Mastering the Chess Openings, volume 3

353 Pages·2008·19.2 MB·English

by  John Watson

Mastering the
Chess Openings
Volume 3
John Watson
tHAI~IBIITI
First published in the UK by Gambit Publications Ltd 2008
Copyright © John Watson 2008
The right of John Watson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance
with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or
otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other
than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being im
posed on the subsequent purchaser.
ISBN-13: 978-1-904600-98-5
ISBN -10: 1-904600-98-0
DISTRIBUTION:
Worldwide (except USA): Central Books Ltd, 99 Wallis Rd, London E9 5LN, England.
Tel [phone] Fax [phone]. E-mail: [email protected]
Gambit Publications Ltd, 99 Wallis Rd, London E9 5LN, England.
E-mail: [email protected]
Website (regularly updated): www.gambitbooks.com
Edited by Graham Burgess
Typeset by Petra Nunn
Cover image by Wolff Morrow
Printed in Great Britain by The Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, Wilts.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Gambit Publications Ltd
Managing Director: Murray Chandler GM
Chess Director: Dr John Nunn GM
Editorial Director: Graham Burgess FM
German Editor: Petra Nunn WFM
Webmaster: Dr Helen Milligan WFM
Contents
Symbols 6
Dedication 6
Acknowledgements 6
Bibliography 7
General Introduction 9
1 Introduction to the English Opening 11
2 Reversing the Sicilian: 2nd Moves 14
Working From the Ground Up 15
Najdorf and Dragon Aspirations 19
Improved Alekhine-Sicilian 23
3 Introduction to 2 ttJc3: Black Plays Flexibly 29
Advancing the f-Pawn 30
The Bishop Sortie 2 ... i.b4 33
The Ultra-Flexible 2 ... d6: Introduction 45
Active Lines with 3 d4 46
The Positional Approach 57
4 2 ... ttJf6 and g3 Systems 64
Introduction to 2 ... liJf6 64
Black's 3rd-Move Options 68
The Modem Variation: 3 ... i.b4 70
Digression on the Rossolimo Sicilian 72
Keres Defence 84
White Plays 2 g3 90
5 Four Knights Variation 106
Slower White Approaches 107
Central Assault with 4 d4 111
The Cautious 4 e3 115
The Main Line: 4 g3 120
4 ... i.b4 and its Descendants 123
Reversed Dragon: 4 ... d5 133
4 MASTERING THE CHESS OPENINGS
6 Three Knights and Closed English 139
Three Knights Variation 139
The Independent 3 ... f5 141
Introduction to the Closed English 144
Closed English with lDf3 145
Closed English with e3 152
Botvinnik System: 5 e4 164
7 Pure Symmetrical Variation 174
The Traditional 5 e3 177
Flank Attack with 5 a3 184
Symmetrical Botvinnik: 5 e4 191
Pure Symmetrical with 5 lDf3: Introduction 195
Traditional Main Line with 5 ... lDf6 195
Symmetrical with 5 ... e5 203
Central Counterattack with 5 ... e6 207
8 Main Lines with 2 liJf3 and d4 218
Introduction to 2 lDf3 218
Variations with 2 ... lDc6 218
2 ... lDf6 and the Symmetrical Four Knights 233
Four Knights with 6 a3 236
Four Knights with 6 lDdb5 241
Four Knights with 6 g3 249
Anti-Benoni Variations 263
9 Asymmetrical Variations 270
Nimzowitsch's 5 e4 and Griinfeld Relations 270
The Knight Tour 5 ... lDb4 271
Exchange with 5 ... lDxc3 276
Keres-Parma Variation 279
Rubinstein System 287
10 The Hedgehog Variation 297
Traditional Line with 8 ~xd4 301
Modem Line with 7 :tel 309
11 Mikenas Attack and Nimzo-English 313
Mikenas Attack: Introduction 314
Central Challenge with 3 ... d5 314
Gambit Line with 3 ... c5 321
Nimzo-Eng1ish Variation: Introduction 324
Classical 4 ~c2 Variation 325
CONTENTS 5
The 4 g4 Flank Attack 329
12 King's Indian Variations 335
Botvinnik Variation vs the King's Indian 335
The Closed English Fonnation 339
Index of Variations 345
Index of Players 350
Symbols
+ check
++ double check
# checkmate
!! brilliant move
good move
!? interesting move
?! dubious move
? bad move
?? blunder
Ch championship
1-0 the game ends in a win for White
liz-liz the game ends in a draw
0-1 the game ends in a win for Black
(D) see next diagram
Dedication
uxorculae
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Graham Burgess for his patience, good advice, and brilliant editing.
Special thanks to Tony Kosten of ChessPublishing.com for sending me material; also, his site was
the single most important resource for this book.
Bibliography
This partial list doesn't include sources in which I found only one or two notes. Annotators are
credited in the text.
Periodical Publications
ChessBase Magazine (up to 123); ChessBase
New in Chess Magazine; New in Chess
Infonnator (1-101); Sahovski Informator
Chess Life; United States Chess Federation
Chess; Chess & Bridge
Kaissiber; Stefan Bi.icker
Websites
ChessPublishing; Kosten, A; www.chesspublishing.com; Flank Openings columns by Watson, J.;
Hansen, Ca.; Rowson, 1.; Kosten, A; Motwani, P.
The Week in Chess (up to no. 713); Crowther, M.; http://www.chesscenter.com/twic!twic.html
Jeremysilman.com; Silman, J.; www.jeremysilman.com
ChessCafe.com; Russell, H.; www.chesscafe.com
CDs and DVDs
Marin, M.; English I c4 e5; ChessBase 2003
Opening Encyclopaedia 2008; ChessBase 2008
Mega Database 2008; ChessBase 2008
Corr Database 2008; ChessBase 2008
Books
Bagirov, y.; English Opening: Classical and Indian; Cadogan 1994
Benko, P. & Silman, 1.; My Life, Games, and Compositions; Siles 2003
Botvinnik, M.; Botvinnik's Best Games Volume 1: 1925-1941; Moravian Press 2000
Botvinnik, M.; Botvinnik's Best Games Volume 2: 1942-1956; Moravian Press 2000
Botvinnik, M.; Botvinnik's Best Games Volume 3: 1957-1970; Moravian Press 2000
Chetverik, M. & Raetsky, A; English ... e5: The Reversed Sicilian Lines; Everyman 2003
Cummings, D.; Symmetrical English; Everyman 2001
Dempsey, T.; English Opening: A Line for Black; The Chess Player 1985
Donaldson, 1. & Hansen, Ca.; A Strategic Opening Repertoire, 2nd Edition;
Russell Enterprises 2007
Ernst, S. & Van der Stricht, G.; Tactics in the Chess Openings 6: Gambits and Flank Openings;
New In Chess 2007
Euwe, M.; Theorie der Schach Eroffnungen: Indische, Reti, u.s.w.; Siegfried Engelhardt
Verlag 1959
Franco, Z.; Chess Explained: The English Opening; Gambit 2006
8 MASTERING THE CHESS OPENINGS
Hansen, Ca.; The Gambit Guide to the English Opening: 1. .. e5; Gambit 1999
Hansen, Ca.; The Symmetrical English; Gambit 2000
Karpov, A; How to Play the English Opening; Batsford 2007
Keene, R.; Flank Openings, 2nd Edition; British Chess Magazine 1970
Khalifman, A; Opening for Black According to Karpov; Chess Stars 2001
Korchnoi, Y.; My Best Games, Vol. 1: Games with White; Edition Olms 2001
Korchnoi, Y.; My Best Games, Vol. 2: Games with Black; Edition DIms 2001
Kosten, A; The Dynamic English; Gambit 1999
Kotronias, Y.; Beating the Flank Openings; Batsford 1996
Krnic, z. (ed.); ECO A - 4th Edition; Sahovski Informator 2001
McDonald, N.; Starting Out: The English; Everyman 2003
Nunn, 1.; Burgess, G.; Emms, J. & Gallagher, J.; Nunn's Chess Openings; Gambit/Everyman 1999
Pachman, L.; Geschlossene Spiele: Indische Verteidigung u.a.; Sportverlag Berlin 1965
Palliser, R.; Beating Unusual Chess Openings, Everyman 2007
Povah, N.; How to Play the English Opening, 2nd Edition; Batsford 1991
Pritchett, c.; Play the English: An active opening repertoire for White; Everyman 2007
Ribli, Z. & Kallai, G.; Winning with the English; Batsford 1992
Soltis, A; Winning with the English Opening, 3rd Edition; Chess Digest 1997
Suba, M.; The Hedgehog; Batsford 2000
Taimanov, M.; Slawisch bis Reti Erroffnung; Sportverlag Berlin 1976
Watson, J.; Chess Strategy in Action; Gambit 2003
Watson, J.; Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy; Gambit 1998
Watson, J.; English: 1. .. P-K4; Batsford 1979
Watson, J.; English: 1. .. N-KB3 Systems; Batsford 1979
Watson, J.; English: Franco, Slav, and Flank Defences; Batsford 1981
Watson, J.; English: 1 ... P-QB4; Batsford 1980
Watson, J.; Symmetrical English: 1 ... c5; Batsford 1988
General Introduction
This is the third volume of a series which I originally intended to limit to two. Volume 1 examined
the move 1 e4 and openings that derive from it. Volume 2 moved on to 1 d4 openings. Predictably,
many readers and players were disappointed at the lack of coverage of the move 1 c4, otherwise
known as the English Opening. 1 c4 is not only the logical partner to 1 e4 and 1 d4, but in itself a
wonderful grounds for the study of positional ideas that encompass the entire range of chess prac
tice. It can be very useful as a complement to openings arising from 1 d4 and 1 lLlf3, since we find
many overlapping themes; furthermore, transpositions from and to the English Opening abound af
ter those moves. Given all these considerations, this new volume seemed a good idea. Fortunately, I
have an extensive history of writing about 1 c4, beginning with a set of four volumes in 1980 and
continuing intermittently through my recent English Opening column for ChessPublishing.com.
As in previous volumes, I shall work from the ground up, starting with very elementary choices
on the first couple of moves, including ones that you will seldom or perhaps never see, in order to
explain the elementary properties of the English Opening. For a primer or refresher on the first
principles of opening play in general, see Chapter 1 of Volume 1. The next two chapters of that vol
ume may also be useful, since they identify the ideas and themes most often referred to in the book
as a whole. This investigation of fundamentals is hardly the whole story, however. By the time that I
get deeply into a given chapter, the complexity of my presentation increases and there will be mate
rial that should be sophisticated enough to appeal to players of all levels. Even in those sections, I
have tried to talk about variations and typical positions on a very broad and basic level before
plunging into details.
Throughout the series I have tried to emphasize the variations which contain universal ideas and
structures. Nevertheless, given the fact that fewer games are played with 1 c4 than 1 e4 or 1 d4, I
have had the luxury of covering nearly all of its variations, as well as contributing much more up
to-date material and original analysis than in the previous two volumes. I hope that the latter proves
useful on a practical level, as well as providing assistance with building a repertoire. Fortunately,
although one should never pretend that a certain amount of memorization isn't essential to master
any opening, the material in this book lends itself to a broader conceptual approach, and I have in
creased the role of verbal explanation accordingly. Taken as a whole, English Opening variations
depend less upon tactical details than their king's and queen's pawn counterparts.
I beg the reader's pardon for the dull repetition of assessments such as 'with equality', 'Black
stands slightly better', and so forth. These inexact and ambiguous phrases are sadly necessary
when presenting opening material with its necessarily truncated lines. There is nothing worse than
consistently leaving the reader hanging with no conclusion, and yet it would only confuse matters
to use a set of invented phrases to express finer distinctions. My compromise has been to provide
verbal and/or analytical justifications whenever a position is significant enough to merit it, or when
the assessment might be puzzling on the face of it. Regardless, you will have to put some effort into
understanding the assessments and, hopefully, disagree with the inevitable set of mistaken ones. In
that regard, almost all complex unattributed notes are my own. Incidentally, one convenient way to
study this book is to find the main games in a large database. Then you can follow them in
ChessBase (or a similar program) as you read.
Having come this far, there's no getting around a Volume 4. Some of it will be devoted to a se
lection of the remaining chess openings; for example, the Rt€i Opening (1 lLlf3) , various systems
involving fianchettoes and f-pawn moves, as well as some gambits and so-called 'irregular open
ings'. A large portion of Volume 4, however, will be given to special topics such as choosing