Are you:

• K.O.' d by the King's Indian?

• Nervous about the Nimzo?
• Intrigued by the English?

In this comprehensive book for players of all ages Grandmaster Kallai

provides o straightforward, easy-to-use guide to surviving the maze of chess
openings, covering all the popular modern openings starting with 1 d4, 1 c4
and 1 Nf3, as well as some of the lesser known alternatives to 1 e4.

Rother 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.

Hungarian Grandmaster Gabor Kallai has won numerous tournaments and

is the author of several other opening books.

The companion volume to this book, Basic Chess Openings,

covers all of the openings starting with 1 e4, and is also
available from Cadogan.
More Basic Chess Openings

Gabor Kallai
First published in 1997 by Gloucester Publishers plc, (formerly Everyman Publishers
plc), Northburgh House, 10 Northburgh Street, London, EC1V OAT

Copyright © 1997 Gabor J(allai

Reprinted 2003

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic
tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

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

ISBN 1 85744 206 7

To Marika, Oli, Beni and Lili

Distributed in North America by The Globe Pequot Press, P.O Box 480,
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437-0480.

All other sales enquiries should be directed to Gloucester Publishers pic, Northburgh
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tel: 020 7253 7887 fax: 020 7379 4060
email: info@everymanchess.com
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Everyman is the registered trade mark of Random House Inc. and is used in this
work under license from Random House Inc.

Advisor: J :inos Szabolcsi

Translator: Zita Rajcs:inyi

Proofreading: Tim Wall and Alexander Meynell

Typeset by ChessSetter
Contents

Symbols 5
Introduction 6

CLOSED GAMES

Queen's Gambit 7
Queen's Pawn Opening 41
Queen's Indian Defence 43
Bogo-Indian Defence 54
Nimzo-lndian Defence 58
White avoids the main lines 69
Griinfeld Defence 70
King's Indian Defence 86
Modern Defence 109
Benoni Defence 110
Dutch Defence 120
Old Indian Defence 127
Gambits after 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 129
English Opening 136
Reti Opening 153
Rare Openings and Follies 156
Symbols

+ Check
f 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
Introduction
This is the second volume of a
two-part series covering every
chess opening.
It deals with the 'Closed Games',
that is to say all openings which
do not start with 1 e4.
If White prefers a long posi­
tional struggle, a strategic battle
instead of a tactical one, often
maintaining a slight advantage to
the endgame then the 'Closed
Games' are for him! On the other
hand Black, if he is ready for ac­
tive counterplay and is aware
that his lack of one tempo is even
less significant than in the blitz­
krieg of Open Games... well, then
he also has no reason to fear the
Closed Games! Most often White
opens with 1 d4 and follows up
with 2 c4.
If Black decides to castle by de­
veloping his bishop via the f8-a3
diagonal then he can choose from
the Queen's Gambit, Queen's
Indian, Bogo-Indian or Nim zo­
Indian Defences. If, however,
he hopes to place his bishop on g7
then he has the Griinfeld In­
dian, King's Indian, Modern
Defence and the Benoni at his
disposal. For those who favour
more off beat setups, there are
the Dutch and Old Indian De­
fences and various Gambits. If
White wishes to avoid both 1 d4
and 1 e4, he can choose either the
English (1 c4) or Reti Opening
(1 tDf3). Other first moves are
seen only rarely but should still
be studied from Black's perspec­
tive.
Queen's Gambit
1 d4 d5 2 c4
B
The move c2-c4 fits in to the
general rule of openings: first the
pawns, then the knights. In this
case after c2-c4 the knight will
feel comfortable on c3 . So when­
ever you see a chessboard with 1
d4 d5 on it remember that the c­
pawn is an active character for
both sides, and that a knight de­
veloped on c3 or c6 belongs be­
hind the pawn!
In the diagram position Black
has three good ways to answer: he
can capture on c4 (Queen's Gam­
bit Accepted), or protect his
pawn on d5. This may be done by
either ... e6 (Class ical Queen's
Gambit) or ...c6 (Slav Defense).
Other variations are objectively
weaker but by no means harm­
less! For these less common sub­
variations see the section 'Albin
and other lines'.
Queen's Gambit Accepted
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4
Black opts for a clear-cut situ­
ation in the centre and in the ten­
sionless position that arises he
plans to develop his pieces to
their natural squares. A long­
term prospect is to take on d4 af­
ter the pawn thrust . .. c7-c5. Then
White will then recapture with
the pawn to maintain his initia­
tive in a more or less even game.
3l2Jf3
A logical development, nipping
... e7-e5 in the bud. Other moves
are:
a) 3 e3, when Black's best is
3 . . .l2Jf6 4 i.xc4 e6 5 l2Jf3 c5 with
transposition to the 3 l!Jf3 lines.
b) 3l2Jc3 e5 4 d5 c6 5 e4l!Jf6 6
.ig5 �b4 leads to sharp play,
threatening 7 . .'ii'a5.
.
8 More Basic Chess Openings
c) 3 e4!? e5 4 lL:lf3 .ltb4+ 5
i.d2 �xd2+ 6 lL:lbxd2 exd4 7
i.xc4 tDc6 8 0-0 lDf6 9 e5 ltJd5 10
lDb3 0-0 11 lDbxd4 is even. 3 e4
can also be met by 3 ...tDf6 4 e5
ttJd5 5 i.xc4 ltlb6 6 i.b3 lDc6 7 .i.e3
i.f5 8 ltlc3 e6 and after ...i.e7 and
...0-0 Black completes his devel­
opment.
3. . . ltlf6
Less good is 3 .. . c5: 4 d5 e6 5
l2Jc3 exd5 6 'ii'xd5 iYxd5 7 lDxd5
.id6 8 e4 ;t.
Now White has:
I. 4lL:lc3
II. 4 e3
Another try is 4 'ti'a4+, when
after 4 ... c6 5 'iixc4 .if5 6 g3 e6 7
.ig2 ltlbd7 8 0-0 .ie7 9 ltJc3 0-0,
Black is fine. An instructive mis­
take is 10 l:.d1? .ic2 1 1 l:td2 ttJb6r
and the queen goes. And on 10
.ig5 or 10 �f4, 10. ..lDe4r holds.
I. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 llJf3 llJf6 4
ltJc3
White is aiming for complete con­
trol of the centre with 5 e4, and
will then try to win his c-pawn
back.
4 c6
..•
This position can also be
reached via the Slav Defence ( 1
d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 lDf3 tLlf6 4 ltJc3
dxc4). Also interesting is 4 ...a6 5
e4 b5 6 e5 lLld5 7 a4 l£lxc3 8 bxc3
'ifd5! 9 g3 �b7 10 �g2 'iVd7 11
i.a3 g6 12 0-0 �g7 13 l:.e1 0-0 14
e6!? fxe6 15 lDe5 'ii'c8 16 .ih3 .td5
with equal chances. But White
has an edge after 4...c5 5 d5! e6 6
e4 exd5 7 e5! lL:lfd7 8 �xd5 fol­
lowed by .ixc4.
5 a4
An unclear pawn sacrifice is 5
e4 b5 6 e5 ttJd5 7 a4 e6 8 axb5
lL'lxc3 9 bxc3 cxb5 10 llJ g5 i.b7 1 1
'ii'h5 �d7.
5 ...i.f5
Or 5 ... i.g4 6 llJe5 .i.h5 7 ltJxc4
e6 8 .i.g5! i.b4 9 f3! i and White
threatens to start an offensive
with g2-g4 and e2-e4.
6 e3
The game explodes after 6
lDe5: 6 ...e6 7 f3 i.b4 8 e4 .i.xe4!? 9
fxe4ltlxe4 10 �d2 'iVxd4 11ltlxe4
'ii'xe4+ 12 �e2 �xd2+ 13 <it>xd2
'¥i'd5+ 14 �c2 llJa6 154Jxc4 0-0-0
and the three pawns counterbal­
ance the piece. If Black wants to
sidestep these complications he
can play 6 .. . lDbd7 7 liJxc4 'i/c7 8
g3! e5 9 dxe5 tDxe5 10 �f4 ltJfd7
11 lillce5 llJxe5 12 'i¥d4 .id6 13
l:td 1, when White has the initia­
tive.
 Queen,s Gambit
6 ... e6 7 �xc4 .ib4 8 0-0 0-0
Plans and Counterplans:
On 9 'ifb3 Black has 9 .. .'ii b6 10
4Jh4 i.g6 with . . .a7-a5, .. /iJbd7
and ... e7 -e5 to follow, while on 9
4Jh4 .i.g6 and ... lbbd7, ...'W/e7,
...a7-a5 and again ...e7-e5 is possi-
ble. Finally, on 9 'ii'e2 ltJbd7 10 e4
i.g6 11 i..d3 .ih5! 12 .if4 lle8
(threatening 13 ... e5) 13 e5 ltJd5
with a full-scale fight. Although
White stands somewhat more
freely the game is about even.
II. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 ltJf3 ltJf6 4
e3
Now the pawn on c4 falls prey, as
after 4. ..b5 5 a4 c6 6 axb5 cxb5 7
b3 cxb3 8 �xb5+ and 9 'it'xb3 the
pawn would still be lost but under
much worse circumstances.
4 e6
.• .
4... .i.g4 5 .ixc4 e6 (the threat
was .1t..xf 7+ and llJe5+ ) 6 h3 .i.h5
7lL'lc3 a6 (preparing 8...ltJc6) 8 g4!
.ig6 9 ltle5 ltlbd7 10 ltlxg6 hxg6
11 �fl. and 12 .ig2 �.
9
J:-.2.�·- �-�
w _lfi lt' ".i.'i
• -�- R
� �. �-%- I
W1-f� W1 'R
�;r,--� ���;r,-J
,
��� �����
,�zt5m1i�ii•'� 1
5 i.xc4 c5 6 0-0 a6 7 a4
Should White not parry ... b7-b5
and play 7 �d3, Black has a rosy
position after 7 ...cxd4 (7 ... b5?! 8
a4!) 8 exd4 il.e7 9 llJc3 b5 10 a3
.i.b7 11 i.g5 llJbd7 followed by
... lbb6, ...llJbd5 and ..0-0. Another
.
try is 7 'iie2 b5 8 ii.b3 i.b7 9 %1d1
ltJbd7 10 ltJc3 'ti'b6 11 d54Jxd5 12
.i.xd5 exd5 13 ltJxd5 .ixd5 14
lixd5 .i.e7 15 e4 �b7 16 .i.g5 ltJb6
17 liad1 f6 18 i.f4 0-0 =.
7 ... ltJc6 8 'ir'e2 cxd4 9 :dl
il.e7 10 exd4 0-0 lll2Jc3
B
Black has to reckon with the
threat of the advance d4-d5, and
10 More Basic Chess Openings
his light-squared bishop still
needs to be developed.
On ll lLlb4 12 lLle5 lLlfd5 13
.•.
1Wg4 White has a pull, therefore
Black should play ll lLld5 12
.••
�e4 lLlcb4 13 lLle5 'ii'd6 (13 ...b6?
14 lLlc6! lLlxc6 15 lLlxd5 exd5 16
.txd5 wins a pawn), and follow up
with 14... b6 and 15....i.b7. In this
dynamically balanced position
Black often defends with ... f7-f6
or even ... f7-f5 while White can
envisage an attack along the open
third rank (l:a1-a3-g3/h3).
Classical Queen's Gambit
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6
w IV. i.f4 Variation (3 tec3 ltJf6 4
This variation, which is per­
haps the most ancient form of the
Queen's Gambit, is recommended
to players who prefer long strug­
gles and testing endgames. Black
is preparing for . .. c7-c5, which he
can play immediately (see the
Tarrasch Defence), or lay the
groundwork for in a slower fash­
ion. In this case, he first castles
after ...lLlf6 and ... i..e7 and then
plays for instance ...b7-b6 and
...i.. b7 to complete his develop­
ment. White can make use of this
period of calm to put his pieces on
their ideal squares: lLlc3, t'bf3,
.tg5, e3 , f:.cl, .td3, 0-0, etc. It is
typical of the whole line that
White restrains his fl bishop in
order to recapture on c4 without
any loss of tempi.
The following sections sum­
marize the Classical Queen's
Gambit:
I. Exchange Variation (cxd5
exd5 on the third move or later)
II. Tarrasch Defence (Black
plays ...c7-c5)
III. Black plays .tb4 (3 lLlc3
.••
t'L)ffi 4 ltlf3 .tb4)
ci)f3 j.e7 5 .tf4)
V. Tartakower Variation (3
ltJc3 ltlf6 4 ltJf3 i.e7 5 j.g5 0-0 6
e3 h6 7 .i.h4 b6)
VI. Orthodox Variation (3 ltJc3
4Jf6 4 ltJf3 i.e7 5 .tg5 0-0 6 e3
ltJbd7)
V II. Catalan Opening (White
fianchettoes his bishop to g2).
I. Exchange Variation
Black has a variety of move-or­
ders to choose from in the Classi­
cal Queen's Gambit: he can play
either ...c7-c6 or ...e7 -e6 first and
he can then also select the order
of .. . lDf6 and ...i..e7. White, in
turn, can capture on d5 at similar
 Queen's Gambit
but not identical moments. First
let us take a look at the ensuing
pawn formation!
Normally the advance e3-e4 is
unfavourable for White on ac·
count of the weakening of the
pawn on d4. Therefore he usually
seeks to initiate play on the
queenside, launching a 'minority
attack', that is he starts an offen­
sive with his a- and b-pawns
against the entire black queen­
side. First b2-b4, then a2-a4, then
b4-b5. Then he takes on c6 and
after the recapture White already
has a target: the pawn on c6, ripe
for attack along the open files.
Black often tries to salvage him­
self with an obstructive ... a 7-a5
and, after the exchange on b4, he
goes ...b7-b5. If this should fail he
can still generate counterplay in
the centre and on the k.ingside,
most often with the habitual
.. .ttJf6·e4.
We shall examine the following
move-orders:
11
A. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 t2Jc3 i.e7
B. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 t2Jc3 c6 4
cxd5 exd5
C. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 l2Jc3ltJf6 4
cxd5 exd5
D. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 ttJc3ltJf6 4
lLlf3 c6
A. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3ltJc3 i.e7
This move-order, in contrast to
the more usual 3...t2Jf6, prevents
4 cxd5 exd5 5 i.g5.
4 cxd5 exd5
w
5 i.f4
On 5 'ifc2 a solid set-up is ...i.f6,
.. .t2Je7, ... g7-g6, ... i.f5 and ..0-0.
.
5 c6
..•
The best response! It is useful
to make the necessary moves first
and then react flexibly to the op­
ponent's plan.
6 e3
Warding off ... i.c8-f5 with 6
'ifc2 fails to 6... g6 7 e3 i.f5 8 �d3
�xd3 9 'i!Vxd3, when Black has
managed to get rid of his trouble­
some bishop.
12 More Basic Chess Openings

6 �f5 7 g4
.••

7 �b3 'Ci'b6 = shows the bene-

fits of ... c7-c6. w

7... .i.e6
In case of 7...�g6 8 h4 h5 9 g5
White enjoys great spatial advan­
tage (;t).

C. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 ltJc3 ltJf6 4
cxd5 exd5

Against Black's harmonious

piece play White has employed
an aggressive strategy of g2-g4,
with castling queenside to follow.
Black should continue consis­
tently with 8 h3lDf6 9lDf3 0-0 10
'ii'c2 c5 11 0-0-0lDc6 =.

This is the ideal moment for

B. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lDc3 c6 4
cxd5 exd5
5 �f4
On 5 'ii'c2 the customary an­
swer is 5...g6 6 ..tf4 �f5 7 'ir'b3
'ir'b6 =.
5....i.d6 6 .i.g3 lDe7
Of course not 6... .i.xg3? 7 hxg3
and White builds up pressure
along the h-file.
7 e3lM5 8 �xd6 lillcd6 9lDge2
0-0 10 lDf4 .i.f5 =.
White to capture on d5. The knight
on g1 has not yet committed him­
self to f3 (often it stands better on
e2), while Black has already played
... lLlf6, allowing .i..g5.
5 �g5 c6
5 ... llJbd7 is a trap: 6 lLlxd5?
lLlxd5! 7 �xd8 i.b4+ winning a
piece. But 6 e3 c6 7 'ii'c2 �e7 is only
a different move-order to the text.
6 'it'c2 i.e7
6...g6 7 �f3 .i.g7 8 e3 .i.f5 9
�d3 �.
 Queen's Gambit
7 e3li:)bd7 8 .i.d3 0-0
A well-known releasing move is
8 . �h5: 9 i.xe7 flxe7 10 �ge2
. .
t[)b6 11 0-0-0 and White unleashes
an attack with h2-h3 and g2-g4
(t).
9 ttJge2
9 t0f3 l:te8 10 0-0 lDf8 11 :abl
a5 12 a3 tlJe4 13 if.. xe7 'iVxe7 and
Black holds the whole position to­
gether.
9 .U.e8 •••
Plans and Counterplans:
White has to decide where to
place his king:
a) 10 0-0-0 'ti'a5 11 �b1 b5 12
llJg3 h6 13 h4 lLlb6 with sufficient
play for Black on the queenside.
b) 10 0-0 tlJf8 ( 10 . lLle4 11
. .
i.f4! ? f5? 12 lLlxd5 cxd5 13 if..c 7
+-) 11 f3!? (11 J:ab1 .i.e6 12 b4
a6 13 ll)a4! lD6d7 14 �xe7 "VJkxe7
15 li)c5 and White has a slight
edge) ll. ..l0h5 12 i.xe7 ifixe7 13
e4 dxe4 14 fxe4 i.e6, when Black
can deal serious blows against the
white centre with ... .:tad8, ...li)f6,
·
..tLlg6 and ...c6-c5.
13
D. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3li)c3l0f6 4
tlJf3 cG
Attention! This is also the basic
position of the Semi-Slav Defence!
5 cxd5
A popular way to avoid the
sharp 'Botvinnik' variation (5 .i.g5
dxc4).
5... exd5
6 i.g5
On 6 i.f4 either 6....tf5 or
6.. .i.e7 7 e3 tlJh5 is good.
6 h6!?
•••
Or 6.. .i.f5 7 'i'b3!? 'i'b6!? (or
7...lLlbd7 8 e4!? dxe4 9 i.c4! ao) 8
i.xf6 gxf6 and despite Black's
ugly kingside pawn formation,
the bishop pair keeps his chances
alive /ao.=
7 �h4 �f5 8 'ii'b3
Or 8 e3 JJ..e7 intending ...lLlbd7,
...0-0 and ...lDe4 with an easy
game.
8 . .g5!
.
This is why ...h7-h6 was neces­
sary. Of course 9 'ii'xb7? is now an
outright blunder: 9.. gxh4 10 'ifxa8
.
14 More Basic Chess Openings
�b6 netting the queen (. ..�d6,
...0-0 and ...llJbd7) while setting
his sights on the b2-pawn.
9 ..i.g3 'ii' b 6 10 e3 'ii'xb3 II
axb3 tLlbd7 =.
II. Tarrasch Defence (Black plays
... c7-c5)
By playing ...c7-c5 Black immedi­
ately puts up a fight in the centre.
In order to achieve active piece
play and dynamic possibilities he
is even prepared to accept an iso­
lated pawn on d5.
Black has three different ways
to carry out ...c7-c5:
A. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lDc3 c5 - but White can still emerge on top
the Tarrasch Defence when on
4 cxd5 only the pawn can recap­
ture (4. .. exd5).
B. Improved Tarrasch: 1 d4 d5
2 c4 e6 3 lLlc3 lLlf6 4 lLlf3 c5 when
after 5 cxd5 Black can continue
5... lLlxd5.
C. Dutch Variation: 1 d4 d5 2 c4
e6 3 tbc3 tbf6 4 .i.g5 c5?! where
... c7-c5?! is less than advisable.
A. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lLlc3 c5
(Tarrasch Defence)
4cxd5
With his last move White has
created a target: the pawn on d5.
Definitely weaker is 4 lLlf3?! cxd4
5 lrucd4 e5 6 lDf3 d4 7 tbd5 lDc6 =,
as the white pieces have been
wandering around the board too
much. Pieces that are tossed into
w
the centre too early are likely to
be attacked and give the oppo­
nent extra tempi.
4 ... exd5
The Hennig-Schara Gambit of­
fers Black an interesting game
with careful play: 4 ...cxd4?! 5 'ii'xd4
lbc6! 6 'ifd1 exd5 71i'xd5 ..i.e6 (on
7.. . �d7 8 lLlf3 intending the set­
up e2-e3, a2-a3, 'ifc2, i.e2 and 0-0)
8 fixd8+ .tlxd8 9 e3 lLlb4 10
.i.b5+ �e7 11 <it>fl followed by
4Jf3, ..i.d2 and White keeps his ex­
tra pawn while completing his de­
velopment (!/+).
5 lLlf3
5 dxc5 is illogical in view of
5 d4!?, when things become very
...
murky.
5 lLlc6 6 g3
•••
The other path is 6 e3 lLlf6 7
�e2 .i.e7 8 dxc5 .i.xc5 9 0-0 0-0 10
b3 a6!? ( ...a7-a6 is a useful move
in this position, making room for
the bishop on a7 and preventing
the manoeuvre �3 -b5-d4) 11 i.b2
li'd6 and Black has strong pros­
pects with ...�e6, ... l:fd8, ...liac8
 Queen's Gambit
and ...i.. a7-b8. 6 g3 is more con­
sistent as after .ig2 another piece
applies pressure to the pawn on
d5.
6 ...lDf6
On 6...c4 7 i..g 2 i..b4 8 0-0
Ci) ge7, 9 e4! ? blows up the inflex­
ible Black centre.
7 .tg2 il.e7
Or 7... il.e6 8 0-0, with b2-b3,
i.b2, d4xc5, l:tcl and lDa4 to fol­
low, when White has a grip on the
dark squares (d4, c5, b6 and e5).
8 0-0 0-0
w the mobile knights and powerful
Plans and Counterplans:
White must activate his dark­
squared bishop, but how? On 9
b3 ltle4 10 .tb2 il.f6 11lba4 :es 12
:cl b6 Black has an active game.
White should therefore place his
bishop on g5 (either right away or
after 9 dxc5) to undermine the
defence of the pawn on d5 : 9 il.g5
cxd4 (9 . ...i..e6 is not bad, only a bit
passive) 10 lbxd4 h6 11 i.e3 :e8
with mutual chances. White may
try to make room for his rook on
dl by moving his queen, but the
15
queen has no secure squares, for
example, 12 'it'b3 lDa5 or 12 �a4
i.d7. Another attempt is captur­
ing on c6 followed by llcl and
lba4 and penetration along the c­
file. Black, in turn, can attack the
pawn on e2 by means of ...il.f8
and ....tg4, and occasionally the
exchange sacrifice .. J:txe3 can be
dangerous. On the other hand, af­
ter 9 dxc5 i..xc5 10 i.. g5 Black
has 10... d4 11 i.xf6 'iYxf6 12 lbd5
'i'dS (12...1i'd6! ? 13 lDd2 i..e6 14
lDf4 i.b6 is also interesting) 13
lDd2 :es, when the pressure along
the e-file, the bishop pair and the
advanced black pawn set against
light-squared bishop again make
for a dynamically level position.
B. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lDc3lDf6 4
lDf3 c5 (Improved Tarrasch)
5cxd5
White may also hold the centre
with 5 e3lbc6 6 a3! (6 .ie2? dxc4!
7 .ixc4 a6 ) 6... a6! and now af­
=
ter 7 dxc5 i..xc5 8 b4 Black must
16 More Basic Chess Openings
retreat to d6: 8.. . �d6 9 cxd5 exd5
10 iL b2 0-0 11 i..e2 .te6 12 0-0
'YJI/e7 with a future ... .U.ad8 and
....ibB.
5 llJxd5 !?
•••
This is why they call it the 'im­
proved' Tarrasch! Now White can
choose between:
B1 . 6 g3
B2. 6 e4 and
B3. 6 e3.
B1. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3lDc3 tiJf6 4
l2Jf3 c5 5 cxd5 lDxd5 6 g3
6...lbc6 7 .tg2 i..e7
7. .cxd4!? comes into considera-
.
tion: 8 lbxd4 lbxc3 9 bxc3 llJxd4
10 �xd4 iVxd4 11 cxd4 .id6 =, al­
though White can try 8 lbxd5!?
'ifi'xd5 9 0-0, threatening 10 lDxd4
'ifi'xd4? 11 i..xc6+ +-as well as 10
.if4 and 11lbe5.
8 0-0 0-0 9 e4 lbxc3 10 bxc3
b6!?
w possibility ... .i.b4+. For instance:
On the White 'questions' Black
has the following answers:
a) 11 d5 exd5 12 exd5lba5 13
'iVc2lilc4! 14 i..f4 .id6 =.
b) 1 1 i.e3 i.b7 1 2 'ii'e 2 lDa5
13 lbe5 'ifi'c7 and Black brings in
the rooks (... .U.ac8 and ....U.fd8 ).
=
c) 11 i.. f4 cxd4 12 cxd4 i..a6!
13 nellbb4 14 i.fl �xfl 15 l:lxfl
.:tcB=.
B2. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3lbc3lbf6 4
l2Jf3 c5 5 cxd5 lbxd5 6 e4
6...tbxc3 7 bxc3 cxd4 8 cxd4
Plans and Counterplans:
White enjoys a spatial advantage
but Black can operate with the
a) 8 . . . .i.b4+ 9 i.d2 .i.xd2+ 10
'ii' xd2 0-0 11 i..c4 ll)c6 12 0-0 b6
13 .:tad1 �b7 14 lifel l::tcB 15 d5!
(this is the only way to seize the
initiative) 15...exd5 16 �xd5 ;;t.
b) 8 . ..lbc6 9 �c4 b5 10 .ie2
(10 �xb5?? �a5+ -+ ) 10 ....ib4+
11 �d2 'ii'a5 12 d5!? exd5 13 exd5
tl:Je7 14 0-0 .i.xd2 15 ltJxd2 0-0 16
4Jb3 and the pawn on d5 is still
giving Black a headache (�).
 Queen's Gambit
B3. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 tbc3 ltJf6 4
ltlf3 c5 5 cxd5 llJxd5 6 e3
6 t!Jc6 7 .i.d3
•••
Another common move is 7
,ic4: 7... cxd4 8 exd4 il.e7 9 0-0 0-0
10 l::te1 and now either 10 ttJxc3 ...
11 bxc3 b6 or 10 .. .i.f6 and 11. . b6
. .
leads to equality.
7 cxd4 8 exd4 iLe7 9 0-0 0-0
.•.
10 :Iel
Plans and Counterplans:
White tries to force ... g7-g6 by
means of exerting pressure on h7.
Then he goes for a kingside at­
tack with .th6, 'iie2-e4-g4, tt:)e4,
lLle5 or l2Jg5. Black should always
watch out for the exchange on d5.
He will have to opt for an attack
against the pawn on d4 and liqui­
dation into a favourable endgame.
For example, 10 .i..f6 11 .i.e4 (11
••.
a3 lLlxc3 12 bxc3 b6) 11 .tZke7 12
. .
lLle5 g6 13 .ih6 iLg7 14 rj;xg7
�xg7 15 'ii' f 3 ;t, or 10 .'iVd6!? 11
..
a3 :ds 12 'ii'c2 h6! 13 lbxd5 '1lVxd5
14 .i.e3 ..td7 =.On 10 ...'iid6!? it is
wrong for White to play 1 1 lLle4
17
"flic7 12 il.g5? ..txg5 13 llJexg5 h6
14 ltJe4 'i'b6! as the pawns on b2
and d4 are hanging (�).
Owing to different move-orders
the diagram position can also be
reached via the Panov Variation
of the Caro-Kann Defence!
C. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3llJc3lLJf6 4
.ig5 c5?! (Dutch Variation)
At this particular moment, ac­
tion in the centre is uncalled for,
due to the pin on the f6-knight.
5 cxd5 cxd4
If 5 ... exd5 6 .ixf6! gxf6 7 e3 +
or 5 ... 'ifb6 6 iLxf6 'ii' xb2 7 !tc 1
gxf6 8 e3 cxd4 9 exd4 .tb4 10
.th5+ .td7 11 i.xd7+ ltJxd7 12
4Jge2 +.
6 'iixd4 .te7
6 . ltJc6 7 .ixf6 gxf6 8 "ii'e4 +.
. .
7 e4 4Jc6 8 'iti'd2 �e4
8 ltJxd5? loses a piece in view
. ..
of 9 exd5 .i.xg5 10 f4, and 8 exd5
. ..
9 .ixf6 il.xf6 10 exd5 gives a huge
plus for White (+ ) .
9 lDxe4 exd5 10 .i.xe7 'ifxe7
1 1 'ii'xd5 0-0
18 More Basic Chess Openings
Or 11. .f5 12 .ib5 .td7 13 lDge2
. both control the squares e4 and
fxe4 14 0-0 0-0-0 15 ll'lg3 +.
12 f3ltlb4 13 "i'c4!
Luring the bishop to the e6-
square.
13 �e6 14 'ii'c5 'ii'xc5 15
••.
ltlxc5 lLlc2+ 16 �d2 ltlxa1 17
llJxe6 fxe6 18 �d3 and after
19ltle2
The a1-knight falls and with
two minor pieces against the rook
White has a favourable game.
Ill. Black plays . .tb4
..
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lbc3 llJf6 4
llJf3 �b4
w ll'lxd7 (7 ll'lxc6?! �xc3 + 8 bxc3
Black would gladly settle for a
Nimzo-lndian here after 5 e3, but
why would White want to shut
his own dark-squared bishop out
of the game? 5 �f4 is wrong in
view of 5... dxc4! and a subsequent
...b7 -b5 and ...llJd5, but 5 �g5 is
logical. In the course of studying
openings we can note that often
the enemy pieces go 'in pairs'. For
instance the knights on c3 and f6
d5. Also the dark-squared bishops
have a symmetrical task, namely
pinning the knights from g5 and
b4.
Should White fear the capture
on c4 he can play 5 cxd5 exd5 at
once (Ragozin Variation) or he
can go 5 .tg5 and let Black take
the c-pawn (Vienna Variation).
A. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3ltlc3ltJf6 4
lLlf3 .ib4 5 cxd5 (Ragozin Vari­
ation)
B. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3ltlc3 llJf6 4
ttlf3 i.b4 5 i.g5 (V ienna Vari­
ation).
White controls nothing but air
after 5 '1Wa4 + lbc6 6 tbe5 �d7 7
i.xc6 9 'ii' b 3 dxc4 10 'ii'xc4 llJe4!
and Black is on top in view of the
threats .. .'tWh4 and .. .ttld6. The
latter stymies White's kingside
by attacking g2) 7... 'Wixd7 8 e3
e5! ? 9 dxe5 d4 with a pleasant in­
itiative for Black.
A. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 llJc3 lDf6 4
ll'lf3 �b4 5 cxd5 (Ragozin Vari­
ation)
5 ...exd5 6 �g5 (D)
6...ltJbd7
On 6...h6, 7 �h4 g5 8 �g3 t2Je4
is slightly suspect. Instead White
should play 7 �xf6 'i'ixf6 8 'iYb3
�d6 (8 .. c5 9 dxc5!?) 9 a3 �xc3+
.
10 �xc3 0-0 11 l:tc1 c6 12 e3 �f5
13 jle2 with a queenside minority
 Queen's Gambit
B w
attack to follow (b2-b4, a2-a4 and
b4-b5 ;t) ,
7 e3 c5 8 i.d3
The quiet 8 i.e2 is interesting:
8 .. .'tia5 9 0-0 0-0 10 dxc5 i.xc3 1 1
bxc3 'iYxc5 1 2 l:tc1 and White's
bishop pair and dominance over
the dark squares is more signifi­
cant than his shattered queenside
(;!;). His next moves might be c3-
c4, �d4 or llJd4.
8 . . c4 9 i.f5 'ti'a5 10 'ti'c2
. 13 .ixd7 White can play 13 .ih3
10 0-0 i.xc3 1 1 bxc3 llJe4! (or
ll. .. 'ii'x c3 1 2 'ifh1 and besides 13
e4 White is also threatening 13
i.xf6 llJxf6 14 i.xc8 l:txc8 15 'iVxb7
±) 12 il'c2 l1Jxg5 13 l1Jxg5 g6 =.
10 ... 0-0 1 1 0-0 nes
To stop the blow 12 �xd7 lbxd7
13 e4 !
Plans and Counterplans:
Black will pose a question to the
b ishop on f5 with . . . g7 -g6 : swap
or retreat? Otherwise he intends
to mobilize his queenside major­
ity and perhaps take on c3 and
then take aim at the c-pawn with
·.. ltJb6-a4 . White plans to push
19
e3-e4, because after opening up
the centre he can take a closer
look at the enemy monarch. Some
examples that might give you a
better 'feeling' for the position:
12 lLld2 ! ? (allowing f2-f3) 12 ... g6
13 .ixd7 l1Jxd7 14 f3 lt.Jb6 15 .if4
( 15 e4? dxe4 and the bishop on g5
is threatened) 15 ....ixc3 ( 15 . . . �f8
16 e4 .ig7 17 .ie3 .ie6 =) 16 bxc3
�a4 !? 1 7 iVc1 .if5 oo; or instead of
.ixc3 14 bxc3 lt.Je4 15 lDxe4 dxe4
16 .ixd7 (16 i.h6 lt.Jf6) 16 . . . .ixd7
17 i.f4 .tc6 =.
B. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 l1Jc3 lt.Jf6 4
lt.Jf3 .ib4 5 i.g5 (Vienna Vari­
ation)
5 ...dxc4 (D)
6 e4
The only move, as after 6
'ti'a4 + lDc6 7 e4 ii.d7 or 6 e3 b5 7
a4 c6 Black is doing fine.
6 c5
••.
6 . . . b5 7 e5 h6 8 exf6 (8 it.h4 g5
9 lDxg5 lbd5 10 lDxf7! with great
complications) 8... hxg5 9 fxg7 l:tg8
20 More Basic Chess Openings

10 h4! g4 1 1 lLle5 f5?! 1 2 �d2! 1 2 �g1 threatening 1 3 l:tc l + -)

with the threat of 13 'ii'h 6 and
then 0-0-0.
7 i.xc4
7 e5 stirs things up: 7 . . . h6 8
i.d2! cxd4 9 exf6 dxc3 10 bxc3
i.f8 1 1 fxg7 .i.xg7 12 .i.xc4 and
White has a pull (;!;). So on 7 e5
mandatory is 7 ... cxd4. Now both 8
lLlxd4 'ifa5 9 exf6 i.. xc3 + 10 bxc3
1 2 nc1 'i/a5 is nowadays consid­
ered defensible for Black, there­
fore Wh ite has come up with the
new weapon 10 i.b5 + .
Plans and Counterplans:
Black has to decide how to inter­
pose:
a) 10 . ...td7 1 1 ..txf6 gxf6 (not
.

'ii'xg5 and 8 exf6 gxf6 9 .th4 lbc6 1 1 . . . 'ii'xc3 + ? 1 2 <it>f1 gxf6 13 ltc 1
offer White nothing, so he should and 14 .f:tc8 + + -) 12 'ifb3 0-0 13
continue 8 'iYa4 + lLlc6 9 0-0-0, but 0-0 lLlc6 14 ..txc6 ..txc6 15 ltJxc6
even now Black has a variety of bxc6 16 nae1 and White will try
promising lines: 9 . . .i.xc3 10 bxc3
. to galvanize this rather flat posi­
h6 1 1 exf6 hxg5 12 fxg7 l:g8 13 h4 tion into action with e4-e5.
'ii'f6 ! ao; 9. . h6!? 10 lLlxd4 .txc3 1 1
. b) lO...ltJbd7 1 1 .i.xf6 'ifixc3 +
ltJxc6 .i.d7 ! aa; or the piece sacri­ 1 2 �f1 gxf6 13 h4! rl;e7 1 4 lth3!
fice 9 . .i.d7 10 ltJe4 .i.e7 1 1 exf6
. . 'iVa5 15 nhl l:dB 16 'iVc1 and
gxf6 12 .i.h4 l:tc8 and Black has Black's sufferings are too much
good chances. for a pawn. It is useful to know
7...cxd4 the motif of digging out the rook
7 . . 'W/a5? 8 .i.xf6 .i.xc3 + 9 bxc3
. from the damaged kingside with
�xc3 + 10 ltJd2 gxf6 1 1 dxc5 and h2-h4 and 1Ih3 .
12 nc1 +.
8 l£lxd4 �xc3 + 9 bxc3 'ifa5 IV. i..f4 Variation
10 .th5+!? (D)
The previously popular 10 .i.xf6 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lbc3 lL'lf6 4
'ti'xc3 + 1 1 <it>fl gxf6 ( 1 1 . . . 1i'xc4 + ? l2Jf3 .i.e7 5 �f4
 Queen 's Gambit
White presses strongly against
the squares e5 and c7. He will
often play the prophylactic move
h2-h3 to provide the bishop on f4
with an emergency exit after a
possible . . . lL\f6-h5 .
5 0-0 6 e3 c5
.. .
Other moves are weaker:
a) 6 ...c6 7 ltc1 lLlbd 7 8 i.d3
dxc4 9 �xc4lt)d5 10 i.g3 lLlxc3 1 1
bxc3 !.
b) 6 lLlbd7 7 cxd5 lL\xd5 8
. ..
lLJxd5 exd5 9 .ltd3 c6 10 0-0 t2Jf6
11 'i'c2 a5 1 2 h3 i.d6 13 i.xd6
�xd6 14li)e5 !.
c) 6 b6 7 l:c 1 c5 8 cxd5 exd5
•.•
9 .ie2 i.b7 10 0-0 lLlbd7 1 1 ltJe5 ;!;,
Obviously Black has to be care­
ful as in an open position White is
likely to have an edge due to the
bis hop on f4.
7dxc5
Fo rced, otherwise Black would
capture on d4 and c4. 7 cxd5
lbxd5 8 ltJxd5 �xd5 9 dxc5 'ti'xc5
is insufficient for an advantage.
7 .i.xc5 8 � c2
• ••
Va cating the dl-square for the
r ook. The bishop on n bides its
21
time to recapture on c4 from its
home square. Worse is 8 cxd5
ltJxd5 9 ltJxd5 exd5 10 a3 ltJc6 1 1
i.d3 i.b6 1 2 0-0 i.g4 =.
8 lL\c6 9 a3 �a5
.•.
The queen impedes b2-b4 and
at the same time steps out of the
d-file.
10 0-0-01?
This daring move is the latest
theoretical issue. The almost com­
pulsory line used to be 1 0 l1d 1
i.e7 1 1 ttJd2 e5 12 ltJb3 'ifb6 13
i.g5 d4 14 i.xf6 .txf6 15 lL\d5
�dB 16 i.d3 g6 1 7 exd4 lL\xd4 18
lDxd4 exd4 19 ltJxf6 + 'ii'xf6 20 0-0
.i.g4!? =. But this is dangerous
only in the case of an impatient or
uninformed opponent. After 1 0
0-0-0 ! ? the tempo changes. The
immediate threat is g2-g4!
B
Plans and Counterplans:
White is taking chances with his
plan as his king's position is any­
thing but bomb-proof. However,
there is no instant refutation be­
cause Black gets the worst of it af­
ter 10 .dxc4 11 �xc4 a6 12 lLlg5 !
. .
22 More Basic Chess Openings
it.e7 13 h4 h6 14 g4 b5 15 lDce4
with a strong attack for White; or
lO lDe4?! 1 1 lDb5! a6 12 lDc7 e5
•••
13 llxd5! and White is on top. The
best continuation is 10 �e7 1 1•..
g4!? dxc4 ( 1 1 . . . lDxg4 is too rash in
view of both 12 llgl and 1 2 cxd5
+) 1 2 .ixc4 e5 ( 12 . . . ltJxg4 13 xtg1
e5 14 .ig5 ! ?) 1 3 g5 exf4 1 4 gxf6
i.xf6 15 ltJd5 lDe7! 16 lDxf6 + gxf6
1 7 l:thg1 + 'i!th8 18 'ife4 lDg6 19
ird4 'ii'b6 and Black holds. An in­
teresting alternative is 10 i.d7!?
.. .
1 1 g4 l:tfc8 12 <iti>b1 b5 ! 13 cxb5 (13
cxd5 b4 14 dxc6 �xc6) 13 . . . ltJe 7
with a promising attack for the
pawn.
V. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 4Jc3 �f6 4
4Jf3 i.e7 5 .i.g5 0-0 6 e3 h6
(Tartakower Variation)
This important move prepares for
. . . b7-b6 and . . . .tb7 as 6 . . .b6?! at
once is wrong in view of 7 cxd5
ltJxd5 8 i.xe 7 'ii'x e 7 9 ltJxd5 exd5
10 lic1 .ie6 1 1 �d3 c5? 12 dxc5
bxc5 13 'it'c2! and both c5 and h7
are under attack.
7 .th4
The swap 7 �xf6 is interesting:
7 . . . �xf6 8 lic1 c6 (8 . . . b6?! 9 cxd5
exd5 10 .td3 �b 7 1 1 0-0 �e7 12
l:tel c5 13 e4! +) 9 .id3 �d7 10 0-0
dxc4 (on 10 ... .ie7 1 1 'ii'e 2, intend­
ing e3-e4 with an advantage in
the centre) 1 1 i.xc4 e5 12 h3 exd4
1 3 exd4! (It is not easy to select
the moment at which a pawn re­
capture is needed, even if it cre­
ates an isolated pawn. Now it is
well justified as the pawn on d4
restrains the black pieces by con­
trolling the squares c5 and e5)
13 . . . �b6 14 �b3 .tf5 =. White
has play on the e-file {::te l, ltJe 4,
ltJe5) while Black would prefer
swapping ( . . . l:te8) or will advance
his a-pawn and start harassing
the bishop on b3 and thus the c4-
square.
7 b6
.. .
On the simplifying 7 . . . 4Je4 8
�xe7 'VJIJxe7 9 cxd5! (White forces
the exchange and creates a supe­
rior pawn-formation) 9 . . . 4Jxc3 10
bxc3 exd5 1 1 'ti'b3 %td8 1 2 c4 !
White stands somewhat better
owing to his centre pawns on d4
and e3 (t). Black has to try for
equality with the move . . . c6-c5 .
But back to 7 . . . b6, the basic posi­
tion of the Tartakower!
Plans and Counterplans:
Black opts for the obvious set-up
. .. �b7, . . . lDbd7 and . . . c7-c5 some­
times combined with . . . d5xc4 or
. . . ltJe4. White can take on d5 or
even f6 but he should wait until
 Queen's Gambit
the black bishop is already on b7,
otherwi se it gets good play on the
open c8-h3 diagonal, e.g. : 8 i.xf6?!
_ixf6 9 cxd5 exd5 10 i.e2 �e6 1 1
0·0 c5 = . Other lines are:
a) 8 cxd5 lLlxd5 9 �xe7 VJI/xe7
10 lLlxd5 exd5 1 1 lic1 i.e6! (or
1 l . . . .ib7 1 2 �a4 c5 1 3 'ii'a 3 :cs
1 4 .i.d3 a5 1 5 0-0 tba6 16 lLle5 ! ;t,
The two typical moves for White
in this position are 'i!Va3, pinning
the c-pawn, and lLle5 ! ) 12 �a4 c5
13 'ii'a3 :cs 14 .i.e2 'ii'b 7! = and in
exchange for the pawn on c5, the
b-pawn is hanging. Instead of 12
'Wa4 White should play 12 i.d3 c5
13 dxc5 bxc5 14 0-0 l.Ud7 15 e4
dxe4 16 i.xe4 1Iad8 17 .i.b1l.Ue5 18
fie2l.Uxf3 + 1 9 1i'xf3 and White's
advantage is practically non-exis­
tent ( = ) .
b) 8 'ii'b 3 .i.b7 9 i.xf6 .txf6 10
cxd5 exd5 1 1 l:td 1 (the point of 8
'+i'b3 is to allow l:td 1 and thereby
stop . . . c7-c5) 1 1.. J:te8 and Black
follows up with . . . c7-c6 and . . . tLld7-
f8-e6 .
c) 8 li c l .ib7 9 i.xf6 (on 9
.td3 or 9 .i.e2 , 9 . . . dxc4 10 i.xc4
lDbd 7 1 1 0-0 c5 and the game is
level) 9 . . . i.xffi 10 cxd5 exd5 1 1 b4
c6 12 i.e2 'ii'd6 and, after . . . �bd7
with . . . a7-a5 to follow, the game is
equal.
d) 8 .lte2 (one of the most popu­
lar lines nowadays, White tries to
sp are the move l:tc1 ) 8 . . . �b 7 9
.txf6 .i.xf6 10 cxd5 exd5 1 1 0-0 c6
(1l. . c5!? 12 dxc5 �xc3 !? = ) 12 b4
. exd5 1 1 i.d3 g6 1 2 dxc5 lLlxc5 13
l:te8 13 'ii'b 3 a5 14 b5 c5 ! 15 dxc5
bxc5 16 l:.ac1 �xc3 ! 1 7 �xc3 lbd7
23
and Black is very active. His plan
is . . . ir'b6 with the advance of one
of the central pawns.
The resilience of the Tartak­
ower is demonstrated by the fact
that it is present in the repertoire
of nearly every leading contempo­
rary grandmaster, and is often
played with both colours.
VI. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lbc3 lLlf6 4
lbf3 i.e 7 5 i.g5 0-0 6 e3 lbbd7
(Orthodox Variation)
w
This ancient variation, which
is also known as the Capablanca
Variation, is reliable for Black,
but complete equality is far from
guaranteed if White plays cor­
rectly.
7 11cl
This keeps up the tension be­
tween c4 and d5 in order to recap­
ture on c4 with the bishop in one
move . Ano ther try is 7 �c2 c5 8
cxd5 lbxd5 9 i.xe7 fixe7 10 lLlxd5
0-0 and Black is slightly worse
due to his isolated pawn.
24 More Basic Chess Openings
7 c6
...
On 7 . . . c5 8 cxd5 ll)xd5 9 i.xe 7
t:Dxe7 1 0 i.e2, followed by 0-0,
�a4, l:tfd 1 ;t, while 7 . . . b6 8 cxd5
exd5 9 i.d3 i.b7 10 0�0 and ii'e2,
i.a6, l:tfd 1 , llJe5 is also better for
White (;t). But 7 . . . a6!? deserves
attention, preparing 8 . . . dxc4 9
i.xc4 b5 10 i.b3 c5 . Black need
not worry about 8 c5 c6 9 i.d3 e5 !
1 0 dxe5 ltJe8, therefore White
should play 8 cxd5 exd5 9 i.d3
transposing to the Exchange Vari�
ation.
8 i.d3 dxc4 9 i.xc4 l2Jd5
Alternatively, 9 . ..b5 10 i.d3 a6
1 1 e4 h6 12 .tf4 i.b7 13 e5 llJd5
14 ltJxd5 cxd5 15 0-0! or 9 . h6 10
..
i.h4 ltJd5 1 1 i.g3 followed by e4!.
10 i.xe7 �xe7
w of weaknesses (e5 , c5 and d6) .
Plans and Counterplans:
Black is aiming for . . . llJxc3 and
. . . e6�e5 which White can either al�
low or sidestep.
a) 11 0-0 llJxc3 12 1:1xc3 (12
bxc3 b6 followed by . . . c7 �c5 and
. . . .i.b7) 12 . . . e5 13 dxe5 ( 13 �c2
exd4 14 exd4 llJb6 15 .:tel 'ii'd 8 16
i.b3 llJd5 =) 13 . . . ltJxe5 14 l2Jxe5
'iix e5 15 f4, threatening not only
e3 -e4 but often f4�f5 and f5�f6 as
well (;t).
b) l ll2Je4! (a beautiful move,
avoiding the exchange of knights.
Who else could have come up with
an antidote to the Capablanca
Variation but Alekhine?) and now:
bl) l l ll)5f6 1 2 l2Jxf6 + 'ii'x f6
...
13 0�0 e5 14 d5 ( 14 e4 exd4 15
�xd4 !} 14 ... e4 15 llJd2 'iig6 16
dxc6 bxc6 1 7 �h 1 , planning i.e2
and lDc4 ;t.
b2) l l e5 12 dxe5 l2Jxe5 13
.. •
l2Jxe5 �xe5 14 i.xd5 cxd5 15 t:Dc3
.U.d8 16 �d4 ;!;,
b3) l l. i't'b4 + 12 'ii'd2 'ii'xd2 +
••
13 Cit>xd2! This kind of queen ex­
change is favourable for White
because he keeps his king in the
centre for the forthcoming end­
game while Black has an awful lot
White's next moves will be \t>e2,
.:ed 1, a2-a3 and b2-b4.
VII. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lL)f3 lLlf6 4
g3 (Catalan Opening)
In tournament practice this dia­
gram is often reached via the
move-order 1 d4 llJffi 2 c4 e6 3 g3
d5 4 lDf3 . White 's set�up is quite
predictable: �g2, 0�0, 'ifc2, getting
ready for e2�e4. But first it is
Black's turn to show his hand. He
can either capture c4 (Open
Catalan) or develop while keep�
ing the centre closed (Closed
Catalan).
 Queen's Gambit
A. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 tlJf3 tiJf6 4
g3 dxc4 5 .t g2 (Open Catalan)
B. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lDf3 lLlf6 4
g3 i.e7 5 .t g2 0-0 6 0-0 tiJbd 7
(Closed Catalan)
A. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 liJf3 lLlf6 4
g3 dxc4 5 .t g2 (Open Catalan)
B 'ifxd4 9 .ixc6 + .td7 1 0 :d1
There is no hurry to win the
pawn back. Besides, 5 'ii'a4 + .i.d7
6 'iVxc4 .tc6 7 .ig2 .id5! 8 'iVd3
i.e4 9 'ii'd 1 c5 1 0 liJc3 .i.c6 1 1 0-0
cxd4 12 ttJxd4 i..xg2 13 �xg2 a6 is
dead equal.
5....i. e 7
25
Black can also choose between
a number of other interesting
variations, all typical of the Cata­
lan:
a) 5 b5 6 tlJe5 liJd5 7 a4 c6 8
•..
0-0 i..b 7 (Black has secured his
extra pawn so White transforms
it into a positional sacrifice in re­
turn for a tremendous queenside
initiative) 9 b3! cxb3 10 'ifxb3 a6
1 1 l2Jc3 tlJd7 12 axb5 axb5 1 3
:xa8 i.. xa8 14 lLlxd5 exd5 1 5 e4!
ltlxe5 16 dxe5 d4 1 7 e6! f6 1 8 e5 !
fxe5 19 i..e4! and White is practi­
cally winning; the threat is 'ii'f3.
b) 5 .id7 6 l2Je5! .ic6 7 lLlxc6
•..
ltlxc6 8 e3 (not easy is 8 .ixc6 +
bxc6 9 �a4 'ifd5 ! oo) 8 . . . 'ifd7 9 0-0
nbs 10 "ii'e2 b5 1 1 b3 cxb3 12 axb3,
again with a good deal of compen­
sation for the pawn (i).
c) 5 c5 6 0-0 l2Jc6 7 'ifa4 (also
•.•
popular is 7 lDe5 when 7 . . . lLlxd4??
loses to 8 e3 ! + -) 7 . . . cxd4 8 lDxd4
'ir'xd 1 + !? 11 'ii'xd 1 .ixc6 12 l2Jd2
h5 . This queen sacrifice has been
the topic of many lengthy discus­
sions. Some say that rook, bishop
and the initiative is worth a
queen, while others claim that a
queen is a queen after all . It is a
fact that disputes of this kind
usually end in a draw.
d) 5 ttJc6 6 1i'a4 ..tb4 + 7 .id2
•••
liJd5 8 .ixb4 liJxb4 9 0-0 l:lb8 10
liJc3 a6 1 1 lbe5 0-0 = .
e) 5 a6 6 ltJe5 c5 7 i.. e 3 liJd5
...
8 dxc5 tlJd7 9 i.. d4liJxe5 10 .ixe5
f6 1 1 .id4 .i.xc5! = .
6 0-0 0-0 7 'il'c2
26 More Basic Chess Openings

On 7 lbe5, the typical Catalan 'ii'e 3 i.c6 13 lLlc3 lbbd7 14 'ii'd 3

reply is 7 . . llJc6 !? 8 .i.xc6 bxc6 9
. i.b4 =) 9 . . . .i.c6!? 10 lbxc6 lDxc6
lbxc6 'WeB 10 lDxe7 + �xe7 1 1 1 1 i.xc6 lbxc6 12 'ii'xc4 �d5 =.

ifa4 e5 1 2 dxe5 'ii'x e5 1 3 1i'xc4

i.e6 14 "ii'd 3 lDd5 !?, when the po­ B . 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lDf3 llJf6 4
sition is unclear but about level. g3 i.e7 5 i.g2 0-0 6 0-0 lDbd7
7 a6
.•. (Closed Catalan)
7 . . . b5? 8 a4 c6 9 axb5 and 10
lbg5! + -. On 6 . . . b6, White can play 7 ltJe5
.i.b7 8l£lc3 with a i.f4, 'ii'a4, l:ac1,
llfd1 'dream-set-up' to follow.
7 �c2
Another way to prepare for e2-
e4 is b2-b3, .ib2 followed by lLlc3
or ltJbd2.
7 c6
. ••

This position can also arise via

the Slav Defence: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3
ltlf3 lt:lf6 4 'ii'c 2 e6 5 g3 .ie7 6 i.g2
0-0 7 0-0 ttJbd 7.

Plans and Counterplans:

Now White may capture on c4 im­ w

mediately and allow Black to de­

velop with . . .b 7-b5 and .. . .i.. b 7, or
he can try to block Black's queen­
side with a2·a4. More specifically:
a) 8 'ti'xc4 b5 9 li'c2 i.b7 10
.td2 ( 10 i.g5 lLlbd7 1 1lUbd2 :cs
1 2 i.xf6 lLlxf6 13 lDb3 c5 14 dxc5
.td5 = or 10 i.f4 lDc6 1 1 l!dl lLlb4
1 2 'Wc 1 Ac8 = ) 1 0 .. . ..te4 1 1 'ii'c 1
lbbd7 12 i.a5 l:c8 13 lLlc3 i.a8 14 Plans and Counterplans:
a4 and now on both 14 . . . bxa4 15 White will execute e2-e4 after the
�xa4 �e8 ! and 14 . . Jib8 15 axb5 preliminary b2-b3, i.b2 and ltJbd2
axb5 16 b4 .i.. d6, followed by or ltJc3. Black, after playing . . . b7·
. . .'ike7 and . . . e6-e5 , Black main­ b6 and . . . i.b7, may opt for a swap
tains equality. on e4 but in this case he has to
b) 8 a4 .i.d7 9 �e5 (9 'irxc4 make sure that he can carry
.i.c6 10 .tg5 .td5 1 1 'ir'd3 i.e4 12 through the liberating . . . c6-c5 .
 Queen 's Gambit
I n stead of the exchange on e4 he
can also go for . . . c6-c5 right away,
e .g. 8 b3 b6 9 l:.d 1 �b7 10 lLlc3
ll c8 1 1 e4 dxe4 12 ltJxe4 c5 or 8
llJbd2 b6 9 b3 j_b7 10 e4 ncB 1 1
..tb2 c5 12 exd5 exd5 1 3 dxc5 dxc4
14 t1Jxc4 b5 15 lbce5 :xc5. In the
Catalan White is always slightly
on top, but Black faces-no imme­
diate problems. However, there is
one thing that Black has to keep
in mind! He should never open
the position in such a way that
the bishop on g2 becomes domi­
nant. White 's task is to maintain
his plus until the ending, when
even a single tempo can be deci�
SlVe.
Slav Defence
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6
w
This section deals with lines
i n which Black opts for an early
. . . c7 �c6. Of course, the positions
with . . . e7-e6 and . . . c7-c6 can also
he reached via the 2 . . . e6 lines and
other transpositions.
27
Let us see what we have under
the heading 'Slav Defence':
I. 3 cxd5 cxd5 (Exchange Vari­
ation)
II. 3 l2Jc3
III. 3 lbf3 lbf6 4 lbc3 e6 5 e3
(Meran Variation)
IV. 3 ltlf3 lDf6 4 ltlc3 e6 5 i.g5
dxc4 (Botvinnik Variation)
V. 3 ltlf3 lbf6 4 ltlc3 e6 5 .i g5
ltlbd7 (Cambridge Springs Vari­
ation)
Sections IV and V differ from
the Orthodox Queen's Gambit be­
cause in the latter Black plays
5 . . . 1l.e7 in answer to 5 �g5 . The
variation 3 lbf3 ltlf6 4 ttlc3 dxc4
has already been examined in the
section on the Queen's Gambit
Accepted.
I. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 cxd5 cxd5
(Exchange Variation)
With the exchange on d5 White
keeps his initial advantage of the
first move, but in a completely
28 More Basic Chess Openings
symmetrical position. This seem·
ingly colourless position used to
be assessed as hopelessly drawish.
Nowadays, however, so much the·
ory has been created in the Ex­
change Variation that even Black
has the chance to mix things up!
4 lDf3
On 4 lDc3 two suggestions; the
watchful 4 . . . lDffi 5 i.f4 lDc6 6 e3
a6 7 ..i.d3 ( 7 lDf3 .tg4) 7 . . ...i.g4 8 f3
i.. h 5 9 l£lge2 e6 1 0 ll.c1 �g6 with
. . . �e7 and . . . 0-0 = , and the sharp
4 . . . e5!? 5 lDf3 (5 dxe5 d4 6 l£le4
'ii'a 5 + 7 i.d2 iixe5 8 l£lg3 l£lf6 9
lDf3 'ikd6 and a future ... .ie7, ... 0-0,
. . . lDc6 with satisfactory play for
Black) 5 . . . e4 6 lDe5 f6! 7 'ii'a4 +
tLld7! 8 lDxd7 (8 lDg4 9;f7 9 ltle3
lDb6 10 '5'b3 .ie6 +) 8 . i.. x d7 9
..
'i¥b3 i.c6 =.
4 l£lf6 5 l£lc3 ltlc6 6 i.f4
•..
More natural than 6 ltJe5, when
after 6 . . . e6 7 li)xc6 bxc6 Black will
achieve the equalizing . . . c6-c5 .
6 �f5
. ..
Black gets a safe game but is a
little worse after 6 . . . e6 7 e3 i..d6 8
i.g3 (8 i.d3!?), as it is hard to ac·
tivate the bishop on c8. But 6 . . . a6
is perfectly OK, e .g. 7 e3 i.. g4 8
i.e2 .ixf3 9 i.xf3 e6 10 0-0 i..d6
= or 7 l:tc l li)e4 8 e3 ltJxc3 9 bxc3
(9 l:.xc3? e5! 10 dxe5 �b4 +) 9 . . e6 .
7 e3 e6
Plans and Counterplans:
White has several alternatives,
but none of them present Black
with serious problems;
a) 8 lLle5 lDxe5 (it is better not
to let White capture on c6 here) 9
�xe5 tLld 7 10 'ifb3 lbxe5 1 1 dxe5
�e7 12 .ib5 + (if 12 'Wxb7, 1 2 ... 0-0
threatening 13 .. J�b8) 12 . . <it;f8 and
.
Black's bishop pair makes up for
the temporary discomfort of his
king.
b) 8 'iVb3 'ii'b 6 9 i.b5 lLJh5 10
i.g5 h6 1 1 i.h4 g5 1 2 i.g3 lDxg3
13 hxg3 i.g7 =.
c) 8 ..i. d3 .txd3 9 �xd3 .te7!
(9 . . i.d6 = ) 10 0-0 0-0 11 ll.fc1 a6
.
12 �g5 lDd7 and the knight be­
gins its journey to c4 via d 7 and
b6 . If White does not swap his
dark-squared bishop, Black main­
tains control over the c5·square
while White's c4 is less protected .
d) 8 .ib5 (the best move, forc­
ing Black to deviate from the
'mirror-game' to stop the threat
of lLJe5) 8 . . . lLJd7!? 9 �a4 l:tc8 10 0-0
a6 (Black must clear the smoke
on the queenside before castling
in order to achieve counterplay
against the white offensive) 1 1
i.xc6 l:txc6 12 l::t fcl i.e7 1 3 ltJe2
( 13 ltJd 1 b5 14 'ii'b 3 :c4 15 ltJd2
 Queen 's Gambit
'ifa5! and the rook on c4 is taboo
si nce the white queen would get
i nto trouble) 1 3 . . . 'Wb6 14 I:.xc6
bxc6 15 l:tc1 i.d3! 16 'ii'd 1 ( 16 :Xc6
'ifxb2 1 7 :xeS + i.d8 18 4Jc1 .i.b5)
16 . . . �xe2 17 'ifxe2 0-0 =.
In the Exchange Variation, the
open c-file more or less ensures
that events are localized on the
queenside. Even though White
has the initial advantage, the
player who gets his pieces to the
key squares and achieves an ad­
vance of pawns will enjoy the bet­
ter middlegame.
I I. 3 lLlc3
After 3 lLlc3 Black cannot enjoy
the luxury of immediately devel­
oping his bishop on f5, for exam­
ple, 3 . .l'i)f6 4 e3 i.f5?! 5 cxd5 cxd5
. room for the knight on c6: 8 lDf3
6 'ii'b 3 b6 ( 6 . . . 1i'b6 7 4Jxd5) 7
.ib5 + followed by 8 tDxd5 win­
ning a pawn, while if Black cap­
tures on c4 then 3 . . .dxc4 4 e4 b5 5
a4 b4 6 tDa2, winning back the
pawn with a superior position (;t).
On 3 tLlc3, besides 3 . . . ll'lf6, Black
has two major sidelines:
A. 3 ... e5!? and
B. 3 ... e6, when White has the op-
tio n of the 'Marshall Gambit' 4
e4 .
A. I d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 lL'lc3 e5!?
4 dxe5
For 4 cxd5 cxd5 5 lLlf3 see the
Excha nge Variation. Both 4 lLlf3
29
w
e4 and 4 e3 exd4 5 exd4 lLJf6 offer
instant equality.
4 d4 5 lLJe4 'ifaS+ 6 i.d2
•..
This is more testing than 6
lLJd2 ltJd7 7 4Jf3 li)xe5 8 li)xd4
lDxc4 9 e3 li)xd2 10 i.xd2 i.b4
with equality.
6 . . .'i'xe5 7 lDg3 lDf6
7 . . . c5 is interesting, making
VJI/c 7 9 VJ/ic2 l[)c6 10 0-0-0 lbf6 fol­
lowed by the obvious 1 1 . .. i.g4
and . . 0-0-0 =.
.
8 lLJf3 'iid6 9 'ifc2 i.e7 IO 0-0-0
0-0 II e3!? dxe3 12 i.c3 'ikc7
Or 12 . . . 'iff4 13 fxe3 �xe3 + 14
�b1 and White has the upper
hand due to Black's underdevel­
opment and awkwardly placed
queen.
13 fxe3llJa6 14 a3 i.e6
Plans and Counterplans:
Now White can obtain the bishop
pair with 15 lLlf5 , but after the
continuation 15 . . . 1:tfd8 16 tiJ.xe7 +
'VIIxe7 Black has some counterplay
on the light squares with . . . lLlc5-
e4 or . . . �g4.
30 More Basic Chess Openings
B. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 ll)c3 e6
4 e4
The Marshall Gambit.
4 ... dxe4 5 ltJxe4 i.b4 +
An early e2-e4 is nearly always
met by . . . i.b4 in these Slav posi­
tions.
6 i.d2
Or 6 tbc3 c5 7 a3 �a5 8 �e3
lDf6 =.
6 .'ti'xd4
••
Not 6 . . . ii.xd2 + 7 'ii'xd2 ;f;;,
7 ii.xb4 'ii'xe4 + 8 .ie2
8 lLle2 is weaker: 8 . . . lba6 9 .i.f8
tt:Je7 (9 . . . �xf8?? 10 '+i'd8 mate!) 10
i.xg7 ll)b4 1 1 'ii'd6 ll)d3 + 12 <it>d2
ll)f5.
Plans and Counterplans:
Black needs to be extremely care­
ful as White threatens a mating
attack with �d6 or 'ii'd2 and 0-0-0.
8 ..:ii'xg2 is bad: 9 i.. f3 'ii'g6 10
ll)e2 ll)a6 11 .ia3 ll)e7 12 :lgl �f6
13 lDc3 ll)f5 14 ll)e4 with a huge
advantage for White. Besides a
number of other interesting moves
(8 . . . ltJa6, 8 . . . c5, 8 . . . ltJe7) a well­
trodden path is 8 ll)d 7 : 9 'ii'd6 c5
•••
10 i.xc5 'ifxg2 1 1 .if3 'ifg5 12
.ie3 �a5 + 13 b4 'ife5 and Black's
extra pawn is neutralized by the
bishop pair and active play for
White. The line 9 lDf3 b6 1 0 lt:Jd2
'ii'f4 1 1 i. f3 lDe5 12 .ie4 .ib7 is
also unclear ( =/«J).
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 tt:Jf3 lLlf6
Again Black should not capture
on c4 : 3 . . . dxc4 4 e3 b5 5 a4 e6 6
b3 ! �b4 + 7 .id2 .i.xd2 + 8 l2Jfxd2
a5 9 bxc4 b4 10 c5!? + and White
occupies important outposts with
his pieces (c4, d6 and b3).
 Queen 's Gambit
4lDc3
Thi s is the accurate move-or­
der as 4 e3 can be met by 4 . . . .tf5
5 lllc3 e6 6 i.. d 3 .txd3 7 'ifxd3
ttJbd7 with . . . .te7 and . . . 0-0 to fol­
low and Black has got rid of all
th e problems that usually come
up with developing the bishop on
cB ( =).
4...e6
4 . . . .tf5?! 5 cxd5 cxd5 6 'e6b3 !
with a clear advantage for White.
For 4 . . . dxc4, see the section on
the Queen's Gambit Accepted.
Now White has to watch his
step because Black is already well
enough developed to defend his
extra pawn with . . . b7-b5, . . . a7-a6
and . . . �b7 following a possible
capture on c4. 5 'ii'b 3 is worthy of
a tten tion , but after, for example,
5 .. . dxc4 6 'iWxc4 b5! 7 �d3 lLlbd7 8
g3 i..b 7 9 .i.. g2 a6 10 .i..g5 c5 ! gives
Bl ack easy equality. So what is
left is offering the pawn with
either 5 e3 (the Meran Variation
- section Ill) or 5 .i.. g5 (sections
IV and V) .
31
Ill. Mera n Variatio n
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 lLlf3 ltlf6 4
lLlc3 e6 5 e3
White is aiming for a slow ex­
pansion of his kingside and, after
castling, he plans to achieve a
central plus with e3-e4. This can
be answered by Black with vari­
ous moves:
• take on c4 and then prepare for
. . . c5 with . . .b 7-b5 and . . . a7-a6
• take on c4 and play . . . e6-e5
• play an immediate . . . e6-e5
As to which plan is good and
when we shall see in detail!
5 4.Jbd7
•.•
Practically the only sensible
move after which, depending on
White 's plan, Black will develop
his bishop from f8 to d6 or e7, or
he can change the structure of
the centre right away by means of
. . . d5xc4.
White' s main continuations
are :
32 More Basic Chess Openings
A. 6 �c2 and
B . 6 �d3
6 b3 is also a possible move,
when 6 . . . �e4!? 7 ltlxe4 (7 �d2
f5! ) 7 . . . dxe4 8 lDd2 f5 9 �b2 �d6
followed by . . . 0-0, . . . fie7 and . . . e6-
e5 is satisfactory for Black.
A. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 lLlf3 lLlf6 4
lDc3 e6 5 e3 lt)bd7 6 'ii'c 2
6 'i'c2 fits well into three differ­
ent plans: a set-up with b2-b3, �b2;
an immediate e3-e4; or the latest
fashion .te2 and 0-0.
6 ..td6
••.
The exchange . . . d5xc4 should
be withheld until the bishop on n
has moved. The bishop obviously
stands more actively on d6 than
on e7.
7 .i.e2
Alternatively:
a) 7 e4 dxe4 8 ltJxe4 lbxe4 9
'iixe4 e5 !? 10 dxe5 0-0 1 1 exd6!?
l:e8 12 '1ii'xe8 + 'ii'xe8 13 .tea lDf6
14 0-0-0 J.e6 15 J.d3 b5 ! with mu­
tual chances.
b) 7 b3 0-0 8 J.e2 dxc4 ! 9 bxc4
e5 10 0-0 l:e8 1 1 J.b2 e4 (another
idea is l l . . exd4!? ) 1 2 lLld2 'iie 7
.
and Black's advanced e-pawn of­
fers him equal chances.
7 0-0 8 0-0
•••
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Here Black can play 8 . e5 right
..
away, because after 9 cxd5 cxd5
10 dxe5 ltlxe5 1 1 ltJxe5 .lxe5 his
attacking prospects counterbal­
ance his weak isolated pawn. A
more restrained policy is 8 Jte8, ..
awaiting exchanges after e3-e4
and preparing the thrust . . . e6-e5.
Black may also capture on c4, for
example 8 .. dxc4 9 .i.xc4 a6 with
.
10 . . . c5 to follow or, instead of
9 . . . a6, 9 . . . b5 10 Jle2 .tb7, when
both . . . a7-a6 followed by . . . c6-c5
and . . . 'Wic7 followed by . . . e7 -e5 are
playable. White can either play
e3-e4 or continue b2-b3, Jlb2,
llfd l or ltacl, h2-h3 and a2-a3,
strengthening his position and
staying put until Black commits
himself. According to current the­
ory, the position is equal.
 Queen 's Gambit
B. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 tbf3tbf6 4
tl)c3 e6 5 e3 ll:\bd 7 6 .td3
B 9 c5
6 . . . dxc4
Black cannot allow White to
play e3-e4 here: 6 . . . �d6?! 7 0-0 0-0
8 e4 dxc4 (8 . . . dxe4 9 lLlxe4 lLlxe4
10 .i.xe4 with a strong attack:
i.c2 and 'ii'd 3) 9 i.. xc4 e5 1 0 i.. g5
�e7 1 1 �e1 with a slightly better
position for White.
7 i..x c4 b5
This represents as important
gain of space, and can be com-
bined with either . . . b5-b4 or the
thru st . . . c6-c5 after . . . a 7-a6.
8 .i.d3
The right move, because after
8 .. . b4?, 9 ll:\e4 hampers the move
. . .c6-c5. The other bishop retreats
are inferior, for example, 8 i..b 3? !
b4 9 lLle2 �e7, . . . 0-0, . . . .ib7 and
. . . c6-c5 = ; or 8 i..e 2 i.. b 7 9 0-0
.i e7 10 e4 b4 1 1 e5 bxc3 12 exf6
ttJx£'6 13 bxc3 0-0 1 4 l:[b1 'flic7 =
8 ... a6
Also satisfactory is 8 . . . i..b 7 9 e4
b4 10 ll:\a4 c5 1 1 e5lt:Jd5 12 lLlxc5
.txc5 13 dxc5 'ii'a5 ( it is important
33
to stop .i.b5) 14 0-0 lLlxc5 with
equality.
9 e4
White is in a hurry as on 9 0-0,
9 . . . c5 is even stronger.
.•.
and now White can advance
either of his central pawns:
B 1 . 10 d5 or
B2. 10 e5
B1. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 tiJf3lbf6 4
lLlc3 e6 5 e3 lLlbd 7 6 .i.d3 dxc4
7 �xc4 b5 8 �d3 a6 9 e4 c5 10
d5
B
10 . . . c4
A good move, vacating the c5-
square for the knight. On 10 . . . e5
11 b3 ! and a later a2-a4 can be an­
noying for Black, and 10 . . . exd5?
is met by 1 1 e5 + .
1 1 dxe6 fxe6
. 1 1. . . cxd3 is not good enough:
1 2 exd7+ ifxd7 1 3 0-0 i..b 7 14
:e1 �e7 15 e5 ll:\d5 16 4Je4 t.
12 �c2 'i¥c7!
To stop e4-e5 .
34 More Basic Chess Openings
Plans and Counterplans:
White's plan involves the push
e4-e5 to drive the knight away
from f6, open the b1 -h7 diagonal
and vacate the e4-square. Black's
aim is to stop this action. On 13
lLlg5, a typical reply is 13 . . . lLlc5
and 14 . . . h6, while on 13 0-0,
13 . . . i.c5 makes it more difficult
for the f-pawn to move, e.g. 14
'ii'e 2 lLle5 ! 15 l£lxe5 'i'xe5 16 i.e3
i.xe3 1 7 'ii'x e3 0-0 18 l:tad 1 ltlg4
19 'ii'g3 'ii'xg3 20 hxg3 lta7! = .
B2. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 ltlf3 lLJf6 4
lLlc3 e6 5 e3ltJbd7 6 �d3 dxc4 7
i.xc4 b5 8 .id3 a6 9 e4 c5 10 e5
1 0 ... cxd4
Not 10 . . . ltJg4? 1 1 �e4! ±.
1 1 ltlxb5I (D)
Everything is upside down !
Black is forced to enter into fierce
combat as on the quiet 1 1 . . . ltlg4,
1 2 'ii'a4! is unpleasant. Therefore
Black must capture something:
a) l l . ..ltJxe5!? 1 2 trute5 axb5
13 �xb5 + ( 1 3 0-0 'ifd5 14 'ii'e2
.lta6 and Black is fine or 13 ii'f3
i.b4 + 14 'itte 2 llb8 1 5 �g3 'ii'd 6!
with equal chances) 1 3 ... i.d7 14
4Jxd7 'ifa5 + 15 .id2 'ii'xb5 16 4Jxf8
�xf8 1 7 a4!? 'ii'xb2 18 0-0 and
Black's positional disadvantage is
compensated by his extra pawn.
b) ll .. . axb5 12 exf6 gxf6 (not
12 . . . 'ii'b 6 13 fxg7 i.xg7 14 ii'e2 0-0
15 0-0 ti)c5 1 6 i.xh7 + ! �xh7 1 7
lt)g5 + �g6 1 8 �g4 with a danger­
ous attack) 13 0-0 (on 13 ltlxd4
'ifb6 ! Black has a superb game:
14 4Jxb5 i.b7 followed by . . . ng8.
Also 14 .ixb5 .ltb4 + 15 Wfl e5 and
14 .ie4 l:ta4! 15 i.e3 i.c5 are more
attractive for Black) 1 3 . . .'ii'b 6 14
ir'e2 i.a6 15 a4 ti)c5 !? 16 axb5
i.b7 where Black, besides attack­
ing the pawn on g2, can also opt
for a future . . . e6-e5, while White
pins his hopes on Black's insecure
king position.
IV. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 lt.Jf3 lLlf6 4
ltJc3 e6 5 .ig5 dxc4 (Botvinnik
Variation)
The Botvinnik Variation leads to
possibly the most exciting position
 Queen 's Gambit
of t he Queen 's Gambit, in which
both sides sacrifice material at an
early stage. Black can also try the
cun nin g 5 . . . h6, as on 6 .i.h4 dxc4
7 e4 g5 8 i.. g3 b5 he has the upper
hand. So 5 . . . h6 should be met by 6
,ixf6 'i¥xf6 7 e3 l"Dd7 8 i..d3 dxc4 9
.txc4 .td6 10 0-0 f!ie7 l l lbe4 i..c 7
12 .:tel ! 0-0 13 'ii'c2 lidS 14 l:fd l
a5 15 .i.b3 llJf8 16 a3 i.. d 7 17 lDc5!
1;la7 18 e4! and White is on top in
the centre.
6 e4
On 6 a4 the common move is
6 . . . i.b4 ! : 7 e4 i.. xc3 + 8 bxc3 'ii'a5
9 e5 ltJe4 1 0 i.. d 2 'ii'd 5 with . . . 0-0,
. . . 4Jbd7 and . . . f7-f5 to come ( = ) .
6...b5 7 e5
8 vades on the kingside (±).
7...h6!
It is worth remembering that
one can sometimes avoid the loss
of a pinned piece by attacking the
pinni ng piece!
8 .1.h4 g5 9 lDxg5
Very consistent. On 9 i.g3?! ,
9 . . . l2Jd5 1 0 h4 g4 1 1 l2Jd2 h5 is
tough going for White, while after
9 exf6 gxh4 10 lDe5 '1Wxf6 1 1 a4
35
Black can make a splendid sacri­
fice: 1 1 . . . h3 ! 12 g3 c5! 1 3 i.. xh3
cxd4 14 li)g4 �g7! 15 ir'f3 dxc3 16
'ifxa8 cxb2 17 l:dl .ib4 + 18 <it>e2
c3 ! 19 'ii'xb8 0-0 and Black's con­
nected pawns outweigh the white
rook. On 20 'ti'xb5 c2 21 'i¥xb4
i.. a 6 + 22 �e3 l:tc8 ! ! 23 l:tc l h5 24
�d2 'ti'g5 + 25 ttle3 'iVd8 + Black is
. .
Winning.
9 ... hxg5
On 9 . . . lt.Jd5 White can choose
between the modest 1 0 ltlf3 'Wa5
1 1 :c 1 i..b4 12 �d2 followed by
.i.e2, 0-0 and a2-a3 t, and the
whirlpool of complications that
arise with 10 tDxf7!? �xh4 1 1
llJxh8 .i.b4 12 l:c1 ..,e4 + 1 3 .i.e2
4Jf4 14 a3 4Jxg2 + 15 c;t>fl llJe3 +
16 fxe3 'ifxh1 + 17 �f2 'ifxh2 + 18
<it>el .i.e7 19 c;t>d2 and White in­
10 ..ixg5ltlbd7 (D)
Much worse is 10 . . . i.. e 7?! 1 1
exf6 i.. x f6 12 .i.xf6 'ii'x f6 1 3 g3 !
..ib7 14 ..ig2 with pressure along
the long diagonal (+) .
1 1 exf6
1 1 g3 often leads to the same
thing, although Black can deviate
with 1 1 . . .l:tg8 12 h4 l:txg5 13 hxg5
4Jd5 14 g6! fxg6 15 'i¥g4 ( 15
l:h7!?) 15 . . . 'We7 16 'i:Vxg6 + 'flf7 17
�xf7 + q;xf7 18 i.. g2 ltJ7b6 19
tt:Je4 ;tor l l . . .'ii' a 5! 12 exf6 b4 13
4Je4 it.a6 and, due to Black's
light-squared bishop, the bishop
on f1 must develop to e2, when
g2-g3 becomes a disadvantage: 14
i..e 2 0-0-0 15 0-0 'iYf5 16 �c2 lDb6
1 7 ltad 1 'ifh3 18 i.. h 4 ltxh4! 19
36 More Basic Chess Openings
w w
gxh4 J.h6! and Black's attack
looks scary.
1 1 .tb7
•..
It is important that Black occu­
pies the long diagonal in time, thus
making ... c6-c5 possible. 1 1 . . . lbxf6
is wrong in view of 12 fi'f3.
12 g3 'ii'b 6
12 . c5 13 d5 ttlb6 is beautifully
. .
refuted by 14 dxe6 ! \i'xd1 + 1 5
l:txd1 J.xh1 16 e 7 a6 17 h4! i.h6 18
f4 b4 19 l:l.d6 ! l:l.b8 20 lDd1 i.xg5
2 1 fxg5 and the white pawn-chain
smothers Black ( + -) . Instead of
13 . . . ttlb6, an interesting alterna­
tive is 13 . . . lLle5!? 14 .i.g2 lDd3 +
15 �fl 'ifd 7 with unclear play.
13 i.g2 c5
After 13 . . . 0-0-0 14 0-0 lDe5
White's way to glory is a queen
sacrifice: 15 �e3 c5 16 dxe5 l:.xd 1
1 7 l:tfxd 1 i.xg2 18 <t>xg2 'ii'c6 19
f3 b4 20 tLle4 1i'b5 21 l:l.d2, intend­
ing 22 l:.ad 1 , when the rooks
penetrate along the d-file.
14 d5 0-0-0 15 0-0 b4
In tournament practice, dispute
about the Botvinnik Variation be­
gins here.
Plans and Counterplans:
a) 16 dxe6 i.xg2 1 7 e7 .i.xf1
18 lDd5 'ifb7 19 exd81W+ <it>xd8 20
CJ!txfl lbh2 IX>,
b) 1 6 .:tb1 'iia6 ( 16 . . . bxc3? 17
bxc3 'ifa6 18 l:lxb 7 followed by
d5xe6 and e6-e7 +) 1 7 dxe6 J.xg2
18 e 7 .i.aB! 19 exd81i'+ �xdB and
Black emerges with a great ad­
vantage.
c) 1 6 lDa4 (the most danger­
ous continuation) 16 . . . 'ii'b 5 and
now not 1 7 dxe6 .i.xg2 18 �xg2
�c6 + 19 f3 'ii'xe6 20 'ii'c2 tLle5 2 1
l:lae1 l::td 4, when the game has
opened up for Black, but 1 7 a3!,
when by increasing his attack
White gains access to the a-file.
Finally both 1 7 . . . lDb8 18 axb4
cxb4 19 J.e3 and 17 . . . exd5 18
axb4 cxb4 19 'ifd4!? lead to a dou­
ble-edged game.
Even these few sample lines
provide an insight into the whys
and wherefores of the Botvinnik.
White opts for an attack on the
black king, but an early exchange
of pieces is favourable for him as
well, as he gets the better ending
 Queen 's Gambit
owin g to his kingside majority.
Black must even watch out for
the occasional queen sacrifice
(se e 13 . . 0-0-0 1 4 0-0 ttle5 15 .i.e3
.
c5 16 dxe5 !). Black directs his
fo rces against the weak d4-pawn
and, after gaining control of the
centre, he slowly but surely ad­
vances the queenside pawns. Also
after an exchange of the light­
sq uared bishops, Black may be
able to launch a kingside attack
of his own.
Who is better? This is a rich
area for improvements, and the
theoretical assessment bounces
back and forth between the two
parties. So it is up to the reader to
take the side that suits him bet­
ter.
V. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 ltJf3 ttlf& 4
ttJc3 e& 5 �g5 �bd7 (Cambridge
Springs Defence)
Now Black is really threatening
to take on c4!
6 e3 'Wa5
If White is circumspect he can
c ross Black's plan of . . . i.b4 and
. . . ltJe4 which is directed not only
against the knight on c3 but also
the bishop on g5 . He can choose
between:
A . 7 cxd5 and
B. 7 tLld2.
A . 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 �f3 lDf6 4
ltJ c3 e6 5 �g5 �bd7 6 e3 'ii'a5 7
cxd5
37
B
7 . llJxd5
. .
The best recapture. Others are:
a) 7 cxd5?1 is ugly: 8 .id3
.•.
lDe4 9 'ii'c 2 .i.b4 10 0-0 lDxc3? 1 1
bxc3 i.xc3 1 2 :ac1 .tb4 13
'ii'xc8+ ! +-.
b) 7 exd5 8 .id3 ttle4 9 0-0
•..
lDxc3 10 bxc3 'ii'x c3 1 1 e4! + and
in the open position Black's un­
derdevelopment becomes appar­
ent.
c) 7 lDe4 8 dxe6 fxe6 9 'ti'a4
•.•
'ii'xa4 10 ttlxa4 .ib4 + 1 1 �e2 b5
12 liJc5 lLldxc5 13 dxc5 .ixc5 14
::tel with pressure on the black
queenside (+).
8 'ii'd2 liJ7b6
On 8 . . . .ib4 White is well com­
pensated for his pawn: 9 l:c 1 e5
1 0 a3 ! i.xc3 1 1 bxc3 'ii'x a3 12 e4
lt:Jc7 13 i.d3 ;t
9 .id3
9 e4?? loses to 9 lDxc3 10 bxc3
...
tLla4 1 1 l:.c1 tLlxc3 ! 12 l:txc3? .ib4
cashing in.
9 lbxc3 10 bxc3 lba4!
•••
The pawn on c3 is indefensible
as on 1 1 l:c1, 1 1 . . . ttlxc3 ! 12 l:lxc3
�b4 is again winning.
38 More Basic Chess Openings
11 o�o �xc3 12 'iVe2 �b2
w Or 7 .. . .tb4 8 'ifc2 0-0 9 a3 l"Lle4
Here Black would gladly con­
tinue chasing the enemy queen
and even force a draw by repeti­
tion. White has two possibilities
to sidestep this : 1 3 .tc2 'iVb5 14
'ii'd 1 llJc3 15 'ii'd 2 llJe2 + 16 �h 1
.i.b4 1 7 a4 and 1 3 ifdl llJc3 14
'ii'e 1 f6 15 .th4 llJd5!?, but he can­
not easily make his advantage felt
( )
= .
B. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 llJf3 llJf6 4
lDc3 e6 5 .tg5 llJbd7 6 e3 'ii'a5 7
llJd2
B advantage. Black will try to pa­
A multi-purpose move, unpin�
ning the knight on c3 and taking
control of the e4-square.
7 dxc4
•••
10 lDcxe4 dxe4 1 1 .i.h4 and 0-0 -0
with a small but tangible advan­
tage (;!;) .
8 .txf6
The g5-bishop was threatened!
8 llJxf6 9 lDxc4 �c7 10 iae2
..•
.te7 1 1 0-0 0-0 12 llc1 lidS 13
'ii'c2 .td7 14 lDe4 l%.ac8 15 a3
i.e8
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White is solidly blocking Black's
. . . c6-c5 and . . . e6-e5 moves and is
therefore able to maintain a small
tiently survive White's queenside
invasion (b2-b4, lbc5, 'iV1>3 and a2-
a4) and seek counterplay when
the time is ripe. One unusual
plan for Black is to put his knight
on d5 and his queen to c7-b8-a8 ,
so that when White goes b2-b4
and tLle5, Black can start to at­
tack the pawn on b4 with . . . a7-a5.
 Queen 's Gambit
Albin and other lines
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e5
If Black wants to disrupt White
at an early stage he can choose
be tween several rare lines on his
second move. However, this strat­
egy can only be successful if White
is unprepared:
a) 2 lD f6? 3 cxd5 ! (forcing a
•.•
piece to the d5-square in order to
win time by kicking it around)
3 . ltJxd5 4 lDf3 (premature is 4 e4
. .
llJf6 5 lDc3 e5 ! 6 lDf3 and Black is
only a little worse !) 4 . . . i.f5 5
'ifb3 e6 6 tbc3 lDc6 7 e4 lDxc3 8
exf5 ltJd5 9 a3 and now Black is
clearly worse due to his weak b7-
pawn (+).
b) 2 . i.f5 3 cxd5 .i.xb1 (avoid­
. .
ing 3 . . .'�xd5 4 lDc3) 4 'ii'a4 + ! 1i'd7
5 'ifxd7 + lDxd7 6 l:txb1 lDgf6 7 f3
4Jxd5 8 e4 and, with the bishop
pair and a spatial plus, White has
a clear pull (;t).
c) 2 . c5 3 cxd5 'ti'xd5 4 tbf3
. .
cxd4 5 tbc3 �a5 6 lbxd4 tbf6 7
l2Jb3 'Wic7 8 g3 e5 9 .i.g2lbc6 10 0-0
with a significant advantage (±).
d) 2 ltJc6 (the Chigorin De­
•••
fence) 3 ltJc3 tt'lf6 4 tt'lf3 i.g4 5
cxd5 ltJxd5 6 e4 tt'lxc3 7 bxc3 e5 8
d5 ltJb8 9 'ifa4 + lLld7 10 lDxe5 'ir'ffi
11 ..ie2 iVxe5 1 2 �xg4 �xc3+ 13
i.d2 'ii'xa1 + 14 <itre2 i1xh1 15 'ii'xd7
mate . Should Black deviate with
3 . . . dxc4, then 4 d5 lDe5 5 f4! ltJg4
6 h3 lD4h6 7 e4 secures White's
advantage (;t).
3 dxe5 d4 4 lLlf3
39
4 e3? is beautifully refuted by
4 . . . .i.b4 + ! 5 .i.d2 dxe3! 6 i.xb4
exf2 + 7 �e2 fxgltb+ !
4 lbc6 5 g3
•••
Also good is 5 a3 !? and White
can follow up with b2-b4 or e2-e3.
5 ... .i. g4
Or 5 . .. .i.e6 6 li.Jbd2 'iVd 7 7 .tg2
i.h3 8 0-0 0-0-0 9 lDb3 followed
by 'i!Yd3 and l:td1 with a marked
plus.
6 .i.g2 'ii'd7 7 0-0 0-0-0 8 'ii'b 3!?
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Black opts for the familiar attack
. .. .i.h3, . . . h5-h4, . . . .i.xg2, . . . h4xg3
and . . . i*'h3, but this is easily met
by White's extra pawn and the
pressure on the pawns on d4 and
b7(!), for example 8 .i. h3? 9 e6!
.•.
.ixe6 (9 . .'ii' xe6 10 ltJg5 ! + -) 10
.
ltJe5 ! and now 10 . . . tt'lxe5 11 'iVxb7
mate. Otherwise on 10 . . . 'i¥d6 1 1
lDxc6 bxc6 12 'ii'a4 Black can stop
the clock.
On 8 ltJ ge7 9 l:.d l a similar
..•
trick is 9 . . . 4Jg6? 10 tt'lxd4! +-. In-
stead of 9 . . ltJg6?, probably best is
.
the reply 9 .'i�'f5!? with the idea
. .
40 More Basic Chess Openings

of . . . �e7 -g6-e5 . But White still to avoid the Albin he can play 1
gets the better of it after 10 lila3 d4 d5 2 li)f3 and only on the third
followed by li)c2. If White prefers move c2-c4.
Qu e e n's Pawn O p e n i ng
1 d4 d5 2 llJf3
White holds his c-pawn back
and, instead of an immediate cen­
tral clash, first completes devel­
opment behind his frontiers. The
likely ou teome is an equal game
because Black is not hampered in
organizing his army. What is more,
after a usually successful . . . c7-c5,
Black can indeed act as 'White ' !
Unnecessary is 2 e4? dxe4 as on
both 3 lLlc3 and 3 f3, 3 . . . e5! is very
effective, when Black is on top.
Other tries are:
2 �g5 h6! 3 �h4 c5 4 ltJc3 ltJc6
5 e3 (5 dxc5? 1Wa5 6 'i'xd5 �b4!
-+; this double attack is the rea­
son why Black plays 2 . . . h6) 5 . . .'�a5
6 liJf3 .i.g4 7 �e2 i.xf3 8 i.xf3
cxd4 9 exd4 e6 10 0-0 g5 1 1 .i.g3
�g7 +.
2 �f4 lLlf6 3 e3 e6 4 ltJd2 c5 5 c3
.td6 =.
On 2 ltJ c3 ltJf6 3 .i.g5, 3 . . . c5!? is
again good, e.g. 4 i.xf6 gxf6 5 e3
(5 e4 dxe4 6 dxc5 1Wa5 7 'il'h5 Ji.g7,
i nte nding . . . 0-0 and . . . f6-f5, fa­
vours Black) 5 . . . cxd4 6 exd4 h5! 7
.te2 h4 8 .i.f3 e6 9 lbge2 iLh6 10 0-0
lL'lc6 1 1 :e1 i.d7 12 ttJc 1 Wf8 or = dxe4 10 ltlxe4 .te7
4 dxc5 d4! 5 �xffi gxffi 6 lLle4 'ifd5
7 'ir'd3? �f5 8 lDc3 'ti'e5 ! 9 �b5 +
i..d 7 10 'ifxb 7 dxc3 and White is
in grave danger (-+ ) .
2 llJf6 3 e3
•••
The alternatives are also harm­
less:
a) 3 .i.g5 lDe4 4 JLh4 ( 4 i. f4
c5) 4 . . . c5 5 e3 cxd4 6 exd4 �b6 7
1i'c 1 g5 ! 8 ltlxg5 li'h6 ! 9 'ii'f4 f6 10
ltJh3 i.xh3 11 'it'xh6 i.xh6 12
gxh3 i.c1 ! - + or 5 c3 cxd4 6 cxd4
�6 7 'i*'b3 =.
b) 3 iLf4 c5 4 e3 ltlc6 5 c3 'ifb6
6 �b3 c4! ? 7 �xb6 ( 7 1Wc2 i.f5 ! 8
'ifxf5? 'ii'xb2 9 �e2 e6! 10 ii'g5
'ii'x a1 - + ) 7 . . . axb6 8 a3 b5 9 lLle5
e6 10 lDd2 b4! & ld Black is on top
since he has achieved . . . b5-b4,
throwing a monkey wrench into
the white queenside.
On 3 g3 the recurring set-up
from the Reti Opening works
again: 3 . . . c6 4 i.g2 � f5 5 0-0 e6
intending . . . lDbd7, . . . .id6, . . . h7-
h6, . . . 0-0 and . . . a7-a5 with com­
fortable play.
3 e6
•••
Also good is the instant 3 . . . c5
because 4 dxc5 is wrong in view of
4 . . . e6 5 b4 ?! a5 6 c3 axb4 7 cxb4
b6!
4 .td3 c5 5 b3
Even less risky is 5 c3 lLlc6 6
ltJbd2 �d6 7 0-0 0-0 8 e4 (8 dxc5
.ixc5 9 e4 e5 ) 8 . . . cxd4 9 cxd4
=
=.
5 ...lLlc6 6 i.b2 i.d6
This is better than the swap
6 . . . cxd4 7 exd4, when White can
play ife2, lle1 and lbe5 to follow
with an attack against the black
king.
7 0-0 0-0
42 More Basic Chess Openings

Black seeks counterplay on th e

queenside, possibly with . . . lt:Jb4.
w Here are some examples of how
play could continue:
a) 8 lt:Je5 'i/c7 9 f4 cxd4 1 0
exd4 lLlb4 ! l l ltJc3 ltJxd3 1 2 'ifxd3
i.d7! = .

b) 8 ltJbd2 'ife7 9 lLle5 cxd4 10

exd4 i.a3 = .

c) 8 a3 b6 9 ltJe5 �b7 10 lt:Jd 2

Plans and Counterplans:
White is planning to build up his
a6 1 1 f4 b5 1 2 dxc5 (the threat
was . . . c5-c4) 12 . . . �xc5 1 3 'ii'f3
l:tc8 14 �g3 lLlxe5 15 �xe5 i.d6
16 il.d4 'ike7 17 b4 g6 and Black
=

centre with lDe5 and f2-f4 while follows up with . .. lLlf6-e4.

Que e n 's In d i a n D efe n ce

I d4 4Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 ltlf3
Instead of 3 liJf3 , White can
also play a Nimzo-Indian (3 ltJc3) w

or a Catalan Opening (3 g3), while

o n 3 ltJf3 Black has several possi­
bilities: besides the Queen's In­
dian Defence he can choose the
Queen's Gambit (3 . . . d5), the Ben­
oni Defence (3 .. . c5 4 d5 exd5 5
cxd5) and the Bogo-lndian De­
fence (3 . . . �b4 + ) .
White players need to be care­
ful to select lines that keep them
on familiar territory. IfWhite, for
example, prefers the Queen's In­
dian with 3 l2Jf3, he cannot play
the Benoni with f4 ( 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4
c5 3 d5 e6 4 lLlc3 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6
e4 g6 7 f4). Instead he has to opt for
a line where the knight is quickly
developed to f3. If he specifically
prefers the Benoni with f4 he can
reach this via 3 tt:\c3 c5 4 d5 exd5 5
cxd5 d6 6 e4 g6 7 f4. But in this case
he also has to be familiar with the
Nimzo-Indian after 3 ltJc3 �b4.
One should always try to select
opening lines which are compat­
ible with one another, if possible.
3 . .b6
. I. 4 e3
The development of the bishop
on c8 is a common problem for
Black i n the opening (Queen's
Gambit, French Defence) . Here
Black creates the option of two di­
agonals for his bishop: on the aS­
hi diagonal he controls the main
battlefield of the Queen's Indian,
the squares e4 and d5, while on
the a6-fl diagonal he puts pres­
sure on the c4-pawn, thereby dis­
rupting White's development. The
dark-squared bishop lies in wait:
if White plays ltJc3 the bishop will
grab the chance of pinning it with
. . . �b4.
As we shall see, things are far
from straightforward for Black.
What is more, he will have to play
very accurately to prevent White
nursing his advantage into an
endgame.
The most common lines are::
II. 4 a3 (Petrosian Variation)
III. 4 g3 (Classical Main Line)
The following are seen more
rarely:
a) 4 Sl..g5 .i.b7 5 e3 h6 6 Sl..h4
�e7 7 .i.d3 llJe4 8 Sl..xe7 'iixe7 9
44 More Basic Chess Openings
.i.c2 4Jg5 10 4Jbd2 0-0-0 with an
equal position.
b) 4 i.f4 j.b 7 5 e3 i..e 7 (now
Black is threatening 6 ... ltJh5, snar­
ing the bishop on f4) 6 h3 c5 !? 7
ltJc3 cxd4 8 exd4 0-0 9 .id3 d5 10
0-0 dxc4 11 .ixc4 4Jc6 = .
c) 4 4Jc3 j.b 7 (4 . . . i.. b4 5 e3
transposes to the Nimzo-Indian)
5 .ig5 h6 6 .ih4 .ib4 7 e3 g5 (also
good is 7 . . . j.xc3 + 8 bxc3 d6 fol-
lowed by . . . llJbd7 and . . .'ike7, pre-
serving the possibility of castling
either side) 8 .ig3 lDe4 9 'ii'c 2
i.xc3 + 10 bxc3 d6 1 1 i.d3 f5 12
d5 !? ltJc5 ! ( 1 2 . . . lLld7 13 i.. xe4 fxe4
14 'ir'xe4 'Ci'f6 ao) 13 h4 g4 14 ltld4
�f6 15 0-0 ltlba6 with dynamic
play, e.g. 16 ltJxe6 liJxe6 1 7 .ixf5!?
( 1 7 dxe6 0-0 ! 1 8 e7 fl.f7, followed
by . . Jte8 and . . . ltJc5 +) 1 7 . . .l1�g7 18
.ig6 + �d7 1 9 f3 l1af8 20 fxg4
'Ci'e7 2 1 e4 ltJc5 ao,
I. 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 e6 3 lDf3 b6 4
e3
B
After �d3 White will now be
ready to quickly castle kingside
and complete his development
with b2-b3, .ib2 and lDc3 or ttJbd2 .
This set-up is playable against al­
most any system of play by Black ,
and though it is not very ambi­
tious, Black will still have to watch
his step.
4 i.b7 5 .id3
•.•
On both 5 ltlc3 and 5 i.e2, 5 . . . d5
is good, reaching a Queen's Gam­
bit in which White's bishop on cl
is locked in.
5 ... d5
Also possible is 5 . . . c5 6 0-0 .ie7
7 4Jc3 cxd4 8 exd4 d5 ! =.
6 0-0 Ji..e 7
Another healthy idea is 6 . . . .id6
7 b3 0-0 8 i.b2 ttJbd7 9 ltlc3 a6
(against lDb5) 10 l:c1 fke7 with a
future ...d5xc4 and . . . c7-c5, or if the
knight on c3 moves then . . . lDe4.
7 b3 0-0 8 .ib2 c5 9 4Jbd2
This knight will have the use­
ful job of protecting his colleague
from f3 after it jumps to e5. 9 lDc3
cxd4 10 exd4 ltJc6 leads to equal­
ity.
9 .. cxd4 10 exd4 llJc6 1 1 :c 1
.
llc8 12 'ii'e2 l:te8 13 l:fd1 (D)
Plans and Counterplans:
White may try ltle5 or c4-c5 with
a queenside expansion. The latter
is usually prepared by a2-a3 ,
threatening c4-c5 and b2-b4. So
on a2-a3 Black must capture on
c4. Black can also regroup with
. . . .if8, . . . g7-g6 and . . . .ig7, then
take on c4 with an attack again st
White's 'hanging centre'. Chances
are about equal.
 Queen's Indian Defence
II. 1 d4 4Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlf3 b6 4
a3 (Petrosian Variation)
B ••.i.g4 with h2-h3!
White 's conception is ltJc3 fol­
lowed by d4-d5 and e2-e4, when
the centre is his! But here this
strategy, typical of all 1 d4 open­
ings, is preceded by the prophy­
lactic a2-a3, directed against the
pin with i.b4. The two most com­
mon set-ups of Black are:
A. 4 . .i.a6 in connection with
..
. . . c7-c5 and
B. 4 i.b7, when measures are
•..
taken in the centre with ... d7-d5.
45
On the immediate 4...c5?!
White carries out his original in­
tention: 5 d5 ! exd5 (5 ...i.a6 6 ..Wc2
exd5 7 cxd5 .i.b7 8 e4 �e7 9 i.d3
ltJxd5 10 0-0 &i:Jc7 1 1 .i.g5! f6 12
.i.f4 lLle6 1 3 .i.g3 followed by 14
ltJc3 and ltJd5 with terrific play
for the pawn) 6 cxd5 g6 7 ltlc3
.i.g7 8 e4 0-0 9 .i.d3 d6 10 h3 !
transposing into a Benoni posi­
tion where Black's . . .b7-b6 is
worthless while White's extra
move a2-a3 fits well into his plan
of 0-0, l:tbl and b2-b4 (t:/+). In
this line White's consistent har­
monious play is apparent: he
found the active d3-square for his
bishop while preventing the pin
A. 1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlf3 b6 4 a3
..ta6
This move may seem odd at
first sight but it is aimed at de­
flecting the queen from d l in or­
der to prevent a later d4-d5 in
answer to . . c7-c5!
.
5 'ti'c2
46 More Basic Chess Openings
On 5 e3 or 5 ltlbd2 Black plays
5 . . . d5! with a Queen's Gambit-like
game in which White 's bishop on
cl is stymied ( = ).
5 ...i. b7
5 . . . d5?! is a major strategic blun-
der, as after 6 cxd5 exd5 7 lDc3
White plays g2-g3, i.g2 and 0-0,
and puts pressure on the pawn on
d5 with i.g5, lDe5 or ltlh4-f5 . In
this case White's queen is better
on c2 while Black's bishop on a6
will sooner or later have to with­
draw. 5 . c5?! is also premature
. .
due to 6 d5.
6 lDc3 c5!? 7 e4
The alternatives promise little
for White:
a) 7 dxc5 bxc5 8 i.g5 i.e7 9
e3 d6 = .
b) 7 e3 cxd4 8 exd4 .ie7 9 �d3
(9 i.e2 0-0 and 10 . . . d5 = ) 9 . . . .txf3
10 gxf3 lDc6 1 1 .ie3 llc8 = .
7 cxd4 8 lDxd4
•..
B ..t b7 5 llJc3 d 5
Plans and Counterplans:
Here Black often chooses a plain
'hedgehog' set-up, known from the
English Opening or the Sicilian
Defence: 8 d6 9 i.e2 i..e 7 10 0- 0
...
0-0 1 1 i.e3 a6 12 l:tfd l 'flc7 13 f3
ltlbd7 with the interesting plan of
. . . llac8 , . . . fibS and . . . i.d8-c7, a f­
ter which the threat is . . . d6-d5 ,
when the pawn on h2 is hanging.
In answer to this White plays
�h1, .i.fl and .i.g1 with spatial
advantage and queenside initia­
tive. The alternative 8 .i. c5 9 •••
&iJb3 ttJc6 also deserves attention,
when Black's idea is to take con­
trol of the dark squares with a fu­
ture . . . d7-d6, . . . h7-h6 and . . . e6-
e5 . The most fashionable move at
the moment is 8 ll)c6 9 ltlxc6
• ••
i.xc6 10 i.f4 .i.c5 ! ? ( 10 . . . lDh5 1 1
..te3 \i'b8 1 2 0-0-0 i.d6 1 3 g3 �) 11
..te2 0-0 with balanced chances.
For example, 12 .:td 1 a5! (a must
against b2-b4) 13 i.g3 'i'ie7 14 e5
ll)e8 15 0-0 f5 ! = or 12 e5? lbh5 !
13 .i.xh5 'ii' h 4, when it is White
who has cause to be apprehen-
SlVe.
.
B. 1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 e6 3 ltlf3 b6 4 a 3
A natural way to parry White 's
possible , expansion with d4-d5
and e2-e4. Another way is 5 . . . g6 6
d5 exd5 7 cxd5 i.g7, when after
.. . 0-0 and . . . c 7-c6 Black exploits
the weaknesses of the white out­
posts.
6 cxd5
Mter 6 .i.g5 JLe7 7 cxd5 lbxd5 8
..txe7 &iJxe7 9 e3 llJd7 Black equal­
izes easily with ... c7-c5. Now Black,
depending on his style, can choose
 Queen's Indian Defence
b etween two ways of recapturing:
s . ex:d5 with a slightly rigid cen­
. Black has to refrain from . . . c7 -c5
.
tre (s ection B 1) or the flexible
s ltJxd5 (section B2).
.. .
B l . 1 d4 ti)f6 2 c4 e6 3 tDf3 b6 4
a3 .tb7 5 lLlc3 d5 6 cxd5 exd5
7 g3 !
White's target is the pawn on
d5. Less effective are 7 �g5 i.e7 8
e3 0-0 9 �d3 lLlbd7 1 0 0-0 c5 = Tournament praxis suggests that
a nd 7 �f4 �e7 ( 7 . . . .td6!?) 8 e3
0-0 9 i.e2 c5 =.
7 J.e7•••
On 7 . . . �d6 possible is 8 j.g5
and if 8 . . . h6 9 .ixf6 1i'xf6 10 lbb5
+
=·
8 'ii'a 4 + !
A far-sighted move as after a
future . . . c7-c5 the queen's place is
on a4.
8 c6 ••.
8 . . . 1i'd7? is bad due to 9 �xd7 +
ltJbxd7 10 lLlb5 while 8 . . . ltJbd7? is
met by 9 lDe5 with a large hole on
c6 .
9 i.g2 0-0 1 0 0-0
B
47
Plans and Counterplans:
since after i.f4, l:tfd 1 , l:tac 1 and
lDe5 White has strong pressure
against the pawn on d5 . Thus
Black's correct plan is . . . ti)bd7,
.. Jle8 and perhaps a queenside
march with . . . a7-a5 and . . . b7-b5 .
White, i n turn, opts for .if4,
:ad1, ltJe5 and prepares to ad­
vance in the centre with e2-e4.
White stands slightly better (!).
B2. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlf3 b6 4
a3 �b7 5 lbc3 d5 6 cxd5 li)xd5
7 e3
Other continuations are:
a) 7 1i'c2 lDxc3 8 'ifxc3 (or 8
bxc3 i.e7 9 e3 0-0 followed by
. . . c7-c5, . . . lLlc6 and . . . ilic7) 8 . . . lLld7
9 i.g5!? i.e7 10 J.xe7 «Jt>xe7! 1 1 g3
l"Df6 1 2 i.g2 \i'd6 13 0-0 l:lhc8 and
after 14 . . . c5 Black is OK.
b ) 7 j_d2 J.e7 8 'ii'c 2 lbd7 9 e4
lLlxc3 10 .txc3 0-0 1 1 lld 1 'ii'c8 12
i.d3 lidS 13 0-0 c5 =.
c) 7 e4 lbxc3 8 bxc3 i.xe4 9
l"De5 'ii'h4! (the sole defence against
.i.b5 + , 'ii'g4 and 'it'h5) 10 g3 'ii'f6
1 1 i.b5 + c6 1 2 f3 .td5 1 3 .te2
b5 and Black's acceptance of the
tricky pawn sacrifice has proved
to be worth its salt (�).
7... i.e7
7 . . . c5?! is premature on account
of 8 �b5 + ! messing up Black's
harmony: 8 . . . i.c6 9 .i.d3 cxd4 10
exd4 and c6 is shown to be a truly
bad square for the bishop : White
48 More Basic Chess Openings
is already threatening 1 1 ltle5 . In
the Queen' s Indian after . . . d 7 -d5
Black always has to be prepared
for 'ii'a4 + and J.b5 + .
8 J.b5 + c6 9 �d3 llJxc3
9 . . . 0·0 at once is also possible:
10 e4 llJxc3 1 1 bxc3 c5.
10 bxc3 c5 1 1 0-0 ltlc6
Plans and Counterplans:
White can play 12 e4 when after
12 . . . 0-0 13 i.b2 cxd4 14 cxd4 i.ffi,
15 e5 is forced, after which White's
dynamic centre has become rigid
( ). White can also prepare e3-e4
= Alternatively:
with 12 .tb2 0-0 13 ile2 l:tc8 14
l::tadl, but Black can play 14...cxd4
15 cxd4 .i.f6 16 e4 lDa5 or 15 exd4
i.d6 16 c4 ltla5 1 7 lDe5 i.xe5 18
dxe5 'ilc7 oo.
III. Classical Main Line
1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlf3 b6 4 g3
In the 1 d4 openings the white
light-squared bishop is usually
well placed on g2, and this is par­
ticularly so in the Queen's Indian
where it opposes its counterpart
B
on b 7. In case of a set-up with .tg2
and . . . .i.b7 White is often able to
advance d4-d5, and if Black cap­
tures this, the knight on f3 goes
to h4 or el, followed by cxd5 . On 4
g3 Black can continue with
A. 4 .i.b7 (Classical set-up) or
.•.
B. 4 i.a6 (Nimzowitsch's idea)
. .•
A . 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 e6 3 lDf3 b6 4 g 3
i.b7 (Classical set-up)
5 .i.g2 i.e7
a) 5 ... c5?! would only help
White after 6 d5 ! exd5 7 lDh4 g6 8
lLlc3 .t g7 9 0-0 0-0 1 0 i.g5 ! +.
White, if permitted, always an­
swers Black's move . . . c7-c5 with
d4-d5!
b) 5 i.b4 + 6 .td2 leads to a
.•.
Bogo-Indian after 6 . . . a5 7 0-0 0-0
8 ..tf4 (the threat is c4-c5 , trap­
ping the bishop) 8 . . . .i.e7 9 lDc3
lDe4 10 lba4!? d6 l l lDd2 lbxd2 12
.txb 7 :a7 1 3 'ii'xd2 ltxb7 14 e4,
followed by ltlc3, and the rooks
occupy the central files with a
 Queen 's Indian Defence
c lear spatial advantage for White
(;!;) .
6 0-0 0-0 7 lDc3
7 d5!? is an exciting pawn sacri-
fi c e: 7 . . . exd5 8 lLlh4 c6 9 cxd5 and
now 9 . . . lLlxd5 10 l2Jf5 li:Jc7 1 1 l2Jc3
d5 !? 12 e4!?, with a complex strug­
gle , or 9 . . . cxd5 10 li:Jc3 ltla6 1 1
lDf5 ltJc7 1 2 .if4 i.c5 1 3 l1c1 i.. c6
14 ltla4 g6 15 lLlxc5 bxc5 16 i.xc7
�xc7 1 7 liJe7 + rJ;g7 18 lllicd5 i.xd5
19 i.xd5 1:1ab8 = and Black fol­
lows up with . . . 'ii'e 5, . . . d7-d6 and
. . . l:lfe8.
After the text-move White is
again threatening 8 d5. Blocking
this with 7 . . . d5 fails to 8 liJe5 !, e.g.
8 .. lt.Jbd7? 9 cxd5 exd5 10 'i¥a4! with
. 8 i.f6
some nasty threats against c6 and
d5 ( + -) . Or 8 . . . lLla6!? 9 i.. f4 c5 10
l::tc 1 and Black has some serious
difficulties. White will play 1 1
cxd5 exd5 1 2 'ir'a4 followed by 13
:fdl.
7... ltle4
w
Black stops 8 d5 on positional
grounds: his threat is 8 . . . ll)xc3 ,
when White's queenside pawns
49
are a wreck while Black easily de­
velops with . . . lDa6-c5 .
White must protect his knight
on c3 with either
Al. 8 .id2 or
A2. 8 'i'ic2.
8 llJxe4 .ixe4 is equal, e.g. 9
.if4 c5 10 dxc5 bxc5 1 1 'i'id2 d5 or
9 lLle1 .i.. xg2 10 lLlxg2 d5 1 1 'i'ia4
'i'ieB = .
A1. 1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 e6 3 llJf3 b6 4
g3 i.b7 5 .ig2 i.e7 6 0-0 0-0 7
ltlc3 lLle4 8 .id2
•..
By attacking the knight on c3
Black further delays d4-d5. Other
tries are:
a) 8 ltlxc3? 9 .ixc3 .ie4 10
•••
d5 ! .i.f6 11 lDd4! + .
b) 8 d6?! 9 d5! lbxc3 10 .ixc3
•••
e5 1 1 e4 and after llJf3-e1-d3
White can opt for both f2-f4 and
b2-b4 and c4-c5 . In these closed
centre type of games the bishop
on b7 stands very poorly.
c) 8 d5 9 cxd5 exd5 10 l:tc 1
•••
ltld 7 1 1 'ii'b 3 llJd£'6 ao,
d) 8 f5!? 9 d5 .if6 10 l:tc 1
•••
lba6!? ao .
9 llcl c5!?
After 9 . . ll)xd2 10 'tixd2 d6 1 1
.
d5 the move . . . c7 -c5 is no longer
possible.
1 0 d5 exd5 1 1 cxd5 lbxd2 1 2
ltlxd2 !?
White tries to occupy the e4-
square with his knight, envisaging
50 More Basic Chess Openings
a kingside attack (f2-f4 and g2-
g4).
12 ... d6 13 ltlde4
13 e4? is wrong on account of
. . . lDd7 and . . . VJI/e7 as e4-e5 is per­
manently blocked and the d4-
square would thus be weakened
for nothing.
8 Other choices are:
Plans and Counterplans:
In years gone by Black exclu­
sively played 13 i.e7 here, when
••.
after the continuation 14 f4 ltld7
15 g4! a6 16 a4 :IeB 17 g5 ! White
has a forceful initiative. Besides
the pawn-roller h2-h4-h5-h6 White
also has 'ii'd 1 -d3-g3/h3, .i.g2-h3,
<i!i'h 1 and :Ig1 plans at his disposal
and Black is doomed to passive
defence.
A recent invention is the more
active 13 .. .i.e5! 14 'i!Vd2 i.a6! (dis­
. 1 1 i.f6 12 i.b2
allowing 15 f4 i.d4 + 16 e3) 15
�h1 'VIJe7 16 f4 iL.d4 17 l:.fe1 g6 18
e3 Ji.g7, followed by 19 . . . ltld7,
when Black has managed to keep
his dark-squared bishop alive and
therefore has no cause for con­
cern.
A2. 1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 e6 3 ltlf3 b6 4
g3 J..b 7 5 .i.g2 .i.e7 6 0-0 0-0 7
ltlc3 ltle4 8 '1i'c2
8 . .. ltlxc3
If 8 . . f5 then 9 ltle5, while on
.
8 . . . d5, 9 cxd5 followed by J.. f4 and
:tac1 is strong (+).
9 'ii'xc3
9 bxc3 f5 10 d5 ltla6 ao.
9 ... c5
a) 9 ... d6?! 10 'i¥c2! (threaten­
ing 1 1 ltlg5 ! with the simultane­
ous threats of capturing on b7 and
mate on h7!) 10 . . . f5 1 1 ltle1 .i.xg2
12 ltlxg2 with 13 e4 to follow ;t,
b) 9 .i.e4 10 i.f4 and l:ac1,
• ••
l:.fd1 and tbe1 �.
c) 9 f5 10 b3 i.f6 1 1 i.b2 d6
•..
12 :ad1 a5 13 ltle1 i.xg2 14 ltlxg2
ltlc6 15 'fif3 'ifd7 16 e4!? ao,
lO l:[dl
10 b3 cxd4 1 1 ltlxd4 J..xg2 1 2
�xg2 .i.f6 13 i.b2 ltlc6 = .
10 ... d6
10 . . . Ji.f6 1 1 'it'd3 ! , again threat-
ening 12 tbg5.
1 1 b3
Also interesting is 1 1 Ji.f4 ltlc6
1 2 �d2 lLlxd4 13 lLlxd4 .i.xg2 14
ltJxe6 fxe6 15 <&t>xg2 with a tiny
pull for White.
.••
Plans and Counterplans:
Black needs to play precisely here.
12 ltlc6 13 'VIJd2 ltlxd4 14 lt.Jxd4
...
.ixg2 15 lt.Jxe6 fxe6 16 <&t>xg2 is
slightly better for White, while on
both 12 '1i'e7 and 12 . �c7 White
..• . .
 Queen 's Indian Defence
B 5 b3
has 13 'ti'c2 and 14 e4. Most accu­
rate seems to be 12 lbd7 and
. . . c-file. This is why 7 . . . i.xc5 is bet­
now : 13 'ii'd 2 'W/e 7 14 dxc5 �xb2
15 'i+'xb2 dxc5 =; or 13 lld2!? 'iie 7
14 !Iadl l:tfd8 15 'il'c2 l:tac8 (Black
has 16 . . . d5 up his sleeve) 16 e4
cxd4 1 7 lbxd4 a6 with balanced
chances.
B. 1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 e6 3 lbf3 b6 4 g3
.ia6 !7 (Nimzowitsch's idea)
w
Aron Nimzowitsch - the 'in­
ven tor ' of the Nim zo-Indian -
first played this move in 1934.
The point, just as it is in the
Queen' s Indian with a2-a3 , is to
51
disturb White 's normal develop­
ment.
The pawn on c4 must be pro­
tected because 5 ..tg2? is met by
5 . . . ..txc4 6 lbe5 .id5 + . If the
queen defends c4 then Black can
aim for . . . c7-c5 :
a) 5 'iic2 c5 6 i.g2 .ib 7 7 dxc5
.ixc5 ! = with a hedgehog set-up
to follow: . . . .ie7, . . . d7-d6, . . . a7-a6,
. . . 0-0, . . . lbbd7 and . . . 'Wic7, when
Black has counter-chances on the
ter than 7 . . . bxc5.
b) 5 �b3 lbc6 ! ? (threatening
6 . . . lba5) 6 ltJbd2 ltJa5 7 'ifa 4 .i b 7
8 i.g2 c5 9 0-0 i.c6 10 'ifc2 cxd4 is
equal.
c) 5 'ii'a4 c5 6 ..tg2 i.b7 7 0-0
(7 dxc5 i.xc5 8 0-0 0-0 9 lLlc3 i.e7
10 ..tf4 lLla6 l l llad 1 lbc5 12 'ii'c 2
'iVc8 13 lLlb5 lDce4) 7 . . . cxd4 8
lbxd4 .ixg2 9 c;t>xg2 fl/c7 10 lDc3
i.e7 with the idea of continuing
. . . 0-0, . . a 7 -a6, . . . 'iYb 7, . . . ltfc8,
.
... d7-d6 and . . . lDbd7.
d) 5 lDbd2 i.b 7 6 ..tg2 c5 7 e4
cxd4 ( 7 . . . lDxe4? 8 ltJe5 llJc3 9
i.xb7 ltlxd 1 10 i.xa8 ±) 8 e5 ltle4
9 lbxe4 i.xe4 = , or Black can play
in the style of the Queen's Gam­
bit, counting on the unfortunate
placement of the knight on d2 :
5 . . . d5 6 �g2 �e7 7 0-0 0-0 with
equality.
5 �b4 + !?
.•.
Forcing i.d2 to disrupt the
ideal set-up of �b2, tt:Jc3 . Also in­
teresting is 5 . . . d5 6 i.g2 dxc4 7
llJe5 �b4 + 8 <1t;fl (8 �d2 cxb3! 9
52 More Basic Che�s Openings
axb3 �xd2 + 10 'ii'xd2 lDd5 ao) and
after 8 . . . lDfd7, 8 . . . c6 or 8 . . . i.d6
Black creates a material and posi­
tional imbalance. A more peace­
ful approach for White is 6 cxd5
exd5 7 �g2 c5 8 0-0 lDc6 9 �b2
l:c8 10 lDc3 with good play against
Black' s 'hanging pawn-centre'
with l:tc1 , d4xc5, ltla4. Also play­
able is the strange-looking 5 . . . b5,
when 6 cxb5 ..ixb5 7 �g2 .i.b4 + 8
i.d2 a5 9 0-0 0-0 10 a3 !ii. e 7 1 1
�c3 i.a6 12 1i'c2 d5 13 l:.fc 1 l0bd7
14 e4 is good for White ;!;,
6 .id2
6 lDbd2 would lose comically to
6 . . . i.c3 7 :tb1 i.b7 8 ..ib2 lDe4 9
l:tg1 'Wf6! 10 .i.c1 ltlc6 ! 1 1 e3 lDb4
-+.
6 ... .i.e7
6 ... ..txd2 + ?! solves White's prob-
lems : 7 'ii'x d2 d5 8 cxd5 exd5 9
i.g2 and after lDc3 , 0-0, ltle5 and
llfd 1 everything is in order.
7 J.g2
For a short period it was fash­
ionable to develop the bishop to
d3, but this is not seen very often
these days due to 7 lLlc3 0-0 8 e4
i.b7 9 i.d3 d5 10 cxd5 exd5 1 1 e5
lLle4 with . . . c7 -c5 ao, or instead of
8 . . . i.b7, 8 . . . d5 !? at once: 9 cxd5
i.xf1 1 0 q;xfl exd5 1 1 e5 lDe4 ao.
7 . .. c6
Black would like to play . . . d7-
d5 and in case of cxd5, answers
cxd5 . After 7 . . . d5 8 cxd5 exd5 9
0-0 0-0 1 0 lLlc3 �b7 1 1 l:tcl fol­
lowed by .i.f4 and �e5 White has
an easy plus. Instead of 8 . . . exd5 ,
8 . . . l0xd5 deserves attention with
the idea of . . . 0-0, . . . ltld7 and . . . c7 -
c5.
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White has no resources to stop
. . . d7-d5 but he can prepare to
meet it. Indeed, he should play
actively as after the straightfor­
ward 8 0-0 d5 9 'ifc2 (9 cxd5?!
cxd5: in this position, resembling
the Exchange Slav, Black's aS­
bishop is more active than its
counterpart at g2) 9 . . . 0-0 10 l:td1
lDbd7 followed by ll. . .c5 and .. J:tc8
Black consolidates easily. So a dif­
ferent arrangement of pieces is
appropriate : 8 .i.c3!? (vacating
the d2-square for the knight)
8 . . . d5 and now:
a) 9 lDbd2 lLlbd7 10 0-0 0-0 1 1
l:tel c5 1 2 e4 dxc4 !? ( 1 2 . . . dxe4 13
lLlxe4 .i.b7 is also playable) 13 bxc4
cxd4 14 lDxd4 lLle5 15 lDxe6 fxe6
16 i.xe5 .1c5 1 7 l:tfl 'ii'd 3 and
Black has superb compensation
for the pawn,
b) 9 lDe5!? lDfd7 (there is an­
other thing to remember: this is
the only method to dislodge an
 Queen 's Indian Defence
unpleasant knight from e5 if the
c6-square is weak!) 10 lLlxd 7 lDxd 7
1 1 lLJd2 0-0 1 2 0-0 l:tc8 · (an inter­
esting alternative idea is 1 2 . . . lLlf6
13 e4 b5 !?) 13 e4 and White has a
reasonable game but Black is not
without chances either. Here are
a few of the many possible reac-
tions: 13 . . . dxe4 and . . . b7-b5 or
1 3 . . . dxc4 and again . . . b7-b5 or
13 . . . b5 at once, when White can
sacrifice his c4-pawn with 14 l:te1
53
only to get it back later with �fl.
Also possible is 13 ... c5 14 exd5
exd5 15 dxc5 dxc4 16 c6!? cxb3 1 7
ltel i.. b 5 18 axb3 �xc6 1 9 �xc6
l:.xc6 20 l:txa7 i.f6 (20 . . J�xc3 2 1
lLlbl !) 2 1 lLJc4!?, when Black is
still defending but the ending is
drawish.
There is still no clear assess­
ment of this most fashionable
Queen's Indian line. It can be rec­
ommended for both sides!
B o g o-l n d i a n D efen c e
1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 ttJf3 i.b4+
After this check White faces
something of a dilemma: he can
transpose to the Nimzo-Indian
with 4 ttJc3 or play 4 ttJbd2. But in
the former case, why not play 3
lLJc3 if you are happy with a
Nimzo-Indian, and in the latter
the bishop on cl gets stuck, while
the knight is not ideally placed on
d2 either. The most natural move
is 4 i.d2 with a somewhat freer
game for White, but Black still
has some interesting strategical
resources. For those who play the
Nimzo-Indian with Black and
on 3 ttJf3 do not like the Queen's
Indian, the Bogo-Indian can be
a good alternative.
This section is divided into :
I. 4 �bd2 and
II. 4 �d2.
I. 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 e6 3 lDf3 i.b4+
4 ltJbd2
White aims for 5 a3 , intending
to play e2-e4 if the bishop re­
treats. Black can of course swap
on d2 but this costs him the
bishop pair. This may all sound
straightforward enough, but in
reality the situation is more diffi­
cult.
4 d5
•••
It is logical to switch to a
Queen's Gambit-like position in
which the knight on bl obviously
belongs on c3 rather than d2.
Both 4 . . . 0-0?! 5 a3 �e7 6 e4 ! and
4 . . . c5 5 a3 .txd2 + 6 'iVxd2 cxd4 7
ltJxd4, when White develops via
e2-e3, b2-b4 and i.b2 while main­
taining his bishop pair (!) , are
weaker. A more flexible answer is
4 . . b6!? 5 a3 .i.xd2 + 6 i.xd2 i.b7
.
7 .i.g5 ! ? d6 8 e3 llJbd7 9 i.d3 and
 Bogo-Indian Defence
now Black can set about the
bi shop on g5 : 9 . . . h6 1 0 i.h4 g5!?
11 �g3 h5 1 2 h3 lbe4 and Black
equalizes with . . . f7-f5, .. .'ili'f6 and
. . . 0-0-0.
5 'ii'a4 +
After 5 e3 0-0 6 a3 i.. e7 7 b4 (7
i.d 3 c5 ! ) 7 . . . a5 8 b5 c5 ! 9 bxc6
= b4) 11 .id3 f5 12 0-0 i.. e 8 with
bxc6 = , Black has the moves . . . c7-
c5, . . . .ia6, . . . lDbd7 and . . . lZJe4 in
hand.
5 . . ll'lc6 6 a3 .txd2 +
. ter. After 12 'ii'xc6! lLlxd3 13 'VIixc7
6 . . . ..te7 comes into considera-
tion: 7 e3 0-0 8 \i'c2 a5 9 b3 lieS
and Black can try to organize his
pieces with the following ma­
noeuvre: . . . i.. f8, . . . g7 -g6, . . . il.g7,
. . . �d7, . . . lDe7 and . . . c7-c6 . This
. .
regrouping manoeuvre Is essen-
tial as in positions resembling the
Queen's Gambit the knight is out
of place on c6 .
7 �xd2 lDe4 8 .tldl 0-0 9 e3
Plans and Counterplans:
It is obviously disadvantageous
for Black to give up his active cen­
tral pieces for the suffocated
bishop on d2 with 9 tlJxd2 1 0 .•.
55
lhd2 (;t;), but 9 ltle7 followed by
•.•
. . . b7-b6 and . . . .tb7 is more logical.
Another idea is 9 ... .i.d7, when af-
ter . . . f7-f6 and . . . .i.e8 the bishop
springs to life. Meanwhile White
opts for 'ii'c 2 and b2-b4, e.g.
9 . . �d7 10 'i'c2 a5 !? (to stop b2-
.
double-edged play. After 9 . .�f6!?
.
10 i.d3 'ti'g6 11 0-0 lDc5 ! ? the
game develops a tactical charac­
lLlxb2 the battle really flares up.
n. 1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 e6 3 lbf3 ..tb4+
4 .td2
B
There are two common continu­
ations:
A. 4 . .'ife7 and
.
B. 4 . c5.
..
It is worth taking a look at
some other lines :
a) 4 ..txd2 + 5 'ii'xd2 (the gen­
•••
eral rule is to recapture on d2
with the queen in order to save the
knight on bl for the c3 -square.
56 More Basic Chess Openings
The only exception to this arises
in the section on 4 . . . 'ii'e7) 5 . . . 0-0 6
g3 d6 (6 . . . d5 7 .tg2 c6 8 �c2 ti)bd7
9 llJbd2 and after e2-e4 White is
slightly better) 7 .ig2 fie7 8 0-0
e5 9 ti)c3 c6 10 e4 lle8 1 1 llJh4!? !.
b) 4 a5 5 g3 (5 .txb4 axb4 is
•••
bad, as the pawn on b4, along with
the open a-file, bears down on the
white queenside. But 5 l"i)c3 and
e2·e3, .td3 and Q.Q is perfectly
playable) 5 . . . d5 6 'ii'c 2 ti)c6 7 a3
Ji.e7 8 .ig2 dxc4 9 'ii'xc4 'iVd5 10
'Wd3 'We4 1 1 'iixe4 l"i)xe4 12 i.f4 is
slightly better for White.
c) 4 ... Ji.e7!? Seemingly Black
has lost a tempo but in fact he has
only provoked .td2 to take the b2-
square away from the bishop. Af­
ter 5 g3 d5 6 .i.g2 0-0 7 0-0 c6 8
'iVc2 b6, Black, as in the Closed
Catalan, can play . .. �b7, .. .l"Dbd7
and . . . c6-c5.
A. 1 d4 liJf6 2 c4 e6 3 liJf3 .i.b4+ 4
i. d 2 'We7
5 g3
From the above comments it
should be evident that White's
strongest plan is to fianchetto the
bishop to g2.
5 ti)c6 6 .tg2 i.xd2 + 7
•••
lLlbxd2
This is the exceptional situ­
ation when 7 'ii'x d2? is worse in
view of 7 . . . l"i)e4 ! 8 'ifc2 'ift'b4 + 9
ltJc3 (9 liJbd2? lLlxd2 wins a pawn)
9 . llJxc3 1 0 \i'xc3 1i'xc3 + 1 1 bxc3
. .
with a terrible pawn structure in
the forthcoming endgame.
7 . . d6 8 0·0 a5 9 e4 e5 1 0 d5
.
l£lb8 1 1 lDe1
B
Plans and Counterplans:
After lDe1 -d3 White can play for
f2-f4 or b2-b3 , a2-a3, b2-b4 and
c4-c5 . In the latter case it is vital
to know that if instead of b2-b3
White starts up with a2-a3, Black
plays . . . a5-a4! and White's queen­
side action is stopped for ever,
while Black gains access to the
squares b3 and c5.
In general, Black's may opt for
the calm plan of . . 0-0, . . . b7-b6
.
and . . . lLla6-c5 or he can set some­
thing under way immediately
with 1 1 . . . h5 !? Now White best re­
acts with the blockading move 1 2
h4 and again follows u p with
lLld3, b2-b3, a2-a3 and b3-b4. Over­
all it is White who can dictate the
play (�) .
B. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 llJf3 �b4 + 4
.td2 c5 ! 7
This open-minded move has made
the 'Bogo' popular again.
 Bogo-Indian Defence
5 .ixb4
Or 5 g3 'ii'b 6! and now 6 dxc5?
is bad, as after 6 . . . .ixc5 both b2
and f2 are hangi ng. 5 a3 is met
simply by 5 . . . J..xd2 + 6 �xd2 cxd4
7 lbxd4 b6 followed by ... i..b 7, ... 0-0
and . . . a7-a6, . . . d7-d6 or . . . d7-d5 = .
5 cxb4 6 g3
.••
Or 6 a3 bxa3 7 l:xa3 0-0 and
Black's idea is ... lLlc6, . . . d7-d6 and
. . . e6-e5 or . . . b7-b6, . . . .ib7, . . . d7�
d6, . . . ltlc6, . . . a7-a5 and . . . lLlb4. On
6 e3 0�0 again the plan of . . . lLlc6,
. . . d7-d6 and . . .e6-e5 is good, when
if White invades with d4-d5, the
black knight returns to the centre
via b8-d 7-c5.
6 0-0 7 .i. g2 d6
.•.
7 . . . d5 can be met by 8 lLlbd2
and 0�0, �b3 ('it'a4) , :ac1 and
57
c4xd5 ! In this case Black will
have the worse of the endgame
due to his doubled b-pawns.
8 0-0
Plans and Counterplans:
Black does best with 8 ...l:e8,
waiting for White to commit him­
self. On 9 ltlbd2, Black can play
9 . . . a5!? 10 e4 e5 1 1 a3 ltla6!? to
maintain the pressure on the dark
squares (b4, c5, e5) . 9 a3 lLlc6 1 0
lLlbd2 a5 1 1 e4 bxa3 1 2 l1xa3 e5
1 3 d5 ltlb4 also leads to equality,
while 10 d5 exd5 1 1 exd5 ltle7 is
unclear. Neither can White claim
an advantage after 9 'iWd3 !? lDc6
1 0 ltlbd2 e5 1 1 e4 .i.g4 ! 1 2 d5
.ixf3 ! 13 lDxf3 ltlb8 14 a3 lDa6
( )
= .
N i mzo-l n d i a n Defe n ce
1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 6 3 t:Dc3 .ib4
Black takes the opportunity to
pin the knight on c3 and thus
thwart White's plan of e4 and d5 .
Compared to the calm positional
game of a Queen's Indian, the
Nimzo-Indian is characterized
by sharp strategical play. White
often allows, or even provokes,
Black to capture the knight on c3
in order to obtain the bishop pair
and strengthen his centre. Of
course there is always a price to
pay for such an advantage: in this
case the doubled c-pawns will be
difficult to mobilize. Black may
play 0-0, . . . c7-c5, . . . d7-d5, . . . b7-
. . . other lines, for example, after . . . d5
b6 and . . . lDe4 depending on which
of the following plans White
chooses:
I. 4 g3
II. 4 f3
DI. 4 a3 (Samisch Variation)
rv. 4 'ii'c2 (Capablanca Variation)
V. 4 e3 (Rubinstein Variation) .
A few other lines of lesser im­
portance are:
a) 4 .id2 0-0 5 'ii'c 2 d5 6 e3
lDbd7 followed by 7 . . . c5 and Black
equalizes.
b) 4 '1i'b3 c5 5 dxc5 lDc6 6 lZJf3
lDe4! 7 .id2 tLlxd2 8 tLlxd2 0-0 = . 4
�b3 is definitely worse than 4
1Vc2, as after a2-a3 the b-pawn is
obstructed.
c) 4 � g5 h6 5 .th4 c5 6 d5 d6
(or 6 . . . b5!? 7 dxe6 fxe6 8 cxb5 d5
ao) 7 e3 .i.xc3 8 bxc3 e5 with a
complicated position in which, af­
ter . . .'il/e7 and . . . tLlbd7 Black is
ready to get going with . . . g7-g5
and . . . h7-h5, while White devel­
ops via f2-f3, i.d3, 'ii'c 2 and t:De2
and awaits . . . g7-g5, after which
he intends to open the position
for his bishops with h2-h4. In this
line the moral is that Black
should wait until White's centre
becomes inflexible before captur­
ing on c3.
d) 4 t:Df3 usually transposes to
to the Ragozin Defence (Queen 's
Gambit) or after 4 . . . c5 5 e3 to the
Rubinstein Variation . After 4 . . . c5
White can also vary with 5 d5
i.xc3 + 6 bxc3 d6 7 e3 e5 8 il'c2
'ilie7 9 �e2 0-0 10 tLld2 e4 with
equality.
 Nimzo-Indian Defence
I. 1 d4 l2Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 l2Jc3 .tb4 4
g3
4 c5!?
• •.
The most common 'Nimzo'
plan: swapping the c-pawn for the
d4-pawn and then either building
a hedgehog position or playing
. . . d7-d5.
5 l2Jf3
5 d5? is a mistake on account of
5 . . . ltJe4 6 'ir'd3 'ii'f6. White has to
be extremely accurate because
the bishop on b4 is a dangerous
piece.
5 cxd4 6 tillcd 4 0-0 7 .i.g2 d5
•..
w
Plans and Counterplans:
If White continues 8 0-0 then af­
ter 8 . . . dxc4 9 'ii'a 4 ltla6 Black is
fine, while 8 'ii'b 3 i.xc3 + 9 bxc3
(9 'ifxc3 e5 and 10 . . . d4) 9 . . dxc4
.
1 0 ir'xc4 e5 1 1 l2Jb5 ( 1 1 l2Jc2 .i.e6
1 2 �b5 �d5 ) 1 l . . . a6 12 l'L'la3
=
.te6 is also equal . White's most
co nsistent plan - just as it is in
the Catalan Opening - is to take
on d5 : 8 cxd5 l'L'lxd5 9 ii.d2 �xc3
59
(9 . . . l2Jxc3 10 bxc3 .i.e7 is a risky
continuation due to 1 1 l:bl with
strong pressure on the queenside)
10 bxc3 e5 1 1 lLlb5 l2Jc6 12 c4 ltlb6
1 3 c5 lDc4 14 'ii'c 2 a6! 15 'ifxc4
.te6 16 'ii'c2 axb5 co.
II. 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlc3 .tb4
4 f3
4 d5
..•
The sharp cotinuation 4 . . . c5 5
d5 ltJh5 6 ltJh3 �h4 + 7 lDf2 ,.xc4
is considered good for White nowa­
days: 8 e4 .li.xc3 + 9 bxc3 �xc3 +
1 0 .li.d2 'iVd4 1 1 'ii'c 1 exd5 12 .i.c3
'iVa4 13 'ifg5 d4 14 'ii xc5 ! 'fi'c6 1 5
'i¥xd4 0-0 16 :bl ! and White i s
much better due to the threat of
1 7 l:b5 . 4 . . . d5 is justified by the
fact that White's f2-f3 does not fit
well into a Queen 's Gambit type
of position.
5 a3
This is practically the only
move if White still wants to play
e2-e4 . If White plays more pas­
sively then Black can simply play
60 More Basic Chess Openings
. . . c7 -c5, . . . 0-0 and . . . lLlc6 with a
comfortable game.
Plans and Counterplans:
If Black tries to hang on to his
bishop then after 5 ... �e7 6 e4 he
somehow has to find a way to
combat White' s powerful centre.
For example, 6 . . . dxe4 7 fxe4 e5 8
d5 .ic5 9 lLlf3 lilg4 10 tL\a4 �f2 +
1 1 Cit>e2, threatening 12 h3 . It is
better to withhold actions with
6 . . . 0-0 7 cxd5 exd5 8 e5 lLleB 9 f4
c5 followed by . . . c5xd4, . . . llJc6 and
. . . llJe8-c7-e6 ao, and 6 . . . c5 7 cxd5
exd5 8 e5 ltlfd7 9 li)xd5 cxd4 10
ltlxe7 1i'xe7 1 1 f4 f6 is also un­
clear.
The simple 5 .txc3 + ! 6 bxc3
••.
c5 7 cxd5 tL\xd5 seems to be more
consistent, after which Black's
activity counterbalances White's
bishop pair and central plus:
a) 8 �d2 cxd4 9 cxd4 lDc6 10
e4 llJb6 11 i.b5 0-0 12 lile2 �d7
13 0-0 lLle5 ! with good play along
the c-file and especially on the
foothold at c4.
b ) 8 dxc5 ir'a5 9 e4 lDf6 10
�e3 !? 0-0 (White would gladly
welcome 10 . . . \li'xc3 + 1 1 �f2, as
the black queen can then be
pushed around or exchanged) 1 1
'ilt'b3 li)fd7 1 2 a4 'fic7 (12 . . . lLlxc5?
13 'ilt'b4 ! + ) 13 'ii'a 3 ltk6 1 4 lLlh3
lLla5 1 5 i.e2 b6!? 16 cxb6 axb6 = ,
and with 1 7 . . . �a6 Black swaps
bishops and proceeds with . . . li)a5-
b 7 -c5 attacking the pawn on a4,
with full compensation for the
pawn.
III. 1 d4 lilf6 2 c4 e6 3 lilc3 i.b4
4 a3 (Samisch Variation)
4 �xc3 + 5 bxc3 c5!?
.••
With this move Black block­
ades White's doubled pawns, en­
ables the queen to go to a5 and
prepares for a queenside expan­
sion via . . . b7-b6 and . . . .tb7.
6 e3
6 f3 d5 7 cxd5 lillc d 5 leads to
section II. The trick 6 e4?! (not
6 . . . lilxe4? 7 'i'g4!) would backfire
after 6 . . . 'ii'a5 7 e5 llJe4 8 i.d2 lilc6
+.
6 0-0 7 �d3 ltlc6
••.
7 . . . b6 is weaker due to 8 llJe2
(the knight belongs here as on
f3 it would block the f-pawn)
8 . . . .tb 7 9 0-0 d5! ? 10 cxd5 + and
White has got rid of his rigid dou­
bled pawns. Mter 7 . . . ltlc6 Black
will still play . . . b7 -b6, but now
with the idea of taking a closer
look at the pawn on c4 with
. . . �a6.
8 li)e2
B
 Nimzo-lndian Defence
Plans and Counterplans:
Bl ack has two different plans
he re. The first is to blockade the
dar k squares in the centre, thus
limiting the strength of White's
bishop pair with 8 e5!? 9 0-0 (9
••.
d5 e4! 10 �c2 ttJe5 +) 9 . . . d6 10 e4
h6!? (grabbing the pawn on d4 is
dangerous due to the annoying
pin, �g5) 1 1 d5 ltJe7 and Black
develops via . . . ttJg6, . . . b7-b6 and
. . . i.d7. The other, even more am­
bitious plan is directed against
the pawn on c4: 8 b6 9 e4 ltJe8
.•.
(an excellent prophylactic move,
preparing not only for 10 e5 d6
but also against the march of the
f-pawn) 1 0 0-0 �a6 1 1 f4 f5! 1 2
lDg3 g6 1 3 �e3 and now not
13 . . . ltJd6 14 exf5 ltJxc4 15 i.xc4
�xc4 16 fxg6 i.xfl 1 7 �h5 VJ/Je7
18 l::r.xfl with a pull for White, but
13 . . . cxd4 14 cxd4 d5! 15 cxd5 .txd3
16 �xd3 fxe4 1 7 VJ!ixe4 f*'xd5 with
equal chances.
IV. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 lDc3 i.b4
4 �c2 (Capablanca Variation)
Now after a2-a3 White will force
Black to capture on c3 and then
recapture with the queen. Black
has three different strategies:
A. 4 0-0 followed by . . . b7-b6,
•••
B. 4 d5 with a Queen's Gambit
.•.
s tyle midcllegame,
C. 4 c5, a typical Nimzo.
•••
4 b6?! is bad in view of 5 e4!
.••
b xc3 + 6 bxc3 i.b7 7 i.d3 d6 8 f4
61
+, while on 4 d6 White can play
...
5 .tg5!? lLlbd7 6 e3 c5 7 dxc5 dxc5
( 7 . . . lLlxc5 8 ltJe2 and 0-0-0 ;;!;; ) 8
0-0-0 i.xc3 9 'i'xc3 'flie7 1 0 i.d3
b6 and now White has the option
of an unusual manoeuvre: 1 1 f3
intending lLlg1-h3-f2 and �e4 �.
Finally, 4 lLlc6 5 lLlf3 d6 6 a3
•••
i.xc3 + 7 'ii'xc3 'Wie7 8 g3 e5 9 d5
ltJb8 10 i.g2 0-0 1 1 0-0 h6 12 b4 is
also slightly better for White (�)
as Black must spend time dealing
with White's plan of i.b2 and c4-
c5.
A. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 llJc3 i.b4 4
VJ/Jc2 0-0
5 a3 �xc3 + 6 VJ/Jxc3 b6
6 . . . llJe4 is premature: 7 VJ/Jc2 f5
8 g3 b6 9 i.g2 .tb7 10 lLJf3 � with
threats of lLld2 and lLJg5, while
White may also continue with
0-0, b2-b4, i.b2, llJe1 and f2-f3.
However, 6 . . .b5!? is a clever pawn
sacrifice: 7 cxb5 c6 !? and 8 bxc6?!
t;)xc6 is bad as Black is much too
active - he threatens . . . t;)e4 and
. . :ii'a5 + as well as . . ..i.a6 or . . . i.b7
.
62 More Basic Chess Openings
and . . . :ca. So instead of 8 bxc6?!
White should play 8 �g5 ! cxb5 9
e3 �b7 10 liJf3 h6 1 1 .ixf6 'Wxf6
12 i.e2 l:c8 13 1t'd3 a6 14 0-0 with
a small edge (;t;; ) and the possibil­
ity of undermining the black
pawns with a3-a4.
7 �g5!?
After 7 liJf3 .i.b7 8 e3 d6 9 .ie2
lDbd7 10 0-0 lDe4 1 1 'ii'c2 f5 12 b4
Black can choose between . . .lDdf6,
. . Jlf8-ffi-g6, ... �ffi and . . . a7-a5, all
of which offer equal chances. 7
.ig5!? maintains the possibility of
controlling the e4 square, thus
parrying Black' s usual plan of
. . . .ib7, ... d7-d6, ... 4Jbd7 and ...
. llJe4.
7 ...�b7
Mter 7 . . . c5 8 dxc5 bxc5 9 e3 d6
10 i.d3 lDbd7 1 1 tbe2 White's
bishops are quite effective in the
more open position (2;).
8 e3
Or 8 f3 h6 9 i.h4 d5 10 e3
liJbd 7 1 1 cxd5 lDxd5 12 i.xd8
lDxc3 13 .ih4 4Jd5 14 �f2 f5 = .
.8 . . h6 9 .i h4 d6 10 f3!? llJbd7
1 1 .id3 c5 12 ltJe2 l:.c8
Plans and Counterplans:
Black is aiming for a total elimi­
nation of the centre with . . . d7-d5
and . . . .ia6, while White must
wait for the position to open up,
after which his bishops will gain
strength. Instead of 13 'ii'd2 cxd4
14 exd4 i.a6 15 l:tc1 d5 = , White
should try 13 1i'b3!? cxd4 ( 13 . . . d5
14 cxd5 ..txd5 15 �d 1 and !
merely because of the bishop
pair) 14 exd4 d5 15 0-0 dxc4 16
w
i.xc4 and though Black has no con­
crete weaknesses he has trouble
finding an active plan.
B . 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 e6 3 4Jc3 .ib4 4
�c2 d5
5 cxd5
Something must be done about
the pawn on c4 as Black was
threatening 5 . . . dxc4 6 e3 b5 + .
White' s other possibility is 5 a3
.ixc3 + 6 'ii'x c3 llJe4 7 'flc2 c5 8
dxc5 llJc6 9 cxd5 exd5 10 lDf3 .if5
1 1 b4 0-0 (not 1 1 . . . ltJg3? 1 2 1Vb2
lLlxh 1 13 'fkxg7 :ra 14 .ih6) 12
i.b2 b6 13 b5 bxc5 14 bxc6 . Now
after 14 . . . 'i¥a5 + 15 llJd2 l:.ab8 16
c7! 'ii'xc7 1 7 ltlxe4 .ixe4 18 1lid2
llb3 19 f3 .i.g6 20 llc1 Black has
insufficient compensation for the
piece, but the official best novelty
of the second half of 1993 has im­
proved this whole line for Black:
14 . . . llb8! 1 5 ltld2 d4 1 6 li.Jxe4
..txe4 1 7 ..,d2 ( 1 7 'ifxe4 'S'a5 + 18
�d 1 l:xb2 19 'ii'd3 c4 -+) 1 7 . . . 'i:vb6
1 8 c7 ( 18 .tel c4 19 c7 l:tb7 20 f3
.ig6 2 1 e4 d3 and now it is best
 Nimzo-lndian Defence
fo r White to give back the piece
o n d3) 18 . . . 1Wxb2 1 9 'iixb2 :xb2
20 ltc1 .U.c8 2 1 lhc5 .U.b1 + 22 �d2
1Ih2 + with a draw by perpetual
on b1 and b2.
5 �xd5!?
..•
5 . . . exd5, which resembles the
Exchange Variation in the Queen's
Gambit, is a little better for
White: 6 i.g5 h6 7 i.xf6 'it'xf6 8 a3
i.xc3 + 9 �xc3 0-0 10 e3 c6 1 1
tt)f3, and after .i.e2, 0-0 White can
try for a minority attack with b2-
b4, a2-a4 and b4-b5.
6 lDf3 'ii'f5!?
This is another fresh idea. The
old 6 . . . c5 7 i.d2 i.xc3 8 i.xc3 cxd4
9 lbxd4 ltlc6 10 e3 lL'lxd4 1 1 i.xd4
i.d7 12 �c5 is slightly favourable
for White.
7 'iixf5
7 �3 c5 8 a3 �a5 9 e3 lDc6 (co).
= cxd4 6 ltJxd4 lDc6 7 e3 d5
7 exf5
...
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White would love to make use of
Black's doubled pawn and liqui­
date into a better ending by sim­
ply exchanging pieces, but Black
63
has a specific plan: after . . . c7 -c6,
. . . lLlbd7-b6, . . . i.d6 and . . . �e6 he
will infiltrate on the light squares
in the centre (c4, d5, e4) , perhaps
combined with . . . a7-a5-a4. For ex­
ample, 8 J_d2 c6 9 e3 lDbd7 10
i.d3 lLlb6 1 1 lDe2 J_d6! 12 0-0 lDe4
1 3 i.a5 0-0 14 l:tfc 1 lte8 15 lDd2
lDxd2 16 i.xd2 a5! 1 7 a3 i.e6 = .
C . 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlc3 �b4 4
'iVc2 c5
After the queen has deserted the
d 1 -square Black need not be
afraid of a d4-d5 thrust, so . . . c7-
c5, with the idea of an exchange
on d4, is very logical at this junc­
ture.
5 dxc5
This is more testing than 5 lL'lf3
= or 5
e3 ltJc6 6 ltJf3 cxd4 7 exd4 d5 = .
5 0-0
.••
Other tries are:
a) 5 .ft]a6 6 a3 .txc3 + 7 'ii'xc3
•.
lDxc5 8 b4 lbce4 9 'iic2 (9 �d4 d5
10 c5 b6) 9 . . . d5 10 f3 4Jd6 1 1 c5
lLlf5 12 e3 'i!Vc7 ! with a messy
game.
b) 5 'il'c7 6 a3 .txc5 7 b4 il.e7
..•
8 4Jb5 'iic6 9 lLlf3 d6 10 4Jfd4 'iid 7
1 1 e4 and White has won a sack­
ful of tempi by kicking the black
queen around (�) .
c) 5 ... il.xc5, intending a hedge-
hog set-up with . . .'�c7, . . . i.e7,
. . . d7-d6, . . . a7-a6, . . . b7-b6, . . . i.b7,
. . . lbbd7 and . . .0-0. However this
can be impeded by the new 6 ltJf3
'Wic7 7 g3 ! a6 8 i.f4! d6 9 il.g2
64 More Basic Chess Openings
lDbd7 10 0-0 0-0 1 1 liad 1 h6 12
a3, threatening 13 b4 followed by
c4-c5. Black did not get to retreat
to e7 with his bishop and now the
pawn on d6 is in trouble. Instead
of 7 . . . a6, the immediate 7 . . . i..e 7 is
bad due to 8 llJb5 or 8 i.. f4.
6 a3
Or 6 lDf3 lt:la6!? 7 g3 ltJxc5 8
i..g2 ltlce4 co.
6 ....ixc5 7 ltJf3
Plans and Counterplans:
Black intends to develop either via
. . . b7-b6 and . . . i..b 7 or by . . . d7-d5:
a) 7 b6 8 i.. f4 i..b 7 9 l:td 1! (by
•..
attacking the d6-square, Black's
. . . i..e 7 and . . . d7-d6 plan is hin­
dered) 9 . . . tt)c6 10 e3 l:tc8 1 1 i.. e 2
with 0-0 to follow, when White is
on top due to pressure along the
d-file (�).
b) 7 d5 8 cxd5 (for 8 i.. f4 llJc6
•• .
9 e3 , see the Orthodox Queen's
Gambit with i.f4) 8 . . . exd5 9 ..tg5
�e6 10 e3 h6 1 1 ..th4 lDc6 12 l:d1
�e7 13 .ie2 lieS and White's ad­
vantage - Black's isolated d-pawn
- is really only theoretical.
c) Black can also start with
7 llJc6 and if 8 .i.f4 then 8 . . . d5
•••
leading to the aforementioned
Queen's Gambit, while on 8 .i.g5
Black plays 8 . . . b6! (not 8 . . . ltJd4 9
llJxd4 .ixd4 10 e3 'it'a5 1 1 exd4
'ii'xg5 1 2 'it'd2 ! 'ii'xd2 + 1 3 rbxd2
with a better ending for White) 9
l:td1 i..b 7 10 e4 .i.e7 1 1 .ie2 ltc8
1 2 0-0 flic7 1 3 ltJb5 'ti'b8 14 �xf6
i.xf6 15 Itxd7 lDe5 16 l:xb7 ( 16
llJxe5? .i.xe5 1 7 h3? .i.c6 - + )
16 . . . ..Wxb7 1 7 li)d6 flc7 1 8 lfu:c8
lDxf3 + 19 ..txf3 :Xc8 1eading to a
drawish game due to the oppo­
site-coloured bishops.
So, in conclusion, 7 . . . ttlc6 is
best, and on 8 �f4, 8 . . . d5 or on 8
..tg5, 8 . . . b6.
V. 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 e6 3 tLlc3 i.b4 4
e3 (Rubinstein Variation)
This seemingly modest system
requires thorough preparation .
White plans to develop his king­
side pieces as soon as possible via
il.d3, ltJe2 or t:Df3, or perhaps ltJe2
and a2-a3 right away.
4 0-0
..•
It is good tactics to wait until
White has unveiled his intentions
and then react suitably. However,
the normal Nimzo-Indian moves
are not bad either. Here are som e
sample lines:
a) 4 c5!? 5 i.. d3 (5 l'Lle2 cxd4
.•.
6 exd4 d5 7 c5 l'Lle4 8 .id2 l'Llxd2 9
'ii'xd2 a5 10 a3 i.xc3 1 1 lBxc3 a4 is
equal) 5 . . . llJc6 6 lLlf3 .ixc3 + 7
bxc3 d6 8 e4 e5 and, by the time
 Nimzo-Indian Defence
Whi te has freed his dark-squared
bishop, Black has succeeded in
clogging up its light-squared col­
league. For example, 9 d5 liJe7 1 0
lDh4 h 6 1 1 f4 liJg6! 1 2 lDxg6 fxg6
13 fxe5 dxe5 14 �e3 b6 = .
b ) 4 . ..lLlc6 5 i.d3 e5 !? 6 lDe2 (6
d5 �xc3 + 7 bxc3 lLle7 followed by
. . . d7-d6 and . . . ltld7 = ) 6 . . . d5 7
cxd5 lDxd5 8 e4 lLlb6 9 d5 ltle7 10
a3 �d6 with a chaotic game in
which Black's plan is ... 0-0 and
. . . c7-c6. IfWhite then captures the
pawn, then . . .bxc6 and . . . i.e6 is
possible.
c) 4 b6 is perhaps the least
•..
favourable line for Black as now
White can exploit the situation of
bishop b4. 5 lLlge2 i.a6!? (5 . . . i.b7
6 a3 i.e7 7 d5 0-0 8 e4 j;) 6 a3 J.e7
(6 . . . i.xc3 + 7 lDxc3 d5 8 b3 ;;t) 7
lLlf4 d5 8 cxd5 �xfl 9 <it>xfl exd5
10 'ii'f3 d6 1 1 g4 ;t,
5 i.d3
Or 5 lLle2 d5 6 a3 i.e7 7 cxd5
exd5 8 g3 c6 9 i.g2 a5 and with
. . . ltla6-c7, . . . ltle8-d6 and . . . f7-f5
Black puts pressure on the cen­
tral light squares (c4, e4 and e6) .
5 ... d5
Black's idea is . . . c7-c5, followed
by . . . d5xc4 and . . . c5xd4.
Now White's main possibilities
are:
A. 6 a3
B. 6 lDe2 and
c. 6 lLlf3.
A. 1 d4 ltlf& 2 c4 e& 3 lbc3 i.b4 4
e 3 0-0 5 i. d3 d5 6 a3
65
8
6 i.xc3 +
..•
Also possible are 6 . . . i.e7 7 cxd5
exd5 8 b4 b6 and then . . . c7 -c5 and
6 . . . dxc4!?, when 7 i.xh7 + ltlxh7 8
axb4 e5 9 lLlge2 (9 dxe5 �g5)
9 . . . lLlc6 1 0 b5 exd4 1 1 exd4 lLlb4
12 0-0 J.f5 leads to a double­
edged position while if instead
of 7 J.xh7+ White plays 7 J.xc4
J.d6 8 lLlf3 llJc6, Black equalizes
with . . . e6-e5. Although these vari­
ations are not bad, if the knight
on g1 has not yet gone to e2, it
makes more sense to meet a2-a3
with . . . J.xc3 to shatter the white
queenside.
7 bxc3 dxc4
The immediate 7 . . . c5 can be
answered by 8 cxd5 exd5 9 lDe2,
when the position of the black
pawn on d5 is slightly unfortu­
nate for Black. He should there­
fore avoid this with the move
order 7 . . . dxc4.
8 J.xc4 c5
Plans and Counterplans:
White is still some way from com­
pleting his development, and this
66 More Basic Chess Openings
allows Black to equalize with ...e6-
e5, for example 9 lDe2 lDc6 10 0-0
'ilie7 1 1 i.a2 lidS with 12 . . . e5 to
follow = .
B . 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 e6 3 l£1c3 i.b4 4
e 3 0-0 5 i.d3 d5 6 �e2
6 c5
•••
6 . . . dxc4 comes into considera­
tion: 7 �xc4 e5 ! and on 8 dxe5?
'ii'xd1 + 9 �xd1 l2Jg4 + .
7 cxd5
Alternatively:
a) 7 a3 cxd4! 8 axb4 dxc3 9
lLlxc3 (9 bxc3 ltlc6 10 cxd5 lLlxd5
1 1 e4 l£1b6 and . . . e6-e5, . . . i.e6 is
already +!) 9 . . .lDc6 10 b5 lLlb4 1 1
0-0 lDxd3 1 2 'ifxd3 b 6 with an
equal position.
b ) 7 0-0 cxd4 8 exd4 dxc4 9
i.xc4 lDc6 10 a3 �e 7 with the
idea of . . . b 7-b6, . . . �b7, . . . l:.c8 and
. . . l2Ja5.
7 cxd4
...
7 . . . exd5? 8 a3! �.
8 exd4 l2Jxd5
Also possible is 8 . . .'ii xd5 9 0-0
ii'h5.
9 0-0 !ilc6
Plans and Counterplans:
White intends first to weaken
Black's kingside and then attack
it. Black must play patiently, plan­
ning exchanges and counting on
the weakness of White' s isolated
d-pawn in the ending. For exam­
ple, 10 'i'c2 h6 1 1 a3 �e7 12 l:td1
i.f6 13 i.c4 l2Jce7 14 'ii'e4 lieS 15
!ilf4 lLlxc3 16 bxc3 !ilf5 =or 10
�c2 l:.e8 1 1 'ii'd3 g6 12 .U.d 1 �f8
13 'iff3 �g7 14 lLle4 h6! with the
manoeuvre ... lLle7-f5.
C. 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlc3 i.b4 4
e3 0-0 5 �d3 d5 6 lLlf3
6 c5
...
6 . . . b6 leads to a position that
resembles the Queen's Indian : 7
0-0 i.b7 8 cxd5 exd5 9 a3 i.d6 1 0
b 4 a6 and Black has . . . !ilbd7 and
. . . !ile4.
7 0-0
Or 7 a3 i.xc3 + 8 bxc3 dxc4 9
�xc4 �a5 10 i.b2 cxd4 1 1 exd4
b6 and 12 . . . i.a6 = .
 Nimzo-Indian Defence
After 7 0-0 Black has two
squares for his b8-knight: d7 (af­
ter 7 . . . dxc4) and c6.
C l . 7 dxc4 and
•..
C2. 7 !Dc6.
. . .
C l . 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 e6 3 l2Jc3 .i.b4
4 e3 0-0 5 i.d3 d5 6 ltJf3 c5 7 0-0
dxc4
If Black wants to play . . . lLlbd7
then he should first stop c4xd5:
7 ... !Dbd7?! 8 cxd5 exd5 9 a3 i.a5 10
b4! cxb4 1 1 ltJb5 bxa3? 12 .i.xa3
.:te8 13 ltJd6 l:te6 14 lLlg5 +.
8 i.xc4 cxd4
Also possible is the immediate
8 . . . ltJbd7, although after 9 1i'e2 b6
10 a3 cxd4 1 1 axb4 dxc3 12 bxc3
'ilic7 13 i.b2 .ib7 14 .i.a6 White is
slightly better.
9 exd4
White has to accept the iso­
lated pawn in order to control the
central c5 and e5 squares, and also
to clear the way for his cl-bishop.
9 4Jxd4? can be met by 9 . . .'iVc7 10
�e2 a6 !, threatening . . . i.xc3, ... b7-
b5, . . . i.b7 and . . . ltJbd7, etc.
9 b6
•.•
It is necessary to carry out
. . . b 7-b6 and . . . i.b7 in order to
blockade the pawn on d4.
10 .t g5 .tb7
Plans and Counterplans:
White has several options here :
a) l l llJe5 h6 12 .ih4 i.e7 13
nel lLlbd7 14 truc.f7 l::txf7 15 i.xe6
liJfSco .
67
b) 1 1 'ii'e 2 llJbd7 12 lbe5 i.xc3
13 bxc3 'W/c7 14 llJxd7 trucd7 and it
is purely a matter of taste whether
one prefers the bishop pair or the
better pawn structure.
c) 1 1 !tel i.xc3 12 bxc3 lLlbd 7
13 .id3 'flc7 14 l:.c1 'iVd6 15 i. h4
ltfc8 !? 16 i.g3 'ii'a 3 with an un­
clear position.
To put it briefly, Black often
answers White's initiative with a
queenside counterplay by . . . lLlbd7,
. . . i.xc3, . . .'fic7. It is worth know­
ing that the diagram position can
also be reached from the Caro­
Kann Defence : 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3
exd5 cxd5 4 c4 llJf6 5 ltJc3 e6 6
llJf3 i. b4 7 .i.d3 dxc4 8 Jl.xc4 0-0 9
0-0 b6 10 .i.g5 .i.b7.
C 2. 1 d4 llJf6 2 c4 e6 3 lLlc3 .i.b4
4 e3 0-0 5 i.d3 d5 6 ttJf3 c5 7 0-0
lbc6
8 a3
On 8 cxd5 exd5 9 a3 .ixc3 1 0
bxc3 c4! ? 1 1 i.c2, l l . . .ig4 i s an
.
ugly pin.
8 dxc4
...
68 More Basic Chess Openings

8 . . . .txc3 keeps the centre closed,

e.g. 9 bxc3 fkc7 (9 . . . dxc4 10 i.xc4
fkc7 1 1 .i.a2 e5! ? 1 2 h3 r e4 - B

1 2 . . J1d8? 13 tbg5 - 13 lDh2 b6 and

Black' s idea is . . J td8 and . . . llJe5-
d3) 10 cxd5 exd5 1 1 a4 l:te8 12
i.a3 c4 13 .i.c2 tbe4 = .

9 i.xc4 cxd4 10 exd4

A strange kind of endgame re­
sults after 1 0 axb4 dxc3 1 1 1i'xd8
( 1 1 bxc3 'i/ic7 1 2 'iVb3 b6 followed
by . . . i.b7 and . . . a7-a5 = ) 1 1. . . l:.xd8
1 2 bxc3, for example 1 2 . . . lDe4 13 with l:tad 1 , i.c4-a2-b1 and lLle5.
b5 ltJe7 14 .i.b2 �f8 �- 13 4Jd5 is met by 14 i.xd5 ! exd5
•..

10 ... i. e7 ( 14 ... i.xg5 15 i.e4 g6 16 d5! +) 15

In the line 10 . . . i.xc3 1 1 bxc3
the knight would stand better on
d 7 instead of c6 since Black will
need to seek play along the c-file.
i.xe7 ttlxe7, as after 1 6 tbg5 ltlg6
1 7 h4! White has some advantage
(�). But Black has the improve­
ment 13 h6! and on 14 i.h4,
•••

1 1 \'fd3!? b6 12 i.g5 i.b7 13 14 . . . tba5 15 i.a2 i.xf3 16 'i'xf3

l:fe1
Plans and Counterplans:
White will now try to increase
the pressure on Black's kingside
'ifxd4, as now 1 7 b4 is prohibited
because the bishop on h4 is hang­
ing! And on 14 i.e3 i.d6 Black
has the opportunity to regroup
with . . . liJe7-d5 .
Wh ite avo i ds the ma i n l i n es
Naturally White has a wide selec­
tion of moves after 1 d4 lDf6 but
there are two lines that Black
should carefully prepare for.
I. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 ..tg5
In this opening, the Trompowsky
Attack, White opts for an exchange
on f6 , or at least to constantly
threaten this capture.
.. 2 . c5!?
This is simpler than 2 . . .lLle4 3
�h4 c5 4 f3 g5 5 fxe4 gxh4 6 e3
�h6 7 �f2 ! ? and White has a
natural plan of development by
continuing �f3 , �c3 or �b1-d2-
c4 and c3 .
3 d5
Or 3 �xf6 gxf6 4 d5 '5'b6 5 'ii'c 1
f5 6 g3 i.g7 7 c3 d6, and Black
continues by means of . . . e6 and
. . . ltJd7-f6.
.•.3 lLle4 4 ..th4 'ii'b 6 5 'ii'c l g5
6 �g3 'Wh6! !
This astounding move ties up
the pawn on h2 so that 7 . . . lilxg3 is
now a threat, when only the f­
pawn can recapture. Hence White
has to play
7 .i.e5 f6 8 .i.xb8 ltxb8 =
On 9 �e3, Black can play 9 . .. g4!
a s 1 0 iixe4?? loses to 10 . . . �c 1
mate!
II. 1 d4 l[)f6 2 lL'lf3
This move-order often transposes
to main lines after c2-c4, but
White can also try to sidestep the
Nimzo-and Queen's Indian.
2 e6 3 .i.g5 c5 !
•.•
The thrust d4-d5 is now impos­
sible, since White has not played
c2-c4, so Black has time for an ex­
change on d4. 3 . . . c5 also makes
possible a future . . . 'i'b6 which
would attack the pawn on b2.
4 e3 h6!?
The immediate 4 . . . iib6 !? is un­
clear: 5 lilbd2!? 1Vxb2 6 i.d3 d5 7
c4, while 4 . . . b6? is weak, as after
5 d5! exd5 6 lDc3 .i. b 7 7 �xd5
i.xd5 8 .i.xf6 'ii'x f6 9 �xd5 White
stands better.
5 i.h4 b6 6 c3
Not now 6 d5? g5! 7 .ig3 exd5.
6 ... .ie7 7 �bd2 �b7 8 .id3
White's plan is 0-0, e3-e4 and
'fie2.
s . .cxd4! 9 exd4
.
Or 9 cxd4 d5 =.
.9 . �h5!
.
Now after both 10 i.g3 �xg3
1 1 hxg3 d6 followed by . . . �d7 and
... a7- a6 and 10 i.xe7 filxe7 (threat­
ening 1 1 . . . ltJf4) Black has equal­
ized.
G rii nfe l d D efe n ce
1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltJc3 d5
w fore on 3 lDf3 correct is 3 . . . �g7
The Griinfeld is maybe the most
dynamic answer to 1 d4, and it
has become very popular in re­
cent years. Black's position is
flexible, powerful, and rich in pos­
sibilities, but against this White
usually enjoys an advantage in
the centre.
Black's plans are invariably
based on the strength of the
bishop on g7 and the centre-blast­
ing move . . . c7 -c5, but the execu­
tion of this depends on White's
set-up.
Note that it is important that
Black plays . . . d 7 -d5 only after 3
lDc3 has been played, as this way
after 4 cxd5 lL!xd5 5 e4 the d5-
knight need not wander around
losing tempi, but can simply be
exchanged on c3 . For example 1
d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 lL!f3 d5? is wrong
due to 4 cxd5 lLlxd5 5 e4 li)b6 6
h3 ! (to stop . . . .tc8-g4, undermin­
ing the d4-pawn) 6 .tg7 7 tlJc3
. . .
followed by .i.e2, 0-0, .i.e3 with a
clear spatial plus for White. There­
and if 4 lLlc3 , only now comes
4 . . . d5. Against systems with g2-
g3 the Grii nfeld is also good, even
if the knight is not yet on c3, as
.i.g2 and the thrust e2-e4 do not
really go together.
This section is divided as fol­
lows:
I. 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltJc3 d5 4
ltJf3 i.g7 5 e3 (Solid, but a little
passive)
II. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltJc3 d5 4
.i.f4
III. White plays �g5
Iv. 1 d4 tLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltJc3 d5 4
llJf3 .i. g7 5 'iib 3 (Russian Sys­
tem)
V. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltlc3 d5 4
cxd5 ltlxd5 5 e4 lLlxc3 6 bxc3
(Classical Main Line)
VI. Griinfeld against fian­
chetto set-ups.
I. 1 d4 li)f6 2 c4 g6 3 li)c3 d5 4
�f3 .i.g7 5 e3 (Solid, but a lit­
tle passive)
Of course this line is not bad, only
a little lukewarm. White refuses
to undertake both the occupation
of the centre and the development
 Griinfeld Defence 71

Black can instead prop up his

centre with 6 . . . c6, transposing
B into the Schlechter Defence. (This
position can also be reached via
the Slav Defence: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3
llJc3 llJf6 4 e3 g6 5 lDf3 .i.g7 6 i.e2
0-0.) White is slightly better after
7 0-0 i.g4 8 cxd5 cxd5 9 'ii'b 3. In
the Griinfeld Black does better to
play the active . . . c7 -c5 than the
inflexible . . . c7 -c6.
7 0-0
of the bishop on c l . Hence Black After the continuation 7 dxc5
can play for . . . c7 -c5 without being 'ti'a5 8 cxd5 llJxd5 9 'i\Vxd5 .i.xc3 +
disturbed. 10 .i.d2 lld8 1 1 �xd8 + ( 1 1 i.xc3 +
5 0-0 6 i.e2
•.• 1i'xc3 !) 1 l . . .'iYxd8 12 ii.xc3 'Wic7 13
Other choices are: b4 a5 White has to fight for equal­
a) 6 .i.d3?! c5 7 0-0 ( 7 dxc5 ity.
dxc4 8 i.xc4 'i\Va5 with . . . 'ii'xc5 to 7 cxd4 8 exd4
•..

follow) 7 ... cxd4 8 exd4 tDc6 9 h3 b6 After 8 llJxd4 dxc4 9 .i.xc4 a6

10 i.g5 dxc4 1 1 .i.xc4 .i.b7 with Black threatens to take over in
. . . llc8, . . . lba5 in sight (�) . the centre with . . . e6-e5 .
b) 6 'ii' b 3 e6! 7 .i.e2 b6 and 8 ...lDc6
Black has a set plan: . . . .tb7,
. . . tDbd7 and ... c7-c5 .
c) 6 b4 b6!? 7 �b3 c5 ! 8 bxc5
bxc5 9 cxd5 lLla6!? 10 .i.e2 llb8 1 1 w

'iVa4 lLlb4 12 0-0 lLlfxd5 = .

d) 6 cxd5 llJxd5 7 i.c4 ltJxc3 8

bxc3 c5 9 0-0 VJJ/c 7 10 i.e2 b6 1 1 a4
lLlc6 12 tDd2 l:.d8 13 lLlc4! i.a6! 14
�a3 i.b7 and with . . . llJc6-a5 and
. . . e6-e5 Black seizes the initiative.
e) 6 i.d2 c5 ! ? 7 dxc5 tDa6 8
cxd5 l2Jxc5 9 �c4 a6 10 a4 �f5
(interesting i s 10 . . . b6!? with the
idea of ... .i.b7, ... l:.c8, .. .'iVd6, ...l::tfd8 Plans and Counterplans:
and perhaps . . . tLle4) 1 1 0-0 :cs 12 Black will develop with . . . b 7-b6
'tj'e2 lDfe4 13 llJd4 lDxd2 14 'ii'xd2 and . . . i.b7, followed by . . J:tc8,
ltJe4 15 tLlxe4 .i.xe4 = . . . . d5xc4 and . . . lDa5 or . . . lDc6-b4-
6 c5
.. . d5 with good play on the light
72 More Basic Chess Openings
squares (c4, d5 and e4) . White
must either force an early d5xc4
to gain control of the centre or
close the centre with c4-c5. For
example, 9 .i. g5 .i.e6!? 10 cxd5
.i.xd5 1 1 lLlxd5 1i'xd5 12 'ii'a4 l004
oo, 9 i.f4 .i g4 1 0 c5 lLle4 = or 9
J.e3 J.g4 (9 ... dxc4 10 d5!? ltla5 1 1
b4!) 1 0 c5 ltle4 1 1 li'a4 e5 ! is un­
clear. 9 h3 is met b'y 9 . . . b6 and
. . . .i.b7, while 9 lDe5!? dxc4 10
lbxc6 bxc6 11 J.xc4 lbd5 is equal.
II. 1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 g6 3 liJc3 d5 4
.if4
8 e.g. 6 dxc5 'l'a5 7 l:tc1 ( 7 'ti'a4 +
The merits of White's plan are
numerous: now e2-e3 no longer
shuts in the bishop on c1 and the
c 1 square is vacated for the rook
with pressure along the c-file and
particularly on c7. Of course
Black need not panic, he has cen­
tral blows in hand, with his best
chance again being ... c7-c5.
4 .i.g7 5 e3
.••
On 5 llc1 possible is 5 . .. liJh5!? 6
�g5 (6 .i.d2 c5 ) 6 ... h6 7 .i.h4 c5
= llcl c5 7 dxc5 .i.e6!? both promise
8 fud5 �6! �. White can instead
try to postpone e2-e3 with 5 lLlf3
0-0 (another move is 5 . . .c5!? 6 dxc5
'ifa5 7 cxd5 lbxd5 8 'l'xd5 .ixc3 +
9 .id2 .ie6! 10 'ii'xb7 J.xd2 + 1 1
lbxd2 0-0 because if White takes
the rook on aS then Black can
play . . J1d8 followed by . . . J.d5
trapping the queen) 6 l:c1 dxc4 7
e4 and now Black undermines
White's centre with 7 . . . .tg4! 8
.ixc4 J.xf3 9 gxf3 (9 'l'xf3 lbh5!?)
9 . . . lbh5 10 .i.e3 e6 1 1 lDe2 'ii'f6
and Black has equalized due to
his play against the doubled f­
pawns and the f4-square .
5 0-0
•••
The basic Grii nfeld idea can
also be played at once: 5 . . . c5 !?,
'i!ixa4 8 lbxa4 lt.Je4 9 f3 .id7 1 0
fxe4 J.xa4 1 1 cxd5 .ixb2 1 2 1Ibl
J.c3 + 1 3 <itJf2 lLld7 = ) 7 . . . lLle4 8
cxd5 liJxc3 9 'iid 2 'ii'x a2 1 0 bxc3
and now both 10 ...'1'xd2+ 1 1 <itJxd2
liJd7 12 .ib5 0-0 13 .i.xd7 .ixd7 14
e4 f5 15 e5 l:fc8! ? and 10 . . .'1!Va5!
11 .i.c4 lbd 7 offer Black equal pros­
pects . Finally, 6 lt.Jf3 cxd4 7 exd4
lLlc6 gives Black a comfortable
game (after . . . b 7-b6, . . . d5xc4 and
. . . ltJa5, etc.).
6 liJf3
Alternatively 6 cxd5 lilxd5 7
lbxd5 'ii'xd5 8 .ixc7 ll:la6!? 9 .i.xa6
(9 .i.g3 .if5 threatening . . . liJb4,
. . .'ii' a5 + , . .. llac8-c2, etc.) 9 .. . 'ii'xg2
1 0 1i'f3 1i'xf3 1 1 ltlxf3 bxa6 leads
to an unclear ending, while 6 1ib3
dxc4 7 �xc4 c5 8 dxc5 fla5 and 6
equal chances.
 Grilnfeld Defence
6 c5 7 dxc5!?
..•
Otherwise Black would capture
on d4 and c4 and then comfort­
ably develop his queenside.
7 1i'a5
•••
Also satisfactory is 7 . . . lDe4: 8
l:tcl (8 .i.e5 .txe5 9 ltJxe5 lDxc3 10
bxc3 'ii'a 5 1 1 \i'd4 f6 12 lDf3 lDc6
= ) 8 . . . lDxc3 9 bxc3 dxc4 10 'ir'xd8
:xd8 1 1 i.xc4 lDd7 = .
8 l:tc1 dxc4 9 .i.xc4 lDc6 10 0-0
'ifxc5
w 1i'f3 ! the rook o n aS i s indefensi­
Plans and Counterplans:
White can launch an immediate
attack by means of 1 1 lDb5, threat­
ening both l£Jc7 and i.xf7 + . Now
1 1 . . . ii'h5 12 liJc7 l:tbB 13 h3 .td 7!?
is correct, with mutual chances.
The alternative 1 1 J.b3 'ii'a5
( l l. . 'ti'h5!?) 12 h3 .tf5 13 'ti'e2 lW!
.
14 lDd5 e5!? is also unclear, e.g. :
a) 1 5 �h2 J.e6 followed by
. . . l:tfd8, and if necessary, White's
threats of l:txc6, lDe7 + , lrucc6 can
be parried by . . . �h8.
b) 1 5 .i.g5 lDxg5 16 lillcg5
1i'd8!? with active play in view of a
future . . . e5-e4.
73
c ) 1 5 l:txc6!? (the most excit­
ing move) 15 ...bxc6 16 l00 7 + <ith8
1 7 lDxc6 1r'b6 18 l£lcxe5 .te6 ! also
leads to a balanced game between
White's two extra pawns and
Black's exchange advantage.
III. White plays .tg5
1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 g6 3 lDc3 d5 4
ltlf3
4 .i.g5 at once is also possible.
This move order prevents 4 . . . ltle4
5 J.h4 lillcc 3 6 bxc3 dxc4 7 e3 b5?,
as after 8 a4 c6 9 axb5 cxb5 1 0
ble. However, Black can capitalize
on the position of his bishop on
f8 : 4 . . . lDe4 5 .i.h4 ltJxc3 6 bxc3 c5
7 cxd5 'ii'xd5 8 e3 cxd4 9 1i'xd4
'iVxd4 10 cxd4 e6 1 1 .id3 .te7!
with comfortable play for Black:
... l£lc6, . . . 0-0 and ... i.d7 or . . . b7-b6
and ... .tb7 = .
4 .tg7 5 .i.g5
.••
8
By threatening � White tries
to encourage his opponent to de­
fend the pawn on d5 or play
74 More Basic Chess Openings
. . . d5xc4. After either of these op·
tions he could successfully carry
out his plan : 5 . . . c6 6 e3 (6 i.xf6
i.. xf6 7 cxd5 cxd5 8 'ii'b 3 ;t) 6 . . . 0-0
7 �d3 .i.e6 8 cxd5 llJxd5 9 0-0 and
Black is without counterplay, or
5 . . . dxc4 6 e4 c5 7 .ixc4 cxd4 8
'iVxd4 �xd4 9 li.Jxd4 li)xe4!? 10
lDxe4 .i.xd4 11 0·0·0 with a dan­
gerous initiative for the pawn.
5 ...ltJe4!
This is one of the most common
' Grii n feld ' moves, based on the
typical principle of this opening
that a threat should be answered
with a counter-threat.
6 i.h4
6 lDxe4 dxe4 is out of the ques·
tion but there are still a number
of sidelines:
a) 6 cxd5 li)xg5 7 lLlxg5 e6
(7 . . . c6 is an interesting, but not
quite sound, sacrifice : 8 'iVb3 e6 9
dxc6 lLlxc6 10 li)f3 i.. xd4 1 1 0·0-0
and White is better. Things are
more complicated after 8 dxc6?!
lDxc6 9 e3 0·0 10 lLlf3 e5 !?) 8 'ii'd2
(8 ltJf3 exd5 9 e3 0·0 10 b4 c6 fol­
lowed by . . . .ie6 and . . . li)d7, . . . f7-
f5 or ... a7-a5!? with a level position)
8 . . . exd5 9 'fke3 + «it?f8 10 �f4 i.. f6
1 1 h4 h6 12 li)f3 J..e6 with a tough
fight in which Black plans to mo­
bilize his queen ( . . . '1'ka5) after
. . . �d 7, . . . c7 -c6 and . . . Wg7 or offer
an exchange with . . . �b8, hoping
for an ending with the bishop
pair. Meanwhile White will try to
make a profit from the insecure
position of the black king via 0-0-0
and e2·e4.
b) 6 i.f4 li.Jxc3 7 bxc3 c5 8 e3
0-0 9 cxd5 cxd4 10 cxd4 'ii'xd5 1 1
i.. e2 lbc6 1 2 0-0 .i.f5 1 3 ..,a4 'ii'a 5!?
14 W'b3 W'b4! and in the forth­
coming endgame Black's queen·
side majority and healthy pieces
just about outweigh White 's d4-
pawn.
6 . c5
. .
This is more accurate than
6 . . . li.Jxc3 7 bxc3 dxc4 8 e3 i.. e 6
(8 . . . b5 9 a4 c6 10 i.. e 2 and ltJd2,
i.. f3 with a good initiative for the
pawn) 9 'ii'b 1!? and now White
threatens to increase the pres·
sure with lLlg5, e3-e4, 'ii'b4 and
a2-a4.
7 cxd5 li)xc3 8 bxc3 ..,xd5 9
e3 l006 10 .te2 cxd4 1 1 cxd4 0-0
l l . . . 'Wa5 + 12 'i'd2 .te6 13
l%b1 !? t.
12 0-0 e5 13 dxe5 'ii'a5 !
13 . . . 1i'xd 1? 14 l:tfxd 1 lLlxe5 15
lLld4! ;f;; .
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White tries to delay Black's queen­
side development but in vain, for
example: 14 .i.f6 .txffi 15 exffi 'ii'£5
 Grunfeld Defence
1 6 l2Jd4 1i'xf6 1 7 l2Jxc6 'Wxc6 18
.tf3 'ii'a 6 19 ii'b3 nbs 20 i.d5
i.e6 ! or 1 4 'Wb3 l2Jxe5 15 l2Jd4
ltJc6 1 6 :ad 1 ( 16 l2Jxc6 bxc6 1 7
1lac1 i.e6 18 i.c4 :ab8) 16 . . . l0xd4
17 exd4 ..td7! 1 8 'ifxb 7 ..ta4 19
llb1 ..txd4 20 i.c4 nae8 21 i.e7
i.c6 ! = . 6 �xc4 0-0 7 e4
IY. Russian System
1 d4 l2Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 lDc3 d5 4
li.Jf3
If White wishes to play fkb3 it
is better to first strengthen the
centre with lDf3 . On the immedi­
ate 4 't'ib3 Black equalizes with
4 . . . dxc4 5 1i'xc4 i.e6 ! 6 'i'b5 +
..td7 7 '1Vxb 7 i.c6 8 'ii'b 3 'ii'xd4 9
ltJ f3 'i!r'b 6 .
4 .i. g7 5 �b3
•••
B lDf3 i.g7 5 'iib 3 dxc4 6 1i'xc4 0-0
White wants to get hold of the
centre by retaining the knight
p air on c3 and f6. Although Black
no w momentarily hands the cen­
tral squares over to White, he will
later have several successful ways
to attack them.
75
5 dxc4
.•.
It is logical to lure the queen to
a vulnerable square. 5 . . . c6 6 cxd5
cxd5 leads to an ' Exchange Slav'
in which the bishop on g7 is badly
placed in view of the closed cen­
tre.
On 7 e3 Black can play . . .b7-b6,
. . . .ib7, . . . lDbd7 and . . . c7-c5, but af-
ter 7 e4 the plain 7 . . . b6? is incor-
rect owing to 8 e5 l2Jfd7 (8 . . . i.a6 9
exf6 i.xc4 10 fxg7 <it>xg7 1 1 i.xc4
+; the three pieces overpower the
queen) 9 'it'd5 c6 10 1We4 .ib7 1 1
h4! with a forceful attack. Let u s
see a n example of each o f Black's
three main choices:
A. 7 llJa6
•••
B. 7 i.g4 and
•.•
C. 7 a6.
. . .
A. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g 6 3 llJc3 d5 4
7 e4 lLla6
Black opts for . . . c7-c5 .
8 i.e2
Or 8 e5 lLld 7 9 e6 lLlb6 10 exf7 +
Wh8 1 1 'iib3 c5 12 i.xa6 cxd4! with
a clear advantage for Black.
8 c5 9 d5 e6 10 0-0 exd5 1 1
•.•
exd5 .if5 12 .if4
Now Black will always have to
watch out for the d5-pawn. Play
might continue 12 ...lie8 (alterna­
tively 1 2 . . . lDe8 1 3 lDb5 ! .ixb2 14
l:ad 1 ! ±) 1 3 l:.ad l l2Je4 14 lt)b5
i.d7 or 12 .'ii' b 6 13 .i.e5 l::t fe8 14
••
b3 Vi'b4 with an open fight.
76 More Basic Chess Openings
B w
B. 1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 g& 3 ltlc3 dS 4
ltlf3 .ig7 5 'ii'b 3 dxc4 6 �xc4 0-0
7 e4 .ig4
Black prepares for the manoeu­
vre . . . ltld7 -b6.
8 i.e3
8 lLle5 i.e6 9 d5 i.c8 10 i.e2 e6
1 1 i.f4 exd5 1 2 exd5 lLle8, possi­
bly followed by . .. tLld6-f5.
8 tLlfd7 9 'i'b3
...
Or 9 l:.d1 li)c6 10 i.e2 li)b6 1 1
1fic5 \i'd6 1 2 e5 'ii'xc5 13 dxc5 lLlc8
14 h3 �xf3 1 5 i.xf3 i.xe5 16
i.xc6 bxc6 ao .
9 lLlb6 10 l:.d1 lLlc6 1 1 d5 lLle5
..•
12 �e2 lilld"3 + 13 gxf3 i.. h5
13 . . . .ih3 14 l1g1 and the bishop
on h3 is out of play.
Plans and Counterplans:
After f3-f4 and the swap of bish­
ops White starts rolling forward
with his h-pawn or picking on the
knight on b6 with a2-a4-a5. Black
can open things up with . . . 'ii'c B
and . . . c7-c6 or . . . f7-f5, exploiting
the position of the white king.
Chances are even.
C. 1 d 4 l2Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 li)c3 d S 4
ltlf3 i.g7 5 'i¥b3 dxc4 6 ii'xc4 0-0
7 e4 a&
8 'i'b3
In fact . . . b 7 -b5 is unstoppable
due to 8 a4 b5 ! 9 1i'b3 c5 10 dxc5
i.e6!
8 b5
...
Also worth considering is 8... c5!?
9 dxc5 tLlbd7.
9 e5
Or 9 .ie2 c5 10 dxc5 tt'lbd7 1 1 e5
( 1 1 c6?! ll)c5 12 'ii'c2 b4!) l l . . . lLlxc5
12 'i!Vb4 tt'lfd7 ao.
9 ttJfd7
•••
The old 9 . . . tt'lg4 has seen better
days: 1 0 h3 l2Jh6 1 1 i.d3 .i.b 7
( 1 1 . . . lLlf5 12 .ie4 l:ta7 13 g4! ) 12
.ixh6 ! .ixh6 13 �e4! and after
either 13 ....ixe4 14 lLlxe4, or 13 . . . c6
14 0-0 e6 15 l£la4! Black is unable
to equalize due to his backward c­
pawn.
10 .ie3
10 e6?! is weaker: 10 . . . fxe6 1 1
'iixe6 + �h8 1 2 'ii'e 4 l£lb6 1 3 .ie2
.if5 14 'ifh4 lLlc6 15 .ih6 e5! and
Black is better developed. After
 Grunfeld Defence
10 h4 lLlb6 1 1 h5 ltJc6 1 2 i.e3
tDa5, Black has counterplay with
13 . . . lLlac4.
10 lLlb6 1 1 a4
.•.
Or 1 1 l::t d 1 i.b7 12 �e2 lLlc6 and
again Black aims for . . . ltJa5-c4.
1 1 ... �e6 12 'ii'd 1
Plans and Counterplans:
White wishes to castle and keep
the black c-pawn repressed. Black
can either explode with 12 c5!? •••
13 axb5 cxd4 14 'ii'xd4 axb5 15
l:txa8 lLlxa8 16 i.xb5 lt:Jc7 1 7 i.a4
li)ba6 18 'ii' h 4 'ii'b 8 ! , or he can
play on the light squares: 12 b4 •.•
13 lLle4 i.d5 14 i.d3 lLlc4 15 i.c1
li)a5. In both cases the outcome is
a lively game with chances for
both sides.
V. Classical Main Line
1 d4 t;)f6 2 c4 g6 3 lDc3 d5 4
cxd5 lDxd5 5 e4 lDxc3
Black must capture on c3 as
otherwise White could seize the
ce ntre with h2-h3 ! , ltlf3, �e2,
�e3 and 0-0, when Black has no
77
real counterplay. What is more,
he even has problems developing
his queenside pieces.
6 bxc3 i. g7
w
The Griinfeld Defence stands
or falls on this position. White
has occupied the centre, but his
opponent is preparing an attack
with . . . c7-c5 and . . . l"Llc6. After the
exchange of knights OI) c3 , White
will aim at the somewhat weak­
ened black kingside and Black will
seek counterplay on the queen­
side and along the c-file. Black's
plan is more or less obvious but
White, being the first player, can
pick the squares for his pieces.
Besides two classical continu­
ations we shall also discuss the
newest line in detail:
A. 7 lLlf3 c5 8 l:.bl 0-0 9 �e2
(Modern Main Line) .
B. 7 i.c4 0-0 8 lLle2 c5 9 0-0 l"Llc6
10 i.e3 (Old Main Line)
C. 7 i.b5 + , an interesting check
which is the latest try to mix up
Black.
78 More Basic Chess Openings
Black need not be afraid of
White preventing . . . c7-c5 with 7
.ia3 as after 7 . . . ltJd7 8 ltlf3 c5 it is
White who has to be careful: 9
.ie2?! cxd4 1 0 cxd4?? 'ifa5 + and
the bishop on a3 falls. The set-up
7 .ie3 c5 8 1i'd2 is much more
natural, when White is able to
continue with d4-d5 . Here Black
should play 8 . . . 'iYa5, when 9 l:tc 1
cxd4 10 cxd4 'ifxd2 + 1 1 �xd2 0-0
12 lDf3 ltlc6 1 3 .ib5 f5 ! is equal.
And on 9 llb1 not 9 . . . cxd4?! 10
cxd4 fixd2 + 1 1 �xd2, when with
lDf3 , .id3, l:.hc1 White's pieces
are ideally placed, but instead
9 . . . b6!? (liberating the bishop on
c8) 10 .ib5 + .id7 1 1 .ie2 0-0 12
llc1 l:.dS ! 1 3 ltlf3 ( 1 3 d5 'i'a4! 14
c4 ltla6 with . . . ltlb4! to follow)
13 . . . .tb5!
= .
A. Modern M ain Line
1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltlc3 d5 4
cxd5 ltlxd5 5 e4 ltlxc3 6 bxc3
.ig7 7 ltlf3 c5
On the passive 7 . . . 0-0 followed
by . . . b7-b6 and . . . .i.b7 White eas­
ily gets on top with the typical at­
tack 8 .ie3 and 'ii'd 2, .id3, .ih6,
h2-h4-h5.
8 :Ib1
The text move is the correct
way to start action because now
after 8 . . . �c6 White can answer 9
d5 . A less promising alternative is
8 .ie3 'ii'a 5 9 'ii'd 2 0-0 10 :c 1
(threatening d4-d5 and then c2-
c4) 10 . . . cxd4 1 1 cxd4 �xd2 + and
now on either recapture (�xd2 or
Wxd2) Black reaches equality with
. . . ltlc6 and . . . l:.d8. Besides . . . .ig4
Black also has . . . f7-f5 to upset the
white centre (d4, e4, ttlf3)!
8 0-0
•••
8 . . . lLlc6? is a major blunder in
view of9 d5 J..xc3 + 10 .id2 .ixd2 +
1 1 �xd2 �d4 ( 1 1 . . . lDa5 12 .ib5 + !
+) 12 �xd4 cxd4 13 'ii'x d4 'ii'a5 +
14 �d2 'ii'x d2 + 15 Wxd2 with an
oppressive ending for Black: the
white monarch goes to d4, the
rooks to the c-fue and after f2-f4
and e4-e5 Black is tied hand and
foot.
9 i.e2 cxd4
Black has several other possi­
bilities:
a) 9 'i'a5 10 0-0 �xa2 (or
. .•
10 . . . 'iWxc3 1 1 .id2 'ii'a 3 1 2 'ii'c 2 oo)
1 1 .i.g5 cxd4 1 2 cxd4 :es 13 d5
with compensation for the pawn.
b) 9 .. b6 1 0 0-0 �b7 1 1 'iVd3
.
.i.a6 12 'i'e3 '1Wc8!? = .
c) 9 lDc6 10 d5 lbe5 (alterna­
•••
tively 10 . . . .ixc3 + 1 1 .id2 .ixd2 +
1 2 ii'xd2 with an attack via h2-
h4-h5) 1 1 �xe5 .ixe5 12 'ii'd 2 and
White's aim is f2-f4 while Black
will blast out with . . .b7-b6 and
. . . e7-e6.
10 cxd4 'ifa5 + 1 1 .id2
1 1 'ii'd 2 leads to a typical posi­
tion, similar to those we have al­
ready seen : 1 l . . .'ii' xd2 + 1 2 �xd2
b6 13 d5 �a6 14 i.b5 .ib7 15 0-0
lDc5 16 l:tfe1 l:.fc8 17 .ib4 l:.c7 18
a4 f5! with an unclear game. As a
reminder: Black has again chosen
the right time to confront his op­
ponent with . . . f7-f5 !
 Grunfeld Defence
l l .'ii'xa2 12 0-0
..
Or 12 d5 e6 13 �b4 l:td8 14 i.e7
nes 15 d6 ltJc6 16 i.b5 i.d7 17 0-0
a6 18 ..txc6 ..txc6 1 9 d7 :xe7 20
dB�+ l:txd8 2 1 ii'xd8 l1e8 with
the better chances for Black (=F).
B 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltJc3 d5 4
Plans and Counterplans:
Black can try to complete his de­
velopment by . . . b7-b6 and . . . .tb7
and then bring the queen home
via e6. White, following d4-d5,
will exchange the light-coloured
bishops and try to exploit the in­
itiative given by his spatial ad­
vantage. The black bishop is more
effective on the other diagonal :
12 ... ..tg4! 13 ..tg5 !? h6 ! 14 i..e3 (or:
1 4 it.xe7!? l1e8 15 l1xb7 lbc6 1 6
.i.c5 .llxe4 1 7 i.d3 l:txd4! 1 8 it.xd4
tlJxd4 with sufficient counterplay
for the exchange ; or 14 .i.h4 g5 15
� g3 llJc6 16 d5 :ad8 1 7 :xb7 f5 f
18 �e1 .i.xf3 19 �xf3 lbd4 = )
14 . . . b6 1 5 l::t a l 'iVb2 (not 1 5 . . . �e6
16 h3 it.xf3 1 7 it.xf3 threatening
e4-e5) 16 �d3 ( 16 l:tb1 'ii'a2 = )
16 . . . 1i'b4 1 7 h3 it.xf3 1 8 .i.xf3 e5!?
19 d5 ( 19 dxe5? lbc6 ! ) 19 .. lbd7, . White plays f2-f3 or f2-f4 followed
79
when chances are about equal. In
this line it is important that the
black queen does not retreat to e6
so that Black has the option of ob­
structing the bishop on f3 with
. .. e7-e5 .
B. Old Main Line
cxd5 ltJxd5 5 e4 lDxc3 6 bxc3
.tg7 7 i.c4 c5
Should Black neglect to play
. . . c7-c5, White seizes the initia­
tive with tt)e2, i..e 3, 'ifd2 followed
by i..h6 and h4.
8 tLle2 lDc6 9 .i.e3
Mter 9 d5?! l0e5 10 i.b5 + .ltd7
1 1 .i.xd7 + 'ii'xd7 White's light
squares (c4, d3) are weak.
•••9 0-0 10 0-0
1 0 !te l leads to fantastic com­
plications: 10 ... cxd4 1 1 cxd4 'ii'a 5 +
1 2 �f1 !? .td7 !? 13 h4 :res 14 h5
lLld8!, when Black can play on the
queenside with the plan . . . i.. a 4,
. . . l1c7, . ..ltac8 and ... b7-b5 whereas
 80 More Basic Chess Openings
by �f2 and either opts for an at­
tack or awaits an endgame with a
spatial advantage.
At this point the play is divided
in to two acts - depending on how
Black wishes to attack the white
centre. Black can either play .. .'f/c 7
and . . . l:td8 (Section B 1) or . . . .i.g4,
. . . c5xd4 and ... lba5 (Section B2).
B 1 . 10 'ii'c7•••
1 1 l:tc l
The strongest move, protecting
the bishop on c4 and 'talking'
Black out of ever opening the c­
file. Weaker is the continuation
1 1 ..tf4 'ira5 12 d5 lLle5 13 .i.b3 c4!
14 ..tc2 e61 and the white centre is
no more.
1 1 . :ds 12 1i'd2
. .
Also playable are:
a) 12 ..tf4 1i'd 7 ( 12 . . . e5? 13
.i.g5 l:te8 14 d5 + ) 13 d5 lLla5 14
i.d3 b6 15 c4 e5 16 .td2 li)b7 1 7
a4 ltXI6 ao.
b) 12 f4 e6 followed by a plan
worthy of attention : . . . lLla5 and
. . . f7-f5!
12 a6!?
•••
12 ... lLle5? is incorrect: 1 3 .i.b 3
lLlg4 14 .i. f4 e5 1 5 i.g3 .i.h6 16
.1xe5 ! 'ii'xe5 1 7 'ii'xh6 ! 'S'xe4 18
i.xf7 + with a splendid attack for
White.
13 .i. h6
Also playable is 13 f4 b5 14
.id3 f5 ! ao, but not 13 a4? .i.d7 14
'i'a2 .tea 15 'ii'a3 b5! + .
13 .i.h8
•••
The game is level. White obtains
nothing after 14 a4?! .1d7, when
Black is threatening 15 . . . lLla5 . A
better idea is 14 �e3 b5 1 5 .ib3
lLla5 16 dxc5 .tb7 with mutual
chances. Instead of 13 . . . .i.h8, also
possible is 13 . . . b5!? 14 .1xg7 cJ;xg7
15 .i.b3 ( 15 i.d3 'ii'd 7 1 6 d5 c4 1
and 1 7 ... e6) 15 . . . lDa5 = .
B2. lO i.g4
. ••
Black provokes f2-f3 in order
to weaken the a 7-g1 diagonal,
which comes in very handy in
some lines.
1 1 f3 lDa5
To the c4 square!
12 .id3
These days there is little inter­
est in 12 ..txf7 + l:txf7 13 fxg4
llxfl + 14 �xfl . Although White
is a pawn up Black has several ef­
fective counter-plans:
a) 14 . .'S'd6 15 e5 1i'd5 threat­
.
ening . . . 'ife4, . .. lLlc4, . l:.f8, etc.
. .
b) 14 ... cxd4 15 cxd4 e5! ? 16
d5 lDc4 1 7 .if2 'ii'f6 18 CIPg1 J::tf8 19
'ii'e 1 .i.h6 again with sufficient in­
itiative for the pawn.
 Grunfeld Defence
O r 12 .id5 .id 7 with the threat
of 13 ... e6.
12 cxd4 13 cxd4 .ie6
...
w l:tad 1?! b5! 1 6 fr'a3 ttlc4 +) 15 . . . b5
Plans and Counterplans:
White opts for d4-d5 but to carry
this out he must sacrifice some­
thing!
a) 1 4 d5!? .ixa1 1 5 'S'xa1 f6 !
For the time being the bishop on
e6 is not hanging on account of its
unprotected d3 colleague. Now 16
1Ib1 .if7 1 7 .ih6 l:te8 18 j_b5 'l'd6
19 i.. xe8 i.. xe8 is equal, or 16 �h6
.ltd 7!? 1 7 i.. x f8 \i'b6 + ! (now the
weakness of the move f2-f3 be­
comes apparent) 18 ltJd4 :xf8 19
:b1 'ii'd 6 20 'S'c3 'i¥e5 ! and Black
is slightly better. Instead of 18
'i\Yd4, 18 l2Jd4 followed by ex­
changes leads to an equal end­
game. It is highly advisable for
Black to give the exchange back
as demonstrated above, otherwise
his life is in danger due to l2Jf4
and e4-e5.
b) 14 l:.c1 !? .ixa2 15 'ii'a4 i.e6
16 d5 .i.d 7 1 7 'iVb4 is equal, e.g.
1 7 . . . b6 1 8 .ia6 .ic8 or 1 7 . . . e6 1 8
81
ttlc3 exd5 1 9 ttlxd5 with sufficient
activity for the pawn. On the
more direct 15 d5 (instead of 1 5
'it'a4), 15 ... .i..b 3 1 6 'ii'e 1 e 6 i s equal
( 16 . . . a6? 1 7 �f2D.
c) 1 4 �a4 a6 !? 15 d5 ( 1 5
16 'S'b4 .ixa1 1 7 I:xa1 .i.d7 18
'i'd4 f6 19 e5 fxe5 20 �xe5 'ii'b 8
2 1 'l'xe7 :e8 22 'ii'c 5 ltlb7 is also
about equal.
C. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g 6 3 ltlc3 d 5 4
cxd5 trucd5 5 e4 lDxc3 6 bxc3 .ig7
7 .ib5+
B
The point of this interesting
check is that no matter how Black
reacts, he does not achieve his
usual counter-attacking plan (. .. c7-
c5, . . . l2Jc6 and . . . .ltg4) .
7 c6
. . .
After 7 . . 4Jc6 or 7 . 4Jd7 Black
. . .
will struggle to generate any ac­
tivity. 7 . . . il.. d 7 8 .ie2 c5 9 l2Jf3 cxd4
10 cxd4 ..ic6 1 1 \td3 f5 !? 12 exf5
'iVa5 + 13 .id2 ifxf5 is equal but
after 8 .ixd7 + 'ifxd7 9 lDf3 White
stands more freely.
82 More Basic Chess Openings
8 .ta4 b5!? 9 .tb3 b4 10 'ti'f3
1 0 �e3 bxc3 1 1 llc1 lbd7 12
ltle2 �a6 is uncomfortable for
White because Black has the obvi­
ous moves: . . . c7-c5, . . .'ii a 5, . . . 0-0,
etc.
10 0-0 1 1 lDe2 bxc3 12 h4!?
•..
1 2 1i'xc3 is met by 12 . . . i.b7 fol-
lowed by . . . lLla6 and . . . c7 -c5. On
1 2 0-0 �a6 13 ltd 1 , 1 3 . . . c5 ! IS
strong.
8 The latter may interest those who
Plans and Counterplans:
White threatens to play h4-h5,
h5xg6, ,.g3 and then either to
take on g6 or mate with 'ii'h4-h7.
For example, 12 ... c5? 13 h5 cxd4
14 hxg6 hxg6 15 �g3 e6 ( 15 . . . d3
16 'iixg6 d2 + 1 7 �xd2! is cur­
tains) 16 'ii' h2 l:te8 1 7 'ii' h 7 + <it>f8
18 �a3 + l:e7 19 'ii'h8 + wins the
house.
Black's only move is 12 h5!, •.•
when after 13 1i'xc3 i.b7 14 i.g5
lLla6! he has excellent prospects
with . . . c6-c5 . Instead of 14 �g5
White can also play 14 'i'ib4 1i'b6
or 14 l:b1 c5 ! with an unclear po­
sition.
VI. Griinfeld against
fianchetto set-ups
There are two situations when
Black can play d5: either immedi­
ately after 1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3
(section A) when following 3 . . . d5
4 cxd5 'Black captures on d5
with the lmight', or on 1 d4 ltJffi
2 c4 g6 3 g3 Black can play 3 . . . c6
first and then 4 .ig2 d5 5 cxd5
cxd5 6 ltlf3 �g7 7 0-0 0-0 leads to
the 'Symmetrical Griinfeld'.
play the King' s Indian but want
to avoid the g2-g3 lines. Note that
with the move order 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4
g6 3 ltlc3 d5 4 cxd5 l/Jxd5 5 g3
Black is forced into section A, but
now the white knight is already
on c3 so Black has the opportu­
nity to trade knights.
A. Black ca ptures on d5 with the
knight
1 d4 li:Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 d5 4 cxd5
ltJxd5 5 .tg2 .ig7
6 lDf3
White would first like to de­
velop and only then occupy the
centre. He may instead accelerate
actions with :
a) 6 ltJc3 (this position can
also be reached via 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4
g6 3 lLlc3 d5 4 cxd5 ltJxd5 5 g3
�g7 6 �g2) 6 . . . l0xc3 7 bxc3 c5 8
e3 ltlc6 (also playable is 8 . 0-0 9 . .
llJe2 llJc6 10 0-0 cxd4 1 1 cxd4 �f5
with ... 'ii'd 7, . . . l:ac8 and . . . l:tfd8 to
 Grunfeld Defence
w w
follow ) 9 lDe2 �d 7 10 0-0 l:tc8
= follow tactical paths, e.g. 14 'ii'e 2
and Black has cleared his pieces
from the dangerous long diago­
nal . His plan is . . . 0-0 and . . . lDa5
with the target square being c4
( = ).
b) 6 e4 lbb6 7 lD e2 0-0 8 0-0
�g4 (also interesting is 8 . . . c6 and
9 . . . e5!?) 9 f3 �d7 10 Cilbc3 e5 1 1
dxe5 i.xe5 1 2 i.h6 �g7 1 3 'i'cl
Cilc6 14 il.xg7 <if;xg7 1 5 f4 f6 ! fol­
lowed by . . . 'ilie7, . . . l:tad8 and ... l:tfe8
with equality.
6 0-0 7 0-0 lbb6
•..
This is more precise than 7 . . . c5
8 dxc5 lLla6 9 c6!? ;!; or 7 . . . lDc6 8 e4
and 9 d5 ;!;.
8 lbc3
Not 8 e4?! i.g4! 9 d5 c6!
8 . ltlc6
..
Plans and Counterplans:
White can either push with d4-d5
or protect the pawn with e2-e3 ,
.
VIZ .
a) 9 d5 lDa5! (when the bishop
is on g2, the c4-square is weak­
e ned) 1 0 e4 c6 1 1 J.g5 h6 12 J.f4
cxd5 13 exd5 lDac4 when play can
83
lDxb2!? 15 �xb2 lDa4 16 lDxa4!?
J.xb2 1 7 lLlxb2 ao or 14 b3!? J.xc3
(14 . . . lLld6 15 i.e5) 1 5 l:tc 1 lDb2 1 6
�e2 i.. g7 17 J.e5 J.xe5 18 lbxe5 ao.
b) 9 e3 e5 !? 10 d5 lDa5 (the
idea 10 . . . lDe7 1 1 e4 ..tg4 and . . . c7-
c6 is also perfectly playable) 1 1 e4
c6 1 2 ..tg5 (on 1 2 d6 Black plays
. . . J.g4 and . . . ll)c8) 12 . . .f6 13 i.e3
cxd5 14 �xb6 'ii'xb6 15 lDxd5 "ii'd8
16 l:tc l lbc6 1 7 11*'b3 l:tf7 18 l:tfd 1
i.e6 with complicated play. A typi­
cal motif of this line is that after
d4-d5 (which is often provoked by
Black) the black knight goes to a5.
The reason for this is the weak­
ness of square c4 and that White
is unable to play b2-b4 due to the
strength of the bishop on g7.
B. Symmetrical Grunfeld
1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 c6
A similar principle applies in
the Reti Opening: Black wants to
seal the diagonal of bishop g2
with ... c7-c6 and . . . d7-d5.
4 J.g2
84 More Basic Chess Openings
White cannot prevent Black
from playing d5 as after 4 d5?!
cxd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 lL'lc3 i.g7 7 i.g2
�a5 8 i.d2 0-0 9 e3 lLlbd7 10
ltJge2 ltJe5, followed by . . . lLlc4 or
. . . i. g4, Black is very active. A
golden rule is that White should
never play d4-d5 'for nothing' .
This thrust is only effective if it
attacks a piece (for example a
knight on c6), and thus forces the
opponent to lose a tempo, or if it
locks in the bishop on b7 (see the
Queen's Indian Defence) . Other­
wise Black can 'pick on' the pawn
on d5 with . . . c 7-c6 and . . . e 7-e6 or,
as in the above example, he can
simply evade it with ... 'Wa5, . . . ltJd7-
e5, . . . i.g4, etc.
4 . d5 5 cxd5
..
If Black lines up with . . . c7-c6
and ... d7-d5 then White should be
aware of . . . d5xc4 since the stolen
pawn can be protected with . . . b7-
b5. Thus 5 lDf3?! dxc4!? 6 lLla3 b5
7 ltJe5 'iVb6 or 6 ltJe5 (instead of 6
lDa3) 6 . . . �e6 7 li)a3 i.d5! is better
for Black. On 5 'ii'b 3 i.g7 6 lDf3
interesting is 6 . . . a5!? 7 i.f4 a4 8
�b4 lDbd7 9 0-0 �b6 10 'ii'xb6
lbxb6 1 1 c5 t'bc4! and Black is on
top in view of White's gaping
holes on the queenside (c4, b3).
But 5 4Jd2 i.g7 6 lLlgf3 0-0 7 0-0
i.f5 8 b3 a5!? with the plan . . . a5-
a4 is equal.
5 cxd5 6 lDf3 .i.g7 7 0-0 0-0
.•.
Plans and Counterplans:
We do not need a crystal ball to
see that after 8 lLlc3 l"Dc6 White
w
intends to break the symmetry
with 9 lDe5 . Black can prevent
this with 8 lLlc3 ltle4, but White
may pre-empt this with 8 lLle5.
For example:
a) 8 lLle5 e6 (8 . . . lLlg4 9 lLlxg4
i.xg4 1 0 �3 ltJc6 1 1 h3 .i.d7 12
e3 e6) 9 lLlc3 lLlfd7 10 f4 f6 1 1 l1Jf3
lLlc6 with a complicated game.
b) 8 lLl c3 and now:
bl ) 8 lLle4 9 l1Jxe4 dxe4 10
...
lLle5 �d5 (this seems better than
1 0 . . . f6 1 1 'ii'b3 + e6 1 2 ltlc4 lbc6
1 3 e3, when White's plan is .id2,
l:tac1 and f2-f3!?) 11 b3 and lately
Black has been successful with
two plans:
bl l ) l l . . lLlc6 12 i.b2 ltd8 !?
.
13 ltlxc6 bxc6 14 'ii'c 2 i.f5 15 e3
1Iac8 16 l:tac1 c5 = .
b12) l l lLld7!? 1 2 i.b2 lLlf6
•.•
13 1Ic1 i.f5 14 !1c5 ( 14 ltc7 nac8 !
15 llxe7 'iVb5 and . . . lLld5 or
. . .'i:Vb4) 14 . . .'ii'e 6 and Black has a
nice game: . . . i.h3 or . . . l:Iad8, . . . h7-
h5. Finally we have
b2) 8 liJc3 !Dc6 9 liJe5, when
Black does not obtain complete
equality after either:
 Griinfeld Defence
b2 1 ) 9 lbxe5 10 dxe5 lbg4 1 1
.••
4.Jxd5 lbxe5 12 'ii'b 3 followed by
l:td1 �-
b22) 9 e6 10 llJxc6 bxc6 1 1
•••
l!Ja4 llJd7 12 b3! c5 13 .i.b2 .i.b7 14
lXcl Jlc8 15 'ffd2 and White awaits
the exchanges on d4, after which
his upper hand on the queenside
becomes dominant (�) . General
85
chess theory would suggest that
Black should not copy White for
too long. So on 8 ltJc3, as we have
seen, he should grab the opportu­
nity to play 8 . . . lDe4! In this sym­
metrical line Black can obtain
equality but only if he does not
underestimate White ' s initiative
and opts for active counterplay.
Ki n g 's I n d i a n D efe n ce
In the King's Indian Defence
Black chooses the following struc­
ture:
This set-up is suitable against
nearly every opening sequence
for White but is best in the closed
games (that is when the first
move is not 1 e4). Often it leads to
an exciting battle in which Black
will later strike at the centre with
. . . c5 or . . . e5. White can choose be­
tween the following lines:
I. Set-ups with g2-g3
ll. Set-ups with e2-e4
III. With minimal risk viz. 1 d4
l£lf6 2 l£lf3 g6 3 i.g5 or 3 .i.f4.
I. Set-ups with g3
1 d4 l£lf6 2 c4 g6 3 lL.\c3 i.. g7 4
lDf3 d6 5 g3 0-0 6 i.g2
Black has three common King's
Indian plans at his disposal:
A. 6 . . .l2Jbd7 followed by . . . e7 -e5,
B. 6 ... c5, and a line that is fre-
quently seen in the fianchetto
variation:
C. 6 l2Jc6 with the idea of . . . a7-
..•
a6 , . . .Itb8 and . . . b7-b5 .
Another line that warrants at­
tention is 6 . . . c6 7 0-0 'ii'a 5 , when
Black prepares either . . . fi'h5 and
. . . �h3 or an attack on the c-pawn
with . . . i.e6. However, White may
play 8 e4!? e5 (8 . . . 'ifh5 9 h4 .ig4
10 'ii'd3 and the threat is l l l2Jh2!)
9 h3 (9 d5 cxd5 10 cxd5 b5 ! is un­
clear) 9 . . . exd4 10 ltJxd4 'ii'c 5 1 1
ltJb3 'i!Vxc4 1 2 'i!Vxd6 with an ad­
vantage. White now has the op­
tion of .i.f4, Itfd 1 , l:1ac 1 , .i.fl and
e4-e5.
A. 1 d4 li.Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 li.Jc3 i.g7 4
ltJf3 d6 5 g3 0-0 6 i.g2 li.Jbd7
7 0-0 e5
 King 's Indian Defence
After 6 . . . l£lbd7, it is bad to fol­
low up with 7 . . . c5? 8 d5 a6 9 a4, as
B lack is completely tied up and
White can start preparing for e4-
e5 with e2-e4 and llel.
8 e4
On 8 d5 a5 followed by 9 . . . �c5,
or on 8 dxe5 dxe5 and ... c7-c6,
. . :VJ/Je7 = , while on 8 e3? ! lle8 and
after 9 . . . c6 Black is threatening
. . . e5-e4 and . . . d6-d5.
8 c6
...
Also interesting is 8 . . . exd4, lib­
erating the squares e5 and c5 for
the black knights and opening up
the e-file and the long diagonal
for the bishop on g7. On the other
hand, this makes the pawn on d6
vulnerable. 9 l£lxd4 ltJc5 1 0 h3 (it
is vital to secure the g4-square,
especially against . . . l£lg4) 10 . . . .U.e8
1 1 lle1 �d7 1 2 Ilb1 'WeB 1 3 �h2
h6 ( 13 . . . lte5?! is too optimistic: 14
f4 ! .U.h5 15 f5 ! gxf5 16 ttJd5 ! ±) 14
b3 and now Black has the plan
. . . llb8 , . . . a7-a6 and . . . b7-b5 or
. . . l£lh7 and . . . f7-f5 whereas White
can operate with �f4 and lbbd5
or i.b2 and �c2. With 8 ... c6 Black
does not commit himself while
the queen's route to b6 or a5 is
cleared.
9 h3
Again to prevent . . . l£lg4. If for
example 9 lle1 exd4 10 t:Llxd4
llJg4! 1 1 'i!Vxg4 �xd4 12 'ti'd 1 'ii'f6
ao .
Plans and Counterplans:
On 9 l:e8 10 .te3 exd4 1 1 t:Llxd4
...
tbc5 1 2 'ifc2 'fle7 1 3 l:.fe1 �d7
87
B
(13 ... llJfxe4 14 l£lxe4 lLJxe4 15 �xe4
'iYxe4 16 .i.d2! ) 14 lLlb3 ! �xb3 15
axb3 Black' s queen side is in diffi­
culties. A sharper continuation is
9 'ii'b 6!? Now 10 d5 is harmless
•..
in view of 10 . . .ltJc5 1 1 lle1 cxd5 12
cxd5 �d7 13 l:tb1 a5 with equal
chances. White opts for �e3, lLXI2-
c4 while Black's plan is . . . .U.ac8,
...'ii'd8, ... lOOB and .. f7-f5 or ... :rca,
.
. . . 'ii'd8 and . . . b7-b5. Also unclear
is 10 lle1 exd4 1 1 l£lxd4 lle8 due
to Black's threats of . . . �xe4,
. . . llJg4 and . . . �4. The real thrills
start after 10 c5 !?: 1 0 . . . dxc5 1 1
dxe5 l008 12 e6!? (not 12 ltJa4 'fia6
followed by ... b7-b5 and . . . ltJc7-e6,
when Black has an active posi­
tion) 12 . . . fxe6 13 ltJg5 llJe5 14 f4
ltJf7 15 ltJxf7 �d4 + 16 �h2 lhf7
1 7 e5 ltJc7 18 lbe4 l£ld5 1 9 h4!?
with a complicated fight in which
White's attacking prospects offer
him compensation for the pawn.
B. 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 g 6 3 ttJc3 ..tg7 4
ltJf3 d6 5 g3 o o 6 ..tg2 c5
..
7 0-0
88 More Basic Chess Openings
7 d5 e6 8 0-0 exd5 9 cxd5 trans­
poses to the Fianchetto variation
of the Benoni, while 7 . . . ltJa6 in­
stead of 7 . . . e6 leads to a slightly
inferior position : 8 0-0 l?:Jc7 9 a4
l:.b8 10 e4 a6 1 1 a5 b5 1 2 axb6
l:.xb6 �. An interesting alterna­
tive is 7 . . . e5 !? 8 dxe6 (or 8 0-0
ltJa6 9 e4 ltJc7 10 a4 b6 and Black
can aim for ... ttJh5 and . . . f7 -f5)
8 .. . .txe6 9 �g5 �xc4 10 ..txb7
ltJbd7 1 1 ..txa8 'ii'xa8 1 2 0-0 d5
with pleasant play for Black.
7 ltJc6
•••
For 7 . . .cxd4 8 lbxd4 ltJc6 see the
'Typical English'. After 9 ltJxc6
bxc6 1 0 .txc6 Black should not
play 10 .. . .ih3, but instead 10 ...l:.b8,
1 1 . . 1Wa5 with pressure on the
.
queenside.
8 d5
Or 8 dxc5 dxc5 and in the sym­
metrical position Black's lack of
one tempo is not significant: 9
.ie3 ..te6 10 �xc5 'Wa5 ! 1 1 ..ta3
..txc4 = ; or 9 ..t f4 ..td7 10 l£le5
ltJxe5 1 1 ..txe5 1Wc8, when with
. . J:td8, . . . ..tc6 Black maintains
equality.
8 ltJa5!
..•
This is a rare occasion on
which the knight stands well on
the sidelines, as it threatens the
pawn on c4, and White cannot
easily chase the knight away with
a2-a3 and b2-b4 owing to the
scope of the bishop on g7 .
9 ltJd2
This is better than 9 'iid3 as it
allows White to play e2-e4 and f2-
f4 and also counterbalances the
knight on a5 by defending the b 3
and c4 squares.
9 a6
...
Also not bad is 9 .. . e6. If White
takes then after . . . .txe6 the c4 -
pawn becomes weak, while if he
does not capture, Black can play
1 0 . . . exd5 1 1 cxd5, when after
. . . .:tb8 he is ready for . . .b7-b5. Also
playable is the routine King's In­
dian plan of 9 . . . e5 10 e4 �8 and
. . . f7-f5 . Instead of 10 e4, White
can also try 1 0 a3 b6 1 1 b4 l£lb 7,
when again Black plays . . . ltJe8 and
. . . f7-f5.
10 'ii'c2 l:.b8 11 b3 b5 12 ..tb2
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Black will try to compensate the
offside position of his a5-knight
with active play on the queenside.
The most aggressive follow-up is
12 . . . ..th6 !?, indirectly attacking
the pawn on c4. One possible con­
tinuation is 13 f4 bxc4 14 bxc4 e5
( 14 . . . ltlg4 15 ll)d 1) 15 dxe6 (15
fxe5? ltJg4 16 ltld 1 ltle3 1 7 tlJxe3
�xe3 + followed by . . . .txd2 and
... ltJxc4, and Black wins) 15 ... �xe6
 King 's Indian Defence
16 lLld5 lhb2 [? 1 7 'ii'xb2 Jl.g7 and,
with threats of .. . lLlxd5, . . . lDg4
and . . . lLlxc4 Black stands well.
C . 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g 6 3 lLlc3 �g7 4
lLJf3 d6 5 g 3 0-0 6 .ig2 lLlc6
7 0-0
7 d5 ltla5 8 lLld2 c5 transposes
to the previous section.
7 a6
•••
7 . . . Jl.g4 comes into considera­
tion, with the idea of 8 h3 �xf3 9
Jl.xf3 lLld7 10 e3 e5 1 1 d5 lLle7 12
e4 f5 . The continuation 7 ... e5 8
d5 t:i:Je7 strongly resembles the
Classical Main Line with the ex­
ception that here White has
played g2-g3 and Jl.g2 instead of
e2-e4 and .te2. This is a signifi­
cant difference because in these
positions White attacks on the
queenside while Black's play is on
the kingside. And a g2-g3 and
Jl.g2 set-up is almost impossible to
crack with a pawn-storm. White
can play 9 b4[ ? lt)d7 1 0 �b1 a5 1 1
a3 h6 ( 1 l . . . f5 1 2 ltJg5!) 1 2 e4 f5 13
exf5 gxf5 14 ltJh4 e4 15 'ilkb3 [ , pre­
paring c4-c5 and threatening to
eliminate Black's advanced pawn
with f2-f3 . Why doesn't Black
play 9 . . . a5 instead of 9 . . . ltJd7? Be­
cause after 10 bxa5 ! l:Ixa5 1 1 ltJd2
White is threatening l2Jb3 and c4-
c5, when he will quickly seize con­
trol with the moves c5xd6, a2-a4,
lLlb5, i.. a 3 and l:!cl . For example,
ll. . . b6 12 tLlb3 l:ta8 13 a4! fol­
lo wed by a4-a5 and later c4-c5 ,
when White is on top.
89
8 h3
A very sharp alternative is 8 b3
ltb8 9 .i.b2 b5 10 cxb5 axb5 1 1 d5
lDa5 12 tLld4 b4 13 ltJa4 e5 14 dxe6
fxe6 ao, while again 8 d5 ltla5 9
tLld2 c5 leads to section B.
8 ... ltb8
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White has two typical plans here:
an immediate advance in the cen­
tre and a simple developing move:
a) 9 e4 b5 10 e5 dxe5 1 1 dxe5
'ii'xd 1 12 ltxd 1 lbd.7 13 e6 fxe6 14
cxb5 axb5 15 i.f4 lDde5 ao .
b) 9 i. e3!? (perhaps a more
logical follow-up to h2-h3) 9 . . . b5
10 l2Jd2 .i.d7 1 1 ltc1!? e5!? 12 dxe5
tt:'lxe5 13 cxb5 axb5 14 b3 l:te8 15
lDde4 , when the outcome will de­
pend on whether Black can ever
mobilize his b-, c- and d-pawns.
II. Set-ups with e2-e4
1 d4 l2Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 l2Jc3 i.. g 7 4
e4 d6
After 4 . . . 0-0, 5 e5?! is prema­
ture : 5 . . . lLle8 6 f4 d6 7 i.. e 3 c5 !? 8
90 More Basic Chess Openings
dxc5 lDc6 and Black's develop­
ment plus may easily evolve into
a dangerous initiative. White can-
not occupy the whole centre as
Black would be able to blow it up.
But after 4 0-0 White can simply
. . .
play the same as on 4 . . . d6, when
Black has nothing better than to
transpose to theoretical lines
with 5 . . . d6.
After 4 . . . d6, White's choices
are:
A. Four Pawns Attack, viz. 5 f4.
B. Samisch Variation, viz. 5 f3.
C. h2-h3 set-ups and other
delicacies
D. Averbakh Variation, viz. 5
�e2 0-0 6 i.g5.
E. Classical Main Line, viz. 5
li)f3 followed by j.e2, 0-0.
A. Four Pawns Attack
1 d4 l0f6 2 c4 g6 3 li)c3 i.g7 4
e4 d6 5 f4
This line certainly has its pros
and cons: White follows the gen­
eral rule of development, first the
pawns, then the knights, but the
counter-argument is that it is bad
to make too many pawn moves in
the opening as it creates a wide
front without developing pieces
and castling. As we shall see, these
arguments as roughly of equal
merit, and this coincides with the
theoretical evaluation of this line.
5 0-0 6 ltJf3
..•
Black has to undermine the
white centre quickly, otherwise
B
his opponent will complete his de­
velopment with i.e2, 0-0 and start
to advance his four central pawns
(e4-e5) . Black's possibilities are
the usual:
Al. 6 li)a6!?, playing for . . . e7 -e5
..•
or
A2. 6 c5.
•.•
6 . . . i.g4?! is of little merit, due
to 7 i.e3 tDfd7 (preparing . . . �c6
and . . . e7 -e5) 8 h3 .i.xf3 9 1i'f3 fol­
lowed by 0-0-0 and g4 + .
Al. 1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltJc3 i.g7
4 e4 d6 5 f4 0-0 6 tiJf3 ltJa6!?
Black aims for . . . e7-e5, after
which the knight will gain access
to the c5-square. It is better to
await this on a6 than on d 7 in or­
der to keep the diagonal of th e
bishop on c8 open. On the imme­
diate 6 . . . e5 7 dxe5 dxe5 8 'i¥xd8
l:txd8 9 lDxe5 Black cannot achieve
sufficient compensation for the
pawn.
7 i.e2
 King 's Indian Defence
7 e 5 is met by 7 . . . ltJd 7 followed
by 8 . . . c5 .
7 . e5 8 dxe5
..
Alternatively 8 fxe5 dxe5 9 d5
(9 dxe5? lLlg4; or 9 lLlxe5 c5 10 d5
ttJxe4 1 1 ltlxe4 .i.xe5 threatening
12 . . . �h4 + ) 9 . . . c6 (9 . . . ltlc5 10 .i.g5
h6 1 1 i.xf6 ! 'ii'xf6 1 2 b4 ;t) 10 0-0
cxd5 1 1 cxd5 ltle8 followed by
. . . lDd6, whereupon the manoeuvre
. . . ltJc7 -e8 will secure the knight
as a blockader on d6. Later Black
can play . . . h7-h6 and . . . f7-f5 while
White may go i.e3-c5 and/or
lLld2-c4.
. 8 . . dxe5 9 'Wxd8 .Uxd8 1 0
llJxe5 ltJc5 1 1 .tf3 .te6
w l l . . a6) 10 . . . bxc6 1 1 fxe5 (other­
Plans and Counterplans:
Black prepares for . . . lDfd7 , when
after the exchange of knights, the
pawn on c4 is hanging and the d3-
square is wide open. This cannot
be prevented by 12 ltld5 lDfd7 13
tz)xd7 (not 13 lDxc7? ltJxe5 14 fxe5
liJd3 + 1 5 <it>e2 �xc4 + ) 13 . . . :xd7
14 �e2 .Ue8 15 e5 c6 16 ltJe3 f6 ! ,
because the white king faces a
terrible onslaught. White should
91
maintain an equal position with
1 2 0-0 ltJfd7 13 ltJxd7 i.d4 + 14
�h1 !txd7 15 ltJd5 c6 and now 16
�e3 ( 16 llJe3? lLld3) 1 6 . . . cxd5 17
�xd4 dxe4 18 .ixc5 exf3 19 nxf3
�xc4.
A2. 1 d4 l2Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 lDc3 i.g7
4 e4 d6 5 f4 0-0 6 ltJf3 c5
7 d5
On 7 dxc5 'ifa5 8 i.d3 'iVxc5 9
'ife2 lLlc6 1 0 i.e3 �a5 1 1 0-0 i.g4
1 2 l:tac 1 lDd7!? ao, while 7 i.e2
transposes to the Maroczy Bind
(Sicilian Defence) : 7 . . . cxd4 8 lDxd4
lDc6 9 i.e3 but since White has
played f2-f4 instead of castling
Black can easily equalize: 9 . . . e5 !?
10 4Jxc6 (10 llJdb5 lLleB and then
.
wise Black would capture on f4
and take aim at the pawn on e4
with . . . 1Ie8) 1 1 . . . dxe5 1 2 i.c5 :e8
= . Black can play for either . . . i.e6
and . . . lLld7 or for the g4-square.
7 . e6
. .
Similar to the Benko Gambit is
7 . . . b5!? 8 cxb5 a6 9 a4 (9 bxa6
'ii'a 5 10 i.d2 i.xa6 1 1 i.xa6 'ii'x a6
with . . . lDbd7 and . . J:tb8 to follow)
9 . . . e6!? 10 dxe6 i.xe6 1 1 i.e2
axb5 12 i.xb5 d5 ! 1 3 exd5 lLlxd5
14 lLlxd5 �xd5 15 0-0 ltJc6 with
good play for Black, owing to the
strong bishop on g7 and the fact
that the pawn on f4 weakens
White's position.
8 dxe6
8 �e2 exd5 9 cxd5 is the basic
position of the Benoni with f2-f4.
92 More Basic Chess Openings
On 9 exd5 (instead of 9 cxd5)
9 . . . a6 1 0 a4 a5 ! the black knight
infiltrates via a6 to the b4-square.
8 fxe6
.••
Less effective is 8 . . . i.xe6 9 i.d3
lLlc6 10 f5 ! i.d7 1 1 0-0 l:te8 12
i.g5 ;t;,
9 i.e2
On 9 i.d3 lDc6 10 0-0 a6!? and
if 1 1 a4 then 1 1 . . . b6 and Black
has obtained the chance to re­
group with . . . l:ta7-e7, . . . lDc6 and
. . . i.b7.
9 lbc6 10 0-0 'ii'e 7
•••
w Black does not transpose to the
Plans and Counterplans:
It is difficult for White to con­
tinue quietly because on 1 1 i.e3
ltlg4 while on 1 1 h3 the reply is
1 1 . . . ltlh5 . The real test is 1 1 e5
dxe5 12 fxe5 ltlg4 13 i.g5 and
now 13 . . . 'iie 8 14 �d2, when the
move ltlc3-e4 will compensate
White for the pawn on e5. Instead
of 1 3 . . .'ii' e 8, also interesting for
Black is 13 . . . 1i'd7!? 14 'i!Ve1 tLlgxe5
15 ltd1 lbxf3 + 1 6 :xf3 i.d4 + 17
c;i;>h l l:xf3 18 i.xf3 'ii'g7!?, with
. . . i.d 7 to follow (ao) .
B. Samisch Variation
1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 g6 3 lDc3 i.g7 4
e4 d6 5 f3
With this move, White first
builds a massive pawn structure
to secure his spatial plus and then
plans to fill up the space with his
pieces: i.e3, 'Ci'd2, .i.d3 and ltlge2.
5 0-0
...
5 . . . e5 immediately is also play-
able. For example 6 dxe5 dxe5 7
'ii'xd8 + �xd8 8 i.e3 .i.e6 9 0-0-0+
ltlfd7 10 g3 lDc6 1 1 i.h3 lDd4 12
..txe6 fxe6 13 f4 c5 = White .
should instead play 6 d5, when if
main lines with 6 . . . 0-0 but plays
for instance 6 . . . lDfd7 7 h4! ? f5,
then after 8 g3!? (against 8 f4!?)
and 9 h5 White has the upper
hand.
6 i.e3
On 6 i.g5 c5 7 d5 (or 7 dxc5
�a5 8 'ii'd 2 dxc5 followed by
. . Jtd8) 7 . . . e6 8 'ii'd 2 exd5 9 cxd5
(or 9 lDxd5 i.e6 10 lDe2 i.xd5 1 1
cxd5 lDbd7 1 2 lDc3 a6 = since
Black has got rid of his problem
bishop on c8) and we find our­
selves in a 'Samisch-like' Benoni.
The difference is that Black, due
to the different move-order, has
up to now been unable to play
. . . h7-h6, and now it is too late :
9 . . . h6? 1 0 i.xh6! lbxe4 1 1 ltJxe4
'ii'h4 + 12 g3 'ii'xh6 13 'ifxh6 i.xh6
14 lL'lxd6 with f2-f4 and 0-0-0 to
come (+). That leaves us with 9 . . a6.
10 a4 'fi'a5 1 1 l:ta3! and White is
 King 's Indian Defence
better. 1 1 lta3 ! is worth remem­
bering because it is a unique way
to protect the rook against the
th reat of . . .b7-b5 .
On 6 ii.g5 Black can also play
6 . . . lLlc6 7 lLlge2 and now either
. .. a7-a6, . . J�b8, . . . b7-b5 and . . . �d7
or 7 . . . e5 8 d5 lLle7 9 �d2 h5 ! fol­
lowed by . . . l2Jh7 and . . . f7-f5 oo.
This line can also appear through
the move-order 6 lDge2 e5 7 �g5
lL\c6 8 d5 lt:Je 7.
B a fresh idea is 12 . . . c5! 13 dxc6
Black now has a choice of vari­
ous set-ups, and the following are
worth examining closely:
B l . 6 c5 and
•..
B2. 6... e5.
Other lines are also instruc­
tive:
a) 6 ... c6 7 �d3 (more direct
than 7 'ii'd 2) 7 . . . a6 8 lDge2 b5 9 0-0
bxc4 (9 . . . lLlbd7 10 b3 e5 1 1 d5
cxd5 12 cxd5 lLlh5 13 l::t c l f5 14
exf5 gxf5 1 5 "ifd2 with a tough
game) 10 .ixc4 d5 1 1 .i.b3 dxe4 12
lbxe4 lDd5 13 .i.f2 a5 oo .
93
b) 6 ..�bd7 7 'ild2 c5 (7 . . . a6! ?
.
8 0-0-0 b 5 ! 9 cxb5 axb5 1 0 i.xb5
�b6 and l l . . . .i.a6 with a pleasant
attack on the queenside) 8 d5 !?
(or 8 lDge2 a6 9 0-0-0 �a5 fol­
lowed by 10 . . . b5) 8 . . . lLle5 9 .i g5 !?
a6 1 0 f4 lLled7 1 1 lLlf3 b5 12 cxb5
'ii'a 5 !? 13 e5 dxe5 14 fxe5 llJg4 1 5
e6 ! ( 1 5 fixe7? l:te8 1 6 d 6 �h6! oo )
1 5 . . . fxe6 16 �xe7 and d5-d6,
when the position is Byzantine.
c) 6 lLlc6 7 �ge2 a6 8 'i'd2
•••
l:.b8 9 h4 (9 li::Jc l e5! 10 d5 li::Jd4 oo)
9 . . . h5 10 lDcl e5!? 1 1 d5 �d4 and
now on both 12 lLlb3 and 12 lDle2
bxc6 14 lDxd4 exd4 15 i.xd4 l:te8
1 6 i.e2 d5 1 7 cxd5 ltb4! and for
example, 1 8 .i.c5 lt:Jxe4 ! 19 fxe4
( 19 lDxe4 l:txb2 and 20 . . . cxd5)
19 . . . .ixc3 20 'i'xc3 l:tbxe4 21 0-0
l:txe2 and Black is very active: 22
d6? is met by 22 . . . .ie6! followed
by 23 . . . .td5, therefore of course
White should prefer 22 dxc6
'ifxh4 with a double-edged posi­
tion.
8 1 . 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 g6 3 lbc3 .ig7 4
e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 .1e3 c5
7 dxc5
7 d5 e6 8 �d2 exd5 9 cxd5 leads
to the Benoni. Also possible is 7
ttJge2 4Jc6 8 �d2 cxd4 9 ttJxd4
ttJxd4 10 .ixd4 .ie6 1 1 �e2 'ii'a 5
12 llb1 .:tfc8 13 b3 a6!? and if
White stops . . . b 7-b5 with 14 a4
then 14 . . . 'ili'b4! 15 lDd5 'Wxd2 + 16
�xd2 llJxd5 17 .ixg7 lDf4!? 18
.i h6 ttJxe2 19 �xe2 b5!? with a
94 More Basic Chess Openings
promising endgame for Black.
(Just like the Sicilian Maroczy!)
7... dxc5 8 'ifxd8
8 e5 is met by 8 . . . �fd7 9 f4 f6 !
(the very first opportunity should
be taken to blow up the enemy
centre) 1 0 exf6 ( 10 e6 li)b6 and
the pawn on e6 falls) 10 . . . lLlxf6 !
1 1 1Wxd8 l:.xd8 1 2 ..ixc5 i.f5! 1 3
lLl f3 lLle4! with a good deal of com­
pensation for the pawn.
8 lhd8 9 i.xc5 ltlc6 10 i.a3
•••
The threat was 1 0 . . . lLld7 and
1 1 . . . i.xc3 + disconnecting White's
queenside pawns. Or 10 ltJd5 ltJd7
1 1 i.a3 e6 1 2 lLlc7 1lb8 13 0-0-0
b6 !? followed by . . . .i.b7, .. J�bc8
and Black' s play with the strong
dark-squared bishop, initiative on
the c-file and White's jammed
queenside leads to an equal game.
10 a5!?
..•
Preparing . . . ltlc6-b4.
1 1 ltdl .i.e6
Also interesting is 1 1. . . l:txd 1 +
1 2 �xd l ltlb4 13 l2Jge2 �e6 14
l2Jd5 �xd5 15 cxd5 e6 !?
12 l2Jd5
Plans and Counterplans:
White plans to secure his position
and extra pawn with l2Je2-c3 .
However, he is still so undevel­
oped that Black can convert his
development advantage into an
equal material balance. On the
older line 12 ... .i.xd5 13 cxd5 lLlb4
14 <it>f2 ! ( 1 4 �b5 lDc2 + 15 �f2
ltJxa3 16 bxa3 e6 ao) Black does
not get the bishop on a3 ! How­
ever 12 ... lLlb4! is an important
B
new move: 13 ..ixb4 axb4 14 lDxb4
lDd 7 15 1ld2 lLlc5 and the wbite
queenside gets into trouble or 13
ltlxe7+ �h8 14 lDd5 �2 + 15 cj;£2
l2Jxa3 16 bxa3 b5 ! 17 l2Jh3 nac8 !
and Black is on top. Maybe White
can seek reinforcement with 13
'iii>f2 .
82. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltlc3 i.g7 4
e4 d& 5 f3 0·0 6 i.e3 e5
Now White gains nothing from 7
dxe5 dxe5 8 1i'xd8 1lxd8 9 lbd5 in
view of 9 . . . ltlxd5 10 cxd5 c6 1 1
i..c4 b5 12 i..b 3 i..b 7= .
So White can either keep up
the tension in the centre - at least
for a while - with 7 liJge2 (section
B2a) , or immediately close the
centre with 7 d5 (section B2b).
B2a. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 lLlc3
iJ.. g7 4 e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 .i.e3 e5 7
l2Jge2
7 c6
•••
This is better than 7 . . . liJc6? t 8
'iid 2 exd4 9 lLlxd4, when White
 King 's Indian Defence
guards his spatial plus with .te2
and 0-0. An important difference
compared to the Maroczy set-up is
that there the c-pawn is missing
instead of the e-pawn and there­
fore in the Maroczy Black has
some counterplay on the c-file, at­
tacking the pawn on c4 after
. . . ltJxd4, . . . i.e6, . . .'iVa5 and ... l:fc8.
The open e-file instead of the c­
file does not offer such active pos­
sibilities.
8 'iid2 lLlbd7
Or 8 . . . exd4 9 lDxd4 d5 10 cxd5
cxd5 1 1 e5 lDeB 12 f4 f6 13 ltJf3 !?
fxe5 14 i.. c 4! and in the course of
blasting open the centre Black
has become passive.
w 1 2 'ii'xd5 +. Black must therefore
Plans and Counterplans:
White can either close the centre
w ith d4-d5 or keep the option
fluid by playing lid1 or 0-0-0:
a) 9 d5 cxd5 10 ltJxd5 ( 10 cxd5
a6 1 1 g4! ? h5! 1 2 g5 ltlh7 13 l::t g1
f6 14 gxf6 :xf6 oo) 10 . . . ltJxd5 1 1
\';'xd5 ( 1 1 cxd5 f5 12 lDc3 lDf6 13
.1d3!?) 1 1 . .. ltlf6!? (a rare line is
1 1 . . . ltlb6 1 2 'ii'b 5 �h6!? and the
95
bishop is protected by . . . 1i'h4 + . It
is a pity that after 13 i.f2 ! fol­
lowed by 4Jc3, i.e2 and 0-0 White
is slightly better) 12 �d2 b5! and
13 cxb5 d5 14 exd5 lDxd5 1 5 lld 1
.te6 or 13 ltJc3 bxc4 14 i.xc4
i.e6 !? with good play for Black.
The breakthrough . . . b7-b5 and
. . . d6-d5 is very attractive!
b) 9 l:dl a6!? 10 dxe5 ltJxe5 1 1
b3 b5! 12 cxb5 axb5 13 \i'xd6 lbfd7
and on, for example 14 �d2 b4 15
lba4 l:txa4 16 bxa4 tLlc4 1 7 1Wc l
lt:lxe3 1 8 'iVxe3 'ii'a 5 with a tre­
mendous attack for Black. For
that matter, after 13 ... tLlfd7 Black
was already threatening 14 . . .b4!
15 �xb4 c5 1 6 .i.xc5 lDxc5 17
l:txd8 li)ed3 + . 10 d5 !? instead of
10 dxe5 comes into consideration,
and on 10 . . . cxd5? 1 1 ltJxd5 ! ltJxd5
close the d-file before the white
forces invade: 10 d5 !? c5 !? and
Black may consider a future . . .b7-
b5 sacrifice or the manoeuvre
. . . ltJeS and . . . f7-f5.
c) 9 0-0-0 a6 !? 10 �h6!? ( 10 d5
c5 and 1 1 . . . b5 oo or 10 Wb1 b5 1 1
tLlc l exd4 12 i.xd4 b4!? 13 lLla4 c5
14 i.xf6 ii.xf6 15 �xd6 .te7 and
Black's control over the dark
squares yields him good play. He
can even dream about . . . 'iVa5,
. . . �f6, . . . lt.Je5-c6-d4 and . . . �d7) .
10 . . . b5!? 1 1 h4 'ii'a5 12 h5 b4 13
ltlbl 'ii'x a2 14 lDg3 (if Black had
interpolated . . . i.. x h6, 'i!Vxh6, an­
other interesting defensive move
would be ltd 1-d2) 14 . . . i.. xh6 15
�xh6 and Black's bilateral attack
96 More Basic Chess Openings
can be continued with . . . ltJb6-c4
or . . . e5xd4 and . . . tLlc5, whereas
White can operate with a combi­
nation of the moves ii'g5, lLlf5 and
h5xg6.
B2b. I d4 ttlf6 2 c4 g6 3 lllc3
J.g7 4 e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 J.e3 e5 7
d5
7. .. ttlh5
With the centre closed, Black
can try for . . . f7-f5, as he no longer
needs to fear d4xe5. 7 . . . c6 8 ltlge2
cxd5 9 cxd5 lLlbd7 10 1Wd2 trans­
poses into section B2a, while on 8
.id3!? (instead of 8 ltlge2) 8 . . . cxd5
9 cxd5 lbh5 10 ltlge2 f5 1 1 exf5!?
gxf5 12 0-0 ll)d7 13 :tel a6 14
<it>h l !? White has a fantastic posi­
tional trap: 14 . . . �h8?! 15 'ii'd2 b5?
16 �xf5 ! ! :xf5 1 7 g4 and on any
rook move White has a tremen­
dous attack with g4xh5, lbe4, i.h6,
llgl and llJg5 . Better is 14 .. . lLldf6
1 5 i.g5 ! ? and White has a some­
what more harmonious position
as Black's knights are tied up.
8 'ii'd2
White prepares to castle queen­
side.
8 .f5
..
The queen sacrifice 8 . . . �h4 + 9
g3 (9 �f2 fle7 followed by f7-f5
or 9 . . 'i!Vf4) 9 . . lLlxg3 10 'ii'f2 lLlxfl
. .
1 1 'iVxh4 ti)xe3 is the subject of a
long-standing debate. Besides the
two pieces Black also has a pawn
for the queen, but after 12 �e2 !
lLlxc4 13 l::tc l lba6 14 lDdl ( 14 b3?
ltJa3 and . . . i.d 7) 14 . . . ti)b6 15 ti)e3
.id7 16 lLlh3 f6 1 7 lLlf2 llJc8 ! 18
ti)d3 c5 19 'ii'g3, followed by h2-
h4, White is ahead in 'weight' , al­
though Black can play J.h6xe3
and if h4-h5 then . . . g6-g5 stop­
ping White' s kingside attack.
9 0-0-0 lLld 7
The premature . . . f5-f4 would
simply release the pressure on
White's position.
w
Plans and Counterplans:
After completing his development,
White will advance his kingside
plans with i.d3 , lLlge2 , g2-g3,
.ih6 and naturally e4xf5. For his
part, Black can generate play on
the queenside with . . . a7-a6 and
. . . b7-b5, play . . . ltJc5 and . . . a7-a5,
or play . . . lLldf6 followed by a cap­
ture on e4. One interesting possi­
bility is 10 exf5 gxf5 1 1 �d3 lLlc5
12 .ic2 'ii'h4! forcing a weakness:
13 b3 (now the threat is 14 �g5)
1 3 . . . ,..e 7! and Black has play on
the weakened long diagonal. He
still needs to be careful, however,
because White still has the d4-
square.
 King 's Indian Defence
C. h2-h3 set-ups and other
delicacies
1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 g6 3 lDc3 Jl.. g7 4
e4 d6 5 h3
White is planning to play i.g5
and �d2 but the immediate 5
.ig5 h6 6 .i.e3 allows 6 . . . tlJg4,
therefore White first protects the
g4-square.
Another, quite rare continu­
ation, also deserves attention: 5
i.d3!? 0-0 6 tlJge2. Now Black can
make use of White' s lack of con­
trol over d4 and e5 with 6 . . . l2Jc6 7
0-0 ltJd7 !? 8 it.e3 e5 9 d5 ltJd4 and
he need not fear 10 �xd4 exd4 1 1
lbb5 in view of 1 1 . . . ltJe5 12 ltJbxd4
c5 ! 13 dxc6 (if the knight moves,
there follows . . . ltJxd3 and . . . i.xb2)
13 . . . bxc6 and the black bishops
are very strong (Black' s plan is
. . . i.a6 and . . . d6-d5).
Also interesting is the set-up 5
l2Jge2 with lLlg3 and i.e2 to follow.
The logical reply is 5 . . . 0-0 6 ltJg3
e5 7 d5 a5 8 Jl.. e 2 lDa6 9 0-0 lLJc5
10 b3 Jl.. d 7 1 1 :b1 h5 12 i.g5 'ii'e8 !
13 'ifd2 ltJh7 and on 14 Jl.. h 6 h4 !
completely upsetting the posi­
tion.
5 0-0 6 Jl..g5
. ..
White can still switch to a well­
trodden path with 6 lDf3 c5 7 d5
e6 8 i.d3 exd5 9 exd5 (9 cxd5 is a
fas hionable line of the Benoni)
9 . . . Ite8 + 10 .i.e3 Jl.. h 6 1 1 0-0 .i.xe3
1 2 fxe3 and 1 2 . . . l:.xe3? is fatal be­
cause 1 3 'iVd2 followed by ir'h6
and lDg5 gives White a decisive
97
attack. Better is 12 . . . ltJbd 7 and
then . . .rt;g7, ... tlJg8 and ... f7-f6 with
a blockade on the dark squares.
6 c5!?
•••
This is more accurate th an
6 . . . h6? ! 7 Jl..e 3 e5 8 d5 followed by
.id3, \Wd2 and ltJge2 i.
7 d5 e6 8 .i. d3 exd5 9 exd5
ltJbd7
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White faces a difficult decision.
Mter 10 tlJf3 l!e8 + the king must
depart: 1 1 �n (1 1 it.e3 Jl.. h 6) , al­
though this is ugly only to the eye
since after l l . . . h6 12 .if4 ltJe5 13
ltJxe5 dxe5 14 .ie3 b6 15 'iYd2 h5
the game is double-edged. White
can attack with a2-a4-a5 while
Black can proceed with . . . f7-f5 af­
ter the f6 knight has moved. An
interesting alternative is 1 0 f4!?
fi'a5 1 1 rt;f2!? (the threat was
1 l . . . b5 12 cxb5 lLlxd5) 1 l . . . h6 12
i.h4 a6 1 3 a4 lLlh5 14 ltJge2 f5
with a difficult fight.
The variation 5 h3 or perhaps 5
Jl.. d 3 with the idea ltJge2 is best
suited to those who seek novel
98 More Basic Chess Openings
ideas brought about by tiny dif�
ferences or variances in move�or�
ders right at the start.
D. Averbakh Variation
1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 g6 3 lbc3 i.g7 4
e4 d6 5 J.e2 0-0 6 i.g5
White immediately exerts pres­
sure on the knight f6, thereby
preventing Black from playing
. . . e7-e5 right away: 6 . . . e5? 7 dxe5
dxe5 8 'ii'x d8 :txd8 9 i.xf6 i.xf6
10 lLld5 and major material losses
can only be avoided with 10 . . . lD<i7
+. Of course Black can play 6 . . . h6,
but then the bishop retreats to e3
and later the pawn on h6 will
need defence. Black's usual plans
are:
D l. 6 ... c5
D2. 6 h6 7 �e3 e5 and
.••
D3. 6 ... lba6!?
0 1 . 1 d4 l2Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 lLlc3 �g7 4
e4 d6 5 i.e2 0-0 6 .igS c5
Those who plan to play ... c7 -c5 can
first interpolate 6 . . . h6 7 i.e3 and
now 7 . . . c5 8 e5 !? (on 8 dxc5 �a5
while 8 d5 is only a different move­
order leading to 6 . . . c5) 8 . . . dxe5 9
dxe5 'ii'xd1 + 10 lhd1 ltJg4 1 1 i.xc5
ltJxe5 1 2 i.xe 7 :es 13 �d5 lDa6
14 b3 i.f5 15 �fl lLlc6 16 i.f6
ltJcb4 and Black's development
plus is ample reward for the pawn.
7 d5
When one has not yet castled
one should keep the position
closed. On 7 dxc5?! 'iVa5 8 i.d2 (8
'it'd2 dxc5 and . . . lidS) 8 . . . 'ii'xc5 9
lDf3 i.g4 1 0 .ie3 'ii'a5 followed by
. . . ltJc6 Black has comfortable play.
7... b6
Slightly worse for Black is
7 . . . e6 8 'ii'd 2 exd5 9 exd5 (9 cxd5
leads to the Benoni but 9 exd5 is
free from risk and is to White's
advantage) 9 . . . 1Ie8 10 lLlf3 �g4 1 1
0-0 ltJbd 7 1 2 h 3 �xf3 1 3 i.xf3 a6
1 4 a4 and Black has no counter­
play while White can either con­
sider a slow kingside expansion
with i.e2, f2-f4, i.d3 and g2-g4 or
he can opt for an endgame with
exchanges on the e-file where his
bishop pair and Black's vulner­
able pawn on d6 secure White 's
advantage (!) .
After 7 . . .'fia5, 8 'ii'd 2?! is wrong
on account of 8 . . . a6 9 a4 ltJbd7,
threatening 10 . . . ttJb6 and . . . � d7 ,
. . . 'ii'b 4 with an attack on the
white pawns. Another interesting
concept is 10 ltJf3 b5 !? 1 1 cxb5
axb5 1 2 i.xb5 (the pawn on a4 is
pinned!) 12 ... l21xe4!? 13 lDxe4 'ti'xb5
14 axb5 :Xa1 + followed by . . . l:Ixhl.
So on 7 . . . 'ifa5 White should play 8
�d2 ! and then simply ltJf3 and
0-0, when the black queen is mis­
placed on a5 whereas White can
even prepare i.h6 with 'ifcl .
Again playable is the Benko
Gambit-like 7 . . . b5 !? 8 cxb5 a6: 9
a4 !? 'ii'a 5 10 i.d2 axb5 1 1 i.xb5
l2Ja6 and then . . . l2Jb4 and . . . i.a6.
8 .tf4
Also possible is 8 i.e3 ltJbd 7 9
'ii'd2 �h7 10 l2Jf3 a6! 1 1 a4 'ifa5 12
 King 's Indian Defence
0-0 ltJg4 13 �f4 ltJge5 14 'ir'c2 !?
ttJxf3 + 15 i.xf3 lDe5 16 i.e2 f5 !
with mutual chances.
8 e6!?
.••
Or 8 . . . �b6 9 'iVd2 �h 7 10 h3
and lDf3, 0-0 !.
9 dxe6
The bishop has been chased
from g5 so after 9 �d2 exd5 1 0
exd5 � h 7 1 1 ltlf3 Black can play
1 1 . . . ltlh5 ! 12 i.e3 f5 !
9 i.xe6
...
w e4 d6 5 .i.e2 0·0 6 i.g5 h6 7 i.. e 3
Plans and Counterplans:
Black threatens to take over with
. . . �b6 and . . . lDc6 so White has to
bite at the pawn on d6 in one of
two ways:
a) 10 .t xd6 I!e8 1 1 ltJf3 tbc6
12 0-0 ( 1 2 i.xc5 �a5 + ) 12 . . . ltJd4
13 e5 ( 1 3 .txc5 ltlxe2 + 14 'ii'x e2
Wlc7 and . . . i.. xc4 -+) 13 . . . 4Jd7 14
li.Jxd4 cxd4 15 'il'xd4 4.Jxe5! 16
i.xe5 iV'xd4 17 �xd4 .txd4 and
Black maintains equality with
. . . l:tad8, . . . .txc3 and . . . l:.d2.
b) 1 0 �d2 !? sets a trap, since
on 1 0 . <it>h7? White can play 1 1
. .
�xd6 l:te8 12 e5 ! lLlfd7 13 f4 f6 14
99
h4! fxe5 15 h5! and Black's mon­
arch has become the target. So
Black should play 1 0 . . .'ii' b 6!? 1 1
i.. x h6 i.. xh6 1 2 'ii'h 6 'i'xb2 13 l:tc l
lDc6 14 h4 liJe5 15 liJh3 !? ( 1 5 h5?
liJfg4! 16 'ii'f4 lDxf2! and White
cannot recapture) and now Black
can choose between 15 . . . i.. xh3 16
I!xh3 ltJfg4 and . . . f7-f5 ; 15 . . . l:tfe8
16 h5 i.xh3 1 7 hxg6 ltJxg6 1 8
Itxh3 lDxe4 ; o r 15 . . . b5!? I n each
case his counterattack balances
White's offensive.
02. 1 d4 4Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 ttJ c3 i.. g 7 4
Not 7 i.. f4 lbc6! 8 d5 (8 ltJf3 e5 ! 9
dxe5 liJh5 and 10 . . . dxe5) 8 . . . e5! 9
i..e3 lbd4!? 10 ..txd4 exd4 1 1 �xd4
IreS 1 2 'iVd3 lDd7 with excellent
play on the dark squares, while
on 7 ..th4 liJa6!? followed by . . . e7-
e5 White' s pressure on diagonal
c 1-h6 has evaporated. On 8 liJf3
Black can even consider 8 . . . g5 9
.tg3 'Dh5.
7 e5 8 d5
...
The only move as after 8 liJf3
ltJg4 or 8 dxe5 dxe5 9 ii'xd8 1!xd8
10 4Jd5 liJa6 White has achieved
nothing.
8 c6
••.
8 . . . liJbd7 is also important: 9
'ifd2 ltlc5 10 f3 a5 and now the mis­
take 1 1 .txh6? allows 1 l . . . liJfxe4
followed by . . . 'S'h4 + and . . . .'ifxh6
and Black has won the pawn back
with a superior position. On 1 1 g4
h5! White's attack is halted, but
with 1 1 .i.d1 and .i.c2, l0ge2 to
100 More Basic Chess Openings
follow, White can develop and cas­
tle kingside with the plan of b2-
b3, a2-a3 and b3-b4 or he can
castle queenside and start things
rolling on the other flank.
9 'ii'd2 cxd5 10 cxd5 h5
w supporting the plan of . . . f7-f5.
Plans and Counterplans:
It is hardly desirable for White to
allow an exchange dark-squared
bishops here, as the bishop on g7
will be rather passive in the mid­
dlegame, but of course he still
needs to complete his develop­
ment. So 1 1 h3!? �a6 12 �f3 �c5
13 'ifc2 and on account of his ma­
terial advantage on the queenside
White's chances are better both
after 13 . . . a5 14 0-0 followed by
lDd2 and after 13 . . . '1i'c7 14 :c 1
J.d7 15 b4!? lba4 16 'it'b3.
03. 1 d 4 ttlf6 2 c4 g& 3 lbc3 J.g7 4
e4 d6 5 i. e2 0-0 6 i. g S �a & ! ?
This makes 7 . . . e5 possible, after
which the knight will find its
place on c5. Note that 7 . . . e5 8
dxe5 dxe5 9 1i'xd8 l:txd8 10 .i.xf6
J.x£5 1 1 �d5 is no longer a double
attack since c7 is protected ! The
simila1· 6 . . . lLlbd7 is weaker: 7 'iVd2
e5 8 lbf3 c6 9 %%d1 (9 0-0?! exd4 10
lbxd4 lbc5 1 1 f3? lbfxe4 ! 12 fxe4
i.xd4+ - + ) and on 9 . . Jte8 10 d5 !
;t; owing to White' s spatial plus.
To make matters worse, the rook
would now be better placed on f8,
7 'i'd2
After 7 f4 c6 !? 8 lbf3 lbc 7! , the
central blow . . . d6-d5 is an ade­
quate plan, while on 7 lbf3 h6 8
i.e3 e5 9 dxe5 lbg4!? (9 . . . dxe5 10
lDxe5 lLlxe4 is also not bad) 10
'ti'd2 lLlxe3 11 'iixe3 dxe5 and after
. . . c7-c6 and . . . '1i'e7 Black is some­
what better.
7 e5 8 d5
•••
After 8 lLlf3 'ife8 the merits of
6 . . . lLla6 compared to 6 . . . lDbd7 be­
come clear because now besides
9 . . . exd4, Black is also threatening
9 . . . i.g4.
8 c6!?
..•
After 8 ... 'ife8 9 f3 White can play
i.d l , �ge2 and .i.c2 while Black
can opt for . . . lLlc5, . . . a7-a5, . . . llJh5
and . . . f7-f5. However, White's spa­
tial plus is the dominant factor.
9 J.d3
In order to thwart ... .i.g4, White
once again hands over the e2-
square to the knight.
9 lLlc5 10 �c2 a5 1 1 ttJge2
•••
cxd5 12 cxd5
Plans and Counterplans:
White is planning 0-0, f2-f3, .i.e3,
b2-b3, a2-a3 and b3-b4. With
 King 's Indian Defence
8
12 b5!? 13 li.Jxb5 h6 14 .i.xf6
...
�xf6 Black can obtain the bishop
pair, but it has cost him a pawn.
Therefore it is better to prepare
this with 12 -id 7!? and now on
.••
13 0-0 b5 while on 13 a4 'ifb6 and
. . . :feB, when the black queen can
even tease White from the b4-
square.
E. Classical Main Line
1 d4 tt.Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 lLlc3 i.g7 4
e4 d6 5 li.Jf3 0-0 6 i..e2
Not 6 i.. g5 h6 ! 7 .i.h4 g5 8 i.g3
lDh5 = .
6 e5
.••
6 . . . c5 has no independent value
as after 7 d5 e6 8 0-0 exd5 9 cxd5
it transposes to the Benoni, while
after 7 0-0 !? cxd4 (not 7 . . . li.Jc6?! 8
d5 li.Ja5 9 .id2 ..ig4 10 b3 a6 1 1
l:Icl + followed by �e1, when White
is threatening the knight on a5 as
well as the breakthrough e4-e5) 8
lDxd4 and we have reached a Si­
cilian Maroczy.
O n 6 . . . ..i g4 7 ..ie3 lDfd 7 White
should play 8 ltJgl ! ..ixe2 9 ltJgxe2,
101
when after 0-0, ft'd2 and f2-f3 he
has a spatial advantage (�).
This is the starting position for
three main variations:
E l . 7 d5
E2. 7 0-0 lLlbd7 and
E3 7 0-0 li.Jc6.
.
Besides 7 d5 and 7 0-0 White
also has:
a) 7 dxe5 dxe5 8 'i*'xd8 �xd8 9
..ig5 (9 li.Jxe5 llJxe4 + or 9 li.Jd5
llJxd5 10 cxd5 c6 1 1 ..ic4 cxd5 1 2
.ixd5 li.Jd7 = ) 9 . . c6!? 1 0 lLUce5
.
l::r e 8 1 1 f4 ( 1 1 0-0-0 li.Ja6! 12 l:td6
i.e6 13 f4 h6 14 ..ixffi - 14 i.h4 g5 !
- 14 . . . .ixf6 oo} l l . . . li.Jh5!? 12 ..ixh5
gxh5 13 .ih4 llJd7 14 .ig3 lLUce5
b) 7 i.e3 Now this is a dan­
gerous move! For example 7 . �c6 . .
8 d5 "De7 9 lL'ld2! and White has
achieved the ideal set-up of .i.e3
and ltJd2. Why is it ideal? Because
on the kingside it obstructs the
moves . . . lDh5, . . . �g4 and . . . ..ig4
and when . . . f7-f5 arrives White
102 More Basic Chess Openings
can answer f2-f3 . Meanwhile the
knight on d2 is ready to occupy
the c4-square after b2-b4 and c4-
c5 and exert strong pressure on
b6 and d6 . So instead of 7 . . . ltJc6?,
Black should play 7 . . . ltJg4 8 .ig5
f6 9 .ih4 l£lc6 10 d5 ltJe7 1 1 liJd2
lhh6, followed by . . . f7 -f5, or pre­
pare this by 7 . . . h6!? 8 0-0 l£lg4 9
.icl l£lc6 10 d5 l£le7 1 1 l£le1 f5 !?
and after 1 2 J.. xg4 fxg4 Black can
even think about the exchange
sacrifice . . . g6-g5 and . . Jif4.
E1 . 1 d4 l£lf6 2 c4 g6 3 l£lc3 .tg7 4
e4 d6 5 �f3 0-0 6 .ie2 e5 7 d5
White does not allow the knight
on b8 to go to e7 after 7 0-0 ltJc6 8
d5, but shuts off this route well in
advance.
7 a5
•..
On 7 . . . llJh5 White can play 8
g3 ! which impedes 8 . . . �f4 while
8 . . . .th3? is harmless as well due
to 9 �g5 ! On 8 . . . f5 9 exf5 1i'f6 10
llJg5 ! �xf5 1 1 0-0 llJf6 12 f3 and,
with sufficient control over the
e4-square to be able to locate a
piece there, White is on top. This
line demonstrates that when the
knight is on h5 Black has difficul­
ties recapturing on f5, e.g. 9 exf5
gxf5 1 0 ltJxe5 and the knight on
h5 is hanging. On 9 . . . l:xf5, 10 g4
is a fork while on 9 . . . J.. xf5 10
lLlg5 ! lLlf6 1 1 g4! White again has
the e4-square in his control while
e6 is also weak.
Mter 7 . . . lLlbd7 8 .ig5 ! h6 9 .ih4
g5 10 i.g3 l£lh5 White can make
use of the fact that he has not yet
castled and with 1 1 h4! start pick­
ing on the loose black kingside,.
e.g. 1 1 . . . lLlxg3 1 2 fxg3 gxh4 13
lLlxh4 'ii'g5 14 .ig4! ltJc5 15 i.xc8
and 16 lLlf5 ! + or 1 1 . . . g4 1 2 llJh2
4Jxg3 13 fxg3 h5 14 0-0! .ih6 15
.id3 lDc5 16 .ic2 followed by �e2,
l:tf2, lLlh2-fl-e3 and White exam­
ines the loose enemy kingside. Fi­
nally on 7 . . . llJbd7 8 it.g5 a5, again
9 lLld2! h6 10 .ie3 and White has
'switched' the bishop on c1 and
knight on f3 , thus obtaining the
maximum efficiency of his pieces.
Later, on . . . f7-f5 he answers f2-f3
and with a2-a3, b2-b4 (or if Black
threatens to block with . . . a5-a4
then with b2-b3, a2-a3 and b3-b4)
he can start a queenside expan­
sion.
8 .ig5! h6!
On 8 . . . l/Ja6?! 9 llJd2 h6 10 J.. e3
;t,
9 .ih4
9 .i.e3 is met by 9 . . . llJg4 and 9
.id2 takes away the knight's
natural square .
9 llJa6 10 0-0 �e8!
. ..
The knight on f6 must be set
free in order to enable Black's
standard plan of . . . f7 -f5 . 10 . . . g5?
is a major blunder, as later this
pawn will have to recapture on f5.
l l lLld2
Also possible is 1 1 lLle1 lLlc5 12
f3 and 1 3 lDd3 with an exchange
of knights on c5 .
l l ltlli 7
...
1 1 . . . l/Jc5?! 1 2 llJb5 ! is unpleas­
ant.
 King 's Indian Defence
12 a3 .i.d7!
This move both develops and
irritates White: the threat is to
block the white queenside with
. . . a5-a4 and thus shelter the posi­
tion of the knight after . . .liJa6-c5.
13 b3!?
Another interesting move is 13
�b5 !? The knight on a6 is now
doomed to stay where it is and
White is threatening 14 b4! axb4
1 5 axb4 .i.xb5 16 cxb5 lLlxb4 1 7
'ti'b3 + -. The best choice for Black
is 13 . . . h5! 1 4 f3 �h6!? with the
oo
possible follow-up . . . i.e3 + . White
can also try to avoid this line with
1 3 �h 1 !?, when 13 . . . a4 14 lLlb5 !
.txb5 1 5 axb5 lbc5 16 f3 and j_f2
leads to great complications. But
back to 13 b3!
8 1 2 lDe1 ! ltJf6 13 ltld3 c6 14 .i.e3
Plans and Counterplans:
If Black is feeling brave, he can
try 13 f5!? 14 exf5 gxf5 15 .i.h5
•..
'ii'cB 16 .i.e7 l:te8 1 7 �xeS 'ii'xe8 18
.i.h4 e4 19 l:tc1 lDc5, when he has
sufficient play for the exchange.
His next task will be to improve
the placement of the knight on h7
103
via either f8-g6 or f6-h5-f4. Black's
other possibility is to activate his
g7 -bishop: 13 h5 (threatening
•••
14 . . . g5) 14 f3 .i.h6 and now on 15
.i.f2 i!Je7 followed by . . . h5-h4, on
15 <&tlh l .i.e3 and . . . f7-f5, while on
15 l:tb1 .i.e3 + 16 .i.f2 i.xf2 + 1 7
l:txf2 'W/e7 1 8 b4 axb4 1 9 axb4 c5!?
with mutual chances.
E2. 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 g 6 3 ltJc3 i.g7 4
e4 d6 5 ti)f3 0·0 6 .ie2 e5 7 0-0
White need not fear the prema­
ture 7 . . . exd4 8 t0xd4 as he obtains
a slight central plus: 8 . . J:te8 9 f3
ltJc6 10 i.e3 li)h5 1 1 f4 ! ltJf6 1 2
.if3 .
7 ltJbd7
..•
Again Black has the option of
the popular King's Indian move
7 . . . lDa6: 8 .i.e3 lDg4 9 .i.g5 ._,e8 1 0
dxe5 h 6 1 1 �d2 lDxe5 !? ( 1 1 . . . dxe5
W/e7 15 b4 lLld7 16 b5 lDc7 1 7 bxc6
bxc6 18 'ii'a4 !) 1 2 lbd4!? c6 1 3
.ie3 h5! 1 4 h3 oo or 8 1Ie1 c6 9 .i.fl
�g4 10 d5 ltJb4 1 1 .i.e2 a5 12 .ie3
c5 13 a3 ltJa6 14 l:tfi ! and 15 lLle1 .
Now White's idea is lDd3 and car­
rying through b2-b4, while Black
opts for . . .f7-f5.
8 1Ie1
Also possible is 8 d5 ltJc5 9 'ii'c2
a5 10 .i.g5 h6! 1 1 �e3 ( 1 1 �h4 g5
with . . . ltJh5-f4 and . . . h7-h5 to fol­
low is strong) 1 1 . . . ltJg4 12 .ixc5
dxc5 Alternatively, 8 .ie3!? lDg4
oo .
9 �g5 f6 (9 . . . fie8?? 10 lbd5 + -)
10 �d2 lLlh6 (10 ... f5? 1 1 dxe5 dxe5
1 2 lDg5! +) 1 1 'i!Vc2 and White is
104 More Basic Chess Openings
slightly better. Another modem
concept is 8 'iflc2 c6 9 l:tdl: 9 . .. 'ife7
10 d5 (crossing Black's plan of
10 . . . exd4 11 tLlxd4 �c5 12 f3 l0h5
followed by . . . f7-f5) 10 . . . c5 1 1 g3
ltlg4!? 12 �h4 ltlb6 13 a3 f5 oo.
8 c6
•••
If White does not push d4-d5
then the plan of . . . f7-f5 does not
work since White can open up the
centre and exploit his lead in de­
velopment; not to mention the
weakness of Black's king. So on oc­
casions such as this, Black should
opt for play on the dark squares
with his bishop. For this he will
need his queen to join the game,
preferably from b6.
9 .ifl
Or 9 d5 c5 followed by . . . ti)eB
and . . .f7-f5 oo.
9 exd4
...
On 9 . . J:te8?, correct is 10 d5 ! as
the rook is badly placed for the
break . . . f7-f5 : it even occupies a
square that the knight on f6
would like.
10 liJxd4
B E3. 1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 g6 3 ti)c3 J.g7 4
Plans and Counterplans:
Black has two original continu ­
ations:
a) 10 ti)g4 1 1 'ii'xg4 ( 1 1 h3
...
'ii'b 6 12 hxg4 'ifxd4 13 .i.e3 'a'e5 14
'ii'd2 'ti'e7 15 l:tad1 l005 is unclear)
1 l . . . .i.xd4 12 'i'g3 ! lLlf6 1 3 1fi'd3
'Wb6 14 .ie3 .ixe3 15 l:xe3 and
White stands somewhat better
due to the weakness of the pawn
on d6. And of course pawn b2 is
taboo: 15 . . . 'ii'x b2? 16 l:tb1 'ii'a 3 17
�d4! lOeB 18 liJd5 'ii'c5 19 �e7
mate! The other line is even more
exciting:
b) lO :es 1 1 .tf4 ( 1 1 liJb3
•••
a5 !) 1 1 . . . ti)c5 12 'ii'c2 ltlg4 13 1tad 1
.i.xd4! 14 l:txd4 'ii'f6 15 l002 ti)xf2!
16 �xf2 g5 1 7 l:xd6 "i/ie7 18 e5
gxf4 19 lLlxf4 �g5 20 g3 .i.f5 2 1
.id3 lLlxd3 + 2 2 tllx d3 .ixd3 23
'ifxd3 l:txe5, when things have re­
solved into a drawish endgame.
Instead of 12 'ifc2 White can play
12 f3 !? and now not 12 . . . d5 13
cxd5 lLlxd5 14 exd5 l:txe1 15 'i!Vxe1
.i.xd4 + 16 .ie3 ±, but 12 . . . ti)h5!?
13 .ie3 a5 !? with an interesting
game and chances for both sides
(. . . a5-a4, . . .'ii'a5 or ... 'ii'h4, . . .f7-f5).
e4 d& 5 liJf3 0-0 6 .ie2 e5 7 0-0
ltlc6
Black virtually forces d4-d5 with
the threat of 8 . . . .i.g4, after which
Black would overpower the pawn
on d4. The knight will go to e7
where it will be of use for Black's
kingside actions. Of course this
 King 's Indian Defence
plan has its price as well: Black
will have fewer defensive forces
with which to meet White's at­
tack on the queenside.
8 d5
8 dxe5 dxe5 9 'i'xdS ltJxdS! fol­
lowed by . . . lt)e6-f4(d4) is promis­
ing for Black and on ltJxe5 the
reply is always . . . lt)xe4. However
things are more complicated after
8 i.e3 !? , again threatening the
ideal set-up 9 d5 lt)e7 10 lt)d2 and
provoking 8 . . . i.g4?! 9 d5 lt)e7 10
4.)d2 or 10 c5 !?, when the bishop
is misplaced on g4 . White's plans
can be hindered by the tricky
B . . . :es and now on 9 d5?! lDd4! 10
ltJxd4 exd4 1 1 i.xd4 l'Llxe4 = ,
while 9 dxe5 dxe5 1 0 h3 .ie6 1 1
c5 !? l2Jh5!? is unclear. Besides this
tricky solution there is the typical
8 . . . l2Jg4 9 i.g5 f6 1 0 .icl ( 10 .ih4
g5 1 1 .ig3 l2Jh6 12 dxe5 fxe5 ) oo
10 . . . f5 ! ? 1 1 �g5 .if6 12 i.xf6
ttJxf6 ( 12 . . .'ti'xf6 13 d5 CiJe7? 14
4.)b5 + -) 13 exf5 gxf5 14 dxe5
dxe5 1 5 'ii'xdS l:xd8 16 lLld5 lLleB
1 7 l:tad1 cj;g7 18 l:tfe1 .i.. e6 with
double-edged play.
8 l'Lle7
..•
This position is the very es­
sence of the King's Indian. Black
plays for a kingside storm by
means of . . . c!De8, . . . f7 -f5-f4, . . . g6-
g5 (of course only if it is not hang­
ing), . . . h 7 -h5, . . . g5-g4 and . . . li)f6,
while White prepares b2-b4 and
c4-c5 with li)e1, f2-f3 and i.e3, or
he plays lLld2 to undertake action
from c4. Of course neither side
will rush headlong: they will also
105
w
attempt to obstruct the opponent's
plan as much as possible. White' s
queenside action is faster but
Black's kingside threats are more
dangerous!
There are three ways for White
to start his queenside actions:
E3a. 9 b4
E3b. 9 lLld2 and
E3c. 9 lLle1.
E3a. 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 g6 3 ltJc3
i.g7 4 e4 d6 5 c!Df3 0-0 6 .ie2 e5
7 0-0 lDc6 8 d5 lDe7 9 b4
9 a5
•••
This considerably slows down
White's queenside play, but Black
can also play his own game with
9 . . . lLlh5 !? 10 c5 ( 10 g3 f5 1 1 lLlg5
ltJf6 12 f3 f4 oo) 10 . . . ltJf4 1 1 i.xf4
exf4 12 l:tcl h6 13 li)d4 g5 oo.
10 i.a3
Also interesting is 10 bxa5
Axa5 ( 10 . . . c5!?) 1 1 lLld2 followed
by CiJb3 . If Black plays . . . b 7-b6 to
defend against c4-c5, White's plan
is a2-a4-a5.
106 More Basic Chess Openings
10 ttld7 1 1 bxa5 l:txa5 12
..•
it.b4 :as 13 a4 lDc5
Also playable is 13 . . . i.h6!?
14 lDd2 lLla6 15 .ia3 f5 = lLleB 1 1 b4 b6 ( 1 1 . . . cxb4 1 2 l:ixb4
w c5-square) 12 bxc5 bxc5 and after
Plans and Counterplans:
White can aim for lLlb3 and c4-c5
whereas Black will play for . . . f5xe4
and . . . ltJf5-d4 or on White's f2-f3
he can go . . . �h6-e3.
E3b. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 lLlc3
.ig7 4 e4 d6 5 lLlf3 0-0 6 .ie2 e5
7 0-0 ttlc6 8 d5 lLle7 9 lDd2
B
This move prepares 10 b4 a5 1 1
bxa5 l:txa5 12 lLlb3 liaS 13 c5 !
9 a5
•••
Black's other attempt to slow
up White' s attack is 9 . c5 10 l:ibl
. .
and then a2-a4, .ia3, l:tb1 , ltJb3,
a4-a5 and c4-c5, when the black
cavalry is far from the important
ltJb3, i.d2, ltJb5 White will try to
invade via the a5 -square . The
other alternative is better: 9 . . c6!? .
10 b4 a5 ! 1 1 bxa5 'i¥xa5 12 'ii'c2 c5
= . Instead of 10 b4, it is first nec­
essary to play 10 a3 and then b2-
b4, .tb2, tLlb3, d4xc6 and c4-c5 .
But this plan is slightly too elabo­
rate; in the meantime, of course,
Black plays . . . lLleS and . . . f7-f5.
10 a3 ltJd7
On 1 0 . . . i.d7, correct is 1 1 b3
followed by ltb1 and b3-b4, due to
the threat of . . . a5-a4, while 10 . . . c5
1 1 l:tb1 ltJeS 12 b4 axb4 13 axb4
b6 14 bxc5 bxc5 leads to the ex­
change of the a- and b-pawns.
This favours White as he can eas­
ily invade on the queenside with
and threaten the pawn on d6
right through to the endgame : 15
lLlb3 �h8 16 .id2 f5 17 l:ta1 .ttx a1
18 �xal lLlgS 19 \i'a5!? t.
1 1 l:tb1 f5 12 b4 �h8 !? 13 f3
lLJgS 14 'ifc2
Plans and Counterplans:
If Black is to contemplate an at­
tack, he should first place his
pieces on healthy squares. For ex­
ample, he can continue the ma-
noeuvre . . . �hS and . . . ltJgS with
. . . ltJgf6, . . f5-f4, . . . l:tg8, . . . �fS and
.
 King 's Indian Defence
B 10 f3 f5
. . . g5-g4, or instead play . . . .th6
and . . . lbdf6 maybe later combined
with f5xe4. White plays for c4-c5,
often sacrificing a pawn. For ex­
ample, 14 . . . lbgf6 15 �d3 f4 16 i.e2
(White has fiXed the centre to play
c4-c5) 16 . . . h5 1 7 c5 ! dxc5 18 bxc5
ttlxc5 19 lbb5 b6 20 a4 and 2 1
�a3 and White has achieved his
plan. Instead of 16 . . . h5 it is better
to play 16.� .11g8!?, as this fits into
Black' s plan and in the former
line, after -ta3 , the knight on c5
is no longer pinned if the rook has
moved from f8. In that case White
can prepare c4-c5 with 17 lLla4.
E3c. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 g6 3 ttJc3
it.. g7 4 e4 d6 5 tl'lf3 0-0 6 .ie2 e5
7 0-0 lbc6 8 d5 ttJe7 9 ttJel
White pictures his knight on
d3, where it would control all-im­
p ortant battle squares (b4, c5 , e5
and f4) .
9 ttJd7
. ..
Also playable is the alternative
9 . . . ltJe8, which leaves the route
open for the bishop on c8 but does
107
not impede White's c4-c5 ad­
vance.
Plans and Counterplans:
White can develop his bishop via
1 1 .tea f4 1 2 .tf2 g5, when he
has all sorts of plans to continue
on the queenside, for example b2-
b4 and c4-c5 or first a2-a4-a5 and
then b2-b4 and c4-c5, or he can
even provoke Black with 13 lbb5:
1 3 ... a6?! 14 tl'la7! l:txa7 15 i.xa7
b6 1 6 b4 and 17 c5 is better for
White. Instead of 1 3 . . . a6?! , cor­
rect is 13 . . . b6!? 14 b4 a6 15 lbc3
l:f6 !? and then . . l1g6, . . . lbf6, ... h7-
.
h5 and . . . g5-g4. Instead of 1 1 .ie3,
White can also play 1 1 lLld3 f4 12
i.d2 lLlf6 13 c5 g5 14 cxd6 cxd6 15
l:tc1 lbg6 16 lbb5, when Black can
thwart the invasion along the c­
file with 16 . . Jif7 and . . . ltJe8. In
this line, instead of 13 c5 White
can play 13 g4!?, which is perhaps
his most efficient weapon against
Black's attack. Then he can de­
fend with h2-h3, -tel , �g2 , i.f2
and l:th 1 . In fact, this idea can be
108 More Basic Chess Openings
realized at once with 1 1 g4, al­
though Black has the interesting
reply 1 l . . . �h8 12 .ie3 ltlg8 with
the intention of 13 . . . .ih6, and if
White stops this with 13 'iid 2,
then 13 . . . f4 14 .if2 h5 15 h3 l:tf7
1 6 <it>g2 .i f6 1 7 ltld3 l:th7 18 l:th1
with a difficult position for both
sides.
III. With minimal risk
1 d4 ltlf6 2 it)f3
Those who prefer safe vari­
ations might prefer this line to
the complexities of the King's In­
dian 'proper' . Of course it is nec­
essary that they make sure that it
fits into their repertoires. For ex­
ample after 2 . . . e6 3 c4 we have a
Queen's Indian, while after 2 . . . d5
3 c4 c6 the Meran can only be
reached via the move-order 4 ltlc3
e6 5 e3 since on the immediate 4
e3, 4 . . . .if5 equalizes at once. But
on 4 ltlc3 White also has to know
4 . . . dxc4, which transposes to the
Slav Queen's Gambit Accepted.
Many things have to be adjusted
if you want to play 2 lDf3 but it is
also true that quite a few gambits
are sidestepped (Benko Gambit,
Budapest Gambit).
.. 2 . g6 3 .ig5
Well, this is a reversed Reti !
The same could be said about 3
�f4 �g7 4 liJbd2 0-0 5 e3 d6 6 h3
tbbd7, when Black can prepare
the counter-thrust . . . e7-e5 with
. . . 'ilieB. The seemingly colourless
3 g3 Jig7 4 ..ig2 0-0 5 0-0 d6 6 b3
ltlbd7 7 JLb2 can be 'brought to
life' by Black's 7 . .. e5 !? 8 dxe5 ltJg4,
although 9 c4 ltlgxe5 1 0 ltlc3 is a
little better for White. So this mo­
tif is better a move earlier: 6 . . . e5 !
(instead of 6 . . . lbbd7) 7 dxe5 lDg4
8 Jib2 ltlc6 ! 9 c4 dxe5 1 0 h3 ltlh6
= . Black can flirt with . . . l2Jf5-d4
or . . . e5-e4.
3 .ig7 4 lbbd2 d5!?
.••
A slightly inferior alternative
is 4 . . . c5?! 5 �xf6 ! .ixf6 6 ltJe4
i.xd4 7 ltlxd4 cxd4 8 'ii'xd4 ;t with
a spatial advantage for White. Of
course 4 . . . d6 is also playable, with
the plan . . . ltlbd7, . . 0-0 and . . . e7-
.
e5.
5 e3 0-0 6 .id3 c5! 7 c3 'ii' b6 8
�bl ltlc6 9 0-0
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Black's obvious plan is . . . e7 -e5 .
This can be prepared by 9 . . ne8 .
but the instant 9 . . . e5!? is also
good: 10 llJxe5 lDxe5 1 1 dxe5 llJg4
12 lDf3 l0xe5 The tempo differ­
= .
ence does not change the evalu­
ation compared to the Reti : the
position is still equal.
M o d e rn D efen ce

1 d4 g6 and .i.h6) 9 0-0 �f6 10 .i.e3 and

Black offers White a transposi­
tion to the Pirc Defence (2 e4) but
here we look at the alternative
King's Indian set-up.
2 c4 .i.g7 3 e4 d6 4 llJc3 llJc6
After 4 . . . e5 5 dxe5 dxe5 6
'iix d8 + �xd8 7 f4! ;!; Black does
not reach the ideal arrangement
. . . .i.e6 , . . . c7-c6, . . . llJd7 and . . /i;c7.
5 d5!
On any other move Black
then 'iVd2, .i.h6, .i.xg7 and f2-f4.
8 l2Jb5 1i'b6 9 c5 ! dxc5
9 . . .'�xc5? 10 i.d2 'ii'b 6 1 1 'ii'a4
wins, since besides the discovered
check Black is also threatening 12
�a5 'iYa6 13 CiJc7 + .
1 0 .i. f4 �f8 1 1 llc 1 !
B

would play 5 . . . e5 6 d5 t'iJce7 and

launch a quick assault on the
white centre with . . . f7-f5 . And on
5 llJf3? first 5 . . . .i.g4 ! followed by
6 . . . e5 is already +!
5 ... l2Jd4!? 6 llJge2
White can instead draw at once
with 6 .i.e3 c5 7 �ge2 ( 7 dxc6?
lbxc6 is good for Black, his plan
being . . . 'ii'a 5, . . . �f6 , . . . 0-0, . . . .i.e6, Plans and Counterplans:
. . J:tc8 and . . . l2Je5 , etc . ) 7 . . . �b6 8 Black' s position is already quite
lbxd4 cxd4 9 �a4 'ti'a5 + 10 b4 gruesome:
�xb4 1 1 �d2 ii'a3 1 2 .i.c1 'ifb4 + a) l l . a6 12 i.c7 �f6 13 l2Ja3
..

13 .i.d2 and a draw by repetition. b6 14 l2Jc4 +.

6 c5
••• b) 1 1 .. l2Jf6 12 i.c7 �a6 1 3
.

Alternatively, 6 . . . e5 7 dxe6 l2Jxe6 lLla3 + - .

8 g3 ;!; or 6 . . . lbxe2 7 .i.xe2 followed c) ll . . i.d7 1 2 i. c 7 �a6 13
.

by �e3 , f2-f3 , 'ifd2 , 0-0, c4-c5 , lLla3 'ti'f6 14 llxc5 ±.

l:tfc 1 and b2-b4, etc. ;!; , d) l l . . 'iia5 + 12 b4 cxb4 (or
.

7 llJxd4 cxd4 12 . . .'ii' xb4 + 13 .i.d2 �xb2 1 4 :c2

Or 7 . . . .i.xd4 8 .i.e2 it.g7 (8 . . . lbf6 + -) 1 3 l2Jc7 1Ib8 14 'iVd2 ! with 1 5
9 0-0, when the threats are lLlb5 l2Je6 + to follow ±.
B e n o n i D efe n ce
1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 c 5 3 d5 e6 4 ltlc3
White cannot give up the cen­
tre with 4 dxe6? because after
4 . . . fxe6 followed by the advance
. . . d7-d5 Black smoothly takes
over the initiative.
4 exd5 5 cxd5
•••
It is wrong to place a piece on
d5 , as after 5 lDxd5 ltlxd5 6 1li'xd5
Black can easily chase the white
queen and gain a lead in develop-
ment after 6 . . . lLlc6 with . . . llJb4 or
. . . d7-d6 and ... .ie6.
5 ... d6
w
This is the basic position of the
Benoni or, to be exact, the Modern
Benoni (in the old Benoni Black
plays 3 . . . e5 instead of 3 . . . e6) .
Black, practically regardless of
White's plan, intends to play
· d4 llJ£'6 2 c4 e6 3 llJc3 c5 4 d5 exd5
. . . g7-g6, . . . .1l.g7 and . 0-0 and ex­
. .
ercise strong pressure on the a1-
h8 diagonal. White can choose
between a fianchetto of his own
light-squared bishop or, after e2-
e4 , he can put his bishop to e2 or
d3 . These two basic ideas and
other 'eccentricities ' are summed
up by the following sections:
I. Fianchetto variation
II. f2-f4 variation;
III. Main Line viz . set-up with
llJf3, e2-e4 and .ie2;
rv. Fashion of the nineties viz.
White develops via llJf3, e2-e4,
h2-h3 and .id3 ;
V. Eccentricities in short viz.
llJf3 followed by .1l.f4 or .1l.g5 and a
'Samisch-like' set-up with f2-f3.
VI. Old Benoni
There are several useful things
that one should know about the
Modern Benoni:
a) Black usually tries for . . . a7-
a6 and . . . b7-b5, which threatens
to dislodge the knight from c3,
thus weakening White 's control
over the e4-square. White can
hardly allow this and therefore on
. . . a 7 -a6 he usually plays a2-a4,
which often threatens a4-a5, freez­
ing Black's queenside exertions.
b) The Benoni can be reached
instead of a Nimzo-Indian with 1
5 cxd5 or instead of a Queen's In­
dian after 1 d4 llJf6 2 c4 e6 3 lDf3
c5 4 d5 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 lDc3, or
from a King's Indian, e.g., 1 d4 lDf6
 Benoni Defence
2 c4 g6 3 ltJc3 i.g7 4 e4 d6 5 ltJf3
0-0 6 i.e2 c5 7 d5 e6 8 0-0 exd5 9
cxd5.
c) 'Benoni' i n Arabic means
' Son of Sorrow' but as we shall
see neither White nor Black has
any particular reason to grieve in
this opening.
I. Fianchetto Variation
1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 ltJc3
exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 g3 g6 7 i.g2
iig7 8 ltJf3
The best place for this knight is
c4! Hence the route is f3-d2-c4
from where it can attack the
pawn on d6 and help White's cen­
tral action e2-e4, f2-f4 and e4-e5.
8 0-0 9 0-0 ltJbd7
•••
I n this way the knight goes to
e5 or perhaps to b6 to counter its
opponent on c4. The other popu­
lar move is 9 . ltJa6, when one
..
possibility is 10 e4?! l:le8! 1 1 ltJd2
Cf:lc7 12 a4 b6 13 l:1e1 lDg4! 14 ltJf3
Cf:le5 1 5 ltJxe5 i.xe5 with an un­
clear game in which after f2-f4
White can play for e4-e5 , even at
the cost of a pawn while Black
can attempt . . JtbS , . . . a7-a6 and
. . . b7-b5 or 10 ltld2 ltlc7 1 1 ltJc4 (af­
te r 1 1 a4 b6 12 ltJc4 i.a6 13 'ii'b 3
Black gladly gives up his problem
li ght-squared bishop for the terri­
fie knight on c4: 13 ... iixc4 14 'i¥xc4
a6 ) 1 1 . . . ltJfe8 (not 1 1 . . . b5?! 12
= 1 5 4Jf3 f5 ! 16 CiJg5 iid4 + 1 7 <it>h 1
lLlxd6 'ifxd6 13 iif4 followed by 14
d6 , when the knight on c7 and
rook on aS are simultaneously
ha ngi ng, while 1 1 . . . lDh5 12 a4 f5
111
13 e3 is not quite good enough for
Black �) 12 a4 b6 13 �d2!? :bs 14
:bl i.d7 1 5 b3 a6 16 ltle4! and
White exchanges the bishop on g7
with i.b2 (�) .
10 ltJd2 a6 1 1 a4 l:1e8
w
Plans and Counterplans:
Black is planning . . . lDe5, . . . ltJh5
and . . . f7-f5 , but what can White
do about it? For example:
a) 12 a5 b5 (it is now or never,
as 1 2 . . . l:[b8? 1 3 ltJc4 is awkward
to meet) 13 axb6 ltJxb6 14 li)b3
ltJc4 = .
b) 12 e4 lDe5 13 'ti'c2 (or 13
�e2 lLlh5 with ... f7-f5 to follow)
1 3 . . . ltJh5 1 4 f4 (on 1 4 h3, taking
away the g4-square from the
knight, good is 14 . . . g5! ! and after
the continuation 1 5 f4 gxf4 16
gxf4 lDg6 White's king position
has been considerably weakened,
especially the h4-square!) 14 ... l2Jg4
'iVf6 with active counterplay for
Black.
c) 12 h3 CiJh5 !? 1 3 <it>h2 f5 14
f4 CiJdf6 15 e4 fxe4 16 lLldxe4 lDxe4
1 12 More Basic Chess Openings
1 7 li)xe4 li)f6 ( 1 7 . . . h6!?) 18 li)g5
h6 19 liJe6 .i.xe6 20 dxe6 d5!? lXI,
d) 12 lDc4!? lDe5!? 13 lDa3
(White cannot achieve an advan­
tage after 13 ltJxe5 l::t xe5 14 e4
%te8 as the exchange of knights al­
lows Black to hold a firm grip on
square e5 and the bishop on c8
can step out to the vacated d7-
square) 13 . . .4Jh5 14 :hi (on 14 f4
l£lg4 Black threatens 15 . . . J.d4 + ,
while on 1 4 e4 b5 ! 1 5 axb5 axb5
16 liJcxb5 � a6 +) 14 . . . i.f5 !? 15 e4
i.d7 16 b4!? cxb4 1 7 :txb4 'ii'a5 18
lLla2 b5! 19 i.e3 ! :acB (19 ... bxa4??
20 i.b6 + -) 20 i.d4 f5 with a hel­
ter-skelter position. In this line
Black provoked the move e2-e4 to
eclipse the bishop on g2 and to
weaken the 'inner squares' In
White's position (d3, f3) .
II. f2-f4 Variation
1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 lLJc3
cxd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 e4 g6 7 f4
White - knowing that his plan
will be the thrust e4-e5 - does not
block his f-pawn with the knight.
Instead he enables the immediate
progress of his e-pawn. Of course
with this move he also makes a
sacrifice in time: the development
of his pieces and safety of his king
is delayed.
7 i-g7
•..
Now White 's possible continu­
ations are:
A. 8 �b5 + and
B. 8 ll)f3
Nothing is gained by the ag­
gressive 8 e5: 8 . . . tDfd7 (opening
the position with 8 . . . dxe5?! would
only favour White: 9 fxe5 lLlfd7 10
e6! with a strong attack) 9 lDb5 (al­
ternatively: 9 e6 fxe6 10 dxe6 lDb6
and Black is safeguarded against
attacks; or 9 exd6 0-0 10 lDf3 lDf6
1 1 i.e2 a6 ! 12 a4 'iVxd6 = ) 9 ... dxe5
10 lDd6 + r:J;e7 1 1 liJxc8+ �xeS and
although the king in the middle
looks a little suspicious, White's
pieces are still on the baseline so
Black should not get into trouble:
12 d6 + r:J;f8 1 3 lLJf3 lDc6 14 �e2
h6 15 fxe5 lLlclxe5 16 0-0 lDxf3 +
1 7 i-xf3 i-d4 + 18 �h 1 �g7 and
White has no real compensation
for the pawn (+) ; or 12 ltlf3 ne8
and Black castles ' artificially ' af­
ter 13 i.c4 �f8 14 0-0 and now
the threats looming on f7 can be
reduced by playing 14 . . . lDb6 or
14 . . . e4.
A. 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 lDc3
exd5 5 cxd 5 d6 6 e4 g6 7 f4 �g7
8 .ib5+
A similar check, designed to dis­
turb the natural development of
Black' s pieces, can also be found
in the Main Line of the Griinfeld
Defence.
s l£lfd7
...
On 8 . . . lLlbd7?, 9 e5, followed by
e5-e6, is good while on 8 . . . �d7? 9
e5 tl)h5 1 0 tl)f3, besides the pow­
erful white centre pawns, Black
also has problems with his knight
on h5 (+) .
 Benoni Defence
9 �e2
White would now like to con­
tinue with ltJf3 and 0-0, in similar
fashion to section B , but having
forced Black's knight from f6 to
d7. Other tries are:
a) 9 a4 a6 1 0 �d3 0-0 1 1 lDf3
filc7 12 0-0 c4 13 �c2 lDc5 ao.
b) 9 l"Df3 a6 10 .id3 b5 1 1 0-0
0-0 12 �h 1 !? lieS!? (it is better to
restrain . .. c5-c4 as White would
then get hold of the d4-square for
his manoeuvres .ic1-e3-d4 or
l2Jf3-d4-c6) ao.
9 .'iti'h4 + !?
.•
The only way to draw profit
from the move ... ltJfd7. Mer 9 ... 0-0
1 0 llJf3 lieS 1 1 0-0 lDa6 12 Wh 1
Ci:Jc7 13 a4 b6 14 f5 ! White can
launch a promising attack, utiliz­
ing the fact that the knight is on
d 7, so that the pawn on e4 is not
hanging and Black's king position
is less well protected.
10 g3 'iJle7
w a) 9 b5!? 1 0 e5 (not 1 0 .ixb5
Plans and Counterplans:
White should not waste time wor­
rying about the pawn-grabbing
1 13
. . . �xc3 , . . . 'ii'xe4, as for example
after 1 1 'ii'c2 0-0 1 2 'Df3 l:eS
Black's threats are still the same,
plus ... lDffi or ... f7-f5. So l l li)f3!?
0-0 ( 1 l . .. �xc3 + 12 bxc3 fixe4 is
inadvisable in view of 13 0-0 0-0
14 lDg5 ! and White has tremen­
dous play: c3-c4, �b2, �d3, f4-f5,
etc. ) 1 2 0-0 a6 13 a4 lieS and
Black can threaten to take on e4
after . . . i.xc3 or complete his de­
velopment after . . . ttJ f6 or . . . 'DfS
and make use of the weakening of
White's king position to play ... .ig4
or . . . i.h3 . For example 14 �d3
lDfB 15 Wg2! �g4 16 h3 .ixf3 + 17
'ii'xf3 tlJbd7 =.
B. 1 d4 ttJf& 2 c4 c 5 3 d5 e 6 4 llJc3
exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 e4 g& 7 14 �g7
8 l"Df3 0-0 9 i.e2
The bishop does not go to d3 be­
cause when White plays e4-e5,
the pawn on d5 needs to be de­
fended.
9 Jie8
. .
Other lines are:
..•
lDxe4 1 1 ltJxe4 'ii'a 5 + 12 lDc3?!
.i.xc3 + 13 bxc3 "'xb5 winning
back the pawn with an excellent
game. It is worth remembering
this pseudo-sacrifice ! ) 10 . . . dxe5
1 1 fxe5 llJg4 12 �g5 f6 ( 1 2 . . . 'illi'b 6
13 0-0 c4 + 14 <itth 1 lDf2 + 15 l:xf2
'iYxf2 1 6 lLle4 with a k.ingside at­
tack is too risky) 1 3 exf6 .ixf6
14 'iWd2 ! ! and Black's b-pawn is
hanging while the threat is 15
lbe4.
1 14 More Basic Chess Openings
b) 9 ... .i.g4 10 e5 ( 10 0-0 lLlbd7
followed by . . . .:te8 with equality)
1 0 . . . .i.xf3 1 1 .i.xf3 dxe5 12 fxe5
li)fd7 13 e6 �e5 !? with an unclear
game.
10 e5
The best chance because on 10
1Wc2 �xe4! 1 1 lLlxe4 .i.f5 12 .i.d3
'il/e 7 13 lbfd2 i.xe4 14 i.xe4 f5
Black wins. Alternatively, 10 llJd2
c4!? 1 1 a4 ( 1 1 0-0 b5?!) 1 1 . . . lLlbd7
12 0-0 and now not 12 . . . a6?! 13
�h1 !i)c5 14 e5! dxe5 15 fxe5
llxe5 16 ltJxc4, when Black has
trouble getting his pieces coordi­
nated, though after 1 6 . . . ll.f5 !? his
position is not hopeless, but the
immediate 12 . . . l£lc5 13 e5 !? (13
i.f3 .i.h6! ? 14 1i'c2 llJd3 15 lbxc4
l£lxc1 16 'ifxc1 i.g4! 17 i.xg4 lDxg4
18 ii'd1 f5! is unclear) 13 . . . dxe5 14
llJxc4 exf4 15 i.xf4 liJfe4 16 lLlxe4
�xe4 and Black is threatening
oo
1 7 . . . .i.xb2 followed by . . . 'ii b 6 + or
. . . llJc3.
10 ... dxe5
1 0 . . . lLlfd7 1 1 exd6 a6 comes
into consideration with . . . llJf6 and
. . . 'i¥xd6 to follow.
1 1 fxe5 llJg4 12 .tg5 !? 'ii'b6
After 1 2 . . . f6 1 3 exf6 .i.xf6 14
'ii'd 2 ! Black is doomed to defend.
Plans and Counterplans:
White will now give away his e5-
pawn for which he is compen­
sated by a d5-pawn in an open
position, the lack of development
of the black queenside and the
vulnerable black monarch. White
can castle either side:
w
a) 13 0-0 l£lxe5 ( 1 3 . . . c4 + ? 14
<l;h 1 l£lf2 + 15 .:txf2 'if'xf2 16 llJe4
'ifbG 1 7 l2Jd6 :tf8 18 JLe7 ±) 14
lLlxe5 i.xe5 15 .tc4 ,..xb2 16 d6
:r8 ( 1 6 . . . .tf5 1 7 11xf5 ! gxf5 18
.txf7 + ! rJ;xf7? 19 'ii'h 5 + rJ;f8 20
i.h6 + i.g7 2 1 l:.fl! +-, but Black
can play 18 . . . �£8 ! 19 i.xe8 'ifxc3
oo ) 1 7 i.xf7 + rJ;g7 18 i.d5 ! ? 'ti'xc3
19 l::txf8 rJ;xf8 20 1ffl + i.f5 2 1
l:.d 1 liJd7 2 2 g4 �g7 2 3 gxf5 h6!
and Black holds on .
b ) 1 3 'ii'd2!? liJd7!? (after
13 . . . ltlxe5 14 0-0-0 .tf5 15 l2Jxe5
i.xe5 1 6 11he1 followed by g2-g4
White has the initiative) 14 d6 (14
e6 l2Jde5 ) 14 . . . lt)dxe5 15 4Jd5
oo
'ti'xb2! 16 '1Wxb2 l2Jd3 + 1 7 �n
lDxb2 18 i.b5! .ie6 19 �c7 lled8
20 lLJxa8 r!xa8 2 1 l:.e1 a6 22 l:xe6
fxe6 23 i.d7 �f7 24 rJ;e2 .tf6 25
l:.fi rj;g7 and Black has escaped to
a situation in which he is actually
better. Maybe these lines show
that in the Benoni with f2-f4 the
objective truth is as important as
the players' tactical ingenuity,
their ability to calculate variation s
precisely and their intuition.
 Benoni Defence
III. Main Line
1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 lDc3
exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 e4 g6 7 ltJf3
il.. g 7 8 �e2
For 8 h3 0-0 9 i.. d 3 see section
rv:
.8 0-0 9 0-0
..
It is useless to rush in with 9
il.. g5 !? as after 9 . . . h6 10 .i.h4 g5 1 1
il.. g3 lDh5 the bishop is exchanged,
leaving its counterpart on g7 un­
opposed.
9 lDa6!?
...
Black plays for ... ltJc7 and ... b7-
b5 and if White holds him up with
a2-a4 then after . . . b7-b6 the
bishop on c8 rears its head on a6.
Practice does not favour the other
two lines after 9 . . . a6 10 a4:
a) IO i.g4 1 1 i.f4 i.xf3 (or
•..
1 1 . . . l:.e8 1 2 ltJd2 .i.xe2 1 3 'ii'xe2
ttJh5 14 i.e3 ltJd7 1 5 a5 f? 'ilr'h4 16
l:Ia4! lbe5 17 f3 lDf4 18 �xf4 'ii'xf4
19 g3 i¥f6 20 f4 lDd7 2 1 e5 ! dxe5
22 ltJde4 �d8 23 f5 ! +. This pawn
sacrifice, releasing the d-pawn and
creating an outpost for the knight
on e4 is most instructive! ) 12
..txf3 'VJke7 13 l:[e1 lDbd7 14 a5 !
llJe8 15 ltJa4 ltJc7 1 6 i.. g4 ! and af­
ter 1 7 i.xd 7 White is threatening
a knight fork on b6. Although
White achieves a small plus after
. . . �g4, he can if he wishes instead
prevent his opponent from getting
rid of his perhaps most trouble­
some piece with the move-order 1
d4 ltJf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 llJc3 exd5
5 cxd5 d6 6 ti)f3 g6 7 lLld2!? ii.g7 8
1 15
e4 0-0 9 .i.e2 . White then castles
and the move lDd2 will fit well
into his future plans.
b) 10 ltlbd7 1 1 ltJd2 :es 1 2
•..
'ii'c 2 l0e5 ! ? (trying to lure White
into 1 3 f4?! ltJeg4 1 4 lDf3 lDh5 1 5
h 3 f5 ! 16 hxg4? fxe4 1 7 gxh5 exf3
18 l:txf3 �d4 + 19 <it>fl 'ifh4 with
mate to follow!) 13 lta3! and after
strengthening his centre White
will threaten f2-f4 : 14 f4 ltJg4 1 5
li)d 1 or first 1 4 h3 ! ? i s also play­
able. Black can prevent f2-f4 with
13 . . . g5 but then with l0c3-d 1-e3
White can occupy the c4-square
(particularly combined with the
strangling move a4-a5) or after
ttJd2-fl-g3 take aim at the f5-
square.
10 lDd2 ltJc7 1 1 a4
The b5-square must be secured
for a future lbc4.
B
Plans and Counterplans:
Black must prepare himself for
an assault on the d6-pawn with
ltJc4 and i.f4. After 1 1 . . . b6 12
ltJc4 .ia6 13 .i.f4?! he can play
1 3 . ltJh5!, when after 14 .ixh5
. .
1 16 More Basic Chess Openings
�xc4 15 i.e2 .txe2 16 �xe2 f5! he
is already better. White should
postpone concrete action in order
to retard Black's counterplay, e.g.
after 1 l . . . b6 12 lt)c4 i.a6 White
can go 1 3 f3 and .id2, llb1 with
b2-b4 to follow or 13 .ig5 and
'fid2, when it is more difficult for
Black to generate counterplay.
Jv. Fashion of the Nineties
1 d4 lt)f6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 lbc3
exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 e4 g6 7 h3!?
White plans to continue with
.td3 and lDf3, so he first prevents
the pin . . . .i.g4.
7 .i.g7 8 .id3 0-0 9 ll)f3
•.•
The knight can also go to e2: 9
lLlge2 lle8 10 0-0 lLlbd7 1 1 lt)g3 a6
12 a4 llb8 13 a5 h5 !? 14 .ig5 b5 !
15 axb6 �xb6 16 l:ta2 lt)e5 An
ClO.
interesting alternative is 9 .ig5 :
9 . . . h6 10 i.e3 lt)a6!? 1 1 iVd2 �h7
12 lt)ge2! ltJc7 13 a4 b6 14 0-0 .td7
15 l:tb1 a6 16 b4 cxb4 1 7 1Ixb4 b5 !
Q() and White cannot capture on b5
as his e-pawn would be hanging.
9 a6
•••
9 . . . b5!? leads to fierce compli­
cations : 10 .ixb5 lDxe4 1 1 lillce4
'ifa5 + 12 ltJfd2 'ifxb5 13 ltJxd6 'ifd3
14 lt)2c4 'ii'xd 1 + 15 1it>xd 1 �a6 16
�c2 ltJd7 17 �g5 ! l:1fb8 18 l:tad 1
c!De5 with sufficient counterplay
for the pawn. White should there­
fore capture the other way: 10
tLlxb5 lLlxe4 (or 10 . . J1e8 11 0-0
c!Dxe4 12 l:te1 a6 13 lLla3 c!Df6 14
l:txe8 + c!Dxe8 15 .tg5 .if6 16 'ii'd2
with an initiative for White) 1 1
.i.. xe4 l:1e8 12 lt)g5 !? .i.a6 1 3 lt)c3
h6 14 lLle6 ! fxe6 15 dxe6 ! and
White is threatening with iYd5,
�a4 and .i.e3.
A more solid alternative for
Black is 9 . . J;:te8. Then play might
continue 1 0 0-0 c4 1 1 .i c2!? ( 1 1
i.xc4 ltJxe4 12 ltJxe4 1:1xe4 1 3 .ig5
.i.. f6 14 .td3 l:te8 15 �a4! is also
better for White) l l . . . �d7 12 .i.. f4
'ti'b6 13 l:tbl lLla6 14 b4! ;t,
10 a4
White may instead allow . . . b7-
b5, hoping that he can undermine
the black queenside later with a2-
a4, for example 10 0-0!? b5 1 1 l::te l
lt)bd7 (an unusual alternative is
1 l . . Jie8 followed by the manoeu­
vre . . . l::ta 8-a7-e7) 12 a4! b4 13 lbbl
a5 14 lDbd2 lt)b6 15 lia2 with b2-
b3 and .tb2 to follow ( ) ClO ,
8
Plans and Counterplans:
Black can try for . . . c5-c4: 10 . . .'iWc7
1 1 0-0 c4?! 12 .ic2 c!Dbd7, but then
White seizes the initiative on the
queenside with 13 .te3 followe d
by lbd4, llc1 and b2-b4. And if the
black queen does not move then
 Benoni Defence
White would gladly play .ig5,
'ifd2. This can be prevented by
10 . . . lLlh5 !? 1 1 0-0 lLld7 and if now
1 2 .i.g5 ! ? then 1 2 . . . .if6 13 .i.e3
lieS 14 'ii'd2, but Black's position
is far from harmonious. For ex­
ample, 14 ... lLle5 15 .ie2 lbxf3 + 16
�xf3 .i.g7 17 a5! �-
These days the Benoni is start­
ing to go out of fashion and this
line is the main reason why!
White has been very successful in
this fashionable variation that at
the moment has superseded the
popularity of the Main Line.
V. Eccentricities in short
A. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 lLlc3
exd 5 5 cxd5 d6 6 lLlf3 g6 7 .if4
.i.g7
7 . . a6 8 a4 .i.g7 9 e4 �g4 10 il.e2
. f5 himself after a possible . . . ltJxg3
.i.xf3 1 1 .i.xf3 0-0 12 0-0 leads to
the note concerning . . . .ig4 in the
Main Line (section III).
8 'it'a4 + !?
This check is the point of the
whole variation as now on 8 . . . 'ii'd 7
White has 9 .ixd6.
8 .i d7 9 'ii'b 3 flc7 10 e4
•••
1 0 i.xd6? 1i'xd6 1 1 'ir'xb 7 �b6
12 flxa8 'ii'xb2 + .
- White adopts a Samisch-like set­
1 0 0-0 1 1 lLld2 lLlh5 12 .ie3
.••
f5 !? 1 3 exf5 gxf5 14 tt'lf3 a6 1 5
a4 h6
Stopping the manoeuvre lLlg5-
e6.
16 .ie2 �e8
Black will follow up with the
plan . . . l2Jb8-d 7 and then in this
117
unclear situation he can aim for
either . . . ltJe5 or . . . ltJf6-e4.
B. 1 d4 l2Jf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 ltJc3
cxd5 5 exd5 d6 6 lLlf3 g6 7 �g5
h6 ! ?
After 7 . . . .ig7 8 lL'ld2 0-0 9 e3 !
White for the time being keeps
his e-pawn away from vulnerable
squares, and if Black should catch
his bishop with . . . h 7 -h6, . . . g6-g5
and . . . li.)h5 then White will take
possession of the weakened bl-h7
diagonal with 'iic 2 and i.d3.
8 i.h4 .ig7!?
The correct move-order. The
question is: how far will the white
e-pawn go? If 9 e4 then 9 . . . g5 1 0
.i.g3 ltJh5 and White is unable to
get at the weakened f5-square.
Black can later even think of . . . f7-
and . . . 0-0. And if 9 e3 then 9 . . . 0-0
10 lLld2 lLla6! 1 1 �c4 li.)c7 12 a4 b6
13 .ie2 .ia6 14 liJa3 .i.xe2 15 'ifxe2
'ii'd 7 16 l:dl l:fe8 and . . . lLle4, with
play against White's weak a-pawn.
C. 1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 lLlc3
exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 e4 g6 7 f3 .ig7
up.
8 .i.g5!?
On 8 �e3 0-0 9 'ii'd 2?! a6 10 a4
l:te8 !? (it is important not to pre­
maturely block the diagonal of
the c8-bishop with lO . . . lLlbd7 as
then the regrouping 1 1 lLlh3 and
l2Jf2 would protect all the critical
1 18 More Basic Chess Openings
squares: d3 , e4 and g4) 1 1 ltJge2
ltJbd 7 12 lLlg3 h5 ! 13 .i.g5 �a5 !
threatening 14 ...b5! and 14 . . . ltJh7.
8 ...h6
The tricky 8 . . . 0-0 9 'ifd2 h6?! is
refuted by 10 .i.xh6! truce4 1 1 lLlxe4
�h4 + 12 g3 'ii'x h6 13 'ii'xh6 .i.xh6
14 ltJxd6 and f2-f4, 0-0-0 +.
9 .i. e3 0-0 10 ltJge2
1 0 �d2 l:te8 1 1 J.xh6? ltJxe4 12
lLlxe4 �h4 + 13 g3 "iVxh6 and the
pawn on d6 is protected by the pin
along the e-file.
8 good squares while White, after
10 . a6 1 1 a4 lDbd7 12 ll\g3
. .
h5!?
12 . . . �a5? 13 l:ta3 ! stops 13 . . . b5 .
13 .i.e2 h4 14 lLlfl lLlh 7 15
liJd2 f5 oo .
VI. 'Old Benoni' viz. Black
plays ... c7 -c5 and ... e7 -e5
1 d4 liJf6
It is also possible to play the
immediate l. . . c5 2 d5 e5, but now
White can withhold his c-pawn :
3 e4 d6 4 lLlc3 liJf6 5 .le2 (5 ltJf3
.i.g4) 5 . . . a6 6 a4 (on . . . a7-a6 the
correct 'reflex action' is nearly al­
ways a2-a4, due to the threat of
. . . b7-b5) 6 . . . .te7 7 lLlf3 0-0 8 0-0
and White can use the vacant
square c4 to regroup with ltJd2-c4
when he has good prospects both
on the queenside (a4-a5, l:tb1 and
b2-b4) and in the centre with f2-f4.
On 2 d5 Black can also play 2 . . . d6
3 e4 lL'lf6 4 lL'lc3 g6 5 lL'lf3 .i.g7 6
.i.b5 + !? .td7 (after 6 . . . lL'lbd7 7 a4
0-0 8 0-0 a6 9 .i.e2 White prepares
e4-e5 with .tf4, l:e1 , .i.fl and h3,
and stops . . . b7-b5 with a4-a5) 7
a4 0-0 8 h3! and Black's queen­
side pieces have trouble finding
0-0, once again aims for e4-e5 .
This line can also be reached with
a different move-order via 1 d4
ltJf6 2 lL'lf3 c5 3 d5.
2 c4 c5 3 d5 e5 4 lL'lc3
Of course it is bad to play 4
dxe6 fxe6, as after 5 . . . d5 Black
takes over the centre.
4 ... d6 5 e4 .i.e7
After 5 . . . g6 the set-up h2-h3,
g2-g4, lLlf3, .i.d3, .i.e3, �d2 with
 Benoni Defence 1 19

strong kingside pressure is also

possible. 5 . . . JJ..e 7 involves a pecu­
liar strategical plan: after . 0-0 . .
B

and . . . lbeB Black opts for not only

. . . f7-f5 but also for . . . .tg5 : he
would gladly exchange his locked­
in bishop.
6 h31? 0-0 7 lDf3 lDe8 8 i.d3

Plans and Counterplans:

Black can try for . . . f7-f5 after
. . . g7-g6 and . . . l7Jg7 but he will not
achieve it: 8 . . g6 9 JJ.. h 6 l!Jg7 1 0
. 1 3 exf5 +. Otherwise after 'ii'd 2
g4 ! and 10 . . . f5? i s impossible in ('ii'e 2) , 0-0-0 and ndgl White has
view of 1 1 gxf5 gxf5 12 l:gl l!f7 a promising attack.
D utch D efen ce
1 d4 f5
The Dutch Defence is one of the
most popular openings nowadays.
It can be recommended for those
who prefer the unusual, some­
thing beyond the orbit of stand­
ard chess theory and naturally for
those who desire a complicated
game, even with Black. With White
a good set-up against practically
all of Black's plans is d2-d4, c2-c4,
lDf3, g2-g3, �g2 and 0-0 . In an­
swer to this Black has two major
reactions: the Stonewall Variation
where the meandering pawn chain
a7, b 7, c6, d5, e6, f5, g7 and h7 re­
sembles the Great Wall of China
(section 1.). The other possibility
is the Leningrad Variation, in
which Black develops his bishop
to g7 and plays for . . . e7 -e5 (sec­
tion II.). The revival of the latter
system has made the Dutch De­
fence fashionable again.
Besides the above mentioned
customary set-up White has sev­
eral other interesting and danger­
ous continuations. For example:
a) 2 �g5 c6 !? (2 . . . h6 is no go
due to 3 .ih4 g5 4 .ig3 f4 5 e3 !
fxg3?? 6 1Wh5 mate, but playable
is 2 . . . lilf6 3 �xf6 exf6 4 e3 d5 5 c4
c6 6 lilc3 �e6, although Black's
game is less comfortable in view
of his inflexible, immobile pawn
structure) 3 lild2 'ii'b 6 (attacking
the abandoned pawn on b2 is a
logical idea and at the same time
Black steps out of the pin) 4 e3
'i'xb2 5 llbl 'ii'a 3 !? (otherwise the
white pieces would develop by
shooting at the enemy queen) 6
g4!? fxg4 7 'ii'xg4 'ii'xa2 8 .i.d3 ltJf6
9 \'t'h4 'fkf7 with a very messy po­
sition. White ' s huge advantage in
development is counterbalanced
by Black's two extra pawns.
b) 2 lilc3 d5 (talking White
out of e2-e4) 3 .ig5 (on 3 e4 not
3 . . . fxe4 4 'ii'h 5 + but 3 . . . dxe4, cor­
responding to line c, is playable)
3 . . . lbf6 (there is no need to fear
the doubled pawn here as White
can no longer undermine the im­
portant central d5-square with
c2-c4) 4 .i.. xf6 exf6 5 e3 �e6 6 .i.d3
�c6 7 ii'f3 'iWd 7 8 a3 0-0-0 with an
equal position.
c) 2 e4 (the Staunton Gambit)
2 . . . fxe4 3 ltJc3 (3 f3 d5 4 ltJc3 ltJf6
is only a different move-order, but
 Dutch Defence
very risky is 3 . . . exf3 4 lLlxf3 as
later White gets an immense at­
tack with �d3 and 0-0) 3 . . . llJf6 4
.i. g5 (or 4 f3 d5 5 fxe4 dxe4 6 .tg5
�f5 7 .i.c4 lLlc6 8 llJge2 �d7 ) = rect, because there is no need to
4 . . . e6 5 lLlxe4 i.e7 6 �xf6 .txf6 7
lLlf3 �e7 followed by . . . llJc6, .. . b7-
b6, . . . .tb7 and . . . 0-0-0.
d) 2 g4. Here Black needs to
know that after on 2 . . . fxg4 3 h3, it
is wrong to play 3 . . . gxh3 as after 4
lLlxh3 White has a strong attack
on the open g-file ( lLlg5 and e2-e4
or llJf4, e2-e3 and i.. d 3) . Instead
he should play 3 . . .g3! stopping the
white kingside play. If he wishes
to avoid this, White can try to
prepare 4 h3 with 3 J.f4.
2 c4 lLlf6
The knight definitely belongs
here and definite moves should be
played first so that we have a
choice of the ' indefinite' ones ac­
cording to the opponent's plan.
An object lesson is 2 . . . g6?! 3 h4!
lLlf6 4 h5 lLlxh5 5 l:txh5 gxh5 6 e4!
with terrific play for White.
3 lDf3
This (or 3 g3) is the correct way
to begin as according to Black's
plan knight bl will develop to c3
(Leningrad Dutch) or to d2 (Stone­
wall) . Now Black has to choose
between:
I. 3 e6 and
...
II. 3 g6.
.••
I. Stonewall Variation
1 d4 f5 2 c4 lM6 3 lLlf3 e6 4 g3
121
The Stonewall i s less effective
after 4 lLlc3 d5 (4 . . . .tb4 !?) 5 .tf4
c6 6 e3 .te7 (an instructive exam­
ple is 6 . . . .t d6 when 7 .t d3 is cor­
worry about 7 . . . .txf4 8 exf4 when
White 's advantage is guaranteed
by the e5-square and his posses­
sion of the open e-file) 7 .td3 0-0
8 0-0 lDe4 9 .txe4 dxe4 10 lbe5 llJd 7
1 1 f3! and White is somewhat bet­
ter as he has mopped up Black's
outpost on e4. This line can also
be reached via the Queen's Gam­
bit: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lLlf3 c6 4 lDc3
f5 5 .tf4 lLlffi.
4 d5
..•
Slightly more passive for Black
is 4 . . . .te7 5 J.g2 0-0 6 0-0 d6 7
lilc3 'ir'e8 8 b3 �h5 9 �a3 !? with
the unusual positional threat of
10 d5! e5? 1 1 lLlxe5.
5 J. g2 c6 6 0-0
6 . . . dxc4 is not yet threatened
as 7 lLle5 wins back the pawn with
ease.
6 .td6
...
This is a more active move than
6 . . . .te7 in view of both the battle
for the e5-square and control over
the a3 -f8 diagonal. On 6 . . . .te7
White can play 7 b3 and then .ta3
to exchange the dark-squared
bishops, after which he will try to
exchange his bishop and knight
for the black cavalry. Then - if all
goes well - he would be left with a
knight on e5 against the sad black
bishop, locked behind its own
pawns. Instead of 7 b3, White can
also play more slowly with 7
122 More Basic Chess Openings
lLlbd2, ready to support its col­
league 's foray to the e5-square
from f3. Mter the continuation 7
ltJbd2 0-0 8 ti'c2 �e8 9 lLle5 Wi'h5
1 0 tDdf3 llJe4 l l llJd3 ! g5 1 2 lLlfe5
lLld 7 13 f3 � White dominates the
e5-square and controls e4. Later
he can prepare e2-e4 with b2-b3,
i.b2, l:tae l . The routes of the
white knights should be memo­
rized: llJgl-f3, ltJbl-d2, ltlf3-e5(el),
lLld2-f3, ltle5 (el )-d3, lLlf3-e5 fol­
lowed by f2-f3. The best option
for Black is perhaps to set off his
light-squared bishop on the long
journey c8-d 7 -e8-h5 (g6) .
7 b3
The pawn on c4 is defended
and the route for i.a3 has also
opened. A brave alternative is 7
�f4!? i.xf4 8 gxf4. Although White
controls e5 and with the exchange
of the dark-squared bishops other
dark squares in Black's position
have also weakened, the white
king position has become airy.
7 'Wie7
•••
Black develops and prevents 8
i.a3 .
8 lDbd2 0-0 9 .tb2
9 lDel also comes into consid­
eration with the follow-up ltld3,
lDf3 and i.f4.
Plans and Counterplans:
Black's position is not easy to
handle. If he regroups with .tc8-
d7-e8-h5 then White can play his
plan of llJf3-e5-d3, llJd2-f3-e5 with­
out being disturbed, and after f2-
f3, 'ifld2, lbf2 and l:tael opt for
e2-e4. And if Black develops via
. . . b7-b6 and . . . i.b7 White bides
his time with �c2, l:ac l (:Ifc l),
4Je5 to open up with c4xd5. A pre­
mature . . . ltJe4 will be answered
by 4Jxe4 fxe4, when after the
jump of the f3-knight White can
play f2-f3. Overall, White has the
better chances in the Stonewall.
II. Leningrad Variation
1 d4 f5 2 c4 4Jf6 3 lDf3 g6 4 g3
Again the bishop is well placed
on g2 since it controls the squares
e4 and d5 while the diagonal of
the cl-bishop stays open.
4 ... .tg7 5 i.g2 0-0 6 0-0 d6
6 . . . c6 is met by 7 d5! followed
by ltJc3 and e2-e4.
7 4Jc3
On the immediate 7 b3 Black
can play 7 . . . e5 !? 8 dxe5 ltJg4 co,
while 7 . . .'ife8 8 i.b2 h6 9 4Jbd2 g5
is also unclear. 7 d5 is also good
since it fits well in nearly all fu­
ture positions. But back to 7 lDc3 .
Black's main intention is to
play . . . e7-e5, after which both
 Dutch Defence
B Although the pawn-spike d5-e6
. . . e5 -e4 and . . . f6-f4 are threat·
ened. He can also create a king·
side attack with . . . h7-h6, . . . g6-g5,
. . . 'ii'e 8-1i'h5, . . . f5·f4, .. . .i.h3 and
. . . lbg4. White normally thwarts
Black's . . . e7 -e5 with d4·d5 and the
'en passant' capture. In principle
White would like to play e2-e4, af­
ter which he can deliver an attack
on the e7-pawn and perhaps hope
to place his f3-knight on e6, via
g5 . Black's three main continu­
ations are:
A. 7 c6
•••
B. 7 lLlc6 and
•••
C. 7 'ii'e 8!?
•..
A. 1 d4 f5 2 c4 ttJf6 3 lDf3 g6 4 g 3
.ig7 5 �g2 0-0 6 0-0 d 6 7 lDc3 c6
8 d5
White vacates the d4-square
for his knight on f3 while pinning
Black's e-pawn. After 8 b3 lDa6 9
i.b2 'ii'e 8 10 d5 .i.d7 l l lLld4 lLlc7
1 2 'ii'd 2 c5 1 3 lLle6 i.xe6 14 dxe6
ltb8 15 lDd5 lDfxd5 16 .i.xg7 rJ;xg7
1 7 cxd5 b5 Black is threatening to
123
get the advantage by means of
. . . b5-b4 followed by . . . lLlc7-b5-c3.
looks frightening, Black can live
with it.
8 e5
.•.
For 8 . . .'�WeB!? see section C.
9 dxe6
White must remove the pawn
on e5, otherwise it would keep
threatening to advance.
9 .t xe6 10 b3!?
.•.
10 .tf4 gives White nothing:
10 . . . i.xc4 1 1 .txd6 l:e8 12 'ii'd4
i.d5! 13 i.xb8 i.xf3 =. But c4 can
be defended by 10 'i!Vd3, for exam­
ple 1 0 . . . lDa6 1 1 lLlg5 'YJI/e7 1 2 .tf4
l:ad8 13 l:tad 1 lbg4 14 ltJxe6 'iYxe6
15 e4 lDc5 16 exf5 and in the open
position - having achieved e2-e4 -
White stands better with his
bishop pair, regardless of how
Black recaptures on f5.
lO lDa6
•..
It is strange, but in the Lenin­
grad Dutch the knight on b8 often
develops to the side since from
there it has plenty of squares to
chose from (b4, c5, c7). But why
cannot Black exploit the pin on
the long-diagonal with 10 . . . ltle4?
Because of 1 1 tLlxe4 .txa1 (11 ... fxe4
1 2 lDd4) 12 it'xd6! 'ii'x d6 13 lrucd6
�c8 ( 1 3 . . . b6 14 �g5 .if6 15 �xf6
l:txf6 16 lDeB l:tf7 1 7 lDg5 lle7 1 8
lLlxe6 wins as one o f the knights
will fork on c7) 14 .i.g5 i.f6 (to
avoid the loss of an exchange on
e7) 15 i.xf6 l:txf6 16 lLlxc8 llJa6 1 7
lLle7 + <it;fB 18 lLlxc6 bxc6 1 9 lLle5
+ .
124 More Basic Chess Openings
1 1 i.b2 'fie7 1 2 lLlg5!
A multi -purpose move, stop­
ping the menacing 12 . . . d5 (as
then White would capture e6 af­
ter which d5 is hanging and e2-e4
is in the air), while the bishop on
e6 cannot retreat to cS as it would
block the rook on aS.
Plans and Counterplans:
After . . . lLlc5 and . . . l:IadS Black
would like to plant his knight on
e4. White in turn will capture the
bishop on e6 and, after 'Wd2 and
l:Iad1 , opt for either l:tfe1 and e2-
e4 or b2-b4, exchanging the light
artillery to achieve a better end­
game in view of Black's vulner­
able pawn on d6 and loose king
position.
B. 1 d4 fS 2 c4 lLlf6 3 lLlf3 g6 4 g3
i.g7 5 .i.g2 0-0 6 0-0 d6 7 lLlc3
lLlc6
8 d5
Again this is the only way to
stop . . . e7 -e5.
8 . . .lt)e5
By analogy to the Fianchetto
Variation of the King's Indian De­
fence, also playable is 8 . . 4Ja5 .
.
Now 9 4Jd2 c5 10 'iflc2 ( 10 dxc6
lLlxc6 = ) 10 . . . e5 1 1 dxe6 i.xe6 12
:td1 'i!ie7 1 3 b3 lDc6 14 i.b2 lDd4
promises good activity for Black,
while 9 'ii'a4 c5 10 dxc6 bxc6 !? 1 1
ltJd4 ..td 7 12 lLlxc6 ltJxc6 13 �xc6
.txc6 14 'ifxc6 l::tcS 15 1Wa4 'tid7!
offers excellent play for the pawn.
On 9 'ii'd 3, Black can play 9 . . . c5
with the plan of . . . a7-a6, . . . i.d7,
. . . nbs and . . . b7-b5 or 9 . . . e5!? 10
dxe6 i.xe6 1 1 b3 ltJc6 with equal
chances.
9 lillte5
9 'ii'h3 lLlxf3 + 10 exf3 e5 1 1 dxe6
i.xe6 12 l:te1 'ii'd 7 13 f4 c6 14 �e3
'iflf7 15 'ii'a3 �xc4 1 6 'ii'xd6 = If .
instead of 10 exf3 White plays 10
i.xf3, then Black has lO ... ltJd7 fol­
lowed by 1 1 . . . lLlc5 or l l. .. ltJe5 .
9 ... dxe5
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White will either play 'ii'b 3 and
c4-c5 and open the d-file or play
e2-e4. In both cases B lack has
 Dutch Defence
counter-chances on the kingside
since this is where his forces are
strongest. More specifically:
a) 10 �b3 h6 ( 10 . . . e6!? helps
White: 1 1 :d1 exd5 1 2 llJxd5 �) 1 1
!td1 <it>h8 12 c5 g5 1 3 �d2 e4!? co ,
b) 10 e4 f4! 1 1 gxf4 (otherwise
Black can play ... g5-g4-f3) 1 1 ... llJh5
1 2 fxe5 .i.xe5 13 llJe2 'Wd6 with
good play for Black.
C. 1 d4 f5 2 c4 lDf6 3 ltJf3 g6 4 g3
i.g7 5 i. g 2 0-0 6 0-0 d& 7 lDc3
'ife8 1 7
This move was developed around
ten years ago and it is still the
most popular and successful line
for Black in the Dutch Defence.
The threat is again . . . e7-e5 .
8 d5
Other moves are:
a) 8 lD d5 lDxd5 9 cxd5 �b5 !?
10 lDg5 h6 11 a4 'ii'c4 12 lbe6
�xe6 13 dxe6 d5 14 i.e3 c6 co,
b) 8 e4 lDxe4 9 lDxe4 fxe4 10
ltJg5 ltJc6 11 i.e3 e5 12 d5 liJd4 13
l2Jxe4 i.f5 co ,
c) 8 !tel 'iVf7 ! 9 �d3 h6 10 d5
e5 1 1 dxe6 j_xe6 12 c5 lDc6 13
cxd6 llad8 = .
d) 8 b3 e5!? 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 e4
l2Jc6 1 1 j_a3 l:f7 co , Black is threat­
ening 12 . . . f4 followed by . . . �g4.
8 c6
...
Black will complete queenside
development by means of . . . �d 7
and . . . l2Ja6. The knight on b8 can­
not head for d7 as then White
plays lZ'ld4 and meets . . . lZ'ld7-c5 (to
protect the e6-square) by chasing
125
the knight away with b2-b4. The
unusual . . . 'ii'e8 fits in well the set­
up . . . .id7 and . . . lba6 as it keeps
an eye on the important squares
c6 and b5, while the knight on a6
can aim at the e4-square via c5 or
can go to c7 to activate queenside
play with . . . b7-b5 .
Instead of 8 . . . c6, Black can also
play 8 . . . a5 aiming for . . . lba6-c5
and obstructing b2-b4, e.g. 9 ll)d4
ttla6 10 e4 fxe4 1 1 ll)xe4 ttlxe4 12
i.. xe4 i.h3 13 l:te1 ttlc5 +. Instead
of 9 ttld4 White can play 9 l2Je1 !?
ttla6 10 ttld3, when Black's knight
cannot go to c5.
Black can also try 8 . . . ll)a6 at
once, and after 9 .:tb1 c5 10 b3
ttlc7 strive for . . . b7-b5.
9 1tbl
White would like to develop his
queenside and at the same time
stop . . . lDa6-c5 with b2-b4. Fewer
chances are offered by 9 ttld4 �d 7
1 0 .:tel lba6 1 1 e4 fxe4 12 ltJxe4
lDxe4 13 i.xe4 l2Jc7 14 llb1 c5!? 15
ttle2 b5 oo,
9 l2Ja6 10 b4 i.d7
•..
Plans and Counterplans:
Against 1 1 ltJd4 Black has the in­
teresting 1 l . . . ttlxb4!? 1 2 .:txb4 c5
13 :Xb7 cxd4 14 lDb5 ( 14 �xd4??
lDe4 - + ) 14 . . .'ii'c8 ! 15 lic7 'ii'b 8, so
White should instead take on c6
to create a queenside pawn ma­
jority. Therefore 1 1 dxc6 bxc6
( 1 l . . . i.xc6 1 2 b5! �xf3 13 i.. xf3
ttlc5 14 .i.e3 l:tc8!? 15 b6! axb6 16
lLld5 ! promises White good play
due to his strong initiative on the
126 More Basic Ches s Openings

1 2 . . . cxb5 1 3 cxb5 lLlc5 14 a4 ( 1 4

w 15 a5 lLlfe4 16 ltJxe4 fxe4 1 7 lbd 4
b-file) 12 b5 ( 12 lLld4 lLlxb4 !? 13
:xb4 c5 14 :b1 cxd4 15 i.xa8
dxc3 is slightly better for Black)
lLld4 lLlfe4) 14 . . . .t!c8!? and now on
e5! 18 lLlb3 lLla4! Black seizes the
initiative (+), while on 15 i.b2 a6 !
16 lDd4 (White could not push as
the pawn on a4 would be han g­
ing) 16 . . . axb5 1 7 axb 5 lDfe4 18
lbxe4 fxe4 it is White who has to
opt for simplifications with 19
lLlb3! ( =).
In conclusion, if you want an
unclear game with tactical chances
for both sides, the Dutch Defence
is a good choice!
O l d I n d i a n D efe n ce
1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 d6 3 l2Jc3 e5 4
lbf3
Instead, 4 dxe5 dxe5 5 'ii'xd8 +
<i!?xd8 'comes to mind' , preventing
Black from castling. However, af­
ter 6 llJf3 lDfd 7 followed by . . . c7-
c6 and . . . q;c7 Black shelters his
king or perhaps plays . . . f7-ffi and
develops via . . . t:ba6 and . . . i.c5 or
. . . i.b4. If he can carry this out
then the control over the d5-
square offered by his c6 pawn be­
comes important because White
is weak on d4, and the black king
may stand well in the centre on
account of the forthcoming end­
game.
4 llJbd7
...
On 4 . . . e4 5 �g5 i.f5, an attrac­
tive line is 6 g4! i.xg4 (6 . . . i.g6 7
.i.g2 'W/e7 8 'iib 3 b6 9 h4 h6 10 h5
hxg5 1 1 hxg6 is clearly better for
White) 7 .i.g2 and White regains
the pawn on e4, castles queenside
and then advances his central
pawns.
5 e4
Another interesting set-up is 5
i.g5 and then e2-e3, 'il'c2, J.d3
and perhaps 0-0-0.
5 .i.e7 6 i.e2
•.•
White often closes the centre
and at the same time the diagonal
h 1-a8 with d4-d5 , so it seems
more sensible not to fianchetto
the bishop to g2.
6 0-0 7 0-0 c6
•••
w
Plans and Counterplans:
White can expect a slight plus due
to his spatial advantage . He can
opt for a set-up with h2-h3 , i.e3,
'tlfc2, :fdl and ltac l ; or :fel, .i.fl
and �g5 or he can play d4-d5.
Black's most common counter is
. . .'Wic7, . . . l:.e8, . . . a7-a6 and . . . b7-
b5 . White can meet . . . b7-b5 with
a2-a3 or c4xb5 and then b2-b4.
Here are a few specific examples:
128 More Basic Chess Openings

a) 8 d5 a6 9 i.e3 cxd5 (9 . c5 . . h6 14 .i.c1! lle8 15 dxe5 dxe5 16

10 lLle1 with lLld3 and f2-f4 to fol­
low ;t) 1 0 cxd5 lt:lg4 1 1 ..td2 b5 1 2
lLlel!? lLlgf6 1 3 tDc2 lDc5 14 f3
.i.d7 15 b4 lDa4 1 6 tDxa4 bxa4 1 7
lLla3! and White is on top. The
threat is i.d3-c2.
b) 8 l:tel 'Wc7 9 .tfl a6 10 a3 b5
1 1 ..tg5 .tb7 12 l:.c1 'ifh8 13 l:tc2!?
lDh4! lt)f8 1 7 lDf5 �.
c) 8 ilc2 1lc7 9 l:td1 lieS 10 h3
a6 1 1 i.e3 b5 12 a3 exd4?! (it is
better to maintain the tension in
the centre by means of . . . .tb7,
. . . l:tac8 and . . . 'ii'b 8) 13 lDxd4 i.b7
14 lDf5 ..tf8 15 .if4 ! lDe5 16 .ig5 !
+
=·
G a m b its afte r 1 d4 l2Jf6 2 c4
Black has two ways to immedi­
ately attack White's central pawn
pair of d4 and c4. He can either
play . . . e7 -e5 or first he may 'force'
the move d4-d5 with . . . c7-c5 and
then sacrifice a pawn with . . . b7-
b5 for which he gets good play on
the queenside.
I. Gambits with e7-e5 •.•
II. 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 e6 3 ltJf3 c5 4
d5 b5 (Blumenfeld Gambit)
III. 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5
(Benko Gambit)
I. Gambits with ••. e7-e5
1 . . . e5? at once is very weak: 2
dxe5 ltJc6 3 tLlf3 'flle 7 4 �f4 (also
good is 4 ,.,d5 f6 5 exf6 ltJxf6 6
'li'b3! - by attacking the pawn on
b 7 White ties down the bishop on
c8 - 6 . d5 7 ltJc3 d4 8 lDb5 ±)
. .
4 . .'�b4 + 5 �d2 \i'xb2 6 l2Jc3 !
. + -) 5 g3 'ii' h 5 6 .i.g2 �xe5 7 ltJf3
(White would fall into a trap with
6 .i.c3? .i.b4!, e.g. 7 'ii'd 2? .i.xc3 8
'ifxc3 �c1 mate!) 6 . . . i.b4 (6 . . . ltlb4
7 l2Jd4 i.c5 8 .:tb1 'ii'a3 9 ltlcb5
'ifa5 1 0 a3 + -) 7 .:tb1 �a3 8 l:.b3
(also not bad is 8 l2Jd5 !? i.xd2 + 9
'ii'xd2 'ii'xa2 10 l:td1) 8 . . .'iia 5 9 a3 !?
�xc3 10 i.xc3 �c5 1 1 e4 with a
large development advantage for
White (+) .
2 c4 e5
The Budapest Gambit.
3 dxe5
3 d5? is a lemon in view of
3 . . . i.c5 4 lLlc3 d6 5 e4 c6 and
Black is already better, e.g. 6 lLlf3
ltlg4 or 6 .ie2 'i'b6 or 6 .ig5 h6 7
.i.h4 g5 8 .i.g3 'i'a5 threatening
. . . ltlxe4, . . . .i.b4, etc. White cannot
push d4-d5 if the bishop on f8 can
rush out to c5 or b4 as then sud­
denly all of White's dark central
squares become weak. Such ad­
vances in the centre can only
work if they restrict the opponen­
t's pieces.
3 ... ltlg4
After 3 ... lLle4 White has to watch
that Bl�ck does not get counter­
play with . . . �b4 + , . . . .i.c5, . . .'�h4,
. . . d7-d6 or . . . f7-f5 . It is best to
give the pawn back for a develop­
ment advantage by means of 4 a3!?
(preventing 4 . . . .i.b4 + and making
possible a future b2-b4) 4 . . .'ii h 4
(4 . . . i.c5 5 e3 lLlc6 6 lLlf3 'ille 7 7 b4
'ii'c 5 8 tLld4 tLlf6 9 b3 with a small
but tangible plus for White.
Those who want to try for more
can play 4 lLlf3!? lLlc6 5 a3 d6 6
'iVc2!? d5 (or 6 . . . ..tf5 7 ltJc3 tLlx£2 8
'ii'xf5 4Jxh 1 9 e6 and later White
will win the knight on h1 with g2-
g3 and �g2 : + -) 7 e3 ..tg4 8 cxd5
1ixd5 9 .ic4 'fla5 + 10 b4 i.xb4 +
1 1 axb4 'ifxa1 12 'i'xe4 and White
should emerge on top from this
complicated position.
4 lDf3
130 More Basic Che ss Openings
More violent continuations are:
a) 4 f4 .ic5 5 li)h3 d6 6 exd6
0-0 7 dxc7 �xc7 and Black gets
good counterplay with . . . li)c6 and
. . J�e8 ex� .
b) 4 e4 l2Jxe5 5 f4 l2Jec6 (or
5 . . . l2Jg6 6 lDf3 J.. b 4 + 7 lLlc3 'iVf6 8
e5 �b6 ao ) 6 i.e3 .tb4 + 7 lLlc3
'ti'h4 + 8 g3 .ixc3 + 9 bxc3 "fke7 ao,
c) 4 it.f4!? ttJc6 5 ttJf3 .tb4 + 6
lL'lc3 (6 ltJbd2 !? �e7 7 e3 l2Jgxe5 8
lL'lxe5 ltJxe5 9 .te2 d6 10 0-0 i.d7 -
1 0 . . . 0-0 1 1 lDb3 and 12 a3 + - 1 1
a3 i.xd2 1 2 �xd2 and White's
plan is b2-b4, iVc3 and c4-c5)
6 . . . i.xc3 + 7 bxc3 'flle 7 8 'ii'd5 f6!?
9 exf6 ttJxf6 10 'ii'd 3 d6 1 1 e3 ltJe4
12 .te2 0-0 13 0-0 .i.f5 and for the
pawn Black has a central initia­
tive and has managed to shatter
White's queenside.
4 . . .tc5
. gets the pawn back, the d5 square
Black forces the enclosure of
the bishop on cl.
5 e3 ltJc6 6 .i.e2 ltJgxe5 7
t2Jxe5 ltJxe5 8 0-0 0-0 9 tec3 a5
On 9 . . . d6 10 t2Ja4 J.. b6 1 1 b3 ±
White will sooner or later capture
on b6 and then get going with
.tb2, f2-f4 and e2-e4.
10 b3 l:.e8
Plans and Counterplans:
On the naive 1 1 .t b2? 1 1 . . . J:a6!
, 1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 e6 3 tt:lf3
is extremely effective, threaten­
ing . . . 'iVh4 followed by . . Jih6 or
.. .l::t g6 with a mating attack! So for
the time being the bishop on cl
should stay put to keep an eye on
the b6-square. Therefore White
plays 1 1 a3 and now on 1 1 . . J::ta6
w
12 l0d5! l:th6 13 e4! ± or l l . d6 12
..
.tb2 (now that the sixth rank is
closed!) White is better si nce he
has ltJd5, 'ii'd 2 and b3-b4. Black
can hardly stop this with . . . c7-c6
as this would weaken the squares
d6 and b6.
In these gambit variations Black
stands worse because even if he
is weakened for good and may
prove to be a base for the knight
on c3 in the middlegame. White's
best tactic against a gambit is to
accept the sacrifice and then give
it back for positional gains (e.g.
bishop pair, spatial advantage,
better endgame) .
II. Blumenfeld Gambit
Now 3 . . . b6 is a Queen's Indian
but here we look at a pawn sacri­
fice for Black instead.
3 ... c5 4 d5 b5!?
Black blows up the white pawn
centre with a sacrifice.
5 .i.g5!
 Gambits after 1 d4 l£(6 2 c4 13 1

Black would be delighted with 6 lbe4 7 .td2

..•

5 dxe6 fxe6 6 cxb5, as after 6 . . . d5 Or 7 cxb5 lLlxg5 !? (7 . . . ltJxc3 8

he takes over the centre and bxc3 'iixc3 + 9 .td2 with a slight
achieves an excellent game with advantage for White) 8 lDxg5 it.e7,
. . . .i.d6, . . 0-0, . . . .tb7 and . . . a7 -a6 .
. followed by . . . .i.b7, . . 0-0 and ... a6,
.

5 ltJc3 b4 6 ltJa4 is also of no avail which is unclear.

in view of 6 . . . exd5 7 cxd5 d6 and 7 lillcd2 8 'ii'xd2
•••

the pawn on d5 i s vulnerable to

attack by . . . .i.b7 and . . . ltJbd7-b6.
On 5 a4 bxc4 6 ltJc3 exd5 7 ltJxd5
.tb7 White loses the outpost on B

d5 for the knight.

5 'ii'a5 + !?
•••

The only good continuation, or

else White tightens his grip on d5,
e.g. 5 ... bxc4 6 ltJc3 threatening e2-
e4 and it.xc4 or 5 . . . b4 6 e4 with a
later .i.d3, ltJd2 and 0-0 or 5 . . . h6 6
.i.xf6 ! ii'xf6 7 ltJc3 b4 8 lLlb5 and
now both 8 . . . ltla6 9 e4 'Ci'xb2 10
i.d3 d6 1 1 0-0 .i.d7 1 2 \i'a4 + and Plans and Counterplans:
8 . . . t;i(d8 9 e4 g5 1 0 e5 'fig7 1 1 g4! , This line u sed to be considered
when White is ahead due to his inferior for Black on account of the
plan of 'ti'a4 (threatening �a5 + ) variation 8 bxc4? 9 e4 .i.e7 10
•••

and 0-0-0 , are bad for Black. An­ .i.xc4 .i.a6 11 ltJb5 ! �b6 1 2 a4 !
other false idea is 5 . . . exd5 6 cxd5 But the queenside should be kept
'ti'a5 + 7 ltJc3 ltJe4 8 i.d2 ltJxd2 9 closed with 8 b4!?: 9 ltJe4 .te7
•••

'i¥xd2 d6 10 e4 b4 as after 1 1 lLld1 10 ltJg3! (making room for e2-e4.

White plays i.e2, 0-0 and lLle3 . 10 d6 is a bad mistake, because
The vacant c4-square will be a after 1 0 . . �d8 the black queen­
.

perfect place for the knight to side springs to life quickly with
pressurise the black queenside. . . . ltJc6 and . . . i.b7) 10 . . . d6 1 1 e4
6 ltJc3 ltJd7 12 dxe6 fxe6 13 e5f? ltJxe5 14
White can also play: ltlxe5 dxe5 15 i.d3 0-0 16 0-0 g6
a) 6 .i.d2 'ii'b 6 7 lt)c3 bxc4 8 e4 with interesting play and mutual
j_a6 ao . chances.
b) 6 lLlbd2 ltle4 7 'i'Vc2 ltJxg5 8 In the final position White is a
ltJxg5 i.e7 = . pawn down but this is well com­
c) 6 'ii'd2 'ii'xd2 + 7 ltlbxd2 bxc4 pensated Black's damaged pawn
8 .i.xf6 gxf6 9 e4 ltJa6 10 i.xc4 structure and White's control over
CiJc7 = . the e4-square.
132 More Basic Chess Openings
Ill. Benko Gambit
1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5!?
w for his knights to aim at the holes
In the Benko Gambit Black
gives up his a- and b-pawns for
White's c-pawn to exert strong
pressure on the white queenside
from the open a- and b- files and
often from the al-h8 long diago­
nal. Meanwhile White has to safe­
guard his d5-pawn and watch out
for Black' s central blow . . . e7-e6.
Of course this gambit involves
some risk, but with accurate play
Black can obtain good play for the
pawn.
4 cxb5
White captures not only for the
sake of material gain but also be­
cause otherwise he cannot de­
velop his knight to c3 : 4 lLlc3 b4! 5
lLla4 d6 followed by 6 . . . g6 or 6 ... e6
and Black is better. It is no use de­
clining the gambit with 4 .i.g5 :
4 . . . ltJe4! 5 �f4 e6!? 6 ltJf3 'ii'a5 + 7
tLlbd2 tLld6 ao. But the moderate 4
tDf3 !? is prudent. For example:
a) 4 bxc4?! 5 lLlc3 d6 6 e4 g6
..•
7 .ixc4 .i.g7 8 e5! dxe5 9 lbxe5 0-0
10 'ii'e 2 �-
b) 4 ...b4 5 a3 d6 6 lLlbd2 g6 7
e4 .i.g7 8 .td3 0-0 9 axb4 cxb4 1 0
0-0 � and later White can advance
with e4-e5 or use the d4-square
on b7 and c6.
c) 4 ... i.b7!? 5 lLlbd2 !? d6 6 e4
b4 7 a3 !? a5 8 axb4 axb4 9 :;.xa8
.txa8 10 'ifa4 + lLlbd7 1 1 e5 dxe5 12
lLlxe5 and lt)df3, .id3 and 0-0 �.
d) 4 g6!? 5 'ifc2!? (White opts
•••
for e2-e4 and eventually - when
the tension on the queenside has
been released - envisages his
knight on c3) 5 . . . i.g7 (5 . . . bxc4?! 6
e4 with the future plan of lt)c3,
i.xc4 and e4-e5) 6 e4 d6 7 cxb5 a6
8 lLlc3 0-0 9 bxa6 i.xa6 10 .ixa6
:;.xa6 1 1 0-0 ll)bd7 with mutual
chances.
4 a6
••.
Black could not reverse the
moves . . . b7-b5 and . . . a7-a6, as on
3 . . . a6? 4 a4! puts an end to his
queenside expectations.
White's main lines are:
A. 5 bxa6 and
B. 5 f3
There are also some interest­
ing sidelines:
a) 5 b6 �xb6 6 t;Jc3 g6 7 ttJf3
.i.. g7 8 e4 d6 9 .ie2 lbbd7 10 0-0
0-0 1 1 lLld2 llb8 12 lLlc4 Vllic 7 13
.tf4 lbb6 and Black need not
=
worry about 14 e5?! lDeS 15 exd6
exd6 16 'ifd2 lillcc4 17 .ixc4 lLlf6.
 Gambits after 1 d4 CiJ{6 2 c4
b) 5 ltl c3 axb5 6 e4 b4 7 ltlb5
d6 ( 7 . . . ltlxe4? 8 'ifi'e2 ltlf6 9 ltld6
mate ! ) 8 .i.f4 g5! 9 .i.xg5 ltlxe4 10
i.. f4 i.g7 1 1 'ii'e 2 lDf6 12 ltlxd6 +
�fB 13 c!Dxc8 'ii'x c8 14 d6 exd6 15
i.xd6 + <i!?g8 16 'ii'f3 ltlc6 17 ltle2
'WeB 18 i.. xc5 ltle4! 19 i..e 3 b3! and
combines an attack against the
king in the middle with queenside
threats.
c) 5 e3 axb5 (also playable is
the formerly popular 5 . . . g6 6 lbc3
i.. g 7, when instead of capturing on
b5 Black can continue with . . . 0-0,
. . . d7-d6, . . . lLlbd7-b6 and . . . i.b7 and
later seek counterplay similarly
to the 5 bxa6 lines) 6 i.xb5 'i!Va5 +
7 lLlc3 �b7 8 l2Je2 (8 e4 ltlxe4 9
lt.Je2 li)d6 10 i.. a4 g6 oo) 8 . . . .i.xd5
(8 . . . lt.Jxd5 9 0-0 lDxc3 10 lLlxc3 e6
1 1 e4 iL.e 7 1 2 i.. f4 ;t) 9 0-0 i.c6 10
a4 e6 1 1 e4!? iL.xb5 12 ltlxb5 li)xe4
1 3 i.. f4 !Lla6 14 li)ec3 ! !Llxc3 15
bxc3 d5 16 c4 .U.dB 17 �g4 oo with
an initiative for the pawn. Again
we see White countering the gam­
bit by sacrificing a pawn for activ­
ity.
A. 1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4
cxb5 a6 5 bxa6
5 ... i.xa6
Black has 'pinned' the pawn on
e2 . If it moves he can stop White
from castling with . . . i.xfl .
6 lbc3 d6 7 e4
White can preserve his castling
options if he fianchettoes his fl­
bishop: 7 lLlf3 g6 8 g3 i.g7 9 i.g2
0-0 10 0-0 lLlbd7 1 1 1t'c2 :a7 12 h3
133
'i'a8 13 .:tdl .ic4 with an unclear
game. Black can exert maximum
strength on the a- and b-files with
the set-up . . . l::ta 7, . . .'5'a8 and . . Jtb8
while at the same time threaten­
ing the d5-pawn.
7 i.. xf1 8 � g6 9 g3
.••
White will castle 'artificially',
that is, move his king to g2 and
activate the rook on h 1 .
9 .tg7 10 <i!?g2 0-0 1 1 lDf3
••.
ltlbd7 12 h3
On 1 1 . . . 4Jbd7 the move 12 h3 is
almost a reflex action as on, for
example, 12 l::te l Black can play
1 2 . . . liJg4! 13 h3 lbge5 14 !Llxe5
!Llxe5, threatening 1 5 . . . c4 and
16 . . . liJd3 . So 12 h3 prevents Black
from occupying the e5-square
with his knight!
8
Plans and Counterplans:
Black has to proceed against the
white queenside. For this he can
play . . .!Llb6, . . . fi'd7, and ... .U.fb8 fol­
lowed by ... lLle8-c7-b5 but it seems
stronger to play . . . l::t a6 and . . . 'ifi'a8.
The latter can be combined with
the blow . . . e7 -e6, which suggests
134 More Basic Chess Openings
itself due to the placement of the
queen on aS and king on g2 . In
the meantime White can play !tel
and opt for e4-e5 or first he can
try to stabilize his queenside with
l:tb1, b2-b3, a2-a4 and lLlb5.
B. 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5
a6 5 f3
Nowadays this is the most popu­
lar line : White can easily achieve
e2-e4 but he does not enjoy any
material gains.
5 axb5
•..
White is better after 5 . . . g6 6 e4
d6 7 lLla3 ! �g7 8 lDe2 0-0 9 lLlc3
(�), but 5 . . . e6!? 6 e4 exd5 7 e5 �e7
8 'iWe2 lDg8 9 lDc3 i.b7 1 0 li:)h3 c4
1 1 �e3 axb5 12 0-0-0 'ii'b4!? is un­
clear, e.g. 13 l:xd5 fi'xc3 + ! 14 bxc3
.i.xd5 is a promising queen sacri­
fice.
6 e4 �a5 +
On 6 . . . b4 7 .i.c4 followed by
lLle2, 0-0 and a2-a4.
7 .td2 b4 8 lLla3! d6
Or 8 . . . g6 9 lLlc4 'flc7 10 a3! bxa3
1 1 :xa3 ltxa3 12 bxa3 and, after
castling, White obtains a danger­
ous queenside initiative.
9 ltJc4 �a7!
Worse is 9 . . 'ifc7?! as after 10 a3
. himself:
White is threatening to take on
b4 , while if Black captures on a3
White will achieve a passed pawn .
Plans and Counterplans:
White can insist on playing along
the a-file or can just develop peace­
fully:
w
a) 10 a3 g6 1 1 .td3 .i.g7 12
lLle2 0-0 13 0-0 bxa3 14 l:xa3 1i'b7
ao and Black has no intention of
taking on a3. His plan is . . . ltJa6
and . . . lLld7-b6 or . . . l!b8 .
b) 10 a4 ltJbd7 1 1 a5 .i.a6 fol­
lowed by . . . g7-g6, . . . .i.g7 and . . . 0-0
is also double-edged.
c) 10 � d3 (the most peaceful
move) 1 0 . . . g6 1 l lLle2 �g7 12 0-0
ltJfd7!? 13 a3 ( 1 3 �h 1 lLle5)
13 . . . lLle5 ! 14 lLlxe5 c4 + 15 <iit> h 1
�xe5 16 .i.xc4 �xb2 1 7 �b5 +
l!Jd7 ( 1 7 . . . �d7? 18 'iWc2 0-0 - on
18 . . . .i.xa1 ?? 1 9 'iWc8 mate ! - 19
'i'xb2 �xb5 20 axb4 �b7 2 1 i.h6
+ -) 18 �c6, reaching the critical
point of the whole line. Black
should not allow White to sacri­
fice an exchange but should do s o
a) 18 . i.b7?! 19 .i.xb4! .i.xal
. .
20 'ii'xa1 0-0 21 i.xd 7 i.a6 22 .1Lc6
.1Lxe2 23 l:tgl .Uab8 24 e5 +.
b ) 1 8 . . J:tb8 19 axb4! .i.xal 2 0
'il'xal 1i'xa1 2 1 llxa1 + threaten­
ing l:ta 7, lLld4 and b4-b5, etc.
c) 18 ...bxa3! 1 9 .i.xa8 'iix a8
and if the rook on al moves (to a2
 Gambits after 1 d4 ltJ{6 2 c4
or bl) then 20 . . . i.a6 yields good
play for Black.
Odds and ends after I d4
Mter I d4 lilc6 it is best to trans­
pose to the Nimzowitsch Defence
( 1 e4 tileS 2 d4) with 2 e4.
I d4 b5 is also bad for Black as
it hands over the centre to White:
135
2 e4 i.b7 3 f3 (also good is the
set-up .td3 and tilf3) 3 a6 4 .te3
•••
e6 5 tild2 d5 6 i.d3 lt)f6 7 e5
lDfd7 8 f4 c5 9 c3 tDc6 10 �gf3,
threatening f4-f5, is slightly bet­
ter for White.
1 d4 b6 2 e4 .tb7 3 .t d3 fol­
lowed by lDf3, c2-c3 , 0-0 and "it'e2
also gives White a slight advan­
tage.
En g l ish Open i n g
1 c4
B On 2 . . . g6 White can play 3 e4!?,
With 1 c4 White makes a claim
in the centre and immediately en­
ables the knight on b1 to develop
to c3 without blocking the c2-
pawn. Although White's inten­
tions are still rather obscure, he
will try to sidestep a few openings
which arise after 1 d4 and 2 c4 ,
such as the Benko Gambit or the
Benoni. Black can still employ
some of the openings that are
played against 1 d4 (for example,
the King's Indian Defence and
Dutch Defence) but others may
be prevented by his opponent, for
example the 'Anti-Griinfeld' in
section I or the 'Anti-Nimzo' in
section II. The independent 'Eng­
lish-speaking' lines are the 'Sym­
metrical English', viz. 1 c4 c5 in
section III and the ' Sicilian Re­
versed' viz. 1 c4 e5, covered in
section Iv.
I. Anti-Griinfeld
1 c4 lLlf6 2 lLlc3 d5
when Black's hopes of a Griin feld
have vanished.
3 cxd5 lDxd5
Now after 4 d4 g6 White would
really find himself in a Griin feld.
However, instead of 4 d4 he can
also consider simply developing
his pieces:
A. 4 lbf3 or
B. 4 g3.
A. 1 c4 lbf6 2 lt:Jc3 d5 3 cxd 5
lt:Jxd5 4 lLlf3
4 . g6
..
4 . . . c5 leads to the 'Symmetrical
English '.
5 'i'a4 + !?
An irritating check. Whichever
way Black interposes he will have
to make some sort of concession.
5 . . . .i.d7
The only move since on 5 . . . ltJc6
6 lDe5 c!Llxc3 7 bxc3 ! �d7 8 lDxd7
'ifxd7 9 llbl White has a huge
plus due to his bishop pair, his
pawn majority in the centre and
Black's vulnerable queenside. For
example on 9 . . J:tb8 White can try
10 g3 with the idea of �g2, .:txb 7
and .i.xc6. Also wrong is 5 . . . c6: 6
 English Opening
'ifd4! ltlf6 7 'Wxd8 + �xd8 8 e4 fol­
lowed by 9 d4 ;t
6 'ii'h4
Not 6 'Wd4? ltlf6 and the white
queen is exposed.
•••6 ltlxc3!?
6 . . . .i.c6 can be answered by 7
'ifd4 and 7 . . . ltlf6? 8 'ir'xd8 + �xd8
9 ltle5 is bad for Black, while on
7 . . . f6 White plays the simple 8 e3
followed by i.e2 and 0-0, when
Black's pieces are out of place.
7 dxc3
7 bxc3 .i.g7, followed by . . . c7-
c5, . . . ltlc6 and . . . 0-0, offers good
play for Black and White's queen
is not very well placed on h4
either. A more exciting alterna­
tive is 7 'ii'd 4!? f6 8 'ii'xc3 e5 !? 9
ltlxe5 fxe5 10 'ii'x e5 + i'/e7 1 1
'ii'xh8 lbc6 1 2 'ifc3 0-0-0 with tre­
mendous play for Black despite
his considerable material loss :
. . . .tg7, . . . ltld4 and . . . i.f5.
..•7 lb c6
It is important to protect the
queen quickly as it will be ex­
changed before too long.
8 e4 e5
Plans and Counterplans:
Here White has several possibili­
ties:
a) 9 'ii'g 3 f6 10 h4 'fie7 1 1 h5
g5 12 �e2 ltld8 ! 13 ltlh2 ! t"i)e6 14
i.g4 0-0-0 with chances for both
sides.
b) Or 9 .i.g5 .i.e7 10 �c4 and
Black must hamper the possibil­
ity of lDg5: 10 . . . h6 1 1 .i.xe7 -.xe7
is equal.
137
c) The most interesting is 9
'ii'xd8 + !? l:.xd8 10 �c4 (threaten­
ing l l ltlg5) 10 . . . f6 1 1 i.e3 ltla5 !
12 .te2 i.e6 13 ltld2 b6 14 b4 ltlb7
with unclear chances. For exam­
ple, 15 a4 a5 or 1 5 f3 h5 !?, with
the idea of . . . i.h6, promises Black
a comfortable game.
B. 1 c4 ltlf6 2 ltlc3 d5 3 cxd5
ltlxd5 4 g3
4 g6
..•
For 4 . . . e5 see the 'Sicilian Re­
versed'.
5 .ig2 ltlb6
The other possibility is 5 . . . li)xc3
6 bxc3 i.g7 7 l:tbl lLld7 (if White
captures on b7 then . . . ltlb6 would
trap the rook on b7 in the end) 8
lLlf3 0-0 9 0-0 ltlb6 (an interesting
alternative is 9 . . c5 !? , when Black
.
is planning to unchain the queen­
side with . . . 'iic 7, . .. l:.b8, . . . b 7-b6
and . . . .tb7) 10 lDg5! , with the un­
usual (and powerful) plan of tLle4-
c5, when Black is worse in view of
the threats to his queenside.
6 d3! .i.g7 7 .i.e3!
138 More Basic Chess Openings
This is the way for White to
utilize the differences between
this and a normal Griinfeld. Black
has no counterplay while White is
planning 'i'c1 and .i.h6.
7 0-0
•..
On 7 ... lbc6 8 i.xc6 + ! bxc6 9 'ii'c 1
+ and later White will compen­
sate for the absence of the bishop
with llJf3-g5 (d4) and f2-f3 mak­
ing Black suffer for his doubled c­
pawns.
8 'ii'c l
B something original and active!
Plans and Counterplans:
White 's threat is the 'utility at­
tack' �h6, h4-h5, Ji.xg7, h5xg6 and
'ii' h 6 + . After 8 . . . llJc6 the knight
would again be captured, followed
by i.h6 . Black can sidestep the
exchange of dark-squared bish­
ops, but 8 . . Jie8 9 .i.h6 .i.h8 10 h4
lLlc6 1 1 h5 (the best moment to
capture the knight on c6 is when
it can be followed up by the ex­
change of the bishop on g7)
1 1 . . . ttJd4 12 ttJf3 llJxf3 + 13 i.xf3
is also slightly better for White
(!) .
II. Anti-Nimzo
1 c4 llJf6 2 lilc3 e6
With this move Black offers a
Nimzo-Indian after 3 d4 �b4 or
perhaps a Queen' s Gambit with
3 . . . d5, but White can frustrate his
opponent's intentions.
3 e4!?
Threatening 4 e5. Although this
can be prevented by 3 . . . d6, this
move is very passive: White plays
4 d4, and then f2-f4, lbf3 �. Or, for
example, 3 . . . e5 4 f4!? d6 5 lilf3 ;t.
Black needs to play something else,
3 ... d5!?
With this move Black does allow
his knight on f6 to be removed
easily. Another common move is
3 . . . c5 4 e5 lilg8. Now on 5 d4 cxd4
6 �xd4 ttJc6 7 �e4 d6 Black
equalizes, but after 5 llJf3 llJc6 6
d4!? cxd4 7 lilxd4 llJxe5 8 lbbd5!
a6 9 lild6 + Ji.xd6 10 '\ixd6 f6 1 1
i.e3 ! White has good play for the
pawn.
4 e5
After 4 cxd5 exd5 the diagonal
of the bishop on c8 is open.
4 ... d4!
Instead 4 . . . 4Je4 ! ? 5 4Jxe4 dxe4
6 'ti'g4 4Jc6 7 'ii'xe4 'iWd4 is an in­
teresting sacrifice.
5 exf6 dxc3 6 bxc3
Or 6 fxg7 cxd2 + 7 .i.xd2 �xg7
with equality.
6 'ii'xf6 7 d4 e5!
•..
Black needs to play very accu­
rately indeed to achieve equality.
 English Opening
White stands better after 7 c5 8 . . .
lDf3 cxd4 9 i.g5 ! 'ii'f5 10 cxd4
i.b4 + 1 1 i.d2 .i.xd2 + 12 'tixd2 ,
followed by .id3 - this is the rea­
son for White to drive the enemy
queen to a light square with 9
.ig5 - and 0-0 ;!;,
w one of the best replies to 1 c4.
Plans and Counterplans:
White should not try to win the
pawn on e5: 8 'ii'e 2?! i.e7! 9 dxe5
(9 �xe5 'ii'xe5 10 dxe5 lLlc6 1 1 lLlf3
.i.g4 12 .ie2 0-0-0 and . . . l1he8 with
a dangerous initiative for Black)
9 . . .'ii'g6 10 'i't'e3 .if5 1 1 lLle2 0-0 12
lDf4 'ii'c 6 and the threat is . . . :XeS
and . . . �c5 + . White should there­
fore simply develop: 8 lilf3 ! exd4
9 i.g5 ! (9 cxd4 i.h4 + 10 .id2
�xd2 + 1 1 1Vxd2 0-0 followed by
. . . c7-c5) 9 . .'iVe6 + 10 .ie2 f6!? (not
. The main line, where we will
10 d3? because of 1 1 0-0 ! and the
. . .
pawn on e2 is taboo due to �dB
mate or l:tel winning the queen.
But the simple 10 .ie7 !? comes
. . .
into consideration, followed by
quick queenside castling.) 1 1 l2Jxd4
'fif7 12 i.f4 .ic5 13 0-0 0-0 when
White is more active but his
139
queenside pawn structure is shat­
tered (�) .
III. Symmetrical English
1 c4 c5
As 1 . . . d5 is one of the best re­
plies to 1 d4 and 1 . . e5 is one of
.
the best replies to 1 e4, it should
come as no surprise that l . . c5 is
.
Right from the first move it is ap­
parent that further central ac­
tions will take place on the
squares d4, d5. As to who will oc­
cupy the centre, and when, this
question will be discussed in sec­
tion A: 'Take it or leave it?'.
Section B deals with the 'hedge­
hog' set-up in which Black with­
draws behind the spikes of his
pawns (a6, b6, d6, e6, f7, g7, h7),
but is ready to strike when the
opportunity presents itself. In
the 'Straight Symmetry Varia­
tion' (section C) the central battle
is postponed while both sides de­
velop their forces in tandem (sec­
tion C).
A. Take it or leave it?
eventually arrive, is 1 c4 c5 2 lLlf3
lbf6 3 ttJc3 lbc6 4 g3 g6 5 �g2 if.. g7
6 0-0 0-0 7 d4 cxd4 8 lDxd4. Natu­
rally there are many opportuni­
ties for both sides to deviate along
the way. Both sides face the recur­
ring dilemma of whether to oc­
cupy the centre or perhaps allow
140 More Basic Chess Openings
the opponent to do so? To put it in
another way, should White play
d2-d4 and Black . . . d7-d5?
1 c4 c5 2 lbf3
This move tells us that White
will probably sooner or later be
willing to play d2-d4, otherwise
he would play 2 lDc3 (see the
'Straight Symmetrical Variation').
2 ltlf6
.••
On 2 . . . g6 the instant 3 d4!?
cxd4 4 lLlxd4 1Lg7 5 e4 tLlc6 6 .te3
'Llffi 7 lt)c3 is playable with a trans­
position to the Maroczy Variation
of the Sicilian Defence, which is
very comfortable for White. How­
ever, 2 . . . lLlc6 3 ltlc3 (3 d4 trans­
poses to the main line) 3 . . . ltJd4!?
is an interesting idea, for example
4 e3 t"Llxf3 + 5 'ii'xf3 g6 followed by
. . . .tg7, . . . lLlf6, . . . d7-d6 and . . 0-0.
.
After 2 . . . lLlf6 both players can
push their d-pawns as they are
now ready to recapture with the
knights. Let us take a closer look,
step by step!
Al. 3 d4
A2. 3 lLlc3 d5 4 cxd5 ltlxd5
A3. 3 tLlc3 tDc6 4 d4
A4. 3 �c3 �c6 4 g3 d5 and
A5. 3 tLlc3 lLlc6 4 g3 g6 5 1L g2
.tg7 6 0-0 0-0 7 d4 cxd4 8 ltlxd4.
A 1 . 1 c4 c5 2 lLlf3 lLlf6 3 d47 !
This is premature.
3 ... cxd4 4 ltlxd4 e5! 5 ltlb5
d5 ! 6 cxd5 .tc5
Black has the initiative, for ex­
ample 7 lLl5c3 (7 .i.g5? .i.x£2 + and
w
8 . . . ltJe4 + - + ) 7 . . . 0-0 8 e3 e4 f 9
ltJd2 ii'e7!? 10 a3 a5 1 1 d6!? .ixd6
12 lDdxe4 ltJxe4 13 lDxe4 xtd8 14
lDxd6 xtxd6 15 'Wc2 ltlc6 16 i.e2
'ii'g5 ! with superb play for Black.
A2. 1 c4 c5 2 'Llf3 lLlf6 3 ltlc3 d5 4
cxd5 lLlxd5
5 e4!?
Inviting Black to join an excit­
ing battle. 5 d4 tDxc3 6 bxc3 g6
leads to the Griinfeld.
5 ltlb4
...
On 5 . . . lLJxc3 6 dxc3 ! ? 'ii'xd 1 + 7
<it>xd 1, followed by !it>c2 and i.e3,
White is a little better.
6 ii.b5 + ltJ8c6
Not 6 . . . �d7? 7 a3! 1Lxb5 8 axb4
�d3 9 'ir'a4 + lLlc6 10 b5 lt'lb4 1 1
b6 + �d7 12 1i'xd7+ �xd7 13 :xa7
+.
7 d4!
White must hurry as Black was
threatening to release the pres­
sure with . . . a7-a6.
7. cxd4
..
Or 7 . . . a6 8 1Lxc6 + lDxc6 9 d5 ±.
8 a3!
 English Opening
Not 8 ltlxd4?? 'ii'xd4! - + .
8 . . dxc3 9 'ii'x d8 + �d8 10
. ;t
axb4 cxb2
After lO . . lDxb4? 1 1 bxc3 lDc2 +
1 2 �e2 lDxal 1 3 lld 1 + rl;c7 14
�f4 + �b6 15 llb1 ! White has a
winning attack.
1 1 i..xb2
White 's attack should not be
underestimated. For example, if
I I .li.Jxb4, then 12 �e2, followed
..
by l:tfd 1 and llac 1 , is curtains for
Black. Black has to neutralize the
bishop on b2 in order to develop.
But not with 1 1 ... f6?! in view of
12 e5 ! i.g4 13 i..xc6 bxc6 14 ltJd4!
and things have only got worse.
Best for Black is 1 I .. e6! 12 0-0 f6
. 7 'ti'xd4 b6 8 i.f4 i.c5 9 'ii'd2
13 e5 f5 with mutual chances.
A 3 . 1 c4 c5 2 ltJf3 ltJf6 3 l2Jc3 l2Jc6
4 d4! 7 cxd4 5 t2Jxd4
5 e6!?
...
5 . . . g6 6 e4 i.g7 7 i.e3 again
leads to the Maroczy Variation of
the Sicilian, while White has a
slight advantage after 5 . . . d5 6
141
cxd5 llJxd5 7 l2Jxc6 bxc6 8 i.. d 2!?
6 a3!?
Nowadays this line (preventing
. . . i.b4) is the most fashionable.
On 6 lLldb5 both 6 . . . i.b4 7 a3 ( 7
l2Jd6 + ? �e7) 7 . . . i.xc3 + 8 ltlxc3 d5
and 6 . . . d5 7 i.f4 (7 cxd5 lDxd5 8
lDxd5 exd5 9 'ii'xd5 i..b 4+ 10 i.d2
'ife7! and 0-0, l:td8 +) 7 . . . e5 8 cxd5
exf4 9 dxc6 bxc6 10 1i'xd8 + \t;xd8
come into consideration. The other
major alternative is 6 g3 . Now a
characteristic line is 6 . . . 'ii' b 6!? 7
ltJbd5 lDe5! 8 i.g2 a6 9 'ii'a4 ltJge4 !
10 0-0 l:tb8 1 1 ltJa3 ..i.c5 ! and
12 . . . 0-0
= .
•••6 llJxd4!?
Those who are not afraid of an
isolated pawn might try 6 . . . d5 7
cxd5 exd5 followed by . . . i.e7 and
. . . 0-0, but 6 .. . 'ii'b6?! is wrong, as
after 7 ltJb3 the black queen ob­
structs the development of the
queenside. But 6 . . . i.c5 ! is tried
and tested: 7 lDb3 i.. e 7 8 e4 0-0 9
i.e2 b6 1 0 0·0 i.. a6 1 1 1i.f4 d6 1 2
:e1 ltJe5 13 ltJd2 .ticS 1 4 b 3 l2Jg6
15 ..tg3 i.b7 with a hedgehog-like
set-up.
0-0 1 0 :d1 i.b7 1 1 i.d6 i.xd6
12 ..-xd6 :cs (D)
White offsets the troublesome
bishop on b 7 with e2·e3, f2-f3,
i.e2 and 0-0, while Black counter­
balances White's pressure on the
d-file with . . . l:tc6 and an attack on
the pawn on c4 with . . . i.a6 or by
carrying out the move the . . . d7-
d5 ·break ( .. .'�a8, . . . d7·d5) .
142 More Basic Chess Openings
A4. 1 c4 c5 2 liJf3 liJf6 3 ltJc3 ltJc6
4 g3
For 4 e3 e6 5 d4 d5 see the Tar­
rasch Variation of the Queen's
Gambit.
4 d5!
•••
The best moment.
5 cxd5 liJxd5 6 .tg2 &fJc7
This prepares . . . e7 -e5, which is
wrong at the moment on account
of ll:)xe5 and the knight on d5 is
hanging. But a good alternative is
6 . . . g6 7 0-0 .tg7 8 ltJxd5 1Wxd5 9
d3 0-0 1 0 .i.e3 and now besides
1 0 . . . .td7, another possibility is
1 0 . . . .txb2 1 1 l:tb1 i.. g7 12 li:)d4
'ii'x a2 13 li:)xc6 bxc6 14 .ixc6 i.. h3
1 5 i.. xa8 :xa8 16 i.. xc5! ( 16 l::te 1
.ic3 = ) . The latter position can
also be found in section AS with
colours reversed and of course
with a different move number!
7 0-0
On 7 a3, it is best to switch
with 7 . . . g6 as 7 . . . e5? is met by 8
b4 ! cxb4 9 axb4 .txb4 10 c!Dxe5
lDxe5 1 1 �a4 + c!Dc6 1 2 .txc6 +
and 13 'iVxb4. The set-up of . . . li:Jc7
and . . . .ig7 might also allow th e
manoeuvre . . . &fJe6-d4.
7 . . . e5 8 d3 .te7 9 liJd2 .i d7 10
ll:)c4 0-0! 1 1 i..xc6 .ixc6 12 ltJxe5
.ie8
Black's bishop pair and White's
loose king position offer compen­
sation for the sacrificed pawn,
but first he will have to chase
away the knight from e5 to in­
vade the light squares. White, in
turn, can darn his kingside holes
with f2-f3 and i.. e3.
AS. 1 c4 c5 2 lLJf3 ltJf6 3 lLJc3 tDc6
4 g3 g6 5 .ig2 .ig7 6 0-0 0-0 7 d4
cxd4 8 liJxd4
8 lLJxd4
•••
The sacrifice 8 . . . d6? ! is insuffi­
cient in view of 9 lbxc6 bxc6 10
.ixc6 .ih3 ( 10 .. Jlb8!? followed by
1 l . . . 'ii'a 5 deserves attention) 1 1
.ixa8 'iYxa8 1 2 f3 .ixfl 1 3 �xf1
�c8 14 iYd3 ! followed by l:b1 and
b2-b3 , when White is fully devel­
oped. But 8 . . . ltJg4!? is interesting:
9 e3 d6 10 b3 c!Dxd4 1 1 exd4 c!Dh6
 English Opening
12 �d2 ! l2Jf5 13 d5 l:tb8 14 ltc 1! a6
15 l2Je4! and White is on top since
15 . . . b5? has lost its strength in
view of 16 c5!
9 'ii'xd4 d6 10 'ii'd3 a6!
A necessity, after which, accord­
ing to White 's reply, Black can
choose between the plans . . J�b8-
b5, ...lDd7-c5 (e5) and ... i.f5, .. .'ti'd7.
w der to avoid trouble on the dB­
Of course now 1 1 b3? is wrong
due to 1 1 . . . �f5 12 e4 tt.)xe4, as the
rook on al will be hanging after
the exchanges! So the bishop on
c1 must develops via the other di­
rection. Best is 1 1 i.e3!? threat­
ening c4-c5 or 1Vd2 and i.h6,
though Black can play 1 l . . . .i.(5!?
1 2 'ii'd 2 'ii'd 7 13 i.d4 i.e6 ! 14 b3
i.h3 = because by forcing 14 b3
Black does not allow 15 i.xh3
'iVxh3 16 i.xf6 i.xf6 1 7 ltJd5 1if5
18 'ii'd 3 as in the meantime the
rook on a1 is hanging.
B. 'Hedgehog'
I n the hedgehog Black opts for
the spiky pawn formation a6, b6,
143
d6 and e6. He can obtain this
either by developing the king's
bishop to e7 (Bl. Simple hedge­
hog) or, alternatively, he can fi­
anchetto the other bishop as well
(B2. Double hedgehog) .
8 1 . Simple hedgehog
1 c4 c5 2 l2Jf3 l2Jf6 3 g3 b6 4
i. g2 i.b7 5 0-0 e6 6 tt.)c3 i.e7
Black must watch his move-or­
square. Usually he should start
with the moves . . . d7-d6 and ... i..e 7
and then, according to White's
plan, play ... a7-a6, . . . l2Jbd7 and
. . 0-0 in the appropriate order.
.
7 d4
7 lte1 d5 8 cxd5 exd5 (8 ...l2Jxd5!?)
9 d4 0-0 10 i.f4 lDa6!? leads to a
Queen's Indian in which the e1-
rook is not especially well placed.
Black's plan might be the journey
. . . l2Ja6-c7-e6.
7. .. cxd4
8 d5 cannot be allowed while
on 7 . . . d5 8 tt.)e5 followed by i.f4,
l:tc1 , d4xc5, 'iVa4 and l:tfd l is a
powerful plan for White.
8 'ii'xd4
Nothing is gained by 8 4Jxd4
i.xg2 9 �xg2 d6 10 b3 'V/Jic7 1 1 e4
a6 12 �b2 �b7 13 l:te1 0-0, as af­
ter . . . ltJc6 and . . . l:tfc8 Black can
aim for . . . b7-b5 .
. 8 . d6
.
Black's almost exclusive idea
used to be . . . d7-d6 and . . . 4Jbd7
but nowadays 8 . . . ltJc6 !? is also
popular: 9 'iVf4 0-0 10 e4 d6 1 1
144 More Basic Chess Openings

l:td1 'ii'b 8 1 2 b3 ti)d7 when Black 1 0 lLlc5 1 1 l:td1 lLlfe4 12

•••

has the common manoeuvres: 'ifxg7! .i.f6 13 'ti'h6 .i.xa1 1 4

. . . a7-a6, . . . .:te8, ... i.fB and . . . llxle5, ttlg5!
etc. 8 . . . a6? loses to 9 �e3! i.c5 10
1i'd3 .i.xe3 1 1 'ii'xe3 d6 1 2 l:lfd 1
and d 6 is weakened to a fatal de­
gree, while on 1 2 . . . 1i'c7 13 lDd5
wins.
9 b3!?
This neat strategy (i.a3, l:lfd 1
and llJb5) is the best way to meet
the 'simple hedgehog' . After the
continuation 9 e4 a6 10 Wi'e3 ti)bd7
1 1 ltld4 Wi'c7 12 b3 0-0 13 .ib2
life8 a typical slow-manoeuvring
hedgehog-type position arises.
White centralizes his rooks while White has sacrificed a rook but
Black regroups with . . . .if8, . . . g7- has reached a winning position!
g6 and . . . .ig7. White's plan is a For example:
slow kingside expansion whereas a) 14 . ltlxg5 15 i.xg5 f6 16
. .

Black plans to strike with . . . b6-b5 �g7 and 17 ttJc7 + + -.

or . . . d6-d5. b) 14 . i.f6 15 llJxe4 lLlxe4 16
. .

An original alternative idea is 9 i.xe4 .i.xe4 1 7 lbxd6 + <it;e7 18

i.g5!?: 9 . . . a6 10 .i.xf6 .ixf6 1 1
'ii'd 3 l:ta7 1 2 l:tad 1 i.e7 13 ltJd4
i.xg2 14 <it;xg2 'ii'c8 15 f4 ao. In­
stead of 10 .ixf6 the move 1 0
llJd2!?, followed by llJde4 with an
assault on pawn d6, deserves at­
tention.
9 .. lLlbd7
.
i.a3 ! + -.
c) 14 ... .ie5 15 lbxe4 lLlxe4 16
i.xe4 i.xe4 1 7 f4 'ii'f6 18 fxe5
'ifxh6 19 lbxd6 + <it;e7 20 i.xh6
i.g6 2 1 i.g5 + <it;f8 22 �f6 + -.
82. Double hedgehog

Or 9 . . . a6!? 1 0 i.a3 llJc6 1 1 'i*'f4 1 c4 c5 2 liJf3 lt)f6 3 g3 b6 4

d5 12 .i.xe7 llJxe7 1 3 �e5 0-0 14
:fd 1 ;t;.
10 ltJb5 !
White may also play 10 l:td 1 a6
1 1 e4 !? 'iic 7? 1 2 i.a3 tDc5 13 e5
dxe5 14 'ii'x e5! 1i'xe5 15 ltJxe5 ± .
Instead of 1 1 . . 1i'c7?, better is
. 'it'xd4 + 'ti'xd4 14 li)xd4 .i.xg2 15
1 1 . .. 'ii'c8, avoiding the exchange
of queens.
.i.g2 iLb7 5 0-0 g6 6 lt)c3
It is difficult to make anything
out of a symmetrical set-up: 6 b3
i.g7 7 i.b2 0-0 8 lbc3 d5 9 llJxd5
lDxd5 10 iLxg7 �xg7 1 1 cxd5
'1Wxd5 12 d4 lLla6! ( 1 2 . . . cxd4? 13
<iit>xg2 and White is clearly bette r
because of the contrast between
 English Opening
the knights) 13 e4 'ii'd 6 14 d5 e6!
is equal.
6 i.. g7 7 d4 cxd4 8 iixd4
.••
Or 8 tlJxd4 �xg2 9 <it>xg2 'ii'c8
followed by . . . 1i'b7, . . . a7-a6, ... lLlc6
and . 0-0 = .
. .
Plans and Counterplans:
The tempo-gaining 8 ltJc6 fails•• •
to 9 �f4 (9 'ii' h 4 h6! threatening
10 . . . g5 ! ) 9 . ltc8 10 l:d1 d6 1 1 �d2
. .
and the knight on c6 would rather
be on d7 while White, following
b2-b3 and l:ac1 , can opt for tlJd5,
while after 8 0-0!? 9 'iVh4 d6 10
•••
�h6 liJbd7 1 1 b3 l:tc8 12 �xg7
�xg7 13 'f6d4 �g8 14 l:ac1 White
is again better owing to the con­
stant threat of ll:)d5 (�) . Mter 1 c4
c5 2 ltJf3 llJf6 3 g3 Black should
take the centre with 3 . . . d5 - see
section D.
C. Straight Symmetry
Variation
1 c4 c5 2 llJc3 llJc6
Black can continue the symme­
try for a while, at least as long as
145
it involves natural developing
moves.
3 g3 g6 4 .i.g2 i.. g7 5 llJf3
White does not get rid of his
' shadow' with 5 e3 e6 6 liJge2
llJge7 7 0-0 0-0 8 d4 cxd4 9 lDxd4
d5 10 cxd5 llJxd4 1 1 exd4 llJxd5 12
lLlxd5 exd5 = or 5 a3 a6 6 l:b1
l:tb8 7 b4 cxb4 8 axb4 b5 9 cxb5
axb5 = . Likewise 5 e4 e6 6 llJge2
ll'lge 7 7 d3 d6 8 0-0 0-0 9 l:bl a6
1 0 a3 b5 !? 1 1 cxb5 axb5 1 2 b4
cxb4 13 axb4 is again dull equal­
ity.
After 5 llJf3 ttlf6 6 d4 trans­
poses to section I, but Black is not
obliged to allow this:
C1. 5 ...e6 and
C2. 5 e5.
•••
Also interesting is the possibil­
ity 5 . . . d6 6 0-0 i.. f5 followed by
. . . 'ii'd 7 and . . . .th3.
C 1 . 1 c4 c5 2 ltJc3 ltJc6 3 g3 g 6 4
.tg2 �g7 5 lLlf3 e6
6 0-0
Also possible is 6 d4! ? cxd4 7
lLlb5 d5 8 cxd5 'iVa5 + 9 't'kd2 'ifxb5
10 dxc6 1fxc6 1 1 0-0 �d6 1 2 l:td 1
e5 13 e3 liJe7 = .
6 ltJge7 7 d3 0-0 8 .td2 d5 9
•.•
a3 b6
Not 9 . . d4 10 liJa4! and 1 1 b4
.
with a frightful attack against the
black queenside.
10 :b1 .i.. b 7 (D)
The position is equal, for exam­
ple 1 1 cxd5 exd5 ( 1 1 . . . liJxd5 1 2
146 More Basic Chess Openings

1 0 . . . .ie6 ! 1 1 ttJd5 ( 1 1 4Jc2 d5)

1 1 . . . l:lb8 12 4Jc2 b5! 13 i.g5 f6 1 4
�d2 bxc4 15 dxc4 f5 16 i.c3 e4 ao .

Also fine for B lack is 10 .i d2 f5 !?

1 1 �c 1 �h8 12 .ih6 i..e 6 13
.ixg7 + �xg7 1 4 4Jg5 i.g8 15 f4
h6 16 lDf3 exf4 1 7 gxf4 b6 1 8 'ii'd 2
d5 .

rv. Sicilian Reversed

1 c4 e5
ttJxd5 'iixd5 1 3 i.c3 :fd8 14 4Je5 This is the mirror image - or
'ti'd6 ) 1 2 b4 cxb4 1 3 axb4 d4 1 4
= ' reversed' position - of the Sicil­
lt:)a4 lt:)d5 ao o r 1 1 b 4 cxb4 12 axb4 ian ( 1 e4 c5) . The striking differ­
dxc4 13 dxc4 l:lc8 = . ence is that in the English the one
who plays the Sicilian is on the
C2. 1 c4 c5 2 tiJc3 4Jc6 3 g3 g6 4 move and this tempo difference
i.g2 i.g7 5 tiJf3 e5 may well be significant in the
sharper variations, such as the
6 0-0 4Jge7 7 a3 0-0 8 d3 d6 9 ' Reversed Dragon ' . Black there­
l:lb1 a5 fore usually prefers rather more
It was again time Black that peaceful systems, for example the
prevented White' s gain of space Closed Sicilian or a transposition
with b2-b4. into the Scheveningen. In the 'Si­
cilian Reversed ' B lack should
only undertake sharp lines if he is
thoroughly prepared for the con­
w sequences . .

The material i n this section is

divided into:

A. English sidelines viz . devia­

tions prior to the ' Four Knights
Variation',
B. Four Knights Variation vi z .

1 c4 e5 2 ltk3 ltJf6 3 lbf3 lbc6,

White can get moving with 10 C. Closed Sicilian Reversed
lLlel on the road to c2-e3-d5, but viz . 1 c4 e5 2 lbc3 lbc6 3 g3 g6 4
Black can sto p this just in time : .i.g2 .i.g7.
 English Opening
A. English sidelines
1 c4 e5 2 llJc3
The usual move here . Other
possibilities are:
a) 2 lLlf3?! e4! 3 llJd4 llJc6!? 4
lLlxc6 dxc6 followed by . . . tl)f6,
. . . i.c5 (d6), . . . i.f5 and .. .'�e7 and
after castling kingside - or queen­
side - Black is more active.
b) 2 g3 c6 ! ? 3 d4 ! ? i.b4+ ! 4
�d2 ..txd2 + 5 'ii'x d2 d6 ! with an
equal position.
After 2 ltlc3 we come to a major
cross-roads: besides the two thor­
oughfares
Al. 2 .. .lDc6 and
A2. 2 .. lDf6.
. 3 tl)f3 g6
The byways are:
a) 2 f5?! 3 d4! e4 (3 . . . exd4 4
•••
'i¥xd4 ltlc6 5 'ir'e3 + ! ? 'fie 7 6 tl)d5 !
�) 4 f3 ! and White undermines
the black outpost, e.g. 4 . . . exf3 5
exf3!? and White' s vision is �d3 ,
lLlge2, ..tf4 (�g5), 'ii'c 2, a2-a3 and
0-0-0.
b) 2 ... g6?! 3 d4! d6 4 dxe5 dxe5
5 'ii'xd8 + �xd8 6 f4!? and Black
has problems finding a safe place
for his king while White can de­
velop with a vengeance via �f3 ,
..td2 and 0-0-0.
c) 2 �b4!? 3 liJd5 �c5 !? 4 ttJf3
•••
(4 b4 !?) 4 . . . c6 5 lLlc3 'fle7 and
Black has lost a tempo with the
bishop but White has lost two
with his knight! Later Black can
play for . . . lLl£'6, . . d7-d6 ( . . . d7-d5!?)
. White stands somewhat better:
and . 0-0.
. .
147
d) 2 .. d6!? 3 lLlf3 (3 d4 exd4 4
.
'ir'xd4 lLlf6 5 g3 lDc6 6 'i'kd2 i.e6 7
lLld5 ltle5 ! 8 b3 lDe4 ! 9 'iWe3 l0c5
and Black is threatening 1 0 . . . c6,
after which his queen can even
set its sights on a5 ! ) 3 . . . f5 ! ? 4 d4
e4 5 l0g5 l!Jf6 6 lLlh3 (White is
planning to build a stable for the
knight with lDf4 and h2-h4)
6 . . . i.e7 7 l2Jf4 c6 8 h4 0-0 9 e3 l2Ja6!
with an unclear position in which
Black will increase his control
over the important e6-square with
the unusual manoeuvre . . . ltla6-
c7.
Al. 1 c4 e5 2 l2Jc3 ltlc6
This move comes at a better
moment than the previous move
as after 4 d4 cxd4 the white queen
cannot go to d4 to profit from the
momentary weakness of Black's
long-diagonal.
Also interesting is 3 . . . f5 4 d4 e4
5 lLle5 !? (5 l0g5 �b4!? 6 ltlh3 l0f6
7 e3 ..txc3 + 8 bxc3 d6 ao or 5 ..tg5!?
ii.. e 7 6 ..txe7 tl)cxe7 7 l2Jg1 !?, fol­
lowed by e2-e3, h2-h4 and lLlh3)
5 . . . lbxe5 6 dxe5 d6 7 ii.. f4!? g5 8 e3
gxf4 9 'ii' h 5 + �d7 1 0 'ii'xf5 + �e8
1 1 �xe4 and White's attacking
chances outweigh Black's extra
.
p1ece.
4 d4 ! exd4 5 lbxd4 .tg7 6
ltJxc6 bxc6 7 g3 ltJe7 8 ii.. g2 d6
Another idea is 8 . . . 0-0 9 0-0 :bs
10 �c2 ltJf5 and then . . .'ti'e7-b4.
9 il.g5 ! f6 10 i.d2 il.e6 1 1 c5! 0-0
148 More Basic Chess Openings

b) 4 d4 exd4 5 'ii'xd4 d5 6 cxd5

cxd5 7 �g5 �e7 = .

w 4 e4 5 ltld4 d5 6 cxd5 cxd5

..•

Or 6 . . . 'ii'b 6!? 7 ltlb3 a5 8 d4

12 cxd6 cxd6 13 0-0 � and Black
still has to coordinate his pawns
and pieces.
cxd5 9 .i.g2 .1.e7 10 0-0 0-0 1 1 i.g5
with a slight plus for White.
7 d3! J.c5 8 lLlb3 i.b4 9 dxe4
ltJxe4 10 .1.d2 1i'b6 l l ltJxe4 dxe4
12 i.xb4 'ifxb4 + 13 �d2 'ii'e 7!?
Not 13 . . . 1fxd2 + 14 �xd2 + with
a nearly lost endgame for Black.
White might follow up with �e3,
1Iac1 and lLlc5.
14 i.. g2 0-0 15 0-0 �-

A2. 1 c4 e5 2 t"Llc3 ltJf6

B

3 g3
The question might occur to
the reader: why is White trying to
play g2-g3 before all the knights
are developed? There is a good
reason for this . For example, on
3 . . . �b4 4 i.g2 ltJc6 5 ltJd5 Black
does not have 5 . . . e4, which he
could play if the knight was al­
ready standing on f3. White is better as he can rap­
3 c6!?
.•. idly occupy the open files (Vi'e3,
3 . . . g6?! is less promising: 4 d4! liac l , l:fd l , ltlc5 or ltld4), while
exd4 5 'irxd4 lLlc6 6 "it'e3 + 'ike7 7 Black's over-extended pawn on e4
..tg2 d6 8 ltJd5 !? � but Black's needs constant nursing (�).
'
best is 3 . . . d5 4 cxd5 �d5 5 i.. g2
tiJb6 6 li)f3 lLlc6 with a transposi­ B. Four Knig hts Variation
tion to section II.
4 ltJf3!? 1 c4 e5 2 lDc3 ltlf6 3 lLlf3 lDc6
The most critical move. Less Here White usually opts for one
testing are: of two kinds of Sicilian set-ups :
a) 4 i.. g2?! d5 5 cxd5 cxd5 6
'ii'b 3 li)c6! 7 lLlxd5 li)d4 and Black B 1 . Paulsenlike and
seizes the initiative. B2. Dragonlike.
 English Opening
Other conceptions:
a) 4 d4 exd4 5 lDxd4 i.b4 6
i.g5 h6 7 .i.h4 i.xc3 + 8 bxc3 d6 9
f3 li)e5 ! 10 e4 ltlg6 1 1 ..tf2 0-0 12
'ir'd2 c6 13 i.e2 d5! = .
b ) 4 e4 i.b4 (4 . . . i.c5 5 lDxe5 !
..txf2 + 6 �xf2 lDxe5 7 d4 +) 5 d3
d6 6 g3 0-0 7 i.. g2 lDe8 and Black
will aim for ... i.xc3 and .. .f7-f5.
c ) 4 d3 d5 !? (4 . . . .i.b4 is wrong
here, as after 5 i.. d 2 White will
force . . . .1xc3 with a2-a3 and re­
capture with the bishop) 5 cxd5
ll)xd5 6 e3 i.e7 7 .ie2 i.e6 8 0-0
0-0 and later Black can play a nor­
mal Scheveningen with colours
reversed after . . . f7-f5 , . . . �h8 and
. . . 'iVe8-g6, with balanced chances.
4 . . . d5 was made possible by the
enclosure of the bishop on n as
White did not get the chance to
indirectly attack Black's centre
(the pawn on e5) with i.fl-b5 .
d) 4 a3!? is a cunning move,
as on 4 . . . d5?! 5 cxd5 ltlxd5 6 'Wc2
i.. e 7 7 e3! White switches to a
Paulsen-like game in which he is
threatening 8 i.b5, after which
serious problems arise with the
pawn on e5, and d2-d4 has be­
come possible. This is not pre­
vented by 7 . . . lDxc3 since after 8
'ii'xc3 White again has too many
threats: i.b5 or b2-b4, i.b2 and
b4-b5 . Therefore on 4 a3 !?, cor­
rect is 4 . . . g6! 5 g3 i.g7 6 i.g2 0-0
7 0-0 d6 (7 ... l:.e8 8 e4! d6 9 h3! and
Black has obtained neither . . . e5-
e4 nor ... i.g4) 8 d3 lDd4! 9 lDd2 c6
1 0 b4 i.e6, followed by ... 'ii'd 7 and
Black has equalized.
149
B1. Paulsenlike
1 c4 e5 2 �c3 lDf6 3 lM3 li)c6
4 e3
In this way, White prohibits
4 ... d5? ! : 5 cxd5 lDxd5 6 ..tb5! lbxc3
7 bxc3 ..td6 8 d4 �-
4 ..tb4!?
•••
More or less the only sufficient
method for Black. White cannot
allow Black to capture c3 as then
he would have to recapture with
the pawn and his bishop on c 1
would have difficulties joining the
game behind the pawns on e3 and
c3.
5 1i'c2
5 lDd5 has been suffering from
rough times lately: 5 . . . e4 6 lDg1
(or 6 li.)xb4 li.)xb4 7 li.)d4 c5 8 lDb5
d5 9 cxd5 0-0 10 a3 tai3 + 11 hd3
exd3, threatening 12 ...1kxd5 fol­
lowed by ... "Wg5 and ... .i.h3) 6 .. 0-0
.
7 a3 ..td6 8 lDe2 l:te8 9 'ii'c 2 and
9 . . . b6 and then . . . i.b7 is strong,
but even better is 9 . .b5! 10 lDxf6 +
.
'ii'xffi 1 1 cxb5?! ltle5 12 'ii'xe4 i.b7!
and on 13 1Vxb7 lDd3 + and lDx£2+
while on 1 3 'Wc2 l0g4! is winning.
Of course White should not cap­
ture on b5 but then Black takes
control with . . . i.b7 and ... lDe5.
5 ...i.xc3!
Or 5 . 0-0 6 li.)d5 l1e8 7 'iYf5!? ao.
. .
6 1i'xc3 fie7 7 a3 d5 8 cxd5
lDxd5 9 'ii'b 3 li)b6 10 d3
Plans and Counterplans:
White now completes his develop­
ment with i.e2 and 0-0 and then
opts for a queenside expansion
150 More Basic Chess Openings
with 'ifc3 and b2-b4. This must be
obstructed by ... a7-a5, when Black
may exert pressure on both the
b3-square ( . . . a5-a4 and . . . .i.e6)
and the d3-pawn along the d-file.
B2. Dragonlike
1 c4 e5 2 lLlc3 �f6 3 lLlf3 �c6
4 g3
There are two common moves:
B2a. 4 i.b4 and
.•.
B2b. 4 ... d5.
And the sidelines are:
a) 4 .i. c5 5 i.g2 0-0 6 0-0 d6
.••
7 d3 h6 8 a3 a5 ao.
b) 4 lLld4!? 5 .lg2 (but not 5
.•.
lLlxe5? 'ii'e 7 6 �d3?? !Df3 mate !)
5 . . . li)xf3 + 6 .txf3 .tb4 7 0-0 0-0
with mutual chances.
c) 4 g6?! 5 d4! exd4 6 tL'lxd4
•••
.lg7 7 i.g2 0-0 8 0-0 lle8 9 tL'lxc6
bxc6 10 �f4 llb8 1 1 'ti'd2 followed
by b2-b3 and llad1 ;!;.
B2a. 1 c4 e5 2 lDc3 lDf6 3 lDf3
lLlc6 4 g3 �b4
5 �g2
Or 5 lLld5 !? e4 6 lLlh4 0-0 7 i.g2
l:le8 8 0-0 d6 9 d3 exd3 10 'ii'x d3
lLle5 11 'ifc2 lLlxd5 12 cxd5 �c5 13
b3 and White has the option of a
central pawn-roller while Black's
c-pawn is restrained (;t) .
5 ...0-0 6 0-0 e4
Alternatively, 6 . . . 1le8 7 lLld5
li)xd5 8 cxd5 lLld4 9 lLlxd4 exd4 1 0
e3 ! ;t.
7 lt:lg5!
Or 7 lLle1 �xc3 8 dxc3 h6 ! - a
provision against i.g5 - followed
by ... lle8, . . . b7-b6 and . . . .i.b7
= .
7 .i.xc3 8 bxc3
•••
One should always recapture
towards the centre if possible!
s ... .:es 9 f3!
Plans and Counterplans:
White would like to open up the
centre for his bishops and centre
pawns. However, Black can set a
positional trap with 9 e3!?, as
...
after 10 dxe3 b6 1 1 f4 h6 12 ttJf3
�b7 he is better as White's pawns
are worthless and the bishops are
inactive. Therefore correct is 10
 English Opening
d3 ! d 5 1 1 'ii'b 3! llJa5 12 'ii'a 3 and
after 1 2 . . . c6 1 3 cxd5 cxd5 14 f4!
i.g4 1 5 :tel l2Jc6 1 6 l:tbl White's
bishops offer him the better posi­
tion as things open up. Later he
can play �b2, l2Jf3 and c3-c4.
After 9 exf3 1 0 ltlxf3 White's
..•
strategy might be e2-e3 and llJd4
or d2-d3 and i.g5 . On 10 . . . d5 1 1
d4 ! dxc4 1 2 i.g5 White is threat­
ening 13 i.xf6 ii'xf6 14 llJe5.
B2b. 1 c4 e5 2 ll'lc3 !Df6 3 ll'lf3
ltlc6 4 g3 d5!?
It is a difficult decision as to
whether to undertake an Open
Sicilian here. Naturally, due to the
lack of tempo, Black will have to
opt for a modest set-up.
5 cxd5 llJxd5 6 i.g2 ltlb6
Practically the only move as
White was threatening 7 llJxe5,
when the knight on d5 is hanging.
6 . . . �e6?! is wrong due to 7 0-0 and
on 7 . . . f6 8 d4! ; on 7 . . . !i.. e 7 also 8
d4! ; while on 7 ... i.c5 either 8 lLlxe5
followed by 9 d4 or 8 d3 (threat­
ening 9 ltlg5) 8 . . . f6 9 'ii'h 3! (threats
are 1 0 'ifxb7 and 10 ltlxe5) and
White has a big advantage.
7 0-0 !i..e 7 8 a3
White's general plan is a2-a3,
b2-b4, d2-d3, .i.e3 and llJe4-c5, har­
assing Black's queenside pawns.
A couple of interesting alterna­
tives are:
a) 8 d3 0-0 9 .te3 .i.e6 1 0 1i'cl
ltld5 !? 1 1 l:d 1 l::t e 8 1 2 l£le4 llJxe3
13 fxe3 l:b8 ! 1 4 lDc5 i.d5 15 e4
!i.. xc5 + 16 'it'xc5 .te6 = . since this reduces the queenside
151
b) 8 l:Ibl g5!? 9 d3 h5 10 a3 h4
1 1 b4 hxg3 1 2 hxg3 ii'd6! 1 3 llJb5
'iVh6 14 l:i:Jxc7 + <it>dB 15 l2Jxa8
llJxa8 and Black has a fairy-tale
attack to compensate him for the
loss of material but of course White
is not without chances either. For
example, on the aggressive . . . ..th3
he might answer ltlh4!
8 0-0
•.•
8 . , .a5? is a weakening move, as
when White plays 9 d3 0-0 10 !i..e3
i.e6 1 1 lDa4 !Dxa4 1 2 'ii'xa4 the
rooks arrive on the c-file; often
they will just take on c6!
9 b4
B
Plans and Counterplans:
On 9 ...!i..e6 White plays 10 l:tb1
with the threat of 1 1 b5 !Dd4 1 2
lDxe5 and a t the same time pro­
tecting the b3-square. So best for
Black is 10 .. f6 1 1 d3 a5 ! 1 2 b5
.
l:i:Jd4, e.g. 13 lDd2 .td5!? (13 ... lLxl5?
1 4 .txd5 ! !i.. xd5 15 e3 and 16 e4,
winning a piece) 14 lL\xd5 lL\xd5 oo.
Note that here Black does well to
force b4-b5 before playing . . . l£ld4,
152 More Basic Chess Openings
tension and means that the white
pawns become somewhat more
vulnerable. Black's other try is
9 ::te8 10 b5?! ltld4 1 1 lbxe5 .if6
•.•
12 ltlf3?? ltlxe2 -+ . On 10 d3 .if'S,
Black's plan is again 11 . . .a5 12 b5
ltld4. Compared to the previous
set-up ( . . . .ie6, . . . f7-f6) the draw­
back is that Black has not yet
solved the problem of developing
the bishop on c8 or the defending
the pawn on b7. White does not
capture knight on d4 but side­
steps it with ti)d2 and then chases
it away with e2-e3. Then he pur­
sues his play against the black
queenside.
C. Closed Sicilian Reversed
1 c4 e5 2 l003 li)c6 3 g3 g6 4 i.g2
.i g7 5 d3
5 Ab1 prepares for the advance
b2-b4-b5, which also increases
the scope of the bishop on g2. One
interesting answer is 5 . . . a5 6 a3
f5!? 7 d3 lDffi 8 b4 axb4 9 axb4 'i'le7
1 0 b5 lDdB and later the knight
can return via e6 and c5. White
can also try 5 e3 !? followed by
liJge2, which preserves the option
of d2-d3 as well as d2-d4. For his
part, Black can wait with ... d7-d6,
. . . liJge7 and . . . 0-0 and then pre-
pare for . . . .ih3 with . . . ..te6 and
. . . �d7 or ... ..td7 and . . . 'ti'c8.
5 d6 6 lDf3
•••
Also playable is 6 e4, planning
liJge2, 0-0, ..te3, 'ii'd2, ti)d5 and
ltJce3 which Black can oppose
with . . f7-f5, . . . ltJf6, . . . 0-0, . . . liJe7!?
.
and . . . c7-c6.
6 f5!?
•••
Also possible is 6 ... liJf6 7 0-0 0-0
8 l:tb1 a5 9 a3 h6 !? (to prevent 10
.ig5, which would actually en­
danger d5) 10 b4 axb4 1 1 axb4 .ie6
1 2 b5 CiJe7 followed by . . . 'ii'd 7,
. . . .ih3 and .. J:tb8 if the pawn on
b7 needs protection.
7 0-0 li)f6 8 ::tbl h6!?
Again Black plays to thwart
.ig5.
9 b4 0-0 10 b5 &i:Je7 1 1 a4
B
Plans and Counterplans:
White is planning CiJd2 and a4-a5-
a6, but Black can avoid this with
1 1 . . . ..te6 1 2 i.a3 ( 12 li.Jd2 d5 !?)
12 . . J�c8 1 3 lt.Jd2 b6, and then
launch an attack of his own on
the kings ide with . . . g6-g5 and
. ..f5-f4. Instead of 13 ttxl2, correct
is 13 c5 ! b6 14 cxd6 cxd6 15 ifd2
followed by l::t fc1 with chances on
the queenside.
Reti O p e n i n g

l lLlf3 d5 . . . 0-0, but naturally he will first

Of course this move can only be develop his light-squared bishop:
played if one is ready to transpose
into the Queen's Gambit after 2 I. 4 i.f5 and
•••

d4 . Non-Queen's Gambit players II. 4 ...i.g4.

should start with l. .. lLlffi and on 2
g3, 2 . . . d5 as after 3 d4 c6!? White
can hardly play 4 c4? in view of
4 . . . dxc4 and then ... b7-b5.
2 g3
White may also opt for a Re­
versed King's Indian or Benoni
with 2 c4. Then after 2 . . . c6 3 b3
i.g4!? 4 e3 lLlf6 5 .tb2 e6 6 .i.e2
lLlbd7 followed by . . . .td6, ... 0-0,
. . . a7-a5 and . . . f/Je7 Black can play
as he would do against the Reti .
Instead 2 . . . dxc4 3 e3 c5 4 .i.xc4 e6
I. 1 tiJf3 d5 2 g3 c6 3 .i.g2 lDf6 4
0-0 .tf5
5 d3
This move goes well with a fu­
ture e2-e4 or c2-c4. The other line
is 5 b3 e6 6 .i.b2 i.e7 7 d3 h6 8
lDbd2 0-0 9 :el i..h 7 10 e4 a5!? ao.
B

5 d4 leads to the Queen's Gambit

Accepted. A more dynamic plan is
2 . . . d4!? 3 e3!? c5 4 b4!? leading to
a Reversed Blumenfeld Gambit.
2 . c6!?
.. .

Of course Black can also play

2 . . . lDf6, but 2 . . . c6 distracts White
from a premature c2-c4 as Black
could then capture and defend
with . . . b7-b5. 5 e6
.•.

3 ..tg2 lLlf6 4 0-0 There is no need to fear 6 lDh4

On 4 c4 dxc4 5 lLla3 (5 lLle5?! .tg4 7 h3 .th5 8 g4 .tg6 9 lLld2 ,
'ii'd 4 ! ) 5 . . . b5 6 lLle5 Black has the because after 9 . . lDfd7! 1 0 �g6
.

exceptional move 6 . . . a6! (the pawn
on b5 was hanging) 7 lDxc6 'ii'b 6!
8 lDxb8 (8 tiJxe7 .tb7! -+) 8 ... lhb8
and . . . .t b 7= . After 4 0-0 Black
would like to continue with . . . e7-
e6, . . . tiJbd7, . . . .i.d6 or . . . .te7 and
hxg6 White is weak on the king' s
flank.
6 lDbd2
A tricky alternative is 6 c4 h6 7
.te3 !?, threatening 8 �b3 by hin­
dering Black's protective move
154 More Basic Chess Openings
8 . . . �b6. Should Black defend the
b7 -pawn with 8 . . .'i!ic8 then White
obtains play on the c-file with
lLlc3 and l:tac l . So on 6 c4 h6 7
.i.e3 !?, best is 7 . . . dxc4! 8 dxc4 �xdl
9 lhdl lLlbd7 with equal chances.
6 h6...
Now it becomes important to
provide the bishop on f5 with
sanctuary.
7 iVe1 !? �e7
7 . . . �d6? loses at once to 8 e4
followed by the fork e4-e5 and
7 . . . lLlbd 7 is also a blunder: 8 e4
i.h 7 9 e5 and Black has to retreat
to g8 (±) . But . . . ltlbd 7 will be play­
able after castling, because then
the knight on f6 will have a free
square on e8.
8 e4 �h7
Black must not swap on e4 as
White could then swiftly seize the
open d-file and c4-square.
9 'ii'e2 0-0 (D)
Plans and Counterplans:
Black can answer 1 0 e5 by
10 . . lLlfd7 with . . . c6-c5 and . . . li)c6
. chance to carry out 5 . . . liJbd 7 6
w
to follow. On 1 0 b3 the typical
'Reti' answer is 10 . . . a5! threaten­
ing . . . a5-a4. 1 1 a4 can be met by
l l . . .'ii' b 6, and then . . .li'a6 with
the threat of d5xe4 (there is a pin
between the queens on a6 and
e2 !), and Black forces e4-e5. Mter
the centre has become inflexible
Black can initiate play on the
queenside with . .. b7-b5. On 1 1 a3
Black has a similar idea: . . . b7-b5,
. . .'ti'b6, . . . a5-a4 and . . . c6-c5 . It is
important to withhold the b- and
c-pawns until White pushes with
e4-e5 as otherwise the bishop on
g2 may spring to life following a
possible c2-c4 and an exchange of
the central pawns. White can think
about li)f3-e5 and f2-f4 or b2-b3,
followed by .ib2, c2-c4 and l!fcl.
II. l lLlf3 d5 2 g3 c6 3 .ig2 ltlf6
4 0-0 .i g4
5 b3
On 5 ltle5 Black plays 5 . . . .ih5
and . . . e7-e6, . . . �d6, . . . 0-0 and
. . . ltlbd7, while 5 d3 gives Black a
 Reti Opening 155

lDbd2 e5 followed by . . . i.d6, . 0-0

..

and . . Jie8= .

5 ll'lbd 7 6 i.b2 e6 7 h3 �h5

...
W

8 d3 .td6
8 . . . i.c5 !? comes into considera­
tion as well.
9 ll'lbd2 0-0 (D)

Plans and Counterplans:

One possibility now is 10 e4 e5 1 1
g4 .i.g6 1 2 lLlh4 l:te8 1 3 lLlf5 i.c7
ao, and another interesting set-up

for White is 10 c4 followed by can choose from . . . 'f/e7 and . . . e6-

liacl--c2, �a1 and nfc1, while Black e5 ( . . . i.a3) or . . . a7-a5 and . . . b7-b5.
Ra re O p e n i n gs a n d Fo l l i es
A basic goal for White in the
opening is occupation or control
of the centre. Being the first to
move, he can set his sights on this
and right from the off he can pos­
sess a central square ( 1 e4, 1 d4)
or control such squares ( 1 c4, 1
lLlf3) . If White does not follow
this principle he gives his oppo­
nent the chance to occupy the
centre himself, and Black, though
a tempo behind, can emerge as
'White'. Acceptable rare moves
for White are: 1 a3, 1 b3, 1 b4, 1
d3, 1 e3, 1 c3, 1 f4, 1 g3 and 1 ltJc3.
The moves 1 a4? and 1 h4? are
considered as follies, as are 1
lDa3? or 1 l'iJh3?, sidelining the
knights? On these moves Black
seizes the initiative and invades
the centre with . . . e7-e5 and . . . d7-
d5. Then all he has to do is de­
velop his pieces in a natural
fashion (for example with .. . ltlf6,
. . . ltlc6, . . . .i.e7 or . . . .i.c5 and . . . 0-0)
and he ' automatically' gets the
advantage.
One should know that after 1
g4 ?! , it is dangerous to play 1 . . . d5
2 �g2 .txg4 in view of the double
attack after 3 c4 c6 4 cxd5 cxd5 5
'ii b 3! and White wins back the
pawn (b 7 or d5) . Therefore it is
better to play 2 . . . c6!? 3 h3 e5!, fol­
lowed by . . . .i.d6 and possibly
. . . h7-h5 ! , when White's g-pawn
faces an uncomfortable decision.
Among the rare openings, 1 a3,
1 ltlc3, 1 c3, 1 d3 and 1 e3 can also
be answered with l . . e5 or l . . . d5 .
.
Then we reach theoretical lines
with colours reversed in which
White's extra tempo is only suffi­
cient for equality. Of course Black
must watch that the tempo differ­
ence does not become decisive, as
after 1 a3 d5 2 d4 c5?, when after
3 dxc5! e6 4 b4! Black does not re­
gain the pawn with . . . b7-b6 (as
White does in the Queen's Gam­
bit) because White has already
played a2-a3 . So on 1 a3 d5 2 d4,
correct is 2 . . . ti)f6 and then . . . c7-
c6, ... .i.f5, . . . e7-e6, . . ..i.d6 and ... 0-0,
while 1 a3 g6!? is also not bad as it
is unlikely that a2-a3 will be use­
ful to White against Black's flank
.
opening.
After 1 g3 d5 2 i.. g2 Black can
also continue in 'Reti-style' with
2 . . . c6 !? followed by . . . lLlf6, . . . .i.f5
(or . . . i.. g4) , . . . e 7-e6, . . . �d6 (or
. . . i.e7), . . 0-0; of course 2 . . . e5 !? is
.
also playable, and then . . . .i.d6,
. . .liJf6 and . . . c7-c6; or Black can
perhaps copy White's Anti-Pirc
strategy with 2 . . . e5!? and then
. . . l'iJc6, . . . ltJf6 and . . . �e7.
Black has to prepare more
thoroughly for:
A. l b3
B. 1 b4 and
c. 1 f4.
 Rare Openings and Follies
These moves have interesting
unique connotations and can even
be recommended as an occasional
weapon for White. Although the
main lines ( 1 e4, 1 d4 and 1 c4) re­
main the real McCoys . . .
A. l b3
l . . . e5
Of course Black has many play-
able moves, e.g. 1 . . . lbf6 and . . . g6,
. . . .ig7, . . . 0-0 and . . . d6. Or l . . . c5
followed by . . . d5, . . .lDc6, ... e6 and
... liJf6. Besides l . . . e5, the most logi­
cal move is 1 . . . d5: 2 i.b2 i.g4!? 3
h3 .ih5 4 liJf3 (White can also play
4 d3 and then lLlbd2) 4 . . . e6 (an­
other good plan is 4 . . . .i.xf3 5 gxf3
e6 with . . . ll:lf6 , . . . g6 and . . . .i.g7 =
to follow) 5 e3 tlJf6 and Black can
again opt for a Reti set-up with
. . . i.d6, . . . ltlbd7, . . . c6, . . . 0-0 and
. . . 'fie7, with equal chances.
2 i.b2 ltlc6 3 e3
3 c4 lDf6 4 e3 d5 5 cxd5 tlJxd5
leads to the Sicilian Reversed.
3 d5 4 .i.b5 .id6
.••
Plans and Counterplans:
In accordance with his original
plan, White can rely on the power
of his dark-squared bishop while
Black can keep the long-diagonal
closed with . . . f7-f6 . For example
5 f4? ! f6! ? (also interesting is
5 . . . 1i'h4 + 6 g3 'ile7 7 li)f3 �g4 8
h3 �xf3 9 'irxf3 lbf6 1 0 lbc3 0-0
and now 1 1 ttJxd5 is wrong in
view of l l . . . lbxd5 12 fi'xd5 l0b4!
and wins) 6 fxe5 fxe5 7 l0f3 (7
157
w
i.xe5 - based on fi'h5 + - loses to
7 . . . 1i'h4+ ! 8 g3 ._,e4 - + ) 7 . . . 'fle7 8
i.. xc6 + bxc6 9 lbxe5 1i'h4 + 10 g3
'ii' h3 1 1 'l'e2 ltlf6 and Black wins
with the simple . . . ltlg4 and . . . 0-0.
Of course White should not rip
open his undeveloped kingside
but should instead continue qui­
etly with 5 ltlf3 or 5 c4!?
B. l b4
l . . . e5
The other good move is again
l . . . d5 : 2 .ib2 e6 3 e3 ttJf6 4 b5 c5
and Black constructs his position
with . . . i..e 7, . . . 0-0, . . . b 7-b6, . . . i.b 7
and . . . lLlbd7.
2 i.b2 i..xb4
2 . . . f6 also comes into consid­
eration. but it is even better to
maintain the f6-square for the
king's knight.
3 i.xe5 l0f6 4 ttJf3
Or 4 c4 0-0 5 lt\f3 tDc6 6 .i.. b 2 d5
7 cxd5 'Wxd5 !? 8 i.xf6 gxf6 and
White 's poor development is bal­
anced by Black's scattered pawns.
4 d5 5 e3 .i..d6 6 �b2 c5 = .
. .•
158 More Basic Chess Openings

c. 1 f4

l. . e5!?
.

With the move f2-f4 White has

weakened his vulnerable diagonal
e1-h4, and From's Gambit tries to
exploit this . The other line is of
course 1 . . . d5, when Black plays a
Reversed Dutch with . . . lDf6, . . . g7-
g6, . . . �g7 and . . . 0-0.
2 fxe5
2 e4 transposes to the King's knight away, threatens . . . 'ikh4 +
Gambit, so the From can only be and mate. White has two possi­
played by those who are prepared bilities:
for the King's Gambit! a) 5 d4 g4 6 ltJe5 (or 6 ltJg5 f5
2 d6 3 exd6
•.. and the threat is 7 . . h6) 6 . . . .txe5
.

3 e4?? is strictly prohibited ow­ 7 dxe5 'iVxd 1 + 8 <it>xd 1 ltJc6 and

ing to 3 . . . 1i'h4 + . Black can later pick from the
3 . .txd6
.. moves . . . ltJxe5, . . . �e6, . . 0-0-0 and
.

Nothing less is threatened than . . . ltle7-g6 (f5) .

4 . . . '1i'h4 + 5 g3 �xg3 + 6 hxg3 'ii'xg3
mate!
4 lDf3 g5!?
Plans and Counterplans:
White has to do something about
. . . g5-g4 which, after driving the
b) 5 g3 g4 6 ltlh4 Cf:Je7 (6 .. .f5 !?)
7 d4 Ci:Jg6 8 lLlg2 (or 8 Cf:Jxg6? hxg6
threatening 9 . . . i.xg3 + ) 8 . . . tbc6 9
c3 h5 1 0 e4 h4 1 1 e5 i.e7 1 2 l::t g1
hxg3 13 hxg3 l:th2 followed by
. . . i.f5 and . . . i.g5, when Black has
sufficient counterplay.