No Passion for Chess Fashion: Fierce Openings for Your New Repertoire

Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Introduction
Part I: The Primer
1. Allowing the king to give up castling without a good reason.
2. Allowing early simplification.
3. Don’t lose time in the opening.
4. Don’t be an opening robot!
5. Don’t help your opponent to do what he wants to do!
6. Not all aggressive bishop moves are good.
7. Don’t panic against unusual moves.
8. Don’t create weaknesses that your opponent can exploit.
9. Don’t forget that play in the center is the essential point of all openings.
10. Be careful to avoid “plodding” development.
11. Playing an opening (especially a defense) without understanding why certain moves are played and when they are played, is not a good idea.
12. Know when it’s good to exchange a bishop for a knight and when it is not good. Oh – and vice versa!
13. Don’t turn a won game into a draw – or worse!
14. Always consider counterattacking in the center.
15. If your opponent gives you the center, it’s generally a good idea to accept the gift!
16. Solid, passive defenses are the waiting rooms for defeat.
17. Even though you have an opening plan, be alert to good moves in changing circumstances.
18. Don’t forget, before every move, to look for all checks and captures.
19. Know when to play g4 or …g5 against a bishop and know when not to play it.
20. Don’t make it easy for your opponent to make a freeing move.
21. Don’t incorrectly use computers.
22. Don’t be in a hurry to resign.
23. Don’t sleep in the streets!
24. Be ever vigilant for ♗xf7+.
25. Do not be so eager to play so “solidly” that you block in your bishops.
26. Don’t underestimate exchange variations.
27. Beware sudden pawn thrusts!
28. Gambits are best met by countergambits. The best way to meet a gambit is to accept it. Huh?
29. Do not play premature attacks.
30. Tempi! Tempi! Tempi!
31. Don’t go crazy against hedgehog or hippo-type openings.
32. If you like attacking chess, don’t hesitate to use attacks based on h2-h4-h5 against fianchetto defenses.
33. Don’t go crazy when facing an offbeat opening, either.
34. When playing against the Colle System, do not think that simple, planless, developing moves will be sufficient.
35. When facing some of the “pre-planned” openings, don’t be afraid to have your own plan ready to go.
36. Speaking of preparation, don’t believe everything you read in opening books or articles (especially if you wrote them!).
37. Don’t just concentrate on openings!
38. Pete, what should I play in the openings? What do you do?
39. Once I’ve picked my openings, how should I study them?
40. What if I just want to have fun?
Part II: Openings For Amateurs
1. Sicilian (for White)
Hungarian Variation
Rossolimo Attack
Closed Sicilian
c3 Sicilian
2. French Defense
Tarrasch Variation with …♘f6
Tarrasch Variation with …c7-c5
Guimard Variation
3. Caro-Kann Defense
Horowitz suggestion
Keres suggestion
Fantasy Variation
4. Systems with …g7-g6
Pirc
Modern
Gurgenidze
5. Alekhine’s Defense, Canal Variation
6. Scandinavian/Center Counter
3…♕a5 line
3…♕d6 line
2…♘f6 line
7. Four Knights’ Game
Classical Attack
Rubinstein Variation
8. Vienna Opening with g3
Black plays …d7-d5
Black plays …d7-d6
9. Two Knights’ Defense
Fritz Variation
Classical Variation
d4 Attack
10. Scotch Opening
11. If You Don’t Want to Play 1…e5 to Meet 1.e4: The Sicilian Dragon
12. The English Opening According to Botvinnik
13. Nimzo-Indian and Bogo-Indian
14. Dutch Defense
15. A Plea for the Ruy López
16. Final Thoughts
Annotated Model Games in Part II
1. Tal–R. Byrne, Biel Interzonal 1976, Sicilian, Hungarian Variation
2. J. Polgár–Shirov, Las Palmas 1994, Sicilian, Hungarian Variation
3. Vojtek–Debnar, Slovak Team Chp. 1997, Sicilian, Hungarian Variation
4. Liebert–Weber, East Germany 1953, Sicilian, Hungarian Variation
5. Firat–Reshetnikov, Moscow 2013, Sicilian, Rossolimo Attack
6. Smyslov–Denker, USA-USSR Radio Match 1946, Closed Sicilian
7. Spassky–Geller, Candidates’ Match (6) 1968, Closed Sicilian
8. Alekhine–Podgorny, Prague 1943, c3 Sicilian
9. Sveshnikov–Bonsch, Cienfuegos 1979, c3 Sicilian
10. Rublevsky–Dyachkov, Russia Club Cup 1998, French Defense, Tarrasch Variation
11. Karpov–Kuzmin, Leningrad Interzonal 1973, French Defense, Tarrasch Variation
12. Tiviakov–Zhang Pengxiang, Olympiad 2006, French Defense, Guimard Variation
13. Smyslov–Gereben, Moscow vs. Budapest 1949, Caro-Kann, Fantasy Variation
14. Robson–Shankland, U.S. Junior Chp. 2010, Caro-Kann, Fantasy Variation
15. Bronstein–Benko, Monte Carlo 1969, Pirc Defense
16. Zsó. Polgár–Shchekachev, Vienna 1991, Pirc Defense
17. Canal–Pérez, Madrid 1951, Alekhine’s Defense, Canal Variation
18. Sax–D. Burić, 2002, Alekhine’s Defense, Canal Variation
19. Houska–Keitlinghaus, Bundesliga 2003/04, Scandinavian … ♕a5 variation
20. Losev–Orlinkov, Moscow 2010, Scandinavian, … ♕d6 variation
21. R. Byrne–Rogoff, U.S. Chp. 1978, Scandinavian 2… ♘f6 variation
22. Lisetskaya–Everitt, ICCF 2011, Scandinavian 2… ♘f6 variation
23. Capablanca–H. Steiner, Los Angeles 1933, Four Knights’ Game
24. Maróczy–F. Treybal, Prague 1908, Four Knights’ Game
25. Perlis–Freymann, St. Petersburg 1909, Four Knights’ Game
26. Motwani–B. Jónsson, Iceland 1992, Vienna Game with 3.g3
27. Bisguier–Snow, U.S. Amateur Team East 2013, Vienna Game with 3.g3
28. Sachs–Friedman, Cleveland Junior Chp. 1948, Two Knights’ Defense, Fritz Variation
29. Spielmann–Eliskases, Match 1936, Two Knights’ Defense, Classical Variation
30. Arnold–Chigorin, St. Petersburg 1885, Two Knights’ Defense, Classical Variation
31. Showalter–Gossip, New York 1889, Scotch Game, 4… ♘f6 Variation
32. Smeets–M. Adams, Staunton Memorial 2008, Scotch Game, 4… ♘f6 Variation
33. Anonymous–Tamburro, ICC c.2010, Sicilian, Dragon
34. Vasiukov–Parma, Rijeka 1963, Sicilian Dragon
35. M. Burrows–Felgaer, Gibraltar Masters 2013, Sicilian Dragon
36. Pare–Trapl, 15th World Correspondence Chp. 1989-1992, Sicilian Scheveningen
37. Rauzer–Botvinnik, USSR Chp. 1933, Sicilian Dragon
38. Botvinnik–Lundin, Stockholm 1962, English Opening, Botvinnik Variation
39. Botvinnik–Portisch, Monte Carlo 1968, English Opening, Botvinnik Variation
40. Botvinnik–Söderborg, Stockholm 1962, English Opening, Botvinnik Variation
41. Benko–Botvinnik, Monte Carlo 1968, English Opening, Botvinnik Variation
42. Pinter–Timman, Las Palmas Interzonal 1982, Nimzo-Indian Defense
43. Spassky–Fischer, World Championship 1972, Nimzo-Indian Defense
44. González–Perrine, corr. 1943, Nimzo-Indian Defense
45. H. Müller–Eliskases, corr. 1932, Bogo-Indian Defense
46. Abramavicius–Ribera, Hamburg 1930, Bogo-Indian Defense
47. Marshall–Chigorin, Ostend 1905, Dutch Defense, Staunton Gambit
48. Su. Sen–Williams, England 2010, Dutch Defense, Classical Variation
49. Turner–Agdestein, Tromsø 2008, Dutch Defense, Stonewall Variation
50. Johansson-Tegelmann–Dr. Rey Ardid, corr. 1933-35, Ruy López
51. Horowitz–Martin, Boston 1938, Ruy López
52. Alexander–Pachman, Hilversum 1947, Ruy López
53. Yates–Asztalos, London 1927, Ruy López