Table Of Content

Chess Openings by William Aramil A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Chess Openings Chess Openings by William Aramil A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. ALPHA BOOKS Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore, Auckland 1311, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Copyright © 2008 by William Aramil All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For information, address Alpha Books, 800 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240. THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO and Design are registered trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. ISBN: 1-4406-5181-7 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2008924715 Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice, a competent professional should be consulted. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book. Publisher: Marie Butler-Knight Copy Editor: Amy Lepore Editorial Director: Mike Sanders Cartoonist: Steve Barr Senior Managing Editor: Billy Fields Book Designer: Trina Wurst Acquisitions Editor: Michele Wells Indexer: Tonya Heard Development Editor: Nancy Lewis Layout: Chad Dressler Production Editor: Kayla Dugger Proofreader: John Etchison Contents at a Glance Part 1: Chess Opening Fundamentals 1 1 For Openers … 3 An introduction to the board, coordinates, and how the moves of a game are written. Also, what openings are and their overall goals. 2 The Basic Elements of Chess Openings 17 The five elements to help guide you through every opening move. 3 The Elements in Motion 33 The elements are applied and analyzed in a famous game. Part 2: 1)e4 Openings 43 4 1)e4 e5 45 Openings beginning with 1)e4 e5, exclud- ing the Ruy Lopez. 5 Ruy Lopez 59 The king of all openings in the history of chess. 6 The Dynamic Sicilian 75 The sidelines and alternatives of the trendiest opening in chess today. 7 Sicilianaires 85 The most fashionable starting position within the Sicilian Defense. 8 The Narrow, French, and Caro 97 Mostly hypermodern defenses for Black. Part 3: 1)d4 Openings 109 9 1)d4 d5 111 The well-known Queen’s Gambit and Slav Defense. 10 1)d4 Nf6 125 Some of the less popular and semipopular lines after the position 1)d4 Nf6. 11 The Nimzo, the Bogo, and the Queen’s Indian 133 A champion’s defense against 1)d4. 12 Hey Grunfeld, This KID Means Business! 145 Systems where Black castles kingside and develops quickly. Part 4: Opening Choices 159 13 Building an Opening Repertoire 161 How to choose an opening and avoid bad habits. Appendixes A Glossary 173 B Advancing to the Next Level 177 Index 181 Contents Part 1: Chess Opening Fundamentals 1 1 For Openers … 3 A Chess Player’s Tool ....................................................3 The Coordinates ...........................................................4 Files, Ranks, and Diagonals .........................................5 Notation .........................................................................6 Name That Square ......................................................6 Move Numbers ............................................................8 This or That ................................................................8 Writing Special Moves ...............................................10 Symbols .....................................................................12 The Opening vs. an Opening? ....................................13 Opening Names...........................................................14 A Good Beginning ......................................................15 The Goal .....................................................................15 2 Basic Elements of Chess Openings 17 Material ........................................................................18 Time .............................................................................18 Space ............................................................................19 Seizing Squares .........................................................19 I Have Space and … ..................................................20 Help, I Can’t Breathe ................................................21 Pawn Structure ............................................................21 The Soul of Chess .......................................................22 Pawn Chains .............................................................22 Pawn Islands .............................................................23 Isolated Pawn ............................................................24 Backward Pawn .........................................................24 Two Many .................................................................25 King Safety: The Trump Card....................................26 3 The Elements in Motion 33 Analyzing Opening Variations ....................................34 viii The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Chess Openings Part 2: 1)e4 Openings 43 4 1)e4 e5 45 Petrov Defense ............................................................46 Scotch Game ..............................................................49 Italian Game ................................................................51 3)…Bc5 .....................................................................51 3…Nf6 .....................................................................56 5 Ruy Lopez 59 Side of the Ruy ............................................................60 3)…Bc5 ....................................................................60 Berlin: 3)…Nf6.........................................................63 Exchange Variation: 4)Bxc6 ........................................66 The Main Game ..........................................................69 6 The Dynamic Sicilian 75 2nd Best .......................................................................76 Smith-Morra ............................................................76 The c3 Sicilian .............................................................77 2)Nf3 ............................................................................79 4)…Nf6 ....................................................................80 4)…a6 ......................................................................81 2)…Nc6 .......................................................................82 7 Sicilianaires 85 Classical Sicilian ..........................................................87 The Sicilian Dragon: Love and Hate .........................89 Najdorf .........................................................................93 8 The Narrow, French, and Caro 97 The Narrow .................................................................98 Alekhine Defense: 1)…Nf6 ........................................98 Center Stage ............................................................100 French Fighters?! ......................................................101 Advance Variation ...................................................102 A Knightmare ........................................................104 Caro-Kann .................................................................105 The Advance ............................................................106 Main Line ...............................................................107