 4 d6, Black can

. faces an insoluble problem, for ex
choose from the following: ample: 10 . . . 0-0 1 1 xd5! , 10 . . . b5
a) 4 R. c5 5 c3 b5 6 R.b3 ffl 7
1 1 xb5 axb5 12 R.xb5 R.b7 13
d4!? exd4 8 0-0 d5 9 exd5 d5 10 l:.c1 h6 14 R.xe7 'ii'xe7 15 'ifxd5,
l:.e1 + R.e6 1 1 g5 0-0 12 'ii'd3! g6 10 ... R.e6 11 l:.c1 R.a7 12 .txe7 ci>xe7
13 :Xe6 fxe6 14 'ii' h3, and Black's 13 R.xc6 bxc6 14 a4, followed by
position is critical. d4 and c5, producing a total
b) 4 b5 5 R.b3 a5 (on 5 ....tc5
blockade, in the shelter of which
White obtains the initiative with White can march against the c
6 a4! l:.b8 7 axb5 axb5 8 0-0 d6 9 pawns and the enemy king or
c3, and on 5 ... R.b7 6 d4! exd4 7 0-0 10 ... <Ms 11 l:.c1 R.a7 12 R.xc6 bxc6
R.c5 8 c3! gives him a superior po 13 e2 c5 14 4 c6 15 b4! and af
sition, as 8 ...dxc3? is impossible in ter 15 . . . c4 16 l:.xc4 or 15 . . . cxb4 16
view of 9 R.xf7 + and 10 'ifd5 + ) 6 l:xc6 White smashes through the
0-0 (the interesting piece sacrifice defences.
6 R.xf7+ Wxf7 7 e5+ We7 8 d4
is not advisable because White B. 1 e4 e5 2 f3 c& 3 R.b5 a& 4
can reach a favourable position R.a4 d6 (Improved Stein itz Vari
without taking any such risk) ation)
6 . . . d6 7 d4 xb3 8 axb3 f6 9 c3
R.b7 10 h4 'ii'd7 1 1 d5!? and
White attacks Black's pawn chain
via c2-c4 and f2-f4. w

c) 4. f5?! 5 d4! (in section I on

the Janisch Gambit we saw why 4

d4 is bad in answer to 3 . . . f5. But
now this counter-thrust is almost
winning!) 5 ... exd4 (5 ...fxe4 6 e5
1i'h4 7 0-0 e5 8 dxe5 e3 9
exf2 + 10 Wh1, and by combining
the moves 'iff3, R.e3, e4 and
l:.xf2 White can start an attack
along the open f-file) 6 e5 R.c5 (on 5 c3
6 ... R.b4+ 7 c3 dxc3 8 c3 ge7 9 How does the interpolation of
0-0 d5 10 exd6 'ii'xd6 1 1 'ii'e 2 0-0 3 . . . a6 and 4 .ta4 'improve' the
12 R.g5 R.xc3 13 bxc3 and l:.ad1 Steinitz Variation? Well, take a
gives White good prospects) 7 0-0 look at the following example: 5
ge7 8 c3! dxc3 9 xc3 d5 (or d4?! b5! 6 R.b3 d4 7 d4 exd4
9 ... 0-0 10 R.b3 + ci>h8 11 g5 e5 8 'ifxd4? (8 c3 dxc3 9 'ifd5 R.e6 10
12 xh7 Wxh7 13 1i'h5 mate!) 10 1i'c6 + R.d7 11 1i'd5 .te6 = ) 8 . . . c5
R.g5 ! ! and in this position Black 9 'ifd5 R.e6 10 'ii'c6 + R.d7 11 'ifd5
48 Basic Chess Openings
c4 - + , and Black has netted the
bishop on b3! So White cannot
hope for an advantage with 5 d4?!,
but besides 5 c3 he does have two
other options:
a) 5 0-0!? .i.g4 (the variations
5 ... ltlf6 6 hc6+ bxc6 7 d4 ltlxe4 8
dxe5 .i.g4 9 exd6 .i.xd6 10 'it'e2
'it'e7 1 1 :lel ltlc5 12 'it'xe 7+ .i.xe7
13 ltle5 and 5 ... .i.d7 6 d4 b5 7 .i.b3
ltlxd4 8 ltlxd4 exd4 9 c3 dxc3 10
'it'h5 g6 11 'it'd5 .i.e6 12 'it'c6+ .i.d7
13 'it'xc3 are slightly better for
White) 6 c3 'it'f6 7 .i.xc6+ ! bxc6 8
d4 ltle7 9 ltlbd2 g5 10 :lel ltlg6 1 1
'it'a4 .i.d7 12 dxe5 dxe5 13 ltlc4 g4
14 .i.g5 ! 'it'e6 15 ltlfd2 h5 16 'it'b3
.i.c5 17 ltla5 ! , and Black faces a
tough endgame.
b) 5 .i.xc6+ bxc6 6 d4 f6! 7
ltlc3 ltle7 8 .i.e3 ltlg6 9 'it'e2 .i.e7
10 0-0-0 .i.d7 11 h4 h5 12 ltlel
'it'b8! 13 g3 'it'b4 14 f3 :lb8 15 ltld3
'it'c4 16 dxe5 ltlxe5 with a complex
fight. It is worth remembering
Black's manoeuvre . . . 'it'd8-b8-b4,
. . . :lb8 as it is much stronger than
... :bs, ... 'it'd8-c8-b7.
5 .i. d7
On 5 ... f5!? White has to answer
positionally: 6 exf5! .i.xf5 7 0-0
.i.d3 8 :tel .i.e7 (8 . . . e4 9 'it'b3!?
:lb8 - 9 . . .b5 10 c4! - 10 ltld4 ltle7
11 c4 , threatening 12 ltle6 as
well as 12 ltlxc6 bxc6 13 .i.xc6 + !
ltlxc6 1 4 'it'xd3) 9 .i.c2 .i.xc2 10
'it'c2 ltlf6 11 d4 0-0 (ll . . .exd4 12
cxd4 0-0 13 ltlc3 d5 14 .i.g5 .
White may play :ladl, ltle5 and
'it'b3) 12 d5! (12 dxe5 ltlxe5 13
ltlxe5 dxe5 14 :Xe5? lets the spirit
out of the bottle. Mter 14...ltlg4 15
:le2 .i.c5 and . . . 'it'h4 the genie is
winning) 12 ... e4 (12 ... ltlb8 13 ltlg5
WeB 14 c4 and White's knight in
vades on e6) 13 ltlg5 ltle5 14 ltle6
'it'd7 and now the correct way is
not 15 ltlxf8?, as 15 . . . 'it'g4! leaves
Black with a strong attack, but 15
ltld2! :feB 16 ltlxe4 ltlxd5 17
ltl4g5 .i.xg5 18 ltlxg5 ;!;; , according
to analysis by the Indian grand
master Viswanathan Anand.
6 d4 g6
A strange setup for Black arises
after 6 . . . ltlge7 7 .i.b3 h6 8 ltlbd2
ltlg6 9 ltlc4 .i.e7 10 ltle3 .i.g5 1 1
ltlxg5 hxg5 12 g3 exd4 13 cxd4
. when Lajos Portisch, in a
game with Black, later compli
cated matters with . . . .i.h3, . . .'it'd7
and . . . :le8 and won. However, on
6 . . . ltlge7 it is worth considering
an approach typical of the middle
games of Closed Games: 7 d5!
ltlb8 8 c4 ltlg6 9 h4!? .i.e7 10 h5
ltlh4 11 ltlxh4 .i.xh4 12 .i.xd7 +
ltlxd7 13 'it'g4 .i.f6 14 ltlc3 ;!;; . Be
sides his spatial plus White can
also occupy the outpost f5 with
the manoeuvre ltlc3-dl-e3-f5.
7 0-0 .i.g7 8 :leU
Precise, White does not allow
the knight on g8 to develop to f6!
8 dxe5 ltlxe5 9 ltlxe5 dxe5 10 f4
.i.xa4!? 1 1 'it'a4+ b5 12 'it'b3 exf4
13 .i.xf4 ltlf6 14 ltld2 0-0 15 :lael
ltlg4! gives mutual chances, while
on 8 .i.e3 ltlf6! 9 .i.c2 0-0 10 h3
ltlh5! 11 ltlbd2 ltlf4, followed by
. . . 'it'f6 and . . . :ladS, Black is again
fine.
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
8 l0ge7
protected harmoniously by means
8 ... l0f6? 9 .txc6 .txc6 10 dxe5
l0xe4 (10 . . . dxe5 1 1 11Vxd8+ :Xd8
12 l0xe5 .txe4 13 f3 ) 1 1 exd6
11Vxd6 12 11Vxd6 cxd6 13 l0g5 0-0
14 J:xe4! .txe4 15 l0xe4 J:fe8 16
l0bd2 d5 17 l0g3 J:e1 + 18 lOgfl
followed by l0b3 and .te3 ends
Black's dreams of a back-rank
pin. Let us return to the position
after 8 ... l0ge7:
w Sidelines
Plans and Counterplans:
White can follow two plans. He
can open the centre, as Jose Capa
blanca once did: 9 .te3 0-0 10
dxe5 l0xe5 1 1 l0xe5 .txe5 12 .tb3
l0c6 13 l0d2 .tg7 14 l0f3 h6 15
l0d4 and White deimitely stands
more freely but Black also cannot
complain. Alternatively, those who
prefer a closed centre will most
probably prefer to follow Judit
Polgar's play as White: 9 d5!?
lObS 10 .txd7+ l0xd7 11 .te3! (it
is important to accomplish the
setup .te3 and l0fd2 before Black
can play . . . h7-h6 and ... f7-f5, in
order that the pawn on e4 can be
49
of f2-f3) ll ... h6 (l l . . .f5? 12 l0g5)
12 l0fd2 0-0 13 c4 f5 14 f3. We
have reached a middlegame typi
cal of the King's Indian Defence
in which White seeks play on the
queenside with lOca, b2-b4, c4-c5
while Black can try to create a
pawn storm on the kingside. Par
ticularly in respect of the differ
ence between the activity of the
dark-squared bishops, White's po
sition looks the more pleasing.
Returning to the 'Main Road', af
ter 1 e4 e5 2 l0f3 l0c6 3 .tb5 a6
4 .ta4 we can make our next move,
4 l016. Then White almost al
ways plays 5 0-0, but we should
know about a few other options as
well:
a) 5 d3 d6 (also possible is
5 ... b5 6 .tb3 .te7 7 c3 d5 8 11Ve2
dxe4 9 dxe4 0-0 =, and later Black
can opt for the piece setup . . . .td6,
... l0e7 and ....t b7, while on 5 ... .tc5
interesting is 6 .te3!?) 6 c3 g6 7
0-0 .tg7 8 J:e1 0-0 = .
b) 5 l0c3 b5 6 .tb3 .t e 7 7 0-0
d6 8 l0d5!? l0a5 (8 . . . l0xe4?! is
dangerous in view of 9 d4!) 9
l0xe7 11t'xe7 10 d4 .tb7 11 .tg5 0-0
12 dxe5 dxe5 with comfortable
play for Black.
c) 5 11Ve2 b5 6 .tb3 .tc5 7 a4
J:b8 8 axb5 axb5 9 l0c3 0-0, and
now instead of 10 l0xb5? d5 ! 1 1
exd5 e4 1 2 l0g5 l0b4! White has to
settle for a level game with 10 d3
50 Basic Chess Openings
d6 1 1 i.g5 i.b4 12 0-0 i.xc3 13
bxc3 h6 14 i.h4 'fll e7.
d) 5 i.xc6 dxc6 6 d3 i.d6 7
bd2 i.e6 8 'flle2 h5!? 9 c4
i.xc4 10 dxc4 'f!l6 and Black has
no problems.
e) 5 d4!? xe4?! (after the al
ternative 5 . . . xd4?! 6 xd4 exd4
7 e5 e4 8 'fllxd4 c5 9 c3 i.e7
10 'f!lg4! 0-0 1 1 i.h6 e6 12 i.b3!
i.g5 13 i.xg5 'fllxg5 14 'fllxg5 g5
15 d5, White obtains a signifi
cant advantage with the simple
moves 0-0-0, l:the1 and f2-f4) 6
'flle2 b5 7 'fllxe4 d5 8 'flle3 bxa4 9
.xe5 xe5 10 0-0!? i.e6 1 1 dxe5
'flld7 12 c3 i.b4 13 'f!lg3 0-0 14
i.h6 f6 15 i.f4 c5 16 l:tad1 is
slightly better for White. Instead
of 5 . . . xe4?! or 5 . . . xd4?! Black
does better to play 5 . . . exd4 and
now 6 e5 e4 7 0-0 c5 ! leads to
an even position while 6 0-0 i.e7!
is again equal. This line is dis
cussed under the move-order 5
0-0 i.e7 6 d4 - see the next 'Side
lines'!
Now we can calmly play 5 0-0.
B
Besides 5 e4 (the Open
Variation) and 5 i.e7 (the Main
Line), Black has the following al
ternatives:
a) 5 d6 transposes to the Im
proved Steinitz (see above).
b) 5 i.c5 6 e5!? (theory
speaks kindly of the position after
6 c3 e4 7 d4 i.b6 8 l:te1 f5 9
bd2 0-0 10 xe4 fxe4 1 1 l:txe4,
although after ll ... d6 12 dxe5
i.f5 Black is not without chances)
6 . . . xe5 7 d4 xe4 8 l:te1 i.e7 9
l:txe4 (after 9 dxe5 c5 10 c3
xa4 11 4 0-0 12 i.f4 Black is
still a little worse due to his back
ward d-pawn) 9 . . . g6 10 c4 0-0
11 c3 f5 ( 1 1 ... c6 12 d5!) 12 l:te2
f4 13 f3 d6 14 i.c2! ;!;;, Black has
some weaknesses: the pawn on f4
and the e6-square.
c) 5 b5!? 6 i.b3 i.b7. This is
the very popular Archangelsk Vari
ation. Let us see each of White's
continuations in turn:
cl) 7 g5? d5! 8 exd5 d4 +.
c2) 7 d4 d4 8 i.xf7+ !? (8
d4 exd4 9 e5 e4 10 c3 dxc3 1 1
'fllf3 d 5 1 2 exd6 'fll6 13 l:te1 0-0-0
oo} 8 ... 9 e5 + g8 10 'fll'xd4
c5 1 1 'flld1 'flieS 12 f3 'fllxe4 13
i.g5!? 'flf5 14 i.x6 'f!lx6 15 c3
l:td8 with a complicated fight.
c3) 7 d3 i.d6 (a strange look
ing move, but after . . . 0-0 and
... l:te8, the bishop will return to
f8. Until then it strengthens the
centre) 8 a4 0-0 9 c3 b4 10 e2
a5 1 1 i.a2 h6 12 g3 l:te8 13 h3
i.f8 14 h2 d5! 15 'flf3 c5 16 g4
l:r.e6! 17 e3 b3! 18 cxb3 l:tb6, and
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
Black has produced excellent play
with his rook along the sixth rank.
c4) 7 t003 e7 8 d3 0-0 9
.id2!? (this move prevents a later
...tLlc6-a5! ) 9 . . . d6 10 tLld5!? tLld7 11
a4 tLlc5! with mutual chances.
c5) 7 c3 lLlxe4 8 d4 e7 (the
move 8 . . . tLla5 was strongly met in
a game of Peter Leko's by 9 .ic2
exd4 10 tLlxd4 c5 1 1 lLlf5 'ili'f6 12
tLld2! - a novelty of the young
Hungarian grandmaster Zoltan
Almasi! - 12 . . . d5 13 tLlxe4 dxe4 14
tLlg3 .ie7 15 tLlxe4 'ili'c6 16 'ii'h5!,
and Black cannot play 16 ... 0-0?
owing to 17 tLlf6 + and 18 'ili'xh7
mate) 9 l:tel (9 'ili'e2 d5 10 dxe5 0-0
11 l:tdl tLla5 12 .ic2 'ili'c8! co) 9 ... d5
10 dxe5 tLla5 1 1 c2 0-0 12 tLlbd2
tLlc4!? with an adequate game.
c6) 7 l:tel c5 8 c3 (not 8
tLlxe5? tLlxe5 9 d4 tLlrg4! 10 dxc5
'ii' h4 - + ) 8 . . . d6 9 d4 .ib6 10 g5
(or 10 e3 0-0 1 1 tLlbd2 h6 12 h3
l:te8 13 d5 tLla5 14 .ixb6 cxb6 15
c2 tLlc4 16 l:tbl co) 10 ... h6 11 h4
g5!? 12 g3 0-0 and now 13 a4
exd4!? 14 cxd4 l:te8 15 e5 dxe5 16
dxe5 'ili'xdl 17 l:txdl lLle4! or 13
'ii'd3 tLlh5 14 tLlbd2 'ii'f6 15 d5
l:tae8 16 a4 tLlxg3 17 hxg3 exd4 18
axb5 axb5 19 xc6 .ixc6 20 tLlxd4
.id7 is an interesting position
with chances for both sides.
C. 1 e4 e5 2 lLlf3 tLlc6 3 .ib5 a6 4
.ia4 lLlf6 5 0-0 tLlxe4 (Open Vari
ation)
The move 5 ... tLlxe4 is the one that
makes this variation 'open'.
51
w
6 d4
The only way to fight for an
edge. As we shall see, in this way
White can regain the pawn via
d4xe5, thus avoiding a symmetri
cal pawn formation. With the pawn
on e5 White can play an active
role both on the kingside and in
the centre. Mter 6 l:tel lLlc5 7
tLlxe5 e7 8 xc6 dxc6 9 d4 lLle6
10 .ie3 0-0 1 1 f4 f6 12 lLlf3 .id6
Black has nothing to fear.
6 b5
Other choices are inferior:
a) 6 exd4 7 l:tel d5 8 tLlxd4
d6!? 9 tLlxc6 hh2+ 10 'it>hl 'iib4
1 1 l:txe4 + ! dxe4 12 'ii'd8+ ! 'ili'xd8
13 tLlxd8 + 'it>xd8 14 'it>xh2 ;t. Ma
terial-wise Black is well off (a
rook and two pawns in return for
two pieces), but his king and his
pawn on e4 will quickly become a
target for the developing white
pieces .
b) 6 ...e7 7 l:tel f5 8 dxe5 0-0
9 b3 + 'it>h8 10 .i.d5 (10 tLlc3!?)
lO . . .tLlc5 11 tLlc3 ;t. Black is unde
veloped and has a 'hole' on d5.
7 .i.b3 d5
52 Basic Chess Openings
On 7 . . . exd4 8 .:.e1 d5 9 lt)c31
.te6 (or 9 ... dxc3 10 .txd5 .tb7 1 1
.txe41 .te7 1 2 'ife2 + -) 1 0 lbxe4
dxe4 1 1 .:.xe4 .te7 12 .txe6 fxe6
13 lbxd4 e5 14 'ifh5 + g6 15 lDxc6
Black faces a lost endgame.
8 dxe5
Weaker are 8 a4 lbxd41 9 lbxd4
exd4 10 axb5 .tc5 and 8 lbxe5
lbxe5 9 dxe5 c6 10 .te3 .te7 1 1
lDd2 lbxd2 1 2 'ifxd2 0-0, when in
both cases Black has equalized
8 .te6 9 c3!?
White has the upper hand) 12
A multi-purpose move, taking
up the fight for the d4-square
while vacating a square for the re
treat of the bishop on b3. A few
other possibilities are:
a) 9 a4 b41 10 a5 lbc5 1 1 .i.g5
'i!Vd7 (not ll ... .te7? 12 .txe7 lbxe7
1 3 'ifd4 and Black's queenside is
in trouble) 12 lbbd2 h6 13 .th4
.te7 14 .txe7 lbxe7 and 15 . . . 0-0 is
equal.
b) 9 .te3 .te7 (9 . . . .tc51?) 10
lDbd2 lDc5 1 1 c3 .tg4 12 .tc2 lDe6
13 'ifbl .th51 and 14 ... .tg6 = .
c) 9 'ife2 (the queen vacates its
place for the rook on fl) 9 . . . .te7
10 l:[dl 0-0 11 c4 bxc4 12 .txc4
.tc5 13 .te3 .txe3 14 'ifxe3 'ifh81
15 .tb3 lba5 16 lDel lbxb3 17
axb3 f51 co.
d) 9 lbbd2!? lbc5 10 c3 .tg41?
( 10 . . . .te7 transposes into posi
tions that arise after 9 c3 lDc5 10
.tc2, while great confusion is
caused by 10 . . . d41? 1 1 lbg51 'ifxg5
12 'iff3 .td7 13 .txf7+ 9;e7 14
.td5 lbxe5 15 'ife2 d3 16 Vel c6 17
f4 'ifh6 18 .tf31 9;d8 19 fxe5,
when Black's king is unpleasantly
placed in the middle) 1 1 h3 .th5
12 .tc2 lDe6 and then ... .te7, ...0-0
and . . ..tg6 could be Black's next
few moves.
9 .tc5
Black has two nearly equiva
lent options:
a) 9 lbc5 10 .tc2 .tg4 11 .:.el
.te7 ( 1 1 ... d4?1 is premature, as af
ter 12 h31 .th5 13 e61 fxe6 14 cxd4
.txf3 15 'ifxf3 lbxd4 16 'ifh5 +
lDbd2 'ifd7 (12 . . . d41? produces an
interesting position: 13 h31 .th5
14 lDb3 d3 15 .tbl lDxb3 16 axb3
.tg6 17 .te3 0-0 18 .td41? lbxd4
19 cxd4 .tb4 followed by 20 . . . d2,
and the weak pawn flees forward.
While White organizes the de
struction of the pawn d2, Black
will have to assault the pawn on
d4) 13 Ml? (13 lbb31? also comes
into consideration, with the idea
of taking possession of the d4-
square. For example, 13 . . . lbe6 14
h3 .th5 15 .tf5 lbcd8 16 .te3 a5
17 .tc5 a4 18 .txe7 'ifxe7 19
lbbd41 lbxd4?1 20 cxd4 lbe6 21 g41
.tg6 22 :el l . The dangers of
this line are materializing in
Black's position: he has a back
ward pawn on the open c-file, he
has lost control of the square c5
and even his kingside is con
stricted. An improvement might
be 19 . . . a31? 20 b3 c6, instead of
19 ... lbxd4?!) 13 ....:.d8 14 lDe3 .th5
15 b4 lbe6 16 g41? .tg6 17 lbf5 0-0
18 a4 d41? co. This position is hard
to assess.
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
b) 9 .te7 10 .tea (after 10
either protect it or swap it. For ex
'iVe2 0-0 1 1 l:r.d1 lDc5 12 i.c2 i.g4!?
13 b4 lDa4 14 .tf4 'ifd7!? 15 'ifd3
g6 16 'ifxd5 'ifxd5 1 7 l:r.xd5 lDb6
1S l:r.d1 l:r.adS Black has excellent
play for the pawn, while after 10
lDbd2 0-0 11 .tc2 f5?! 12 lDb3 'ifd7
13 lDfd4 ttml4 14 lDxd4 c5 15 lDxe6
'ifxe6 16 f3 lDg5 17 a4! White is
threatening to rip open the loose
black position on the queenside.
In this line instead of 11 . . .f5?!,
Black should play ll ... .tf5!? 12
lDd4 lDxd4 13 cxd4 6!? 14 f4 fxe5
15 fxe5 'ifd7! with ample piece
play) 10 . . . 'ifd7!? 1 1 lDbd2 l:r.dS 12
l:r.e1 0-0 13 i.c2, and now 13 ...f5 14
exf6 lDx6 15 'ifb1 h6 or 13 ...lDxd2!?
14 'ifxd2 .tf5 15 l:r.ad1 l%feS 16 h3
'iVe6 produces a heavyweight clash.
10 lDbd2
On 10 'ife2 0-0 1 1 .te3 Black
can obtain counterplay via 11 . . . 6!
12 ex6 'ifx6 13 lDbd2 .td6.
10 0-0 11 .tc2
'iVd7 and now 15 a4 lDxe5 16 f4
B lDxd4 16 cxd4 6! 1 7 i.e3 l:r.adS 1S
Plans and Counterplans:
White wants to get rid of the en
emy knight on e4, and Black can
53
ample:
a) l l lDxd2?! 12 'ifxd2 (on
...
12 .txd2, 12 ... d4! is possible) 12 ... 6
13 ex6 l:r.x6 14 lDg5 .tf5 15 a4!
lDe7 16 hf5 5 17 'ikd3 .
Black is in trouble because 17 ... h6
1S axb5 hxg5 19 .txg5 is over
whelming for White.
b) l l lbxf2!? 12 lhf2 f6 13
...
ex6 .txf2 + 14 xf2 'ifx6 15 M
lDe5 16 .te3 l:r.ae8 1 7 .tc5 1S
gxf3 l:r.f7 19 g2 and the two
pieces against the rook and pawn
secure White a slight advantage.
With his larger share of the
pieces, White can concentrate his
forces in the middlegame, aiming
for an attack rather than for an
endgame.
c) ll ..tf5!? 12 lDb3 .tg6!?
. .
(or 12 . . . i.g4 13 h3 .th5 14 g4!
i.g6 15 .txe4 dxe4 16 lDxc5 exf3
1 7 i.f4 ;!;;) 13 lDfd4 .txd4 14 lDxd4
lDc6 17 lDxc6 'ifxc6 1S f5 'iVc5 + 19
'iVd4 .th5 20 i.f4 'iVc6 (Judit Pol
gar's advice for Black) or 15 f4
'ife2 hS 19 l:r.acl c6 both give
Black equal chances.
d) ll f5 12 lDb3 .tb6 13 lDfd4
...
lDxd4 14 lDxd4 hd4 15 'iVxd4 ( 15
cxd4 f4! 16 f3 lDg3! 1 7 hxg3 fxg3
18 'ifd3! .tf5 19 'ifxf5 l:r.xf5 20
.txf5 'ifh4 21 i.h3 'ifxd4+ 22 h1
'ifxe5 brings about a rare division
of material: White has two pieces
and a rook for Black's queen and
three pawns. Analysts have come
to the following useful conclusion:
54 Basic Chess Openings
'unclear') 15 . . . c5 16 'ii'd 1 h6!? (or
16 ... f4 17 f3 lDg3? 18 hxg3 fxg3 19
'ifd3 and now 19 . . .'iVh4 20 'ifxh7+
or 19 ... .U5 20 'ifxf5 :x5 21 .bf5
'iVh4 22 .i.h3 with a huge plus for
White. Instead of 1 7 . . . lDg3? wor-
thy of attention is 17 . . . lDg5 18 a4
b4 19 cxb4 c4! 20 b3! d4! 21 bxc4
.i.xc4 22 .i.b3 'iVd5 with some com
pensation for the pawn) 17 f3
lDg5 18 .i.e3 l:tc8 19 'ifd2 and now
Black can continue 19 ... a5 20 l:tad1
'ife7 or 19 . . . d4!? 20 cxd4 cxd4 21
.i.f4 (2 1 .i.xd4? l:txc2) 21. . . 'ifc7!?
Hopefully these few pages have
provided a broad feel for the Open
Variation. With its lively middle
game and open-centered play, it is
well worth studying more closely,
although there is an immense
amount of theory to know.
Sidelines
Mter 1 e4 e5 2 lDf3 lDc6 3 .i.b5
a6 4 .i.a4 lDf6 5 0-0 .i. e7 we ar
rive at an important cross-roads.
We can stay on the Main Road
with 6 l:te1 , while if we would like
to deviate then the choices are the
following:
a) 6 c3?! lDxe4 7 l:te1 lDc5 8
lDxe5 lDxe5 9 l:txe5 lDxa4 10 'ifxa4
0-0 1 1 d4 .i.f6 and it is only Black,
with his bishop-pair, who can be
better.
b) 6 d3 b5 7 .i.b3 d6 8 a4
.i.d7!? (also playable are 8 . . . .i.b7 9
lDc3 lDa5 10 .i.a2 b4 1 1 lDd5 .i.xd5
12 exd5 l:tb8! and 8 . . . .i.g4 9 c3 0-0.
In both cases it is a battle of equal
forces) 9 c3 0-0 10 lDbd2 lDa5 1 1
.i.c2 c5 1 2 l:te1 'ifc7 1 3 lDfl b4! 14
.i.g5 l:tab8 15 lDe3 .i.e6 = . Black's
queenside play is beginning to
take shape.
c) 6 .i.xc6 dxc6 (not 6 . . . bxc6?
7 lDxe5 lDxe4 8 'iVg4 lDd6 9 'ifxg7
.U6 10 l:te1! .i.xg7 11 lDg6+ 'ife7
12 lDxe7 +-) 7 d3. This is the ba
sic position of the Delayed Ex
change Variation. White will play
against the black e5-pawn, but if
Black manages to regroup his
pieces he can equalize. A good plan
is 7 . . . lDd7 8 lDbd2 0-0 9 lDc4 f6 10
lDh4 lDc5 1 1 'iff3 lDe6 12 .i.e3 g6
13 'ifg3 h8 14 l:tadl lDf4! 15 l:tfe1
.i.e6 16 b3 c5 followed by . . . 'ifc8
and . . . g6-g5, when Black can hope
to assume the upper hand.
d) 6 d4 exd4 7 l:te1 (or 7 e5
lDe4 8 lDxd4 0-0 9 lDf5 d5 10 hc6
bxc6 ll lDxe7+ 'ifxe7 12 l:te1 l:te8!
13 f3 lDd6 14 b3 lDf5 15 'ifd2 .i.e6
16 .i.a3 'ifh4 oo) 7 . . .b5 8 e5 (8 .i.b3
d6 9 .i.d5 .i.d7 = ) 8 . . . lDxe5 9 l:txe5
(9 lDxe5 bxa4 10 'ifxd4 0-0 1 1
'ifxa4 l:tb8) 9 . . . d6 1 0 l:te1 bxa4 1 1
lDxd4 .i.d7 1 2 'iff3 0-0 1 3 lDc6
.i.xc6 14 'ifxc6 l:tb8!? 15 lDca (after
15 'ifxa4 d5 and . . . lDe4, Black has
the attack . . . .i.c5/. . . .i.d6, . . . 'ifh4,
. . .l:tb8-b6-g6 up his sleeve) 15 . . . a3!
16 b3 l:tb6 1 7 'ifa4 d5 18 .i.xa3
.i.xa3 19 'ifxa3 l:tc6! gives Black
the initiative. For example, after
20 'ifh2 lDg4! he is threatening
. . .'iV6 and ...'ii'd6 .
e) 6 'ife2!? The Worrall At
tack, the point of which is that
the central action c2-c3 and d2-d4
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
will be supported by l:r.d1, while
the queen defends the e-pawn.
6 b5
exf3 12 gxf3 h5!? 13 .tf4 l:r.eB 14
This is the correct move, since
now White cannot play his bishop
to c2 without loss of time. For ex
ample, 6 . . . d6 is met by 7 c3! 0-0 8
d4 d7 9 c2!, when White has a
strong centre: after both 9 . . . exd4
10 cxd4 lbb4 11 lbc3 lbxc2 12
1Wxc2 g4 13 lbe1 c6 14 h3 d7
15 e3 and 9 . . .l:r.e8 10 d5! lbb8 11
h3 c6 12 dxc6 hc6 13 c4 lbbd7 14
lbc3 he can maintain his advan
tage (;t).
7 b3 0-0 8 c3 d5!?
The most aggressive plan. Qui
eter play results from 8 . . . d6:
a) 9 d4 exd4 10 cxd4 g4 11
l:r.d1 d5! 12 e5 lbe4 13 lbc3 lbxc3
14 bxc3 'ifd7 15 h3 f5 16 g4!?
g6 17 lbe1 and White can in
crease his spatial advantage with
f2-f4.
b) 9 h3 lba5 10 .tc2 c5 1 1 d4
'fic7 12 l:r.d1 .td7 ! : Black intends
13 . . . cxd4 14 cxd4 l:r.ac8 with the
queenside plan . . .lba5-c6-b4.
c) 9 l:r.dl !? lba5 10 .tc2 c5 11
d4 1Wc7 12 d 5 c4 1 3 b4! cxb3 14
axb3 g4 15 h3 .th5 16 .tb2 :feB
17 l:r.c1! ;t, After White has secured
his queenside, his knight on b1
can get active via d2-fl-g3. Let us
return now to 8 . . . d5.
9 d3
White undertakes tremendous
ri sks if he plays 9 exd5: 9 . . . g4!
10 dxc6 ( 10 h3 xf3 1 1 1i'xf3 e4
12 'fie2 lba5! 13 .tc2 'fixd5 =F.
White is less developed and Black
55
can strengthen his position with
. . .l:r.ad8 and . . . l:r.fe8) 10 . . . e4 1 1 d4
e5 d6 15 lbd2 he5 16 dxe5
lbd5 17 lbe4 lbf4 18 'fie3 'fih4 and
Black has a dangerous attack.
9 l:r.e8
It is logical to bolster the centre
due to the pressure on Black's d5-
and e5-pawns. Other options are:
a) 9 1Wd6 10 g5 ! e6 11
lbbd2 l:r.ad8 12 :fd1 lbd7 13 .txe7
lbxe7 14 d4! exd4 15 e5 'fib6 16
lbxd4!? ;t, There is no coordina
tion between the black pieces.
b) 9 d4 10 cxd4 lbxd4 11 lbxd4
.
1Wxd4 (on 11 . . . exd4, 12 f4! would
threaten the advance of the e- and
f-pawns) 12 e3 1Wd6 13 l:r.c1!?
.tb7 14 lbd2 and White controls
the c-file and threatens lbd2-f3-
h4-f5.
10 lbbd2
Black achieves lively play after
10 exd5 lbxd5 1 1 lbxe5 lbxe5 12
1Wxe5 b7.
10 ..tf8 11 l:r.el b7
A balanced middlegame has
arisen in which White can play
lbd2-fl-g3-f5 and .tg5 while Black
can group his forces with . . . lba5,
. . .'fid7 and .. .llad8, awaiting the
right moment to open the centre
with d5xe4.
Having met White's sidelines,
let us move forward to the main
line!
1 e4 e5 2 lbfa lbc6 3 .tb5 a6 4
.ta4 lbf6 5 0-0 e7 6 l:r.el b5
White's threat was 7 xc6 and 8
lbxe5. 7 b3.
56 Basic Chess Openings
B exd5 lld8 16 ttlg4 ttlxd5 17 ttlxd5
Here Black can opt for the hard
strategic battle typical of the Span
ish by playing either ... 0-0 or ...d7-
d6. However, if he wants to invite
White to a tactical fight, then his
only move is 7 0-0 after which
(ll ... .i.xb3!? 12 ttlxb3 d5 13 'ife2
he can play the Marshall At
tack.
D. Marshall Attack
1 e4 e5 2 ttlf3 ttlc6 3 .i.b5 a6 4
.i.a4 ttlt'6 5 0-0 .i.e7 6 l:el b5 7
.i.b3 0-0 8 c3
This is the last moment at
which White can avoid the Mar
shall Attack with one of the anti
Marshall systems: .
a) 8 ttlc3 .i. b7 9 d3 d6 10 a3
ttld4! 1 1 ttlxd4 exd4 12 ttld5 ttlxd5
13 exd5 .i.f6 14 'if3 l:e8 15 .i.d2
'ifd7 = .
b) 8 d4 ttlxd4 9 hf7+ (9 ttlxd4
exd4 10 e5 ttle8 1 1 'ixd4 .i.b7 12
c3 d6 = ) 9 . . . :xf7 10 ttlxe5 :ra n
'ixd4 c5 1 2 'id1 .i.b7 13 M 'ie8!
14 h3 ( 14 ttlg4 1i'g6 15 ttlxfG+ .i.xf6
16 ttld5 l:ae8 17 lDxffl + l:xf6 18
f3 d5 ! 19 e5 l:f5 20 f4 d4 21 1We2
l:fxe5! 22 fxe5 l:xe5, and Black
gets a decisive attack) 14 . . . d5 ! 15
.i.xd5 18 'ife2 'ifc6 and now on 19
1Wxe7? l:de8! wins.
c) 8 a4!? A strategically justi
fied concept, undermining the
pawn on b5. In this way Black's
attention and forces are distracted
from the pawn sacrifice . . . d7-d5.
White has to be ready for two pos
sible replies:
cl) 8 b4 9 d3 (9 d4 d6 10
dxe5 ttlxe5 11 ttlxe5 dxe5 12 .i.g5
.i.c5! 13 'if3 h6 14 .i.xf6 1Wxf6 = )
9. . .d6 1 0 a5 (10 ttlbd2 ttla5 l l .i.a2
.i.e6!? ) 10 . . . .i.e6 1 1 ttlbd2 'ic8!?
oo
l:e8 14 .i.g5 h6 15 .i.h4 ttlh5! = )
12 .i.c4 l:d8 1 3 ttl fl h6! 1 4 ttle3
.i.f8 with level chances.
c2) 8 .i.b7 9 d3 d6 (after
9 :e8 10 c3!? h6 1 1 ttlbd2 .i.f8 12
.
.i.a2 ! Black has no good way of
neutralizing the bishop sweeping
down the a2-g8 diagonal. For ex
ample, the lines 12 . . . d5 13 exd5
ttlxd5 14 d4 ttlf4 15 ttle4 and
12 ... d6 13 ttlh4 1i'd7 14 ttlg6! dem
onstrate White's dominance) 10
ttlbd2 ttld7 1 1 c3! ttlc5 ( l l . . . .i.f6!?)
12 axb5 axb5 13 :Xa8 .i.xa8 (or
13 . . . 1Wxa8!? 14 .i.c2 b4 15 d4 bxc3
16 bxc3 ttld7 ) 14 .i.c2 .i.f6 15 b4
oo
ttle6 16 ttlfl! d5! 17 exd5 'ixd5 18
ttle3 'id8 19 ttlg4 e4! leads to an
unclear game.
Note that 8 . . . l:b8 is a poor re
sponse to 8 a4!?: 9 axb5 axb5 10 c3
d5 1 1 exd5 ttlxd5 12 ttlxe5 ttlxe5
13 :Xe5 c6 14 d4 .i.d6 15 l:e1 .
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
Black has stumbled into a poor
Marshall in which he has lost con
trol of the a-file.
8 d5!? 9 exd5
something about the knight on
9 d3 is passive: 9 ... dxe4 10 dxe4
'ifxd1 1 1 .i.xd1 .i.b7 12 ltlbd2 7
13 ltlb3 a5 and Black is comfort
ably on top. 9 d4!? is more inter
esting, but Black has nothing to
fear after 9 . . . exd4 10 e5 ltle4 11
cxd4 ltla5!? 12 .i.c2 f5! 13 exf6
.i.x6! ao,
9 lLlxd5
c6 14 l:te2 cxd5 15 d4 Black can
9 ... e4 is tricky but not good
enough: 10 dxc6 exf3 1 1 d4 fxg2
12 .i.g5 .i.g4 13 'ifd3 followed by
ltld2, and Black's attack never
gets going.
10 ltlxe5 lLlxe5 11 lhe5
B In addition, White is often forced
Black has sacrificed a pawn to
get an attack on the kingside. His
plan is justified by the cramped
white queenside. White on the
other hand pins his hopes on the
move d2-d4 and the quick devel
opment of his light artillery. Let
us see which side will win the de
bate!
57
l l c6
Black is planning ... .i.d6 and
. . . 'ifh4, but first he has to do
d5. Experience has shown that is
best to protect it with a pawn,
since after both 1 1 . . . ltlf6 12 d4
.i.d6 13 l:te1 ltlg4 14 h3 'ifh4 15 'iff3
lLlx2!? 16 .i.d2! .i.b7! 17 'ifxb7
ltld3 18 l:te2 'ifg3 19 'it>fl lLlf4 20
l:tf2! 'ifh2 2 1 .i.xf4! .i.xf4 22 g3!
and 1 1 ....i.b7 12 'iff3 .i.d6 13 .i.xd5!
not find enough compensation for
his material disadvantage. Even
from these warm-up lines it be
comes apparent that the ensuing
positions are hard to assess in prin
ciple. Mter all, it is not enough for
Black to have merely a potentially
promising attack, he has to prove
his point in concrete variations.
to defend his plus through a se
ries of risky situations, or perhaps
to bail out for a draw (if he can!) if
things get too hot in the kitchen.
12 d4
Two other continuations are:
a) 12 hd5 cxd5 13 d4 .i.d6 14
l:te3 'ifh4 15 g3 (15 h3 'iff4! 16
l:te5! 'if6 17 l:te1 'ifg6 18 'iff3 .i.e6
when Black is planning . . . l:tae8
and . . . .i.g4) 15 . . . .i.g4 16 f3 .i.xg3
17 'ife2 .i.f4 18 fxg4 f5! 19 gxf5
l:txf5 2D l:te8+ :XeS 2 1 'ifxe8 +
l:tf8 22 'ife6 + h8 23 .i.xf4 'ifxf4
24 ltla3 'iff2 + and Black has a
perpetual on f2 and f3.
b) 12 l:tel!? .i.d6 13 g3 .i.b7!
14 d3 'ifd7 15 ltld2 c5 16 ltle4 .i.e7
58 Basic Chess Openings
1 7 g5 f6 18 d2 h8 19 Vh5 f5
20 g5 hg5 2 1 hg5 1i'c6 22 f3
c4 23 J.c2 b4 and the white king
is becoming a vulnerable target.
12 J.d6 13 l:te1
13 l:te2 is a less harmonious
move: 13 . . . Vh4 14 g3 1i'h3 15 'ii'fl
Vh5 16 f3 (16 d2? f4! 17 gxf4
J.h3 - + ) 16 . . . J.h3 17 1i'f2 f5 and
Black seizes the e-file. As a mat
ter of fact, this position (after a
forty-move analysis!) is predicted
by theory to be a draw by perpet
ual.
1 3 Vb4 14 g3 'ifb3 15 J.e3
On 15 l:te4 the only reply is
15 . . . g5!? followed by the plan of
. . . f7-f5 and . . . l:ta7-g7. Of course
15 . . . g5!? cannot be met by 16 J.xg5
as 16 . . .'iVf5 picks up a piece.
15 J.g4 16 Vd3
The queen can defend from fl.
16 l:tae8
All the forces are drawn into
the attack.
17 d2 l:te6
Also not entirely clear is 17 .. .f5,
though the latest evidence goes
against it: 18 'iffl 'ifh5 19 f4 h8
20 J.xd5 cxd5 21 Vg2 l:te4 22 h4!
(preventing . . . g7-g5) 22 . . . h6 23
xe4 fxe4 24 l:tfl. l:tf6 25 a4! and
White crawls out of Black's em
brace.
18 a4!
Here it is not worth playing 18
'iffl as after 18 . . . Vh5 Black can
chase White's queen by 19 . . . J.h3,
while 18 c4 f4! 19 cxd5 l:th6 20
Ve4 Vxh2 + 21 fl. J.xe3 22 :Xe3
l:tf6! 23 f3 24 'ife5 'ifxd2
brings about a success for Black.
Let us take a look at the position
after 18 a4!?
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Black must keep attacking but at
the same time he has to beware
that the a1-rook does not sud
denly burst into the game and de
cide the battle. Here are a few
concrete lines as titbits:
a) 18 l:tfe8? 1 9 J.xd5 cxd5 20
Vfl. Vh5 21 axb5 axb5 22 Vxb5 .
b) 18. bxa4 19 ha4 f5 20 'iffl
'iVh5 21 c4 f4 22 cxd5 :Xe3 23 fxe3
fxg3 24 dxc6+ h8 25 hxg3 :xn +
26 l:txfl +-. White has too much
material for the queen and his c
pawn is dangerously advanced.
c) 18 .'i'h5 19 axb5 axb5 20
e4!? (or 20 fl J.f5 21 Vdl J.g4
22 'ifd2 'ifh3 23 J.d1 xd1 24
l:taxd1 f5! 25 f4 g5 26 fxg5 f4! 27
gxf4 J.xf4 28 J.xf4 M4 and Black
is threatening perpetual check by
29 . . .'iVg4+ 30 g3 h3 + 3 1 g2
f4 + ) 20 . . . c7 2 1 d2 :feB 22
.id1 ! and Black faces a difficult
task. For example, 22 . . . .txd1 23
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
:exd1 and now 23 . . . :xe4 would
backfire due to 24 1i'xe4! 1i'xd1 +
25 g2 winning the black queen
because of the mate threat on the
back rank, while 23 . . . f5 24 lDg5
:e2 25 1i'f3! also thwarts Black's
attack. We have the Indian grand
master Viswanathan Anand to
thank for this analysis of 22 d1!
d) 18 .f5!? 19 'it'fl 1i'h5 20 f4
bxa4 (White was hoping for the
continuation 20 . . . :Ce8 21 axb5
axb5 - 2 1 . . .:xe3 22 :Xe3 :Xe3 23
bxc6 :e2 24 xd5 + f8 25 h3!
xh3 26 f3 + - - 22 xd5 cxd5
23 1i'xb5 with a fatal invasion into
the black position) 21 ha4 :feB 22
1i'f2 (not 22 :xa6 :xe3 23 :xe3
:xe3 24 :xc6 1i'e8 25 xd5+ f8
26 lDe4 fxe4 27 :xd6 l:[d3 28 b3
e3 - + ) 22 . . . g5 23 fxg5 f4 24 gxf4
h3 and now 25 lDfl? hfl 26
xfl 1i'h3 + or 25 d1 :xe3! 26
xh5 :xe1 + 27 lDfl :8e7 fol
lowed by 28 . . . xf4 is to Black's
advantage. White should there
fore continue 25 h1 'it'g4 26 l:[g1
and if the black queen moves,
then he can hold with 27 l:[g3.
Current theory suggests that this
rather remote position presents
chances to both sides.
Sidelines
Mter 1 e4 e5 2 lDf3 lDc6 3 b5
a6 4 a4 lDf6 5 0-0 e7 6 :et
b5 7 b3 d6 the main line runs 8
c3. This move prepares d2-d4 and
at the same time makes way for
the bishop to retreat to c2. On 8
59
a4 Black should avoid 8 . . . lDa5?! 9
axb5 lDxb3 10 cxb3 b7 1 1 bxa6
6 12 d4 0-0 13 lLlc3 b7 14 l:[a4
. The right direction is 8 . . . g4 9
c3 0-0 10 h3 h5 1 1 d3 lDa5 12
c2 c5 = .
8 0-0
Now, before we turn to the ba
sic position of the Main Line with
9 h3, let us first take a look at
White's alternatives on his ninth
move:
a) 9 d3 lDa5 10 c2 c5 11 lDbd2
:e8 ( 1 1 . . . lDc6 12 lDfl :ea 13 h3
b7 is discussed in the Main Line
below) 12 lDfl b7 13 a3!? h6!? 14
b4 cxb4 15 axb4 lDc6 16 lDe3 d5 is
level
b) 9 a4 g4 (9 . . . b4 is weaker:
10 h3 l:[b8 11 a5! e6 12 xe6
fxe6 13 d4 exd4 14 cxd4 l:[b5 15
lDbd2 lDxa5 16 lDb3 lDxb3 17
1i'xb3 1i'c8 18 lDg5 ) 10 h3 h5!?
(unless it is unavoidable, Black
should avoid easing the tension
with quick exchanges!) 11 d3 lDa5
12 c2 c5 13 lDbd2 b4 14 g4 g6
15 lDfl :bs 16 lDe3 b3 17 b1
:es co.
c) 9 d4!? g4 10 d5 (White
can instead keep the position open
with 10 e3, but both 10 . . . exd4
1 1 cxd4 lDa5 12 c2 c5 !? - on
12 . . . lDc4 13 c1 and b2-b3 White
regains the lost tempi - 13 dxc5
dxc5 14 lDbd2 lDc6 and 10 . . . d5!?
11 exd5 exd4 12 xd4 fud4 13
cxd4 b4 14 lDc3 a5! 15 a3 xc3
16 bxc3 a4 17 a2 1i'd6 18 h3 h5
ensure Black equality) 10 . . . lDa5
11 c2 1i'c8 12 h3 d7 13 lDbd2 c6!
60 Basic Chess Openings
(Black is obliged to fight against
the white centre and open a queen
side file for himself) 14 dxc6 'ii'xc6
15 l0fl l0c4!? 16 .td3 (or 16 l0g3
l:lfc8!? 1 7 'ii'e2 l0b6 and Black's
idea may be . . . l0b6-a4-c5 followed
by . . . a6-a5) 16 .. Jlac8 17 'fi'e2 :feB
18 l0g3 h6 = . Black can consoli
date his kingside with 19 . . . .tf8
and concentrate on . . . d6-d5. The
move . . ..tc8-g4 is especially effec
tive against an early seizure of
the centre by White with d2-d4,
as by attacking the knight on f3
Black weakens the pawn on d4.
However, in connection with this
one must know that a premature
. . . .tg4, for example after 8 c3, is a
mistake, since 8 ....tg4?! 9 d3! 0-0
10 l0bd2 l0a5 11 .tc2 c5 12 h3
.th5 13 l0fl followed by g2-g4 and
l0g3 dooms the impatient bishop
to total passivity.
E. Main Line: The basic position
1 e4 e5 2 lbf3 l0c6 3 .tb5 a6 4
.ta4 l0f6 5 0-0 .te7 6 l:lel b5 7
.tb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 (D)
White has thwarted . . . .tc8-g4
and is now ready to play d2-d4, af
ter which, often with the help of
the manoeuvre l0b1-d2-fl-g3-f5,
he wishes to gradually develope a
kingside attack. Of course, Black's
arena of play is on the queenside,
but first he has to complete his
development.
Among the many plans at his
disposal, the following are worth
close examination.
B
El. Zaitsev Variation: 9 ... .tb7.
E2. Breyer Variation: 9 ... l0b8.
E3. Chigorin Variation: 9 ... llW>.
Besides these options, the fol
lowing lines are also frequently
employed:
a) 9 ... a5 10 d4 a4 11 .tc2 exd4
( 1 1 . . . .td7 12 l0bd2 .lieS 13 lOfl
.trs 14 l0ga h6 15 l0h2! 16 f4
c5 1 7 dxe5 dxe5 18 fxe5 l:lxe5 19
.tf4 . With e4-e5 White will open
up the diagonal of the bishop on
c2 and commence a kingside at
tack) 12 cxd4 l0b4 13 d5! (an ex
cellent outpost has been created
for a white knight on d4!) 13 ... l0d7
14 l0a3 .tf6 15 b5 a3 16 l0bd4
axb2 17 .txb2 :Xa2 18 :Xa2 a2
19 l0c6 and 20 'fi'al rounds up the
stray horse.
b) 9 ... .te6 10 d4 (10 .txe6 fxe6
11 d4 'fi'd7!? 12 dxe5 dxe5 13 'ii'xd7
l0xd7 14 .tea l0c5 is insufficient
for an advantage. Black is active
and his doubled isolated e-pawns
control useful central squares)
10 ....txb3 11 axb3 ( 1 1 'ii'xb3!? is
worth considering, for example
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
1 1 ... 'ii'd 7!? 12 bd2 l:tfbS 13 fl
b4 14 'ii'd l bxc3 15 bxc3 :tb5 16
g3 :tabS 17 i.g5 with mutual
chances) 1 1 ... exd4 12 cxd4 b4
(12 . . . d5 is an interesting option,
although after 13 e5 e4 14 c3
f5 15 ex6 Black must sacrifice a
pawn with 15 . . . hf6 as 15 . . . 6
is bad in view of 16 g5) 13 d5!
Gust as we saw in the previous
line, the f3-knight can again be
directed to d4 while at the same
White restrains the black c-pawn.
13 c3 c5 14 i.f4 l:teS and . . . 'ii'b 6,
. . . l:tadS leads to a balanced fight)
13 . . . c5 14 dxc6 xc6 15 c3 and
White is clearly better due to the
weak d6-pawn.
c) 9 . . .h6 (Black prevents the
move f3-g5 thus allowing the
manoeuvre . . . l:teS and . . . i.fS) 10
d4 l:teS 11 bd2 i.f8 12 i.c2!? (in
the line 12 fl i.d7 13 g3 a5
14 i.c2 c4 15 b3 b6 16 i.e3
c5!? Black obtains sufficient coun
terplay, while after 12 d5 b8 13
fl bd7 14 g3 c5 15 i.c2 a5
Black's position is again satisfac
tory. 12 i.c2!? prevents Black's
queenside play from unfolding, for
example, on 12 . . .a5? 13 b4! Black
is quite restrained) 12 . . . i.d7 13
i.d3 !? 'ii' b S 14 b3 g6 15 i.b2 i.g7
16 d5 dS 17 c4, and White stands
more freely thanks to his spatial
advantage.
d) 9 ...d7!? (an idea of the Es
tonian grandmaster Paul Keres.
The black knight is heading for
the queenside while at the same
time delegating his place to the
61
bishop, which will exert pressure
on the d4-square from 6) .
w
10 d4 i.6 (this is stronger than
10 . . . b6 when after 1 1 bd2 i.6
12 fl White can transport his hi
knight to the kingside) 11 a4!? (on
11 i.e3 Black can reply 11 . . . a5
12 i.c2 c4 13 i.cl i.b7 14 b3
cb6 15 i.e3 l:teS 16 d5 c5, with
the plan of . . . c7-c6, while after 1 1
d5, playable i s 11 . . . a5 1 2 i.c2 c5
13 bd2 b6 14 fl g6 15 g4!?
i.g7 16 g3 i.d7 17 b3 b7 fol
lowed by . . . a6-a5-a4) 11 . . . i.b7 12
a3 !? (other moves are 12 d5 !?
e7 13 axb5 axb5 14 l:txaS 'ii'xaS
15 a3 i.a6 16 h2 g6 1 7 i.c2!?
'ii'b 7 lS b4 b6, and Black can
opt for . . . c7-c6, or 12 axb5 axb5 13
l:txaS 'ii' xaS 14 d5 a5 !? 15 i.c2
c4 16 b3 cb6 17 a3 i.a6 lS
h2 c6 with equality) 12 . . . exd4
13 cxd4 l:teS!? (13 . . . b6 14 i.f4
bxa4 15 i.xa4 xa4 16 'ii'xa4 a5
17 i.d2! l:teS lS d5 b4 19 i.xb4
axb4 20 'ii'xb4 l:tbS 21 'ii'c4 i.xb2
22 l:ta2 i.6 23 b5 ) 14 'ii'd2!?
(White stops the move . . . c6-a5
62 Basic Chess Openings
owing to 14 .tf4 l005 ! 15 .i..c2 b4 16
/.l)b1 b3!? 1 7 .i.. d 3 c5!? ) 14 ... l:te7
oo
15 l:tb1 bxa4 16 .i..xa4 /.l)b6 17 .i.. c2
a5 18 "if c3 /.l)b4 = . Here Black has
good piece play due to the plan of
. . . exd4 and ...l:te8.
E 1 . 1 e4 e5 2 lbf3 lbc6 3 .i.. b 5 a6 4
.i..a4 lbf6 5 0-0 .i..e7 6 l:te1 b5 7
.i.. b 3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 .i.. b 7 (Zait
sev Variation)
10 d4
10 d3 is ineffective: 10 ...lba5 11
.i.. c2 c 5 12 lbbd2 lbc6 13 lbfl l:te8
14 lbg3 g6!? 15 lbh2 d5 = .
10 Jle8
fensible game for Black, or by 12
Black is preparing for . . . .i..f8.
The bishop on b7 and rook on e8
are both eyeing the white pawn
on e4. 10 . . .lba5 is inferior: 11 .i.. c2
lbc4 12 b3 lbb6 13 lbbd2 l:te8 14
.i..b2 .i.. f8 15 c4! exd4 16 cxb5 axb5
17 lbxd4, and the white pieces are
ready to march against the black
king with lbf5 and 1i'f3.
l l lbbd2
Other possibilities are:
a) 11 a4 .i.. f8 12 d5 lbb8 13
axb5 axb5 14 l:tax8 .i..xa8 15 lba3
c6 16 dxc6 .i.. xc6 17 .i..g5 lbbd7
and the black position looks a
tough nut to crack.
b) l l lbg5 l:tf8 12 f4? exf4 13
.i..xf4 lba5 14 .i.. c 2 /.l)d5! 15 exd5
.i..xg5 16 1i'h5 h6 17 .i.. g3 g6! 18
"iff3 lbc4 and Black has seized the
initiative. In this line, if White's
ambitions are modest then in
stead of 12 f4? he can offer a draw
by repetition with 12 lbf3.
c) 1 1 dxe5 lbxe5 ( 1 1 . . .dxe5?
loses to 12 .i..xf7 + xf7 13 "ifb3 +
and on 13 . . . g6 14 lbh4+ while
on 13 .. . 14 lbg5 wins) 12 fue5
dxe5 13 "iff3 c5 14 lbd2 c4 = .
1 1 .i..f8 12 a4!?
12 lbg5 is again ineffective:
12 . . . l:te7 13 f4 h6 14 lbdf3 "ife8!,
and Black is better developed .
White can also close the centre
with 12 d5!? lbb8 13 lbfl lbbd7 14
lbg3 g6!? (14 ...lbc5 15 .i.. c2 a5!? 16
lbh2 g6 17 1i'f3 h5 also comes into
consideration) 15 .i..e 3 lbc5 16 .i..c2
c6 17 b4 lbcd7 18 dxc6 .i..xc6 19
.i.. b 3 lbb6 20 "ifd3 "ifc7, with a de
.i..c2 g6!? 13 d5 lbb8 14 b3 c6 15 c4
"ifc7 16 lbfl lbbd7 17 .i.. e3 lbc5 18
lbg3 a5 19 1i'd2 l0fd7 20 dxc6 .i..xc6
21 cxb5 .i.. xb5, with unclear con
sequences.
12 h6 13 .i..c2 exd4!?
A move that leads to some risky
business! A safer choice is 13 ... g6!?
and on 14 d5 lbb8 15 b3 c6 16 c4
bxc4 17 bxc4 a5! 18 l:tb1 "ifc7 19
/.l)b3 .i.. a6 20 .i.. d3 lbbd7 21 .i.. d2
cxd5 22 .i..xa5 "ifa7 23 cxd5 .i.. xd3
24 "ifxd3 lbc5! 25 lbxc5 "ifxa5 the
game becomes balanced
14 cxd4
14 lbxd4 lbxd4 15 cxd4 c5 is un
clear.
14 lbb4 15 .i..b 1 c5
Here too a reliable option for
Black is 15 . . . g6!? 16 l:ta3 .i.. g7 and
the follow-up may be ... c7-c5.
16 d5 lbd7 17 l:ta3 f5!?
A dramatic method of under
mining the white centre, but with
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
the drawback that the black king
position is significantly weakened.
w j.d2!? ltxe1 + !? 24 j.xe1 j.f7 co,
Plans and Counterplans:
Black aims at overthrowing the
white centre while his opponent
prepares a kingside attack for
which he can transfer his rook
along the third rank from a3 to
g3. Here are a few examples taken
from practice:
a) 18 e5?! j.xd5 19 .hf5 j.xf3!
20 'ifxf3 xe5 21 'ii'd 1 c4 is clearly
better for Black.
b) 18 exf5 f6 19 e4 j.xd5
(19 ...bxd5 is also good) 20 ltlx6+
'ifxf6 21 j.d2 'ifxb2! 22 j.xb4 j.f7!
and Black is on top.
c) 18 ltae3!? f6 (18 .. .f4 19
lt3e2 e5 20 fl + 21 gxf3
'ifh4 co) 19 h2 'ifd7! 20 exf5 ltxe3
21 fxe3 hd5 22 g4 j.e7 23 e4
j.f7 and the fight is still com
pletely open.
d) 18 h2 ! (perhaps the best
answer, opening the way for the
rook on a3) 18 . . .h8!? (also possi
ble is 18 . . . c4 19 exf5 c5 20 ltxe8
'ifxe8 21 ltg3 bd3 22 f6 g6 23 b3
63
j.xd5 24 bxc4 bxc4 25 j.a3 or
18 . . . 6 19 ltf3 lte5 20 ltxf5 ltxf5
2 1 exf5 hd5 with an immense
fight) 19 ltg3 f6 20 hf3! fxe4
2 1 xe4 j.xd5 22 'ifxf6 23
The possibilities of attack and de
fence are not yet fully worked out
in this variation, so one may be
able to find stronger moves at
some point . . . for both parties!
Postscript: instead of 17 . . . 5!?
Black can also try 17 . . . c4!? Then
after both 18 d4 'iff6 19 2f3
c5 or 18 axb5 axb5 19 d4 ltxa3
20 bxa3 d3 2 1 j.xd3 cxd3 22
lte3 c5 a complicated position
arises with mutual chances.
E2. 1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 j.b5 a6 4
j.a4 f6 5 0-0 j.e7 6 lte1 b5 7
j.b3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 bB (Breyer
Variation)
In the Breyer Variation, the knight
withdraws to b8, ready to reap
pear on d7, while giving scope to
the bishop when it comes to b7
and the c-pawn. Black obtains a
flexible position with which to
fight White's spatial plus.
10 d4
10 d3 is unreasonably modest:
10 . . .bd7 11 bd2 j.b7 12 fl
c5 13 j.c2 lte8 14 g3 j.f8 15
b4 cd7 16 j.b2 c5 17 a3 'ii'c7
with equality.
10 bd7 11 bd2
Black should meet 1 1 c4 with
ll . . . c6. For example, 12 j.g5 j.b7
13 bd2 c5 14 dxe5 e5 15 e5
64 Basic Chess Openings
dxe5, 12 c5 'flc7 13 cxd6 .i.xd6 14
.i.g5 exd4 15 .i.xf6 gxf6 16 d4
(16 'flxd4 lLle5 17 lLlbd2 l:[d8 18
'fle3 lLld3) 16 . . . lLlc5! or 12 a3!? bxc4
13 .i.xc4 d5!? 14 exd5 cxd5 15 .i.a2
e4 16 lLle5 .i.d6 17 d7 .i.xd7,
with good play for Black in each
case.
ll .i.b7 12 .i.c2
...
White protects his pawn on e4
to allow the d2-knight to continue
its migration towards the king
side.
12 :es
lLlxd5 1 7 dxe5 lLlxc3 18 'ii'd3 lLld5
12 . . . c5 can be met by 13 d5 g6
14 lLlfl lLlh5 15 .i.h6 lLlg7 16 lLle3
lLlf6 17 a4 ;t.
13 lLlfi
Also possible are:
a) 13 a4 .i.f8 14 .i.d3 c6 15
lLlfl g6!? 16 lLlg3 .i.g7 =.
b) 13 b4!? .i.f8 14 a4 lLlb6 15
a5 lLlbd7 16 .i.b2 l:[b8 17 l:[b1 .i.a8
18 .i.a1 g6 19 dxe5 lLlxe5 20 lLlxe5
dxe5 21 c4 bxc4 22 .i.c3 .i.c6 23
'fle2 .i.b5 24 c4 c5 with unclear
play.
13 .i.f8
Black's dream of . . . d6-d5 can
not be realized yet: 13 . . . d5?! 14
lLlxe5 e5 (14 . . . lLlxe4 15 f7!
xf7 16 :xe4 dxe4 17 .i.b3 + f8
18 'flh5 g6 19 'ii'x h7 + -) 15 dxe5
lLlxe4 16 f3 lLlg5 1 7 lLlg3 .i.c5 + 18
h2 f6 19 .i.xg5 fxg5 20 'flb1 ! h6
21 'ii'd 1! and the loose black king
position is hard to defend.
14 lLlg3 g6
Black strengthens his king po
sition against the forthcoming at
tack.
15 a4!?
This gives Black less chances
of active counterplay than 15 b3,
when two lines are perfectly play
able:
a) 15 .i.g7 16 d5 lLlb6 17 .i.e3
:c8 18 'ii'e2 c6 19 c4 cxd5 20 cxd5
lLlbxd5! 21 exd5 d5 22 'ii'd2 M
23 lLle2 b4!, when Black's plan is
. . . d5-d4. His advancing central
pawns provide excellent compen
sation for the piece.
b) 15 .d5!? 16 .i.g5!? (16 exd5?!
19 .i.g5 'ii'c8 20 'ii'd4 .i.g7 ;) 16 . . . h6
1 7 .i.h4!? dxe4 (17 . . . g5 18 lLlxg5
hxg5 19 .i.xg5 exd4 20 e5! :xe5
21 :xe5 lLlxe5 22 'ii'xd4 and the
threat of lLlf5 or lLlh5 creates a co
lossal attack against Black's king)
18 e4 g5 19 dxe5! e4 20 .i.xe4
he4 2 1 :Xe4 gxh4 22 l:[d4 :e7
23 e6! :xe6! 24 :xd7 'ii'e8 and in
spite of appearances Black is no
worse because he is threatening
25 . . . .i.d6 to entrap the white rook
on d7.
15 c5
Now if 15 . . . .i.g7, then 16 d5 ! is
strong, when White's target is the
pawn on b5 and the entire black
queenside.
16 d5
White cannot hope for an ad
vantage after the feeble exchange
16 dxe5 dxe5. What is more it is
even Black who threatens to as
sume the initiative with . . . c5-c4
and . . . lLlc5.
16 c4 17 .i.g5 h6 18 .i.e3
lLlc5 19 'fld2 h5 20 .i.g5 .i. e7
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening
w nibbling at the white d5-pawn
Plans and Counterplans:
White can double his rooks on the
a-file and then open the way for
an invasion with axb5. Black, in
his turn, will try to neutralize the
invading white rook For example,
21 i.h6 (White avoids any combi
nations that may become possible
after a jump by the knight from
f6, for instance, 2 1 Aa2 h4 22
'Llxh4? 'Llfxe4!) 2 1 . . .'Llh7 22 Aa3
Ab8 23 Aeal .tc8 24 axb5 axb5 25
.te3 .tf6 26 'Lle2 i.d7 27 Aa7 'i!i'c8!
and Black can pursue the rook on
a7 with the manoeuvre ... .tf6-d8-
b6.
E3. 1 e4 e5 2 'Llf3 'Llc6 3 .tb5 a6 4
.ta4 'Llf6 5 0-0 .te7 6 Ae1 b5 7 .tb3
d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 'Lla5 (Chigorin
Variation)
10 .tc2 c5
In this variation Black immedi
ately mobilizes his c-pawn, creat
ing instant tension in the centre
and on the queenside. The draw
backs of this plan are that the
knight on a5 has trouble finding
65
a good home and that the early
... c7-c5 removes the option oflater
with . . . c7-c6.
1 1 d4 'i!i'c7
Black protects his e5-pawn and
at the same time already has the
opening of the c-fi1e in mind There
are of course several other moves:
a) ll ... d5? 12 'Llxe5 dxe4 (af
ter 12 . . . 'Llxe4 13 'Lld2! 'Llxd2 14
i.xd2, White is threatening 15 b4
and 15 'i!i'h5) 13 .tg5 cxd4 14 cxd4
i.b7 15 'Llc3 and Black cannot
hold his e-pawn.
b) l l ...cxd4 12 cxd4 i.b7 13
lLlc3 'i!i'c7 14 'i!i'e2 Aac8 15 .td3 :feB
16 .tg5 h6 17 i.d2 i.fS 18 d5 ;t
and then with Aecl and at an apt
moment a2-a4 or b2-b4 White
takes over the initiative.
c) l l ... Ae8? 12 dxe5 dxe5 13
'Llxe5 .td6 14 'Llxf7! xf7 15 e5
'i!i'e7 16 .tf4! i.c7 (16 ... i.b8 17 'Lld2
'Lld5 18 'i!i'h5 + introduces an over
whelming attack) 17 Ae3 'i!i'd7 18
e6 + ! :Xe6 19 'i!i'xd7+ .txd7 20
.txc7 + -. Black has nothing for
the pawn.
d) ll ... c!006 12 d5 'Lla5 13 'Llbd2
c4 14 'Llfl 'Llb7 15 g4! h5!? 16 gxh5
.txh3 17 'Ll3h2 'Llh7 18 lLle3 .tg5
19 'i!i'f3 i.d7 20 hl, and White
unfolds an attack on the kingside
with the moves Agl and 'Llf5.
e) l l ... i.b7 12 'Llbd2 cxd4 13
cxd4 exd4 14 'Llxd4 Ae8 15 b4 'Llc6
(15 . . . 'Llc4? 16 'Llxc4 bxc4 17 i.a4!
Af8 18 .tg5 , and here White is
threatening 19 'Llc6 or 19 'Llf5) 16
'Llxc6 i.xc6 17 .tb2 Ac8 18 i.b3!?
66 Basic Chess Openings
;t, followed by 19 1Wf3, when the
white bishops exert strong pres
sure on the black kingside.
f) u . . .d7 12 bd2 (12 dxc5
also comes strongly into consid
eration: 12 . . . dxc5 13 bd2 f6 14
h4 b6 15 5 J:!7 16 b3 b7 of the f7-pawn.
17 .i.e3 'flc7 18 d2 .i.f8 19 a4!,
and White assumes the initiative)
12 . . . cxd4 13 cxd4 c6 14 b3 a5
15 .i.e3 a4 16 bd2 exd4 (on any
other move White follows the plan
d4-d5, l:c1, .i.b1, fl and 1Wd2,
when he can hope for activity on
both the kingside and the c-file)
17 xd4 xd4 18 .i.xd4 e5 19
a3!? c6 20 .i.c3 .i.6 21 'flh5!? is
much more pleasant for White. Not
only is he threatening the pawn
on b5, but also 22 e5 is in the air.
12 bd2
It is not worth White closing the
centre without a gain of tempo as
his queenside is still undeveloped:
12 d5?! c4 13 a4 .i.d7 14 b3 5
15 axb5 axb5 16 bd2 g6! 17 fl
h5 ! 18 .i.h6 l:fe8 19 3h2 'fld8
20 'ild2 f4 2 1 f3 .i.6, and if
White should ever capture the
knight on f4, the strength of the
bishop on f6 multiplies.
12 cxd4
12 . . . c6 is well met by 13 d5
dB 14 a4 l:b8 15 axb5 axb5 16
b4! c4 1 7 fl e8 18 3h2 f6 19
f4 f7 20 f3 g6 21 f5 g7 22 g4,
and White stands more freely, al
though of course it is still very
hard to attack Black in such a
closed position. Black's alterna
tive is 12 ... .i.d7 13 M 14
e3 15 .i.xe3 l:lfc8 16 l:cl .i.c6
17 d2 cxd4 18 cxd4 'flb7 1 9 'flf3
(19 d5 .i.e8 20 'fle2 .i.d8!) 19 . . . d5
20 dxe5 xe4 2 1 .i.b3 ! ;t Black is
unable to open the long diagonal
with . . . d5-d4 due to the weakness
13 cxd4 c6
Black is eyeing up the squares
d4 and b4. Other possibilities are:
a) 13 l:td8 14 b3 c6 15 .i.b2
exd4 16 d4 d4 17 hd4 .i.e6
18 l:c1! 1Wa5 19 .i.b1 d5 20 .i.c3 b4
21 h6 .i.x6 22 e5 .i.g5 23 'fle2
'flb6 24 l:cd1, and with the ma
noeuvre d2-f3-d4 White takes
control On 24 . . . .i.xd2 25 l:bd2,
the plan l:ed1, <iii>h2 and f2-f4 also
shows White's advantage.
b) 13 ..i.e6 14 M :fc8 15 .i.d3
e8 16 e3, and 1 7 .i.d2 gives
White a clear advantage.
c) 13 .i.d7 14 fl l:ac8 15
e3 6 16 d5 b4 17 .i.b1 a5 18
a3 a6 19 b4!, and now 19 . . . axb4
20 axb4 xb4 is prohibited as 21
'flb3 'flc5 22 .i.d2 catches the black
knight. White will now be able to
seize the queenside initiative with
20 .i.d2 followed by .i.d3 and l:cl.
d) 13 .i.b7 14 fl (14 d5!? is
also not bad as it shuts down the
bishop on b7) 14 . . .l:ac8 15 l:e2
h5 (or 15 . . . d5 16 dxe5 xe4 17
g3! xg3 18 fxg3 and the black
kingside is open to attack with 19
'fld3) 16 a4!? bxa4 (on 16 . . . b4, 17
b3 and 18 d5 cools the heels of the
knight on a5, while 16 . . .4 17
.i.x4 exf4 18 axb5 axb5 19 1i'd2!
c4 20 'flxf4 xb2 21 g3 gives
 Spanish (Ruy Lopez) Opening 67

White a tremendous attack) 17

i.xa4 ll)4 18 llc2! . Black is very
disorganized: besides the knight B

on a5, the defence of the pawn on

e5 is also causing trouble.
14 lllb3
On 14 lllfl, 14 ... exd4 is possible
and on 14 d5 lllb4 15 i.b1 a5 16 a3
llla6, followed by ... i.d7 and ... lLlcS
equalizes.
14 a5 15 i.e3!

The bishop needs to be quickly

developed in order to bring the
knight back to d2 .
15 a4 16 lllbd2 lllb4
'ii'b 7 26 llld2 (the b5-pawn could
16 . . . .td7 1 7 llc1 'ii' b 7 18 'ii'e2
llfe8 19 a3!? g6 20 i.b1 ! i.f8 21
i.a2! h6 22 dxe5 lllxe5 (22 ... dxe5
23 i.c5! and i.xf8, 'ii'e3, llc5 brings
about an advantage for White) 23
i.d4 l:lac8 24 i.c3 i.g7 25 lLld4 .
17 i.b1 i.d7 18 a3 lllc6 19
i.d3
19 i.a2!? is also possible.
19 llla5 20 'ii'e2 'ii'b8 21
Zaitsev and the Breyer are more
l:lecl! (D)
Plans and Counterplans:
White is clearly better. He con
trols the play and with his excel
lent rook placement he has also
prepared an unexpected plan: l:lab1
and b2-b4! One possible continu
ation is 21...l:le8 22 l:lab1! .idS (or
22 . . . i.f8 23 i.g5! lllh5 24 b4!) 23
b4! axb3 24 lllxb3 lllxb3 25 l:lxb3
not yet be taken due to the hang
ing pawn on e4) 26 . . . h6 27 dxe5
dxe5 28 i.xb5 i.xb5 29 'ii'xb5
'ii'xb5 30 l:lxb5 llxa3 3 1 l:lc8 and
White is unpleasantly squeezing
Black on the eighth rank. In the
Chigorin Variation Black has to
live through some difficult mo
ments so it is no wonder that the
and more fashionable these days.
In the tough positional battle of
the Main Line one can count on
success only if one is familiar with
all the typical plans and, accord
ing to the situation in the centre,
is able to pick the one which
grants active play at the right
juncture.
Ph i l i dor's Defence
1 e4 e5 2 tM3 d6
w 3 tJf6
It is less active to protect the
e5-pawn with 2 . . . d6 than with
2 . . . tlc6 because it is not a devel
oping move and it shuts in the
dark-squared bishop. However,
the Philidor has the great advan
tage that it requires much less
knowledge than 2 ... tJc6, although
the initiative is clearly in White's
hands.
3 d4
On 3 .tc4 the correct answer is
3 . . . .te7, when after 4 d4 Black
may transpose to the Hungarian
Defence with 4 . . . tJc6, or may play
4 . . . exd4 5 tJxd4 tJf6 6 tlc3 0-0. In
both cases White stands slightly
better. Note that it is inadvisable
to meet 3 .tc4 with 3 . . . .te6 as the
weakening of the e6-square can
cause serious problems: 4 .txe6
fxe6 5 d4 exd4 6 tJxd4 e5 (6 .. .1Wf6
7 'it'h5 + g6 8 'it'b5 + ; 6 .. . 'ii'd7 7
'it'h5 + g6 8 'it'h3) 7 tle6 'ife7 8
'it'h5 + g6 9 'ifh3 and once he has
castled White will be threatening
f2-f4.
Other moves favour White:
a) 3 tJc6 4 .tb5 with a trans
position into the Steinitz Vari
ation of the Ruy Lopez.
b) 3 .tg4 4 dxe5 .txf3 5 1Wxf3
dxe5 6 .tc4 with an initiative for
White. Also good is 5 gxf3 dxe5 6
'it'xd8 + 'ii;lxd8 7 f4 and White has
good chances in the endgame due
to his bishop pair.
c) 3 f5. This romantic move
weakens Black's king position to
a fatal degree. For example, 4 M
fxe4 5 tJxe4 d5 6 tJxe5! dxe4 7
'it'h5 + g6 8 tJxg6 tJf6 9 'ffe5 +
'ii;lf7 10 .tc4 + ! 'ii;lg7 (10 . . . 'ii;lxg6 1 1
'it'g5 mate) 1 1 .th6 + ! Wxh 6 1 2
tJxh8 .tb4+ 1 3 c3 and White con
tinues the attack on the king and
is also materially well off.
d) 3 tJd7 4 .tc4 c6 ('natural'
moves lose here: 4 . . . tJf6? 5 dxe5
dxe5 6 tlg5 or 5 . . . tJxe5 6 fue5
dxe5 7 .txf7 + 'ii;lxf7 8 1i'xd8 .tb4+
9 'it'd2; 4 . . . .te7? 5 dxe5 dxe5 6
'ifd5 or 5 . . . tJxe5 6 tJxe5 dxe5 7
'it'h5 and 4 . . . h6? 5 dxe5 dxe5 6
.txf7+ Wxf7 7 tJxe5 + 8 'it'd5) 5
0-0 .te7 6 dxe5 dxe5 7 tlg5 .txg5
8 'it'h5 g6 9 1Wxg5 and, with the
bishop pair and a more developed
position, White is better.
 Philidor's Defence
e) 3 exd4 4 lt:Jxd4 (also good
is 4 1Wxd4, with the follow-up
4 . . . lt:Jc6 5 .tb5, or 4 . . . .td7 5 .tf4
lt:Jc6 6 'ifd2), and now Black should
transpose to the Main Line with
4. . . lt:Jf6.
Mter 3 . . . lt:Jf6 White has two
possibilities:
I. 4 dxe5 or
II. 4 lt:Jc3.
I. 1 e4 e5 2 lt:Jf3 d6 3 d4 lL:!f6 4
dxe5
4...lt:Jxe4 5 1i'd5
The most forceful move. Mter 5
lt:Jbd2 lt:Jxd2 6 i.xd2 .te7 7 .td3
(on 7 exd6 Black has to recapture
with the queen while on 7 .tf4 he
plays 7 . . . d5) 7 . . . 8 1i'e2 .te6 9
0-0-0 dxe5 10 lt:Jxe5 1i'd5 Black is
free of problems, while on 5 .td3
lt:Jc5 or on 5 .tc4 c6 6 exd6 lt:Jxd6 7
i.b3 .te7 8 0-0 0-0 9 lt:Jc3 lt:Ja6 is
the most accurate continuation
for Black.
5 ... lt:Jc5 6 .t g5
6 lt:Jg5 is ineffective after 6 . . .i.e6
7 lt:Jxe6 fxe6 8 1i'f3 lt:Jbd7 9 exd6
.txd6 with an advantage to Black.
6 ...1i'd7
Or 6 . . . .te7 7 exd6 1i'xd6 8 lt:Jc3
followed by queenside castling and
White's initiative is extremely
dangerous.
7 exd6 .txd6 8 lt:Jc3 0-0 9
0-0-0 lt:Jc6 (D)
Plans and Counterplans:
White's pieces are more naturally
developed: He can try to make use
69
W
of the crowded state of Black's
pieces and the pin on the d-file
and may be able to mount an at
tack on the king. Black would like
to free his queen and his light
squared bishop and then develop
an attack against White's queen
side castling position. There might
follow 10 .te3 lt:Je7 1 1 1Wc4 b6 12
.txc5 bxc5 13 .td3 lt:Jg6 ;!;.
II. 1 e4 e5 2 lt:Jf3 d6 3 d4 lL:!f6 4
lt:Jc3
4... exd4
Here it is more acceptable to
play 4 ...lt:Jbd7 than on the third
move: 5 .tc4 i.e7 (Black should
not play 5 . . . c6 in view of 6 dxe5
dxe5 7 lt:Jg5) and now:
a) 6 .txf7 +? (White, if he
wants, can 'go wild', but he is not
winning) 6 . . .'xf7 7 lt:Jg5 + g8 8
lt:Je6 1i'e8 9 lt:Jxc7 1i'g6 10 lt:Jxa8
1i'xg2 1 1 nn exd4 12 1Wxd4 lt:Je5
13 f4 ffg4 and the white mon
arch runs into trouble.
b) The same idea in a revised
form: 6 dxe5 dxe5 (also playable
70 Basic Chess Openings
is 6 . . . xe5 7 .i.e2) 7 .txf7 + Wxf7
8 g5 + g8 9 e6 11t'e8 10 c7
'iig6 1 1 xa8 11Vxg2 12 :n c5,
and Black achieves enough coun
terplay with . . . .th3.
c) 6 g5 0-0 7 .txf7+ l:lxf7 8
e6 11t'e8 9 c7 11t'd8 10 b5!
11 dxe5 ! (not 11 b5? 11Va5 + 12
c3 xe4 =F) ll ... e5 12 .tf4 b4
13 d5 xd5 14 11Vxd5 g6 15
.tg3 .tf8 16 0-0-0 .tb7 and White
is somewhat better. These lines
are all very sharp and chaotic: in
a tournament game the better
versed player will be the one to
get on top!
d) 6 0-0. The natural continu
ation is 6 . . . 0-0 7 11Ve2 c6 8 a4 (of
course, . . . b7-b5 must be stopped)
8 . . .11Vc7 9 h3 b6 10 l:ld1 .tb7. White
has a spatial plus but Black's po
sition is very solid. For players
with an active style this line can
be recommended as White. Black's
position is more suitable for 'snip
ers' with a patient style of play.
5 d4
Here too the queen may recap
ture: 5 11Vxd4 c6 6 .tb5 .td7 7
.txc6 with a spatial advantage and
a strong centralized queen for the
bishop pair.
5 g6
. utilize the weakness of the squares
The bishop is better placed on
the long diagonal than on e7:
5 ... .te7 6 .tf4 (positions in which
White castles kingside are less
harmful for Black) 6 . . . 0-0 7 11Vd2
and after 0-0-0 White develops a
strong attack. Black has to try to
carry out ...d6-d5.
6 .tg5
The most dangerous continu
ation. Oi1 6 .tf4 .tg7 7 11t'd2 0-0 8
0-0-0 l:le8 9 f3 c6 10 c6 bxc6
1 1 e5 5 12 d5 cxd5 Black
obtains an attack on the open di
agonals and files, while after 6
.tc4 .tg7 7 0-0 0-0 8 .tg5 h6 9
.th4 c6 10 lbxc6 bxc6 1 1 f4 11t'e8
Black can have no complaints.
6 .tg7 7 11Vd2 b6 8 .tf4 g5 9
.tg3 5 10 .te2 g3 1 1 bxg3
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White is more developed and has
the superior pawn structure. He
will castle queenside and try to
d5, f5 and h5. Black will have to
castle queenside as well and will
rely on the activity of his bishops.
There may follow 12 .tb5 .td7 13
de2 'i!V6 with chances for both
sides.
Russian G a me (Petroff's Defence)
1 e4 e5 2 f3 lM6
w 3 . . .xe4? is catastrophic: 4 'it'e2
With 2 . . . 6 Black does not
bother to protect his pawn on e5.
What is more, he wants to per
suade White to spend time de
fending his own attacked pawn on
e4. IfWhite accedes to Black's will
with 3 M then after 3 . . . b4!? 4
xe5 0-0 5 e2 (or 5 d3 d5 ! and
the centre is opened in Black's fa
vour) 5 . . .:e8 6 d3 xc3 7 dxc3
xe4 8 0-0 d5 9 f4 c6 10 e3
d6! 1 1 d3 f5 White cannot
hope for any advantage. White
therefore has to opt for more com
plex positions and an open cen
tre(!) in which his extra tempo
may be of importance. Even a
slight inaccuracy will allow Black
to equalize.
White's two possibilities are:
1. 3 e5 ana
ll 3 d4.
I. 1 e4 e5 2 lM3 lM6 3 e5
3 ...d6
d5 (or 4 . . .1We7 5 1i'xe4 d6 6 d4 f6 7
c3 dxe5 8 d5 'it'd6 9 dxe5 fxe5
10 f4 c6 11 0-0-0! cxd5 12 :xd5,
with a winning attack for White)
5 d3 f6?? (5 ...1i'e7 6 dxe4 1i'xe5 7
exd5 ) 6 c6 winning the queen
with a discovered check!
4 f3
White's piece configuration is
less natural after 4 lx:4 xe4 5
d4 d5 6 e3, which Black can ex
ploit with the following active
plan: 6 ... e6 7 d3 f5!? followed by
. . . d6, . . . 0-0, . . . c7-c6 and ... bd7.
4 ...e4 5 d4!
White does not chase the e4
knight so that later he will attack
it with d3. Other options do not
promise any advantage:
a) 5 d3 f6 6 d4 d5 (this is an
Exchange French!) 7 d3 d6 8
0-0 0-0 9 g5 g4 10 bd2 bd7
1 1 c3 c6 = . White cannot inter
rupt Black's mirror-game.
b) 5 c3 &c3 (also playable
is 5 . . . 6 and . . . e7, . . 0-0 and
.
. . . c6) 6 dxc3 e7 7 f4 0-0 8
1Wd2 d7!? 9 0-0-0 c5 with equal
chances.
c) 5 1i'e2 1i'e7 6 d3 f6 7 g5
1Wxe2 + 8 xe2 e7 9 c3 c6! 10
0-0-0 a6! 1 1 l:[he1 c7, followed
72 Basic Chess Openings
by 12 . . . lDe6, neutralizing White's
pressure along the open e-file.
d) 5 c4 i.e7 (The best move.
Black simply develops, preparing
to castle shortly, while the pres
sure along the e-file has also van
ished. A terrifying possibility is
5 . . . lDc6 6 lDc3 i.f5?? 7 'it'e2 'it'e7 8
lDd5 + -) 6 lDc3 lDxc3 7 dxc3 lDc6
8 i.d3 lDe5 ! (not 8 . . . i.g4 9 i.e4!
and Black can hardly find a plan
while White, after 0-0, is ready to
get going with b2-b4) 9 lDxe5 dxe5
10 'ifc2 i.g5 ! 1 1 0-0 i.e6 12 l:e1
i.xc1 13 l:axcl 'it'g5 14 l:e3 0-0-0
with an equal position.
5 d5
lDc3 lDa6 since 1 2 cxd5 cxd5 1 3
It is necessary to act firmly in
the centre. For example, on 5 ... i.e7
6 i.d3 lDf6 7 h3! 0-0 8 0-0 l:e8 9 c4
White can complete his develop
ment with lDc3, l:e1 and i.f4,
when he has the choice between
doubling on the e-file ('it'd2, l:e2
and l:ae1) and a queenside expan
sion (with or without d4-d5) : b2-
b4-b5 and a2-a4. 5 .. ig4 looks
dangerous but after 6 h3 i.h5 7
'it'e2 'it'e7 8 i.e3 White inevitably
comes out on top via 9 g4 and
i.g2, M and 0-0-0.
6 i.d3
White's aim is to undermine
the position of the knight on e4
with 0-0, l:e1 and c2- c4.
6 i.e7
than if he had played 6 . . . i.d6 in
Theory cnsiders this to be the
main line. The following moves are
also sometimes seen in practice:
a) 6 lDc6?! 7 0-0 i.g4 8 c4
on the light squares with 'ifd1-d3.
lDf6 (or 8 . . . i.e7 9 lDc3 lDxc3 10
bxc3 0-0 1 1 h3 i.h5 12 l:b1 and
White threatens 13 l:b5 with fifth
rank pressure) 9 lDca (9 cxd5 i.xf3
10 'ifxf3 'it'xd5 1 1 'it'xd5! lDxd5 12
lDc3 0-0-0 13 i.c4 gives White a
small plus due to the bishop pair)
9 . . . i.xf3 10 'it'xf3 lDxd4 1 1 'it'h3
lDe6 12 cxd5 lDxd5 13 i.g6!! and
the knight on e6 becomes vulner
able. In such an open position
White's development advantage
means that the threats of 'ifxe6 + ,
l:fe1 and l:ad1 are all but deci
sive.
b) 6 i.d6!? 7 0-0 0-0 8 c4 (8
l:e1 f5!? 9 c4 c6 10 'iVb3 h8 1 1
oo ,
lDxd5?! i. e 6 1 4 'it'xb7 lDac5! 1 5
dxc5 i.xd5 leads to a black initia
tive. The bishop on d5 is pro
tected by the discovery . . . i.xh2 + )
8 . . .c 6 9 cxd5 (more critical than 9
lDc3 lDxc3 10 bxc3 dxc4 1 1 i.xc4
i.g4 12 'ifd3 lDd7 = ) 9 . . . cxd5 10
lDc3 lDxc3 1 1 bxc3 i.g4 12 l:b1 b6
(12 ... lDd7!? 13 h3! - 13 :Xb7? lDb6
and . . . i.c8 catches the white rook
on b7 - 13 . . . i.h5 14 l:b5! lDb6 15
c4!) 13 l:b5 i.c7 14 h3 a6 15 hxg4!
axb5 16 'ifc2 g6 17 hb5 with am
ple compensation for the exchange.
7 O-O lDc6
7 . . . 0-0 is weaker: 8 c4 lDf6 (af
ter 8 . . . c6 9 cxd5 cxd5 10 lDc3
Black is even a little more passive
stead of 6 ... i.e7) 9 lDc3 i.g4 10
cxd5 lDxd5 11 i.e4! and White is
planning to increase his pressure
8 l:el!?
 Russian Game (Petroff's Defence)
Attacking e4 and vacating the
n-square for the bishop on d3
which would be needed after, for
instance, 8 c4 b4: 9 .te2 i.e6 (not
9 . . . dxc4 10 xc4 0-0 11 3 with
more active piece play for White)
10 M 0-0 1 1 e3 f5!? 12 a3 c3
(after 12 ... c6? 13 cxd5 hd5 14
d5 'ifxd5 15 :c1 Black's centre
is exterminated) 1 3 bxc3 c6 14
:b1 :b8 15 'ifa4 f4 16 cl h8
17 :e1 dxc4 18 hc4 g4!? and
Black can create good counter
chances.
8 ...g4
Mter 8 ... f5? 9 c4 e6 10 cxd5
hd5 1 1 3 Black has to aban
don the knight outpost at e4.
9 c4
Nothing is gained by 9 he4
dxe4 10 :xe4 as after 10 ... hf3
11 'ifxf3 (11 gxf3? f5 12 :4 0-0 13
d5 g5 14 :a4 xc1 15 'ifxc1
'ili'xd5 +) 1 1 ... d4 12 'ifd3 6 =
White's most active pieces have
been exchanged (d3, 3).
9 ...lMG (D)
Black has to retreat the knight
owing to 9 . . . f5 10 c3 xf3 11
gxf3 xc3 12 bxc3 0-0 13 cxd5
'ifxd5 14 'ife2 h8 15 :bl, threat
ening c4 and then :Xb7 or sim
ply f4, or 9 . . . hf3 10 'ifxf3
d4 11 'ife3 f5 12 'iff4 fd6 13
cxd5 .
Plans and Counterplans:
White has forced the knight from
e4 and now wants to take the d5-
square away from his opponent
to gain a free hand in the centre.
73
w
Black is counting on the irritating
pin of his g4-bishop and an attack
on the pawn at d4, but of course
first he has to castle. Here are
some examples:
a) 10 cxd5 xd5 1 1 c3 0-0
( 1 1 . . . xd4? 12 'ifa4 + ) 12 h3 (al
ternatively, 12 xd5 'ifxd5 13 e4
'ifd6 14 xc6 bxc6 15 :e4!? e6
16 g5 hg5 17 g5 d5 18 :e3
h6 19 e4 xe4 20 :xe4 :ab8
leads to a drawish-looking heavy
piece endgame or 12 e4 e6 13
a3 f6 = with a difficult position
in which Black has maintained the
d5-square) 12 ... e6 (not 12 ... h5?
13 xh7+ *xh7 14 g5 + xg5
15 'ifxh5 + h6 16 xh6 gxh6 17
'iff5 + g7 18 xd5 + -) and now
on 13 'ifc2 he can answer 13 ...6,
and 13 a3 :e8 14 c2 xc3 15
bxc3 f6 16 'ifd3 g6 and . . . a5
leads to mutual chances, while
the interesting 13 e4!? with the
idea of harassing the bishop at e6
from the squares c5 or g5, still
awaits practical testing.
b) 10 c3!? dxc4 (for 1 0 . . . 0-0
1 1 cxd5 xd5 see 10 cxd5, while
74 Basic Chess Openings
after 10 ... c!Dxd4 11 cxd5 c!Dxf3 + 12
gxf3, followed by ,.e2, Black's
king is stuck in the middle) 1 1
.hc4 0-0 1 2 d5 c!i)a5 1 3 .i.d3 c6 14
h3 .i.h5 (not 14 . . . .i.xf3 15 ,.xf3
cxd5 16 .i.g5, threatening lhe7 and
then c!i)xd5) 15 l:te5 ! and White
holds the initiative. For example
15 . . . cxd5 16 c!i)xd5! or 15 ... .i.g6
16 .i.xg6 hxg6 17 d6 .i.xd6 18
l:txa5 ,.xa5 19 ,.xd6 . Best for
Black is 15 . . . .i.d6!?, forcing White
to sacrifice an exchange in return
for an attack: 16 l:txh5 c!i)xh5 17
c!i)g5 (17 .i.xh7+ xh7 18 c!i)g5 +
g6!) 17 . . . c!i)f6 18 c!i)ce4 with an
unclear game in which positional
factors (such as Black's knight on
a5 and central disadvantage) take
a back seat.
n. 1 e4 e5 2 c!i)f3 c!i)f6 3 d4
3 exd4
c!Dxd6 7 c!i)c3 .i.e7 8 c!i)d5 .i.e6 9
Other options are:
a) 3 d5 4 exd5 exd4 (or 4 . . . e4
fectly playable for Black, so the
5 c!i)e5 c!Dxd5 6 .i.c4 .i.e6 7 0-0 .i.e7
8 f3! and Black's e4-outpost dis
appears while White gets ready to
attack on the f-file) 5 ,.xd4 ,.xd5
6 c!i)c3 ,.xd4 7 c!i)xd4 c6! (it is im
portant that the white knight
does not attack the c7-pawn from
either d5 or b5) 8 .i.g5 t . White is
more developed and can play 0-0-0,
.i.d3 and c!i)f5.
b) 3 c!i)xe4 4 .i.d3 (4 dxe5 d5
.i.e7 8 .i.f4 with 0-0-0 and .i.d3
5 c!i)bd2 c!i)c5 = ) and now after the
traditional 4 . . . d5 5 c!Dxe5 Black
'
has two ways to undermine the
knight at e5:
bl) 5 c!i)d7!? 6 c!i)xd7 (on 6
,.e2 c!i)xe5 7 .i.xe4 dxe4 8 ,.xe4
.i.e6 9 ,.xe5 ,.d7 10 .i.e3 .i.b4+ 11
c3 .i.d6 12 ,.a5 ,.c6, Black's bishop
pair and activity on the light
squares maintain the balance)
6 ... .i.xd7 7 0-0 ,.h4 8 c4 0-0-0 (also
playable is 8 ... c!l)f6 9 ,.e2+ .i.e7) 9
c5! (the dark-squared bishop must
be sealed) 9 ... g5! 10 c!i)c3 .i.g7 with
mutual chances.
b2) 5 ... .i.d6 6 0-0 0-0 7 c4 .he5
(or 7 . . . c6 8 c!i)c3 c!i)xc3 9 bxc3 t) 8
dxe5 c!i)c6 9 cxd5 ,.xd5 10 ,.c2
c!i)b4 1 1 .i.xe4 c!i)xc2 12 .hd5 .i.f5!
13 g4! .i.xg4 14 .i.e4 c!i)xa1 15 .i.4
and although the position is still
up in the air, White is the one
playing for an advantage.
Mter 4 .i.d3 a surprising nov
elty has brought new colour to
this variation: 4 . . . c!i)c6!? Now 5 d5
c!i)c5 6 dxc6 e4 or 5 dxe5 d5 6 exd6
c!i)xe7 ,.xe7 and . . . 0-0-0 are per
critical line is 5 .i.xe4 d5 6 .i.g5
,.d7 7 .i.d3 e4 8 0-0 f6! 9 l:te1 .i.e7
10 .i.f4 exd3 11 ,.xd3 0-0, when
Black is close to equality, for ex
ample 12 c!i)c3 .i.b4 13 l:te2 ,.f7
and the bishop on c8 is ready to
venture out.
4 e5 c!i)e4
Alternatives are worse: 4 . . . c!i)d5
5 ,.xd4 c!i)b6 6 M c!i)c6 7 'ife4
or 4 . . . 1i'e7 5 .i.e2 c!i)e4 6 1i'xd4
1i'M+ 7 c!i)bd2 c!i)xd2 8 .hd2 1i'xd4
9 c!Dxd4 t.
5 1i'xd4 d5 6 exd6 c!i)xd6 7 l2X:3
 Russian Game (Petroff's Defence)
Nothing is gained by 7 i.g5
lDc6 8 'ili'e3 + i.e7 9 lDc3 lDf5 = or
7 i.f4 lbc6 8 'ili'd2 'ili'e7 + 9 i.e2
lDe4 10 'ili'e3 lbb4! 1 1 'ili'c1 'i!i'c5 12
0-0 i.e6! (12 . . . lbxc2? 13 lbc3! lbxa1
1 4 lDxe4 and the a1-knight will
soon be lost) 13 c4 0-0-0 "" Since 7
i.d3 lbc6 8 'ili'f4 g6 9 lDc3 leads
back to the line beginning with 7
lDc3, let us now move on!
7 ...lDc6 8 'ili'f4 g6
The apparent problems of de
veloping the dark-squared bishop
are thus solved. Other moves are
problematic:8 ... i.e7 9 i.d3 i.e6 10
i.d2 'i!i'd7 1 1 0-0-0 0-0-0 12 l:the1
h6 13 i.e3 and 'i!i'a4 gives White
the initiative; on 8 . . . i.e6 9 i.d3 g6
10 lbd4! Black faces a difficult de
cision whether to capture d4 - but
then kingside castling is impossi
ble - or let White crash through
on c6; while 8 . . . i.f5 can be met by
9 i.b5 ! , since after 9 . . . lDxb5? 10
lbxb5 Black must play 9 . . . 'i!i'e7+
10 i.e3 lDxb5 11 lDxb5 'i!i'b4 + 12
'i!i'xb4 i.xb4+ 13 c3 i.d6, but then
14 lDxd6+ cxd6 15 0-0-0 is clearly
better for White.
9 .td3
9 i.b5 is art interesting alterna
tive, when 9 . . . lbxb5 10 lbxb5 i.d6
11 lbxd6+ 'i!i'xd6 12 'ili'xd6 cxd6 13
i.f4 ;!;; is inferior, but counter
chances are offered by 9 . . . i.g7 10
0-0 0-0 11 i.xc6 bxc6 12 i.e3 l:tb8
13 l:tab1 a5 "" Another idea is 9
i.e3 i.g7 10 0-0-0 0-0 11 h4 and
now Black has to play 1 1 . . . h6 to
meet 12 h5? with 12 . . . g5.
9 i.g7 10 i.e3 i.e6
opponent's style justifies this.
75
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White stands mor'e freely. His
standard moves after castling are
lDg5, lbd4, .ic5 and rooks to d1
and el. Black has to generate some
counterplay, but this is not easy.
Let us see an example of each
type of castling for White:
a) 1 1 0-0 0-0 12 lDg5 l:te8 13
l:tad1 'i!i'f6 14 'ili'xf6 i.xf6 15 lbxe6
and then lbb5 ;!;; with a pair of
bishops and the initiative.
b) 1 1 0-0-0 'ili'f6 (not 1 1 . . .0-0
12 i.c5! l:te8 13 i.b5! a6 14 i.xc6
bxc6 15 lDe4 ) 12 lbg5 'ili'xf4 13
i.xf4 i.xc3 14 bxc3 0-0-0 15 lbxe6
fxe6 16 l:the1 l:thfB 17 i.g3 l:tde8
18 f3 and, with his bishop pair,
White can look forward to a pleas
ant endgame (;!;;) .
I n the Russian Game it i s hard
for Black to generate favourable
complications. This opening is
therefore recommended only on
occasions when Black's aim is a
simple position with equal play,
hoping for a draw, for example,
when the tournament situation or
King's G a mbit
1 e4 e5 2 f4
B White's aggressive intentions.
The King's Gambit is the 'king
of the gambits', the pet variation
of those who like romantic sacri
fices. It is well worth experiment
ing with it, because there is no
other opening in which tactical
elements are combined with stra
tegic aims in such diverse ways as
in the King's Gambit. The kings
often end up dancing a samba in
the middle of the board; a few
pawns, or perhaps even a piece
less is not always decisive; and
the most important motto for
both sides is 'Activity, attack!'.
Before playing l0gl-f3 White
throws the strength of the f-pawn
into the central fight and tries to
undermine the e5-pawn. If Black
accepts the gambit, he will try to
obtain the initiative with quick
piece development ( l0f3, .ic4 and
0-0) and an attack against the
f7-pawn along the open f-file.
Alas, practice has also shown the
weak points of the gambit, and
Black has found ways to tame
We shall take a look at the follow
ing responses in turn:
I. King's Gambit Declined
A. System with 2 .ic5
B. Falkbeer Counter-Gambit:
2 ...d5
ll. King's Gambit Accepted
A. Classical Variation: 2 ... exf4
3 l0f3 g5
B. The modern answer:
' 2 ... exf4
3 l03 d5
I. King's Gambit Declined
A. System with 2. . . .i.c5
1 e4 e5 2 f4 .ic5
The pawn move f2-f4 weakens
the dark squares in White's posi
tion. Black would like to immedi
ately make use of this, and at the
same time he also lays a trap: 3
fxe5?? 'ifh4 + and Black captures
the e4-pawn with check and wins.
The following alternatives are
feeble: 2 ... l0t0?! 3 fxe5 l0xe4 4 l0f3
l0g5 5 d4 l0x3 + 6 'ifx3 'ifh4+ 7
'ii'f2 'ii'xf2 + 8 xf2 l0c6 9 c3 d6
10 exd6 hd6 1 1 l0d2, followed
by l0c4 or l0e4, when White has a
 King's Gambit
clear central plus (;!;) , or 2 . . .d6?! 3
f3 6 4 J.. b 5!? i.d7 5 d3 exf4 6
J..xf4, followed by 0-0, c3 and
d3-d4 with a perceptible White ad
vantage. But 2 . . . 'ilfh4+ is play
able: 3 g3 'ilfe7 4 fxe5 (4 c3 exf4
5 d4 fxg3 6 J.. f4 d5! co) 4 . . . d6 5
exd6 'ilfxe4+ 6 'ilfe2 'ifxe2+ 7 e2
J..xd6 8 J..g2 9 c3 h5 co and
Black can focus on the g3-pawn
with . . . h5-h4.
3 tDf3 d6
3 . . . d5? 4 xe5 dxe4 5 'ilfh5 'ife7
(5 . . . J.. e 6 6 xf7!) 6 J..c4 g6 7 'ife2
h6 8 c3 is favourable for
White in view of the threats of 9
d5 and 9 xe4, while 3 . . . 6 is
extremely weak, as after 4 fxe5 d6
5 exd6 'ilfxd6 6 c3! and d2-d4
White has an extra pawn and a
powerful centre ().
4 c3
An equal game is reached by 4
c3 6 5 fxe5 (or 5 d4 exd4 6 cxd4
J.. b6 7 0-0 8 J.. e 3 9 J..d3
i.g4 10 J..c2 J..xf3 1 1 gxf3 h5 12
0-0 f5! with complicated play)
5 . . . dxe5 6 d4 (6 xe5 0-0 7 d4
J..d6 8 f3 e4 = ) 6 . . . exd4 7
cxd4 J..b4+ 8 J..d2 ffe7 9 e5 (9 J..d3
e4 10 he4 'ilfxe4 + 1 1 f2
J..xd2 12 bxd2 'iVd5 13 l:.e1 +
J.. e 6! 14 lle5 'ilfd6 15 d5 7! and
White is pushed back) 9 . . . d5 10
c3 J.. e 6 = .
4
4 . . . c6 is a mistake, as after 5
J..b 5! J..g4 6 d3 6 7 a4! White
eliminates the bishop on c5 and
then castles.
5 J..c 4
77
Not 5 fxe5? dxe5 6 xe5? 'ilfd4 7
d3 J..b6 and White is frozen in
his tracks while Black can develop
a victorious attack with . . . 0-0,
. . .l:.e8 and . . . J..g4.
5 ... c6 6 d3 J..g4
On 6 . . . 0-0, 7 f5! shuts in the
bishop on c8 and threatens the un
pleasant 8 J..g5. Howevet; 6 ... a5!?
comes into consideration, even
though on 7 'ilfe2!? xc4 8 dxc4
there are still minor problems for
Black, since after 8 . . . exf4 9 J..xf4,
10 J..g5 and 10 e5 are simultane
ously threatened, while on 8 . . .ffe7
9 f5! followed by J.. d2 and 0-0-0 is
again more attractive for White.
7 h3
An interesting alternative is 7
a4!? J..b6 8 b6 axb6 9 c3 (it
is important that on 9 . . . a5 10
J..b 5 + c6 11 J.. a4 b5 the bishop
can flee via 12 J..c2) 9 . . . 0-0 10 0-0.
7 ...txf3 8 'ilfxf3
B
Plans and Counterplans:
White is threatening 9 a4 or 9
J.. e 3, while 9 g4 may be unpleas
ant as well, so Black cannot afford
78 Basic Chess Openings
to remain idle. On 8 ... 4 White,
in the spirit of the gambit, can re
ply 9 'it'g3 ! , when both 9 . . .lDxc2 +
10 d1 ltlxa1 1 1 'it'xg7 :rs 12 fxe5
dxe5 13 i.g5 i.e7 14 l:fl ltlh5 15
i.xf7 + d7 16 'it'xe5, winning, and
9 . . . 0-0 10 fxe5 dxe5 1 1 i.g5 'it'd6
(11 . . .ltlxc2+ 12 d1 lDxa1 13 lbdS
i.e7 14 ltlxe7+ 'it'xe7 15 l:fl h8
16 'it'h4 with l:xf6 to follow +-)
12 0-0-0 give him the upper
hand. More precise for Black is
8 exf4!?: 9 i.xf4 (not 9 'it'xf4?
transposed into the Modern Vari
ltle5 ! 10 m 0-0 1 1 i.b3 ltlh5! 12
'it'g5 'it'xg5 13 i.xg5 ltlg3 +) 9 ... lbd4
10 'it'dl (not 10 'it'g3? lDh5 1 1 'it'g4
ltlxf4 12 'it'xf4 ltlxc2+ 13 d1
ltle3 + , followed by . . . ltlxc4, and
Black is almost winning) 10 . . . c6
and now 11 'it'd2?! d5 12 exd5 0-0
is excellent for Black (13 0-0-0 b5
14 i.b3 lbxb3+ 15 axb3 ltlxd5 +),
but White can play 11 ltla4! i.b6
(White is also better after both
1 1 . . . b5 12 ltlxc5 dxc5 - 12 . . .bxc4
13 ltlb7 - 13 i.b3 ;!;; and 11 . . .'it'a5 +
12 c 3 b 5 13 ltlxc5 dxc5 1 4 b4! cxb4
1 5 i.xf7 + 16 cxd4 ) 12 c3
ltle6 13 lbxb6 axb6 14 i.g3, when
the bishop pair and open f-file of
fer White the better chances.
B. Falkbeer Counter-Gambit
1 e4 e5 2 f4 d5
Black grabs the chance to start
an attack against the cornerstone
of the white centre, the pawn on
e4, while his own e-pawn is still
taboo (3 fxe5? 'it'h4+ followed by
. . . 'it'xe4 + and Black wins). Even
though this idea is neat, White
can still manage to secure an ad
vantage. The fate of the Falkbeer
Counter-Gambit proves the old
adage: 'The best answer to a gam
bit is not a counter-gambit, but
the acceptance of it and then giv
ing back the sacrificed material at
the appropriate moment. '
3 exd5 e4?!
This is what makes it a gambit.
Note that Black could still have
ation via 3 . . . exf4! 4 ltlf3 ltlf6,
which is one of the most effective
setups with Black. The other foxy
continuation is 3 . . . c6. If White is
greedy, then he can get in trouble
after 4 dxc6? ltlxc6 5 d3 i.c5 6
lbc3 lb6 7 ltlf3 0-0! 8 fxe5 ltlxe5 9
ltlxe5 l:e8 10 i.f4 ltlg4 1 1 'it'e2
i.d4! But if he simply develops
then he is better after 4 ltlc3! cxd5
5 fxe5 d4 6 ltle4 'it'd5 7 .td3! ltlc6 8
'it'e2! ltlh6 (8 . . . ltlxe5 9 i.b5 + i.d7
10 i.xd7+ 'it'xd7 11 ltlf3 ltlxf3 +
12 'it'xf3 ;!;) 9 i.c4 'it'a5 10 ltlf3 i.g4
1 1 ltld6 + , and Black's king is
stuck in the middle (;!;;) .
4 d3!
White immediately takes meas
ures against the unpleasant e4-
pawn. On 4 i.b5+ c6! 5 dxc6 bxc6!
6 i.c4 ltlf6 (6. . . i.c5!? 7 'it'h5 'it'e7 8
i.xf7+ fB! and 9 . . . ltlf6 is also far
from simple!) 7 d4 i.d6 8 l00 2 0-0
9 0-0 c5 10 d5 ltlbd7, followed by
. . . ltlb6, . . . i.b7 and . . . c5-c4, Black
has sufficient chances. 4 ltlc3 ltlf6
5 'it'e2 i.f5 6 d3? i.b4! 7 i.d2 0-0
8 dxe4 i.xc3 9 i.xc3 ltlxe4 + also
 King's Gambit
demonstrates that White has no
alternative to 4 d3.
4 lM6
After 4 . . . exd3? 5 .i.xd3 lM6 (or
5 ...1i'xd5 6 'it'e6+ - 6 . . . 'it'xg2 7
.i.e4 - 7 ltlge2 ltlh6 8 f5! ltlxf5 9
0-0 with a big attack for White,
who can follow up with g5 and
ltlf4) 6 ltlc3 .i.e7 7 lM3 0-0 8 0-0
ltlbd7 9 c4 ltlb6 10 b3 b4 1 1
ltle5 xc3 12 bxc3 ltlbxd5 1 3 a3!
l:te8 14 'it'd4 c6 15 f5! Black is
tied up, while 4 . . .1i'xd5 5 'it'e2 f5 6
.i.b4 7 .i.d2 .i.xc3 8 .i.xc3 ltlf6
9 dxe4! fxe4 10 'it'c4! is no im
provement.
5 dxe4!
5 ltld2 exd3 6 .i.xd3 ltlxd5 equal
izes easily, while Black also stands
well after 5 ltlc3 .i.b4 6 .i.d2 e3!? 7
xe3 0-0 8 d2 xc3 9 bxc3
ltlxd5 10 'it'f3 l:te8+ 11 ltle2 ltlc6 co,
and after 5 1i'e2 .i.g4 6 'it'e3 ltlxd5!
7 'it'xe4+ .i.e7, intending . . . 0-0,
... ltlc6 and ... Ae8.
5 ltlxe4 6 ltlf3
...
Mter 6 1i'e2 'it'xd5 7 ltld2 f5 the
white pieces are stuck.
6 .i.c5
6 . . . c6 is met by 7 ltlbd2 ltlxd2 8
.i.xd2 'it'xd5 9 .i.d3 ;t, followed by
0-0 or 1i'e2 + , .i.c4 and 0-0-0, while
on 6 . . . .i.f5, 7 e3 c6 8 c4 b5 9
b3 c5 10 d6! c4 1 1 'it'd5 is win
ning for White.
7 1i'e2 .i.f5
The best chance since after
7 . . . 1i'xd5 8 ltlfd2 ! f5 9 ltlc3 'it'e6 10
ltldxe4 fxe4 11 'it'h5+ ! the bishop
on c5 is lost; 7 . . . .i.f2+ 8 d1
'it'xd5+ 9 ltlfd2! f5 10 'it'd4 11
79
ltlxe4 fxe4 12 c3 'it'e3 13 'it'h5 +
'ii?f8 14 .i.c4 'it'xf4 15 'it'd5! allows
White a mating attack (the threats
are 'it'd8 mate, ltlxe4 and l::t1) ;
7 . . . 0-0 8 'it'xe4 Ae8 9 ltle5 f6 10
.i.b5! .i.d7 11 .i.e2 fxe5 12 fxe5
leaves Black helpless against the
powerful e5- and d5-pawns; while
7 .. .f5 8 .i.e3 'it'xd5 9 .i.xc5 'it'xc5 10
ltlc3 allows White a serious plus.
8 ltlc3 'it'e7
8 . . . 0-0 loses attractively to 9
ltlxe4 Ae8 10 ltle5 .i.xe4 1 1 'it'xe4
f6 12 d6! 'it'xd6 (12 . . . cxd6 13 .i.c4+
'ii?8 14 'it'd5) 13 e3! (blocking
the e-file) 13 . . . .i.xe3 14 1i'c4+ h8
( 14 . . . 1i'e6 15 'it'xe6+ and .i.c4 +
or 1 4... l:te6 1 5 l:td1 'it'e7 1 6 'it'xe6+ !
and l:td8, mating) 1 5 ltlf7+ 'ii?g8
16 ltlh6+ + 'ii?h8 17 'it'g8 + l:txg8
18 ltlf7 smothered mate!
9 e3! .i.xe3
Not 9 . . . ltlxc3 10 .i.xc5! ltlxe2 1 1
.i.xe7 ltlxf4 1 2 .i.a3! ltlxd5 13 0-0-0
c6 14 ltlg5 ltld7 15 .i.c4 .i.e6 16
l:the1 and Black falls to pieces.
10 'it'xe3 ltlxc3 1 1 'it'xe7 +
xe7 12 bxc3
B
80 Basic Chess Openings
Plans and Counterplans:
White is threatening tbd4, .td3 or
0-0-0. As for Black, he would like
to regain the pawn but he cannot
make up for his material and posi
tional drawbacks at the same
time! For example:
a) 12 .txc2 13 d2 .ig6 14
9 . . .ltlge7 1 0 c4 .tb4! 1 1 .tg3 'ifh5
lle1 + d6 15 ltld4! h6 16 ltlb5 +
d7 1 7 g3! a6 1 8 .th3 + d8 19
ltld4 ltld7 20 c4 ltlc5 21 f5 and
the coordination of the black pieces
is non-existent (bishop on h7,
rook on aS).
b) 12 .te4!? (a tricky move,
. . . lieS + or 7 . . . c6!? come into con-
as after 13 c4? .txf3 14 gxf3 lild7
followed by ... ltlc5 and ...c;fa>d6 Black
is better despite being a pawn
down!) 13 ltlg5 ! ! .txd5 14 0-0-0!
(development, attack!) 14 . . ..te6
(14 ... .txa2 15 c4 or 14 ... c6 15 .id3
and llhe1 + ) 15 ltlxe6 fxe6 16
.tc4 ltld7 17 llhe1 ltlc5 18 .txe6!
ltlxe6 19 f5 and White has good
winning prospects in the ending.
So the King's Gambit has to be
accepted!
II. King's Gambit Accepted
1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4!
The advantage of accepting the
gambit is that Black permanently
weakens the enemy kingside; and
by releasing the central tension,
the counter-thrust . . . d7-d5 also
becomes possible.
3 ltlf3
This is the King's Knight Gam
bit. In several other systems White
allows Black to play . . . 'ifd8-h4+ !
For instance:
a) 3 ltlc3 'ifh4+ 4 <i!?e2 d5! 5
ltlxd5 .tg4+ 6 ltlfa .td6 7 d4 ltlc6 8
e5 0-0-0 9 .txf4 (9 exd6? llxd6 10
c4lilf6 -+. The threat is ... llhe8+
and, after the disappearance of the
knight from d5, also . . . ltlxd4 + )
12 ltlxe7 + .txe7 and White is los
ing as he cannot hold the pawns
on d4 and e5.
b) 3 d4 'ifh4+ 4 We2 d5! 5 ltlf3
.ig4 6 exd5 ltlf6 7 'ife1 (on 7 c4,
7 . . . .td6 followed by . . . 0-0 and
sideration) 7 . . .'ifxe1 + 8 xe1 .txf3
9 gxf3 ltlxd5 10 c4 ltle3! 1 1 .txe3
fxe3, and after . . . ltlc6 and . . . 0-0-0
Black attacks d4 and invades the
undeveloped white position via
the dark squares (=F).
c) 3 .tc4!? The King's Bishop
Gambit. Now 3 . . . 'ifh4 + is again
possible, but after 4 Wfl White
can gain time with lilf3, and his
king is not exposed on fl. The
best way to meet 3 .tc4 is 3 . . . ltlm!:
4 ltlc3 ( 4 e5 d5! 5 .tb3 ltle4 6 lilf3
.tg4 7 0-0 ltlc6 8 d4 g5) 4 . . .c6! 5
.tb3!? (5 d4?! d5 6 exd5 cxd5 7
.tb5 + ltlc6 8 .ixf4 .td6 9 ltlge2
0-0 10 0-0 .ig4 ) 5 . . . d5 6 exd5
oo
cxd5 7 d4 .td6 8 ltlge2 0-0 9 0-0
g5!? 10 ltlxd5 ltlc6 11 h4! h6 12
hxg5 hxg5 13 ltleca with a double
edged position.
Let us get back to the most
popular line, the King's Knight
Gambit! (D)
In this position, 3 g5 (section
A) and 3 d5 (section B) are the
 King's Gambit
B lar after 6 . . .dxe5 7 lbxe5! 'ifh4+ 8
most effective weapons for Black,
and we shall discuss these in de
tail. Besides these, a few other
methods are worth mentioning:
a) 3 ... e7 4 c4! (vacating the
fl. square for the king. Now for ex
ample after 4 ... h4+ 5 c.i?fl. and 6
d4 White has a spatial plus while
Black is less developed and organ
ized - what is the bishop doing on
h4?) 4. . . lbf6 5 e5 lbg4 6 0-0 (6 lbc3
d6) 6 . . . lbc6 7 d4 d5 8 exd6 xd6 9
'ife1 + ! lbe7 10 h3 lbh6 1 1 lbe5 g5
12 h4 f6 13 hxg5 fxg5 14 lbf3 .
Black cannot go on protecting his
g- and f-pawns (14 . . .g4 15 lbe5).
b) 3 ...d6 4 d4 (not 4 c4 h6! 5
d4 g5 with resolute protection of
the stolen pawn) 4 . . . g5 5 h4 g4 6
lbg1 h6 (6 . . . f5!? 7 lbc3 lbf6 8
xf4 fxe4 co) 7 lbe2 'iff6 8 lbbc3 c6
9 g3 f3 10 lb4 'ife7 1 1 c.i?f2, fol
lowed by c4 and l:te1, when White
has good compensation for the
pawn.
c) 3...lbf6 4 e5 lbh5 5 d4 (5
c4? d5!) 5 . . . d6 (5 ... d5 6 c4! e7 7
e2 h4 + 8 c.i?fl) 6 'ife2! d5 (the
only move, because after 6 . . . e7?
81
7 exd6 'ifxd6 8 'ifb5 + ! White wins
a piece and the situation is simi
g3 ! +-) 7 c4 e6 8 cxd5 xd5 9
lbc3 lbc6 10 d2! b4 1 1 lbxd5
'ifxd5 12 0-0-0! 'ifxa2 13 d5 xd2+
14 lbxd2 and the black knight is
hanging, though after 14 . . .'ifxd5
15 'ifxh5 'ifxe5 16 'ifxe5 lbxe5 17
l:te1 f6 18 lbc4 0-0-0 he has three
pawns for the piece. The ensuing
position is assessed by theory as
slightly better for White.
A. Classical Variation
1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 lbf3 g51?
The most ambitious continu
ation. Black protects his f4-pawn
and at the same time is ready to
chase the knight from f3 with
. . . g5-g4 in order to obtain the sub
sequent check . . . 'ifd8-h4+ .
4 h4
This is the last chance to force
Black to play . . . g5-g4 and thus to
loosen up his kingside. If White
puts off playing h2-h4 then Black
can play . . . g7 and on h2-h4, he
can play . . . h7-h6 as the h8-rook is
protected.
Black need not fear 4 lbc3:
4 ... g7 (White can produce exten
sive complications on 4 . . . g4: 5 lbe5
'ifh4 + 6 g3! fxg3 7 'ifxg4 'ifxg4 -
7 . . . g2 +? 8 'ifxh4 gxh1'i' 9 'ifh5!
d6 10 'ifxf7 + c.i?d8 11 d4! and
g5 +- - 8 lbxg4 d5 9 h3 ! co,
while 5 d4! gxf3 6 xf4! is also
possible with a considerable ad
vantage in development and an
82 Basic Chess Openings
attack along the f-file after queen
side castling) 5 d4 (on 5 h4 the
right direction for Black is not
5 . . . g4? 6 /.l)g1 d6 7 d4 .i.h6 8 /.l)ge2
as the pawn f4 has become feeble,
but 5 . . . h6! with a massive king-
side) 5 . . . d6 6 g3! /.l)c6! 7 d5 /.l)e5 8
gxf4 gxf4 9 hf4 .i.g4 with active
play for Black.
4 d4 is also harmless: 4 . . . .i.g7 5
h4 h6 6 g3! ? d5! 7 exd5 g4 8 /.l)e5
1Vxd5 9 llh2 .i.xe5 10 l:te2 /.l)c6 1 1
.i.xf4 'i'xd4 and Black has the ad
vantage.
An exciting fight is promised by
4 .i.c4:
a) 4 g4 5 0-0!? (or 5 /.l)e5
both sides.
'ifh4+ 6 fl /.l)c6 7 /.l)x7 .i.c5 8
'S'e1 g3 and now 9 /.l)xh8? would be
a mistake due to 9 . . . .i.f2 1 0 'S'd1
lb6 11 d4 d5! 12 exd5 .i.g4 13 .i.e2
/.l)xd4 14 hg4 /.l)xg4, and White
cannot stop 15 . . .tbxh2+ , but after
9 d4! hd4 10 /.l)d2! Black has to
struggle to hang on in view of the
threat of 1 1 /.l)f3 !) 5 . . . gxf3 6 1Vxf3
'S'6 7 e5!? (also worth considering
is 7 c3 and then d2-d4) 7 . . .'ixe5 8
hf7 + !? f7 9 d4! 'ifxd4+ 10
.i.e3 'ii'6 11 hf4 /.l)e7 12 /.l)c3 /.l)f5
13 /.l)e4 'ii'g6 14 g4 .i.e7, and now
after 15 h1 /.l)h4 16 'ii' b3 + e8
17 llae1 or 15 .i.g3!? White has an
attack, although he is of course
material down. Neither practice
nor theory have demonstrated who
is better in this extremely unclear
position.
b) 4 .i.g'7!? 5 0-0 (after 5 h4
f3 9 gxf3 .i.e7 10 .i.e3 .i.xh4+ 1 1
h6 6 d4 d6 White has hardly any
compensation for the pawn) 5 ... d6
6 d4 h6 (permitting the develop
ment of the knight from g8) 7 c3
(or 7 g3 .i.h3 8 llf2 /.l)c6 9 c3 /.l)6
10 1i'c2 'ii'd7, followed by ... 0-0-0,
and the weak white king position
gives Black the advantage) 7 ... /.l)c6
8 g3!? .i.h3! (8 . . . g4 9 /.l)h4 f3 10
/.l)d2 /.l)f6 - 10 . . . -*.6 11 1i'b3 ! - 1 1
/.l)f5 hf5 1 2 exf5 0-0 1 3 .i.d3 ) 9 ao
gxf4! (9 llf2 1i'd7 =F) 9 .. .'i'd7! and
now White in the spirit of the po
sition, does not go in for the mis
erly 10 l:tf2? /.l)6 11 'ii'e 1 0-0-0,
when after . . . llhe8 he would face
serious problems, but plays 10 f5!
.i.xfl 11 'ifxfl with chances for
4 g4 5 /.l)e5
5 /.l)g5 does not work owing to
5 . . . h6 6 /.l)x7 Wxf7 7 .i.c4+ (7
'ixg4? /.l)6 8 1i'xf4 .i.d6 - + , while
for 7 d4 f3 ! ! 8 .i.c4+ d5! , see 7
.i.c4 + ) 7 . . .d5! 8 .i.xd5 + Wg7 9 d4
f3 ! ! 10 gxf3 /.l)6! 1 1 /.l)c3 .i.b4 12
.i.b3 /.l)c6 13 .i.e3 /.l)a5! and with
watchful play Black has disarmed
the white initiative while perse
vering the extra piece. The key
move of the defence was 9 . . . f3! !
which sealed the f-file, destroyed
White' s king position and slowed
down the development of the
white pieces.
5 lDf6!
Defending the g4-pawn by at
tacking its counterpart on e4. A
similar idea, but in a weaker form,
is 5 ... h5 6 .i.c4 llh7 7 d4 d6 8 N3
Wd2 gxf3 12 'ifxf3 /.l)c6 1 3 c3, and
Black has problems developing
 King's Gambit 83

while White can obtain a strong b) 13 d5 d2 14 flxd2 e5 is

initiative via c2, lbd2 and l:lafl..
6 d4
Necessary, in view of 6 tillcg4
xe4 7 'ife2 'ife7 8 lbg3 9
flxe7 + he7 10 llh2 d5! - + and
6 c4 d5 7 exd5 d6 8 d4 0-0!? 9
0-0 (9 h4? h5 10 g3 f6 1 1
g3! -+ ) 9 ... h5 10 g4 'ii'xh4
1 1 h2 g3 12 lle1 f5, followed
by ... d7 and ... l:lae8, when Black
is on top.
6 d6 7 d3 xe4 8 .hf4
fle7!
Attacking along the e-file and
preparing for queenside castling.
9 fle2 c6!
Also possible is 9 . . ..i.g7 10 c3 h5
11 d2 xd2 12 xd2 flxe2+ 13
xe2 c6 and ... e6 = .
1 0 c3 f5 1 1 d2 0-0-0 12
0-0-0 l:teS
w strengthen his attack with fl
clearly better for Black.
c) 13 lle1 fle6! 14 b1 d2+
15 hd2 flxe2 16 xe2 l:lxe2! and
...hd3 + wins a piece.,
d) 13 c4 fld7 14 l003 h5, with
. . . h6 to follow, is again good for
Black.
So we can see that the main
line of the King's Gambit is fa
vourable for Black. But there are
many, many opportunities for
both sides oo deviate from the
main line and possibly to fmd new
moves that will enrich this ro
mantic variation.
B. The modern a nswer
1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 f3 d5 4
exd5
On 4 e5? Black plays 4 . . . g5! 5
d4 g4, when the piece sacrifice 6
hf4 gxf3 7 'ii'xf3 c6 8 d3 e6 is
hopeless as White is unable to
c4.
4 lMG (D)

Black's other options are:

a) 4 flxd5 5 c3 'ife6 + (af

ter 5 . . . flh5 6 e2 g4 7 0-0

White's plan is to follow up with
. d2-d4 and h2-h3) 6 e2 d6 7 0-0
7 8 d4 0-0 9 g5! 'ii'h6 10
ce4! .
White has insufficient counter b) 4 c6 5 d4 cxd5 6 h4 6

play for the pawn. For instance: 7 d3 . White has an easy attack
a) 13 g3? (this loses material) with 0-0, c2-c3, bd2, 5, df3,
xc3 ! 14 flxe7 xa2 + 15 b1 fle1 and flg3 (fih4).
l:lxe7 16 'itxa2 xd3 17 xd3 c) 4 d6 5 d4 6 6 c4 g4 7

b4+ and Black wins. d3 0-0 8 0-0 b6 9 flc2 c5 10 b4!

84 Basic Chess Openings
and the strength of the white cen
tre pawns makes itself felt.
d) 4 g5 5 'ilfe2 + ! and no mat
.i.xf3 9 'ilfxf3 l0e5 10 'ii'xf4 .i.d6
ter how Black interposes on e7,
the g5-pawn is en prise.
w ... l0eg4) 6 ... -*.M + (on 6 ...cxd5 7 c5!
This is the basic position of 'the
modern answer' . White has two
more pawns on the queenside and
in the centre while Black has the
same advantage on the kingside
and this naturally determines
their objectives. White would like
to advance his central pawns and
restrict the black pieces, which
could also lead to the capture of
the f4-pawn. Black must protect
f4 and try to gain counterplay
through piece activity, helped by
the weakness of the e3-square,
caused by the lack of a pawn on
f2. He can also play along the e
file with his rook and on the f5-
and g4-squares with his bishop.
Let us see these plans in practice:
a) 5 c4 c6!? (or 5 . . . b5 6 l0c3
bxc4 7 .i.xc4 .i.d6 8 d4 l0bd7 9 0-0
0-0 10 l0e5 ! l0xe5 1 1 dxe5 .i.xe5
12 .i.xf4 .i.xf4 13 lh4 'ilfd6 14
'ii'd4 with a slight edge for White)
6 d4 (6 dxc6 l0xc6 7 d4 -*.g4!? 8 d5
with tremendous play for Black.
The threat is 11 . . . l0d3 + , and if
the white queen moves then a
strong attack can be generated by
the moves . . . 0-0, Jle8, . . Jlc8 and
_
is most inconvenient) 7 l0c3 cxd5
8 .i.xf4 0-0 9 .i.e2 dxc4! 10 .i.xc4
(or 10 0-0 .i.xc3 11 bxc3 .i.e6!)
10 . . . l0d5 1 1 .i.xd5 'ii'xd5 12 0-0
.i.xc3 13 bxc3 .i.e6 is more com
fortable for Black. His plan is
... l0c6, ... llac8 and . . . l0a5, with an
initiative on the vulnerable white
queenside.
b) 5 .i.c4 l0xd5 6 0-0 (6 .i.xd5
'ii'xd5 7 l0c3 'ilff5 8 'ii'e 2+ .i.e7 9 d4
c6 10 0-0 .i.e6 11 l0e5 g5! 12 g3
l0d7 and the white king position
becomes vulnerable in the end)
6 ... -*.e7 7 d4 .i.e6 (Black cannot go
far wrong with 7 . . . 0-0 either) 8
'ilfe2 0-0 9 l0c3 l0c6! (9 ... c6?! is
weaker: 10 l0xd5 .i.xd5 1 1 .i.xd5
cxd5 12 .i.xf4 t and Black will al
ways have to keep an eye on the
d5-pawn) 10 l0e4 l:le8! 11 .i.b3
.i.6! and it is White who must
fight for equality.
c) 5 l0c3 l0xd5 6 l0xd5 'ii'xd5 7
d4 .i.e7 (7 . . . .i.g4!? 8 .i.xf4 l0c6 9
.i.xc7!? :c8 10 .i.f4 'ilfe4+ ! 11 Ve2
.i.xf3 12 gxf3 'ilfxe2+ 13 .i.xe2
l0xd4 is more than attractive for
Black. Instead of 10 .i.4, White
can seek to improve with 10 .i.g3
Ve4+ 11 liPf2!?) 8 c4 (8 .i.d3 .i.g4
9 .i.x4 l0c6 10 c3 0-Q-0 =) 8 ...'ilfe4+
 King's Gambit
9 .i.e2 (9 f2 .i.f5 ! 10 .i.e2 c6
11 l:te1 0-0-0 12 .i.fl 'ifc2 13 'ifxc2
.i.xc2 14 .i.xf4 l:the8 ao. The d4-
pawn is attacked, and if White
advances it then Black can play
... .i.c5 + and ... b4) 9 .. c6 10 0-0
. 14 l:txf3 l:te8! with a tremendous
.i.f5 1 1 l:te1 0-0-0 12 .i.fl 'ii'c2 13
'ilt'xc2 .i.xc2 14 .hf4 llhe8 with
chances for both sides. Black can
counterbalance White's spatial
plus by exerting pressure on d4.
d) 5 .i.b5 + !? (In this way
White can exchange his d5 pawn
for Black's c-pawn and try to ex
ploit his central pawn majority.
Black has to play more accurately
than in the previous lines) 5 . . . c6!
(5 ... .i.d7 6 'ii'e2+ .i.e7 7 d6! cxd6 8
d4 0-0 9 c3 l:te8 10 .hd7 bxd7
1 1 0-0 'ifb6 12 a4!? with the
threat of a4-a5 followed by .hf4,
regaining the pawn with a supe
rior position) 6 dxc6 c6 (on
6 . . .bxc6, White gets on top with 7
J.c4 d5 - 7 ... .i.d6 8 'ii'e2+ ! 'ife7 9
'ilt'xe7 + xe7 10 0-0 - 8 0-0 .i.d6
9 c3 .i.e6 10 .i.e7 - 10 ... .i.c7
is strongly met by 1 1 b3, and then
.i.a3! , or 1 1 g5 - 1 1 .i.b3 - the
threat was . . . e3 - 1 1 . . . 0-0 12 d4
White's plan is 'ii'e2 and c2-c4,
his target being the pawn on f4) 7
d4 .i.d6 (7 ... 'ifa5 + 8 .i.b4 runs
into 9 0-0! .i.xc3 10 'ife2 + and 1 1
85
bxc3 with a great advantage i n de
velopment) 8 0-0 (Black can meet
8 'ii'e2 + .i.e6 9 g5 0-0 10 xe6
with 10 ...fxe6 11 .i.xc6 bxc6 12 0-0
- not 12 'ii'xe6 + ? h8 13 0-0 f3!
attack for Black. On any queen
move the threat is . . . lle1 + and
. . . g4 - 12 . . . 'ii'c7! 13 d2 - 13
'ilt'xe6 +?! h8 14 d2 llae8 15
'ifh3 c5! 16 4 l:te2 and Black
controls the game - 13 . . . e5! = .
However, even more interesting is
10 . . . 'ii'b 6!?, e.g. 1 1 .i.xc6 bxc6 12
l:te8 13 'ifxe8 xeS 14 c3
xf8, when the black queen ap
pears to be stronger than the two
rooks due to White's underdevel
opment and vulnerable kingside)
8 . . . 0-0 9 c4!? (or 9 bd2 .i.c7 ! 10
c3 .i.f5 1 1 4 d5 12 hc6 bxc6
13 fe5 g5! and, since the white
centre has not been mobilized, the
bishop on c1 is passive and the
knight on e5 is vulnerable. For ex
ample, 14 c6 'ii'eB 15 6e5 f6!
16 f3 'ifh5!? and Black has a
dangerous offensive) 9 . . . .i.g4 10
c3 l:tc8 1 1 e2 a6! and now 12
J.xc6 l:txc6 13 b3 (13 c5? is a mis
take owing to 13 . . . hf3 14 :Xf3
.i.xc5) 13 ... h5 or 12 .i.a4 h5
produces a complicated battle with
chances for both sides.
Vienna G a me
l e4 e5 2 c3
B g5, :n and 1i'h5) 5 1i'f3 f6 6
This move attempts to dis
suade Black from playing ...d7-d5.
Later he will aim for either .i.c4
or f2-f4 (or possibly both!) and
will place his gl-knight, according
to Black's setup, on e2 or f3.
2 lbf&
bxc3 .i.d6 and ... 0-0, when Black is
Other options are:
a) 2 .i.c5?! 3 f3! d6 (3 ...
on g2 by means of the manoeuvre
4 fue5! fue5 - 4 . . . .i.xf2 + 5
xe5 6 d4 - 5 d4 .i.d6 6 dxe5
J.xe5 7 f4 ) 4 d4 exd4 5 d4
c6 6 .i.e3 ;I;.
b) 2 c6 3 .i.c4 (3 f4?! exf4! 4
on for example 3 . . . d6? 4 f3 c6
f3 g5 5 d4 g4 6 .i.c4 gxf3 7 0-0
and now both 7 . . . d5 8 exd5 .i.g4 9
1i'd2 ce7 10 1i'xf4 h6, and
7 . . . xd4! 8 .i.xf4 - 8 1i'xd4? 1Wg5! !
- + - 8 . . . .i.g7! offer Black chances
of surviving with his extra piece
intact) 3 ... .i.c5?! (for 3 . . . f6 see
variation II) 4 1Wg4! g6 (4 . . . 1Wf6? 5
d5! 1Wxf2 + 6 dl and besides
fuc7 and 1i'xg7, White also threat
ens 7 h3 1i'd4 8 d3, followed by
c2-c3 catching the black queen
and excluding it from the assault
ge2 d6 7 h3!?, followed by d3
and Black is worse due to the en
forced weakening ... g7 -g6.
3 .i.c4
Other typical continuations are:
a) 3 g3 (White does not achieve
an advantage by f1anchettoing his
fl-bishop in any line of the Open
Games, because the bishop is less
well placed on g2 than, for in
stance, c4. F\uthermore, after the
fianchetto the king's knight often
has to go to the less active e2-
square) 3 . . . .i.c5 (also playable is
3 . . . d5 4 exd5 fud5 5 .i.g2 fuc3 6
planning to neutralize the bishop
... d7, ... l:lb8, ...b7-b6 and ... .i.b7)
4 .i.g2 0-0 5 d3 l:le8 6 ge2 c6 7
O-O d5 = .
b ) 3 f4!? d5! (the only reply, as
5 .i.c4 .i.g4 6 d3 .i.e7 7 h3 .i.xf3 8
1i'xf3, White has an immense plus
owing to the bishop pair and the
chance of a kingside pawn-roller)
4 fxe5 (the moves 4 exd5 e4 or
4 . . . exf4 lead to the King's Gam
bit) 4 . . . fue4 5 f3 (on 5 1i'f3,
5 . . . f5! is pretty strong, as after 6
exf6 xf6 Black can exploit the
 Vienna Game
awkward position of the white
queen with ... i.e7 and ... 0-0. Since
5 d3 "it'h4+ 6 g3 g3 7 lMS "it'h5
8 tCJxd5 is good for White, instead
of 5 . . . 1i'h4+ Black should play
5 . . . tCJxc3 6 bxc3 i.e7 7 tl)f3 0-0 8
d4 ffi! = and Black can undermine
the outpost at e5) 5 ... i.e7 6 d4 (or
6 'ii'e2 tCJxc3 7 dxc3 0-0 8 i.f4 c5 9
0-0-0 1i'a5 followed by ... i.e6 and
. . . tCJc6 = ) 6 . . . 0-0 7 i.d3 f5 8 exffi
i.xffi! 9 0-0 tCJc6 10 e4 dxe4 1 1
he4 d4 = .
Let u s get back to 3 i.c4.
B 5 ...tCJc6
Black's two most important
moves are:
I. 3 tCJxe4 and
the c7-pawn, the following moves
II. 3 tCJc6.
are practically forced.
Besides these moves Black can
also consider the somewhat for
gotten 3 ... i.c5 , as after 4 d3 d6 5
f4 i.e6! 6 i.xe6 fxe6 7 fxe5 dxe5
and then . . .ti)c6 and ... 0-0 Black is
not badly placed since his doubled
isolated e-pawns control all of the
central squares.
87
I. 1 e4 e5 2 ti)c3 tCJf6 3 .i.c4
tCJxe4!?
In principle it is a good idea to re
duce White's central control with
exchanges. Both 4 e4 d5 and 4
i.xf7+ Wxf7 5 tCJxe4 d5! 6 1i'f3 +
'it>g8 7 tCJg5 1i'd7! (not 7 ...1i'xg5?? 8
"it'xd5 + and mate!) 8 tCJe2 h6 are
excellent for Black, so White
steers the game straight into a
tactical minefield!
4 'ii'h5! tCJd6 5 i.b3!?
The dull 5 "it'xe5+ 'ii'e7 6 "it'xe7+
i.xe7 7 i.b3 tl)f5 8 tCJd5 i.d8 leads
to complete equality.
A quieter position is reached af
ter 5 . . . i.e7 6 tl)f3 (not 6 'ii'xe5?!
0-0, followed by . . . tCJc6, when the
white queen is on the run) 6 ... tCJc6
7 tCJxe5 g6!? 8 1i'e2 and now 8 ... 0-0
or 8 . . . tCJd4!? with chances for both
sides.
6 tCJb5!
Direct play. White threatens to
deliver mate on f7 by getting rid
of the knight on d6. As the black
queen is tied to the protection of
6 g6 7 1i'f3 f5
Black should avoid the line
7 ... ffi? 8 c7+ 'ii'xc7 9 "ifxffi and
rook on h8 falls.
8 1i'd5
Now the queen must move from
dB to protect the f7-square.
8 ...'ii'e7 9 tCJxc7+ d8 10 llml8
b6!
88 Basic Chess Openings
White has won a rook but his
knight a8 is doomed and Black is
ready to counterattack with ... .tb7
and ... lbd4.
1 1 tDxb6 axb6 12 "iff3
Had Black played 8 . . .116?! in
stead of 8 ... 1Ve7 (so that his queen
would now be standing on f6 in
stead of e7) then the road to sim
plification would be open with 12
d4! xd4 13 f3 .ib7 14 "ifxd4!
exd4 15 .ig5.
12 .tb7 13 d3 4 14 11Vh3
5+ CiPg8 8 d3 exf4 9 .txf4 h6 10
(D)
B bishop pair after 4 . . . a5 5 ge2
Plans and Counterplans:
White would like to secure his
material plus (the exchange and a
pawn) by castling queenside, while
Black must exploit his develop
ment to launch an attack against
the black king. He therefore needs
to open up the centre, for exam
ple: 14 . . .e4! 15 .te3 exd3 16 0-0-0
xc2 17 .ixb6+ <iPe8, and now
with 18 1Vxd3 .th6 + 19 <iPb1 .ie4
20 .ixc2! .ixd3 21 .ixd3 White can
sacrifice his queen and launch an
offensive against the enemy king
in the middle. This line demon
strates how material can trans
form into initiative and attack on
the chessboard
n. 1 e4 e5 2 c3 lMG 3 .tc4 c6
4 d3
On either 4 l03 or 4 t0ge2 Black
would play 4 ...xe4 5 xe4 d5. In
fact, even after 4 f4, 4 . . . xe4! is
good: 5 .ixf7 + xf7 6 xe4 d5 7
5f3 g5! with ... .tg7 to follow and
Black is better.
4 .tb4
Although Black can gain the
c4 6 dxc4 .tc5 7 0-0 d6, it is
White who is a little better due to
his control of the centre: 8 1Vd3 c6
9 b3! .ie6 10 a4 d7 1 1 xc5
xc5 12 1Ve3 and f2-f4 ;!;. The
bishop on c1 can find targets (the
pawns on d6 and e5) easier than
its counterpart on e6. Worth con
sidering is 4 . . . .tc5!? 5 .ig5 h6 6
.ih4 d6 7 4 .ib6 8 xb6 axb6 9
f3 (preparing a bolt-hole for the
dark-squared bishop) 9 . . . 1Ve7 and
... .te6, with an even position.
5 .tg5
5 f4 and 5 2 are well met by
5 . . . d5, but not 5 f3: 5 . . . d5?! 6
exd5 d5 7 0-0! .ixc3 (7 ... c3 8
bxc3 .ixc3 9 g5! 0-0 10 1Vh5 +-)
8 bxc3 0-0 9 g5 h6 10 e4 and
White stands somewhat better.
Black should therefore meet 5
f3 with 5 ... d6 6 0-0 .ixc3 (other
wise White jumps from c3 to d5
 Vienna Game 89

and the bishop on b4 turns out to

be a spectator) 7 bxc3 l005 8 .ib3
ll:)xb3 9 axb3 0-0 = . w

5 h6!

The bishop must be forced to

show its hand. If now 6 .ih4 then
after 6; . . d6 7 ll)e2 .ie6 8 0-0 g5 9
.ig3 h5! Black could exploit the
position of the bishop at g3.
6 .ixf6 .txc3 + !
Mter 6 . . . 'ii'xf6 7 ll:)ge2 and 0-0
White threatens ll:)c3-d5.
7 bxc3 'ii'xf6 8 ll:)e2 d6 9 'ii'd2 in considering .. . 'ii'g5 ! The queen
.ie6 = (D) cannot be captured by White, as
the black pawn on g5 and open h
Plans and Counterplans: file would strengthen Black's king
The mass exchange of the minor side influence. If the queen is not
pieces has led to an equal posi exchanged then it creates at least
tion. Mter both 10 .ib3 .ixb3 1 1 a sliver of tension in the other
axb3 and 1 0 .tb5 Black is justified wise dormant position.
B ishop's Opening
1 e4 e5 2 .i.c4
White immediately develops his
bishop to a dangerous place from
where it controls the d5-square
and attacks f7. But as the bishop
cannot act alone, Black can easily
equalize or force White to trans
pose into complicated lines of other
openings.
2 !
4 c!Dc3 lDxc3 5 dxc3 f6!? 6 0-0 d6 7
This is the natural reply, both
developing and at the same time
preparing the equalizing move
. . . d7-d5. 2 . . .'ii'g5? is rebuffed by 3
c!Df3 'ii'xg2 4 l:lgl 'ii'h3 5 .i.xf7 +
+ -, and 2 . . . .i.e7? loses material in
no time: 3 'ii'h 5! + -, while 2 . . . f5?
is best met by 3 d3! (3 exf5 lD6
followed by . . . d7-d5 is favourable
for Black) 3 . . . c!Df6 4 f4! d6 5 c!Df3
fxe4 6 dxe4, when the pawn on e4
is defended by the mate threat
'ii'd 5, and the strength of the c4-
bishop has been multiplied due to
the advance of Black's pawn from
f7. 2 . . . c6?! is premature: 3 d4! d5
4 exd5 cxd5 5 .i.b5+ .i.d7 6 hd7+
lDxd7 7 dxe5 lDxe5 8 c!De2 followed
by 0-0 and c!Dbc3, and now Black
must worry about his isolated d5-
pawn (;t) . 2 . . . .tc5!? is interesting,
though, for example 3 c3 d5! 4
.i.xd5 ( 4 exd5 hf2 + ! 5 Ci!i>xf2
'ii' h 4+ and 6 . . . Vxc4 is advanta
geous for Black) 4 . . .c!Df6 5 'ii'f3
0-0, and now after 6 d4 exd4 7
.tg5 dxc3 (7 . . . .te7!?) 8 .txf6 c2! 9
c!Dc3 'ii'xf6 10 'ii'xf6 gxf6 followed
by . . . c7-c6 and . . . f7-f5, or 6 .i.c4
.i.g4 7 'ii'd3 'ii'e7 Black obtains good
play.
3 d3
3 c!Dc3 leads to one of the basic
positions of the Vienna Game.
Two tricky continuations are:
a) 3 c!Df3?! lDxe4 4 lDxe5 (after
c!Dh4 g6 8 f4 Ve7 9 f5 'ii'g7 10 'ii'f3
.i.e7, followed by . . .lDcG and . . . .i.d7
White is struggling to prove the
correctness ofhis sacrifice) 4...'ii'e7!
5 d4 d6 6 hf7+ <it>d8 7 0-0 dxe5 8
dxe5 + .i.d7 and although White
definitely has some compensation
it is insufficient to justify such a
large material disadvantage.
b) 3 d4 exd4 4 c!Df3 (4 e5 is met
by the typical 4 . . . d5! , solving all
Black's problems since 5 exf6
dxc4 or 5 .i.b3 lDe4 are both better
for him) 4 . . . lDxe4 5 'ii'xd4 c!Df6 6
.tg5 .te7 7 c!Dc3 c!Dc6 8 'ii'h4 d6,
followed by ... .te6, and Black com
pletes his development (co) .
3 c6!?
3 . . . d5? would justify White's
conception: 4 exd5 lDxd5 5 c!Df3
c!Dc6 6 0-0 .i.e7 7 :tel f6 8 c3!,
threatening 9 'ii'b 3 or 9 d4. (Black
could only defend his e5-pawn by
weakening the light squares) Al
ternatively, 3 . . . .i.e7!? 4 c!Dc3 (4 f4?
d5! 5 exd5 exf4 6 .i.xf4 lDxd5 pro
vides an overwhelming military
 Bishop's Opening
success for Black: the white centre
has been dissolved, the e3-square
is weak and the first player is still
undeveloped!) 4 ... c6! (not 4 ... 0-0 5
f4! and Black cannot arrange
. . . d7-d5) 5 f3 d6 6 a4! (to stop
. . . b7-b5) 6 . . . 0-0 and Black's plan
may be either ... .tg4 or ... b6, .tb7,
... a7-a6 and ...b6-b5. For 3 ....tc5 4
f3 c6, see the Italian Game.
4 l0fa
Neither 4 'ii'e2 .te7 5 f4 d5! 6
exd5 exf4 7 .txf4 xd5 nor 4 f4
exf4 5 .txf4 d5 6 exd5 xd5 give
any advantage to White. A general
principle is that on f2-f4, Black
plays ... d7-d5 and then on exd5 he
achieves at least an equal game
with ... exf4 and ... xd5.
4 d5 5 .tb3
If White relieves the tension
then Black is better due to his cen
tral control: 5 exd5 cxd5 6 .tb5 +
(6 .tb3 .tb4+ ! 7 c3 .td6 and now
White cannot attack the pawn on
d5 with c3) 6 . . . .td7 7 i.xd7+
bxd7 and ... .td6, ...0-0 =F.
5 a5!?
Plans and Counterplans:
Black would like to force a
weakening of the enemy queen
side. 5 . . . dxe4? is a lemon due to 6
g5! but the simple 5 . . . .td6 is
playable: 6 dxe4 (after 6 ... d4?
7 e2 followed by 0-0, e1 White
blows the centre to pieces with f2-
f4) 7 dxe4 6, with a possible
.. .'ii'e7 and ... .te6 to follow later.
6 c3
Black would meet 6 a4 with
6 ... .tb4 + ! 7 c3 .td6 and ... a6-c5.
91
6 .tb4
Threatening7 ... .txc3 + followed
by ... a5-a4, catching the bishop!
7 a3 .txc3 + 8 bxc3 bd7 9
exd5!
Otherwise Black takes on e4
and the white pawn structure
falls apart.
9 d5!
...
After 9 . . . cxd5 10 0-0 and :e1,
i.g5 Black will have problems
with both of his pawns (e5, d5).
10 0-0 0-0
10 ...xc3? 11 11fe1 .
w
Black would like to restrain the
white bishops in order to allow his
better pawn structure to prevail.
White plans to open the position
and obtain an attack for his minor
pieces. For example 1 1 :e1 :es
( l l . . . xc3?! 12 11fd2 b5 13 .tb2
and the e5-pawn is hanging, while
White also threatens 14 g5) 12
c4! (12 .td2 6 stabilizes Black's
position) 12 ... e7 13 g5! h6! 14
e4 a4 15 .ta2 c5 with equality.
Scandinavian Defence
1 e4 d5
Only a few years ago chess the
ory considered this line to be very
poor, as White gets the chance to
attack the black queen with a
tempo. This is true, but after ex
changing the e4-pawn Black can
quickly develop his pieces. In this
clash of positional principles Black
obtains a fully viable position, al
though he cannot fully counter
balance White's normal opening
advantage.
2 exd5
2 e5? is mistaken in view of
2 . . . .i.f5 3 d4 e6 4 c3 c5 5 f3 c6
and Black will shortly attack the
white centre with . . .1i'b6, . . ..i.g4,
and . . . h6-f5 . This position is
basically an Advance Caro-Kann
with an extra tempo for Black
(there he plays . . . c7-c6-c5 instead
of . . . c7 -c5) or an Advance French
in which the black light-squared
bishop is not clogged behind the
black pawn chain. After 2 exd5
Black has two ways to regain the
pawn:
I. 2 1i'xd5 and
n. 2 ... lbfs.
L 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 1i'xd5
3 c3
Not 3 d4 e5!
3 1i'a5!?
After 3 ...1We5 + 4 .i.e2 White will
win further tempi by attacking
the enemy queen. On 3 . . . 1Wd6 or
3 ... 1i'd8 White simply develops nor
mally (d2-d4, .i.c4, f3 or ge2)
and achieves an advantage in time
and space.
4 d4 f6 5 lb3 .i.g4
On 5 . . . the waiting move 6
h3! is very strong (after 6 . . . .i.f5 7
.i.b5! White can smash Black's
pawn structure with .i.xc6). Or
5 . . . c6 6 .i.c4 .i.g4 7 1i'd3!? bd7 8
.i.d2 with a huge plus in view of
the plan 0-0-0, l::th e1, h2-h3 and
c3-d5. Black loses immediately
after 8 . . . .i.f5 9 1We2 .i.xc2 10 b5!
and d6 + , f7+ .
6 h3 .i.h5
Or 6 ... .i.xf3 7 1Wxf3 c6 8 .i.d2 ;!;.
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White used to run down Black
with 7 g4 .i.g6 8 e5 e6 (not
 Scandinavian Defence
8 ...ltlbd7 9 ltlc4 1i'a6 10 i.f4 threat
ening to win the queen with 10
ltld6+ !) 9 h4 i.b4 10 l:lha, but then
Black came up with 10 . . .i.xc3 +
and now 1 1 bxca ltlbd7 = . And on
10 i.d2 Black again has defensive
resources: 10 . . .'ii'b6 1 1 i.g2 i.xca!
12 bxca i.e4 1a i.xe4 ltlxe4 14
llbl 'ii' a6 15 'ii' fa ltld6. White has
to accept that he cannot advanta
geously undertake immediate ac
tion and settle for a more peaceful
positional plan, such as 7 i.d2!?
e6 (7 . . .ltlc6 8 i.b5) 8 i.c4 (threat
ening 9 ltld5) , when he stands
better after 8 . . .i.b4 9 a3 i.xca 10
i.xca 'ii'b6 1 1 'ii'e 2. He can castle
either side and besides d4-d5 he
can consider g2-g4 followed by
ltle5.
n. 1 d4 d5 2 exd5 ltlf6
a d4
White should not attempt to
hold on to the pawn: a c4 c6!? 4
dxc6 (for 4 d4 cxd5 see the Panov
Attack in the Caro-Kann Defence)
4 . . . ltlxc6 5 da e5 and Black has
splendid compensation for the
pawn ( . . . i.c5, . . . 0-0, . . . i.f5, . . . 'ii'd7,
. . . l:lad8, . . .lU'e8 and . . . e5-e4) . Or
on a i.b5 + i.d7 (a . . . ltlbd7 4 c4 a6
5 i.a4 b5!? 6 cxb5 ltlxd5 followed
by . . . i.b7 is unclear) 4 i.c4 i.g4 5
fa i.f5 (5 . . . i.c8!? and . . . ltlb8-d7-
b6) 6 ltlca and the sacrifice 6 . . .c6!?
or 6 . . .ltlbd7 intending . . . ltlb6-d5
are both interesting. Instead of
4 . . . i.g4, 4 . . . b5!? 5 .tba a5! also de
serves attention, e.g. 6 a4!? bxa4 7
9a
i.a2 i.g4 8 fa i.c8! 9 ltlca i.b7
with . . .ltlxd5, . . .e7-e6, . . . i.e7, . . .0-0
to follow, with an equal position.
3 ... ltlxd5 4 c4 ltlb6
On 4 . . . ltl6 5 ltlfa and then ll:lca,
i.e2, 0-0, .tea, 'ii'd2, l:lad1 with an
edge for White.
5 ltlfa
5 ltlca e5!?
5 g6
The other way is 5 . . . i.g4 6 i.e2
(on 6 c5 not 6 . . . ltld5? 7 'ii'ba but
6 . . . ltl6d7 followed by . . . e7-e6 and
. . .ltlc6) 6 . . . e6 (6 . . . ltlc6 7 d5 i.xfa 8
gxfa!? ltle5 9 f4 ltled7 10 ltlca and
.tea, 'ii'c 2, 0-0-0) 7 0-0 ltlc6 8 ltlca
i.e7 (8 . . . .txfa 9 i.xfa ltlxc4 10
d5!) 9 d5! exd5 10 cxd5 ltlb4 1 1
'ii'd4! i.xfa 12 i.xfa 0-0 ( 1 2 . . . ltlc2
1a 'ii'xg7 i.6 14 'ii' h 6 ltlxa1 15
lle1 + + -) 1a 'ii'e4! ;!;; .
6 h3
This move protects the pawn
on d4 by preventing . . . i.g4.
6 i.g7 7 ltlc3 0-0
After 7 . . .c5 8 .tea!? cxd4 9 i.xd4
0-0 10 i.xg7 xg7 1 1 'ii'd4+ ! both
the endgame and the middlegame
are better for White due to Black's
misplaced knight on b6.
8 i.e3 ltlc6
Or 8 . . . c5 9 d5 ! followed by 'ii'd2
and lladl.
9 'ii'd2 e5
9 . . . lle8 10 0-0-0 e5 1 1 d5 ltla5
12 ba! e4 1a ltld4 c5 14 dxc6 ltlxc6
(14 . . . bxc6 15 c5! ltld5 16 ltlxd5
cxd5 1 7 i.b5) 15 ltlxc6 'ii'xd2 + 16
xd2 bxc6 17 c2 with a slight
advantage for White.
10 d5
94 Basic Chess Openings
Plans and Counterplans:
Where should the knight go? On
lO lDe7 11 g4! f5 12 0-0-0! e4 (or
12 . . . fxg4 13 lDg5! threatening 14
c5 lDd7 15 lDe6 as well as 14 hxg4
.ixg4 15 .ih3 with an immense
attack against squares h7 and e6,
and on 13 ... h6 14 lDge4 ) 13 lDg5
h6 14 t006 he6 15 dxe6 and again
Black's misplaced knight on b6
tips the scales in White's favour.
lO lDa5 is more complicated:
0-0 7 0-0 and now 7 . . . c6 8 :tel
1 1 b3 ( 1 1 .ixb6 axb6 12 b4? lDb3!
-+) ll ... f5 and now 12 0-0-0?! e4
13 lDel (on 13 lDg5 either 13 ... f4!?
14 .ixf4 1Wf6 or 13 ... h6 14 lDe6
.ixe6 15 dxe6 1Wf6 are Black's
pleasant alternatives, while on 13
lDd4? f4! 14 .ixf4 xd4 15 1Wxd4
.:x4 16 11i'c5 1Wf6 White is in grave
danger) 13 . . .1Wf6 i 4 .id4 11i'xd4 15
1Wxd4 .ixd4 16 :Xd4 c5 1 7 :tdl
.id7 and then after the regroup
ing ... lDc8-d6 the game is level M
ter lO lDa5 1 1 b3 f5 the correct
move is 12 .ig5!, as after 12 . . . .if6
13 .ixf6 1Wxf6 14 lDb5! e4 15 lDfd4
c5 16 lDc2! 11i'h2 1 7 lDba3! the
placement of the knight on a5 is a
major drawback for Black.
If White wants to secure his ad
vantage in a calm positional man
ner he should vary his move-order
at the start. Thus on 1 e4 d5 2
exd5 lDf6 3 d4 lDxd5 first 4 lDf3!?
If now 4 ... .ig4 then 5 c4 lD b6 6
.ie2 transposes into the 4 c4 line.
But if 4 . . . g6 then it is worth with
holding c2-c4: 5 h3!? .ig7 6 .ie2
lDd7 9 .ifl :te8 10 c4 lDc7 ll lDc3
or 7 . . . lDc6 8 c4 lDb6 9 d5 lDa5 10
lDa3! and Black faces a difficult
task after 1 1 11i'el!
Caro-Kann Defence
1 e4 c6
The Caro-Kann is similar to
the French Defence in principle.
Black prepares to play ... d7-d5 and
recapture with a pawn if White
plays exd5, thereby avoiding the
queen or knight recapture of the
Scandinavian Defence. However,
there are some important differ
ences between the Caro-Kann
and French. In the Caro-Kann
the bishop on c8 is not locked be
hind its own pawns. On the other
hand, in the middlegame Black
would like to undermine White's
d4-pawn with . . .c7-c5 and this re
quires two moves in the Caro
Kann (. ..c7-c6-c5) compared to only
one in the French ( ... c7-c5).
2 d4
White has a selection of several
interesting independent lines:
a) 2 d3 e5!? 3 f4!? exf4! 4 i.xf4
d5 5 e5 (5 lDc3 dxe4 6 lDxe4 i.e7
and . . . lD6 = ) 5 . . . lDe7 and Black's
setup is . . . lDg6, ... .te7, ... 0-0, ... c6-
c5 and ... lDc6.
b) 2 c4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 cxd5
(4 d4 creates the basic position of
the Panov Attack) 4 ... lD6 5 i.b5 +
(5 "it'a4+ lDbd7 6 lDc3 g6 7 g3 i.g7
8 i.g2 0-0 9 lDge2 e6! and Black
gets the pawn back as 10 dxe6? is
wrong due to . . . lDc5 and . . . lDd3 + )
5 . . . lDbd7 (again i t i s the knight
that Black should interpose as
5 . . . .td7? 6 i.c4 guards the pawn!)
6 lDc3 a6 7 11i'a4!? llb8 8 i.xd7+
11Vxd7 and now on both 9 11Vxd7 +
i.xd7 and 9 "it'f4!? lla8 Black's
bishop pair and the d5-pawn en
sure a level position.
c) 2 lDc3 d5 3 lDf3 (3 'ii'f3 dxe4
4 lDxe4 lDrl7 - 4 . . . d4?! 5 i.c4! - 5
d4 ! 6 c3 lDxe4 and ...lDg6 = )
3 ... i.g4 (not 3 ...dxe4 4 lDxe4 i.f5?!
5 lDg3 i.g6 6 h4 h6 7 lDe5! .th7 8
'ii'h5 g6 9 i.c4! e6 10 'ii'e2 and the
bishop on h7 is just an embarrass
ment) 4 h3 i.xf3!? (dangerous is
4 . . . .th5?! 5 exd5 cxd5 6 i.b5 + !
lDc6 7 g4 i.g6 8 lDe5 and White
has the initiative) 5 'ii'xf3 e6!?
(5 . . . lD6!?) and now 6 d4 lD6 7
.td3 dxe4 8 lDxe4 lDxe4 (8 . . .'ifxd4
9 c3 and 0-0, lldl with a powerful
attack) 9 'ii'xe4 lDd7 followed by
. . . lD6, ... .td6 and . . . 0-0 = or 6 g3
g6!? 7 .tg2 .tg7 8 0-0 lDe7 9 d3 0-0
and ... lDd7 with equal chances.
2 d5
w
96 Basic Chess Openings
Now there are three main paths:
for White:
I. Advance Variation: 3 e5.
II. Panov Attack: 3 exd5 cxd5.
m. Open Variation: 3 (or 3
l0d2).
Among the less well-trodden
tracks, 3 f3!? is interesting, with
the idea of l0c3, .te3, 'ild2 and
0-0-0. Now Black should avoid
3 . . . dxe4?! 4 fxe4 e5 5 l0f3 (5 dxe5?
1i'h4+) 5 ...exd4 6 i.c4!, whereupon
White castles and exerts pressure
on the f7-square along the f-file.
The most exciting reply to 3 f3!?
is 3 ... e5! 4 dxe5 i.c5 ! 5 l0c3 l0e7
when Black achieves comfortable
counterplay with his powerful
dark-squared bishop and the fu-
ture plan of ... Wb6, ... 0-0, . . . :d8
and . . . dxe4. 3 . . . e6 4 l0f6 5 e5
l0fd7 6 f4 c5 transposes to the
French Defence.
I. 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 (Advance
Variation)
3 .tf5
Black quickly develops his c8-
bishop; after completing the plan
. . . e7 -e6, . . . c6-c5 and . . . lbc6 this
piece will play an active role in
the attack against the white cen
tre.
4 l0c3
Not 4 g4? .i.e4! 5 f3 i.g6 6 h4
h5 and White's kingside initiative
fades away. What is more, after
7 . . . e6 Black is threatening h5xg4,
when the h4-pawn is hanging.
This cannot be hindered by play
ing g4-g5 as with ... .i.f5, ... l0e7-g6,
. . . c6-c5 and . . . l0c6 Black achieves
his dream setup. On 4 h4 the an
swer is again 4 . . . h5, and on 4 c3
e6 5 .tea f6!? 6 l0f3 eod7 7 l0bd2
'ilc7! 8 exf6 chances are even
as well. However, the fashionable
4 l0f3 e6 5 i.e2 is anything but
harmless. Black can play 5 . . . l0d7
6 0-0 l0e7 7 l0h4 i.g6 8 l0d2 fol
lowed by 8 . . . c5 9 c3 l0c6 or 5 . . . c5!
straight away: 6 c3 lbc6 7 0-0 i.g4
with the idea of . . . c5xd4, . . . l0e7-
f5, . . . i.e7 and . . . 0-0 while White
opts for gaining space on the
queenside with l0d2, a2-a3, b2-b4
and i.b2.
4 e6 5 g4!?
With the knight on c3 White
simply has to be aggressive; oth
erwise Black can start picking on
the d4-pawn with . . . c7-c5 which
cannot be supported by c2-c3.
5 .tg6 6 l0ge2
White's plan is h2-h4-h5, which,
together with l04, will be awk
ward for the bishop on g6.
6 c5!?
The best counter to a flank at
tack is an assault in the centre! A
more restrained move is 6 . . . f6,
when after 7 l0f4 fxe5 8 dXe5 the
bishop on g6 is driven back to f7,
but Black has a central pawn ma
jority. The move 6 ... l0e7!? has also
recently come into practice, threat
ening 7 . . . h5 and protecting the
bishop on g6 in advance against 8
l0f4.
 Caro-Kann Defence
7 h4
Mter 7 .i.e3 lC!c6 8 dxc5 lC!xe5
White has two squares for his e2
knight:
a) 9 lC!f4 a6!? followed by ...,
.. . .i.e7 and . . . lCJc6 with the idea of
mobilizing the centre pawns.
b) 9 lC!d4!? lC!d7! (defending
against the threats f2-f4 and .i.fl.
b5 + ) 10 .i.b5?! a6! 11 .i.a4 .i.xc5
12 lC!xe6 fxe6 13 .i.xd7+ 'i'xd7 14
.i.xc5 lC!f6 15 'ife2 l:tc8 16 .i.d4 0-0
17 0-0-0 b5 and Black has a strong
attack on the c2-pawn. Instead of
10 .i.b5, 10 f4 or 10 lC!b3 come into
consideration.
7 h5!?
lC!h6! is overwhelming for Black,
The most resolute reply. Mter
7 . . . cxd4 8 lCJxd4 h5 9 f4! hxg4 10
.i.b5 + lC!d7 1 1 f5 ! White has an
attack. Also possible is an unex
pected piece sacrifice: 7 . .. lCJc6 8 h5
hc2!? 9 'i'xc2 cxd4 10 lC!b1 l:tc8 1 1
'i!Va4 'i'd7 12 lCJxe5 1 3 'ifxd7+
xd7 14 lC!xd4 lC!xg4 with an un
clear game in which Black has
gathered three pawns for the piece.
8 lCJf4 lC!c6!?
A move that violates all classi
cal chess principles. The tradi
tional path is 8 ... .i.h7 9 lCJxh5 cxd4
10 'i'xd4 lC!c6 1 1 .i.b5 and now
1 1 . . . hc2 or 1 1 . . . lC!e7 12 .i.h6!?
l:tg8!? (12 . . . gxh6?? 13 lC!f6 is mate!
but 12 . . . a6 is possible) 13 0-0-0
.i.g6 with double-edged play.
9 lCJxg6 fxg6 (D)
Plans and Counterplans:
Black's kingside looks bad but
White has problems both with his
97
w
central pawns and with the g4-
pawn. For example, 10 'i'd3 cxd4
1 1 lC!b5 hxg4! 12 'i'xg6 + d7 13
'i'xg4 'i'b6 14 c3 dxc3 15 lC!xc3
as on 16 .i.xh6 'i'xb2 wins. Best for
White is 10 lC!e2! with the threat
of lC!f4. Now 10 . . . cxd4 1 1 lC!xd4
lCJxd4 12 'i'xd4 lC!e7 and 10 ... lC!ge7
1 1 lC!f4 cxd4 12 .i.h3! (12 lC!xe6
'i'd7 and White has lost the initia
tive) 12 . . . lC!xe5 13 'i'e2 lC!7c6 14
lCJxe6 'i'a5 + 15 fPfl. hxg4 16 .i.xg4
.i.d6 are very messy.
II.1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5
(Panov Attack)
4 c4
Or 4 .i.d3 lCJc6 5 c3 lC!f6 6 .i.f4 (6
lCJf3 .i.g4 and . . . e7-e6, . . . .i.d6 and
0-0 = ) 6 . . . .i.g4!? 7 'i'b3 'i'd7 8
e6 9 lC!gf3 .i.xf3 10 3 .i.d6!? 1 1
.i.xd6 'ifxd6 1 2 'ifxb7 l:tb8 13 'ifa6
0-0 with sufficient counterplay for
the pawn.
4 lMG 5 lC!c3
Now Black has two completely
independent variations:
98 Basic Chess Openings
A. 5 g6
B. 5 c6
A common alternative is 5 . . . e6.
Then play may continue 6 f3
J.. e 7 7 c5! (7 cxd5 xd5 8 J..d3
c6 9 0-0 0-0 10 lte1 leads to the
Semi-Tarrasch Defence of the
Queen's Gambit) 7 . . . 0-0 8 J.. d3 b6
9 b4 a5 (or 9 . . . J..b 7!? followed by
...e4) 10 a4! d7 11 h4 with a
sharp game. White is threatening
12 xb6 xb6 13 J.. x h7+ ! h7
14 g5 + g8 15 'ih5 J..xg5 16
hxg5 f5 17 g6 and 'ih7 mate! To
avoid White's infiltration with c4-
c5, Black usually plays 6 f3
J.. b4, reaching a position that is
also known from the Nimzo-In
dian: 7 J..d3 dxc4 8 J.. xc4 0-0 9 0-0
b6 and then . . . J.. b 7 and . . . bd7 =
or 7 cxd5 xd5 8 J..d2 0-0 9 J..d3
c6 10 0-0 J..e7 11 a3 J.. f6 12 'ie2
c3 13 bxc3 g6 14 J..e4!? J..d7 15
ltab1 b6 followed by . . . ltc8 and
... 5, with counterplay for Black.
A. 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d 5 3 exd 5 cxd5 4
c4 f& 5 c3 g&
6 cxd5 J..g7
Not 6 . . . xd5 7 'ib3 xc3?! 8
J..c4! e6 9 bxc3 J..g7 10 J.. a3!
7 'iVb3
After 7 J..b5+ !? bd7 8 d6! exd6
9 'iVe2 + 'iVe7 10 J.. f4 'iVxe2 + 1 1
J.. xe2 e 7 1 2 J.. f3 Black is a little
worse due to his weak pawn on d6
and his king position in the mid
dle, although he should be able to
make a draw with accurate play.
7 0-0 8 J.. e2 bd7 9 J..f3
b6 10 J..g 5!?
White now has the option of
capturing the knight on f6 to re
duce the number of attackers on
the d5-pawn.
10 a5!? 1 1 ge2 a4 12 'iVb5
J..d7 13 'ib4 J..f5 14 0-0
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Black would like to regain the
pawn on d5 but right now he can
not capture it due to the hanging
pawns on b7 and e7. 14 J..d3 15
ltfe1 'id6 16 'ixd6 exd6 1 7 f4
maintains the extra pawn (even if
it is an ugly one), but the immedi
ate 14 'id6!? 15 'ixd6 exd6 de
serves attention. Besides ... J.. d3
Black can wheel and deal with
. . . 4, . . . ltac8 and . . . h7-h6 while
White attacks d6 via g3-e4.
B. 1 e4 c& 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4
c4 f& 5 c3 c&
6
The other line is 6 J.. g5!? Then
on 6 . . . dxc4? 7 J.. xc4 'iVxd4 8 'iVxd4
 Caro-Kann Defence 99

c!Oxd4 9 0-0-0 e5 10 f4! White has a

forceful initiative, but 6 . . . .te6!? is
interesting: 7 .txf6 exf6 8 c5 g6 9 w

.tb5 h5 followed by . . . .th6 and

... 0-0. Another frequently seen line
is 6 . . . 1i'a5!? 7 .txf6 exf6 8 cxd5
.tb4 9 11Vd2 .txc3 10 bxca 11Vxd5,
although the pawn structure is in
White's favour. Perhaps simplest
is 6 . . . e6 7 c5 .te7 8 .tb5 (thwart-
ing 8 . . . b6) 8 . . . 0-0 9 .txc6 bxc6 10
fa e4! and Black equalizes.
This line resembles the 5 ... e6 vari queenside pawn majority and pos
ation in which Black tries to get sible threats against the black king,
loose from the c4-c5 bind with while Black relies on an attack on
...b7-b6 or ... .te7 and ... e4. the weak white kingside pawns
6 .tg4 7 cxd5
and the strength of the d5-pawn.
After other moves Black is sim- The lines 16 0-0 cbe6! 17 l:te1 +
ply fine after ... e7-e6, ... .te7, ... 0-0 Wf5 18 .tea .te7 and 16 .tea We6
and ...dxc4 or ... . 1 7 0-0-0 .tb4!? demonstrate that
7 d5 8 'i!Vba!
in this complicated ending chances
Simultaneously attacking d5 are even.
and b7.
8 .txfa 9 g:xfa e6

m. 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 a (Open
9 ... d4 loses to 10 .tb5 + ! and Variation)
on 9 . . . b6 10 .tea (10 d5 4! 11
'id1 e5) 10 ... e6 1 1 0-0-0 White is a dxe4

better in view of the threat of d4- On a . . . g6 4 e5 .tg7 5 f4 h5! fol

d5. lowed by . . .h6, . . . .tg4 and . . . f5
10 11Vxb7 d4 ll .tb5+ tbxb5 and Black has good play, so White
12 11Vc6 + ! should prefer 4 ha!? .tg7 5 fa
1 2 11Vxb5+? 11Vd7. dxe4 6 e4 d7 7 .tc4 gf6 8
12 ... cbe7 1a 11Vxb5 11Vd7! 14 + 9 0-0 0-0 10 l:te1 ;t.
d5+ 4 e4
14 11Va5? ca 15 bxc3 f6! and Black's best moves are:
rj;7 = .

14 1i'xd5 15 11Vxd5 exd5 (D)

A. 4 d7 and

B. 4 .tf5.

Plans and Counterplans:

We have gone straight into an The third option is considered
endgame in which White has a worse: 4 t0t'G?! 5 + and now

100 Basic Chess Openings
on 5 . . . exf6 6 c3 .i.d6 7 .i.d3 and
2, 'ifc2 White has the freer game
and can hope for an endgame in
view of Black's doubled f-pawns.
The tactical answer is 5 . . . gxf6!?
but then, for example, 6 c3 .i.f5 7
.i.f4!? lt)d7 8 .i.d3 .i.g6 9 2 lt)b6
(or 9 . . . e5 10 .i.e3!? and the black
centre cannot make further pro
gress without being seriously
weakened while White can seize
the f5-square via 'ifc2 and lt)g3) 10
0-0 e6 ll .i.g3 .i.d6 12 b4!? 'fi'c7 13
a4 followed by c3-c4 and White is
obviously on top. Black's strategic
drawbacks - doubled pawns and a
spatial disadvantage - are more
significant than random tactical
chances along the open g-file.
A. 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 lt)c3 dxe4 4
lt)xe4 lt)d7
5 .i.c4
Other lines are:
a) 5 g5!? lt)gf6 (5 . . . h6?! 6
lt)e6! fxe6? 7 'ifh5 + and mate!) 6
.i.d3 e6 (6 ... h6? 7 lt)e6!) 7 lt)lf3
.i.d6 (7 ...h6?! 8 e6!? fxe6 9 .i.g6+
9i;e7 10 .i.f4 followed by 0-0, l:te1
and c2-c4, when Black is tied up)
8 'fi'e2 h6 9 lt)e4 e4 10 'ifxe4
lt)f6 (10 ... 'ifc7!? would prepare the
plan . . . b 7-b6, . . . .i.b7, . . . 0-0-0 and
. . . c6-c5, but 1 1 'ifg4! is difficult to
meet) 11 'fi'e2 (on 11 'fi'h4, 11 .. .'ite7!
is deadly, with the immediate
threat 12 ... g5 and then ... g5-g4)
l l . . . 'ifc7 12 .i.d2 b6 13 0-0-0 .i.b7
14 <itb1 0-0-0! It is important for
Black to castle, but not to the
kingside where he would be ex
posed to a white pawn rush. Now
after 15 c4 c5 the position is level.
b) 5 lt)f3 lt)gf6 6 lt)g3 (6 +
lt)xf6 7 5 .i.e6!? 8 .i.e2 g6 and
Blackplays for ... .i.g7, ... 0-0, ...'ifc7
and . . . c6-c5 often combined with
the regrouping ... lt)f6-e8-d6 and
. . . .i.f5 if White's bishop appears
on d3) 6 . . . e6 7 .i.d3 c5 8 c3 'fi'c7 9
0-0 .i.e7 followed by ... 0-0, ...b7-b6
and ....i.b7 = .
c ) 5 'fi'e2 lt)df6 (5 . . . lt)gf6?? 6
lt)d6 mate!) 6 c3 e4 7 'ifxe4 lt)f6
8 'ifc2 .i.g4 = .
5 lt)gf6
This is the move that was pre
pared by 4 ...lt)d7.
6 lt)g5
6 + 7 lt)f3 (7 c3 'ifc7!?
8 lt)f3 .i.g4) 7 . . . .i.f5 (not 7 . . . .i.g4?
8 .i.xf7! +-) 8 'fi'e2 e6 9 .i.g5 .i.e7
10 0-0-0 .i.g4 11 h3 .i.xf3 12 'fi'xf3
13 .i.xe7 'ifxe7 and the white
bishop is slightly superior to the
black knight.
6 e6
6 . . . lt)d5 7 lt)lf3 h6 8 lt)e4 and
later 0-0, .i.b3, c4 ;!;.
7 'fi'e2
Not 7 lt)lf3? h6 and White is
forced to withdraw to h3. 7 lt)e2
h6 8 lt)f3 .i.d6 is equal.
7 lt)b6
The threat was lt)xf7 followed
by 'ifxe6 + leading to a quickmate.
White now has to choose between
the two lines:
Al. 8 .i.d3 and
A2. 8 .i.b3.
 Caro-Kann Defence 101

A 1 . 1 e4 c6 2 d 4 d5 3 lLlc3 dxe4 4
lL!xe4 lLld7 5 .i.c4 lL!gf6 6 lL!g5 e6
7 'ii'e2 lLlb6 8 .i.d3 w

s hG
...

The right moment to make this

move since now the knight is forced
to defend the d4-pawn from f3.
9 lL!5f3 c5 10 dxc5
Mter 10 .i.e3 lL!bd5 Black de
velops via . . . a7-a6, . . .'ii'c7, ... .i.d6
and ... 0-0.
10 xc5 11 lL!e5
lL!xe5 0-0 17 i..g3 .l:.d8 18 lLlc4
White has to disentangle his hg3 19 hxg3 i.. d 7.
knights. Mter 1 1 .i.d2 0-0 12 0-0-0
lL!a4! Black is threatening an at A2. 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 lL!c3 dxe4 4
tack with ...'ii'b 6. lL!xe4 lL!d7 5 i..c4 lL!gf6 6 lLlg5 e6
u lLlbd7
... 7 'ife2 lLlb6 8 .ib3
It is necessary to fight against
the knight on e5. The bishop on c8 s hG
...

can only be developed with ...b7- Just as on 8 i.. d 3, 8 . . . 'ifxd4? is

b6 and ... .i.b7.
12 tLlgf3 'ii'c7 13 .i.f4!?
Not 13 .i.d2? lL!xe5 14 lLlxe5
.txf2 + ! 15 'it>xf2 'ifxe5 16 'ifxe5
lL!g4+ -+, while 13 0-0 0-0 14 .i.f4
.td6 15 l:r.fe1 lL!xe5 16 lL!xe5 b6
and ... .tb7 is just equal.
13 i..b4+ !? (D)
with mutual chances.
Not 13 . . . i.. d6 14 .i.g3! 0-0 15
0-0-0 lL!c5 16 'it>b1 .Ud8 17 i.. h 4!
.i.e7 18 g4! with a tremendous at
tack for White.
met by 9 lLlf3 and 10 lL!e5 +-.
9 lLI5f3 a5
9 . . . c5 at once is also playable:
10 i.. f4!? lL!bd5 11 i..e5 'ifa5 + 12
lLld2 cxd4 (12 . . . b5!? 13 c4 bxc4 14
i..xc4 lL!b6) 13 lL!f3 .i.e7 14 lL!xd4
0-0 15 0-0-0!? i..d7 16 b1 .ta4!?
10 a4!?
10 c3 a4 l l .i.c2 'ifd5 !? or 10 a3
a4 11 i.. a2 c5 12 i.. e3 lLlbd5 makes
life simpler for Black.
10 c5 (D)

Plans and Counterplans:

White cannot play 14 c3 due to
14 . . . i..xc3 + . He therefore has an
interesting choice between 14 lL!d2
.txd2 + 15 'it>xd2 0-0 ( 15 . . .lL!c5 !?)
16 .l:.hd1 and 14 'it>fl!? i..d6 15
l:r.d1 lillc e 5 ( 15 . . . lL!h5 16 g3!?) 16
Plans and Counterplans:
White wishes to castle queenside.
He can play 11 i.. e3 , but this is
met by l l . . . 'ifc7 ( l l . . . lL!bd5? 12
0-0-0!) 12 lLle5 i.. d 6 13 lL!gf3 0-0
14 0-0 (14 0-0-0 i.. d 7!?) 14 ... lL!bd5.
102 Basic Chess Openings
w with ...'fla5 + and ...'flxe5!
Sharp play results from 11 i.f4!?
i.d6 12 i.g3!? 0-0 13 0-0-0?! c4! 14
i.xc4 xa4 with counterplay for
Black, while 1 1 dxc5 bd7! 12
e5 xe5 13 'flxe5 d7 14 'fle2
i.xc5 15 3 b6! (it is often better
to let White castle first to avoid a
kingside attack if he should castle
queenside) 16 0-0 ( 16 i.e3 i.a6!)
16 ... 0-0 is equal.
B. 1 e4 c& 2 d4 d5 3 c3 dxe4 4
xe4 i.f5
5 g3 i.g6 6 h4!?
White undertakes a long-range
strategic plan! The bishop on g6
cannot be tolerated but before
White trades it with i.d3 he clamps
down on the black kingside. The
price of this manoeuvre is that
later he will have to keep an eye
on the advanced h-pawn. Here
are a few other possibilities:
a) 6 le2 f6 7 4 e5!? 8
xg6 (or 8 dxe5 'flxd1 + 9 xd1
g4) 8 . . .hxg6 9 dxe5 'fla5 + 10 c3
'flxe5+ 1 1 i.e2 'flc7 and Black can
continue with . . . i.d6 and . . . 0-0 = .
It i s worth remembering this mo
tif: the e5-pawn can be regained
b) 6 i. c4 e6 7 1e2 8 4
i.d6 9 0-0 d5! 10 gh5 0-0 = .
c) 6 3 d7! (White's 7 e5
must be hindered as it would gain
the bishop pair) 7 i.e2 e6 8 0-0
i.d6 9 b3!? (9 l:te1 gf6 10 i.fl.
'flc7 11 c4 0-0 and Black controls
the e5-square) 9 . . gf6 10 i.b2
.
'flc7 1 1 c4 0-0 12 h4 ltfe8 13
xg6 hxg6 14 'flc2 l:tad8 =.
6 h6
6 . . . h5? would destroy the op
tion of kingside castling and cre
ate some horrible weaknesses: the
pawn on h5 and the g5- square.
7 lM7
Black develops, prepares queen
side castling and, not least, stops
8 5.
w
8 h5 i.h7 9 i.d3 i.xd3
9 . . . e6? 10 i.xh7 l:txh7 would be
tragicomic.
10 'flxd3 'flc7
10 . . . e6 1 1 i.f4 'fla5 + 12 i.d2
'flc7 may lead to the same thing,
 Caro-Kann Defence
although White may be able to
profit from the difference with
12 c3 ana 0-0, a2-a4 and b2-b4.
10 .. . 'ifc7 avoids this by disallow
ing M4.
1 1 ..i..d2 e6 12 0-0-0 l.bgf6!
The perfect move-order. Fol
lowing the principle 'make the
essential moves first and then
choose the best follow-up depend
ing on the opponent's play' Black
maintains the opportunity of cas
tling on either side. 12 . . . 0-0-0?! is
very strongly met by 13 'it'e2! l.bg6
14 l.be5 and after 14 . . . 1.bxe5? 15
dxe5 1.bd5 16 f4 c5 17 c4 1.bb4 18
hb4 .lhd1 + 19 .lhd1 cxb4 20 l.be4
White is on top. In such positions
Black should not capture on e5
as the pawn that recaptures will
restrict his game. So instead of
14 . . . 1.bxe5? it is better to continue
14 . . . 1.bb6!?: 15 ..i.. a5 l::td5 16 ..i..xb6
(16 b4!?) 16 . . . axb6 17 f4 or 15 c4!?
l:lxd4 16 ..i..e3! l:lxd1 + 17 .lhd1, al
though Black's play is still some
what problematic as 1 7 . ..'flxe5?
18 l:ld8 + and 19 ..i.. xb6+ wins the
queen and 17 . . . ..i..d6 is met by 18
l:lxd6 followed by l.bxf7 +-. The
only playable move seems to be
17 . . . l:lg8! 18 f4 c5 19 'it'd3 ..i..e7!? 20
l.bxf7 l.bg4! but even here Black is
not safe yet.
13 1.be4!?
On 13 'ife2 the difference be
comes apparent: 13 . . . c5! and, for
example, 14 c4 cxd4 15 l.bxd4 l:lc8
16 c;l;>b1!? ..i..c5 ( 16 . . .'it'xc4?? 17 l:lcl!
103
and White wins) followed by ... 0-0
with equality.
13 0-0-0 14 g3! (D)
White prepares 15 ..i.. f4.
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Black has to play carefully in or
der to equalize. An example of the
dangers is 14 1.bxe4 15 'it'xe4
/.[}ffl?! 16 'ife2 c5? 17 dxc5 ..i..xc5 18
l:lh4! and the rook from h1 will
transfer to c4 with deadly strength.
Instead of 15 . . . 1.bf6?!, 15 . . . ..i.. d6!?
16 c4 1.bf6 17 'ifc2 c5 18 d5 exd5 19
cxd5 deserves attention as it pre
vents White occupying e5. Instead
of 14 . . . 1.bxe4, 14 1.bc5!? 15 l.bxc5
hc5 comes into consideration,
when White can achieve a slight
plus with the plan c2-c4, ..i..c 3,
'it'e2 and l.be5.
Nowadays the Caro-Kann with
. . . M5 is not considered quite good
enough to equalize, so Caro-Kann
adherents tend to prefer the solid
line 4 . . . 1.bd7, and not without suc
cess!
French Defence
1 e4 e6
Black's intentions are honour
able. He is planning . . . d7-d5, and
if White builds a pawn centre
with e4-e5 then Black can under
mine it with . . . c7-c5 and .. f7-f6.
The price of this strategy is the
limited scope of the bishop on c8,
which is obstructed by its own
pawns (e6, d5).
The material is divided into
four sections:
I. King's Indian Attack and
other sidelines.
ll. Advance Variation: 2 d4 d5
3 e5.
m. Tarrasch Variation: 3 c&l2.
rv.: Classical Main Line: 3 c3.
I. King's Indian Attack and
other sidelines
If he wants to sidestep the main
lines (which require thorough
preparation) White can choose be
tween two independent lines:
A. King's Indian Attack: 2 d3
R Exchange Variation: 2 d4 d5
3 exd5 exd5.
The following variations are
less important:
a) 2 f4 d5 3 e5 c5 4 3 6 5
c3 d4!? 6 d3 h6 to be followed by
. . . f5, ... e7 and . . . 0-0 = .
b) 2 c4 d5 3 exd5 exd5 4 cxd5
f6 5 b5 + bd7 6 c3 e7 7
1i'f3 0-0 8 xd7 'i'xd7!? 9 ge2
l:td8 10 4 d6 and after return
ing the pawn White will stand
worse due to his isolated d-pawn
(=F) .
c) 2 c3 d5 3 lbf3 d4!? (after
3 . . . f6 4 e5 fd7 5 d4 c5 play
transposes to the 3 c3 line) 4
e2 c5 5 d3 c6 and Black can
build a very strong position with
the plan . . . e6-e5, . . . f7-f6, . . . e6,
... 'i'd7, ... d6 and ... ge7.
. d) 2 'i'e2!? (trying to dissuade
Black from ... d7-d5 because White
would capture and only the queen
could recapture). 2 . . . c5 (also good
is 2 ... e7!? and then . . . d7-d5) 3 f4
c6 4 f3 e7 5 c3 d5! 6 d3 (6
e5 h6! followed by ... 5) 6 ... f6
7 e5 d7 8 g3 b5 9 g2 'i'b6 10 0-
0 b4 1 1 d1 c4+ ! 12 e3 c5 13
h1 a6! 14 xc5 cxd3! 15 cxd3
xc5 16 f2 0-0 and Black is ob
viously better.
A. 1 e4 e6 2 d3 (King's Indian At
tack)
White opts for a setup that resem
bles the King's Indian Defence.
His idea is to play d2, gf3, g2-
g3 and g2. Then he will either
open up the centre, counting on the
strength of his bishop g2, or just
the opposite, close it with e4-e5 to
 French Defence 105

undertake a kingside attack with

the manoeuvres h4-h5-h6, lle1
and M-h2-g4. The latter plan is w
more suitable when Black plays
... d7-d5, c7-c5, . . . lb6 and . . . i.e7
than if Black develops with a
kingside fianchetto, as it is harder
to break down such a king posi
tion. Note that the positions in
this section are often reached by a
Sicilian move-order ( 1 e4 c5 2 l0f3
e6 3 d3) instead of the French De
fence. . .. i.c8-d7 and then expand on the
2 d5 3 lbd2
queenside with . . . b7-b5, . . . a7-a5
To avoid a queen swap after and . . . b5-b4 or . . . c5-c4. If White
3 ... dxe4 4 dxe4. prematurely plays b2-b3 and i.b2
3 c5
Black can even consider . . . d5-d4.
Mter 3 . . . l06 Black constantly Chances are even.
needs to be on the alert against
... e4-e5. B. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 exd5
4 l0gf3 l0c6 5 g3 i.d6!? (Exchange Variation)
5 . . . l06 6 i.g2 i.e7 7 0-0 0-0 8
l:te1!? and White is ready to play 9 The Exchange Variation is rather
e5 followed by the usual attacking an unpretentious line in which
plan of lbfl, h2-h4-h5, l0h2 and just as in other exchange vari
l0g4. ations (the Slav Defence, for ex
6 i.g2 lbge7! 7 0-0 0-0 ample) - White cannot hope for
The fight centres on the ad an advantage.
vance e4-e5. 4 i.d3
8 llel 'flc7 9 'fle2 f6! (D) 4 c4 l06 5 l0c3 i.e7 6 l0f3 0-0 7
This is why the knight had to i.e2 dxc4 8 i.xc4 l0bd7 followed
go to e7. by . . . l0b6-l0d5 and . . . c7-c6 is fine
for Black.
Plans and Counterplans: 4 i.d6

White can hardly think of a king More exciting is 4 . . . c5!? 5 l0f3

side attack now since the black lbc6 6 dxc5 i.xc5 7 0-0 l0ge7 and
pieces are not separated from their . . 0-0.
.

king by a pawn on e5. Sooner or 5 l0f3 l0f6 6 0-0 0-0 7 i.g5

later White will have to play c2-c3 i.g4 8 l0bd2 l0bd7 9 c3 c6
and then consider e4xd5. Black can And now after the white moves
complete his development with l:tfe1, i.h4 and i.g3 Black will just
106 Basic Chess Openings
copy with . .:feB, ... .th5 and ....i.g6.
. On 5 . . .'iVb6 White will usually
Isn't this all just terribly boring?
IT. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 (Advance
Variation)
3 c5
Black attacks White's centre
and prepares c6. 'One should
first develop the pawns and then
the knights! '
4 c3
Otherwise after Black's 4 . . .cxd4
the pawn-chain protecting the
pawn on e5 is demolished.
4 c6 5 f3
example, 10 . . . 'iVxe5 1 1 :e1 'iVd6
5 .i.e3 'iVb6 6 'iVd2 .i.d7 7 f3
ffi!? destroys the white pawn cen
tre.
5 1!fb6
Also possible is 5 . . . .i.d7 (5 . . . ffi?
6 .i.b5 ! and White controls e5) 6
.i.e2 (not 6 .i.b5?? xe5) 6 . . . ffi
(6 . . . ge7!? followed by . . . f5 is
also not bad) 7 0-0 fxe5 8 xe5!
xe5 9 dxe5 and Black's position
is a little loose, for example 9 ....i.c6
10 c4! e7 11 .i.g5 ! threatening
12 .i.h5 + .
w
answer:
A. 6 .i.e2
B. 6 a3!?
Also possible is 6 .i.d3, but this
is only a trick based on 6 . . . cxd4 7
cxd4 d4?? 8 d4 'iVxd4 9
.i.b5 + winning the queen. If in
stead of 7 . . . xd4?? Black hinders
the discovered check with 7 ... .i.d7
then after 8 0-0!? . xd4 9 xd4
'iVxd4 10 c3 White has some
compensation for the pawn. For
( 1 1 . . . 'iVb8 12 d5) 12 b5 or
10 . . . a6!? 1 1 1i'e2 e7 12 <it>h1
13 f4 b4 14 .i.bl.
A. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 c5 4 c3
c6 5 f3 'iVb& 6 .i.e2
6 cxd4
Black would like to develop his
king's knight to f5 but 6 . . . ge7 7
dxc5 'iVc7 8 d4!? xe5? (8 . . .'iVxe5
9 0-0 and b2-b4) 9 b5 Vxc5 10
'iVd4! or 6 . . .h6 7 .i.xh6 'iVxb2 8
.i.e3 'iVxal 9 'iVc2 (the black queen
is in trouble!) prevents this. How
ever, after a swap on d4 this line is
good for Black as his queen can
not be netted due to the hanging
pawn on d4!
7 cxd4 lllli6!
After 7. . .ge7 8 a3 f5 9 2
.i.b4+ 10 <it>fl. White 'castles' with
g2-g3, 'iPg2 and then unfolds with
a2-a3 and b2-b4 or g2-g4.
8 c3
 French Defence
Now 8 .txh6 is met by 8 ... 'ifxb2
9 .td2 'ifxal 10 'ifba tLlxd4 11
.tb5 + d8 - + , but 8 ba!? i s inter
esting: 8 ...tLl5 9 .tb2 .tb4+ 10 'iWl
.te7! 1 1 tLlc3 f6!?
8 tLlf5 9 tLla4 .tb4 + 10 .td2
b 5 tLlcxd4 i s good for Black a s af
On 10 fl Black plays 10 .. .'i'd8
and ... f7-f6.
10 'i'a5 1 1 .tea b5 12 a3!
11 fxe3 fxe5 12 b5! e4 1a bxc6 and
.txc3 + 1a tLlxca b4 14 axb4
'ifxb4 1 5 .tb5 .td7 16 .txc6
.txc6 17 'ifd2 0-0 18 0-0 =
B ment with ... .te6, . . . .te7 and ... 0-0
Plans and Counterplans:
The game is balanced. White at
tacks the pawn on a7 while Black
does the same with the pawn on
b2. But neither player can win the
opposing pawn without abandon
ing their own.
8. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 c5 4 c3
tLlc& 5 tLlf3 ft& 6 a317
White's idea is 7 b4! cxb4 8
cxb4 with control of the queen
side as 8 . . . a5? 9 b5! tLla7 10 a4
would completely disrupt Black's
attempt to free himsel
107
6 ...c4!?
What happens if Black does not
obstruct b2-b4? One line contin
ues 6 . . . tLlh6 7 b4 cxd4 8 cxd4 tLl5
9 .tea! (9 .tb2 .te7 10 .tda a5! 1 1
ter the exchanges there is no
check on b5) 9 . . . f6 10 .tda! tLlxe3
wherever Black captures his king
runs into trouble. Black can also
impede b2-b4 with 6 . . . a5!?, e.g. 7
.tda tLlh6! 8 0-0 cxd4 (8 . . . tLlf5 9
dxc5! ) 9 cxd4 tLlf5 10 .txf5 exf5
and Black completes his develop
while White can aim for tLlca-a4,
.tea and llcl.
7 g3
7 tLlbd2 would threaten 8 ba,
which Black can meet by the pre
ventive 8 . . . tLla5 or the counterat
tack 8 . . . f6. Mter 7 ga White is
ready for Black's . . . f7-f6, as the
white bishop will find a place on
g2 or ha.
7 ... f6!? 8 exf6 tLlxf6 9 .tg2
After 9 .tha .td6 10 'ife1 0-0 11
.txe6 + <iPh8 White has opened
the position to his own detriment.
9-.td6 10 0-0 0-0
Plans and Counterplans:
White plays against . . . e6-e5 ( 1 1
tLlbd2? e5!). What i s more, he would
like to place a knight on e5 him
self, but after 1 1 'i'e2!? ( 1 1 lle1
tLle4! 12 tLlbd2 tLlxd2 1a tLlxd2?
e5!) 11 . . . .td7!? 12 tLle5 .te8! the
bishop threatens to spring to life
via 1a . . . .txe5 14 dxe5 .th5. After
108 Basic Chess Openings
w gf3 f6 5 e5 d7 6 e2!? f6 7
13 xc6 1i'xc6 14 1i'xe6+ f7 fol
lowed by . . .l:le8, ... g6 and . . .d3
Black again has good play for the
pawn.
m. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 d2 (Tar
rasch Variation)
If White does not push with 3 e5
he has to protect the pawn on e4.
This can only be done with knight
moves since after 3 f3? dxe4 4 c3
(4 fxe4?? 'iVh4+ - + ) 4 . . . M!?
White has nothing for the pawn
and after 3 d3 dxe4 4 xe4 lOf6
5 M3 c5 6 2 7 c3 cxd4 8
cxd4 e5! Black seizes control. On
3 2 Black's main lines are:
A. Black captures on e4:
3 ... dxe4
B. Black accepts an isolated
pawn: 3 . . .c5
C. With a French centre:
3 ... f6.
3 . . . c6?! is sometimes seen, but
this is an anti-positional move as
it impedes the pawn on c7 from
later advancing. White gains the
advantage with simple moves: 4
exf6 xf6 (7 ...Vxf6 8 fl! d6 9
e3 followed by 0-0 and g4 is
also good for White) 8 0-0 d6 9
c4! and White is threatening c4-
c5. Mter 9 . . . b6 10 cxd5 exd5 1 1
b5 d7 12 l:lel e7 1 3 xd7 +
1i'xd7 14 e5 White is markedly
better ().
A. 1 e4 e& 2 d4 d5 3 lDd2 (or 3 c3)
3 dxe4 (Black captures on e4)
.
4 e4
In this variation Black's posi
tion is slightly passive but in this
Caro-Kann-like position White
does not have a d4 and e5 pawn
centre and cannot easily increase
his opening advantage. This line,
which is really only enough for a
draw, is recommended for those
who do not wish to plunge into
the intricacies of 3 d2 and 3
tDca. Of course 3 ...dxe4 can be
played against both main lines,
with little theoretical preparation.
4 d7!?
It is not without good reason
that this line, activating the bishop
on c8, is very fashionable. AB other
lines demonstrate, this biShop is
Black's most troublesome piece:
a) 4 f6?! 5 xf6 + 1i'xf6 (or
5 . . . gxf6 6 f3 b6 7 b5 + ! c6 8
c4 and f4, 1i'e2; 0-0-0 ;!;) 6 f3
h6 (to stop 7 g5) 7 d3 d6 8
0-0 c6 9 c3 0-0 10 tDd2! e5 1 1
e4 1i'd8 12 1i'h5! exd4 13 xh6!
 French Defence
with a tremendous attack for
White.
b) 4 .t.e7 5 f3 f6 6 +
.t.xf6 7 c3 !? b6 8 .t.d3 .t.b7 9 0-0
d7 10 'ii'e 2 0-0 11 l::t d 1 followed
by .t.f4 and .t.e4 with a tiny but
tangible advantage for White.
c) 4 ...d7!? 5 f3 (5 g3!?
6 f6 + 7 .t.g2 c5 8 2 ;t)
5 . . . gf6 6 xf6 + f6 7 .t.d3 b6
(7 ... c5 8 dxc5 hc5 9 'ii'e2 followed
by 0-0, .t.g5 and l:tad1 ;t) 8 'ife2
.t.b7 9 .t.g5 .t.e7 10 0-0 0-0 ll l:lad1
and later White can continue with,
for example, c2-c4, e5, llfe1, .t.b1
and 'ifc2 (;t).
5 f3 .t.c6 6 .t.d3 d7 7 0-0
6 8 g3
Black's overcrowded state is
eased after 8 +?! .
8 .t.e7 9 b3!?
The c1-bishop would not be
comfortable on f4 since if it is at
tacked it cannot retreat to g3.
9 0-0 10 .t.b2
B while 5 xd4 6 6 e5 (6 exd5
Plans and Counterplans:
White is now ready to increase his
spatial advantage with natural
109
moves: c2-c4, 'ife2 ('ii'c2), llfd1 and
e5. For example, 10 a5!? 1 1
c4! a4 1 2 e5 e5 1 3 dxe5 d7
14 'ii'c2 g6 15 l::tad1 and Black has
nothing to shw for his inconven
ience. Better is 10 .t.x'3! 11
'ii'xf3 c 6 1 2 c4 ;t when White has a
spatial plus and easy game (l:tad1,
llfe1, h4-h5). However, Black's po
sition is solid and he can also
joust at White's queenside pawns
( ...'ifa5 or ... a5-a4 comes into con
sideration in the long run).
B. 1 e4 e& 2 d4 d5 3 d2 c5 (Black
accepts an isolated pawn)
4 exd5
Practically compulsory as 4
dxc5?! .t.xc5 would help Black's
development, while 4 c3?! cxd4 5
cxd4dxe4 6 7 M .t.b4+
8 c3 f6 and . . . 0-0 is comfort
able for Black. On 4 gf3 Black
can answer 4 . . .c6 5 .t.b5!? dxe4
6 e4 .t.d7 or even 4 . . . cxd4, and
now 5 exd5 is just a different
move-order compared to 4 exd5,
d5 7 2f3 .t.e7 8 .t.e2 a6 9 c4
f6 10 0-0 'ii'c 7!? and besides
. . . e6-e5 Black can think about
...b7-b6, . . . .t.b7, ...bd7 and ... 0-0)
6 . . .fd7 7 2f3 (7 f4? e5! 8
fxe5 'ifh4 + and the knight on d4
is hanging!) 7 . . . c6 gives Black a
pleasant game.
4 exd5!?
Even though 4...'ifxd5 may seem
tempting, the black pawn will be
missed from the centre: 5 gf3
1 10 Basic Chess Openings
cxd4 6 .tc4 'ifd6 7 0-0 lLlc6 8 c!Db3
c!Df6 (8 . . . e5 9 l0g5 and 10 f4 ) 9
l0bxd4 l0xd4 10 l0xd4 a6 11 :tel
.i.d7 ( 1 1 . . . .i.e7 12 c3 0-0 13 'ife2
'ifc7 14 .i.g5! ;I;) 12 c3 0-0-0 13 'ife2
'ikc7 14 h3 .i.d6 15 a4! e5 16 l0c2!
and after 17 l0e3 White can con
tinue his attack with b2-b4-b5.
5 lOgf3 lMG
5 . . . c4?! is not very good: 6 b3
cxb3 7 .ib5 + .td7 8 'lfe2+ 'lfe7 9
.ixd 7 + l0bxd7 10 axb3 with a
better pawn structure and pres
sure along the a-file for White. On
the other hand 5 . . . l0c6!? 6 .ib5
.i.d6 7 0-0 l0ge7 8 dxc5 .i.xc5 9
l0b3 .td6 (9 . . . .tb6 10 :tel and 1 1
.te3 ;I;) 1 0 l0bd4 0-0 leads to an in
teresting middlegame which, with
colours reversed, can also arise
from a Nimzo-Indian. After an ex
change of light artillery White
will start an attack on the d5-
pawn, but in the meantime he can
play h2-h3, .i.g5, :tel, c3, 'ifd2 and
:ladl. On the other hand, Black
must aim for complications. His
moves are . . . .i.g4, . . . a7-a6, . . . 'ifc7
and rooks to the middle.
6 .i.b5+ .i.d7
6 . . . l0c6 is a mistake since the
knight is already on f6 : 7 0-0 .te7
8 dxc5 .txc5 9 :tel + .te7 (9 . . . .ie6
10 l0b3 with 1 1 l0bd4 to follow )
10 'lfe2 and Black is uanble to cas
tle.
7 '1Ve2 +
After 7 hd7 + l0bxd7 8 0-0 .i.e7
9 dxc5 l0xc5 10 l0b3 l0ce4, fol
lowed by . . .0-0 and .. Ae8, Black is
active.
7 .te7
Interposing the queen is bad
since the exchange favours White.
Black's best plan is to capitalize
on the central strength of his iso
lated pawn in the middlegame.
8 dxc5 0-0 9 l0b3 :le8 10 .te3
a6
Black can win the pawn back
immediately: 10 . . . .i.xc5!? 1 1 l0xc5
'ifa5+ 12 '1Vd2 '1Vxb5, but he wants
more than he would get after 13
0-0-0.
ll .i d 3
11 .ixd7?! l0bxd7 12 0-0 l0xc5
makes life easier for Black.
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Black cannot be careless with
u ...l0g4 as after 12 0-0 a5, 13 c4!
is very strong. For example 13 ...a4
14 l0bd4 dxc4 15 .i.xc4 .i.xc5 16
.txf7 + ! and '1Vc4 + wins. There
fore the pawn must be regained:
u ... .ta4!? 12 l0fd4 l0bd7 13 0-0-0
.txb3 14 l0xb3 l0xc5 15 '1Vf3!?
l0xb3 + ! ( 15 ... l0xd3 + 16 :lxd3 ;!;; )
16 axb3 '1Va5 17 Wbl .i.c5 with
mutual chances.
 French Defence
C . 1 e4 e 6 2 d 4 d 5 3 d2 f6 (With
a French centre)
4 e5
4 i.d3 c5 5 dxc5 dxe4 6 xe4
e4 7 i.xe4 \i'xd1 + 8 d1 i.xc5
is dead equal.
4 lMd7
Mter 4 . . . 5 i.d3 d2 6
i.xd2 ;!;; the black king position is
deserted.
5 i.d3
Here we have a typical 'French'
centre. White's pawn centre (d4
and e5) pins down his opponent,
who must fight the intruders with
. . . c7-c5 and ... f7-f6. White devel
ops with i.d3, e2, f3 and pro
tects his pawn on d4 at the same
time. His alternative idea is 5 f4!?,
creating an even stronger pawn
centre, the price of which is usu
ally a king march instead of cas
tling. For example: 5 ... c5 6 c3 c6
7 f3 (7 gf3 \i'b6 8 b3 cxd4 9
cxd4 a5!?) 7 . . . \i'b6 8 g3!? (prepar
ing for the king journey e1-f2-g2.
Another common line is 8 h4 cxd4
9 cxd4 f6 10 i.d3 i.b4+ 1 1 We2
i.e7 12 h5 0-0 13 \i'c2 f5 14 a3 a5
15 g4 \i'd8 16 gxf5 exf5 and now
White should avoid 17 i.xf5? lhf5!
18 \i'xf5 dxe5) 8 ... cxd4 9 cxd4
i.b4 + 10 Wf2 g5!? 1 1 i.e3!? ( 1 1
fxg5?! dxe5 12 e5 xe5 1 3
Wg2 6 1 4 f3 i.f8 and . . .i.g7)
1 1 . . .f6!? 12 i.h3? fxe5 13 fxe5 0-0
14 l:lc1 ( 14 i.xe6+ Wh8 threaten
ing 15 . . . dxe5) 14 . . .Wh8 15 i.g4
i.e7 16 h4! gxh4 17 h3! with a
kingside initiative for White.
111
5 ... c5 6 c3 c6 7 e2
7 df3 is met by 7 . . . 'it'a5! with
the threat of 8 . . . cxd4, but 7 gf3
is a viable gambit: 7 . . . 'it'b6 8 0-0
cxd4 9 cxd4 xd4 10 xd4 'it'xd4
ll lN3 1i'b6 12 1i'c2 h6 (on 12 ...\i'c5
White plays either 13 'it'e2 fol
lowed by i.d2, l:lac1 or 13 'ifbl !?)
13 i.f4 i.e7 14 l:lac1 0-0 and now
White can play 15 i.e3 or 15 \i'e2
and i.b1, 'it'd3 with enough play for
the pawn but probably no more.
7 cxd4 8 cxd4 f6!? 9 exf6
9 f4? is bad as after 9 . . . fxe5
there is no good way to recapture:
10 dxe5 i.c5! or 10 fxe5 xd4!
1 1 xd4 'it'h4+ and 12 . . . 'it'xd4 .
The position suddenly becomes
complicated after 9 f4: 9 ... xd4
10 \i'h5+ e7 11 exf6+ (11 g6+
hxg6 12 'it'xh8 e5 -+) 1 1 . . .
12 g6+ hxg6 13 \i'xh8 and White
is an exchange up for a pawn, but
Black can achieve equality with
the active 13 . . . Wf7 14 0-0 e5! fol
lowed by ...e5-e4.
9
In this position Black is ill-ad
vised to try for a quick . . . e6-e5, so
9 .. .'i'xf6?! is weak: 10 f3 i.b4+
1 1 i.d2 i.xd2 + 12 \i'xd2 0-0 1 3
0 - 0 e 5 14 dxe5 dxe5 1 5 xe5
xe5 16 d4! and Black's pawn
d5 is insecure while White has
l:lc1, i.e2 and f2-f4 up his sleeve.
10 f3 i.d6
It is no use playing fer exchanges
with 10 ... i.b4+ 1 1 i.d2 'it'a5 12 a3
i.xd2 + 13 'it'xd2 'it'xd2+ 14 Wxd2
as the e5 and d6 squares have
been weakened and the difference
1 12 Basic Chess Openings
in scope between the remaining
bishops is even more apparent.
The main line used to be 10 . . .1Vb6
but then people realized that af
ter 1 1 0-0 .i.d6 12 c3 0-0 13 a3!
.td7 14 .i.e3 Black cannot take on
b2 due to 15 a4. Therefore the
queen is misplaced on b6 because
White's action b2-b4, l:tc1 and 4-
c5 will soon force it to withdraw.
11 0-0
11 .tf4 "ii'a5+ 12 fl "ii'c 7 is a
very expensive trade for White.
11 ... 0-0
Here Black can also try ll ..."ii'c7
aiming to avoid the exchange of
the dark-squared bishops. How
ever, on one hand it is not clear
that this exchange should be
avoided, and on the other White
can play 12 g3 0-0 13 .i.f4 e5 14
dxe5 xe5 15 xe5 .txe5 16 l:tc1
"ii' d 6 17 .i.xe5 "ii'xe5 18 'iVb3 .th3
19 :fe1 l:tae8 20 "ii' c 3! and Black's
game is critical His pawn on d5
will be fragile in the endgame
while in the middlegame White is
better due to his control over the
d4-square.
w g6 with complicated play. -White
Plans and Counterplans:
White has an obvious target: the
e6-pawn, or at least planting a
knight on the square e5. Black
plays a 'contra-game' : he awaits a
tactical opportunity to assault
White's king position - often with
an exchange sacrifice on f3 - or to
attack the pawn on d4. Here are
some examples:
a) 12 .t4 (the exchange of the
bishops brings White closer to the
seizure of the e5 square, but tac
tics crop up . . . ) 12 . . . .i.xf4 13 4
e4! 14 e2 ( 14 h5 g6 15 g3
xg3 16 hxg3 "ii'b6 17 'iVa4 a6!
Black cannot allow .tb5 and .i.xc6
as this would immediately create
a good knight vs. bad bishop game
- 18 l:tab1 .i.d7 19 .i.e2 5! = or
14 g3 "ii'6 ! 15 h4 h6 16 he4 - 16
h5? g5! - 16 ... dxe4 1 7 e5 l:td8)
14 .. . l:txf3! 15 gxf3 g5 16 f4 (16
h1 e5! 17 dxe5 xf3 18 .i.xh7+
<t>h8 19 g1 cd4! 20 3 .i.g4!
and White has to sacrifice the
queen: 2 1 xd4! .i.xd1 22 l:taxd1
<t>xh7 = ) 16 . . . h3 + 17 'iPh1 "ii'h4
and Black can start hunting the
weak white pawns.
b) 12 .i.g5 "ii'c7 13 .i.h4 h5!?
(to stop 14 .i.g3) 14 c3 a6 15 l:tc1
can play the solid 16 .i.e2, planning
4. when Black has 16 ... "ii'g7 and
. . . h7-h6 and . . . g6-g5 (although
this plan abandons the queenside,
especially the b6-square) or can
develop via 16 ... .tf4 17 l:tb1 .i.d7!?
Black needs to be ready at any
moment to counterbalance his
 French Defence
positional weaknesses (the pawn
on e6 and passive light-squared
bishop) by tactical means.
Jv. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 l003 (Clas
sical Main Line)
B dxe5 .txe5 16 xe5 'ii'xe5 17 b3!?
3 c3 is the most aggressive
move, and is therefore the favour
ite line of attacking players. Black
cannot play an immediate 3 ... c5?
in view of 4 exd5! exd5 5 dxc5 d4 6
.tb5 + ! 6 7 .txc6+ bxc6 8 ce2
.txc5 9 .tb4+ 10 .td2 .txd2+
1 1 'ii'xd2 c5 12 0-0-0 f6 13 'ii'g5!
and the double attack (c5, g7) re
futes Black's premature sortie.
This leaves Black with:
A. 3 f6 and
...
B. 3 .tb4 (Winawer)
..
Both moves are designed to
force White to play e4-e5 in order to
make the central break . . . c7-c5
possible. Besides these two main
variations Black can also consider
the interesting alternative move
3 ... 6, which is also known from
113
the Nimzowitsch Defence ( 1 e4
c6 2 d4 d5 3 M e6). Play might
continue: 4 f3!? f6 5 e5! (how
much better this is now, compared
to the previous move, pushing
with a tempo!) 5 . . . 6 .td3 .tb4
7 .td2 d2 8 'ii'xd2 f6 9 a3 .te7
10 exf6 .txf6 11 .tb5! 0-0 12 .txc6
bxc6 13 a4! 'ii'd6 14 0-0 e5 15
and besides his markedly better
pawn formation White will also
establish a knight on c5 (;!;). In
stead of5 . . . e4, 5 . . .d7 6 .tb5!?
leaves Black with trouble finding
counterplay, while the humble
3 . . . .te7 4 e5!? shuts in the knight
on g8. Later White will have three
plans to choose from: the sharp
'ii'g4, f3 and h2-h4-h5; the stra
tegic f2-f4 followed by f3 or g2-
g4 and f4-f5; and finally the most
reliable f3, .te2 (occasionally
.tb5 + ), 0-0.
A. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 c3 f6
Here White achieves nothing af
ter 4 .td3 c5 5 c6!?, so his
real alternativ-es are:
A1. 4 e5 and
A2. 4 .tg5.
A 1 . 1 e4 e& 2 d4 d5 3 c3 f& 4
e5
4 d7
On 4 . . . . besides 5 e4 dxe4
6 .te3, 5 ce2 (threatening 6 f3!)
5 ... 6 6 4 is strong, and ifBlack
1 14 Basic Chess Openings
hinders the threat of 'it'h5+ and
g6 then the simple reply 7 .tda
secures White's advantage ().
5 f4
Mter 5 fa c5 6 dxc5 c6 7
.tf4 .txc5 8 .tda f6 Black is level,
but his task becomes more diffi
cult after 5 ce2!? c5 6 ca c6 7
f4. The line 7 ...'it'b6 8 f3 f6!? has
proved most successful, and after
9 aa .te7 10 b4! cxd4 1 1 cxd4 0-0
12 l:r.b1 (12 'ifda 'ifc7 ! and the
threat is 1a ... b6 while on 1a 'it'c2
b5! is deadly!) 12 . . . a5! 1a b5 a4!
with equality.
5 c5 6 lDf3
9 ... cxd4 10 b4! (10 xd4? d4 1 1
A brand new idea is 6 . . .'ifb6!? 7
.tea a6 (now the pawn on b2 is
hanging as after the capture White
no longer has ca-b5) 8 a4 'ifc6
9 xc5 xc5 10 dxc5 .txc5 1 1
'ii'd2 .t d7 1 2 0-0-0 .txea 1 a 'it'xea
'ifa4! 14 b1 c6 15 .tda 0-0-0 16
ca d4! 17 d4 (or 17 cxd4 b4
18 aa xda and . . . .tc6 with good
counterplay) 17 . . . xd4 18 'it'xd4
1flxd4 19 cxd4 .tc6 and Black has
equalized. This plan of 6 . . . 'ii'b 6!?
and 7 ... a6 allows queenside cas
tling by White only if he first cap
tures on c5, and this concession
reduces Black's problems.
7 .tea 'ii'b 6!?
On 7 . . . cxd4 8 d4 .tc5 9 'ifd2
d4 10 .txd4 .txd4 11 'it'xd4 'ii'b6
12 b5 (12 0-0-0!?) 12 . . .'ifxd4 1a
d4 White has achieved his stra
tegic goal. By blocking the d5-
square he dooms the black army,
and especially the bishop on c8, to
passivity, while White can also
expand on the kingside and after
0-0-0, bl, :Cl open up the queen
side with c2-c4 at the right mo
ment. The rook on h1 can be
mobilized via the unusual solu
tion h2-h4, l:r.ha-ca (da).
8 l004
8 a3 protects the pawn on b2
due to the trick a4 but Black
can equalize with 8 . . . cxd4 9 d4
.tc5 10 &4 'ii'a5 + 1 1 ca .txd4 12
.txd4 d4 1a 'l'xd4 b8! ! and
...c6.
8 'ii'a5 + 9 ca c4!?
Black can sacrifice a piece with
'l'xd4 b5 - + ) 1 0 . . .xb4!? 1 1 cxb4
.txb4+ 12 .td2 .txd2 + 1a d2
g5! 14 :b1 ! gxf4 15 .tb5! f8! 16
'ife2 da 17 'iff2! xe5 18 'ifxf4
g6 19 'ii'f6, but it seems that
White's extra material will tell in
the end. Positional players should
take a close look at 9 . . . c4!? or
9 . . .b6!? (with the idea of continu
ing 10 . . . .ta6) when the c5-square
has been strengthened and Black
can get rid of the bishop on c8.
10 b4
The threat was 10... b5.
lO 'ii'c 7 1 1 .te2 .te7 12 0-0
(D)
Plans and Counterpla.ns:
White can opt for f4-f5 and f3-
g5 on the kingside or a4-c5 and
a2-a4-a5 on the queenside. How
ever, Black can scupper White's
kingside dreams with 12 ... f5!? M
ter 1a exf6 xf6 Black's plan is
... 0-0 and . . . .td7-e8-g6, and on 1a
 French Defence
B on 1 1 . . . tbc6 12 'ft'f4! d7 13 tbf3
lbc5, 13 . . .lbf8 followed by ...b7-b6
hounding the knight. Finally, on
13 tbg5 tbf8 14 g4 h6 15 tbh3 b6!?
Black awaits 16 gxf5?! exf5 so
that he can play ...e6 and ... 0-0-0,
and daydream about ... g7-g5.
A2. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 tbc3 tbf& 4
g5
4 ...e7
4. . . dxe4 leads to almost equal
chances: 5 tbxe4 e7 6 xffl hffl
(6 . . .gxf6 7 tbf3 b6 8 c4 b7 9
'ft'e2 and 0-0-0 is better for White)
7 tbf3 0-0 8 c3 (8 'ft'd2 e7 9 0-0-0
b6 followed by . . . b7, . . .tbd7-f0
stops the attack d3 and h2- h4)
8 ... tbd7 9 'ft'c2 e5!. An exciting, al
though slightly inferior, alterna
tive is 4 . . . b4 5 e5 h6 6 d2 ! (6
h4 g5 7 g3 tbe4 8 tbe2 c5 with
lively play for Black or 6 exffl hxg5
7 fxg7 l:g8 8 h4 gxh4 9 'it'h5 'ft'to
= ) 6 . . . xc3 7 bxc3! tbe4 8 'it'g4 g6
(8 . . . <it>f8 9 h4 and l:h3, l:g3 ) 9
d3 tbxd2 10 <it>xd2 c5 1 1 h4! and
now after ll ...'ft'a5 12 tbf3 lbc6 13
'ft'f4 b6 14 :thbl a6 15 a4 the
1 15
white king is unapproachable and
White has a strong initiative, or
'ft'e7 14 h5 g5 15 'ft'fO! 'it'xfO 16
exffl c4 17 fl 0-0-0 18 :tel and
19 tbe5 White is on top due to his
spatial advantage in the endgame.
It is surprising how the invincible
king in the middle flrst helps out
with the defence of the c3-pawn
and is later well placed in the cen
tre for the endgame!
5 e5
5 xffl? xffl 6 e5 e7 followed
by . . . 0-0, ... c7-c5 and . . . tbc6 is bet
ter for Black.
5 tbfd7
After 5 . . . tbe4?! 6 xe7 'ft'xe7 7
tbxe4 dxe4 8 'ft'e2 and 0-0-0 the
pawn on e4 is in trouble.
6 xe7
6 h4!? xg5 7 hxg5 'it'xg5 is an
amazing pawn sacrifice, but it
works: 8 tbh3! 'ft'e7 (8 . . . 'it'h6? 9 g3
a6 10 f4! and 'ft'f3, 0-0-0 with a
huge plus) 9 tb4 tbc6 10 'it'g4 g6
1 1 0-0-0 h5!? (otherwise White
has 12 l:h6!) 12 'Clff3 lbb6 13 g4 h4
14 tbh3 and White regains the
pawn with g4-g5, 'ft'f4 and tbgl-f3.
6 'ft'xe7 7 f4 0-0 8 tbf3 c5 9
'ft'd2
Or 9 dxc5!? tbc6 10 d3 to!? 1 1
exffl 'ft'xf0 1 2 g3 tbc5 1 3 0-0 d7
14 'ft'd2 tbxd3 15 cxd3 e5!? co.
9 tbc6 10 dxc5
If White does not capture then
after . . . tbb6, and . . . d7 Black can
take on d4 and obtain counter
play with ... l:fc8.
10 'ft'xc5 11 0-0-0
1 16 Basic Chess Openings
B f5?! 7 ..tf4!? (7 f3 !?) 7 . . . tl:lf6 8 'i'd2
Plans and Counterplans:
Black has an attack on the queen
side with . . . l:tb8 and . . .b7-b5 or
. . . tl:lb6, ... ..td7, . . . :feB and . . . tl:la5.
White can try ..td3, threatening a
mating attack with .ixh7, tl:lg5,
'i'd3-h3, or he can first weaken
the black king position with h2-
h4-h5-h6 and opt for an endgame
with 'i'd4 when time is ripe (for
example after ... tLlc6-a5).
B. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 tl:lc3 .ib 4
4 e5
Again a typical French pawn
centre has taken shape. It is good
general advice for White that he
should not play 'i'g4 as long as
Black can answer it with the pawn
sacrifice . . . tl:l6! For example, 4
'i'g4 tl:l6 ! 5 'i'xg7 l:tg8 6 'i'h6 l:tg6
7 'i'e3?! (7 'i'h4!?) 7 ... c5! and the
white centre goes up in flames or
4 a3 ..txc3 + 5 bxc3 dxe4 6 'i'g4
tl:l6! 7 'i'xg7 l:tg8 8 'i'h6 l:tg6 9
'i'e3 tl:lc6!? 10 .ib2 tl:le7 1 1 c4 b6
and ... ..tb7, ...tl:lf5 and again Black
is ahead in development (=F). But 4
tl:lge2!? should not be underesti
mated: 4 ...dxe4 5 a3! ..txc3 6 tl:lxc3
0-0 9 0-0-0 followed by ..tc4 and
f2-f3 and White is on top due to
his control over the dark squares.
Black should preserve his dark
squared bishop and instead of
5 . . . .ixc3 + play 5 . . . ..te7 6 tl:lxe4
tl:l6 = . After, for example, 7 'i'd3!?
tl:lc6 8 ..tf4 0-0 9 0-0-0 e5! 10 dxe5
'i'xd3 followed by . . . tl:lh5, or 10
..txe5 tl:lxe5 11 dxe5 'i'xd3 and
. . . tl:lg4, he can obtain active coun
terplay.
4 c5
4 . . . b6 is also seen occasionally:
5 a3 ..txc3 + 6 bxc3 'i'd7!? 7 'i'g4
f5 8 'i'g3 ..ta6 9 ..txa6 tl:lxa6 10
tl:le2 ri;f7 11 a4 c5 12 'i'd3 'i'c8 13
.ia3 and after 0-0 White is ready to
shred Black's queenside with c3-
c4! , l:tfb1 and a4-a5, and this can
not be hindered with . . . c5-c4 as
then the bishop on a3 would mul
tiply in strength. 4 . . . tl:le7 5 a3
..txc3 + 6 bxc3 c5 is only a differ
ent move-order to 4 . . . c5, leading
to the same position.
5 a3!
To avoid trouble on d4 White
'induces' Black to swap minor
pieces so that after he captures
support will be provided by the
pawn on c3. Other possibilities are:
a) 5 'i'g4 tl:le7 6 'i'xg7 l:tg8 7
'i'h6 cxd4 8 a3 ..txc3 + (if on the
seventh move White had played 7
'i'xh7? then now 8 . . . 'i'a5! 9 axb4
'i'xa1 would be winning as the
bishop on c1 is hanging. But with
 French Defence 117

the queen on h6 this line fails to
10 l0b5!) 9 bxc3 'ilc7 10 l0e2 dxc3
11 f4 .td7, followed by ...l0bc6 and
... 0-0-0 with advantage to Black.
b) 5 .td2 l0e7! (5 ...cxd4? 6 l0b5!
and the target is the d6-square) 6
l0b5 .txd2 + 7 'ilxd2 0-0 8 dxc5
t0d7 9 'ifc3 a6 10 t0d6 'ifc7 and
after 8 'ilg3! cxd4 9 cxd4 l0e7 10
.td2 0-0 11 .td3 b6 12 l0e2 .taG
13 l0f4 ! 'ild7 14 .tb4 White is on
top.
w

Black equalizes since the pawn on

c5 cannot be maintained with 1 1
M due t o 11 ...b6.
5 .txc3+

Although the pawn on d4 will

be more difficult to attack after
this move, Black is able to destroy
his opponent's queenside pawn
formation. Other tries are: 5 ... cxd4
6 axM dxc3 7 l0f3! 'ilc7 (7 ... cxb2 8 In this position White's main
.txb2 l0e7 9 .td3 0-0 10 .txh7 + ! lines are:
xh 7 1 1 l0g5 + g8 1 2 'ifh5 :le8
13 'ifxf7+ h8 14 fla3! followed Bl. 7 'ifg4
by :lh3 mate. This slightly naive B2. 7 l0f3 and
line nicely demonstrates White's B3. 7 a4.
possibilities) 8 'ifd4!? l0e7 9 .td3
l0d7 10 0-0 cxb2 1 1 .txb2 l0b6 12 It is a feature of all three lines
b5! and .ta3 with a tremendous that although White's pieces are
advantage. But 5 . . . .ta5!? must be more active, Black can counter
taken seriously: 6 dxc5? hc3 + 7 balance White's play with pres
bxc3 l0e7 followed by ...tbd7, ...'ila5 sure on the centre. It is important
is nearly losing for White, but 6 that he does not open the position
b4! cxd4 (6 . . . cxb4? 7 l0b5 !) 7 'iVg4 prematurely with . . . c5xd4 as then
(7 l0b5 .tc7 = ) 7 . . . t0e7 8 bxa5 the white bishops - especially the
dxc3 9 'ifxg7 :lg8 10 'ifxh7 lObeS . one on c 1 ! - gain scope, but nei
1 1 l0f3 'ifc7 12 .tf4 .td7 followed ther should Black close down the
by . . . 0-0-0 with a completely un game too early with . . . c5-c4, be
clear position. cause this would make it difficult
6 bxc3 l0e7 to obtain counterplay. So Black
6 . . . 'ila5 is premature due to 7 should maintain the central ten
.i.d2, but 6...'ifc7 is interestingwith sion around the pawn on d4 and
the idea of 7 'iVg4 f5, horizontally open or close the position accord
defending the pawn on g7. Still, ing to White's plan.
118 Basic Chess Openings
8 1 . 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 llc3 .i.b4 4
e5 c5 5 a3 i.xc3 + 6 bxc3 lbe 7 7
7 :c71?
This is sharper than 7 . . . 0-0 8
.id3 !? lbbc6!? (8 . . . c4? 9 .ih6 llg6
10 .ixg6 fxg6 - or 10 ...hxg6 11 .ig5
and h2-h4-h5 - 1 1 .ie3 and h2-h4-
h5, with a forceful attack on the
black king, or 8 ... 5 9 ex6 l:tx6 10
.ig5 l:tf7 11 'i'h4 h6 12 .ixe7 :Xe7
13 'i'g3 'i'a5 14 lle2 c4 15 .ig6 fol
lowed by f2-f4 and 0-0, also with
an initiative for White) 9 'i'h5!
llg6 (not 9 ... h6? 10 .ixh6! gxh6 11
'i'xh6 lbr5 12 .ixf5 exf5 13 0-0-0!
c4 14 llh3 and besides llg5 White
is threatening to launch a mating
attack by l:th1-e1-e3-g3) 10 llf3
'i'c7 11 .ie3!? (ll lbg5 h6 12 llxf7
'i'xf7 13 'i'xg6 'i'xg6 = and the
pawn will be regained on d4) 11 ...c4
1 2 .ixg6 fxg6 13 'i'g4 'i'f7!? 14
h4 'i'f5 15 'i'xf5 l:txf5 16 e2, fol
lowed by g2-g4, l:tag1, lle1 and f2-
f4, when Black is struggling to
keep his game alive.
8 'i'xg7
8 .id3 cxd4 (or 8 . . . c4 9 .ie2 0-0
and .. .f7-f6 ) 9 lbe2 dxc3 10 'i'xg7
oo
l:tg8 1 1 'i'xh7 'i'xe5 12 .if4 'i'f6 is
unclear.
8 l:tg8 9 'i'xh7 cxd4 10 lle2
lbbc6
Certainly not 10 ...'i'xe5 11 cxd4
nor 10 ... dxc3 11 f4.
11 f4 .id7 12 'i'd3
12 cxd4?? lbxd4 and 13 llxd4??
'i'xc3 + - + .
12 dxc3
w
Plans and Counterplans:
What a crazy position! Black has
given up his kingside in order to
shatter White's centre. Black in
tends . . . llf5, . . . 0-0-0 and . . . d5-d4
with a powerful centre. White
should play 13 lbxc3!? a6 (14 llb5
had to be stopped) and now 14
.id2 l:tc8 15 h4 llf5 16 l:th3 or 14
l:tb1 !? llf5 (14 . . . 0-0-0? 15 'i'xa6! !
+-) 1 5 g4!? lbxe5 ! ( 1 5 . . . l:txg4 16
.ih3 followed by .ixf5 and llxd5
+-) 16 fxe5 'i'xe5 + 1 7 lle2 :Xg4
with complete chaos.
82. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 llc3 i.b4 4
e5 c5 5 a3 .i.xc3 + 6 bxc3 lle7 7
llf3
White chooses not to disturb the
black kingside with 7 'i'g4. In
stead he develops and strength
ens his centre.
7 .td71?
Sooner or later this move will
be necessary, so this is the right
moment, leaving open the options
for the queen (it can go to a5 or
c7). Alternatively, 7 ... 'i'c7 8 a4!?
 French Defence
b6 9 J..b 5+ .td7 10 .td3 (the point
of the preliminary check is that
now Black will be unable to play
... J..a6) 10 ...tbbc6 1 1 0-0 h6 12 lle1
0-0 13 J.. a3 or 7 . . .b6 8 a4!? J..a6 9
J..xa6 tbxa6 10 0-0, and Black's a6
knight is misplaced while White is
planning tbg5, 'it'h5.
8 d:x:e5
8 J..d 3 c4 9 J.. fl (after g2-g3 the
bishop will appear on h3) 9 ... 'it'a5
10 J.. d 2 lbbc6 followed by . . . 0-0-0
and ... f7-f5 = .
8 'it'e7 9 J..d3 J.. a4!
now far away from the a3-f8 di
Vacating the d7-square for the
knight.
10 llbl tbd7 1 1 0-0 lbxc5
On 1 1. . .0-0?? again the typi
cally French sacrifice decides the
issue: 12 J.. xh7+ xh7 13 tbg5 +
g8 14 'it'h5.
12 llb4 lbxd3 13 'it'xd3 J..d7 = 12 dxc5 0-0 13 J..e2 tbxe5 the white
w on 10 ... c4 11 0-0 f6 White now has
The position is level. For exam
ple 14 lle1 :CS (not 14 ...0-0?? when
15 tbg5! g6 16 'iVh3 h5 1 7 g4!?
crushes the black kingside) 15 J..d2
a6!? 16 a4 b5! 1 7 tbd4 bxa4 18
'it'xa6 llb8 =.
119
83. 1 e4 e& 2 d4 d5 3 tbc3 .tb4 4
e5 c5 5 a3 .txc3+ 6 bxc3 tbe7 7
a417
This makes .ta3 possible and con
trols the b5-square, where it will
often protect the light-squared
bishop. Sometimes this pawn will
even make further progress to a5
and even a6.
7 ... be& 8 tbf3 'it'a5!? 9 J.. d2
This is the move that Black
wanted to provoke. The bishop is
agonal. 9 'it'd2 is no better owing
to 9 . . . .td7 10 J..a3 cxd4 1 1 cxd4
'it'xd2 + 12 xd2 tb5 13 c3 tba5
14 lla2 f6 = .
9 ...J.. d7
Trying to lure White into 10
c4?! as after 10 ... 'it'c7 11 cxd5 exd5
centre has vanished.
10 J..b 5!?
This is better than 10 J.. e 2 as
12 lle1 followed by the regrouping
J..d2-c1-a3!
10...'it'e7
10 . . . 6!? comes into considera-
tion, in order to break up the
white centre immediately, but not
10 . . . 0-0-0? 1 1 0-0 c4 12 J..c 1! 'it'xc3
13 J..d2 'it'b2 14 llb1 'it'a3 15 lle1
tbf5 16 .txc6 .txc6 17 .tb4 'it'xa4
18 'it'd2, when besides lla1, White
is also threatening J..c5 and then
lla1 and llebl.
11 0-0 0-0 12 .tel b6 13 .ta3
tba5 14 dxc5 .txb5! 15 exb6
axb6 16 axb5
120 Basic Chess Openings

attack on the weak white pawns,

B task is to step out of the diagonal
Plans and Counterplans:
Black has compensation for the
sacrificed pawn in the form of an
but his first and most important
of the bishop on a3 with his pieces.
So he should continue 16 . . Jifc8
17 .tb4 (after 17 .td6 'ifd7 the c3-
pawn is hanging and there is the
threat of a double attack on d5
and b5 with 18 ...ilf5) 17 . . .llc4 18
l:lxa8 J:xa8 19 l::t e 1 iJg6 20 .td6!
(returning the pawn; after 20 'ife2
'ifd7 the weak b5-pawn falls prey)
20 . . . ilxd6 (or 20 . . .'ifd7!?) 2 1 exd6
'ifxd6 22 c4 and a roughly even
endgame has arisen.
Sicilian Defence
1 e4 c5
w I. 2 c3 Variation
The Sicilian Defence is Black's
most popular response to 1 e4,
and one of the most important of
all chess openings. The position
becomes unbalanced right from
the first move and often the play
ers will castle on opposite wings.
Both sides have their concrete
plans and targets, but in 'Sicilian
Wars' it is not the weapons that
decide the battle but the ingenu
ity of the commanders-in-chief.
The Sicilian is favoured on either
side by those who prefer to play
for victory from the very first
moves.
White normally opens the posi
tion with 2 lilf3 followed by 3 d4
(the Open Variation), in order to
achieve a slight spatial plus and
freer placement ofhis minor pieces.
But let us first take a look at the
alternatives.
White's two favourite ways of
sidestepping the Open Variation
are:
n. Closed Variation
In the Open Variation White has
to be very well prepared to face
several different lines, whereas in
these two systems he can dis
pense with a large amount of
study! Of course this choice will
depend on individual preference.
Here is a potpourri of other lines:
a) 2 .i.c4 e6 3 'ii'e2 ltlc6 4 c3
.i.e7 and . . . . d7-d5 = .
b ) 2 c4 ltlc6 3 ltlc3 g6 and
Black opts for a setup which is
frequently seen in the Closed
Variation: . . . .i.g7, . . . e7-e6, . . . ltlge7
and . . . d7-d6 or . . . d7-d5 if possible.
c) 2 d3 ltlc6 3 ltld2 and now
either a King's Indian Attack setup
(see the French Defence) with
. . . e7-e6, . . . d7-d5, . . . .i.d6, . . . ltlge7 or
again a Closed Variation type of
setup: . . . g7-g6, . . . .i.g7, . . . e7-e6(e5)
and . . . . ltlge7.
d) 2 g3 d5!? 3 exd5 'ii'xd5 4
lLl3 .i.g4 5 .i.g2 'ii'e 6+ ! 6 fl ltlc6
7 h3 .i.h5 S lLlca ll:l6 9 d3 'ii'd7 fol
lowed by . . . e7-e6, . . . .t.e7 (.i.d6)
with equality.
e) 2 b3 d6 3 .i.b2 ltlf6 4 .i.b5 +
.i.d7 5 .i.xd7+ 'ii'xd7 6 .i.x6 gxf6 7
'ii'h 5 (delaying . . . f6-f5) 7 . . . &6 8
122 Basic Chess Openings
ltlc3 f5 ! 9 1i'xf5 1i'xf5 10 exf5 ltld4
is level.
f) 2 f4 d5!? (again . . . ltlc6, ... g7-
g6, . . . g7, . . . e7-e6 and . . .ltlge7 is
playable) 3 exd5 (3 e5? ltlc6 4 ltlf3
g4 ) 3 ...1i'xd5 4 ltlc3 1i'd8 5 ltlf3
ltlf6 6 ltle5 e6 7 b5 + !? ltlfd7!
(Black chooses this knight since it
will later capture e5, when the
other knight can come to c6), with
. . . a7-a6 to follow.
g) 2 b4!? (the Sicilian Wing
Gambit) 2 . . . cxb4 3 a3 (3 d4 d5 4
e5 ltlc6 and Black will develop via
. . . 1i'b6, ... f5 and . . . e7-e6) 3 . . .d5!
4 exd5 'i'xd5 (threatening 5 ... 'i'e5+
and a rook is attacked) 5 b2 e5 6
axb4 xb4 and . . . ltlc6, . . . ltlf6 and
... 0-0, when Black is better.
h) 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3!? (the Smith
Morra Gambit) 3 . . .dxc3 (3 . . .ltlf6
leads to the 2 c3 Sicilian) 4 ltlxc3
ltlc6 (also interesting is 4 . . . e6 5
tbf3 a6 6 c4 d6 7 0-0 b5!? 8 b3
l:ta7! and then . . . l:td7 and . . . b7,
. . . ltlc6, neutralizing the d-file) 5
ltlf3 d6 6 c4 e6 7 0-0 ltlf6 8 'i'e2
e7 9 l:tdl ! (the basic concept for
White is the threat of e4-e5) 9 ... e5
10 h3 0-0 1 1 e3. Black's moves
are . . . a7-a6, . . . e6 while White
usually opts for :tel and b2-b4!?
with roughly equal chances.
I. 1 e5 c5 2 c3
This move, which was once not
rated very highly by chess theory,
has become very fashionable, as
White obtains an easily manage
able middlegame.
2 d5
Black has to do something to
counter d2-d4, otherwise he has
no compen sation for White's cen
tral plus: 2 . . . d6?! 3 d4 ltlf6 4 d3
cxd4 5 cxd4 g6 6 ltlca g7 7 h3! 0-0
8 ltlf3 e5 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 0-0 ltlc6
11 e3 e6 12 b5! and White's
initial central advantage is trans
formed into a positional discrep
ancy between the dark-squared
bishops. Black can instead coun
teract d2-d4 by attacking the e4-
pawn with 2 ... ltlf6!? 3 e5 tbd5 4 d4
cxd4 5 ltlf3 ltlc6 and now White
has a choice of the unclear lines: 6
cxd4 d6 7 c4 ltlb6 8 b5 dxe5 9
tbxe5 d7 10 hc6 xc6 11 tbxc6
bxc6 12 0-0 g6! 13 :tel g7 14
g5 tbc8!? (14... ltld5? 15 ltlc3!) 15
'i'a4 0-0 16 1i'xc6 l:tb8 or 6 c4!?
ltlb6 7 b3 d6 (7 ... dxc3? 8 ltlxc3
d6 9 exd6 1i'xd6 10 0-0! 1i'xdl 1 1
l:txdl a6 1 2 e3! and tbd5 wins!) 8
exd6 'i'xd6 9 0-0 e6!? 10 xe6
1i'xe6 11 tbxd4 tbxd4 12 'i'xd4 l:td8
13 1i'h4 1i'e2 (threatening 14 ... l:tdl)
14 tbd2. Black can also strongly
consider 2 ... e6!? and after 3 d4 d5
4 exd5 (4 e5 transposes to the Ad
vance Variation of the French)
4 ... exd5!? 5 ltlf3 tbc6 6 e2 d6 7
dxc5 xc5 8 0-0 ltlge7 9 ltlbd2 0-0
10 ltlb3 b6 11 ltlbd4 ltlf5!? Black
destroys the knight's outpost on
d4 and equalizes.
3 exd5 1i'xd5 4 d4 ltlf6 5 ltlf3
ltlc6!?
A practical move-order. Mter
5 ... e6 Black has to consider 6 d3
as well as 6 ltla3, but now 6 d3
 S icilian Defence
.ig4! and 6 a3 .ig4! 7 b5 0-0-0!
are better for Black.
6 .ie2 cxd4
This is the fll"st point at which
c3-c4 has become a threat as the
black queen has no check on e4.
7 cxd4 e6
Black must thwart the expan
sion c3 and d4-d5.
8 c3 1i'd6!?
Even more precise than 8 ... 1i'd8,
because after ... .te7 and ... 0-0 the
rook on f8 can use the d8 square.
9 0-0 i.. e 7
w lowed by . . . f6 and . . . c6 with a
Plans and Counterplans:
On White's .ie3, 1i'd2, l:[d1, :ac1
Black answers . . . 0-0 and . . . :d8
and then places his bishop either
on b7 (after ...b 7-b6), or on d7-e8
to make room for his rook on c8.
After 10 b5 1i'd8 11 .if4 5 12
.ig3 Black can choose between
12 . . . 0-0 13 i..c4 a6 14 i..xd5 axb5
15 i..e4 :a5!? and 12 ... a6 13 c3
0-0!? (13 ... c3 14 bxc3 b5 15 a4!
b4 16 c4 and d4-d5 is a powerful
threat) and Black can construct a
plan based on . . . c3 . ... b7-b6 and
12 3
... i..b 7 or ... 1i'b6, . . . :d8, . . . i..d7-e8
and ...:ac8. Meanwhile White can
consider :c1, 4, a2-a3 and b2-
b4 or 1i'd2, l:[fd1, e4 and e5.
ll. 1 e4 c5 2 c3 (Closed
Variation)
2 c6
Black should not forget that
White can still transpose to an
Open Sicilian with 3 f3 and 4 d4,
so he should make a second move
that would fit with his repertoire
in an open game. For Paulsen play
ers, 2 . . . e6 is an alternative: 3 g3
d5 4 i.. g2 dxe4! 5 xe4 i.. e 7 fol
pleasant game for Black.
3 g3
3 f4 g6 4 f3 .tg7 5 i..c4 e6 6
f5!? ge7! 7 fxe6 fxe6 8 d3 d5! 9,
.ib3 b5! leads to an exciting posi
tion in which the b5 pawn is pro
tected by ...1i'a5 + and ...d5-d4.
3 . . g6 4 .tg2 .ig7 5 d3 d6 6 f4
.
6 .ie3 e5 7 1i'd2 ge7 8 .th6!?
0-0! 9 h4? fails t o 9 ... .txh6 10
'it'xh6 f6!! and after 1 1 h5? g5 12
f4 h8! 13 fxg5 g8! the white
queen falls! Instead of 6 ... e5 Black
often plays 6 . . . :b8 followed by
...b5-b4.
6 e6
Also possible is first 6 .. . :b8
and then . . .b7-b5-b4, . . . e7-e6, and
. . .ge7 while White goes 3, 0-0
with a kingside attack: h2-h3, g2-
g4 and f4-f5 or h4 and f4-f5.
Since this kingside advance is ex
actly White's plan Black should
124 Basic Chess Openings
not place his knight on f6 (so that
it does not get attacked) and he
can block the white pawns with
. . . f7-f5. Similar play results after
6 . . . e5 followed by . . . ge7, . . . 0-0
and ... d4.
7 lbf3 ge7 8 0-0 0-0
w I. Paulsen Variation: 2 ... e6.
Plans and Counterplans:
On White's 9 g4 Black plays 9 . . . f5
and 10 gxf5 exf5 = . More dynamic
play results from 9 .i. e3 , threat
ening d3-d4 and, by attacking the
pawn on c5, also enabling e4-e5.
Black can answer 9 . . . b6 when 10
d4 .i.a6! 11 l:U2 a5 leads to a
double-edged game, but the most
frequent reply to 9 .i.e3 is 9 . . .d4!
which again grants good chances.
For example: 10 llb1 (alternatively:
10 e2? e2 + and the pawn on
b2 is hanging; 10 e5 f5 1 1 .i.f2
ltlxfa + 12 'fi'xf3 4 13 1i'd1 dxe5
14 fxe5 .i.xe5 15 e4 f5 16 c5
'ifd6 = ; or 10 .i.f2!? + 11 .i.xf3
6 12 .i.g2 llb8 followed by . . .b7-
b6 and ... .i.b7 = ) 10 ...d5!? 1 1 2
f3 + 12 .i.xf3 d4 13 .i.f2 e5! 14
fxe5 c6!, followed by . . . xe5,
and the black pieces obtain active
play.
Open Variation
l e4 c5 2 lM3
White is now ready to open the
centre with 3 d4. Black has the
following options:
II. Scheveningen Variation:
2 ... d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 d4 6 5 c3
e6.
m. Najdorf Variation: 2 ... d6 3
d4 cxd4 4 d4 6 5 c3 a6.
Iv. Four Knights Variation:
2 ... d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 d4 6 5 3
c6.
V. Sveshnikov Variation:
2 . . .c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 xd4 6 5
e5.
VI. Dragon Variation and other
systems involving . . . g7-g6 and
....i.g7.
These lines encompass all the
regular setups starting with 2 ... e6,
2 ... d6, 2 ... c6 and 2 . . .g6. 2 ... d5? is
bad in view of 3 exd5 'fi'xd5 4 c3
and d2-d4, but three minor lines
are worth mentioning:
a) 2 b6 3 d4 cxd4 4 d4
.i.b7 5 c3 a6 6 .i.c4 e6 7 'fi'e2 d6 8
.i.e3 followed by 0-0-0, f2-f3 and
g2-g4 with a great attack for
White,
b) 2 a6!? 3 c3 ! (after 3 d4
cxd4 4 xd4 6 5 c3 Black's
plan proves effective: 5 . . . e5! and
now White cannot jump to b5 to
 S icilian Defence
threaten to go on to d6. 6 ltlf3
.tM! 7 ltlxe5? 0-0 8 .id3 d5! is bet
ter for Black!) 3 . . . d5 4 exd5 'ifxd5
5 d4 e6 6 .ie2 ltlf6 7 0-0 ltlc6 8
.ie3! cxd4 9 cxd4 .te7 10 ltlc3 'ifd8
(10...1i'd6!? is also possible) ll ltle5!
ltlM ( l l ... ltlxe5 12 dxe5 ltld7 13 f4
and ltle4, l:tc1 ) 12 .tf3 0-0 13 'iVb3
ltlbd5 14 .ig5 . Black cannot de
velop his queenside.
c) 2 ltlf6!? 3 e5 ltld5 4 ltlc3!?
a6 10 ltl5c3 'ifd4!
e6 ( 4 ... ltlxc3 5 dxc3 followed by
.t4, 1i'd2, 0-0-0 ;I;) 5 ltlxd5 exd5 6
d4 ltlc6 7 c3!? (after 7 dxc5 .ixc5 8
'ifxd5 d6! 9 exd6 'ifb6 Black has
promising play: . . . .txf2 + , . . . .te6
and ... 0-0) 7 ...d6 8 .tb5! .te7 9 exd6
1i'xd6 10 o-o o-o 1 1 dxc5 1i'xc5 12
1i'a4! a6 13 .td3 1i'b6 14 l:te1 .tf6
15 ltlg5! and White has a strong
attack, for example 15 . . . h6? 16
ltlh7!, 15 ....ixg5 16 hg5 'ifxb2 17
'ifh4! or 15 ... g6 16 'ifh4 h5 17 'ifg3.
The various main lines can be
reached with several different
move-orders by Black. For exam
ple the basic position of section IV
can arise through 2 ...d6 3 d4 cxd4
4 ltld4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 ltlc6 or 2 ...ltlc6 3
d4 cxd4 4 ltlxd4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 d6.
Black has to decide which side
lines he will allow his opponent.
On the subject of sidelines, af
ter 2 ltlf3 White can still change
his mind and keep the position
closed. For instance on 2 . . . ltlc6 or
2 ... d6 he has the option of playing
3 .tb5( + ) . These sub-variations
will be discussed in the main sec
tions, the above-mentioned ones
in sections II and V.
125
I. Paulsen Variation
1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 e6 3 d4
An interesting position arises
after 3 c3 d5 4 e5 (for 4 exd5 see
the 2 c3 Sicilian) 4 . . . d4!? (4 . . . ltlc6
5 d4 transposes to the Advance
French) 5 cxd4 cxd4 6 .ib5+ .td7!
7 ltlxd4 .ixb5 8 ltlxb5 ltlc6 9 0-0
3 ...cxd4
In the Sicilian Black always
captures d4 as he would be tied up
after d4-d5 (the knight on b8 and
bishop on c8 respectively!). 3 ... d5?!
is ineffective: 4 exd5 exd5 5 .ib5 +
ltlc6 6 0-0 and White is threaten
ing ltle5, l:te1 + and ltlc3, but even
if Black could survive this he
would still be worse with his inse
cure isolated pawn on d5 after
d4xc5.
4 ltlxd4
B
The flexibility of the Paulsen
lies in the fact that the bishop on
f8 can glide between its own
pawns to reach b4, c5 or even d6!
126 Basic Chess Openings
And of course Black retains the
option of a transposition into the
Scheveningen Variation with
. . . d7-d6 and ... j,.e7. He can choose
the most appropriate deployment,
depending upon White's moves.
In the diagram position Black has
two main continuations:
A. Original Paulsen: 4 . . . a6
B. Modem Paulsen: 4 . . .c6.
Beside the main lines, there are
two independent sidelines:
a) 4 ... ff6 5 c3 (5 e5? 'ifa5 + !
i s worth remembering!) 5 . . .j,.b4?!
6 e5! d5 (6 . . .e4 7 'iVg4! xc3 8
'iVxg7 lU8 9 a3 b5 + - 9 ... j,.a5 10
j,.h6 'iVe7 1 1 b3 +- or 9 . . .'iVa5 10
b3 'iVd5 11 j,.d3! +- - 10 axb4
xd4 1 1 j,.g5! 'iVb6 12 j,.h6 'iVxb4+
13 c3 f5 14 cxb4 g7 15 hg7
l:[g8 16 j,.to . Black is tied up by
the bishop on to) 7 'ifg4!? (7 j,.d2!?
c3 8 bxc3 j,.e7 9 'iVg4 ;!;) 7 ... 0-0!
(the best chance, since after 7 ... g6
8 j,.d2, 7 . . . g5!? 8 b5 ! and 7 . . . <M8
8 a3 j_a5 9 j,.d2 c3 10 bxc3 'ilc7
1 1 'iVg3 Black has problems with
his king) 8 j,.h6 g6 9 j,.xf8 'iVxf8
ro 'ilg3 'ilc5 11 e2 6 12 0-0-0!
xc3 13 xc3 'ilxe5 14 'ilxe5
e5 15 b5 ;!;. White's idea is to
follow up with d4 and f2-f4. Al
though Black has some activity due
to his pawn majority and bishop
pair, this does not fully counter
balance the loss of the exchange
in this queenless position. The
moral of this line is that if the
bishop on f8 comes out too early
then White chases the knight from
to with e4-e5 and sets about at
tacking the abandoned pawn on
g7 with 'iVg4.
b) 4 'iVb6!? (eventually Black
wishes to strike at the pawn on f2
via . . . 'iVb6 and . . . j,.c5) 5 b3!? (5
c3 j_c5 6 a4 'iVa5 + 7 c3 j,.xd4
8 'ilxd4 to = ) 5 . . .c6 6 c3
7 j,.d3 j,.e7 8 0-0 0-0 9 j,.e3 'iVc7 10
f4 d6 and we reach a position re
sembling the Scheveningen Vari
ation in which Black has lost a
tempo with ...'ild8-b6-c7 and White
has achieved d4-b3. This means
that Black cannot reach the c4-
square with . . .c6-a5-c4, although
he can initiate play on the queen
side (. . . a7-a6, . . .b7-b5 and . . .j,.b7)
while White plays on the opposite
flank (g2-g4-g5!?) .
A . 1 .e4 c 5 2 f3 e 6 3 d 4 cxd4 4
xd4 a& (Original Paulsen)
The differences between this move
compared to 4... are that White
cannot play b5 and cannot sim
plify by exchanging on c6, but he
can develop with j_f1-d3. White's
possible replies are:
Al. 5 c4
A2. 5 j,.d3 and
A3. 5 c3.
A 1 . 1 e4 c5 2 f3 e& 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 a6 5 c4
This move, occupying the centre,
is not correct at the moment as
 S icilian Defence
the bishop on f8 bursts from its
home square.
5 lMG 6 c3
After 6 .td3 e&6 7 xc6 dxc6 8
0-0 e5!, followed by ... .tc5, Black
is better as his bishops can move
more freely than White's (i.e. the
bishop on d3!).
6 .tb4! 7 .td3
7 e5 e4 8 'it'g4 xc3 9 a3 (9
'it'xg7? e4+ and .. JUS wins a
piece!) 9 . . . .tf8! 10 bxc3 'it'a5 1 1
'it'g3 d6! and i f White takes twice
on d6 then c3 is hanging. 7 .td2
0-0! (7 ... .txc3? 8 .txc3 e4 9 'it'g4
c3 10 'it'xg7 l:lf8 1 1 bxc3 ) 8 e5
.txc3 9 .txc3 e4 and with ... d7-
d5 (d6), . . .xc3 and . . . c6 Black
is comfortable.
7 c6 8 tilltc6 dxc6
mote. So 14 . . . 'it'c3 + 15 'it'f6
Black has to capture this way
to free his bishop on c8.
9 e5!
9 0-0?! e5! and the c8-bishop
becomes active while its counter
part on d3 is passive.
9 'it'a5!?
strong. Better is 17 c5 .te6 18 h4,
Mter 9 . . . d7 10 f4 c5 1 1 .tc2
'it'xd1 + 12 xd1 Black is worse
due to his bishop on c8.
10 exf6 .b:c3+ 11 bxc3 'it'xc3+
12 .td2 'it'xd3 13 fxg7 l:tg8
Not 13 . . . 'it'e4 + 14 l:tg8 15
.tg5 ! 'it'xc4+ 1 6 g1 'it'd5 17 .tf6
and despite Black's extra pawn
White is winning: Black's pieces
are out of play, the pawn on g7 is
very strong and White can con
tinue with 'it'c2 and l:td1 or h2-h4
and l:th3-d3.
14 .th6
127
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Black plays against the pawn on
g7 and will quickly castle queen
side. White needs to secure his king
and then swap as many heavy
pieces as possible in order to make
it easier for the g7-pawn to pro
(15 ... 'it'xc4 + 16 <t>g1 'it'h4 17 'it'd2
and White is threatening .tg5 and
l:td1) 16 'it'c1 e5, and now after 17
l:tb1? .te6! 18 l:txb7 0-0-0! White
falls into a trap as after, e.g. 19
l:tbl l:td4!? Black's game is very
preparing to offer the exchange of
queens by 'it'g5.
A2. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 e& 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 a& 5 .td3
Developing in the other direction
is momentarily impossible: 5 g3?!
d5! 6 exd5?! 'it'xd5.
5 6
A few other choices:
a) 5 c6 6 xc6! dxc6 (after
6 ... bxc6 7 0-0 d5 8 c4! f6 9 e&3
Black's centre collapses: 9 . . . .te7
128 Basic Chess Openings
10 cxd5 cxd5 1 1 exd5 exd5 - or
1 1 ... d5 12 .te4 - 12 'ira4+ 'ird7
13 lle1 or 9 . . . d4!? 10 e5 1 1
h3!? and f2-f4 ;!;) 7 0-0 e5!? 8 l0d2
d6 (8 . . . c5? 9 l0c4 "fic7 10 "fih5!
) 9 l0c4 c7 10 a4! l0e7 11 a5 e6
12 e3 xc4? 13 xc4 xa5 14
"fig4! 0-0 15 llfd1 'irc7 16 lld7 and
White wins.
b) 5 b5 6 0-0 .t.b7 7 "fie2 l0e7
8 a4! b4 9 l0d2 l0bc6 10 ltl4b3 fol
lowed by f2-f4 .
c) 5 g6 6 c4!? .t.g7 7 l0b3 l0e7
(on 7 ...d6 White can attack d6 with
l0c3, f4, 'ird2, e2 and lld1) 8
0-0 0-0 9 l0c3 l0bc6 10 .i.g5 ! h6
(otherwise after 'ird2 the bishop
can no longer be chased) 11 h4
;!;. White is planning "fid2, llfd1,
.i.e2, c5 and g3 while it is hard to
recommend anything for Black.
d) 5 .t.c5!? 6 l0b3 (6 c3 occu
pies the natural square of the
knight on b1) 6 . . .a7!? 7 l0ca l0c6
8 'ire2 d6 9 e3 l0f6 10 0-0-0 b5
1 1 f4 b4 12 l084 e5 13 xa7 llxa7
14 f5 0-0 15 g4 with a convincing
attack for White.
6 0-0 d6 7 c4!?
Securing White's centre. The
other setup h1, f2-f4, l0c3, "fif3
and .t.e3 is also not bad.
7 e7
7 . . . g6 8 l0c3 g7 9 e3 0-0 10
e2!? l0bd7 (10 . . . d5 11 cxd5 exd5
12 e5! l0e4 13 l0xe4 dxe4 14 'irc2
xe5 15 'irxe4 followed by llfd1
and llac1, when Black has opened
the centre in vain as it is has only
highlighted his lack of develop
ment. It is important to note that
in the given piece configuration
the move ...d7-d5 - played against
White's centre of e4 and c4 - is
well met by cxd5 and then e5!) 1 1
"fid2 l0c5 1 2 f3 llb8 1 3 llfd1 "fic7
14 l0c2! and besides his spatial
advantage. White has also found a
specific target at d6.
8 l0c3 0-0 9 .tea
Or 9 'ire2 b6 10 f4 b7 11 h1
l0bd7 with a tough fight in pros
pect.
9 'irc7 10 llc1 b6 11 f4 l0bd7
1 1 . . . b7? 12 f5! e5 13 l0d5! is
clearly better for White.
w
Plans and Counterplans:
Black has created a flexible 'hedge
hog' setup but also this comes
with a spatial disadvantage. White
should not overextend with 12
g4?! due to 12 . . . l0c5 13 g5 l0g4!
14 "fixg4 d3 15 l:.c2 l0b4 16 llc1
l0d3, when he is forced to settle
for a draw by repetition, unless he
wants to lose the pawn on c4. So it
is better to play 12 'ire2!? .t.b7 13
b4 llac8 14 a3 mea 15 g4 g6, when
the real struggle is yet to come.
 S icilian Defence
A3. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 a& 5 c3
5 'fi'c7
After 5 ...b5 6 d3 b7 7 0-0 d6
8 l:te1 6 9 a4! b4 10 a2 e7 11
c3! bxc3 12 xc3 ;!;; the queenside
has opened up in White's favour.
He is better developed and can
continue l:tcl and 'fi'b3.
6 d3
On 6 g3 an important interme
diate move is 6 . . . b4! , when 7
d2 (7 e2 6 8 g2 e7 9 0-0
c6 10 h3 0-0 11 f4 b5 is unclear)
7 . . . 6 8 g2 c6! 9 c6 bxc6
and . . . e7, . . . d7-d6, . . . 0-0 equal
izes. Instead 6 f4 b5 7 .td3 b7 8
'fi'f3 6 9 e3 c6 10 g4!? h5! 11
g5 g4 12 .tg1 d4 13 .txd4 e5!
leads to sharp play.
6 ...c6
On 6 . . . b5 White's scheme is
quick castling and then l:te1: 7 0-0
.tb7 8 l:te1 d6 9 .tg5, threatening
10 d5 ! , while 9 . . . e7? 10 .txe7
e7 11 xb5! axb5 12 b5
and d6 wins for White.
7 c6!? d.xc6!?
This move is still almost terra
inco gnita in chess theory, but it
looks better than 7 . . .bxc6 8 0-0
6 9 'fi'e2 .td6!? 10 f4 e5 1 1 f5!
( 1 1 fxe5? xe5 and the invincible
black bishop commands the board
from the e5-square) 1 1 ... e7 12
h1 h6 13 a4! d5 14 c4 b7 (af
ter 14 . . . d4 15 c5 d7 16 b4 a5 17
a3 the play of Black's pieces is
limited while the bishop on d3 is
an excellent blockading piece,
129
controlling the diagonal a6-fl) 15
c5 and White has a firm grip on the
e4-square while Black's bishop on
b7 and his whole queenside is sty
mied. White is better (;!;;) .
8 0-0
On 8 a4!? the obligatory answer
to the threat of a4-a5 is 8 ... a5.
8 ...f6 9 f4 e5!
w
Plans and Counterplans:
9 ... e5! not only prevents 10 e5 but
also prepares an attack using the
g4-square, while putting the bishop
on d3 on the shelfl For example,
10 fxe5? .tc5 + 11 h1 g4 12
'fi'f3 0-0 followed by xe5 when,
with his control over the square
e5, Black stands better. 10 f5 can
also be met by 10 ... c5+ : 1 1 h1
h5 12 'fi'f3 g4 13 d1 'fi'b6!
stops 14 e3 and the black pieces
cannot be driven away. White's
best choice is 10 hl! and now
10 . . . d6 would be a blunder as
after 1 1 f5! Black is unable to
thwart the simultaneous threats
of 1 1 e3 and 1 1 g4. So 10 h1 !
.tc5!? ( 1 0. . . h5?! 1 1 fxe5 g4 12
130 Basic Chess Openings
.i.c4!), with similar motives to the
previous lines ( ... lllg4, or ... h7-h5
and then ...lllg4), keeping Black's
counterplay alive.
B. 1 e4 c5 2 lllf3 e& 3 d4 cxd4 4
lllxd4 lllc& (Modern Paulsen)
Black intends . . . 'flc7, ... a7-a6 and
...lllfO, often oombined with ...lllxd4
followed by . . . .i.c5. White's most
important setups are:
Bl. 5 lllb5 and
B2. 5 lll c 3.
White cannot hope for an ad
vantage with other continuations:
a) 5 c4 lllf6 6 lllc3 .i.b4 7 lllxc6
(7 f3 d5!) 7 ...bxc6 8 .i.d3 e5! = .
b ) 5 g3 d5! 6 .i.g2 'flb6!? 7 lllb3
dxe4 8 he4 lllffl = .
c ) 5 a3 lil ffl 6 lllc 3 and now
with 6 ... d6 Black has a Schevenin
gen in which White's move a2-a3
is unnecessary.
d) 5 lllxc6 can be met by
5 ... bxc6 6 .i.d3 lllffl 7 0-0 e5 with
the idea of ... .i.e7, ... 0-0, ... d7-d6
and . . . .i.e6 or by 7 . . . d5!? 8 e5 lll d7
9 f4 lllc5!? sweeping off the bishop
on d3 so that White cannot play
the typical attack .i.xh 7 + , 'Vh5 + ,
l:r.f3-h3 against Black's kingside
castling position.
8 1 . 1 e4 c5 2 lllf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lllxd4 lllc& 5 lilb5
5 d6
. ll ... .i.c5?! is bad in view of 12 .i.e3!
6 llld6+ should not be allowed
6 c4!?
White opts to enforce the clo
sure of the dark-squared bishop's
diagonal followed by a blockade
on the centre. But just as in the
Sveshnikov Variation (section V)
this can only be reached at the
cost of several tempi, by galloping
around with the knights while
Black organizes his game. Instead
of 6 c4 White can play 6 .i.f4 e5 7
.i.e3 a6 8 lll5c3 lllffl 9 .i.g5 .i.e7 10
.i.xffl .i.xf6 1 1 llld5 0-0 12 lllbc3
.i.e6 13 .i.c4 l:r.c8 14 0-0 .tg5! 15
.i.b3 lll d 4 with the idea of ... h8
and .. .f7-f5.
6 lMG
The most precise as now on 7
lll5c3 Black need not answer 7 ... a6:
7 . . . .te7 8 .te2 0-0 9 0-0 b6 10 .i.f4
.i.b7 ll llld2 l:r.c8 = .
7 lll lc3 a6 8 llla3
After 8 llld4 .te7 9 .te2 0-0 10
0-0 .td7 11 .i.e3 lllxd4 12 'flxd4
.i.c6 13 f3 Black can prepare . . . d6-
d5 with 13 .. .'ilb8! For example, 14
a4 ( . .. b7-b5 was also threatened!)
14 ... d5! 15 cxd5 exd5 16 exd5 (16
e5? llld7 17 f4 .i.c5 18 'fld2 'fla7!
19 .i.xc5 'Vxc5+ 20 <t>h1 d4! and
after the isolated pawn gets mov-
ing Black stands better) 16 . . . l:r.d8
17 .i.c4 b5 followed by . . .b5-b4
and Black regains the pawn with
an equal position.
8 .i.e7
Black has the option of an in
teresting gambit: 8 . . . d5!? 9 exd5
exd5 10 cxd5 lllb4 1 1 .i.e2 and now
.i.xe3 13 'Va4+ ! llld7 14 'Vxb4 .i.c5
 S icilian Defence
15 'ii'e 4+ 16 0-0 , but the re
alistic 1 1 . . .'Mxd5 12 0-0 .i.e6 is
fine. Another move-order is 8 . . .b6
9 .i.e2 .i.b7 10 0-0 b8! 11 f3 .i.e7
12 .i.e3 bd7 13 'ifd2 0-0 14 l:tfd1
'ii' c7 15 l:tac1 l:tac8 and Black, as
so often in the Paulsen, plays the
hedgehog, that is, he employs the
pawn configuration ... a7-a6, ...b7-
b6, . . .d7-d6 and . . . e7-e6 with his
pieces placed with . . . .i.b7, ... d7,
... f6, ... .i.e7 and ...'fkc7. The point
of 10 . . .b8! is not only to transfer
the knight to d7, where it is really
well placed, but also to attack the
pawn on e4, thus provoking f2-f3
and at the same time preventing
White from playing f2-f4 and
.i.f3.
9 .i. e2 0-0 10 0-0 b6
The only route for the bishop.
l l .i.e3 .i.b7
The knight on c6 can still be
shifted to d7 with 11 . ..e5 12 f4
ed7, but after 13 .i.f3 White
definitely controls a larger terri
tory. l l . . . .i.b7 keeps . . . d6-d5 in
mind, for example 12 f4 d5! 13
cxd5 exd5 14 exd5 b4 = .
w section V. 5 . . . a6 6 .i.e2 ge7 does
131
Plans and Counterplans:
White would first like to obstruct
Black's ... d6-d5 and then increase
the pressure along the d-file to at
tack the pawn on d6. Black aims
for . . . d6-d5, but if this is out of
reach then he will attack the
pawns on c4 and e4 with, for ex
ample, . . . l:tc8 and . . . 5. More
specifically: 12 'fkb3 d7 13 l:tfd1
c5! 14 'ii'c2 (14 .i.xc5? bxc5 15
'ii'xb7?? a5 nets the queen!)
14 . . . 'ii'c 7 = . Black can continue
... :ac8, . . . fibS, .. . l:.fd8 and some
times ... b4 while White can opt
for f2-f3, 'ii'd2 and c2. On 12
l:tc1 Black can play 12 ... l:tc8!? and
13 'fkd2 e5 as now 14 f4? eg4
15 .i.d4 e5! is already better for
Black. Finally, one should note a
trap that Black should avoid: 12
l:tc1 'ii'c7? 13 d5! exd5 14 cxd5
and White is strategically win
ning.
B2. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
d4 c6 5 c3
5 'fkc7
5 . . . f6 6 bd5 d6 7 .i.f4 e5 8
.i.g5 transposes to the Sveshnikov
Variation, see the postscript in
not make much sense because af
ter 7 .i.f4!? the d6-square is weak.
Mter 5 . . . 'fkc7 White's three possi
bilities are:
B2a. 6 g3
B2b. 6 .i.e2 and
B2c. 6 .i.e3.
132 Basic Chess Openings
After 6 xc6 Black responds
6 ...bxc6 followed by ... d7-d5, while
6 b5 can be met by 6 .. .'ii' b8 7
a4 f6 8 .i.d3 a6 9 3 d5!? and 6
f4!? by 6 . . . a6 7 f3 (7 c6 1i'xc6
8 .i.d3 b5 9 1i'e2 - 9 e5 f5!
9 . . . .i.b7 10 .i.d2 .i.c5 and on e4-e5
- liberating the e4-square - it is
worth remembering the typical
reply .. .f7-f5!) 7 . . . .i.c5 8 .i.d3 b5 9
1i'e2 d4 10 xd4 .i.xd4 1 1 .i.d2
.i.b7 12 e5! f5 ! ! 13 exf6 co.
B2a. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 c6 5 c3 1i'c7 6 g3
6 a6
Now and hereafter Black can
transpose to the Scheveningen
Variation with . . . d7-d6 (section
II), but in the long run Black will
need to play ... a7-a6 in any case to
guard against the threat of b5.
7 .i.g2 lM6
The kingside needs to be devel
oped, otherwise after 0-0 and lle1
White will be threatening 5.
8 0-0 .i.e7
After 8 . . . xd4 9 1i'xd4 .i.c5 10
.i.f4! d6 (Black is undeveloped
and draughty on the dark squares
if the queens are exchanged) 11
1i'd2 h6 ( 1 1 . . . 0-0 12 a4 e5 13
.i.g5 ) 12 l:lad1 e5 13 .i.e3 the
king gets stuck in the middle as
now 13 . . . CiPe7 is compulsory to de
fend the d6-square, e.g. 13 ... 0-0?
14 .i.xc5 dxc5 15 1i'd6! with a win
ning endgame for White. After the
exchange of queens there might
follow l:lfd1 and 5 or a4-b6.
9 l:lel 0-0
Now, with the rook on e1, play
ing 9 . . . d4 10 1i'xd4 .i.c5 makes
more sense: 11 .i.f4 d6 12 1i'd2
g4!, since the f2-pawn is hang
- ing. Therefore instead of 1 1 .i.f4
it is better to continue 1 1 1i'd1 !?
(11 ...g4 is no go) with 12 .i.e3 to
follow.
10 xc6 dxc6
10 . . .bxc6 1 1 e5 d5 12 4!
and c2-c4 ;!;.
11 e5
White has succeeded in carry
ing out e4-e5.
n ... :ds 12 1i'f3 5 13 h4!?
13 e4 does not work as the
pawn on e5 is hanging.
B
Plans and Counterplans:
White has the immensely strong
threat of 14 .i.g5, exchanging the
bishop on e7 which is protecting
the vital square d6. For example,
13 ... b5?! 14 .i.g5 .i.b7 15 4! c5
(15 ...1i'xe5 16 f6 + +-) 16 d6!
. Black should therefore play
13 ...c3! 14 1i'xc3 .i.d7 15 .i.g5
.i.e8 securing a defensible position.
 S icilian Defence
For example, 16 lhd1 a5! (it is not
good to mindlessly trade rooks
and bishops as White is better in
the queen endgame due to the dif
ference between the light-squared
bishops and the invasion of his
queen on d6) 1 7 i.xe7 'flxe7 18
lhd8 'flxd8 19 aa 'flc7 20 l:td1 l:td8
2 1 lhd8 'flxd8 22 'flc5 and the
queen swap should no longer be
feared since after 22 ... h6! 2a 'fld6
'flxd6 24 exd6 b6! 25 f4 c5! =
Black has placed his queenside
pawns on the opposite colour to
his bishop, thus creating the pos
sibility of centralizing with ... .tb5
and ...c;t.Jf8-e8-d7. Note also that 16
b4 i.xg5 17 hxg5 a5! 18 b5 lhc8
leads to an even simpler ending.
One certainly needs to be familiar
with typical endgames in this
variation!
B2b. 1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lbxd4 lbc6 5 lbc3 'fi/c7 6 i.e2
6 a6 7 0-0
propriate moment to play c4xd5,
Mter 7 f4 b5 8 lbxc6 'ifxc6 9
i.fa .tb7 10 e5 'flc7 1 1 lbe4 (11
0-0 lbh6! 12 .txb7 'flxb7 1 a 'ifd3
lCJ5 14 lbe4 l:td8 and . . . d7-d6)
11 . . . l:td8 12 'fle2 d5 1a lbga g6!
14 i.ea h5 Black is ready to seize
the initiative on the kingside with
... lbe7, ... h5-h4 and ... lbf5.
7 lbf6
After 5 ... 'flc!l Black's moves are
nearly always . . . a7-a6 and . . . lbf6.
Again 7 ...b5? is premature in view
of 8 lbxc6 dxc6 (or 8 ...'ifxc6 9 .tfa
.tb7 10 i.f4, followed by l:te1, with
1aa
a significant advantage in devel
opment and threats of a2-a4 and
lbca-d5) 9 .tea .tb7 10 a4! b4 1 1
lbb1 c 5 12 lbd2 ;!;; and White can
opt for .tda, 'fle2, a4-a5 and lbc4,
when Black's weaknesses on a6
and b6 and the strength of the
knight on c4 make themselves felt.
8 hl
8 f4?? is, to say the least, pre
mature due to 8 . . . fud4 9 'flxd4
i.c5 and the queen is lost!
8 lbxd4
White is better after 8 . . . .tb4 9
fuc6 bxc6 10 f4! , e.g. 10 . . . .txc3
11 bxca lbxe4 12 'fld4! lbf6 1a
i.aa! and Black is beaten on the
dark squares, or 10 ... d5 11 e5 lbd7
(after 1 1 . . . i.xca 12 bxca lbe4 1a
.tda c5 14 c4 .tb7 15 'ife1 White is
threatening c4xd5 and c2-c4) 12
lba4! lbb6 1a c4 .te7 14 .tea fua4
15 'flxa4 then lhc1 ;!;, when Black's
pawn on d5 is strong but his cen
tre is still immobile. What is more,
it is White who can choose the ap
when he has already brought his
rooks over to the queenside. An
other possibility is 8 ... b5!? 9 lbxc6
dxc6 10 f4 .tb7 1 1 e5 l:td8 12 'ife1
lbd5 1a lbxd5 (1a lbe4 c5) 1a ...cxd5
14 .tda g6, and although White
stands more freely it is difficult
for him to get at his opponent.
9 'ifxd4 .tc5 10 'ifd3
Not 10 .tf4 .txd4 1 1 .txc7 .txc3
followed by ... fue4.
10 h5!?
Black cannot restrain f2-f4 and
e4-e5 with 10 . . . d6 due to 1 1 .tg5
134 Basic Chess Openings
followed by llad1 and 4, so in
stead he immediately prepares
counterplay by means of . . . h7-h5
and ...g4. Weaker is 10...b5?! 11 f4
h5 (ll ....tb7 12 .tf3 - 12 e5 5 -
12 . . . 0-0 13 e5 e8 14 .txb7 'tfxb7
15 e4 ;t) 12 e5 g4 13 'ifh3! h6
( 13 . . . f2 + 14 llxf2 .txf2 15 'iff3
'tfa7 16 tbe4 and because 16 ... .tc5
is wrong owing to 17 xc5, the
knight appears on d6 with deadly
power!) 14 'tfxh5! .tb7 15 .tf3
0-0-0 16 .txb7+ 'ifxb7 17 'iff3
5! 18 h3! and Black is worse.
ll f4
An interesting alternative is 11
'ifh3, hindering ... g4.
ll g4 12 e5!?
. rooks are ready to be doubled on
Or 12 Vg3 b5 13 e5 .tb7 co.
B how White should fight off the
Plans and Counterplans:
Can Black win the exchange? Let
us see : 12 + 13 .txf2 14
e4 .tc5 (preventing d6) and
now 15 'tfc3? b6 16 b4 .tb7 17 .tf3
d5! 18 exd6 .txd6 19 'ifxg7 ( 19
xd6+ 'tfxd6 20 .txb7? 'tfd1 + and
mate!) 19 . . . 0-0-0 and Black wins.
But after 15 .te3! the bishop on c5
faces an uncomfortable decision.
After 15 .. ..txe3 16 6+ and 'tfxe3
the knight d6 is terribly powerful,
much stronger than the black
rooks, so it is White who is an 'ex
change' up. He can assault the
black monarch with llfl, .td3, f5.
Neither can Black develop freely
after 15 . . . .te7 16 6+ ! .txd6 17
exd6 'tfd8 18 .tf3 llb8 19 .ta7!
lla8 20 .td4 0-0 21 c4! The threat
is c4-c5 and the pawn on h5 is
hanging (). Therefore Black has
to look for another way. 12 d6!?
13 exd6 (after 13 e4 d5! 14 xc5
'ifxc5 15 .txg4 hxg4 16 .te3 'tfc7,
followed by ... .td7 and ... 0-0-0 the
the h-file) 13 . . .'ifxd6 14 'ifxd6 (14
'ifh3? f2+ 15 llxf2 .txf2 16 e4
Vb4! and the threat is mate on
e1!) 14 . . ..txd6 and it is unclear
black knight. For example, 15
.tc7!? ( 15 ....te7 16 h3 f6 is also
not bad) 16 h3 .tb6!? 17 .tf3 f5
and after a knight move White is
unable to escape from the repeti
tion 18 . . .f2+ 19 h2 g4 + .
B2c. 1 e 4 c 5 2 f3 e 6 3 d 4 cxd4 4
xd4 c6 5 c3 'ifc7 6 .te3
6 a6 7 .te2
Also playable is 7 .td3 f6 8
0-0 e5!? 9 h3 (to stop 9 . . . eg4)
9 . . . .tc5 10 a4 .ta7 11 c4 d6 fol
lowed by ... 0-0, ... .td7, ...llfd8 and
... .te8. Instead of 8 . . . e5!?, the al
ternative 8 . . . .td6!? is interesting:
9 xc6 bxc6 (9 . . . .txh2 + is wrong
 S icilian Defence
due to 10 Wh1 bxc6 11 g3 and the
bishop goes) 1 0 f4 e5! 1 1 f5 J.e7
and Black is ready for . . . d7-d5.
White can try to castle queenside
with 7 1Wd2 lim) 8 f3 (in positions
with J.e3 and 1Wd2 Black always
threatens . . . ltlg4) 8 . . . ltle5 9 0-0-0
J.b4 10 ltlb3 b5 1 1 J.d4 h6! with
mutual chances. Black will play
on the queenside while White aims
to get his queen involved in a
kingside attack.
7 lMG
with 12 c5! The game would take
It is better to develop the king
side, although the curious 7 . . . b5
8 ltlxc6 1Wxc6 9 f4?! J.a3! stirs
things up. Instead of 9 f4 White
should play 9 0-0 J.b7 1 0 J.f3 fol
lowed by e4-e5, when White is
somewhat better.
8 0-0
On 8 a3 it is best to transpose
to the Scheveningen with 8 ... J.e7,
. . . d7-d6 and . . . 0-0 in which a2-a3
is hardly a move for White (sec
tion In.
8 J.b4
..
Mter 8 . . . b5 9 ltlxc6 dxc6 10 f4
J.b7 (10 ...b4 1 1 ltla4 ltlxe4 12 J.b6
and J.f3 ) 11 e5 l:td8 12 'ife1 ltld5
13 ltlxd5 cxd5 14 c3! J.c5 15 1Wf2
followed by a2-a4! White is nag
ging at the black queenside.
9 ltla4!?
A strong move, aiming at the
b6-square and at the same time
liberating the c-pawn for a central
fight!
9 0-0
Mter 9 . . . ltlxe4 10 ltlxc6 'ifxc6
1 1 ltlb6 l:tb8 12 11t'd4! J.f8 13 J.f3
135
f5 14 l:tad1 Black cannot survive
the pressure.
10 ltlxc6
Or 10 c4 J.d6!?
10 bxc6
10 ... dxc6 1 1 c4 J.d6 12 f4!? ltlxe4
13 c5! J.e7 14 11t'c2 and ltlb6 com
pletely ties Black up. 10 . . .bxc6 is
much more active due to the open
b-file and the possibility ... d7-d5.
1 1 c4!?
Threatening to trap the bishop
on a tactical character after 1 1
ltlb6 l:tb8 12 ltlxc8 l:tfxc8 1 3 J.xa6
l:te8!? 14 J.d3 J.d6 15 f4 (15 h1!?)
15 . . . e5! 16 f5 l:txb2, for example
1 7 g4 h6! 1 8 h4 J.f8 19 g5 ltld5!
20 exd5 e4! and if the bishop moves
Black has a perpetual on g3. A
reasonable alternative is 1 1 f4!?:
ll ... l:tb8 (ll ... ltlxe4 12 1Wd4) 12
J.d3 J.e7 13 c4 ( 13 e5 ltld5 14 J.d2
f5!?) 13 . . . e5! ! and now 14 fxe5
'ifxe5 15 l:U5 'ife6 16 'iff3 d6 and
14 'iff3 exf4 15 J.xf4 J.d6 are
pleasant for Black. The game re
volves around the e5-square. But
back to 11 c4!?
B
136 Basic Chess Openings
Plans and Counterplans:
Where should Black retreat the
bishop? It was once believed that
u ... .i.e7 12 'ifc2 c5 ! followed by
. . . d 7 -d6 and ... .i.b7 was sufficient
to equalize, but then came ll ... .i.e7
12 .i.f3! ! d6 (12 ...c5?? 13 e5) 13 c5!
d5 14 l0b6 llb8 15 'ii'a4! and Black
is worse, e.g. 15 ... -*.b7 16 e5! with
a complete stranglehold (16 ...'ifxe5
17 .i.f4) . Therefore it is more ad
visable to play ll .. ..i.d6!?: 12 f4
lbxe4 13 .i.d3 l0f6 14 .i.b6!? (14 c5
.i.e7 15 .i.d4 lld8!? co) 14 ...'ii'b8 15
.i.d4 .i.e7 (not 15 ... e5? 16 .i.c3!
and Black cannot ease the tension
around the e5-pawn) 16 l0b6 c5!
17 .i.xf6 .i.xf6 18 l0xa8 'ii'xa8 19
'ii'c2 with a roughly equal game.
IT. Scheveningen Variation
1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d6 3 d4
At this point White's ways of
avoiding the Open Variation are:
a) 3 b3 l0c6 4 .i.b2 e6 5 .i.b5
.i.d7 6 0-0 a6 7 .i.xc6 .i.xc6 8 lle1
llc8! (after 8 . . . l0f6 9 e5! Black is
in trouble) 9 d4 cxd4 10 lbxd4 l06
and ... .i.e7, ... 0-0 = .
b) 3 .i.c4 e6! 4 0-0 l0f6 5 lle1
lbc6 threatening 6 . . .l0xe4 7 llxe4
d5, and if White sidesteps this
then Black has the simple . . . .i.e7
and . . . 0-0 = .
c ) 3 lbc3 lbf6 4 e5 dxe5 5 lbxe5
a6! followed by . . . e7 -e6, ... .i.e7,
. . . 0-0 and ... 'iVc7 =.
d) 3 c3!? l0f6 4 .i.e2 g6 (not
4 . . . lbxe4?? 5 'ifa4+ + -, while af
ter 4 . . . l0c6 5 d4!? cxd4 6 cxd4
lbxe4 7 d5! 'ifa5 + ! 8 tbc3 lbxc3 9
bxc3 lbe5 10 lbxe5 'iVxc3 + 1 1 .i.d2
'ii'x e5 12 0-0 a6 13 llb1 White
threatens 14 'ii'a4+ .i.d7 15 .i.b5!)
5 0-0 .i.g7 6 lte1 0-0 7 .i.fl l0c6 8
h3 (8 d4? cxd4 9 cxd4 .i.g4!) 8 ...e5!?
= 9 d4 cxd4 10 cxd4 exd4 1 1 lbxd4
lbxd4 12 'ii'xd4 lte8 and the threat
is ... lbxe4 attacking the queen.
e) 3 .i.b5+ !? l0c6 (3 ... -*.d7 4
.i.xd7 + l0xd7 5 0-0 l0gf6 6 'ife2 e6
and then ... .i.e7 and . . . 0-0 = ) 4 0-0
.i.d7 5 lle1 l0f6 6 c3 a6 7 .i.fl (7
.i.xc6 .i.xc6 8 d4!? .i.xe4 9 .i.g5 d5
co} 7 ... -*.g4!? 8 h3 .i.xf3 9 'iVxf3 g6!?
followed by ... .i.g7 and ... 0-0 with
equality.
3 c:x:d4 4 lb:x:d4
White develops unexpectedly
quickly after 4 'iVxd4 l0c6 5 .*. b5
.i.d 7 6 .i.xc6 .i.xc6 7 lbc3 lbf6 8
.i.g5 e6 9 0-0-0 .i.e7 10 llhe1, but
Black can still achieve counter
play typical of positions with op
posite-side castling: 10 . . . 0-0 1 1
'iVd2 ( 1 1 e 5 dxe5 12 'ii' h4 'iVeB 13
l0xe5 h6 14 .i.xh6 gxh6 15 'ii':xh6
lbh7 ! 16 f4! co} 1 1 . . . 'ifc7 12 lbd4
(the regrouping of 'iVd2 and lbd4
has prepared f2-f4) 12 . . .llfd8 (al
though 12 . . . b5 looks attractive as
capturing would open files on the
king, it is still not enough for
equality: 13 .i.xf6 .i.xf6 14 l0xc6
'ii'xc6 15 'ii'xd6 'ii'xd6 16 llxd6
.i.xc3 17 bxc3 and the position is
;t; not because of the extra pawn
but because White's king is well
located on the battlefield) 13 f4
llac8 14 g4 b5! and now the pawn
sacrifice is okay.
 S icilian Defence
4 ...lMG 5 ltlc3
5 f3?! makes a bad impression:
5 . . . e5! 6 ltlb3 (6 b5 + ltlbd7 7
ltl5 d5!? 8 exd5 a6 9 xd7 + - 9
e2 ltlb6 and . . .ltlbxd5 - 9 .. 1i'xd7!
. R 6 f4 Variation
10 ltle3 b5 11 c4 c5) 6 . . . e7 7 c4
0-0 8 ltlc3 a5!? 9 e3 a4 10 ltld2
1i'a5 1 1 a3 d7 and Black gets on
top on the queenside with . . . ltla6-
c5 and ... llfc8.
5 e6
w but 9 . . . 0-0 10 g4 ltlc6 11 g5 ltlxd4
This position is the fundamen
tal starting-point of the Scheven
ingen Variation. All the general
characteristics of the Sicilian are
present: White can try to exert
pressure on d6 along the semi
open d-file, or he can try to carry
through e4-e5 after the prepara
tory f4-f4, or he can try to use his
central advantage to line up his
pieces on the kingside, hoping for
an attack. Black plans to invade
along the c-fiJ.e and on the queen
side and is well-prepared to react
dynamically to his opponent's play
with his powerful pawn pair at e6
and d6.
137
White now has the following
major choices:
A. Keres Attack: 6 g4
C. Sozin-like with 6 c4
D. Sicilian Killer: 6 e3
E. Positional Variation: 6 e2
Apart from the main lines, 6 g3
is also worth mentioning: 6 . . . a6 7
g2 1i'c7 8 0-0 e7 9 a4 (9 lle1
ltlc6 10 ltlxc6 bxc6 1 1 e5! dxe5 12
lbe5 0-0 13 f4 1i'b7 14 ltla4 ,
12 1i'xd4 ltld7 gives Black good
play) 9 ... ltlc6 10 ltlb3 b6!? (hinder
ing the advance of White's a
pawn) 1 1 f4 0-0 12 g4!? lieS 13 g5
ltld7 14 e3 b7 After 1i'e2-f2
ao,
White can play for f4-f5, although
after . . . f8 and ... llac8 Black has
play on the queenside with . . . ltlb4
. . . ltlc5 and can also consider the
fearless . . . g7-g6 and . . . g7. Note
that if White does play f4-f5, this
provides the black knight with
the comfortable square on e5.
A. 1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
ltlxd4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 e6 6 g41 7 ( Keres
Attack)
White starts his kingside expan
sion at once, a plan that promises
an instant 'military success' by
chasing away the knight from 6.
6 h6!?
Black does not easily let his
knight be hounded. Other moves
are:
138 Basic Chess Openings
a) 6 e5 7 ..tb5 + ! ..td7 8 hd7+
'family check' on f3 or 11 0-0-0
'ii'xd7 9 /l:)f5! h5 10 gxh5 /l:)xh5
1 1 ..th6 ! ! With this exceptional
move White attacks the knight on
h5. Black's various weaknesses
(the squares d5 and f5 and the
pawn on d6) are dominant.
b) 6 ... d5?! (not a good idea) 7
exd5 /l:)xd5 8 i.b5 + ..td7 9 /l:)xd5
exd5 10 'ii'e2 + 'ii'e7 (10 . . . ..te7 1 1
/l:)f5!) 1 1 ..te3 g6 1 2 ..txd7+ /l:)xd7
13 /l:)b5 ! /l:)e5 14 0-0-0! and besides
l:txd5 White is also threatening
..tc5! ().
c) 6 ... a6 (as we have seen,
Black needs to be afraid of i.b5 +
if he is to play . . . d6-d5 or . . .e6-e5)
7 g5 (on 7 h3? Black really goes
for 7 . . . d5! = ) 7 . . . /l:)fd7 8 ..te3!? b5
9 a3 and White's plan is a kingside
pawn-storm with or without 'ii'd2
and 0-0-0. For example 9 ... /l:)bG 10
llg1 /l:)8d7 11 f4 ..tb7 12 f5! e5 13
/l:)e6! fxe6 14 'ii' h5 + Je7 15 fxe6
with a tremendous attack: ..th3,
g5-g6 and ..tg5.
d) 6 ... /l:)c6 7 g5 /l:)d7 8 ..te3 a6
9 h4!? (again playable is the plan
of 'ii'd2, 0-0-0 and f2-f4) 9 ... ..te7 10
'ii'h5!? (the pawn on e6 is hanging
and on g7 -g6 the queen returns
and White will then harry the
black pawn structure with h4-h5)
10 . . . 0-0 1 1 0-0-0 lle8 12 f4 ..tf8 13
..td3 ! /l:)xd4?! 14 ..txd4 e5 15 ..tc4!
g6 16 ..txf7 + ! 17 'ii'xh7+ ..tg7
18 fxe5 +-. White threatens 19
llhfl + as well as 19 e6+ .
e ) 6 .....te7!? 7 g5 /l:)d7 8 ..te3
/l:)c6 9 h4 0-0 10 'ii'd2 /l:)de5!? 11
..te2 (not 1 1 f4?? /l:)xd4! with a
/l:)g4!) 11 . . . /l:)a5!? 12 b3 /l:)ac6 13
0-0-0 /l:)xd4 14 ..txd4 ltlc6 15 ..te3,
and now after 15 ... \i'a5 or 15 ... a6!?
followed by . . .b7-b5 Black has
some counter-chances.
7 1lgl
An interesting alternative is 7
g5!? hxg5 8 i.xg5 /l:)c6 9 h4 a6 10
'ii'd2 'ii'b 6 11 ltlb3 ..td7 12 0-0-0
0-0-0, where after f2-f4, i.e2, h4-
h5 and ..tf3 White often plays h5-
h6 with an invasion on the open
kingside files, while Black creates
a flexible position with . . .Jb8,
.. ...tc8, ... ..te7 and . . .'ii'c 7, awaiting
the right moment for ... d6-d5.
7.../l:)c6 8 h4 d5!
This central blow is the logical
answer to White's kingside ag
gressions. After 8 ... h5 9 gxh5 5
10 i.g5 ltlf6 1 1 'ii'd2 and 0-0-0
White is on top.
9 ..tb5!?
9 exd5 ltlxd5 10 ltlxd5 'ii'xd5 1 1
..tg2 \i'e5 + 1 2 i.e3 /l:)b4! 1 3 c4 (to
prevent 13 . . . ltld5) 13 . . . ..tc5! and
Black plans to take twice(!) on d4
and eventually win a piece with
... ltlc2 + .
9 . . ...t d 7 10 exd5 ltlxd5 1 1
/l:)xd5 exd5 1 2 .tea (D)
Many players would refuse to
play the position after 12 'ii'e2 +
..te7 13 /l:)5 ..txf5 14 exf5 Jf8 fol
lowed by ... ..tf6! with either colour
(co) .
Plans and Counterplans:
By escaping the g4-g5 attack with
his knight at the last minute,
 S icilian Defence
B tive: 7 .tea .te7 8 'iff3 'ifc7 9 0-0-0
Black has slowed down White's
assault and made a target out of
the white pieces. But White still
has a spatial advantage and supe
rior development. Mter 12 ...'ifxh4
1a 'iffa (la 'ife2 d4 14 .txd4 +
'ife7 15 .txd7 + xd7 16 .tea lld8!
17 0-0-0 c8 ) 1a . . . a6 14 .txc6
oo
bxc6 15 0-0-0 .td6 16 l0f5 .tx5
17 gxf5 .te5! Black manages to
defend his position.
B. 1 e4 c5 2 l0f3 d& 3 d4 cxd4 4
l0xd4 lOt& 5 l0c3 e& 6 f4
The principle of 6 f4 is similar to
that of the Keres Attack. The dif
ference is that the intensity of the
attack is not so strong, but here
White can more easily develop his
pieces (.tea, 'iff3).
6 a6
Black needs to be careful, for
example 6 ....te7? 7 .tb5+ l0fd7 (or
7 . . . .td7 8 e5! ) 8 f5! e5? 9 l0e6!
fxe6 10 'ifh5 + f8 11 fxe6 'ife8 12
0-0+ .tf6 1a exd7 d7 14 lhf6 + !
and 1 4 . . . f6 15 .txe8 l0xh5 16
.txh5 +- or 14 . . . gxf6 15 'ifh6 +
1a9
e7 16 l0d5 + d8 17 .txd7 +-.
But 6 ...l0c6!? is a sensible alterna
0-0 10 g4 d4 11 .txd4 e5! 12
fxe5 dxe5 1a 'ifga! g4 14 l0d5
'ifd6 with a difficult position for
both sides.
7 'iff3
On 7 .tda b5 8 0-0 .tb7 9 aa
l0bd7 10 h1 .te7 and . . . 0-0 = ,
while o n 7 .tea b 5 8 'iffa .t b 7 9
.tda b4 10 l0ce2 l0bd7 1 1 g4 e5!
12 l0b3 exf4 1a .txf4 'ife7 14 0-0-0
l0e5! (14 ....txe4 15 .txe4 'ifxe4 16
'ifg3 and after llhe1 the e-file opens
on Black) 15 'ifga llc8 16 l0ed4
'ifc7 17 b1 g6 and after . . . .tg7,
. . . 0-0 Black reaches the haven of
an equal game. Black should only
consider . . . e6-e5 if White cannot
take his d4 knight to b5 or Black
can kick it away with . . . g7-g6 if it
goes to f5.
7 1i'b6!?
Black opts for his usual plan of
counterplay by ...b7-b5, ... .tb7 and
. . . l0bd7. But it is wrong to play
the immediate 7 ... b5, as after 8 e5
dxe5 9 'ifxa8 the knight on b8 is
also hanging. Therefore apart
from this move, pushing the knight
from d4, 7 . . . 'ifc7 also comes into
consideration.
8 a3!
The knight on d4 is now pro
tected by the queen trap 8 ... 1Wxd4??
9 .tea. On 8 l0b3 'ifc7 9 g4 b5 10
.tda .tb7 11 g5 l0fd7 12 .tea l0c6
1a 'ifha b4 14 l0e2 g6 15 0-0-0
.tg7 16 b1 0-0 17 f5 exf5 18 exf5
llfe8! 19 llhfl l0ce5! 20 l0f4 l0c5
140 Basic Chess Openings
the black central knights fortify
the position.
8 l00 6 !
...
Black cannot go back to the
scheme ... 'flc7, ... b7-b5, ....tb7 and
. . . ltlbd7 since then White's extra
move a2-aa would turn out to be
very useful.
9 ltlxc6
On 9 ltlba, 9 ... g6 10 .tea 'flc7 1 1
0-0-0 .t g7 followed by . . . 0-0 and
. . .b7-b5 deserves attention.
B for Black because after 16 exd5
Plans and Counterplans:
Black can either continue simply
with 9 'flxc6 10 .tda b5 1 1 0-0
exf5 (or 12 ...0-0 la ltlxe7+ 'ifxe7 14
.tb7 or complicate matters with
9 bxc6 10 ba .tb7 11 .tb2 c5 12
gxf6 1 7 .th6 threatening 'ii'g4 and
0-0-0 0-0-0! 1a .tc4 'flc6 with the
idea of ... d6-d5.
C. 1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
ltlxd4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 e6 6 .tc4 (Sozin
l ike)
6 a6
6 . . . ltlc6 is the real Sozin, see
section IV:
7 .tba
The threat was ... b7-b5-M en
dangering the pawn on e4. Holding
this advance up with 7 a4 cannot
be recommended due to 7 . . . .te7 8
0-0 0-0 9 .te3 ltlc6 10 q.,hl 'flc7 and
Black can easily achieve queen
side play with ... .td 7, . . . :ac8 and
...ltla5-c4.
7 b5
A similar concept in a different
guise is 7 . . . ltlbd7!? 8 f4 ltlc5 9 f5!?
.te7 10 'iff3 0-0 1 1 .tea e5! 12
ltlde2 b5! and now 1a ltld5 ltlxb3
14 ltlxf0+ .txto 15 cxb3 d5! would
represent a total opening success
e4! he has activated all his pieces
and the white king is still sitting
in the middle! Mter 1a g4 .tb7 14
.txc5 dxc5 15 g5 c4 White's activ
ity again seems to have vanished
8 O-O .te7
Here it is a mistake to play
8 . . .b4?! 9 ltla4 ltlxe4?, as after 10
:tel White's development advan
tage is just too much. For exam
ple, lO . . . lLlfO 1 1 .tg5 .te7 12 ltlf5!
ltlb6 l:ta7 15 ltld5 'ifd8 16 lLlxm +
mate) 1a .txfO gxf6 14 'fld5 wins
for White, or 10 . . . d5 11 .tf4 .td6
12 .txd6 'ifxd6 1a ltlf5 exf5 14
'ifxd5 'flxd5 15 .txd5 l:ta7 16 f3
and White commands the forth
coming endgame.
9 'flf3
The queen rushes to ga to at
tack the black king position. Black
can crawl out of the grip after 9 f4
.tb7 10 e5 dxe5 1 1 fxe5 .tc5 12
 S icilian Defence
.tea i.xd4 13 i.xd4 lDc6 14 lU4
'ifc7! 15 'ife2 0-0-0!
9 .'i'c7
and g2-g4. Of course, this is partly
Now 10 e5 would be answered
by 10 ... i.b7.
10 'ifg3!? 0-0 l l i.h6!? ltle8
White has thrown his opponent
into retreat with his threats.
12 l:tad1 .id7
Always be vigilant! 12 . . . i.b7?
13 i.xe6 fxe6 14 ltlxe6 wins.
13 a3 ltlc6 14 lbxc6 i.xc6
w 'ifh4+ 15 'iff2 'ifxf2 + 16 xf2
Plans and Counterplans:
After the exchange of knights the
tension has eased. White will tar
get the d6-pawn, while Black will
launch a minority attack with his
a- and b-pawns. One example is:
15 .if4 'i'b7 16 l:tfe1 a5 17 e5 dxe5
18 .ixe5 .if6 19 l:td4 l:td8 20 l:txd8
i.xd8 21 ltle2 a4 22 i.a2 b4 = .
D. 1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d6 3 d 4 cxd4 4
ltlxd4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 e6 6 i.e3 (Sicil
ian Killer)
White has been immensely suc
cessful with this move in the past
141
few years, in conjunction with the
very direct plan 'ifd2, f2-f3, 0-0-0
attributable to the fact that this is
the pet line of several young su
perstars. In their hands even a
toy gun can turn into a Winches
ter!
6...a6
6 . . . ltlc6!? leads to immediate
complications: 7 'ifd2 i.e7 (now
8 . . . ltlg4 is already threatened) 8
f3 0-0 9 0-0-0 (9 g4 d5 10 g5 ltld7
11 exd5 ltlxd4 12 'ifxd4 i.xg5 13
0-0-0 - 13 dxe6 .ixe3 14 'i'xe3
fxe6 = - 13 . . . exd5 14 ltlxd5 ltlb6
= ) 9 . . . d5! 10 exd5 ltlxd5 11 ltlxd5
'i'xd5 12 ltlb3 'i'xd2+ 13 l:txd2 l:td8
14 l:txd8 + ltlxd8 = . Just as in the
Keres Attack, it is a good plan for
Black to open the centre with
. . . d6-d5. 'A central blow against a
flank attack... ' as our chess ances
tors used to say.
7 'ifd2
7 g4!? brings about mind-bog
gling complications: 7 ... h6 8 'i'f3
ltlbd7 9 'ifh3! e5 (safer is 9 . . . ltlc5!?
10 f3 e5 11 ltlb3 i.e6 ) 10 ltl5 g6
ao
1 1 g5! gxf5 12 exf5 d5! 13 gxf6 d4
14 .ic4 ltlxf6 15 0-0-0 'i'c7!? or ao
7 . . . e5 8 ltlf5 g6 9 g5 gxf5 10 exf5
d5 11 gxf6 d4 12 i.c4 'ifc7 13 'ifd3
dxc3 14 0-0-0 lLlc6 15 l:the1 Black
ao,
has become more and more suc
cessful in these complications,
but this might be because Bela
Perenyi, the excellent Hungarian
1M who used to handle the white
side with sparkling fantasy, is
142 Basic Chess Openings
long gone from the other side of
the board.
7 b5
7 ... g4 would be met by 8 ..tg5.
8 f3 bd7 9 g4 h6 10 0-0-0
On 10 h4? b4 1 1 e2 d5! , Black
seizes the initiative.
10 ..tb7 11 h4 b4 12 ce2 d5!
w this line: concrete calculation will
Plans and Counterplans:
Black has achieved the desired
central counter-thrust, but he has
not castled yet. In fact his activ
ity counterbalances his lack of de
velopment. For example: 13 exd5
xd5 14 4 4! (the pressure
on e6 must be reduced, though
14 . . .e5!? is interesting) 15 ..txf4
..te7 16 ..tc4 b6 17 'ife2 ..td5 and
with careful play Black can avoid
White's threatened combinations
on e6; 13 g3 'ifa5 ( 13 ... ..td6 14
l::tg1 'ifc7 15 g5 hxg5 16 hxg5 hg3
17 gxffi 18 'iib4 ..td6 19 'ifa4
) 14 b1 dxe4 15 g5 hxg5 16
hxg5 lbhl 1 7 h1 d5 18 g6!
0-0-0!? co; or 13 .i.h3!? dxe4 14 g5
hxg5 15 hxg5 exf3 16 4 (16 g3
17 xe4 he4 18 xe6 fxe6
19 ..txe6 c5! with a material ad
vantage for Black) 16 ... 17 'ife1
..txh3! ! and now after 18 h3 e5
White's activity has vanished. Both
19 xf3? 'ia5 20 b1 c3 + ! -+
and 19 b3 a5 2 0 lM2 'ifc7 demon
strate the correctness of Black's
exchange sacrifice.
Those who wish to dabble in 6
..te3 should be aware that general
chess principles are irrelevant in
decide the game.
E. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 f& 5 c3 e& 6 ..te2 ( Posi
tional Variation)
Mter a swift 0-0, White is plan
ning ..te3, f2-f4 and 'ife1-g3 with
pressure on the black kingside.
6 a6
Black may also play without
. . . a7-a6: 6 . . . c6 7 0-0 ..te7 8 ..te3
0-0 9 f4 ..td7!? and now 10 b3
'ifc7 ll ..tf3 :Cd8 12 'ife1 .i.e8, and
then either ... a7-a6 and ...b7-b5 or
. . . d7-c5, or 10 xd4 1 1 .i. xd4
..tc6 12 'ii'g3 g6! 13 ..tf3 (13 ..td3
h5 14 'if2 xf4! 15 'iVxf4 e5 or
13 f5 e5 14 ..te3 xe4 15 xe4
..txe4 16 ..th6 l::te 8 offers Black
good play) 13 . . .b5! 14 a3 a5!, fol
lowed by . . .b5-b4, when Black has
saved the move ... a7-a6.
7 0-0
7 ..te3!? is a cunning move as,
for example, on 7 . . . bd7?! White
can go wild with 8 g4 h6 9 f4 b5 10
g5, when it is hard to rescue the
knight on 8. So it is better to
 S icilian Defence
leave the d7-square open and con
tinue with either 7 ...lbc6 or 7 ...Yic7
followed by ... b7-b5 and ... .i.b7.
7 .i.e7
7 . . . b5? is an educational mis
take in view of 8 .i.f3! .i.b7?? 9 e5!
hf3 10 'it'xf3 dxe5 1 1 11t'xa8 and
White is winning. When Black
plays . . . b7-b5 he has to be ready
for White's e4-e5 and for tactical
tricks on the open h1-a8 diagonal.
Instead of8 . . . .i.b7??, 8 ...l:ta7 9 .i.e3
l:td7!? is just about playable but
the rook still looks bad in front of
the minor pieces and the queen.
8 f4 ltlc6 9 .i.e3 0-0 10 11t'e1
It is vital to know that after 10
a4!? 11t'c7 U ltlb3 Black must pre
vent a4-a5 with l l . . .b6! followed
by ... .i.b7. On 10 h1 Black should
consider playing 10 ... .i.d7 followed
by ... ltlxd4 and ....i.c6.
10 11t'c7
on top with his c7-pawn. It is bet
Or 10 ...ltlxd4 11 .bd.4 b5 12 l:td1
.i.b7 13 .i.f3 "ilc7 14 e5 dxe5 15
fxe5 ltld7 16 .i.xb7 'ii'xb7 17 ltle4
"ilc7!, when Black's idea is ... l:tad8,
while "ilg3 can be met by ...h8 or
.. .f7-f5!?
11 "ilg3 ltlxd4 12 .i.xd4 b5 13
a3
13 e5 dxe5 14 .i.xe5 "ilc5 + 15
h1 .i.b7 16 .i.d3 should be met
by 16 ... g6!?
13 .tb7 14 l:tae1 ! .i.c6 (D)
ltlxd4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 a6 (D)
Preparing the action . . . 'it'b7,
...a6-a5 and ... b5-b4.
Plans and Counterplans:
If White hesitates he cannot hope
for an advantage: 15 h1 (the
143
w
point of this move is to avoid a
check in the concrete lines that
follow) 15 . . . "ilb7 ! 16 .i.d3 b4! 17
axb4 ( 1 7 ltld1 is interesting, in
tending ltlf2-g4) 17 . . ."ilxb4 18
ltle2 "ilb7 19 e5 ltlh5 ! 20 'it'h3 g6!
and Black is fine. But 15 .i.d3!? is
a lot more dangerous: 15 ... e5?! 16
fxe5 ltlh5 17 exd6! ltlxg3 18 dxc7
ltlxf1 19 ltld5! and White is well
ter to play 15 ... 11t'b7, but after 16
e5! dxe5 17 .i.xe5 White is threat
ening an attack with "ilh3 or f4-f5.
So Black should keep the queen
on c7 as long as e4-e5 is a threat:
15 ...l:tad8 16 e5 ltle8! with 17 ...dxe5
18 he5 .i.d6 in mind.
m. Ndorf Variation
1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
In this variation Black leaves
all his development options open
and first makes a useful waiting
move, taking the b5-square away
from the white pieces and prepar
ing for queenside counterplay by
144 Basic Chess Openings
w 6 e6
means of . . .b7-b5. The value of
this tiny move is perfectly demon
strated by the line 5 ... e5? 6 .i.b5 + !
.i.d7 ( 6. . . bd7 7 f5 a6 8 .i.xd7 +
ti'xd7 9 .i.g5 ! ) 7 .i.xd7 + ti'xd7 8
de2 ti'c6 9 g3 . White meets a
premature . . . e7-e5 with .i.b5 +
and - after the exchange of light
squared bishops - seizes control
of the squares d5 and f5.
Two of Black's typical setups in
the Najdorf are . . . e7-e6 and then
. . . .i.e7, . . . ti'c7, . . .b7-b5, ... .i.b7 and
...lbbd7 or ...e7-e5 and then ... .i.e6,
... .i.e7, ...ti'c7 and ... bd7. We have
divided the material into two main
sections:
A. Main Line with 6 .i.g5
B. Kaleidoscope: everything but
6 .i.g5
A.1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
d4 lMS 5 c3 a6 6 g5 (Main
Line)
White's most aggressive setup in
the Sicilian is to castle queenside.
The move 6 .i.g5 plans f2-f4 and
ti'f3, clearing the way for a quick
0-0-0.
6 . . . lbbd7 is well met by 7 f4
ti'b6 8 ti'd2 (8 b3?! h6! 9 .i.h4
ti'e3 + and 10 . . . ti'xf4 costs White
a pawn) 8 . . .ti'xb2 9 l:lbl ti'a3 10
.i.xf6! gxf6 (10 . . . lbxf6 1 1 e5) 1 1
lbd5 'i'c5 1 2 llb3!, followed by l:lc3
and c7, with a clear edge for
White.
7 f4
This pawn not only protects the
bishop on g5 against various tac
tical motifs, but may also preface
an advance with e4-e5 or f4-f5.
Mter 7 'i'e2 h6 8 .i.h4 .i.e7 Black
is already threatening to win a
pawn with 9 ... e4 10 .i.xe7 xc3
1 1 .i.xd8 xe2 and 7 ti'd3 lbbd7 8
0-0-0 b5 followed by ... .i.b7 is also
comfortable for Black. Black's
queenside play can be hindered
by 7 ti'f3, but then 7 . . . h6! 8 .i.h4
(8 .i.xf6 ti'xf6! 9 ti'xf6 gxf6 is fine
for Black in view of a later . . . h6-
h5 and ... .i.h6 with a healthy
bishop pair) 8 . . . lbbd7 9 0-0-0 lbe5
10 'i'e2 g5 1 1 .i.g3 .i.d7 12 h4 llg8
planning . . .ti'c7, ...b7-b5 is more
than adequate.
Black has two major replies to 7
f4:
AI. 7 ti'b6!? and
A2. 7 .i.e7.
The following rather rare vari
ations serve to demonstrate some
of the typical tactical themes in
this line:
 S icilian Defence
a) 7 :ii'c 7 ?! 8 'ii'f3 b5 9 0-0-0
follow or he6 after ...li)bd7, while
b4 10 e5! .ib7 11 li)cb5! 'ii' b 6 (or
ll ... axb5 12 .bb5+ li)bd7 13 'ii'h3!
and if the knight on f6 moves
then 14 li)xe6! wins) 12 'ii'h3! and
now a 'help-mate' : 12 . . . tbd5 13
li)xe6! axb5 14 l:xd5 i.xd5 15
li)xg7 + and 'ii'c8 check and mate!
b) 7 li)bd7 8 'ii'f3 (White's at
tack does not penetrate after 8
i.c4 b5 9 i.xe6 fxe6 10 li)xe6 'ii'a5
11 0-0 .ib7!) 8 . . . 'ii'c7 9 0-0-0 b5 10
i.xb5! axb5 U li)dxb5 'ii'b8 12 e5
l:a5 (the threat was 13 'ii'xaB and
li)c7 with a family check; and on
12 . . . .t b7, 13 'ii'e 2 followed by 'ii'c4
and li)c7 + ) 13 exf6 gxf6 14 i.h6!
i.xh6 15 li)xd6+ q;e7 16 q;b1!
li)b6 17 li)ce4 li)a4 18 li)xc8+ :XeS
19 . 'ii'a 3 + li)c5 20 'ii'xa5 li)xe4 21
'ii'a3 +! li)c5 22 g3 and White is
better, especially ifhe can manage
to liquidate to an endgame.
c) 7 h6? 8 i.h4 'ii'b6 9 a3!
tive. However, 8 li)b3!? deserves
and now 9 ...'ii'xb2 is wrong in view
of 10 li)a4 trapping the queen,
whilst otherwise 10 .tf2 drives
the queen back.
d) 7-b5! 8 e5 dxe5 9 fxe5 'ii'c7!
10 ex:6 'ii'e5+ l l .ie2 'ii'xg5 12 'ii'd3
'ii'xf6 13 m1 'ii'e5 14 l:d1 (White
wants to move his knight from d4
but he does not want to allow
Black to check him with 14" .'ii'g5
after 14 0-0-0) 14 ... l:a7! 15 li)dxb5!
l:d7 1 6 'ii'c4 and in this compli
cated position Black has a vast
number of moves to choose from
( . . . i.c5, . . .'ii' c5, . . . .tb7, ...l:xd1 + ) .
White's typical sacrifices in the
Najdorf are hb5 with li)xb5 to
145
if White's queen is on f3 then e4-
e5 to open the h1-a8 diagonal is
also a fine motif. Black has to
trust in his protective forces and
get going with his queenside play
as soon as possible ( ...b7-b5, ...'ii'c7,
...li)bd7 and ... .tb7).
A1 . 1 e4 c5 2 li)f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
li)xd4 li)f6 5 li)c3 a6 6 i.g5 e6 7 f4
'ii' b61 ?
By attacking the b2-pawn Black
aims to delay White's 0-0-0.
8 'ii'd2 !?
8 b3? and 8 l:b1? are both out of
the question as they mess up the
white queenside. Also artificial is
8 a3? ! : 8 . . . li)c6 (8 . . . 'ii'xb2?? 9 li)a4
+-) 9 li)b3 i.e7 10 'ii'f3 h6 ll i.h4
g5! 12 fxg5 li)e5 13 'ii'e2 li)fg4! 14
h3 hxg5 and Black has the initia
attention, after which 8 . . . 'ii'e3 + 9
'ii'e2 'ii'x e2 + 10 i.xe2 li)c6 l l i.f3
i.d7 12 0-0-0 i.e7 13 li)a4! leaves
White a whole lot better (). In
this example the queen exchange
has only highlighted White's spa
tial advantage, the semi-open d
fiJ.e and the weak square on b6. So
after 8 li)b3!? Black - glad that
the knight on d4 has been with
drawn - should play 8 ...li)bd7 and
then . . . .te7, . . .'ii'c 7, ...b7-b5 along
the lines of 7 . . . i.e7 (see the next
section).
8 'ii'xb2 9 li)b3
This is more restrained than 9
l:b1 'ii'a3 and now:
14S Basic Chess Openings
a) 10 .i.xf6 gxfO 1 1 i.e2 tOeS 12
lOxcS bxcS 13 0-0 'ifa5!? 14 hl
i.e7 15 f5 h5!? co.
b) 10 e5 dxe5 11 fxe5 fd7 12
i.c4 'ifa5 ! (Black needs the queen
for the defence as White is threat
ening both heS and 12 . . .e5 13
eS!) 13 0-0 e5 14 libel c4
15 'iff4 S lS 'ifc7 17 c4! (the
immediate 17 f5? is bad due to
17 . . .'ifbS+ ) 17 ...l0b5! (not 17 ... hS?
18 f5! 'ii'b S+ 19 c5! and wins) 18
cxb5 'ifx4 19 i.xf4 and although
White's advantage in development
is enormous, he needs something
more concrete for the two pawns
(:j:),
c) 10 f5!? tOeS! 11 fxe6 fxeS 12
xcS bxcS 13 e5 dxe5 14 i.xffi
gxffi 15 e4 i.e7 lS i.e2 h5! 17
ltb3! 'ifa4, reaching the starting
point of some extensive theoretical
analysis! For example 18 lOx6+ !?
(or 18 c4 f5 19 0-0 fxe4 20 'ifc3
'ifxa2! 2 1 i.dl llf8! 22 i.xh5 +
Wd8 23 lldl + .td7 24 'ife3! 'ifa5
25 llb7 i.c5 2S lldxd7 + with a per
petual along the seventh rank)
18 . . . .txffi 19 c4 i.h4+ 20 g3 i.e7
21 0-0 lla7! 22 ltb8 llc7, when the
black king may go wandering via
e8-e7-dS after ... .tc5 + and ... i.d4.
White's attack is more or less bal
anced by his material sacrifices.
The moral of the Najdorf is that
an attack on the king may look
promising, but Black has a flex
ible position and may just estab
lish a material advantage . . . often
White runs into trouble after his
attack loses steam.
9 'ifa3
The main alternative is 9 ...t0cS,
thwarting the queen trap 10 a3
and lla2 with 10 . . . a5. So on
9 . . . cS White plays 10 .txf6 gxf6
1 1 a4 'ifa3 12 bS ltb8 13 c4
'ifa4 14 a3 b5 15 dS+ i.xdS lS
'ifxdS 'ifxe4+ 17 i.e2 'ifd5 18 'ifxd5
exd5 19 0-0-0, and after 19 e7
20 .t3 .teS 21 lthel 0-0 22 g4 f5!
an equal endgame is reached.
10 .t:xf6
Mter 10 i.d3 i.e7 1 1 0-0 hS! , it
is bad to play 12 .th4? in view of
12 . . .e4, while after 12 .txf6
i.xffi 13 e5 dxe5 14 e4 d7 15
f5! ex5 lS :x5 .te7 17 i.c4 ffi
18 :Xe5 0-0 White still has to prove
the correctness of his sacrifice.
10 gxf6 1 1 i.e2 c6 12 0-0
i.d7 13 c;i;>b1 h5!
Simultaneously attacking, mak
ing . . . ..t8-hS possible and, above
all, hindering i.e2-h5.
14 d1
The knight is en route to c4 to
attack the dS-pawn.
14 llc8 15 e3 'ifb4
w
 S icilian Defence
Plans and Counterplans:
White will sidestep the exchange
of queens and aims to strike at
the weak squares on b6 and d6. As
for Black, we should ask the best
'Najdorfer' in the world, namely
Garry Kasparov: 16 c3 'it'xe4 (not
16 ...'ifb6? when 17 4 and l:tad1
wins the d6-pawn) 17 ..td3 'ifa4 18
c4 l:tc7 19 b6 'ifa3 20 :tae1
e7! 21 c4 :Xc4! 22 ..txc4 h4!
followed by ...f7-f5 and .....tg7 when
Black takes over. White should
therefore settle for a draw with a
'perpetual check on the queen' af
ter 2D c4.
A2. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 f6 5 3 a6 6 ..tg5 e6 7 f4
..te7
8 'it'f3 'ifc7
The tempting 8 . . . h6 9 ..th4 g5
10 fxg5 fd 7 fails to 1 1 'ifh5 ! :
1 1 . . . e5 ( 1 1 . . . ..txg5?? 1 2 e6!)
12 ..tg3 hg5 13 ..te2 'ii'b6 14 l:td1
'it'xb2 15 0-0 l:tf8 16 db5! axb5
1 7 b5 rj;e7 18 d6 and Black
must throw in the towel.
9 O-O-O bd7
In this position Black should
place castling behind development
moves. For example, 9 . . . 0-0? 10
..td3 ! c6 11 xc6 bxc6 12 e5!
dxe5 13 'it'h3! h6 (13 ... g6 14 'it'h4
+-) 14 ..txh6! ! gxh6 15 'ifxh6 e4
16 e4 e4 17 ..txe4 f5 18 'it'g6+
rj;h8 19 ..txc6! 'ifxc6 20 ..td3 and,
with the help of reinforcements,
White's attack prevails.
10 g4!
147
White cannot make progress
without this pawn:
a) 10 f5?! e5 1 1 b3 b5 12 a3
..tb7 13 h4 l:tc8 (this threatens
14 ... e4!) 14 ..td3 h5! and White
runs out of breath. Black can trek
his knights to c4 or g4.
b) 10 ..te2. The point of this
move is that on 10 . . .h6 11 ..th4 g5
12 fxg5 e5 13 'it'e3! the bishop
keeps the black knights out of the
g4-square since after 13 ... g4 14
.i.xg4! g4 15 'ii'd2 :tg8 16 f3
'ii'd8 1 7 ..tg3! the d6-pawn falls.
Black needs both knights in the
fight for the dark squares. So on
10 .1e2 Black should play 10 . . .b5!
11 ..txf6 xf6 12 e5 ..tb7, when
Black is fine even after the inter
esting queen sacrifice 13 exf6!
..txf3 14 hf3 .1xf6 15 ..txa8 d5
16 ..txd5! hd4! 1 7 :Xd4 exd5 18
d5 'it'c5 19 l:te1 + c.!i>f8 20 c3 h5! ,
when the rook o n h 8 can join the
game from h6.
c) 10 ..td3!? (preparing l:the1
and then often d5!) 10 . . . b5 (or
10 . . . h6 1 1 .i.h4 g5 12 fxg5 e5 13
'it'e2 g4 14 f3! hxg5 15 ..tg3! -
it is worth much more than a
pawn to loosen Black's grip -
15 . . . xf3 16 gxf3 e5 17 f4 gxf4
18 ..txf4 ..td7 19 l:tdfl ! ! and Black
can hardly castle queenside owing
to ..txe5 and l:lxf7, while other
wise the h-pawn is on the march!)
1 1 l:lhe1 ..tb7 12 'it'g3!? b4! (but
not 12 . . . 0-0-0? 13 ..txb5! axb5 14
dxb5 'ifb6 15 e5 dxe5 16 fxe5
d5 1 7 ..txe7, to be followed by
18 d6 + and xf7 +-) 13 5!
148 Basic Chess Openings
exd5 14 exd5 c;&>d8 15 'ife3 ltlb6 16
ltlf5 ltlbxd5 17 'ifd4 .tf8 18 .te4
c;&>c8 19 ltlxg7! with great compli
cations.
10 b5 11 .txf6 ltlxf6
tive) 15 ...e5 16 ltlb3 ltlxe4! 17 'ifxe4
After ll ...gxfO 12 f5 ltle5 13 'ifh3
0-0 14 l:tg1 c;&>h8 15 ltlce2! 7 16
ltl4 the e6-pawn is hanging, while
on 16 . . . 'ifxe4, 1 7 ltlh5 threatens
.tg2 and 'ifh4. Instead, ll . . . .txf6
12 g5 (12 .txb5?! l:tb8! 13 .txd 7 +
- 13 .te2? .txd4 14 l:txd4 l:txb2! -
13 . . . .txd7 and . . . 0-0, . . . :res, ... a6-
a5 with attack) 12 . . . .te7 leads to
the same position as ll ... ltlx6.
12 g5 ltld7 13 f5!?
A brave move, but there is no
time to fool around since Black is
threatening to assail the e4-pawn
with . . .b5-b4 and then . . . .tb7 and
. . . ltlc5. If White tries to prevent
this advance with 13 a3 then
13 . . . l:tb8 ! 14 h4 b4 15 axb4 lbb4
16 .th3! 'it'c5! (not 16 ... 'it'b6 17
ltlf5! exf5 18 ltld5 'it'c5 19 exf5!
and the threat is 20 l:the1) 17 ltlb3
'ii' b 6 18 h5 ltlc5 19 ltlxc5 dxc5 20
g6 fxg6 21 hxg6 h6 with a double
edged fight.
13 ltlc5!
Plans and Counterplans:
13 ... ltle5 is wrong due to 14
'ii' g3 b4 15 ltlce2, threatening 16
ltl4 when the pawn on e6 is de
fenceless as . . . e6xf5 would hand
the d5-square to White on a silver
platter. It is also risky to snatch
the pawn on g5: 13 . . . .txg5+ 14
wb1 ltle5 15 ti'h5! and both the
bishop on g5 and the pawn on e6
are hanging.
14 f6
Mter 14 h4 b4 15 ltlce2 (or 15
fxe6 fxe6! 16 ltlce2 g6 17 b1 .tb7
18 ltlg3 :rs 19 'ife3 e5 20 ltlb3
ltle6 and Black seizes the initia
.tb7 18 l:td5 l:tc8 19 c3 ti'c4! 20
'ifxc4 lhc4 2 1 .tg2 .txd5 22 .txd5
l:txh4, a rook and two pawns plus
an active position, for two pieces,
is not a bad trade.
14 gxf6
Not 14 . . . .tf8? 15 .txb5 + ! ! axb5
16 ltldxb5 and the queen has seri
ous problems escaping in view of
17 fxg7 and then ltlxd6.
15 gxf6 .tf8
w
Black is again planning . . .b5-b4
and ... .tb7. If White prevents this
with 16 a3 then Black can follow
up with 16 . . . l:tb8!? with the idea
of . . .b5-b4, since 17 b4! ltld7 and
18 . . . ltle5 is more pleasant for
Black. White should therefore play
for an attack, but how? 1 6 .th3
b4 17 ltld5!? exd5 18 exd5 .txh3
19 l:the1 + <iPd8 20 ltlc6+ <iPc8 2 1
ti'xh3+ 'ifd7! and 2 2 l:te8+ c;&>c7 23
 S icilian Defence
'ifxd7 + d7 24 lha8 does not win
the rook in view of 24 ... .thS+ and
25 . . . l:.xa8, and a piece is a piece.
Therefore it seems logical to play
16 'ifh5 so that after a piece sacri
fice on d5 and l:.he1 + White can
win the pawn on f7 by chasing the
black king to d8. Black cannot
play 1S . . .b4? 17 lM5 exd5 18 exd5
.td7 19 l:te1 + 'it?d8 20 'it?b1! 'it?c8
2 1 'ifxf7 'it?b7 22 l006 () , but he
does have 1S ... .td7 17 .th3 b4 and
18 lM5 exd5 19 exd5 0-0-0, even
though White still has an initia
tive for the piece. The latest in
vention is 16 l:tgl !?, intending
l:tg1-g7, with a number of threats.
For example, 1S . . . .td7 17 l:tg7!
.txg7 18 fxg7 l:tg8 19 e5! 0-0-0 20
exdS 'ifb7 21 'ifxf7 M 22 2 'ifd5
23 'iff2! 'ifxa2 24 ltlb3 lllxb3 + 25
cxb3 and the black king falls prey
to the white queen or 1S ... b4 17
ltld5 'ifb7 18 l:.g7! exd5 19 exd5
.td7 20 IlleS .txcS 21 dxcS 'ifc7 22
'ife3+ and it is curtains for Black.
The only move that has withstood
practical tests is 1S l:tg1!? h5!?, al
though even now White has a
strong attack. Play may continue:
17 a3 .td7 18 .th3!? (after 18 l:tg7
l:tc8 19 .th3 'ifd8! 20 l:tdg1 l:thS! 21
b4 'ifxf6! 22 'ifxf6 llxf6 23 bxc5
.txg7, followed by ... :Xc5, Black is
winning) 18 . . . ltla4 19 ltlxa4 bxa4
20 e5 and now after 20 ... l:tc8? 21
exdS .txdS 22 'it?b1 .te5 23 c3 ()
Black has not a shred of counter
play so he should play 20 . . .l:tb8!?,
which still awaits practical test
ing. The other option on 1S l:tg1!?
149
h5!? is the immediate 17 l:tg7:
17 ... b4 18 lM5 exd5 19 exd5 .tg4!
20 l:te1 + d8 and now White can
sustain his attack with either 2 1
'ife3 c8 22 llleS!? o r 21 'iff4 c8
22 IlleS. In tournament practice a
delicate balance between attack
and defence is starting to take
shape, but this balance may be
disrupted by new moves for either
side.
B. Kaleidoscope
1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lllxd4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 a6
In this section we deal with
White's alternatives to S .tg5 in
the N ajdorf consists of the follow
ing tracks:
B1. 6 h3
B2. 6 a4
B3. 6 g3
B4. 6 f4
B5. 6 .te2
B6. 6 .tc4 and
B7. 6 .te3.
8 1 . 1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
ltlxd4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 a6 6 h37 1
This unnecessary move gives Black
the opportunity to transpose to
other variations - with an extra
tempo!
6 e6!
S ... e5? plays into White's hands
as after 7 ltlde2 and 8 g4 the
knight goes to g3 and threatens
ltlf5 or g4-g5. But S ... g6!? 7 g4 .tg7
150 Basic Chess Openings
8 g5 h5 9 .i.e2 e5 10 b3 f4!?
comes into consideration, since if
White captures the knight on f4
then Black rules the
. dark squares.
7 g4
Now we have reached the Keres
Attack of the Scheveningen Vari
ation, only here White has spent
time on the tempo-losing h2-h3.
7 d5! 8 exd5 xd5 9 de2!
.tb4! 10 .tg2 0-0 11 .td2 b6 co,
82. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 f& 5 c3 a& 6 a47 1
By including the moves . . . a7-a6
and a2-a4 Black's position is more
favourable in nearly every vari
ation. For example, in the Dragon
after 6 ... g6 7 .i.e2 .tg7 8 0-0 0-0 9
.te3 c6 or in the Four Knights
Variation with 6 ... c6!? 7 .te2 e5
8 3 (or 8 c6 bxc6 and now 9
f4 a5! or 9 a5 d5! is already better
for Black) 8 ...h6 followed by ... .i.e6,
. . . .i.e7, . . . 0-0 and . . . l:c8, giving
Black good play.
83. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 f6 5 c3 a& 6 g3
6 e5!? 7 de2
Or 7 b3 bd7 8 a4 b6 9 .tg2
.tb7 10 :CS 1 1 0-0 .te7 12
l:e1 l:c5! hindering c3-d5 whilst
preparing for an attack on the e4-
pawn: 13 fl 'ifa8! with an active
position for Black.
7 b5!? 8 .tg2
Mter the faulty 8 a4 b4? 9 d5
xd5 10 'ifxd5! White is on top,
but instead of 8 . . . b4, 8 . . . .i.b7! 9
.i.g2 bd7!? 10 axb5 axb5 11 l:xa8
'ifxa8 12 xb5 'i'a5 + and . . .xe4
is better for Black.
8 .tb7 9 0-0 .te7 10 h3
.
White opts for the typical plan
of a slow expansion with h2-h3,
g3-g4 and g3.
10 0-0 1 1 g4 bd7 12 g3
b4! 13 d5 xd5 14 exd5 g6!?
15 .th6 fle8 16 'ifd2! a5 17 f4
.ta6 18 flf3
Or 18 flf2 .th4 19 h2 e4! co,
18 exf4!
19 'i'xf4 or 19 .txf4 .tf6!
gives Black sufficient counterplay.
84. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 li)f6 5 c3 a& 6 f4
6 e5 7 bd7 8 a4
Otherwise Black obtains easy
play with ...b7-b5, ... .te7, . . . .tb7,
... 0-0 and ... 'ifc7.
8 .te7 9 .td3 00 10 0-0
exf4!?
A good decision since on 11
.tx4 'ifb6+ 12 h1 'ifxb2 13 'ife1
'ifb6 14 d5 d5 15 exd5 'ifd8!
Black steals a pawn for nothing,
and although 1 1 h1 e5 12 .txf4
'ifc7 13 'ifd2 .te6 14 d4 l:fe8 15
.txe5 dxe5 16 xe6 fxe6 'looks
ugly for Black owing to his dou
bled isolated e-pawn, these pawns
exert excellent control over all of
the central squares and Black is
strong on the dark squares ( = ).
On 11 h1, 1 1 ...h5!? is interest
ing: 12 d4 g6 13 .te2 df6 14
5 .te6 = .
 S icilian Defence
85. 1 e4 c5 2 lt!f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lt!xd4 lt!f6 5 lt!c3 a& 6 e2
6 e5 7 ltlb3
7 ltlf3 bottles up the strength of
the f2-pawn: 7 . . . h6! (preventing
g5xf6 which would consolidate
White's grip on the d5-square) 8
0-0 e6 9 l:le1 ltlbd7 10 fl e7
11 a4 b6! (hindering a4-a5 which
would clamp down on Black) 12 b3
0-0 13 b2 'flc7 14 h3 l:lfc8 15
'fld2 'flb7 ! and Black aims for
. . . b6-b5. 7 ltlf5 looks strange but
it should not be taken lightly:
7 ...xf5 8 exf5 h6 (8 ... d5 9 g5) 9
f3! and Black does not achieve
. . . d6-d5. Correct is 7 . . . d5!? 8 g5!
d4! 9 x6 'flx6 10 ltld5 'fld8 1 1
c 4 g6 12 lt!g3 h 5 ! 13 fa e6 14
ltle2 g7 and . . . 0-0 with equal
chances.
7... e7
On 7 . . . e6?! White has the ex
cellent 8 f4! 'flc7 9 g4! exf4 10 g5!
lt!fd7 1 1 xf4, followed by 'fld2
and 0-0-0 .
8 0-0
8 f4 0-0 9 g4 d5! 10 exd5 b4! is
heavenly for Black as besides
. . . lt!xd5 and . . . lt!e4 he also threat
ens ...lt!xg4 followed by ...'flh4 +.
8 0-0 9 f4 'flc7 10 a4 e6 1 1
f5 c4 12 a5 lt!bd7 13 e3 b5!
14 axb6 ltlxb6 15 h1 l:lfc8 16
xb 6 'flxb6 17 xc4 l:lxc4 18
'fle2 l:lac8 19 l:la2 d8! 20 l:lfa1
'flb7!
Now the pawn on e4 is hanging
and on 2 1 l:la4, 21.. .l:lxa4 22 l:lxa4
a5! secures the a-pawn.
151
86. 1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lt!xd4 lt!f6 5 lt!c3 a& 6 c4
6 ...e6
Not 6 . . . e5? 7 ltlf5 xf5 8 exf5
and Black has a permanent hole
on d5. Mter 6 ... e6 play transposes
into the Scheveningen Variation
(section II).
87. 1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lt!xd4 lt!f6 5 lt!c3 a& 6 e3 17
This dangerous move needs to be
examined more carefully. White is
planning to storm the black king
side with f2-f3, 'fld2, 0-0-0 and
then g2-g4-g5, when by chasing
away the knight from f6 White in
creases his control over d5.
6...lt!g4!?
Black may as well make use of
his control over the g4-square.
6 ... e5 results in nerve-racking
complications: 7 lt!b3 (7 ltlf3 e7
8 c4 0-0 9 0-0 lt!c6 10 'fle2 ltla5
1 1 b3 h6 12 lUd1 ltlxb3 13 axb3
'fle8! 14 ltld2!? b5 ! , followed by
. . . e6 and . . . 'flc6, with an equal
position and a peaceful old age)
7 . . . e6 8 f3!? (or 8 f4 exf4 9 xf4
lt!c6 10 'fle2 :ca 1 1 ha g6!? 12 g4 -
12 0-0-0 lt!h5! 13 h2 lt!g3 ! ! 14
xg3 'flg5 + and 'flxg3 + - 12 . . . h5
13 g5 ltld7 14 0-0-0 e7 15 l:lg1
ltlce5 co) 8 . . . e7 (not 8 . . . d5?! 9
exd5 lbxd5 10 lbxd5 'flxd5 11 'flxd5
xd5 12 0-0-0 and White is much
better developed) 9 'fld2 lt!bd7
(9 ... 0-0!? comes into consideration.
Now 10 g4! d5 is fine for Blacl:t,
152 Basic Chess Openings
while 10 0-0-0 a5!? 1 1 .i.b5! 6
12 g4 lDe8, followed by . . . 7 and
. . . 1Wb8 and ... a5-a4 is also play
able. Of course in the meantime
White is also rushing forward on
the other flank with g4-g5, h2-h4,
'ii'g4, and g5-g6!) 10 g4 h6! (after
10 . . . b5 1 1 a4! b4 12 lDd5 .i.xd5 13
exd5 White is threatening 0-0-0
and 1Wxb4 or g4-g5, h2-h4, l:tg1
and has control over the light
squares with his bishop on fl) 1 1
h 4 b 5 12 l:tg1 b4 1 3 lDa4 d 5 1 4 g5!
(White has to put aside 0-0-0 for
the moment to deal with Black's
counter in the centre) 14 . . . d4 15
.i.xd4 .i.xb3 16 gxf6 .i.xf6 17 axb3
exd4 18 0-0-0 lDe5 19 f4! lDf3 20
'ii'g2 1 21 e5! ! 0-0 22 .i.d3 .i.xe5
23 fxe5 1Wxh4 24 :Xg1 and White
has an attack. The most success
ful exponent of 6 .i.e3, the Indian
grandmaster ViswanathanAnand,
has been our tutor in this line.
'1 .i.g5 h6 8 .i.h4 g5 9 .i.g3
Mter 9 lDf5 Black can win the
pawn with 9 . . . lDf6! 10 .i.g3 lDxe4
1 1 e4 .i.xf5, while Black also
obtains excellent play after 9 .te2?!
.tg7 10 .i.g3 h5! 1 1 h4 12 lDb3
gxh4, as after both 13 .i.xh4 .i.e6
14 'ii'd2 1Wb6! and 13 :Xh4 .i.e6 14
'ii'd2 'ii' b 6! White has problems
with his pawn on f2 and Black is
also threatening . . . .i.h6.
9 .i. g'1 10 'ii'd2 lDc6 U lDb3
dorf (where the fifth move is
(D)
Plans and Counterplans:
White is preparing for queenside
castling and will hamper Black's
B
kingside initiative with h2-h4 or f2-
f3. Black can continue 1 1 .te6
12 f3 e5 13 5 b5 (13 ... lDg6!?
intending ...h5-h4) or u f5!? 12
...
exf5 .i.xf5 13 .td3 1i'd7 14 0-0 0-0
15 lDd5 .txd3 16 1Wxd3 'ii'f5 with
equal chances.
The standard 'N ajdorf reply'
... e7-e5 is a good response in most
of these sidelines, but Black al
ways has the option of the flexible
. . . e7-e6 if he prefers, transposing
to the Scheveningen Variation
(see section II).
Jv. Four Knights Variation
1 e4 c5 2 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
d4 lM6 5 lDc3 lDc6 (D)
The Four Knights Variation is
very closely related to the Schev
eningen (where instead of5 . . . lDc6
Black plays 5 . . . e6) and the Naj
5 . . . a6). Often the same position
can arise from all three move-or
ders. The most typical feature of
the Four Knights Variation is that
Black controls the square g4. So
 S icilian Defence
w 10 .i.e3 b5 followed by .. . l:r.c8,
here White cannot copy the Keres
Attack of the Scheveningen (5 ... e6
6 g4!?) . And what is more, 6 .i.e3,
which is playable against both the
Najdorf and Scheveningen, is now
harmless in view of 6 . . . tbg4! 7
.i.b5 tbxe3 8 fxe3 .i.d7 9 0-0 (9
.i.xc6?! bxc6 10 0-0 e5! 1 1 'illf3 f6
and White's initiative is beaten
back) 9 . . . e6 10 .i.xc6 bxc6 and
now after either 1 1 'illf3 'ilff6 12
'ille2 'illg5 or 11 e5 .i.e7 12 'illh5 0-0
Black's king finds safety and
sooner or later the weaknesses of
White's pawn structure and the
difference between the knight pair
and bishop pair will make them
selves felt.
In this section we consider
three possibilities for White:
A. Boleslavsky Variation: 6 .i.e2
e5.
B. Sozin Variation: 6 .i.c4.
C. Rauzer Variation: 6 .i.g5.
On moves oflesser importance
Black usually equalizes quite eas
ily:
153
6 g3?! .i.g4! Forcing a weaken
ing. 7 f3 .i.d7 8 .i.g2 a6 9 lbb3 e6
....i.e7, ... 0-0 and ...'illc 7 or 6 f4 e5!?
7 tbf3 (7 tbxc6 bxc6 8 fxe5 tbg4!? 9
exd6? .i.xd6 with a huge initiative
for the pawn) 7 . . . .i.e7 8 .i.c4 0-0 9
0-0 exf4 ! 10 .i.b3 (10 .i.xf4 'illb6 +
and ... 'ilxb2) 10 ...tbg4 threatening
1 1 . . . tbe3 and 1 1 ... 'illb6 + followed
by tbf2+ .
A . 1 e 4 c 5 2 tbf3 d 6 3 d 4 cxd4 4
tbxd4 tbf6 5 tbc3 tbc6 6 .i.e2 e5
(Boleslavsky Variation)
6 ... tbxd4?? would be a mistake,
since although Black has 'forced'
the queen to the centre with 7
'illxd4 but there is nothing to at
tack and chase it with. The situ
ation is completely different for
example in the Scandinavian De
fence where after 1 e4 d5 White
captures d5 in order to win a
tempo and chase the well-placed
queen after 2 exd5 'illxd5 3 tbc3!
For 6 ... e6 see section II, and for
6 . . . g6 section VI.
7 tbf3
7 tbxc6 is unpretentious: 7 ...bxc6
8 0-0 .i.e7 9 'illd3 tbd7! 10 'illg3 0-0
1 1 f4 exf4! 12 .i.xf4 tbe5! 13 .i.xe5
dxe5 14 'illxe5 .i.d6 15 'illh5 'ill b6 +
with . . . 'illxb2 to follow and Black
is better. An important manoeu
vre on f2-f4 is e5xf4 and then the
knight - brought to d7 well in ad
vance - jumps to e5. 7 tbf5? .i.xf5
8 exf5 d5 9 .i.g5 .i.b4, and 7
tbdb5? a6 8 tba3 b5!? (8 . . . .i.e6!?)
154 Basic Chess Openings
are both ill-advised lines. But
White should consider 7 b3 e7
8 0-0 0-0 9 f4!? a5! 10 a4 b4 1 1
'it;h1 b 6 (also possible i s 1 1 . . . e6
12 f5 d7 and c6) 12 f3 b7
with an unclear game in which
White has to know that he cannot
ease central pressure with f4-f5,
due to d6-d5, or with f4xe5, owing
to the weakening of the e4-pawn.
7 h6!?
Hindering White's plan of g5-
xf6-d5.
8 0-0 e7 9 llel
Or 9 e3 0-0 10 'ifd2 e6 1 1
llfd1 'id7 and ... llfd8 = .
9 0-0 10 h3
White is aiming for 11 fl as
the immediate 10 fl is met by
10 . . . g4 1 1 h3 xf3 12 'ifxf3
d4.
10 e6 ll n
...
B Variation)
Plans and Counterplans:
White has cautiously protected
the pawn on e4 and now he is
planning c3-d5. This cannot be
thwarted with u d5? as after
...
the exchanges on d5 Black loses
the pawn on e5, and U 'ifa5 12
d2 'ifd8 (12 . . . 'ifb6 13 a4 and
c2-c4 ;!;;) 13 a4!? d5 14 exd5 'ifxd5
15 c4! 'id6 16 c3 is also better
for White owing to the pawn on e5
and the mobile white queenside.
Black therefore has to get ready
for 12 d5: u .llc8?! 12 d5
...
xd5 13 exd5 b8 14 c4! bd7 15
b4 a5 16 a3 and White's bishop pair
and queenside initiative speak for
themselves (;!;) . More precise is
ll b8! 12 5 d5 (12 ... hd5
..
13 exd5 bd7 14 c4 a5! and White
can hardly get in b2-b4 and the
mobilization of his queenside!) 13
exd5 f5 14 c4 d7 and now 15
e3 e4!? 16 4 g6, followed by
the manoeuvre ... 7-e5-d3, or 15
a3 f6! with the constant threat
of playing . . . e5-e4, offers Black
level chances.
B. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 d& 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 f& 5 c3 c& 6 c4 (Sozin
White chooses an aggressive at
tacking setup. At times like this
Black is easily punished for any
naivete: 6 ... g6?! 7 xc6 bxc6 8 e5!
dxe5?? (8 ... g4 9 f4 ) 9 xf7+ !
xf7 10 1i'xd8 +-.
6 e6
A natural move, which also de
fends the weak f7-square from pos
sible combinations by the bishop
on c4. Obviously bad is 6 . . . e5?! 7
de2 followed by e3, f3, 'id2,
0-0-0 and White is in control. But
an interesting intermediate move
 S icilian Defence
is 6 . . . 11Vb6!?, forcing the knight
on d4 to a more passive square.
Black need not fear 7 .i.e3 11Vxb2 8
talb5 on account of8 ...11Vb4! 9 .i.d3
'ii'a5 . Better is 7 lDde2 e6 8 0-0 a6
(also playable is the simple ... .i.e7,
... 0-0) 9 .i.b3 .i.e7 10 .i.g5 11Vc7 and
then . . . b7-b5 and Black can con
sider exchanging the bishop on b3
with . . . lDa5. Finally, on 6 ... 'ii'b6
perhaps best is 7 lDb3!?: 7 . . . e6 8
0-0 i.e7 9 .i.g5 0-0!? 10 .i.xffi .i.xffi
1 1 11Vxd6 l:td8 ( 1 1 . . . .i.xc3!?) 12
'ii'g3 i.e5!? 13 'ii' h 3 a5 with excel
lent compensation for the pawn.
7 .i.e3 .i.e7
w i.e3 lDc6.
White's two continuations of
different temperament are:
B1. 8 0-0
B2. 8 11Ve2 and 0-0-0.
8 1 . 8 0-0
8 0-0 9 .i.b3
White can pin his hopes on the
White has f2-f4 in mind but
right now this is premature in
view of 9 f4? d5!
155
9 ... a6!?
Black prepares queenside play,
namely ...b7-b5. He has to live with
the bishop on b3 as after 9 . . . lDa5
10 f4 b6 1 1 e5! the absence of the
knight from the centre is really felt.
Here is a sample line: 1 1 ... dxe5 12
fxe5 lDd7 (12 . . . lDd5 13 lDxd5 exd5
14 11Vf3! ) 13 lhf7! and Black is
in trouble owing to the e6-square
( +-). Thus if White is threaten
ing f2-f4 and e4-e5, Black ought
to keep the knight on c6!
This position can be reached
via the N ajdorf as well: 1 e4 c5 2
lDf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 lDf6 5
lDc3 a6 6 .i.c4 e6 7 .i.b3 (the threat
was 7 ... b5 8 i.b3 b4 and the pawn
on e4 is lost) 7 . . . .i.e7 8 0-0 0-0 9
10 f4 lDxd4!? l l .i.xd4 b5 12
e5!
Otherwise White is doomed to
passivity: 12 a3 (to stop 12 ... b4
which would win the e4-pawn)
12 . . . .i.b7 13 11Ve1 a5! and Black
has the initiative.
12 ...dxe5 13 fxe5 lDd7 14 lDe4
Not 14 'ii'f3?! lDc5! 15 11Vxa8?
11Vxd4+ 16 h1 .i.b7 17 11Va7 11Vxe5!
and apart fro i.d6, White is also
threatening flc7, trapping the
queen.
14 .i.b7 15 lDd6 .i.xd6 16
exd6 11Vg5 co,
Plans and Counterplans:
d6-pawn and hope that Black will
neglect his kingside when White
can have a go at it with the bishop
156 Basic Chess Openings
w risky to accept: 13 . . . exf5? 14 gxf5
pair. Black can trust his active
bishop b7, the open c-file and per
haps the expansion . . . e6-e5 and
. . . f7-f5. For example, 1 7 l:tf2 a5
( 1 7 . . . e5?! 18 .ic3 and 'iffl ties
Black down to f7) 18 a4 e5 19 .ic3
b4 20 .id2 'it"g6 or 17 'it"e2 e5 18
.ic3 'ii'g6 19 l:tad1 c,i;h8 20 .id5!
.ixd5 21 l:txd5 'it"e6 22 l:tfd1 l:tfc8!?
produces a dynamic fight.
82. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 f6 4 c3 c6 6 .ic4 e6 7
.te3 .te7 8 'ii'e2
8 a6
Nowadays Black typically de
lays castling in order to create a
rapid queenside attack, although
he has chances with 8 ...0-0 9 0-0-0
'ifc7 10 .ib3 a6 11 l:thg1 ( 1 1 g4
xd4 12 .ixd4? e5! and the pawn
on g4 is hanging; 12 l:txd4! ) oo
1 1 . . . d7 12 g4 c5 13 g5 .td7 14
h5 l:tfc8! 15 l:tg3 g6 16 'ii' h6 .tf8
17 'it"h4 d4 18 l:txd4 b5! 19 l:th3
h5 20 gxh6 c,i;h7 ! and Black holds
up the white pawn h6 as a shield
(:j:) . In this line instead of 13 g5
White has the typical Sozin sacri
fice 13 f5!? which it is more than
.td7 15 d5 .dB 16 'it"h5 h8 17
l:txg7! c,i;xg7 18 f6 + ! and a quick
mate. Black has to try the cold
blooded line 13 . . . b5 14 .id5! (it is
worth a piece to get a knight in
to d5! ) 14 . . . .tb7 15 g5 l:tfc8, even
though White's pieces have ad
vanced in frightening fashion.
9 0-0-0 'ii'c7 10 .ib3
10 l:thg1 a5 1 1 .id3 b5 12 g4
b4 13 b1 and now Black can play
either . . . f6-d7-c5 or 13 ... .tb7 14
d2 d5!?
10 l005
10 . . . b5? 1 1 xc6! 'it"xc6 12 .id4
and Black's queenside play has
diminished.
1 1 g4 b5 12 g5 l0xb3 +
12 ...d7? 13 .ixe6!
13 axb3 d7 oo
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White has two 'speed gears' at his
disposal. The slower line is 14 h4
b4 15 a4 c5 16 h5 .id7 17 g6
b3 + 18 b3 .ixa4 19 h6! fxg6
 S icilian Defence
20 hxg7 l:tg8 21 ltld4 e5 22 ltle6
'i!i'c6 23 l:txh7 .tb3! 24 l:td5! with
complete disorder. The faster one
goes 14 l0f5!? exf5 15 ltld5 'ifd8
(15 ...'ifa5 loses beautifully: 16 exf5
.tb7 17 l0xe7 'ifal + 18 'ifxb2
19 ltlc6 ! ! 0-0 20 .td4 'ifa3 2 1 l:ta1
+ -) 16 exf5 .tb7 (16 ... 0-0? 17 f6
gxf6 18 .td4 ltle5 19 gxf6 .txf6 20
l:tg1 .tg7 21 .txe5 + -) 17 f6 gxf6
18 l:the1 .txd5 19 l:txd5 l:tg8 20
gxf6 l0xf6 21 l:tf5 l:tb8 (to stop the
threat of 22 .tb6) 22 h4!? ltlg4 23
.tg5 f6 24 'ifxg4 fxg5 25 'ifh5 +
d7 26 lhe7+ 'ifxe7 27 l:tf7 gxh4
28 l:txe7+ rllx e7 29 'ifxh7+ with
an even endgame. This practical
example again shows that even a
wild 'shoot-out' can have a peace
ful outcome.
C. 1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
l0xd4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 ltlc6 6 .tg5 17
(Rauzer Variation)
B gxf6 9 .te2 a6 10 .th5! .td7 11 0-0
White prepares 'ifd2 and 0-0-0,
after which he often tries to con
vert his activity into a more tangi
ble advantage by means of the
157
breakthrough f2-f4 and e4-e5.
Black can try to respond on the
queenside or seek counterplay in
the centre. The main lines are:
Cl. 6 .td7 and
C2. 6... e6.
Others are less significant:
a) 6 g6? 7 .txf6 exf6 8 .tc4
.tg7 9 ltldb5 0-0 10 'ifxd6 .
b) 6 .e5? 7 .txf6! gxf6 (7 ... 'ifxf6
8 ltld5 followed by ltlb5 + -) 8
ltlf5! and, with White controlling
the d5- and f5-squares, Black's
game is in distress ().
c) 6 ... 'ifa5 7 .txf6 gxf6 8 .tb5
.td7 9 ltlb3 'ifc7 10 l0d5 'ifd8 1 1
'ifh5! (a multi-purpose move: while
preparing queenside castling for
White, the queen makes the same
castling difficult for Black by a
permanent attack on the f7-
pawn. This move also prevents
Black's active ...h7-h5, ....th6 plan)
ll ... e6 12 ltle3 and 0-0-0 .
d) 6 'ifb6 7 ltlb3 e6?! 8 .txf6
l:tg8 12 <llh 1 l:tg7 13 f4 0-0-0 14 a4!
and White has an attack.
e) 6 a6 7 .txf6 gxf6 8 .te2 e6
(8 . . . f5 !?) 9 ltlb3 b5 10 0-0 .tb7 1 1
f4 .tg7 and 0-0 ao , 7 'ifd2 e 6 in
stead of 7 .txf6 transposes into
the 6 ... e6 main line.
C 1 . 1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
ltlxd4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 ltlc6 6 .tg5 .td7
Black starts his manoeuvres on
the queenside at once. Typically
158 Basic Chess Openings
he will eventually sacrifice the ex
change on c3!
7 'it'd2
Worse is 7 .bf5 gxf6 8 .ie2 'ii'b6 !
9 ltlb3 f5! and Black has got rid of
his doubled pawns.
7 l:lc8 8 f4!
Black has several opportunities
to sacrifice on c3. For example, 8
0-0-0 ltlxd4 9 'it'xd4 'it'a5 10 f4
:Xc3!? 1 1 bxc3 e5 12 'it'b4 'it'xb4 13
cxb4 ltlxe4 14 .th4 g5! (14 . . . lLlxc3
15 l:ld3 ltlxa2 + 16 b2 ltlb4 17
l:lb3 and White's rook invades the
black position) 15 fxg5 .te7 with a
perfectly playable game for Black.
8 lLlxd4
After 8 ... h6 9 .txm (9 .th4?! g5!
10 fxg5 hxg5 1 1 .ixg5 ltlg4! fol
lowed by ... .tg7 and Black has the
e5 square with control over d4)
9 . . . gxffi 10 ltlf5 ! 'it'a5 1 1 .td3 ltlb4
12 0-0 ltlxd3 13 'it'xd3 'it'c5 + 14
h1 e6 15 ltle3 with l:lad1 and es
pecially f4-f5! to follow. Black's
pawns in the centre are immobile
and he has a hard time finding a
safe place for his king.
9 'it'xd4 'it'a5 10 e5!
This is how White can avoid 10
O-O-O :Xc3.
10 dxe5
the end ofthis line, until it turned
Not 10 ... :Xc3 11 bxc3 ltle4 12
'ifxe4! 'ifxc3 + 13 Wf2 'ifxa1 14
.ib5 ! ! 'it'c3 ( 14 . . . 'it'xh1 15 'it'xb7
hb5 16 'it'c8 mate!) 15 .ixd7+ and
16 'it'xb7 + and White overwhelms
the undeveloped black position.
11 fxe5 e6 12 0-0-0
White cannot take on m be
cause of the 'hanging' g5-bishop.
12 .tc6
Again bad is 12 ...:Xc3? 13 .td2!
.ic5 14 .ixc3 .txd4 15 .txa5 .ixe5
16 .tb5! b6 17 .txd7 + ltlxd7 18
.ib4! and the black queenside is
cramped.
13 ltlb5! .txb5 14 exf6
This is why it was necessary to
close the fifth rank with a piece
sacrifice.
14....ta4
14 ... .tc6 15 h4! .
15 .td2
15 h4? gxf6 16 .txm .th6 + ! 17
.ig5 .ixg5 + 18 hxg5 'it'xg5+ +.
15 :Xc2+ 16 Wb1 lhd2
w
For a long time theoretical books
gave 17 l:lxd2 gxf6 'unclear' as
out that after 17 'it'xd2! White is
better! For example: 17 ... .tb4 18
'ifc1 ! (18 fxg7 l:lg8 19 'ifc1 .txd1
20 'ii'c8+ We7 2 1 'it'xg8 'it'f5 + 22
a1 'ifc2! ) 18 ... 0-0 (certainly not
ao
18 . . . .ixd1?? 19 'ii'c8 + 'it'd8 20
.tb5 + with mate) 19 fxg7 xg7
20 l:ld4 l:ld8 21 :Xd8 'it'xd8 22 .ie2
and Black is an exchange down
 S icilian Defence
without compensation. Alterna
tively, 1 7 . . . 1i'xd2 18 :Xd2 gxf6 19
.te2 .tc6 20 .tf3! .txf3 21 gxf3
followed by llc1 and the white
rooks invade on the c- and d-files
and win. It is worth noting that
only a late novelty (17 'ifxd2! in
stead of 17 :Xd2) made this whole
line attractive for White if he
plays the correct move-order (8
f4! instead of 8 0-0-0) right to the
end. This line gives a little insight
into the world of the 'pros' in
which opening novelty after open
ing novelty help to form the rep
ertoire of the great chess stars.
C2. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 d& 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 f& 5 c3 c& 6 .t g5 e&
7 1i'd2
Another line is 7 'ifd3. Black
has to watch out since the white
queen is heading towards g3
with a kingside attack! So 7 ... .te7
8 0-0-0 0-0 9 f4 and now not
9 . . . .td7?! 10 b3 1i'b6 1 1 a3 :fd8
12 1i'g3! , but 9 . . .xd4 invalidat
ing the difference between 7 'ifd3
and 7 'ifd2. Finally there are two
bishop moves: 7 .te2 .te7 8 0-0 0-0
9 'ifd2 xe4! 10 xe4 .txg5 11
xg5 xd4 12 'ifxd4 'ifxg5 13
'ifxd6 'ifd8! ( 1 3 . . .lld8 14 'ifc7 ;I;) = ;
and 7 .tb5!? .td7 8 .txc6! bxc6
(8 ....txc6 9 c6 bxc6 10 e5! dxe5
1 1 'iff3 with strong initiative for
White) 9 'iff3 h6 10 .th4 e5!? 1 1
f5 hf5 12 'ifxf5 'ifd7 1 3 'iff3
.te7 oo, On 7 'ifd2 Black has two
viable possibilities:
159
C2a. 7 .t e7 or
C2b. 7 a6
Other moves are practically out
of the question as White is threat
ening to bear down on the d6-
pawn with 0-0-0, db5.
C2a. 7 ... .te7
8 0-0-0
8 .txf6?! .txf6 9 db5 0-0! 10
d6 'ifa5 11 4 'ifc5 oo,
8 ... 0-0 9 f4
When Black is already castled
it is no longer worth winning a
pawn with 9 db5 'ifa5 10 .txf6
.txf6 1 1 xd6 because 1 1 . . . lld8
12 f4 e5! causes trouble. Also pos
sible is 9 b3 1i'b6 10 f3 lidS 1 1
.tea 'ifc7 12 'iff2 d 5 with a n un
clear position.
9 ...ltlxd4
Black is ill-advised to play 9 ... e5?
10 5! hf5 1 1 exf5, when the
d5-square belongs to White. Later
he will opt for .tc4, .txf6 and d5.
9 ... d5? is also wrong on account of
10 e5! d7 11 h4 b6 12 Bx7
'ifxe7 13 h5 and White is on top.
Also bad is 9 . . .'ifa5 10 b3 ! and
the black queen is shoved off the
fifth rank from where it could
have kept an eye on the e5-square
and might also attack the bishop
on g5.
10 'ifxd4 'ifa5
On 10 . . . h6 1 1 .th4 'ifa5 the dif
ference favours White as his dark
squared bishop is not attacked by
the enemy queen.
160 Basic Chess Openings

l l .tc4
Premature is 11 e5? dxe5 12 fxe5
lld8! 13 'iff4 llxd1 + followed by w

. . . lCJd5 and Black has seized con

trol (+) . But after 1 1 .tc4, e4-e5
turns into a forceful threat!
n ... .td7!
Black has to grab the chance to
develop the bishop! Not ll ... h6? 12
h4! hxg5? 13 hxg5 lCJg4 14 lld3
and lldh3 with an imminent mat
ing attack, while on ll . . . lld8? 12
llhfl .td7 13 f5! exf5 14 exf5 .txf5?
15 5! d5 16 :xt'5 White wins
a piece. Black has to keep his bal
ance on a narrow ledge, just one
bad move and ...
12 e5
White has no time to wait as af
ter . . . .tc6 and . . . :Cd8 Black con
solidates and starts to think about
a queenside attack. But White has
yet another active option: 12 .txf6
.txf6 13 e5! (not 13 'ifxd6? .txc3
14 'ifxd7 llad8! 15 'ifb5 .td2 +
with ... 'ifxb5 and ... .txf4 to follow)
13 ... .te7 14 exd6 .tf6 15 11fd3 .txc3
16 11fxc3 11fxc3 1 7 bxc3 llac8 18
.tb3 :Xc3 and Black holds in the
endgame. A brand new idea is 12
lld3!?: 12 . . .llad8 13 llg3! h8!
(sidestepping the threat of 14 .th6)
14 e5 dxe5 15 fxe5 .tc6 16 'ife3
lCJgS! 1 7 h4! 'ifb6! with a sharp
game.
Plans and Counterplans:
White launches an attack against
the enemy king while Black's tar
gets are the white kingside pawns
and he aims at invading the some
what draughty white position.
For example, 17 llhe1 :Cd8 18
'ifg4 lCJf8 and now 19 h4 11fc5 20
.tc3 'iff2 ! messes up White's at
tack or 19 .tf1 11fc5 20 .tc3 lCJg6
2 1 'ifg5!? (this is why the bishop
on c4 had to be moved) 21.. .lld5!
22 :Xd5 .txd5 co,
C2b. 1 e4 c5 2 lCJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
lCJxd4 lCJf6 5 lCJc3 lCJc& 6 .tg5 e6 7
'ifd2 a&
8 0-0-0
By parrying lCJdb5 Black has
prepared for two different plans:
C2b1. 8 h6 and

12 dxe5 13 fxe5 .tc6!

C2b2. 8 .td7!?

The knight on f6 is naturally

taboo since the bishop on g5 would The first plan drives the bishop
be hanging! back as after 9 .txf6 'ifxf6! Black
14 i.d2! lCJd7 15 lCJd5 'ifd8 16 has smooth equality, and the sec
lCJxe7 + 11fxe7 ond makes use of the position of
 S icilian Defence
the bishop on g5 with a fine stra
tegic motifl
C2b 1 . 1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d& 3 d4 cxd4
4 lbxd4 lbf& 5 lbc3 lbc& 6 g5 e&
7 Vd2 a& 000 h&
9 e3!?
9 xf6 Vxf6 10 lbb3 Vd8! 11 f4
d7 and then . . . Vc7 and ... 0-0-0
= . Attention! The queen first re
treats via f6-d8-c7 to be near the
king and avoid getting stuck on f6.
Note that 9 h4? drops a pawn:
9 . . . lbxe4! 10 Vf4 lbg5! +. A seri
ous alternative is 9 f4 and on
9 . . d7 (not 9 . . .lbxd4? 10 Vxd4
. and e4-e5 or even play l:thel at
e5? 1 1 xe5 ! + -) 10 fuc6 xc6
and now 11 Vel Vc7 12 e5 d5! or
11 f3 d5 12 Vel b4! with a lively
game.
9 d7
Other tries are:
a) 9 Vc7 10 f3 .:tb8 11 c,jjlbl
e7 12 g4 and d3, h2-h4.
b) 9 lbxd4 10 xd4 b5 11 f3
Va5 12 a3 e5 13 f2! e6 14 h4
g5 15 el! b4? 16 lbd5! xd5 17
exd5 .:tb8 18 c,jjlb l and the pawn on
b4 falls.
c) 9 ie7!? 10 f3 lbxd4 1 1
hd4 e 5 1 2 e3 e6 1 3 g4 l:tc8 14
lbd5 xd5 15 exd5 e4!? and this
time Black has managed to stay
in the game.
10 f4!?
Weaker is 10 f3 b5 11 lbxc6
hc6 12 c,jjlbl Vc7 and White has
no concrete threats.
10 b5 11 d3 e7 12 c,jjlb1
0-0
161
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White has play in the centre. He
can thwart the threat of ... lbf6-g4
with h2-h3, and then play .:thel
once (answering ... lbg4 with gl
followed by h2-h3). Black can get
going on the queenside with ... Vc7,
. . . lba5-c4 or after . . . lbxd4 play
. .. c6, ready to meet e4-e5 with
... d6xe5 and ... lbd7.
C2b2. 1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d& 3 d4 cxd4
4 lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbc3 lbc& 6 g5 e&
7 Vd2 a& 8 000 d7
9 f4
9 f3!? is a far from harmless
move: 9 . . . .:tc8 10 c,jjlbl!? e7 (on
10 . . . b5 1 1 xb5!? axb5 12 lbdxb5
White takes on d6: three pawns
and the initiative outweigh Black's
extra piece) 11 h4 lbe5 12 g4 b5
13 d3! followed by e3, h4-h5,
g4-g5 with a promising attack for
White. 13 d3 ! is a good move as
after 13 . . . b4 14 lbce2 White has
switched his knight and bishop,
thus gaining further control over
162 Basic Chess Openings
the c4-square. Instead of 9 . . Jlc8,
Black is recommended to play the
immediate 9 ... e7 and then 10 h4
b5 11 g4 (after the sacrifice 1 1
xb5 axb5 12 lLldxb5 Black can
castle, leading to an unclear game)
1 1 . . . 0-0 12 e3 lLlxd4 13 'ii'xd4
'ii'a5 with the attack ...b5-b4.
9 b6!?
..
Other possibilities for Black
are 9 . . . 'ii'c7 10 xf6 gxf6 1 1 e2
h5! (to stop White from playing
i.. h5!) and ... 0-0-0 or 9 ...b5 10 hf6
gxf6 ( 1 0 . . . 'ii'xf6? 1 1 e5 dxe5 12
lLldxb5! +-) 11 lLlxc6 i..xc6 12 'ii'e1
e7 13 i.. d3 'ii'b6 and . . .b5-b4,
... a7-a5-a4.
10 h4
Or 10 xf6 'ii'xf6 1 1 lLlf3 'ii'd8
and Black can continue with ...'fic7
and . . . 0-0-0.
10 ...g5!
Black wants to get hold of the
e5-square!
1 1 fxg5 lLlg4! 12 tbf3 bxg5 13
i..g3
13 i..xg5?? f6 14 f4 e5 15 i..e3
lLlxe3 16 'ii'xe3 h6! wins the
queen!
13 ... i..e7 14 i..e2
After the bishop swap, the pawn
on d6 is indirectly protected by
the fork ... lLlf2.
14 ...lLlge5 co
Plans and Counterplans:
Black stands beautifully in the
centre but his king has nowhere
to go. An example from a World
Championship match: 15 'iii>b1 b5
1 6 lldfl ! (making room for the
w
withdrawal of the knight from c3)
16 ... llc8 17 lLlxe5 lLlxe5 18 llf2 f6
19 llhfl i..c6 20 a3 b7 with
chances for both sides. The stra
tegic motif 9 . . .h6!? 10 i..h4 g5! 11
fxg5 lLlg4! must b e present in
one's repertoire!
V. Svesbnikov Variation
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 lLlc6 3 d4
On 2 . . . lLlc6 White sometimes
changes his mind and, instead of
entering the Open Variation, de
viates with 3 b5 !? Then Black
has two main ways to construct
his game:
a) 3 ...e6 4 xc6 (on 4 0-0,
lLlge7 and ... a 7 -a6 is Black's plan)
4 . . .bxc6 5 b3 (or 5 d3 lLle7 fol-
lowed by . . . lLlg6, . . . d7-d6, . . . e7,
. . . 0-0 and . . . e6-e5 with the idea of
a future . . . f7-f5) 5 . . . f6!? (Such su-
per-modern ideas - the plan is a
later ... lLlh6-f7 - had been consid
ered by traditional chess theory to
be the privilege of street players)
6 0-0 lLlh6! 7 d4 lLlf7 8 i..a3 cxd4 9
i..xf8 'iii>xf8 10 lLlxd4 b7 1 1 lLlc3
 S icilian Defence
c5 12 ttlde2 g6 intending .. .rlig7
and . . ..i.c6, when Black has a solid
game.
b) 3 ... g6!? 4 0-0 .i.g7 5 c3 (or 5
.i.xc6 bxc6 - the general principle
is that pawns should capture to
wards the centre - 6 :e1 e5!? 7 c3
ttle7 8 d4 cxd4 9 cxd4 exd4 10 ttlxd4
0-0 1 1 ttlc3 l:[b8) 5 . . . ttlf6 6 :e1 (6
e5 ttld5 7 d4 cxd4 8 cxd4 0-0 9 ttlc3
ttlc7! - 9 . . . ttlxc3 10 bxc3 would
only strengthen the white centre
- 10 .i.a4 d6! = ) 6 . . . 0-0 7 d4 d5!
(after 7 . . . cxd4 8 cxd4 d5 9 e5 ttle4
White has the chance to play 10
ttlc3 ! ;t) 8 exd5 'ifxd5 9 c4 'ifd6 10
dxc5 ( 10 d5 ttld4!? 11 ttlxd4 cxd4
12 'i!Vxd4 ttlg4! 13 'iVf4 .i.e5 +)
10 ... 'ifxd1 11 :xd1 ttle4 = .
3 cxd4 4 ttlxd4 lM6
takes control
Tournament practice has also
seen the immediate 4 . . . e5 5 ttlb5
d6!? (after 5 . . . a6?! 6 ttld6+ .i.xd6
7 'i!Vxd6 'i!Vf6 wherever White goes
with the queen he is better. Black
painfully misses the bishop from
f8, e.g. 8 'l'a3!? 'l'g6 9 .i.e3! 1!Vxe4
10 ttlc3 'iVb4 1 1 'i!Vxb4 ttlxb4 12
0-0-0 followed by .i.c5 and f2-f4
with an attack on Black's king in
the middle) 6 ttl1c3 (White cannot
draw any profit from the differ
ences to the normal Sveshnikov
with 6 c4 since 6 . . . .i.e7 7 ttl1c3 a6
8 ttla3 .i.e6 9 ttlc2 :c8 10 .i.d2
.i.g5! equalizes) 6 ... a6 7 ttla3 .i.e6!?
8 ttlc4 b5 9 ttle3 ttlf6 10 g3!? (the
fight revolves around the square
d5) 10 . . .b4 1 1 ttlcd5 ttlxe4 12 .i.g2
f5 13 0-0 :ca 14 .i.xe4 fxe4 15 f3!
with an unclear position.
163
Black, however, does not obtain
equality with 4 . . . d5?!: 5 ttlc3 dxe4
6 ttlxc6 'i!Vxd1 + 7 xd1 bxc6 9
ttlxe4 .i.f5 9, .i.d3 and e2, .i.f4,
:ad1 is better for White. Also
slightly better is 5 .i.b5 dxe4 6
ttlxc6 1!Vxd1 + 7 xd1 a6 8 .i.a4
.i.d7 9 ttlc3 hc6 10 .i.xc6+ bxc6 11
ttlxe4 ;t, and 5 ttlb5!? deserves at-
tention as well: 5 ... e6? 6 exd5
exd5 7 'i!Vxd5! ; 5 . . . d4 6 c3 e5 7
cxd4 exd4? 8 .i.f4 ; 5 . . . a6 6 exd5
axb5 7 .i.xb5; and finally 5 . . . dxe4
6 1!Vxd8 + d8 7 .i.e3 followed by
ttl1c3, 0-0-0.
5 ttlc3
5 f3? d5! does not come into
consideration, just as after 5 ttlxc6
bxc6 6 .i.d3 e5! 7 0-0 .i.c5 ! Black
5 e5!?
And this is the Sveshnikov.
Black provides White with a seri
ous strategic target: the d5- square .
But to reach this target the white
knights will have to wander around
a lot, and Black's quick develop
ment will grant unique ways of
equality.
6 ttldb5
6 ttlf3 .i.b4 7 .i.c4 0-0 (and not
7 . . . .i.xc3 + 8 bxc3 ttlxe4?? 9 'i!Vd5
+-) 8 0-0 d6 = 9 .i.g5?! .i.xc3! (the
bishop can no longer go to a3!) 10
bxc3 h6 11 .i.h4 .i.e6 . On 6 ttlb3
Black again plays 6 . . . .i.b4 7 .i.d3
d5. 6 ttl5 d5 ! 7 exd5 hf5 8 dxc6
bxc6 = .
6 d6
Black must not allow 7 6+
since this knight would have to be
164 Basic Chess Openings
captured, weakening Black's dark
squares and giving White the
bishop pair.
7 .i.g5!?
White's threat is to take on f6
and then entrench his knight on
d5. The other line is 7 d5 fud5
(the threat was check and rook on
c7!) 8 exd5 e7 9 c3 f5! (9 ... a6?
10 1Wa4! +- .i.d7?? 11 xd6 mate)
and Black completes his develop
ment with . . . .i.e7, . . . 0-0 and . . . a7-
a6.
7 a6
e7 13 c4! . Also 1 1 c4!? deserves
The last moment to disperse
the white cavalry.
8 a3 b5!
Winning space and limiting the
freedom of the knight on a3.
w ... d5-d4.
White faces a serious decision:
he can immediately jump in to d5
A. 9 d5,
after which Black becomes a
little passive but does not have as
many strategic weaknesses as he
does if White first captures the
knight on f6 by
B. 9 .hf6
But in the latter case Black also
draws profit from the distorted
pawn structure.
A. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 3 d4 cxd4 4
d4 f6 5 c3 e5 6 db5 d6 7
.i.g5 a6 8 3 b5 9 d5
9 ....i.e7
9 . . . 1Wa5+ 10 .i.d2 1i'd8 is suffi-
cient only for a draw ( 1 1 .i.g5
1Wa5 + ), but White can sidestep
this with 1 1 .i.d3!? xd5 12 cxd5
attention.
10 .i.xf6
10 fue7 xe7 (10 . . . 1Wxe7 11 c4
4 12 c2 ;t) 11 .i.xf6 gxf6 12 c4
(12 1Wf3 f5) 12 . . . .i.b7 13 cxb5
.i.xe4 14 bxa6 d5! 15 .i.b5 + f8
16 0-0 1Wb6 and Black is active
enough after ... l:.g8, . . . 5 and
10 ....i.:xf6 11 c3
11 g3 0-0 12 .i.g2 .i.g5 13 0-0
e7 14 xe7+ 1Wxe7 is equal;
White will opt for c3, c2-e3
while Black has ... .i.e6, .. . l:.b8 and
... a6-a5.
1 1 ...0-0 12 2!
The knight must be brought
back into play.
12 ...l:.b8!?
12 . . . .i.g5 13 a4! bears down on
Black's pawns on b5 and a6.
13 .i.e2
13 .i.d3 .i.g5 14 0-0 e7 15
fue7+ .i.xe7!? (on 15 . . . 1Wxe7, 16
a4! is again uncomfortable, as af
ter axb5 the white knight springs
to b4) 16 a4 d5! 17 exd5 f5! and
 S icilian Defence
Black has a splendid game: the
pawn on d5 is hanging and the
black pieces can get moving ( ....tc5,
... e5-e4, ...f5-f4, ... 11Vg5/1Wh4).
13 .tg5 14 0-0 a5 15 ce3
.te6 16 "ifd3 e7
w a) 1 1 .b:b5!? axb5 12 xb5
Plans and Counterplans:
First of all, White wishes to main
tain his control over the d5-square.
There is nothing Black can do
about this, but he can swap on d5
to decrease the pressure on f5:
17 l:tfd1 xd5 18 xd5 "ifd7 19
1i'g3 .td8 20 b3 !? h8 21 c4 bxc4
(2l . . .b4 22 c5!) 22 .txc4 g6 23 f4
exf4 24 "ifxf4 f5 ! = , when both 25
h1 g5 and . . . f5-f4, and 25 exf5
lhf5 26 11Vd4 + l:te5! produce a bal
anced fight
B. 1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 f6 5 e5 6 db5 d6 7
.tg5 a6 8 a3 b5 9 .txf6
9 gxf6
On 9 . . .1i'xf6 10 5 11Vd8 1 1 c4!
(the piece sacrifice 1 1 hb5!? axb5
12 xb5 11Va5 + 13 c3 ! is exciting,
165
because besides c7 White is also
threatening is the avalanche a2-
a4, b2-b4) ll . . .b4 12 "ifa4! .td7 13
b5! axb5 14 11Vxa8! +-.
10 d5 .tg7!?
A completely new discovery, the
main point being the neutraliza
tion of the knight on d5. Let us
see a titbit of the classical 10 ... f5:
11Va5 + !? 13 c3 11Va4! 14 bc7+ d8
15 8 "ifxa8 oo.
b) 1 1 g3 fxe4 12 .tg2 .te6! 13
R.xe4 .tg7 14 6 + .tx6 15
.txc6+ e7 16 .txa8 11Vxa8 oo.
c) 1 1 .td3! .te6 12 11Vh5 and
Black can continue with either
12 . . . .tg7 13 0-0 f4 14 c4!? or
12 . . . l:tg8!? 13 g3!? d4 14 c3 fxe4
15 .txe4 .tg4 16 "ifxh7 l:tg7 17 "ifh6
f3 + 18 e2!? ( 18 fl). The lat
ter is a fantastic position as both
the white king and the queen are
in the open, but nothing is cer
tain: 18 . . . g5 + 19 f3 e4 20
fxg4. All in all, 1 1 .td3 is the
strongest answer to 10 ... f5.
The tactics of 10 . . . .tg7!? is: if
not ll .td3, then .. .f7-f5, while on
11 .td3 - let us just see . . . !
11 .td3
1 1 c3 f5 12 exf5 .txf5 13 c2
.te6! (the precise move-order, as
on 13 ... e7, 14 .td3! is very pow
erful, for example 14 ...e4 15 xe7
11Vxe7 16 .txb5 + axb5 17 11Vd5, or
14 . . .xd5 15 .txf5 e7 16 1i'g4
0-0 17 l:td1 with a serious advan
tage for White) 14 e3 7 15
g3 d5 16 d5 0-0 17 .tg2 l:tbB
18 0-0 a5 = .
166 Basic Chess Openings
u ... e7! 12 liJxe7
Not 12 c4? xd5 13 cxd5 f5! 14
exf5 e4! 15 .txe4 .txb2 - + .
12 11Vxe7
xd4 c6 5 c3 lMG 6 b5
w option is 6 c6 bxc6 7 e5!? (7
Plans and Counterplans:
White would like to activate his
knight on a3, while Black would
like to revitalize his bishop on g7
with . . . f6-f5. For example: 13 c3
f5! 14 c2 (on 14 exf5 e4, and be-
sides . . .h'5, Black is also threat-
ening . . . b5-b4!) 14 . . . 'i!Vb7! 15 'i!Vf3
0-0 1 6 (not 16 exf5? e4! 17
11t'xe4 11t'xe4 + 18 .ixe4 l:te8 19 f3
d5 - +) 16 ...f4 17 5 .te6 18 g4!
(the threat was 18 . . . f5 ! ) 18 . . . b4!
19 c4 .txd5 20 cxd5 (20 exd5 e4!
21 he4 .ixb2 ) = or 13 0-0 0-0 14
c4 f5 15 11t'f3 bxc4 16 xc4 d5 17
exd5 e4 18 11t'e3 .ib7 19 d6 11t'f6 20
.ic2 and now after either 20 ... f4!?
or 20 ... l:tac8!? Black's compensa
tion for the pawn is clear.
Postscript
The Sveshnikov Variation can also
be reached via the Paulsen in the
following move-order and via vari
ous sidelines:
1 e4 c5 2 f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
Black was threatening 6 . . . .t b4,
so White has good reason to start
something in the centre. The other
.id3 d5) 7 . . . 5 8 e4!? (8 xd5
cxd5 9 .id3 .ia6! 10 0-0 .ixd3 1 1
11t'xd3 11t'c7 12 l:t e 1 l:tc8 13 c 3 g6
followed by . . . .ig7 and . . . 0-0 = )
8 . . . 11t'c7 (8 . . . .ta6!?) 9 f4 11t'a5 + 10
.id2 11t'b6 (Black has loosened up
the defence of the squares e3 and
b2) 11 .td3 .te7 12 11t'e2 f5! 13 exf6
xf6 co. Black should not capture
on b2 as then White gets a tre
mendous attack with 0-0 and f4-
f5
6 d6
Mter 6 ... .tb4 7 a3! .txc3 + 8
xc3 d5 9 exd5 exd5 (9 . . . xd5 10
.td2 ;I;) 10 .td3 0-0 1 1 0-0 d4 12
e2 11t'd5 13 4 11t'd6 14 h5!
Black has no compensation for
White's bishop pair (;t).
7 .tf4
On 7 .ig5? a6 8 hf6 gx5 9 4
.id7 White would get a Rauzer
two tempi down (see section IV)
7 e5 8 .tg5
8 5 d5 9 exd5 exf4 10 dxc6
bxc6 1 1 11t'f3! d5 12 0-0-0 .i 7 co
8 a6 9 a3 b5
and we have reached the criti
cal position of the Sveshnikov.
Black can choose this move-order
if for instance he wants to prevent
White from playing 1 e4 c5 2 3
c6 3 .tb5.
 S icilian Defence
VI. Dragon Variation
It obviously makes sense for Black
to fianchetto his bishop in the Si
cilian, particularly in the Open
Variation when this bishop has
dangerous scope along the diago
nal a1-h8.
l e4 c5 2 lM3
Aside from the standard 2 . . . d6
and 2 . . . c6, tournament practice
has also seen the immediate ad
vance 2 g6?!, but this is prema
ture at this moment as after 3 d4
j_g7 White can transpose into a
Benoni or a King's Indian (both
identified as a Closed Game) with
4 d5 or after 4 c3 6 5 j_e3 he
can force Black to go for a well
known Dragon line with 5 ...cxd4
6 d4. White can also go his own
way on 2 . . . g6 3 d4 cxd4 with 4
'ixd4!? f6 5 j_b5!? c6 (5 . . . a6 6
e5!, 5 ...'ia5+ 6 'ic3! 'ixc3+ 7 c3
and the threat is 8 e5) 6 'ia4!? (6
hc6!? bxc6 7 e5 d5 8 0-0 j_g7 9
'ih4 and j_h6 is again clearly bet
ter for White) 6 . . . j_g7 7 0-0 0-0 8
e5 e8 9 j_f4 ;!; and White has
only to centralize his rooks with
. llad1, llfel.
Before playing ... g7-g6 Black
should make sure that the white
queen cannot get to d4 too early.
Therefore the two viable lines in
the Dragon are:
A. The Standard Dragon: 1 e4
c5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 d4 f6
5 c3 g6
167
B. The Accelerated Dragon: 1
e4 c5 2 f3 6 3 d4 cxd4 4 xd4
g6.
A. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 d6 2 d4 cxd4 4
d4 f6 5 c3 g6 (The Stand
ard Dragon)
White can choose to continue
according to his style:
Al. Positionally with kingside
castling or
A2. Castling queenside with
an attack.
A 1 . Positionally with king side
castling
1 e4 c5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
d4 lMG 5 c3 g6 6 j_e2
Some original ideas:
a) 6 j_g5 j_g7 7 j_b5 + j_d7 8
'ie2 0-0 9 0-0-0 'ia5 (Black is ad
vised to vacate the d-file which
may be opened by e4-e5) 10 llhe1
llc8 11 b3 j_xb5 12 'ifxb5 'ifxb5
13 b5 =.
b) 6 h3 j_g7 7 j_c4 0-0 8 0-0
a6!? 9 j_b3 b5 10 lle1 j_b7 11 a4
bxa4 12 j_xa4 'ic7 13 j_g5 bd7 = .
c ) 6 g3 j_g7 ( 6 . . . c6 7 j_g2
xd4 8 'ifxd4 j_g7 followed by
... 0-0, ... 'ia5 and ... j_e6 is also rea
sonable) 7 j_g2 c6 8 0-0 j_g4! 9
e2 'ifc8 10 f3 j_h3 = .
d) 6 f4 c6! (6 ... j_g7 7 e5 dxe5
8 dxe5 fd7 - after 8 . . . or
8 . . . g4, then 9 j_b5 + ! - 9 e6!?) 7
c6 bxc6 8 e5 7 9 exd6 exd6
10 j_e3 j_e7! 1 1 'id2 0-0 12 0-0-0
b6 13 j_e2 d5.
168 Basic Chess Openings
6 .tg7 7 0-0 0-0 8 li)b3
White has not yet committed
himself and this move is essential
in order to stop Black from liber
ating himself with ... d6-d5. For
example, 8 .tea 9 'ifd2 d5! 10
li)xc6 (10 exd5 fud5 11 li)xd5
fud4 12 c4 e5 = ) 10 . . . bxc6 1 1 e5
li)e8 ( 1 1 . . . li)d7? 12 f4 e6 13 li)a4!)
12 f4 f6! 13 exf6 exf6 14 .tf3 J.e6!
= . Nevertheless at the end 15
li)xd5 cxd5 16 'ti'xd5 + had to be
stopped.
8 ... li)c6 9 J.g5!?
This move has become fashion
able lately. More traditional paths
are:
a) 9 c;!?b1 (preparing f4, which
is not possible at once: 9 f4? b5! 10
.txb5 li)xe4 1 1 J.xc6 'ifb6+ and
12 . . . 'ifxc6 is favourable for Black)
9 . . . a6!? (9 .. . a5 10 a4 J.e6 1 1 f4
'ifc8 12 .tf3 li)b4 - 12 .. J:td8 13
ll)d5 - 13 ll)d4 .tc4 14 lle1 ;!;;) 10 a4
(White's plan is f2-f4, .tf3, li)d5
and when Black captures, then
the e-pawn takes on d5 followed
by c2-c4, li)d4 and b2-b4 with a
dream position. This dream could
be cruelly disrupted by Black's b5
pawn; by possessing the c4-square
Black would even have the chance
of counterplay with .. ,li)c6-a5-c4.
This is why White does not allow
the move . . .b7-b5, but this way it
is the c4 and b3 squares that be
come weak) 10 . . . .te6! 11 f4 li)a5
12 li)xa5 (12 f5 J.c4 13 e5 .txe2 14
li)xe2 li)e8) 12 ...'ifxa5 13 .td3 llacB
14 f5 J.c4 15 'ife2 J.xd3 16 cxd3
e6! 17 .td2 exf5 18 exf5 llfe8 = .
b ) 9 .te3 .te6 1 0 f4 and now
besides the plan 10 . . . li)a5 1 1 f5
J.c4 Black can try 10 . . .'ifc8!? 1 1
h1 ( 1 1 'ife1 a5!? 12 a4 li)b4 1 3
ll)d4 .tc4 = ) 1 1 . . . lld8 1 2 .t g 1 (12
.tf3 J.c4 13 llf2 e5) 12 ... d5!? 13 e5
li)e4! with unclear complications.
c) 9 lle1 .te6 10 .tfl d5! 11
li)c5 ( 1 1 e5? li)g4 12 f4 'ifb6+ - + )
ll . . ..tg4 12 f3 d4! 13 li)e2 .tc8 fol
lowed by . . . e7-e5 and ...b7-b6,
when the initiative is in Black's
hands.
9 ... a5!?
9 . . . a6!? deserves attention: 10
f4 ( 10 a4 J.e6 11 f4 li)a5 12 h1
llc8 13 f5 .txb3 14 cxb3 lbc3! 15
bxc3 li)xe4 and Black has made a
good trade. In this position the
pawn on e4 is usually worth an
exchange on c3! ) 10 . . .b5 1 1 .tf3
b4 12 li)a4 (not 12 li)d5 li)xd5 13
exd5 li)a5 14 li)d4 li)c4 +; there is
a large gap on e3 and the pawn on
b2 is hanging) 12 ... 'ifc7! and Black
is threatening ... a6-a5, ... .taG.
10 a4 .te6 11 'ith1
1 1 'ifd2?! llc8 12 llad1 li)e5 is
not very attractive but 1 1 f4!?
'ifc8 12 'ife1 li)b4 13 llc1 li)xc2 14
llxc2 .txb3 15 llc1 'ifd8 16 'ifh4
with the idea of e4-e5 or f4-f5 may
tum out to be a profitable invest
ment.
l l ...'ti'c8! 12 f4 lld8 13 .tf3
li)b4
Plans and Counterplans:
Black is splendidly developed, so
opening the centre seems like the
reasonable goal. White has to look
 S icilian Defence
w xc6 .i..b7 14 .i.. d4 .i..xd4 15 11Vxd4
out since both 14 11Vd2 d5! 15 e5
e4 and 14 d4 .i..c4 15 ltf2 h6
16 .i.. h4 e5! 17 bd5 exf4 18 .i..xf6
.i.. xf6 19 xd6 11Vc5! 20 ltd2 .i..a6
are impossible. Perhaps best is the
cautious 14 .i.. b 4!? Now after
14 ... d5?! 15 e5 White can take
on e7 or after 14 ... .t.c4 15 ltf2! e5!?
the follow-up may be 16 11Vd2 with
a tough fight. Perhaps 9 .i..g5 will
only be a passing craze?!
A2. Castling q ueenside with an
attack
1 e4 c5 2 f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
d4 f6 5 c3 g6 6 .i..e3 .i..g7
The bishop on e3 is worth its
salt, but Black should exercise
self-restraint as 6 . . .g4? 7 .i..b5 +
.i.. d 7 8 1i'xg4! would cost him the
knight.
7 f3
7 1i'd2? g4!
7 0-0
Black can also try 7 ... c6!
Then on 8 .i..c4 exciting variations
arise after 8 ...11Vb6!?: 9 .i..b5 (9 11Vd2?
xe4! and the d4-knight hangs or
169
9 0-0? 11Vxb2 +) 9 . . . 11Vc7 10 d5
d5 11 exd5 a6 12 hc6+ bxc6 13
0-0 and Black regains the pawn
(16 b4 a5!) or 9 f5!? 11Vxb2 10
xg7 + <MB 11 d5 xd5 12
.i..xd5 lxg7 and of course White
can attack with 13 ltb1 or 13 0-0
(13 .i..xc6? 11Vc3 + and 11Vxc6), but
Black's position can still be held.
So on 7 . . . c6, 8 1i'd2 is more pre
cise and castling should no longer
be delayed as on 8 ... .i.. d 7 9 .i.. c4
ltc8 10 .i..b3 e5 1 1 .i.. h 6! and
now l l ... .i..xh6 12 11Vxh6 11Va5 13
e2 c4 14 0-0-0 threatening g2-
g4-g5, 11Vg7 or 11 . . . 0-0 12 .i..xg7
r/;xg7 13 h4! 4 14 .i..xc4 ltxc4 15
h5 with a strong attack for White.
8 1i'd2 c6
w
White can now decide whether
he wants to continue with
A2a. 9 0-0-0,
A2b. 9 .i..c4.
The first grants quick develop-
ment but allows ... d6-d5.
170 Basic Chess Openings
Against 9 g4, Black has to
know that 9 . . . e6!? is correct, for
example 10 0-0-0 d5! 1 1 g5 ltlh5
12 h4 ltlg3 13 llg1 ltlxf1 14 llgxfl
ltle5!? 15 b3 11t'a5.
A2a. 1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
ltlxd4 ltlf6 5 ltlc3 g6 6 .i.e3 .i.g7 7
f3 0-0 8 'it'd2 ltlc6 9 0-0-0
9 d5!?
16 .i.d3 lhc8 17 11t'a5 llc3! 18 .i.xf5
It is logical to clear the centre
so that the attacking potential of
the g7 -bishop can evolve, and in
this position this concept involves
the sacrifice of the exchange or a
pawn! Black cannot meet 9 ... ltle5?
with ....i.d7, . . . lieS, . . .ltlc4 to follow
as White quickly penetrates with
the typical attack .i.h6, h2-h4-h5-
hxg6, .i.xg7, 11t'h6 + . This is no
wonder as Black's knight on c4 is
captured by the white bishop
from its home square while for ex
ample in line b) the bishop first
makes the route fl-c4-b3 and
White's attack is still dangerous,
even two moves slower. But Black
should consider 9 ... fud4 10 .i.xd4
.i.e6 1 1 c;tb1 ! 11t'c7! (as long as the
rook is on f8, 1 1 . . . 11t'a5 is impossi
ble in view of 12 ltld5! 'l'xd2 and
now 13 ltlxe7 + wins as the black
king cannot attack the knight be
cause of his own rook!) 12 h4 :feB
13 h5 11t'a5 14 hxg6 hxg6 15 a3
(the threat was 15 . . . llxc3 and
then 11t'xa2 + ) 15 . . . llab8! (the odd
horizontal pin 15 . . .b5 16 11t'g5! is
unpleasant) 16 .i.d3 .i.c4!? with
an unclear position. White's only
'advantage' is that he can draw
with 17 .i.xc4 :Xc4 18 .i.xf6 .bf6
19 ltld5, when everything has dis
appeared from the board.
10 exd5
White cannot allow . . . d5xe4,
and it is not worth sidestepping
this with 10 fuc6 bxc6 1 1 exd5
cxd5 12 fud5 fud5 13 11t'xd5 11t'c7!
14 11t'c5 11t'b7! 15 11t'a3 (15 b4 .i.f5
:Xe3 and White faces a deadly at
tack on the dark squares) 15 ... .i.f5
16 .i.a6 11t' c7 17 11t'c5 11t'b6!? 18 11t'xb6
axb6 19 .i.c4 llfc8 20 .i.b3 llxa2!
21 lidS + ! llxd8 22 .i.xa2 with a
drawish endgame. Much more
inventive is 10 'it'el !? and on
10 . . . dxe4?, of course 11 fuc6 +-.
Therefore Black faces a choice be
tween 10 . . . e5 1 1 ltlxc6 bxc6 12
exd5 ltlxd5 13 .i.c4 .i.e6 14 ltle4
11t'c7 15 .i.c5 :Cd8 and 10 ... e6!? 1 1
g4! 11t'e7 ! 12 ltlb3 (12 g5 ltlh5 1 3
exd5 fud4 and the pawn o n g5
will be hanging) 12 . . . b6 13 g5?!
ltlh5 14 exd5 exd5 15 fud5 11t'e5 !
10 ltlxd5 1 1 ltlxc6 bxc6 12
.i.d4
We have already seen 12 ltlxd5
cxd5 13 11t'xd5 11t'c7! at the sideline
10 fuc6.
12 ltlxc3!?
More beautiful lines are reached
via 12 . . . e5!? 13 .i.c5 . It is a pity
that Black does not equalize after
13 ...lle8 14 ltle4 f5 15 ltld6 .i.f8 16
.i.b5! ! (16 fue8 .i.xc5) 16 ... .i.d7
17 llfe1!, nor after 13 . . . .i.e6!? 14
ltle4!? (14 .i.xf8 11t'xf8 followed by
.. . llb8 and Black attacks with
 S icilian Defence
... f7-f5, ... i.h6 and ... ltlb4) 14 ... l:te8
(14 . . . f5 would transpose into the
above variation) 15 h4 h6 16 g4!
tbf4 17 'ifc3 i.d5 18 g5! ltle6
(18 ... h5 19 'ifa3! 'ifc7 20 ltlffi+ and
Black has to part with bishop on
g7) 19 gxh6 (19 i.e3!?) 19 ... .hh6+
20 i.e3 and h4-h5. 12 . . . i.xd4!? is
also playable: 13 'ifxd4 'ifb6 14
ltla4 (14 ltlxd5 cxd5 15 'ifxd5?!
i.e6 16 'ifd4 'ifa5 17 i.c4 l:tad8! 18
'ifh4 i.xc4 19 'ifxc4 'ifg5 + and
. . . 'ifxg2 :f) 14 . . . 'ifa5 15 b3 .t.f5 16
'ifc5 'ifxc5 17 ltlxc5 ltlb4 co.
13 'ifxc3 i.b6 + ! 14 i.e3
14 b1?? e5!
14 i.xe3 + 15 'ifxe3 'ifb6 16
b2!) 22 ... 'ife3 + and the mating
'ifxe7
Otherwise White has nothing.
16 i.e6!
(24 c3 i.xb3! 25 i.xb3 l:tb7!
w A2b. 1 e4 c5 2 ltlf3 d 6 3 d 4 cxd4 4
Plans and Counterplans:
Black has a tangible initiative for
the pawn but he still has to be in
ventive! White would like to de
velop and maintain his extra pawn
or turn it into a quick attack with
h2-h4-h5. His possible attempts
are:
171
a) 17 i.d3 'ife3 + ! 18 l:td2 (18
b1 i.xa2 + ! wins the white queen)
18 ...c5 19 l:tdl l:tad8 20 'ifh4 c4 2 1
l:te1 'ifb6 2 2 l:txe6!? fxe6 23 'ifxc4
l:td4 and :fd8 co.
b) 1 7 'ifa3 'iff2! 18 'ifa5! .t.f5
19 'ifd2 'ifc5 20 'ifc3 'iff2 = (or
20 . . . 'ifxc3!? 21 bxc3 l:tb8) threat
ening 21..ltfd8.
c) 17 'iff6!? i.xa2! 18 b3 a5 19
i.c4 (19 'ifb2 a4! 20 'ifxa2 'ife3 +
followed by . . . axb3 is winning for
Black!) 19 . . . l:ta7! 20 h4 a4 2 1 h5
axb3 22 cxb3! (22 h6 b2 + 23 d2
l:td8+ 24 i.d3 'ifb4 + and . . . 'iff8!
and Black wins with his pawn on
nets around both kings can be dis
solved with 23 b2 'iff2 + 24 c1
threatening both 26 . . .l:txb3+ and
26 ...'ife3 + ) 24 ... 'ife3 + .
ltlxd4 ltlf& 5 ltlc3 g& 6 i.e3 i.g7 7
f3 o-o 8 1Wd2 ltlc& 9 i.c4
In this line White's attacking plan
is h2-h4-h5, i.h6, hxg6, i.xg7,
'ifh6 + . This concept is supported
by the bishop on c4 - later on b3 -
which is pinning the pawn on f7
and thus weakening the g6-pawn
as well. Naturally Black cannot
opt for . . .d6-d5 in the centre, so he
has to mount his own attack on
the queenside, most violently
along the c-file. By attacking the
bishop on c4 he gains a tempo for
his mobilization and often he will
remove the knight on c3 - one of
172 Basic Chess Openings

the strongest defenders - with an
exchange sacrifice. Meanwhile he
has to obstruct or at least to delay
the white assault.
9 .td7
. 18 .txg7 ltlxg7 19 f4! ;!; and be
Black develops and makes room
for the rook on the c-flle. Other
ideas are:
a) 9 ltla5 10 .tb3 ltlxb3 1 1
axb3 a6 1 2 h4 d5 1 3 e5 ltlh5 1 4 g4
ltlg3 15 llg1 .txe5 16 0-0-0, threat
ening to win the knight. White
can choose between the moves
:feB 14 q;b1 (after this move the
white king fmds a bomb-proof
shelter) 14 ... llc6 15 g4! (15 h4
h5!) 15 ... llac8 16 h4 h5! 17 g5 ltle8
sides f4-f5 White can aim at the
regrouping llfl-f3-d3-d4 as well
as b3-b4.
10 0-0-0
B

1We1, .tf2, .tf4, f4.

b) 9 a6 10 .tb3 ltla5 1 1 h4

b5 1 2 h5 ltlxb3 13 axb3 .td7 (not

13 . . . .tb7? 14 hxg6 hxg6 15 .th6
+-) 14 .th6 and White can con
tinue 15 hxg6 fxg6 16 .txg7 q;xg7
17 1Wh6 + q;ga 18 ltld5!
c) 9 a5 10 .tb3! .td7 11 a4!

and Black's action is stopped, so

White can calmly attack with h4- Black's two different continu
h5, .th6. ations are:
d) 9 ltld7 (Black directs both

of his knights to c4) 10 .tb3 ltlb6! A2bl. 10 1Wa5 and then . . . :Cc8

(10 ... ltla5? 1 1 .th6! ltlb6 12 .txg7! A2b2. 10 ll c8

.

q;xg7 13 0-0-0 and after White has

rescued the bishop on e3 from the
threatened knight fork on c4 he
can consider h2-h4-h5 or ltlc3-d5)
1 1 ltlxc6!? ( 1 1 0-0-0!? ltla5 12
.th6?? ltlbc4 13 1Wg5 e5! 14 ltlde2
.tf6 15 1Wg3 .th4 wins White's
queen) ll . . .bxc6 12 0-0-0! ? (on 12
These most fashionable setups
are based on the strength of the
rook on the c-flle with the help of
...ltlc6-e5-c4 or ... 1Wa5; and the ex
change sacrifice on c3 is also on
the cards. Black's attack is less
energetic after 10 1Wc7 1 1 .tb3

.th6 c5 followed by c4 is danger :feB 12 h4 ltle5 13 h5 ltlc4 14 .txc4

ous) 12 . . . a5 (12 . . . c5? 13 .txc5) 13 1Wxc4 15 hxg6 fxg6 (15 ... hxg6? 16
a4 .te6 14 .th6 and it is difficult .th6 .th8 and now a beautiful de
to fmd counterplay for Black. cisive motif is 17 .tf8! :XCS 18
e) 9 ltlxd4 10 .txd4 .te6 1 1
llxh8+ ! q;xh8 19 1Wh6+ q;g8 20
.tb3!? 1Wa5 1 2 0-0-0 .txb3 1 3 cxb3 ltld5 ! ! ltlxd5 2 1 llh1 and Black is
 S icilian Defence
inevitably mated!) 16 .ih6 .ih8
17 .tg5 threatening .ix6 and
d5, 'ifh6. The two black heavy
pieces on the c-file bump into
each other when for example at
tacking the knight on c3.
On 10 ft8!? it is wrong for
White to play 11 g4?! b5 12 b5?
e5 13 .te2 .ixb5 14 b5 !
and the white position has fallen
apart. So recommended is 10...1i'b8
u h4 b5 12 .td5 !? :ca 13 b1
b4! 14 ce2, although 14 . . . h5!
15 xc6 .ixc6 16 4 and now
16 . . . 1i'b7, parrying the threat 17
g6 .ixd5 18 xe7 +, is playable
with Black as well.
A2b 1 . 1 e4 c5 2 f3 d& 3 d4 cxd4
4 xd4 f& 5 c3 g& 6 .te3 .tg7
7 f3 0-0 8 Vd2 c& 9 .tc4 .td7 1 0
000 'ifa5
1 1 .tb3 :t'c8 12 bl !?
The king stands better on b1 and
occasionally it is handy that after
c3-d5, . . . 'ifa5xd2 is not a check
so the knight on d5 can itself cap
ture something with a check. M
ter 12 h4 e5 Black often employs
an exchange sacrifice on c3, e.g.
13 g4 c4 14 .ixc4 :Xc4 15 h5
l:txc3!? 16 'ifxc3 'ifxa2 or 13 h5
xh5 14 g4 6 15 .th6 :Xc3 16
bxc3 (16 .ixg7 l:txc2 + 17 .ixc2
'ifxd2 + and . . . xg7 with compen
sation for the exchange) 16 ....ixh6
17 :xh6 (17 'ifxh6 'ifxc3 18 b1
19 .txc4 'ifxc4 ) 17 ...:cS with
mutual chances. Black's compen
sation for the exchange comprises
173
a pawn, the destruction ofWhite's
queenside pawn structure, and
the fact that there is little differ
ence in scope between the white
rook and Black's minor piece.
12 e5 13 h4
On 13 .th6 again the thematic
13 ... .txh6 14 1i'xh6 l:txc3! with the
future mobilization of the a- and
b-pawns.
13 ...c4 14 .txc4 l:txc4 15
b3!?
15 h5 :Xc3 !? 16 bxc3 xh5 17
g4 6. The purpose of 15 b3 !?
is to avoid a sacrifice on c3.
B
Plans and Counterplans:
If Black should aim at capturing
the knight on c3 with 15 1i'e5?!,
then after 16 .td4! 1i'e6 17 g4! his
queen is uncomfortably jammed
in while White is threatening
l:the1, e4-e5 or a5. On 15 1i'a6
White utilizes the unprotected
state of the d7-bishop with 16 e5!
followed by 16 ... dxe5 17 5. Best
is 15 'ifc7!?, aiming at the knight
on c3. Now on 16 h5 :Xc3! 17 'ifxc3
'ifxc3 18 bxc3 xh5 followed by
174 Basic Chess Openings
. . . .te6 and :cS is a fair trade.
. 13 .tg5!?
More complicated is 16 .td4! when
16 ... .tc6!? 17 h5 a5! 18 hxg6 hxg6
19 a4 .ba4 and now 20 i.xf6 ex6
(and not 20 . . . -tx6? 2 1 endS with
lC!x6 + and 'ifb6 mate to follow)
or 20 lC!d5!? 'iVd8!? leads to an
open fight.
A2b2. 1 e4 c5 2 lC!f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4
4 lC!xd4 lC!f6 5 lC!c3 g& 6 .te3 .tg7
7 f3 00 8 'ifd2 lC!c6 9 .tc4 .td7 1 0
o-o-o :ca
11 .t b3 lC!e5 12 h4 h5!?
Black wants to nip White's at
tack in the bud. The classical con
tinuation is 12 . . . lC!c4 13 .txc4
l:txc4 and now the line 14 g4!? 'ifc7
(14 ... h5!?) 15 h5 :ca 16 hxg6 fxg6
17 c,i;b1 b5 18 lC!d5! lC!xd5 19 exd5
.te5 is not yet fully resolved but
Black does not have much in the
way of winning chances. White at
tacks with 'ifd2-f2-h4 and then f3-
f4-f5 while Black defends via
. . . l:tc8-f8-f7. Also possible is 14
e5!? dxe5 15 tnde2 l:tc7 16 lC!b5
.tf5 ! 17 lC!xc7 'ifxc7 oo, but White
usually deviates after 14 h5 lC!xh5
15 g4 lCJ6. Here are some sample
lines: 16 e5!? lCJxg4! (16 . . . dxe5 17
lC!b3 threatening 18 g5) 17 fxg4
bg4 18 l:tdg1 dxe5 19 :Xg4 h5 or
16 .th6 lC!xe4! 1 7 'ife3! (17 lCJxe4?!
:Xd4 18 'ifh2 .te5 19 f4 l:txd1 + 20
l:txd1 .th8) 17 . . . :xc3 18 bxc3 lCJ6
19 .txg7 c,i;xg7 20 'ifh6 + c,i;h8 21
lC!e2 l:tg8. I t would be much too
bold an act to evaluate these ever
changing variations.
IfBlack now plays 13 ... lC!c4 then
White no longer surrenders his
bishop but plays 14 'ife2 and then
g2-g4. The alternatives are:
a) 1 3 .th6 lC!c4 14 hc4 :Xc4
15 .txg7 xg7 16 g4 hxg4 1 7 h5
l:th8 and Black holds.
b) 13 g4 hxg4 14 h5 lC!xh5 15
.th6 e6 16 l:tdg1 'iV6, threatening
17... .txh6 and then 18 ... 'iVf4+.
c ) 13 c,i;b1 lC!c4 14 .txc4 l:txc4
15 lC!b3 'ifc7 16 .td4 .tc6 17 'ife2
b5 00,
13 l:tc5!?
Things will soon be happening
on the fifth rank, inter alia . . . a7-
a5 or ... b7-b5.
w
Plans and Counterplans:
Black is preparing for . . .b'7-b5,
while White would like to break
through in the centre with f3-f4
and e4-e5 or on the king's flank
with g2-g4. The position yields
even chances to both players, ac
cording to practice as well as
theory. Here are a few typical ex
amples:
 S icilian Defence
a) 14 llhe1 b5 15 f4 c4 16
.txc4 l:txc4 1 7 e5 b4 18 exf6 bxc3
19 11t'e2 :Xd4 20 fxe7 11t'a5!
b) 14 col?b1 a5!? (14 . . .b5!?) 15
g4 (15 a4!?) 15 ... :Xc3! 16 11t'xc3 a4
17 .tc4 'ii'b6! threatening 18 . . :CS.
. 4 . . . f6 5 c3 g6 his attempt fails
c) 14 g4 hxg4 15 f4 c4 16
11t'e2 11t'c8!? (16 . . .b5) 1 7 f5 e5! 18
b5 .txb5 19 5 :xb5 20 .txf6
.txf6 21 .txc4 llb4! 22 .td5 gxf5
23 l:tdfl f4 24 l:thg1 l:te8 (24 . . . g3
25 :Xg3 + fxg3 26 :xf6 and the
threat is 27 l:tg6+ and 11t'h5 mate)
25 :Xg4+ coi?f8 co, From time to
time long analysis is published on
the breathtakingexcitement ofthe
Dragon with queenside castling,
which is then usually quickly re
vised or completely refuted by
tournament practice. Therefore it
is considered foolhardiness to en
ter this anything but clear-cut
variation without serious theo
retical inquiry and home prepara
tion.
B. 1 e4 c5 2 f3 c6 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 g6 (Accelerated Dragon)
The two major lines for White
are:
B1. 5 c3
with which White aims to trans
pose into the Standard Dragon.
But by utilizing the differences
Black can prevent White from
castling queenside!
B2. 5 c4!?
with which, according to the
recipe of Geza Maroczy, White
175
grabs the opportunity to get a
grip on the centre, thus taming
the dragon. It is important to
know that ifinstead of4 ... g6 Black
tries to sidestep the Mar6czy with
to 6 c6! bxc6 7 e5 d5 (7 ... g8
8 .tc4 and 11t'f3, .tf4, 0-0-0 ) 8
xd5 cxd5 9 11t'xd5 l:tb8 10 e6!
dxe6 11 11t'e5! attacking both black
rooks and winning!
8 1 . 1 e4 c5 2 f3 c6 3 d4 cxd4 4
xd4 g6 5
Nothing is gained by 5 xc6?!
bxc6 6 11t'd4 f6 7 e5 d5 8 e6 f6 9
exd7+ .txd7 followed by ... e7-e5,
. . . .tg7, . . . 0-0 and Black is on top.
However, with 5 b3 and .te2,
c3, 0-0 White can transpose into
the 0-0 line of section A.
5 .tg7 6 .tea
After 6 b3 .txc3+ !? 7 bxc3 lbf6
8 .td3 d5! 9 exd5 11t'xd5 a balance
is created between the various po
sitional factors.
6 lMG 7 .tc4!
White's move-order is very im
portant: he should only play f2-f3
when . . .f6-g4 is already threat
ened but then he absoloutely
must play it! 7 xc6 bxc6 8 e5
d5! 9 xd5 cxd5 10 11t'xd5 l:tb8
yields good play for Black, for ex
ample 11 .txa7 :Xb2 12 .td4 :Xc2
13 .td3 e6 14 11t'a8 l:tc6 15 0-0 .taG
and after the exchanges the end
game is even, or 1 1 .tc4 0- 0 12
0-0 11t'c7 13 .tf4 (13 f4 d61 14 exd6
exd6 and b2-pawn is lost) 13 ... .tb7
176 Basic Chess Openings
14 11t'd4 d6! = . After 7 .te2 0-0 8
0-0 Black makes use of not yet
having played ... d7-d6 and that he
can play 8 . . . d5!? in one move: 9
exd5 lbxd5 10 lbxd5 'ii'xd5 ll .tfa
'ii'c4!? ao.
7 0-0!?
The following moves are weaker:
a) 7 ? 8 .txf7+ ! xf7 9
leads to unclear complications. A
e5 lbe8? 10 lbe6 ! xe6 1 1 'ii'd5 +
f5 12 g4+ and a quick mate.
b) 7 'ii'a5?! 8 0-0! (8 'ii'd2?
.txd5? lDxd4 12 .txd4 .txd4 1a
lbxe4 9 lbxc6 'ii'xc3! 10 bxca lbxd2
followed by . . . dxc6 - + , or 8 fa?
'ii'b4 9 .tba lDxe4! and the knight
on d4 is again en prise) 8 ... 0-0 9
lDb3 'Wic7 10 f4 d6 1 1 .te2 and
with the plan of .tfa and lDd5!,
typical of this position, White is
better since the black queen is
misplaced on c7.
8 .tba!
All other moves can be an
swered by tactical possibilities:
a) 8 f3 'Wib6! (with the threats
9 . . . lbxe4, 9 . . .lDg4 and 9 . . .'W/xb2) 9
.tba ! lDxe4 10 lDd5! 11t'a5 + 1 1 ca
lDc5 12 lbxc6 dxc6 1a lbxe7 + = .
b ) 8 11t'd2 ? lDg4! 9 lDxc6 bxc6
10 .td4 .txd4! 1 1 'Wixd4 'Wib6! :j:.
c) 8 0-0 lDxe4 9 lbxe4 d5 10
lDxc6 bxc6 11 .ida dxe4 12 .txe4
'Wic7 with a slight, only theoretical
plus for White.
8 a5!?
The white queen has to step out
After 8 . . . d6 9 f3 .td7 10 'Wid2,
Black can exploit the fact that,
compared to the Standard Dragon,
.tc4-ba has been played instead of
0-0-0 to continue 10 ... lDxd4!? 11
.txd4 b5! . Then the position is by
no means simple: 12 h4 a5 1a a4
(1a h5? e5! 14 .tea a4 15 .td5 b4
16 lDe2 lDxd5 17 'Wixd5 .te6 18
'Wid2 d5! and Black is better)
1a ...bxa4 14 lDxa4 e5 15 .tea .te6!
is unclear.
9 a4
The pawn sacrifice 9 f3 d5!?
few characteristic lines:
a) 10 lDxd5? lbxd5 11 exd5 (11
'Wixd4 e6 -+) 1 1 ... lDb4 12 c4 a4!
1a .tc2 (1a .txa4 'W/a5! ) 1a . . . e5! ! +
14 lDe2 (14 dxe6?? .txd4 17 hd4
11t'xd4! - + ) 14 ...'W/h4 + and then
... 11t'xc4.
b) 10 exd5 lDb4 1 1 lDde2 a4!
12 lDxa4 lDfxd5 1a .tf2 (1a .td4
.txd4 14 lDxd4?? iDea followed by
. . . 11t'xd4 - + ) 1a ... .tf5 14 0-0 b5 15
lDaca lDxca and Black proceeds
with ...'ii'xd1 and ....txc2 = .
c ) 1 0 .txd5 lDxd5 1 1 exd5
lDb4 12 lDde2 .tf5 1a llc1 b5! 14
0-0 lieS 15 lDd4 llxca! ? 16 bxca
lDxa2 and lbxca with good com
pensation for the exchange.
9 lDg4
A typical simplifying move in
this variation.
10 'ii'xg4 lDxd4 (D)
Plans and Counterplans:'
of the discovered attack . . . d7-d5.
11 'Wid1 ?! lL!xba 12 cxba d6 and
... .te6 can only be better for Black
owing to his bishop pair and the
favourable pawn configuration.
But rich in ideas is 1 1 'ii'h4! lbxb3
 S icilian Defence
w ...b7-b5) 12 ... 'ii'xd2+ (12 ... 'ii'xa2 1a
12 cxba and now White is threat
ening lbcl5 followed by .tb6 or
.tg5. Against this,. Black has the
interesting 12 ...lla6 1a 5 lle6!?,
but it seems even better to either
wait with ll ...ba or defend with
ll ...d6 12 5!? lle8 1a .tg5 .tffl!?
with the plan of . . . .te6, . . . lbxb3
and ... .txd5 working off the pres
sure.
82. 1 e4 c5 2 tbf3 tbc6 3 d4 cxd4 4
tbxd4 g6 5 c417
With the help of the pawns at c4
and e4 White take possesosi n of the
centre. Moreover, he often uses
his control over the d5-square to
jump in with tbca-d5. With pre
cise play Black can hold things to
gether.
5 .tg7
It is fashionable to play an
early tbc6xd4, prepared by 5 ... tbf6
6 tbc3 d6. Then White has to re
frain from 7 .tea in view of 7...tbg4,
so 7 fa tbxd4 8 'ii'xd4 .tg7 9 .tea
0-0 10 'ii'd2 'ii'a5 11 llcl .te6 12
tbd5! (on White's quiet play Black
177
creates counter-chances on the
queenside via . . .llfc8, ... a7-a6 and
tbxe7+ and .te2, 0-0 ) 1a >xd2
.txd5 14 cxd5 ;!; and the white
bishop pair attacks Black's
queenside, or 7 .te2 tbxd4 8 'ii'xd4
.tg7 9 .tea 0-0 10 'ii'd2 .te6 1 1
llc1 'ii'a5 12 b a a6 1 a fa llfc8! (it is
very important that the f-rook
goes to c8 as, for example, on
1a .. . llac8? 14 0-0 b5 15 5!
'ii'xd2 16 tbxe7+ the king cannot
attack the knight on e7 from f8 .
1a . . . llfc8 makes possible 14 0-0
b5! since after 15 tbd5 'ii'xd2 fol
lowed by . . .tbxd5 and . . . .td7 the
position is even) 14 tbd5 'ii'xd2 +
15 >xd2 tbxd5 (the bishop pair
must be maintained) 16 cxd5 .td7
and although White has spatial
advantage it is still hard to imag
ine that he can win. Black is
threatening to occupy the c-flle
with .tb2 or to upset the white
pawn chain with . . . f7-f5 and
f5xe4. Instead of 9 .tea White is
advised to play 9 .tg5!? 0-0 (9 ... h6
10 .tea 0-o 1 1 'ii'd2 ..th7 12 o-o
.te6 1a f4 ;!; and f4-f5 with a weak
ened black king position) 10 'ii'd2
.te6 1 1 llc1 'ii'a5 12 fa llac8 13 ba
a6 14 tba4!? (preventing . . . b7-b5)
14 . . . 'ii'xd2 + 15 xd2 llc6 16 tbca
followed by tbd5 and Black's posi
tion is massive but passive (;!;).
6 .tea
6 tbc2?! does not make much
sense in view of 6 ... d6 7 .te2 tbf6 8
tbc3 tbd7 9 .td2 o-o 10 o-o tbc5 1 1
b4!? tbe6 (no good i s 1 1 . . . tbxe4?
178 Basic Chess Openings

due to 12 fue4 .i.xa1 13 fua1 ) A different piece constellation

12 l:tb1 a5! 13 a3 axb4 14 axb4
l0ccl4 or instead of 1 1 b4, 1 1 f3
oo
a5 12 'ith1 f5!? with active play
oo
for Black.
6 lb6 7 lC!c3 0-0
18 bxc5 .i.xc3 19 cxd6 'ifxd6 with
The liquidating combination
7 ... lC!g4 8 'ifxg4 fud4 does not
equalize: after 9 'ifd1 l0e6 (9 . . . e5
10 'ifd2 0-0 ll lC!b5! l0xb5 12 cxb5
and Black will have problems on
the d-file) 10 l:tc1 Black's options
are:
a) 10 ... b6 1 1 .i.d3 .i.b7 12 0-0
o-o 13 .i.b1 :ca 14 b3 d6 15 'ifd2 .
b) 10 d6 ll 'ifd2 .i.d7 12 .i.e2
b3-b4 since 13 a3? a4! allows Black
0-0 13 0-0 lC!c5 14 f3 a5 15 llfd1
.i.c6 16 b3 b6 17 .i.d4! .i.xd4 18
is reached after 10 l:tc1 lC!xd4 1 1
.i.xd4 .i.c6 1 2 f3 a 5 13 b3 l0d 7 14
.i.e3 lC!c5 15 a3 and now with
15 ... h5!? 16 b4 axb4 17 axb4 l:ta3!
equality as Black gets play along
the a-file.
10 .../0xd4 1 1 hd4 .i.c6 12 f3
a5!
Impeding b2-b4 and thus secur
ing the c5 square for his knight.
13 b3
The only move-order that takes
White forward is b2-b3, a2-a3 and
an everlasting blockade.
13 lC!d7!?

'ifxd4 'ifb8 19 f4 'ifb7 20 lC!d5! Black is fully aware of the slight

llad8 2 1 .i.f3 hd5 22 cxd5 and plus White would have after 14
Black has no counterplay against .i.xg7 c,i;xg7 15 f4 and .i.f3 but still
White's plans of e4-e5 or h2-h4- White's control over the d4-square
h5. and other dark squares would
c) 10 1Wa5!? ll .i.e2 b6 12 0-0
cease.
.i.b7 13 f3 g5 14 l:tf2 h5 15 .i.fl 14 .i.e3!?
'ife5! 16 l:td2! d6 17 lC!d5 c,j;lf8 18 Trying for just a little more!
b4! and Black has constructed an 14 lC!c5 15 l:tabl ! 'ifb6 16

interesting blockade but has no Mel l:tfc8

active plan. White is threatening to
seize the initiative on the queen
side with a4-a5 or 'ifa4-d7.
8 .i.e2 d6 w

On 8 ... b6 9 0-0 .i.b7, not 10 l:tc1?

lC!xd4 11 .i.xd4 .i.h6! ( 1 1 ... lC!xe4??
12 lC!xe4 .i.xe4 13 .i.xg7 and 'ifd4+
+-) and the rook on c1 and pawn
on e4 are simultaneously hang
ing, but 10 f3 d6 1 1 'ifd2, followed
by l:tfd1 and a2-a4-a5, is the cor
rect reply.
9 o-o .i.d7 10 'ifd2
 S icilian Defence
Plans and Counterplans:
Black holds two different dreams.
He would like to play either ... a5-
a4 after ...'ifb4 or ... f7-f5 after the
preparatory . . .'ti'b6-d8-f8. White
of course can think about a2-a3,
b3-b4 or d5. For example, 17
l:lc2! 'ifd8 18 a3 b6 (18 ... e6 19 .tfl
.te5 20 b4 axb4 21 axb4 4 22
e2 and d4 ;t, as all the black
light-squared pieces are vulner
able) 19 b4 axb4 20 axb4 4 2 1
d5! ;t and i t i s hard for Black to
179
do anything. On 17 l:lc2! 'tWb4 18
'ifc1! {threatening a2-a3 and b2-
b4) 18 . . .'ifb6 19 a3 'ifd8 20 'ifd2
forces Black into the previous po
sition with 1 7 . . . 'ifd8. With the
heavy piece manoeuvre 'ifd2, l:labl,
l:lfc1 and l:lc2 White can upset
Black's queenside plan, and this
even enables him to play b3-b4,
after which he stands somewhat
better. Of course with this he has
only won the battle, not the whole
war!
Alekhine Defence
1 e4 lbf6
Black lures the white pawns
ahead in order to later attack them
or create counterplay around them
2 e5
It is foolish to refuse Black's in
vitation:
2 lbc3 d5 (2 . . . e5 leads to the Vi
enna Game) 3 exd5 (or 3 e5 lbe4!?
4 lbce2!? d4 5 c3 lbc6 6 tbxd4
lbxd4 7 "ifa4 + c6 8 "ifxd4 "ifxd4 9
cxd4 lbg5 followed by ....t5, ... tbe6,
and . . . 0-0-0) 3 . . . lbxd5 4 .tc4 lbb6
6 .tb3 lbc6 7 tbf3 .tf5 8 0-0 e6 fol
lowed by . . . .te7, . . . 0-0, ... lba5 and
...lbxb3 with easy equality; or
2 d3 d5!? 3 e5 (3 lbd2 e5 and
then ... lbc6, ... .tc5, ... 0-0) 3 ... tbfd7
4 f4 c5 and after . . . e7-e6, . . . lbc6,
.. . .te7 Black will castle and either
play . . .b7-b5, ... a7-a5 or start pick
ing on the white centre with . . . f7-
f6.
2 lbd5
...
2 ...lbg8 is senseless while 2 ...tbe4
is bad due to 3 d3 lbc5 4 d4.
3 d4
Here are a few other options:
a) 3 .t c4 lbb6 4 .tb3 c5! 5 d3
tbc6 6 lbf3 e6, and then Black pro
ceeds with ... d7-d6 and stands a
little better as White did not get
to play d2-d4 (:j:).
b) 3 lbc3!? tbxc3 4 dxc3 (4
bxc3 c5 5 f4 l&6 6 d4 d5 7 lbf3
.tg4) 4 . . . d6 5 lbf3 (5 .tc4 lbc6 6
lbf3 dxe5 7 "ifxd8 + lbxd8 8 lbxe5
f6 9 tbf3 e5 = ) 5 ... ta:6 6 .tb5 .td7
7 "ife2 a6 8 .tc4 e6 and Black can
develop via ... d6xe5 and ... .td6.
c) 3 c4 lbb6 4 c5 lbd5 5 .tc4 (5
lbc3 e6 6 lbxd5 exd5 7 d4 d6 is
equal) 5 . . . e6 6 d4 b6 7 cxb6 axb6
(7 . . . tbxb6!? followed by ... d6-d5,
. . . c7-c5 is also a good plan) 8 lbf3
.taG = .
3 d6
.
This opens up the diagonal of
c8-bishop while allowing . . . d6xe5
or . . . c7 -c5 to weaken the white
centre. The two major lines for
White are:
I. Four Pawns Attack: 4 c4 lbb6
5 f4 and
II. Positional Variation: 4 lb3.
The first attempts to construct
a large centre while the second
concentrates on development.
Other choices are: 4 .tc4 c6 (af
ter 4 ... lbb6 5 .tb3 dxe5 6 "ifh5!? e6
7 dxe5 Black needs to play ac
tively) 5 "ife2 dxe5 6 dxe5 .tf5 7
lb3 e6 8 0-0 lbd7 (8 . . . .tg4!?) 9 a3
.te7 = ; and the interesting 4 f4!?,
e.g. 4 . . . .tf5 5 lbf3 e6 6 .td3 .txd3
7 "ifxd3 .te7, when a possible plan
for Black is . . . 0-0 followed by
. . . dxe5 and . . . c5, or 4 . . . dxe5 5 fxe5
c5 6 lbf3 cxd4 7 "ifxd4 l&6 8 "ife4!?
g6!? 9 .tc4 lbb6 10 .tb3 .tg7 1 1
0-0 ..t5 1 2 'if4 0-0 with a compli
cated game.
 Alekhine Defence
1. 1 e4 lMG 2 e5 lbd5 3 d4 d6 4 c4
b6 5 f4 (Four Pawns Attack)
It is important to know that on
5 exd6 Black should transpose into
the 4 f3 g6 line with 5 . . . cxd6 5
f3 g6 and not play 5 . . . exd6?! 6
c3 i.e7 owing to 7 ._.f3! 6 8
i.e3 0-0 9 0-0-0 ;!;;.
5 d.xe5
Black wants to continue . . . i.f5,
... c6, ... e7-e6, but first he pre
vents White from recapturing with
the d-pawn after, for instance, M
and i.e3, or from playing e5xd6.
A logical way to maintain the ten
sion is 5 . . . g6!?, since the bishop
can be useful on g7 in the fight
against the enemy centre. For ex
ample, 6 c3 i.g7 7 i.e3 0-0 8
f3 i.e6 ! ! and now 9 b3 c5! 10
dxc5 6d7! 1 1 cxd6 exd6 12 'l'xd6
e5 ! ! =F; 9 'l'b3 a5! 10 g5 a4 1 1
e6 axb3 12 xd8 :Xd8 1 3 a3
6 14 0-0-0 a5 =F; and of course
9 d5 is also not good due to
9 . . . i.g4. Instead of 6 c3 White
can play 6 f3 and then i.e3, i.e2
0-0 with d6xe5 to follow, and on
. . . i.e6 he may answer bd2 with
a level game.
6 fxe5 c6
On 6 ... c5 7 d5 e6 8 c3 White's
centre appears frightening, al
though Black can try to undermine
it with 8 . . . exd5 9 cxd5 c4 followed
by ... .tb4.
7 i.e3
7 f3 i.g4 would only increase
White's troubles.
181
7 .tf5 8 c3
Not 8 e6?! fxe6 9 c3 e5 10 d5
b4 1 1 l:lc1 e6 12 a3 exd5! 13 axb4
d4 =F.
8 e6 9 lM3 i.e7
Or 9 ... i.g4 10 'l'd2!? 'l'd7 1 1 .te2
0-0-0 12 c5!? d5 13 d5 'l'xd5
14 b4 a6 15 a4 with a promising
attack for White.
10 d5!?
Mter 10 i.e2 0-0 11 0-0 f6 12
ex6 i.x6 Black obtains an equal
game with . . . 'l'e7 and . . . l:lad8 .
10 exd5
Precise; this way White's pawn
on d5 will be hanging later on.
1 1 cxd5 b4 12 d4 i. d7
On 12 . . . i.g6 White replies 13
.tb5 + , while the line 12 . . .'1'd7 13
i.b5 c6 14 0-0 i.g6 15 dxc6 bxc6
16 xc6! c6 1 7 'l'xd7+ xd7
18 l:lfd1 + Jc7 19 l:lac1 is clearly
better for White.
w
Plans and Counterplans:
Black has ... c7-c5 in mind. For ex
ample, 13 ft3 c5! 14 dxc6 (14 lM3
c4! ) 14 . . . bxc6 15 0-0-0 6d5 16
.tc4 l:lb8. White should therefore
182 Basic Chess Openings
play more vigorously: 1 3 e6 fxe6
14 dxe6 .i.c6 15 'ti'g4 (15 'ifh5+ g6
16 .i.e2? .i.f6!, but not 16 ... gxh5??
17 .i.xh5 + rM8 18 .i.h6 + g8 19
.i.f7 mate!) 15 ... .i.h4+ 16 g3 .i.xh1
17 0-0-0 'iff6 (17 . . . .i.f6? 18 tLlf5,
threatening tLlxg7+ and 'ifh5 + )
1 8 gxh4 0-0. Now on, for example,
19 .i. b5 'ti'e5 20 .i.g5 c5 2 1 e7
Black has the fantastic sequence
21...cxd4 22 exf8'if+ llxf8 23 lhh1
a5! 24 'ti'e4 tLlxa2 + 25 c2 l:lf2 +
26" b3 l:lxb2 + ! 27 a3 lhb5 28
'ti'xe5 l:lxe5 29 a2 4+ 30 b3
b5 and Black stands better. On
19 .i.b5 the relatively untested
19 . . . c6!? is also interesting. This
would also be the reply if White
first forces ... g7-g6 with 15 'ifh5 + .
Here Black could not play . . .'ife5
in the end owing to .i.h6. Of
course these long variations offer
the possibility of novelties on
nearly every move, but in such a
tactical position one gets the feel
ing that the two sides have ap
proximately even chances.
II. 1 e4 tLlf6 2 e5 tLld5 3 d4 d6 4
3 (Positional Variation)
Black's main lines are:
A. 4 . . g6 and
. h3 tLlc6 10 tLlc3 as Black obtains
B. 4 .i.g4
, counterplay with either 10 . . . e5 or
He has various other possibili
ties:
a) 4 tLlb6 5 tLlc3 .i.g4 6 h3
.i.h5?! 7 g4 .i.g6 8 e6! fxe6 9 tLlg5
and White has the initiative.
b) 4 tLlc6 5 c4 tLlb6 6 e6! fxe6
7 tLlg5 e5 8 d5 tLld4 9 .i.d3 and be
sides 'ifh5 + , White is also threat
ening .i.e3, aiming to exploit the
e6-square.
c) 4 c6 5 c4 tLlc7 6 exd6 exd6
7 .i.d3 .i.g4 8 0-0 .i.e7 9 tLlbd2 tLld7
10 'ifc2 tLlf6 11 h3 .i.h5 12 tLlh4
.i.g6 13 tLlf5! ;.
d) 4 dxe5 (the most fashion
able sideline) 5 tLlxe5 g6 (5 ... tLld7?!
is suicidal: 6 tLlxf7! xf7 7 'ifh5 +
e6 8 c4 tLl5f6 9 d5 + d6 10 'iff7
tLle5 1 1 .i.f4 with a tremendous
attack; instead of 8 c4 White can
even play 8 g3!? and .i.h3) 6 .i.c4
c6 7 0-0 .i.g7 8 tLld2! 0-0 9 tLldf3
tLld7 10 tLld3 a5 1 1 a4 tLl7b6 12
.i.b3 .i.g4 13 c3 tLld7 14 h3 .i.xf3
15 'ifxf3 with a clear plus for
White on account of his slight
central advantage and the bishop
pair (;!;).
A. 1 e4 tLlf6 2 e5 ltXIS 3 d4 d6 4
tLlf3 g6
5 .i.c4
5 tLlg5 is premature: 5 . . . c6! 6 c4
tLlc7 7 'iff3 f6 8 exf6 exf6 9 tLle4 f5
10 tLlec3 .i.g7 and ... 0-0 = . Neither
is anything gained by 5 c4 tLlb6 6
exd6 cxd6 7 .i.e2 .i.g7 8 0-0 0-0 9
10 ... .i.f5 11 .i.e3 d5 12 c5 4.
5 tLlb6
5 . . . c6 6 0-0 .i.g7 7 exd6 'ifxd6 8
h3 0-0 9 tLlbd2 .i.f5 10 .i.b3 and
l:le1, c2-c4, .i.g5 tLle4 ;!;.
6 .i. b3 .i.g7
 Alekhine Defence
Not 6 ... .i.g4?? 7 .i.xf7 +.
w mining the centre.
Plans and Counterplans:
White stands somewhat better,
and has a pleasant choice be
tween two plans. The positional
one is 7 'iVe2 lDc6 8 0-0 0-0 9 h3 a5
10 a4 dxe5 1 1 dxe5 lM4 12 lDxd4
'iVxd4 13 l:le1, and with lDb1-d2-f3
White repels the enemy queen The
tactical way is 7 lDg5!? e6 (not
7 . . . 0-0? 8 e6! fxe6 9 .i.xe6+ h8
10 h4! lDc6 1 1 h5 lDxd4 12 hxg6
lDxe6 13 l'hh7+ c,i;g8 14 ft5 +-,
since White is threatening l:lh8 +
and 'ifh7 mate, while 7 ... d5 8 f4 f6
9 lDf3 allows White a strong cen
tre and freezes the bishop on g7) 8
'iff3 'ifd7 (8 ...'ife7? 9 lDe4 with the
threat of .i.g5 or 8 . . . 0-0?! 9 ft3
h6 10 lDf3 and Black's king posi
tion is weakened) 9 lDe4 dxe5 and
now White can further complicate
matters with both 10 .i.h6 and 10
lDf6 + . Apart from these two lines
a very simple alternative is 7 a4!?
a5 8 0-0 0-0 9 h3 with a spatial
advantage for White - although
Black's position is secure.
183
8.1 e4 lDf6 2 e5 lDd5 3 d4 d6 4
lDf3 .i.g4
The most consistent move, under
5 .i.e2 e6 6 0-0 .i.e7
Not 6 . . . lDc6?! 7 c4 lDb6 8 exd6
cxd6 9 d5! exd5 10 cxd5 .i.xf3 1 1
gxf3 ! lDe5 12 .i.b5 + lDed7 13 'ifd4
and the threat is 14 l:le1 + .
7 c4 lDb6 8 h3 .i.h5 9 lDc3 0-0
10 .i.e3
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Up to this point both sides have
developed in simple fashion. Now
it is down to Black to find a plan.
lO lDc6 does not seem good as
after 11 exd6 cxd6 12 d5 the knight
has to go. But 10 d5!? is not hope
less: 1 1 c5 .txf3 (not 1 1 ... lDc4? 12
.i.xc4 and 'ife2 wins a pawn or
ll . . .lD6d7 12 l:lc1 b6 13 c6! lDxc6
14 lDb5 +-) 12 gxf3! lDc8 13 f4
lDc6 and Black can follow the plan
. . . .i.h4, . . . lD8e7 and . . . lDf5. And
there is even a brand new idea:
10 a6!?, threatening 1 1 . . . .i.xf3
12 .i.xf3 lDxc4 as now on 13 .i.xb7
184 Basic Chess Openings
the rook on a8 has gained a place
on a 7! Play might therefore con
tinue 10 . . . a6!? 1 1 b3 d5 12 c5 ltlc8
13 b4 ltlc6 14 a3 ffi! 15 exffi .txfS
with equality; Black can try to
continue either with . . . hf3 and
. . . ltl8e7, or . . . .tf7 and . . . e6-e5!?
10 ... a6!? has fitted perfectly into
future developments - it has ob
structed White's queenside pawns
while White has played b4 in two
moves rather than one and has
not been able to strangle Black's
equalizing action . . . f7-f8.
In the Alekhine Defence Black
has good reason to hope for equal
ity. He should patiently but opti
mistically tolerate his permanent
spatial handicap in order to be
able to act at the right moment.
Pirc Defence
The plan of . . .d7-d6, . . . lCJ6 and
. . . g7-g6 employed against 1 e4 is
linked in chess literature to the
name of grandmaster Pirc, who
was very active in the 1930s. But
in Hungary it is also associated
with Aladar Antal, who had al
ready written a monograph on
the 'd6 opening' in the 1920s.
1 e4 d6
It is important to start this way
so that White does not attack the
knight that will soon appear on f6
with e4-e5. On l. . . g6 White can
play what he usually plays against
l . . .d6 or after 2 d4 j_g7 he can
choose between two lines which
would not work under different
conditions: 3 iCJf3 followed by c2-
c3, j.d3 or 3 m d6 4 j.c4 and then
'iVe2. l . .. g6 yields an additional
considerable option to White: 2
c4! ?, when 2 . . . c5 3 lC!f3 j_g7 4 d4
cxd4 5 lCJxd4 transposes into the
Mar6czy Bind or after 2 . . . d6 3 d4
j_g7 4 M Black has the choice of
the Modern Defence (4 . . . lC!c6) or
the King's Indian (4... lC!f6). These
are really 1 d4 openings(!) and if
one's opponent has not included
them in his repertoire then this
diversion can indeed be unpleas
ant!
2 d4
But now on 2 lCJf3 Black has
the extra option of 2 . . . .i.g4!? 3 d4
lCJ6 4 lC!c3 e6 5 h3 j.h5 6 g4 j.g6 7
'iVe2 c6! 8 h4 h6 9 h5 j.h7 10 g5
hxg5 11 hg5 'iVb6 12 0-0-0 lC!bd7
with a surprisingly solid game for
Black. This line can also be reached
via 1 d4 d6 2 lC!f3 j_g4 3 e4.
2 lMG 3 lC!c3 g6
White's most typical continu
ations are:
I. 4 lC!f3 followed by j.e2 and 0-0,
n. 4 f4 and
m. 4 f3, j.e3 and 'iVd2.
Here are a few rare lines:
a) 4 g3 j_g7 5 j.g2 0-0 6 lC!ge2
e5 7 0-0 lC!c6 8 dxe5 (the threat
was 8... exd4 9 lC!xd4 lC!xe4) 8 ...dxe5
is equal.
b) 4 j.e2 j_g7 5 h4 lCJc6 (or
5 . . . h5 6 lC!f3 and White proceeds
with lC!g5, f2-f3, j.e3, 'iVd2, 0-0-0,
and with the constant threat g2-
g4 White builds a strong attack
ing game) 6 h5 gxh5 7 j.e3 lC!g4.
c) 4 j_g5!? j_g7 (4 . . . h6 5 j.e3
lC!g4 6 j.c1 and after 7 f3 the
bishop returns to e3 and the queen
comes to d2 to attack the pawn on
h6) 5 'iVd2 c6 6 f4 (after 6 j.h6
j.xh6 7 'iVxh6 'iVa5 the e4-pawn is
hanging and Black is also threat
ening ... b7-b5) 6 ... 0-0 7 lC!f3 b5.
As demonstrated by these vari
ations, Black's play is almost
identical to that of the King's In
dian Defence. He can opt for either
. . . e7-e5 or . . . c7-c6 ( . . . a7-a6) and
186 Basic Chess Openings
. . . b7-b5 or perhaps . . . c7-c5. The
difference between these two open
ings is the placement of the white
c-pawn. In the Pirc this pawn is on
c2 rather than c4, which makes
the centre weaker but White can
more often castle queenside and
the d4-square does not become a
permanent hole. As we shall see,
the advantages and disadvan
tages are roughly balanced.
I. 1 e4 d6 2 d4 lbf6 3 lbc3 g6 4
lbf3
4 i.g7 5 i.e2
7 e5 dxe5 8 lbxe5!?
On 5 i.g5 Black can again go
5 . . . c6 and then . . . b7-b5 with coun
terplay. Also fine for Black is 5
i.c4 0-0 6 1i'e2 (6 0-0? lbxe4! 7
hf7+ l'bf7 8 e4 h6! and Black
is somewhat better. He is threat-
ening . . . i.g4 and can also play
. . . 1Wf8!, . . . lbc6 and then . . . e7-e5)
6 . . . c6 (with the idea again of
. . .lbxe4) 7 e5 5 co. On 5 h3 0-0 6
i.e3 Black has the instructive
6 . . . a6! (with the idea of . . .b7-b5) 7
a4 b6! 8 i.c4 e6 9 0-0 i.b7 10 e5
dxe5 1 1 lbxe5 lbc6! 12 lbxc6 hc6
13 1We2 1i'c8 ! ! 14 llad1 1i'b7 and
Black has the initiative.
5 0-0 6 0-0
6 h3 e5 (also possible is 6 . . . b6
and . . . i.b7) 7 0-0 exd4 8 d4 lle8
9 i.f3 lbbd7 followed by . . . lbe5
yields Black good chances.
Black can now play
A. 6 c6 and
lbg5 c5 13 c3 lbc6 White's centre
B. 6 i.g4,
has exploded, while after 10 exd5
but he also has several other al
ternatives. For example:
a) 6 6?! 7 d5 lbb4 8 lle1 e6
9 a3 lba6 10 dxe6 i.xe6 11 lbd4
i.d7 12 .tg5 ;t.
b) 6 lbbd7 7 e5 lbe8 8 i.g5!?
f6 9 exf6 exf6 10 i.e3 ;t.
c) 6 a6!? 7 lle1 e6!? 8 i.g5 h6
9 .tf4 b5! 10 e5 b4! ! 1 1 lbb1 (not
1 1 exf6 1Wxf6 and two pieces are
hanging) 11 . . .lbd5 12 .td2 lbd7
and Black is already more devel
oped and is threatening to gain
more space with . . . g6-g5. On
6 ... a6!? White can consider 7 a4 or
A. 1 e4 d& 2 d4 lbf& 3 lbc3 g& 4
lbf3 i.g7 5 .te2 0-0 6 0-0 c6
7 a4
Impeding . . . b7-b5. On 7 lle1
lbbd7 8 i.4 (8 e5 dxe5 9 dxe5 lbg4
10 e6 fxe6 and now the otherwise
winning 1 1 lbg5 fails as the pawn
on f2 is hanging!) 8 " .1Wc7 9 e5
lbh5 10 i.g5 dxe5 1 1 i.xe7 lle8 12
d5 1i'b6 13 dxc6 bxc6 14 .ta3 e4!
with a double-edged fight or 7 h3
lbbd7 8 e5 lbe8 9 lle1 dxe5 10 dxe5
lbc7 1 1 i.f4 lbe6 12 i.g3 1i'b6 with
yet another complicated game.
7 :flc7
Also good is 7 . . . a5 with the ma
noeuvre . . .lbb8-a6-b4.
8 a5 lld8 9 .tea d5! (D)
Plans and Counterplans:
On 10 e5 lbe4 11 e4 dxe4 12
 Pirc Defence
w w
lbxd5 1 1 lbxd5 cxd5 White can play
for 'ifd2 and .tf4 and Black has
the option of ... .tf5 and ... 6.
B. 1 e4 d6 2 d4 ltlf6 3 ltlc3 g6 4
ltlf3 .tg7 5 .t e2 o-o 6 00 .tg4
7 .te3
7 h3 .txf3 8 .txf3 6 9 d5 ltle5
10 .te2 c6 1 1 f4 ltled7 12 .tf3 'ifa5
grants Black promising queenside
counterplay.
7 ltlc6!? 8 'ifd2
'ifxe7+ 9 'ife2 'ifd8 10 .tea l:le8 1 1
8 d5 .txf3!? 9 .txf3 ltle5 10 .te2
c6 1 1 f4 ltled7 12 dxc6 bxc6 and
White's bishop pair counterbal
ances Black's play on the b-file.
8 e5
Plans and Counterplans:
Here White can close the position
with 9 d5 ltle7 10 l:lad1, but then
Black surprisingly changes the
nature of the game with 10 . . . .td7
1 1 ltle1 b5! ( l l . . . ltlg4!?) 12 a3 a5
13 ltld3 'ifb8 14 f3 c6! 15 dxc6
.txc6 . Besides 16 . . . b4, Black is
also threatening 16 ... d5. Alterna-
tively, White can open things up
187
with 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 l:lad1, when
the game is even after 10 . . . 'ifc8
and ... l:ld8.
II. 1 e4 d6 2 d4 lM6 3 ltlc3 g6 4
f4
4 .tg7 5 lM3
The premature 5 e5? leads to
the dismemberment of White's
own centre: 5 . . . lLlfd7 6 ltlf3 c5!? 7
exd6 0-0 (7 ... exd6 8 'ife2 + ) 8 dxe7
0-0-0 'ifa5 with a dangerous queen
side initiative for Black (. . . ltlc6,
... ltlf6). After 5 ltlf3 Black's choices
are:
A. 5 c5!? and
B. 5 0-0
A. 1 e4 d6 2 d4 ltlf6 3 ltlc3 g6 4 f4
.tg7 5 ltlf3 c5 17
Tempting White to enter some
incredibly sharp lines.
6 .tb5 + !?
Black has nothing to fear after
both 6 e5 lLlrd7 and 6 d5 0-0 7 .te2
188 Basic Chess Openings
e6! 8 dxe6 .txe6, as in both cases
White central plus has evapo
rated. 6 dxc5 1i'a5 7 .tda 1i'xc5 8
1i'e2 0-0 9 .tea 1i'a5 10 0-0 .tg4 11
ha .txfa 12 1i'xf3 c6 1a aa 7!
again leads to a balanced game.
6 .t d7
fj;f7 15 f5 fj;xg7 16 1i'h4 6 have
The only move, since 6 . . .bd7?
7 e5 g4 8 e6! fxe6 9 g5 wins
outright and after 6 . . .fd7 7 .tea
0-0 8 1i'd2 the black pieces are en
tangled on the d7-square.
7 e5!?
This is more testing than 7
.txd 7 + bxd7!? 8 e5 h5! 9 g4?
fuf4 10 .txf4 cxd4 1 1 1i'xd4 dxe5
12 .txe5 fue5 - + .
7 g4 8 e6
White has picked up speed. 8
.txd 7 + 1i'xd7 9 d5 dxe5 10 ha e4!
11 xe4 f6 is without thrills,
but the same cannot be said about
8 ha!? cxd4 9 1i'xd4 h6 10 .td2!?
(10 g4 hb5 11 fub5 6 12 1i'e4
0-0! is unclear) 10 . . . .txb5 11 fub5
12 1i'f2 dxe5 1a fxe5 0-0 14
0-0-0 1i'b6!? In this line, instead of
9 . . . h6 another feasible path is
9 . . . dxe5 10 1i'd5 e4! 1 1 g5 h6
12 1i'xb7 .txca + 1a bxca 0-0! 14
'i'xa8 1i'c7 and besides 15 ...1i'xca+
Black is also threatening to net
the queen with 15 ... c6.
8 .txb5
oped side. Here are two examples
In the past few years another
line has caught fire: 8 .. .fxe6 9 5
..txb5, when White has a choice
between two ways to capture:
a) 10 e6 .txd4! 11 fub5 (11
xd8 .tf2+ 12 d2 .tea + fol
lowed by a perpetual on ea and
f2!) 11 . . .1i'a5 + 12 1i'd2 .tf2+ 1a
d1 1i'xd2+ ! 14 xd2 d7! ao.
b) 10 b5 1i'a5 + 11 ca 1i'xb5
12 xe6 and now both 12 . . . a6
1a fug7+ fj;f7 14 1i'xg4 g7 and
12 ...1i'c4!? 1a 1i'xg4 cxd4 14 +
both stood up to the test of tour
nament practice.
9 exf7+ d7!
Active, indeed!
10 b5
Not 10 g5? h5 11 fub5 1i'a5+
12 c3 cxd4 - + .
1 0 1i'a5 + 1 1 c a cxd4 12
d4
B
Plans and Counterplans:
What a crazy position! Black's
king is floating around in the
middle but he is the more devel
from tournament practice:
a) 12 hd4 1a 1i'xd4 (or 1a
1i'xg4+ 1i'f5) 1a ... 6 14 1i'c4 1i'b6
15 1i'e2 h5 16 ha h6 and the
knight will return on f5.
b) 12 .h5!? 1a ha lDc6! 14 e2
h6 15 .tea 5 16 .tf2 llac8 17
 Pirc Defence
0-0 h4 and the black king dances to
c7 and b8 whilst he will also
round up the pawn on f7.
B. 1 e4 d& 2 d4 ltlf6 3 ltlc3 g& 4 f4
.t.. g 7 5 ltlf3 0-0
6 .t.. d3
Other possibilities are:
a) 6 e5 ltlfd7 7 h4 c5! 8 h5?!
cxd4 9 hxg6?! dxc3 10 gxf7 + ( 10
gxh7+ h8 and the white pawn
protects the black king from at
tack!) 10 . . . 1W'7 1 1 .t..c4 e6! 12 ltlg5
(12 .he6 ltlxe5 13 .t..xf7 + ltlxf7 :;:)
12 . . . ltlf8! 13 ltlxf7 rtJxf7 14 1i'h5 +
rfJg8 15 f5 1i'a5 16 fxe6 cxb2+ 17
e2 1i'c7! and Black wins. As it is
demonstrated by this nearly
twenty-year-old example, if one is
undeveloped one should not play
for mate!
b) 6 .t.. e 3 b6!? (Black does not
give up on the plan of . . . c7-c5) 7
.t..d3 (7 e5 ltlg4 8 .t..g1 c5 9 h3 ltlh6
10 d5 ltld7 1 1 1i'e2 b5! and on 12
ltlxb5 .t.. a 6, while on 12 1i'xb5
llb8, and on 12 0-0-0 b4 13 ltle4
ltlb6 followed by . . . .t.. b 7) 7 . . .c5 8
1i'e2 ltlc6 9 e5 ltlg4 10 .t..e4 ltlb4!!
1 1 .t.. xa8?! .t.. a6 1 2 1i'd2 ltlxe3 13
.t.. e 4 cxd4, and after d6xe5 Black
has a tremendous game. Of course
in these examples White's play was
poor, but they serve to demon
strate that White must take care.
6 ltlc6!?
White is on top after both 6 ... c5
7 dxc5 dxc5 8 1i' e2 ltlc6 9 e5 ltld5
10 ltlxd5 1i'xd5 1 1 .t..c4 1i'd7 12 c3!
and 6 . . . ltla6 7 0-0 ltlb4 8 d5! with
189
a2-a4, 1i'e1 and 1i'h4 to follow.
6 . . . .t..g4 7 h3 .t..xf3 8 1i'xf3 ltlc6 9
.t..e3 e5 10 dxe5 dxe5 1 1 f5! ltld4
12 1i'f2 is also better for White on
account of his bishop pair and ac
tive chances on the kingside.
7 e5
On 7 0-0, Black can play 7... e5!?
8 fxe5 dxe5 9 d5 ltld4 10 ltlxe5
fue4 1 1 .t..xe4 .t..xe5 12 .t.. f4 .t.. g 7!
(after 12 ... .t..xf4 the king position
is left exposed) 13 1i'd2 ltlf5 14
ltlb5 ltld6 15 ltlxd6 cxd6 with an
even game. Another possible line
is 7 ... .t.. g4!? 8 e5 dxe5 9 dxe5 ltld5
10 h3 ltlxc3 1 1 bxc3 .t..f5!?
7 dxe5 8 fxe5
Mter 8 dxe5 ltld5 9 .t..d2 .t..g4
Black is threatening to invade on
d4 with his knight.
8 ltlh5!
Black's plan is . . . .t.. g4 and . . . f7-
f6, and for this the knight is best
placed on h5 .
9 ltle2!?
9 .t.. e2 .t..g4 10 .i.e3 f6 11 exf6
exf6 12 0-0 f5! 13 h3 hf3 14 .i.xf3
f4 and . . .ltlg3 with active play.
9 ..t..g4 10 c3
B
190 Basic Chess Openings
Plans and Counterplans:
Black must not take on f3 as then
the f-pawn will strengthen White's
centre. There is only one way to
attack the pawn chain, and this is
... f7-f6. However, it is risky to play
this immediately as on 10 . . . 6
White can play 1 1 'iVba + and
'iVxb7. So Black should first play
10 ...h8 and on 1 1 0-0 f6! 12 exf6
.ixf6 and ...e7-e5 when he has ob
tained equal chances.
m. l e4 d6 2 d4 lMS a ca g6 4
.tea
This a common way to begin since
4 . . .g4 5 .ig5 h6 6 .tel .ig7 pro
vides no cause for worry in view of
7 f3 8 .tea. With his surplus
move Black has only 'gained' a
weakling on h6.
4 .tg7
Perhaps this move _ can be
spared as well: 4 . . . c6!? 5 'iVd2! (the
most precise, as after 5 f3 'iVb6! 6
ba White can no longer carry out
the plan of 'iVd2, 0-0-0 because the
move b2-ba is too weakening)
5 . . . b5 6 fa bd7 7 g4 b6!? 8 ba
.tb7 9 h4 h5 10 g5 d7 11 f4 .tg7
12 f5 0-0!? with chances for both
sides.
5 f3 c6 6 'iVd2 b5!?
More consistent than 6 ... bd7
7 g4 e5 8 h4 0-0 9 h5 exd4 10 .ixd4
e5 11 hxg6 fxg6 12 .ixe5! dxe5
1a .ic4 + h8 14 'iVxd8 lhd8 15
ha and the knight hurries to
wards g5 () .
7 0-0-0
Or 7 .ih6 .ixh6!? 8 'iVxh6 bd7
9 .ida (9 0-0-0 b4 10 ce2 'iVb6
and Black's plan is ... a7-a5-a4 and
. . . b4-ba) 9 . . . e5 10 dxe5 dxe5 1 1
0-0-0 'iVe7 = .
7 1Va5
The threat is 8 . . . b4, when the
a2-pawn is hanging.
8 bl bd7!
Not 8 ...b4? 9 ce2, with cl to
follow, when Black has no attack.
9 .th61
Stepping out in advance of the
threatened ... b6-c4.
9 .txh6 10 'iVxb6 b6
w
Plans and Counterplans:
Black wants to build up an attack
with ... l:tb8, . . . 4, . . . .te6 and
... b5-b4, but White can parry this
with ca-e2-cl or by capturing
the knight on c4 and playing al
and l:tbl. Meanwhile, after ha
f4 White can play for e4-e5 while
controlling the d5-square. The lat
ter plan is so strong that on 1 1
ha Black has to play 11 . . ..ixha!
12 'iVxha 0-0 with equal chances
in the middlegame.
Nimzowitsch Defence And
Other Eccentricities
Those eccentrics who dislike theo
retical lines and prefer to make
their opponents think for them
selves from the first move can an
swer 1 e4 with l . . . a6, l...b6 or
l . . .c6. Although these moves
are rather dubious, they should
not be underestimated as they do
have strategic purpose. These
three openings may also arise
from 1 d4 if White follows up with
2 e4.
1. 1 e4 a6
2 d4
As a general principle one should
reply to a suspicious move by de
veloping, occupying the centre.
2 b5 3 f3 .*.b7 4 .*.d3 f6 5
other opening, for example 2 . . . e5
'ii'e2
Not 5 e5?! as after 5 . . . d5 the
central knight is active and can
not be driven away.
5 e6 6 0-0 c5 7 c3
White is clearly better as he
dominates the centre. Later he
will threaten to attack the enemy
king with e4-e5 or to annoy the
pawn on b5 with a2-a4. On 7 . . . d5
he can play 8 e5 d7 (8 . . . 9
bd2) 9 g5 !? The f-pawn is
threatening to advance and the
knight cannot be chased away with
9 ... h6? due to 10 'iWh5! 'ii'e7 11 f7!
TI. 1 e4 b6
2 d4 .*.b7 3 .*.d3 e6
Not 3 . . . f5? 4 exf5 .*.xg2 5 'ii'h5 +
and wins.
4 f3 c5 5 c3 f6 6 'ii'e2 .*.e7
7 0-0 c6 8 e5 d5 9 dxc5!?
bxc5 10 a3
10 a3!? followed by 11 c4 is also
not bad.
10 ...0-0 1 1 c4
In view of the pawn on e5.
m. l e4 c6
This is the Nimzowitsch Defence.
2 d4
2 lMS forces Black to enter some
transposes into one of the Open
Games and 2 . . . d5 3 exd5 'ii' xd5 4
3 to the Centre-Counter.
2 d5
2 . . . d6? 3 d5 b8 (3 . . . e5 4 f4
d7 5 c3 c5 6 3 threatening
e4-e5-e6 and then .*.b5 + ) . 4 c4
followed by c3 with an im
mense advantage in development.
On 2 . . . e5, 3 d5?! is a slight mis
take as after 3 . . . ce7 with the
setup . . . d7-d6, . . . f7-f5, . . . f6, . . . g7-
g6, . . . .*.g7 and 0-0 Black achieves
good play. White has the simple 3
dxe5 xe5 4 f3! (4 f4 would
192 Basic Chess Openings

weaken the white king position to 9 "it'b3 "it'c8 10 .i.d3 and Black's
a great extent) 4 . . . 11Vf6 (4 . . . xf3 + development is sickly.
5 "it'xf3 "it'f6 6 "it'g3 or 4 . . . d6 5
d4!? and c3, .i.e2, 0-0, f2-f4 ;!;)
5 xe5 "it'xe5 6 .i.d3 followed by
"it'e2, c3, .i.d2, 0-0-0, f2-f4 is B

White's plan.
3 c3
After 3 exd5?! "it'xd5 4 f3 .i.g4
5 .i.e2 0-0-0 Black's has rapid de
velopment. An interesting alter
native is 3 e5 .i.f5 4 c3 e6 5 f3
followed by .i.e2, .i.e3, bd2 and
0-0.
3 ... dxe4
3 . . . e6 is quite a bad French De- Plans and Counterplans:
fence. 3 ... 4 e5 d7 5 f4 is per White can now play 0-0 and llel,
haps even worse. and since Black's plan of . . . c7-c5
4 d5 e5 and ...b7-b5 can be neutralized by
4 . . . b8 5 .i.c4 (5 xe4? e6) a2-a4 Black has to settle for . . . e7-
5 ... 6 6 .i.4 and "it'e2, 0-0-0 . e6, ... .i.e7 and . . . 0-0. With his
5 "it'd4!? g6 6 "it'xd4 knight on g6, Black may even
6 e4? e5! have to face an attack with h2-h4-
6 a6 7 f3 f6 8 "it'a4+ .i.d7
h5!
 Are you:
confused by the Coro-Konn?
scared of the Sicilian?
rattled by the Ruy Lopez?

In this comprehensive book for players of all ages, Grandmaster Kallai

provides a straightforward, easy-to-use guide to surviving the maze of
chess openings, covering all the popular modern openings starting
with 1 e4.

Rather than present a mass of bewildering variations, as is common in

most opening books, the author concentrates on developing a solid
understanding of the ideas of each opening, so that readers can start
each game with confidence. He arms the aspiring player with the
fundamental grounding essential for achieving sound and promising
positions from the opening, with an emphasis on formulating good plans
for the middlegame.

The companion volume to this book, More Basic Chess Openings, covers
all of the major alternatives to 1 e4, and is also available from Cadogan.

Hungarian Grandmaster Gabor Kallai has won nu merous tournaments

and is the author of several other opening books.