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Albin Counter-Gambit
( 1.d4 d5 2. c4 e5) 3. dxe5 d4
Lasker trap first image
Emanuel Lasker (December 24, 1868 January 11, 1941) was a
German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher who wasWorld Chess Champion for 27
years (from 1894 to 1921). In his prime Lasker was one of the most dominant champions, and he
is still generally regarded as one of the strongest players ever.
G Harari,Hampstead 1998
[Result "1-0"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. g3
Be6 6. Qa4 Qd7 7. Bg2 O-O-O 8. O-O
Kb8 9. Nbd2 Nxe5 10. Qb3 Nxf3+ 11. Nxf3
Qc8 12. Rd1 Bc5 13. Qb5 Bb6 14. c5 a6
15. Qb4 a5 16. Qa3 Ba7 17. Nxd4 Ne7 18.
Bg5 f6 19. Bf4 g5 20. Bxc7+ Kxc7 21.
Nxe6+ Qxe6 22. Qxa5+ Kb8 23. Rxd8+ 1-0
Fig 129
http://www.chesscorner.com/tutorial/learn.htm
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. e3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 dxe3
The careless move 4.e3? can lead to the Lasker Trap.
Example 2
Alekhine Defense
(1.e4 Nf6)
The Alekhine Defense is a hypermodern defence against the ever so
popular e4 opening from white.
Black looks to allow white to chase his knight all over the board with
tempo gaining pawn moves that will control the center of the board. In
exchange for the center control, black will look to undermine the
overextended pawns from white.
The one thing black must always remember is that after his knight has
been chased around he no longer can play passively and instead needs to
attack the center that white has built up or he will be crushed by the
pressure white can build up.
White has three main lines that he can choose from but they all start out
with 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6. From here things start to change and
each variation takes on its on characteristics. White can choose from the
very aggressive line of the four pawn attack where white will look to put
his four central pawns in the center. He also might look to play the
exchange variation that follows the four pawn attack but instead of the
last pawn, instead opts to exchange with the d6 pawn. Black here can
choose to play a sharp line capturing with his king pawn or play super
aggressive and capture with his c pawn and really open things up.
Benko Gambit
benko gambit
The Benko Gambit is one of the most well respected gambits in chess. For
this reason it is one of the main lines stemming from the Benoni Defense.
White can either accept the gambit or decline this gambit with Nf3.
Although some players may prefer to decline the gambit if they are
unfamiliar you will amost always see white accept with cxb5.
Blacks entire goal is to give up a pawn early on to give himself a big
advantage on the queen side. Black will continue to try to give white
another pawn with a6. Many players dont mind playing down a pawn as
black because of the great attacking lines that stem from the queen side
attack in the benko gambit.
If you play as white in the Benko Gambit and you dont want to get into
the main line, defending your queen side all game, it is common practice
to give back the pawn material advantage and focus on building up your
central control.
This opening is not for the faint of heart. Its a very aggressive opening
and should be played accordingly.
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
The BlackmarDiemer Gambit (or BDG) is a chess opening characterized by the moves:
1. d4 d5
2. e4 dxe4
3. Nc3
If white does decide to play the Ryder Gambit, many times black can fall
into the Halosar Trap. If you havent checked out the video on the Halosar
Trap you can watch it HERE.
[Result "*"]
Halosar Trap
1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3 5. Qxf3 Qxd4 6. Be3 Qb4 7. O-OO Bg4
8. Nb5 Na6 9. Qxb7 Qe4 10. Qxa6 Qxe3+ 11. Kb1 Qc5 12. Nf3 *
7th move shown above
This opening is very fun for those players that dont mind giving up a
pawn or two in the early part of a game in exchange for a large lead in
development and the potential to chase the opponents king around the
board all game long. If you however only like to play when you are up in
material this is not the opening for you.
Bogo-Indian defence
The Bogo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6
3. Nf3 Bb4+
Parent
Indian Defence
Monticelli trap
[Result "*"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 b6 6. g3 Bb7 7. Bg2
O-O 8.
Nc3 Ne4 9. Qc2 Nxc3 10. Ng5 *
Caro Kann
(E4-C6)
ColleZukertort System
One variation on the Colle is the ColleZukertort System (named for Johannes Zukertort),
characterized by developing the dark-squared bishop on b2. The typical plan is: 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6
3.e3 Nf6 4.Bd3 c5 In this variation White will eventually play for a kingside attack, despite his
apparently innocuous development. This system has been frequently employed
at grandmaster level by Artur Yusupov.
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 e6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.Nbd2 Nbd7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Re1 Re8 9.e4 dxe4
10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Bxe4 cxd4 12.Bxh7+ Kxh7 13.Ng5+ Kg6 14.h4 Rh8 15.Rxe6+ Nf6 16.h5+ Kh6
17.Rxd6 Qa5 18.Nxf7+ Kh7 19.Ng5+ Kg8 20.Qb3+ 10 (Black resigns)
Dutch Defense
Dutch Defense Big
The Dutch Defense is a very active defense in chess against 1.d4. Black
looks to control the e4-square while completely unbalancing the position.
Later on in the chess game, black will look to future his attack on whites
kingside. One of the key concepts is that the weak f7 square that black
has becomes even more a target for white and many times white will
focus exclusively on targeting this weakness. In return, black will have
very active pieces that are not cramped and should provide for some
exciting game play.
White usually fianchettoes his kings bishop onto g2 to add support on the
e4 square that black is attacking. Black also might fianchetto his bishop in
the kingside to add pressure on the dark squares. As both sides have very
different strategies, most games with the Dutch Defense become very
lively and active.
For those players that encounter 1.d4 often and dont like playing the
Queens Gambit line, the Dutch Defense gives lots of great
counterattacking for black and is a very good alternative.
Birjanis vs Tal
I De Winter vs Spassky
J Brenninkmeijer vs Anand
English Opening
English Opening
The English opening is the 4th most common opening for white. Although
the English has its own style, the opening is very flexible and many times
transposes into other opening lines. The objective of the opening is to
apply pressure on the center d5 square without committing the queen
pawn or the king pawn. Since the move is a flank move many players like
the English because of its hypermodern style of play (using pieces from
the sides along with minor pieces to apply pressure and control the
center).
Whites 2nd move depends on blacks response. If black does not
immediately try to control the center white can fianchetto his bishop with
2. g3 3. Bg2 and white starts to apply even more pressure on the d5
square and gives white the control over the light squares. Many English
games will start out very slow as both sides build up pressure around the
center.
The good thing about the English is that you can be very versatile. With all
the different openings that you can transpose into, the English can be
used against any opponent as you can change your game plan early on. If
you like slow methodical games and like to be flexible this is a great
opening to use.
The bad thing about the English is there are many traps that exist to
defend the English. As with any opening you should be aware of the traps
that you might encounter.
http://www.thechesswebsite.com/french-defense/
the entire game will revolve around this key weakness of blacks. Always
know your weaknesses in a chess game.
One of the big concepts to notice about the French Defense is that black
usually counterattacks on the queen side while white will normally focus on
the king side. This type of game can many types turn into a race to see
who can strike first.
The French Defense ranks second in popularity only to the Sicilian against
whites 1.e4 and as many chess games start with 1.e4, the French Defense
is a very good tool to have your chess repertoire.
In this variation, White establishes a pawn chain along dark squares, and
Black establishes a pawn chain along white squares. A pawn chain refers
to pawns that are united along a diagonal. Because they cant capture one
another, they may remain in place for a very long time. Sometimes, Black is
forced to take extreme measures to break Whites pawn chain apart.
Game 1
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7
5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ndf3 Qa5 8.Qd2
But White makes it worse!
8...cxd4 9.cxd4 Bb4 White resigns
Game 2
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Ne7 5.Bd3 g6?? [Black can play 5 Nbc6 or Nec6] 6.Nf6 mate
(V. Ivanov - Martinov. Moscow 1973)
The Fried Liver Attack is one of the most aggressive openings from white
as you will be sacrificing one of your minor pieces very early in the game.
This aggressive attack starts from the Italian game and will play out if black
chooses to defend with the two knights defence (as shown in the picture). If
black chooses Bc5 instead of the two knights defence I recommend the
Evans Gambit, since the fried liver attack will no longer work.
White is looking to sacrificing his bishop on f7 in exchange for a very strong
assault against the black king. The black king will be forced to the middle
and will be under attack the entire game. It is extremely difficult to defend
this properly and you dont want to play black in this situation.
Fiske / Fuller / Perrin vs Morphy, 1857
Morphy vs S Boden, 1858
Giuoco Piano
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5)
Halloween Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bg4 6.Qe2 Bxf3?? 7.Nf6
mate
1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.fxe5 Qh4+ 4.Ke2 Qxe4 mate (Tchineoff - Maillard, Paris 1925)
The Kings Gambit is one of the oldest openings in chess and for good
reason. The possibilities the opening presents have intrigued the greatest
chess minds for years including greats such as Spassky, Tal, and Fischer.
White, on the second move challenges blacks center and begins an attack
at the black kingside.
Black can accept or decline the gambit. Most players choose to accept the
gambit and try to counterattack the now semi-exposed king side of white. If
accepted white should focus their attention on the f7 square which is now a
big weakness for black. After 2 exf4 white has two good options. The first
option is to immediately start the attack with 3. Bc4, putting immediate
pressure on the f7 square. The second option is 3. Nf3 which defends
against 3 Qh4+ and also starts to develop an attack on the king side.
The good thing about the Kings Gambit is it is very unpredictable. If your
opponent is not very familiar with how to defend they can find themselves
in big trouble early. Most games are very wide open and have exciting and
dynamic lines. For the creative chess player that likes to use exotic
combinations and wild sacrifices, the Kings Gambit is the perfect opening
Famous Games using the Kings Gambit
Morphy vs Anderssen
Fitzgerald vs Loyd
Morhpy vs Rousseau
Spassky vs Fischer, 1960
J Rosanes vs Anderssen, 1863
Matschego vs Falkbeer, 1853
Example
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 O-O 6.Nf3 Re8 7.Be2 Nbd7 8.e5 Ng4
9.e6 Ndf6 10.exf7+ Kxf7 11.h3 Nh6 12.g4 [threatening 13.g5 and pinning both
Knights] 12Nd7?? [the wrong Knight. Best is 12Nhg8] 13.Ng5+ and 14.Ne6,
winning the Queen (Atkins - Conde, England 1925)
Larsens Opening
(1.b3)
larsens-opening
Larsens Opening is a change of pace from the typical openings where
white looks to control the center of the board with this d and e pawns.
Instead white will play his bishop to b2 and control the dark square
diagonal which will put pressure on blacks king side.
This is not an aggressive opening but does give white many favorable
positions and also is poorly prepared for by black.
If white wants to play more aggressive he can always play e3 followed by
f4 and start to push forward on the king side. While e3 isnt common, in
Larsens Opening is makes a lot of sense because the dark square bishop
is already out of the pawn chain on b2.
For those players that want to mix it up and like playing openings that
their opponents might not be prepared for, this is a great opening to try.
Example
1.b3 b6 2.Bb2 Bb7 3.f4 e6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.c4 Bd6 6.Ne5 Bxe5 7.Bxe5 Ng4 8.Bb2??
[perhaps 8.h4 is best to prevent the Queen from checking] 8Bxg2! And if
9.Bxg2 Qh4+ 10.Kf1 Qf2 mate (Deiber - Delarge, Postal)
1.b3 Nf6 2.Bb2 d5 3.e3 e6 4.f4 g6 5.g4 Bg7 6.Be2 Nxg4 and if 7.Bxg7 Qh4+
8.Kf1 Qf2 mate (Johansen - Budde, Germany 1986)
Latvian Gambit
Latvian Gambit
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5)
The Latvian Gambit is a very aggressive opening defense for black against
one of the more common openings for white. This opening is not seen
much at master level chess as most masters refuse to give up material
early on in a game. Below master level play there are strong advocates of
the Latvian Gambit and I personally enjoy the possiblities that arise from
this opening.
What makes this is such an interesting opening is that white does not
have many good moves besides accepting the gambit. If white refuses the
gamit, black will have the same aggressive style of play with this f file
open, potential for a castle rook, but also black will not be down in
material. This is why it is far more common for white to accept the gambit
with Nxe5. From here black has many options, all of which are very
aggressive. Many Latvian Gambit games are filled with crazy and wild
sacrifices. I would not recommend playing this opening if you are only
looking to go down 1 pawn in material and claw back the rest of the game.
The Latvian Gambit usually is an all out war, doing whatever it takes to
checkmate your opponent, even if that means giving up a few pieces.
The Latvian Gambit can lead to some pretty complicated positions where its
easy to lose track of events. If youre comfortable in these types of positions
and your opponent is not, things are likely to go your way. You arrive at the
initial position for the Latvian Gambit after the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 (see
Figure 4-14).
Examples
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.d4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 d6? 5.Qh5+ Ke7?? [now 5g6 had to be
played] 6.Qf7 mate (Unknown - Cornelissen, Eindhoven 1974)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Nd5 Qd8 8.Nd4 Ne7
9.Nxf6 c6?? [perhaps 9g6 is Blacks best move] 10.Nd6 mate (Kranzle - Krause,
Mannheim 1939)
http://www.thechesswebsite.com/latvian-gambit/
Example
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qb3 Qe7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 d5 8.b3 c5
9.dxc5?? [time to play 9.Bb2] 9Qf6 threatening 10Qxa1 and 10Qxf2 mate
(Foley - Wall, Dayton 1982)
Petrov Defense
Petrov Defense
result in a queenside castle for white and very aggressive play from both
sides.
http://www.thechesswebsite.com/chess-openings/
Pirc Defense
Pirc Defens (1.e4 d6 or 1.e4 g6)
Example
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nd7 3.Bc4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Ng5+ Kf6 (6...Kf8 7.Ne6+
wins the Queen) 7.Qf3 mate (Hamlisch - Unknown, Vienna 1992 and repeated in
Tal - Streicher, Riga 1950)
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nd7 3.Nf3 e5 4.Bc4 Be7? [4c6 or 4Nf6] 5.dxe5 dxe5?? 6.Qd5
threatening 7.Qxf7 mate. 6Nh6 fails to 7.Bxh6 (BELLE - Van der Giessen,
Netherlands 1978)
begins with the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3. White looks to build up a
support for a later push of d4, controlling the dark squares in the center of
the board.
Named after Domenico Ponziani (1719-1796), this once-popular opening has
been played less and less in favor of more active openings.
Many chess players find c3 to be inferior to both the Ruy Lopez, 3. Bb5
and the Italian Game 3. Bc4. While I will agree that the Ponziani is not
seen at the GM level often and is thought to be equal for black, there still
is much theory to be explored in the opening and white has many
opportunities to come out far ahead if black is not well prepared.
As whites ideas are very transparent, black can either play a quite game
with Nf6, a sharp game with d5 or even a gambit with f5. Each of these
defenses against 3. c3 completely change the outcome of the game and
its very important to know the key concepts and main lines associated
with each defense.
Whether you are looking to catch your opponent off guard or you want to
come prepared for a worthy opponent, the Ponziani opening is a must
know for every chess player.
Example
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.d4 Nxe4 5.d5 Nb8 6.Nxe5 Qe7 7.Qd4 d6 8.Qxe4 f5
9.Bb5+ Kd8?? [9Bd7 may be best here] 10.Bg5, threatening 11.Nf7 mate
(Balabanov - Moros, Frunse 1984)
Black now has the option to play b6, preparing to fiachetto his light square
bishop and try to take control over both the center light squares as well as
the long diagonal.
White has a few options but usually will opt for g3, challenging the long
diagonal by fianchettoing his own bishop to g2.
Unlike some of the other Indian defenses, black has many opportunities to
play aggressive which makes it very popular at top level play.
The Reti Opening has at times been referred to as the Opening of the
Future. It is called this because of how easy it is to transpose into a variety
of different opening lines. Many players have a very defined defense as
black but against the Reti, black is forced to almost wait and see which
opening line white will take. Some of the main opening lines that the Reti
will transpose into are the Queens Gambit, the English, the Ruy Lopez, or
the Kings Indian Attack. As you can tell, white has many different options to
choose from, even after he has already moved.
Most players are more comfortable moving a pawn on their first move as
white to control the center but the Reti opening uses a flank technique to
attack the center with its minor piece and allows for quick castling on the
kingside.
White also puts pressure on the e5 square which black would like to
occupy but white also does not commit to a specific center pawn structure.
For those players that have a good understanding of multiple openings and
are used to developing the kings knight to the f3 square early on will really
enjoy playing the Reti Opening as it gives you more options than other
defined openings.
Fischer vs Panno, 1970
Miles vs Browne, 1982
J L Hammer vs Carlsen, 2003
Example
1. Nf3 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Ng5 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bf5 5. Qe2 c6 6. Ngxe4 Nbd7 7.
Nd6# *
he Ruy Lpez is the most famous of all the chess openings. Its named
The Ruy Lopez is the cornerstone of classical play in chess. There are
probably more variations for the Ruy Lopez than any other opening. With
the common use of the double kings pawn opening (1.e4 e5), the Ruy
Lopez is one of the most played openings that any chess player will come
across. Its almost imperative that any chess player study some of the more
popular defenses against the Ruy Lopez and understand some of the key
concepts of the opening.
From the beginning, white looks to develop his bishop while pinning down
blacks knight to the king. Although many openings focus on the f7 square
early on, the Ruy Lopez is a slower and more methodical approach to
attacking blacks king.
Always be aware of what your opponent is trying to do when playing the
Ruy Lopez, as many players have a very specific defense designed for
playing against the Ruy Lopez.
The Ruy Lopez is sometimes considered a slow and boring opening but the
better player should usually come out with the win. There are not as many
tricks or surprises in the Ruy Lopez and is recommended against any
opponent that you know you have a distinct advantage in skill level.
Famous Games using the Ruy Lopez
Example
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 b5 5. Bb3 Nf6 6. O-O Nxe4 7. Nxe5
Nxe5 8.
Qh5 Bd6 9. d4 Nc6 10. Qxf7# *
http://www.thechesswebsite.com/chess-openings/
The Center Counter Defense, also known as the Scandinavian Defense because of the analysis of this defense by
Scandinavian players in the 19th century, usually sees an early Queen development by Black. Several traps arise
from this defense.
The Scandinavian Defense (also known as the Center Counter) begins with the
moves 1.e4 d5 (see Figure 13-4). Its a direct challenge to the White pawn on
e4. The main drawback to the move is that there may be a slight loss of time
following the moves 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3, when the Black queen is obliged tomove again.
Scotch Gambit
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4)
Scotch Gambit
There are a few ways to offer a gambit as white in the Scotch Game. The
most common, and one that we will focus on this page, is white playing
Bc4 instead of taking with his knight on d4.
This does many different things but it delays the middle control of the
board with the knight and pawn in exchange for a very powerful bishop
that eyes down on the f7 pawn from black.
While the Scotch Game can be one of the slower games and can lead to
very unexciting matches, the Scotch Gambit takes it to the other extreme
as both sides have the opportunity to give up material early on in
exchange for a non-material, yes crucial, advantage.
If you play this opening its always important to know how to respond to
your opponents moves because one misstep and you will find yourself
very behind.
The Scotch Openings name is derived from a correspondence match between
London and Edinburgh in 1824. It was all the rage for the next couple of
decades but then faded to relative obscurity. What was old became new
again when Garry Kasparov revived the Scotch and featured it in successive
World Championship matches.
The Scotch Game has recently regained popularity as many top level
players have used it as a surprise against players who are well equipped to
face the Ruy Lopez. The Scotch is very similar to the Center Game where
d4 opens up lines for development and also gives white early center
control. In the Scotch Game, black will be able to develop easy and white
should look to take advantage of its special and center control.
Any chess player that likes to play 1.e4 should study the Scotch Game as
there are many subtle traps that black can fall into that will give white an
overwhelming advantage. Most players expect white to play 3.Bb5 or 3.Bc4
and when white instead transposes in the Scotch Game (3.d4), they
sometimes will make amateur mistakes, leaving the door open for white to
take control of the game.
It is also very important to study the Scotch Game as black and learn the
different lines and find the line that fits your playing style the best. The
Scotch Game is an opening that if you are not prepared you can be in a lot
of trouble early on so know the key concepts of the opening.
Famous Games using the Scotch Game
D6 is wrong move
Check mate
[Result "*"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bb4+ 5. c3 dxc3 6. Qd5 d6 7. Qxf7#
*
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nxd4 5.Qxd4 Nf6 6.Bc4 Be7 7.e5 c5 8.Qf4
and if the knight moves, Qxf7 mate (Wall - Burton, Wichita Falls, Texas 1971)
[Result "*"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 5. Qxd4 Nf6 6. Bc4 Be7 7. e5
c5 8.
Qf4 Nh5 9. Qxf7# *
he Slav and Semi-Slav are defenses to the Queens Gambit (see Chapter
14). In both cases, Black uses the c-pawn to defend the d-pawn to avoid
hemming in his light-square bishop. In the Slav, the bishop generally develops
to f5, or sometimes g4, whereas in the Semi-Slav, the bishop often develops
on the flank. This chapter covers a few of the most popular variations.
The Semi-Slav Defense is one of the most popular defenses for black
against the Queens Gambit line from white. This opening is seen at all
levels of chess competition and is often seen as one of the most sound
defenses at top level play.
Black spends most of the time in the Semi-Slav developing pawns and
pieces to control the light sqaures in the middle of the board. It differs from
the Slav opening in that the light square bishop on c8 is not developed
before the pawn structure is formed with e6. This allows more time for
black to build up a solid pawn structure around the d5 pawn, but at the cost
of slower development from his light square bishop.
White typically has two main ideas that he can play for. The first is to
develop his dark square bishop on c1 befor he closes the pawn structure
with e3. The second is to immediately play e3, protecting the pawn on c4,
while delaying the development of the dark square bishop. Depending on
how white responds many times will determine much of the dynamics in the
game.
Black will typically counter attack on the queen side of the board and try to
make a push for the center control of the light squares. If black can
equalize, he should be better off in the end game with a much better pawn
structure.
Famous Games using the Semi Slav Defense
11. Be2 Bb7 12. O-O Nbd7 13. Qc2 Nxe5 14. Bxe5 Bg7 15. Rad1 O-O 16.
Bg3 Nd7 17.f3 c5 18. dxc5 Qe7 19. Kh1 a6 20. a4 Bc6 21. Nd5 21... exd5
22. exd5 Be5 23. f4 Bg7 24. dxc6 Nxc5 25. Rd5 Ne4 26. Be1 Qe6
27. Rxh5 f5 28. Kh2 Rac8 29. Bb4 Rfe8 30. axb5 axb5 31. Re1 Qf7 32.
Rg5
32... Nxg5 33. fxg5 Rxc6 34. Bf1 Rxe1 35. Bxe1 Re6 36. Bc3 Qc7+ 37. g3
Re3 38.Qg2 Bxc3 39. bxc3 f4 40. Qa8+ Kg7 41. Qa6 fxg3+ 0-1
Kramnik vs Anand, 1997
Topalov vs Vallejo-Pons, 2006
Carlsen vs A Groenn, 2005
Mamedyarov vs Ivanchuk, 2007
Example
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bh4 g5 6.Bg3 Be7 7.Nb5 O-O
8.Nxc7?? Bb4+ 9.Qd2 Bxd2+, winning the Queen (Corrie - Wall, Thailand
1974)
[Result "*"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 h6 5. Bh4 g5 6. Bg3 Be7 7. Nb5 O-O 8.
Nxc7
Bb4+ 9. Qd2 Bxd2+ *
In the above game the white looses queen
The Sicilian Defense is the most popular defense against whites opening
1.e4 and is used extensively at top level play. It is a very aggressive
defense and immediately stakes claim at the center, denying white the
double pawns on e4 and d4. Many chess champions actually prefer to start
with 1.d4 because of how well the Sicilian Defense plays against 1.e4.
Eventually the c-pawn of black is usually exchanged, opening the semiopen c file for black to bring his queen or rook to and add pressure to the
queen side attack.
White not only has to worry about blacks defense but also the counter
attack that the Sicilian Defense presents. White tends to have the
advantage on the king side while black will usually look to attack on the
queen side.
For those chess players that play against the 1.e4 opening quite often, the
Sicilian Defense is an opening that you should spend quite a bit of time
studying. There are many variations and they each are designed for
specific types of players.
Example
Game:
1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Bc4 Nf4 5.Qf3 Ng6?? [Black must play 5 Ne6] 6.Qxf7 mate (Correa Ba [Result "*"]
Game
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 g6 6.Bc4 Na5 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qd4 Bg7 9.Ng5+ Kf8
10.Ne6+, wins the Queen (Kurtes - Berta, Hungary 1958)
[Result "*"]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6
3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 (Semi Slav)
3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 (Slav)
The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as
early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be explored extensively. Many masters
of Slavic descent helped develop the theory of this opening,
including Alapin, Alekhine, Bogoljubov, and Vidmar.
The Slav Defense is one of the most popular openings with GMs. This is
for two reasons. The first is that it is one of the most solid lines to play
against the Queens Gambit and with the Queens Gambit being a regular
opening at high level play, many top players have become fans of this
opening.
The Slav also allows for lots of different variations so those players that like
to be creative and dont like to play the same variation every game will
really enjoy the Slav Defense because it offers just that.
In the second move black looks to defend his pawn on d5 with his c6 pawn.
This is done so that his pawn on the e file can stay as needed and not
block the way of the light square bishop.
In the main line of the Slav Defense white looks to dominate the center of
the board and black looks to control the b4 square and later make a push
towards the c5 and e5 squares.
Famous Games using the Slav Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 dxc4 4.e3 b5 5.Nxb5 cxb5 6.Qf3 Qc7 7.Qxa8 Bb7 8.Qxa7 e6 9.d5 ex
d5 10.Qd4Nf6 11.Nf3 Bb4+ 12.Bd2 Nc6 13.Bxb4 Nxb4 14.Qc3 Qa5 15.Nd2 d4 16.exd4 Nf
d5 17.Qg3 0-0 18.Kd1Qa4+ 19.b3 Qa3 20.bxc4 Nc3+ 21.Ke1 Nc2#
The Smith Morra Gambit is a sharp and aggressive line against the Sicilian
Defense from black. If you play e4 as white for any length of time you
probably run into the Sicilian Defense quite often.
This gambit is only for very aggressive players as are most gambits. White
looks to not only take black out of the normal sicilian lines but also looks to
use the advantage in development to overwhelm the black king.
White usually looks to put his bishop on c4 (attacking the weak pawn on
f7). Then looks to castle king side after his knight comes to f3. Then
eventually his rooks would like to come to the open c file and the semi open
d file. After this white will have a lot of attacking lines at his disposal.
Black has to play rather carefully during this game and many Sicilian
defenders had to play against the Smith Morra Gambit.
1.e4 c5 2.d4 (the Smith-Morra Gambit) 2...Na6 (Black should play 2...cxd4) 3.Bxa6 bxa6 4.dxc5 Nf6
5.e5 Ne4?? 6.Qd5, trapping the Knight. (Wall - Somarian, Internet 1996)
2. Nc3
[Result "*"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. d3 Qh4+ 6. g3 Nxg3 7. Nf3
Qh5 8.
Nxd5 Bg4 9. Nf4 Bxf3 10. Nxh5 Bxd1 11. hxg3 Bxc2? 12. b3 *
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 g6
[Result "*"]
1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Ne5 e6 5. d4 Nc6 6. Bb5 Qb6 7. c4?!
Bb4+ 8.
Nc3 Ne7 9. O-O O-O 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Na4 Qd8 12. Qc2 Bd6 13. Re1 Qc7
14. Bd2 Nf5
15. Nf3 dxc4 16. Qxc4 a5 17. Nc5 *
The Berlin Defence, 3...Nf6, has long had a reputation for solidity and drawishness and is
sometimes called "the Berlin Wall".[20] The Berlin Defence was played in the late 19th century and
early 20th century by Emanuel Lasker and others, who typically answered 4.0-0 with 4...d6 in the
style of the Steinitz Variation. This approach ultimately fell out of favour, as had the old form of
the Steinitz, due to its passivity, and the entire variation became rare. Arthur Bisguier played the
Berlin for decades, but always chose the variation 4.0-0 Nxe4. Then in 2000,Vladimir
Kramnik used the line as a drawing weapon against Garry Kasparov in Classical World Chess
Championship 2000, following which the Berlin has experienced a remarkable renaissance: even
players with a dynamic style such as Alexei Shirov, Veselin Topalov, and Kasparov himself have
tried it, and Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand both used it (Carlsen extensively so)
during the 2013 World Chess Championship and 2014 World Chess Championship.
Anand, Viswanathan - Almasi, Zoltan 1-0
C67 Bundesliga 0203
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 K
e8 10. h3 a5 11. a3 h6 12. Re1 Be7 13. Ne4 Be6 14. g4 Nh4 15. Nxh4 Bxh4 16. Nc5 a4 17.Nxe6 fxe6 18
. Re4 Be7 19. Be3 c5 20. Rd1 Rf8 21. Kg2 Rf7 22. Kg3 b5 23. h4 Rd8 24. Rxd8+ Kxd825. h5 Kd7 26. c4
c6 27. Rf4 Ke8 28. Rxf7 Kxf7 29. Kf3 g5 30. Bc1 b4 31. b3 axb3 32. a4 Ke8 33.Ke2 Bd8 34. Kd1 Bc7 35.
Be3 Bxe5 36. Bxc5 Bc3 37. Kc1 Bg7 38. Bxb4 Bd4 39. Bd6 Bxf2 40. Kb2Bd4+ 41. Kxb3 Bg7 42. a5 Kd7
43. a6 Kc8 44. Kc2 1-0
White wins
[Result "*"]
1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. Bxd7+ Nxd7 7.
d4 c4 8.
Nc3 f6 9. Bf4 Ne7 10. Qe2 g5 11. Bd6 Qb6 12. Bxe7 Bxe7 13. b3 Qb4 14.
Qd2 O-O
15. Nxd5 Qxd2+ 16. Nxd2 Bd6 17. Nxc4 Rfe8+ 18. Kd1 Rac8 19. Nxd6
Nb6 20. Nxb6
axb6 21. Nxe8 Rxe8 22. Re1 Rxe1+ 23. Kxe1 *
Budapest Gambit
The Budapest Gambit (or Budapest Defence) is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e5
Despite an early debut in 1896, the Budapest Gambit received attention from leading
players only after a win as Black by Grandmaster Milan Vidmar in 1918. It enjoyed a rise
in popularity in the early 1920s, but nowadays is rarely played at the top level. It
experiences a lower percentage of draws than other main lines, but also a lower overall
performance for Black.
The Kieninger Trap is named after Georg Kieninger who used it in an offhand game
against Godai at Vienna in 1925.[49] It occurs in the Rubinstein variation
Kieninger Trap
[Result "0-1"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bf4 Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 Qe7 7. a3 Ngxe5 8.
axb4?? Nd3# 0-1
Contents
Albin Counter-Gambit......................................................................................................... 1
Alekhine Defense............................................................................................................... 3
Benko Gambit.................................................................................................................... 4
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit................................................................................................... 5
Bogo-Indian defence.......................................................................................................... 6
Very common trap in Caro-Kann........................................................................................9
[Result "*"]......................................................................................................................... 9
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qg4 Na6 *...........................................................9
ColleZukertort System......................................................................................................... 9
Dutch Defense................................................................................................................. 10
English Opening............................................................................................................... 11
The French Defence......................................................................................................... 12
Fried Liver Attack............................................................................................................. 13
Giuoco Piano.................................................................................................................... 14
Halloween Gambit............................................................................................................ 15
The Kings Gambit............................................................................................................ 16
Kings Indian Defence....................................................................................................... 17
Larsens Opening.............................................................................................................. 18
Latvian Gambit................................................................................................................ 19
Nimzo Indian Defence...................................................................................................... 20
Petrov Defense................................................................................................................. 21
Pirc Defense..................................................................................................................... 22
The ponziani opening....................................................................................................... 24
The Queens Gambit........................................................................................................ 24
The Queens Indian Defence............................................................................................25
The Reti Opening............................................................................................................. 27
The Ruy Lopez.................................................................................................................. 28
The Scandinavian Defence...............................................................................................29
Scotch Gambit................................................................................................................. 31
The Scotch Game............................................................................................................. 32
The Semi-Slav Defence.................................................................................................... 35
The Sicilian Defence......................................................................................................... 37
The Slav Defence............................................................................................................. 40
The Smith Morra Gambit..................................................................................................42
Number 10. The Ruy Lopez. Perhaps the greatest most complex openings out there. I
respect this opening as it was proven that if white plays the lines correctly, he will carry a
small advantage. Its also a great opening since it explains develop and castle early and
build a attack. This opening was invented sometime in the 1400 by someone who had a
name called Ruy lopez