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The distinction between "Open" and "Close" games or positions is well-known since now a long time and it is good to have a clear idea of this simple concepts. We may notice that this ideas are generally implicitly presents in main classical texts and are only expressed in a clearer and explicit way by more recent authors. Nevertheless it is quite just to link this ones to the Classical School of Chess!
1o) The notion of «Open game» : An "Open game" is a game beginning by 1.e4 e5 As in the following diagram:
DIAG 1 : «Open game»: 1.e4 e5:
DIAG 2 : «Open game»: 1.e4 e5: Now Black has many answers at his diposal, which are characteristic of the type of opening chosen by both players. In principle the Black's objective is to defend the e5-pawn attacked by the White's Knight f3; but it is also possible to create, in counterpoint, a similar threat, for example on the e4-pawn. Tarrasch study some of this opening, (Siegbert Tarrasch, «Traité pratique du jeu d'échecs» PAYOT/ECHECS, 1992, p.321 and the following) For a comprehensive study of this openings see: (CCT XI - «Classical openings») Following Openings are the most significant examples of «Semi-Open Games»: By this move Black protects the e5-pawn and, in the same time, opens the diagonal c8-h3, at the profit of the c8-Bishop. Nevertheless, modern theorists, and Tarrach all the first, consider this answer as insufficient to equalize.
DIAG 3 : «Philidor Defense»: By this move Black instead to protect the e5-pawn, creates, in counterpoint, a similar threat on the White e4-Pawn. Tarrasch, as most of modern theorists, thinks that this symmetric answer leads usually to the equality: (Siegbert Tarrasch, «Traité pratique du jeu d'échecs» PAYOT/ECHECS, 1992, p.325) «2... Nf6 leads to the equality. One always believed to be able to assert a light advantage for White, but this opinion constantly was fallacious: White has only there a very tiny advantage, which result of playing in first»
DIAG 4 : «Petrov Defense»: This opening allows both camps to develop efficiency all their pieces and leads many often to a combinatorial game, whose some variants are rather acute.
DIAG 5 : The «Italian game»: The main interest of this surprising move is to sacrifice a lateral pawn for speeding up the development; in particular White may now play c3 with win of time Tarrasch judges positively this gambit: (Siegbert Tarrasch, «Traité pratique du jeu d'échecs» PAYOT/ECHECS, 1992, p.333) «The Evans's gambit is a variant of the Italian Game. It takes place when White (after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5) play the extraodinary and without signification move 4.b2-b4. This move gets a meaning only when Black takes the pawn. After 4...Fc5xb4, White may play 5.c2-c3, so important in the Italian Game, with win of one tempo, and then establish their central Pawns in d4 and e4 »
DIAG 6 : The «Evans' Gambit»: Withdraw back the Bishop in c5: 5...Bc5?! is a mistake because White wins a new tempo by playing: 5.d4!
DIAG 7 : «Evans Gambit Accepted»: This interesting defense was first recorded by Polario (c. 1550 - c. 1610) in the late 1500's and more closely studied during the 19th Century. It has been practiced by many combative chess players like Chigorin, Keres, Tal and Spassky («Two Knights Defense » from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
«Two Knights Defense»)
DIAG 8 : «Two Knights Defense»: White plays without waiting the thematic move 3.d4!? Tarrasch considers this choice with severity: (Siegbert Tarrasch, «Traité pratique du jeu d'échecs» PAYOT/ECHECS, 1992, p.345) «(The Scottish Game) is very animated, very sharp, but it is at the expense of solidity. On this subject it is classified after the Spanish Game (Ruy Lopez) and even the Italian Game. On judges it, for a long time, correct. I think, as for me, the move 3.d2-d4 disputable.»
DIAG 9 : «The Scotch (Scottish) Game»: White, by giving the pawn, tries to obtain a significant advance of development. A possible continuation is 4...Bc5 5.0-0 d6 6.c3 Bg4 At all events, Tarrasch thinks that White does not have sufficient compensations for the pawn: (Siegbert Tarrasch, «Traité pratique du jeu d'échecs» PAYOT/ECHECS, 1992, p.353) «... The attack does not compensate for the loss of the Pawn, because he (White) does not own a sufficient advance in his unfolding - You need at the least three times to justify a gambit. (After 3...exd4) White may continue by 4.Bc4 or by 4.c3 (Goering Gambit).»
DIAG 10 : «The Scotch Gambit»: It is certainly the most famous opening. According to Wikipedia: «The opening is named after the 16th century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. He made a systematic study of this and other openings in the 150-page book on chess Libro del Ajedrez written in 1561. However, although it is named after him, this particular opening was known earlier; it is included in the Göttingen manuscript, which dates from around 1490. Popular use of the Ruy Lopez opening did not develop, however, until the mid-1800s when Carl Jaenisch, a Russian theoretician, "rediscovered" its potential. The opening is still in active use as the double king's pawn opening most commonly used in master play; it has been adopted by almost all players at some point in their careers and many play it from both the white and black sides.» («Ruy Lopez Opening» from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
«Ruy Lopez Opening»)
Tarrasch gives a particular attention to this opening: (Siegbert Tarrasch, «Traité pratique du jeu d'échecs» PAYOT/ECHECS, 1992, p.357) «(The Ruy Lopez) aims more than the attack of the e5-pawn; it is the strongest continuation and most consistent of the play of the King's Knight»
DIAG 11 : «The Ruy Lopez (Spanish)»: The objective of the third White's move, first studied by Italian chess player and theorist Ponziani is to prepare the advance d2-d4 This opening is rarely played today; actually, the c-pawn move is a lost of time and, moreover, presents the inconvenient to occupy the c3-square, which is initially the best place for playing the Queen's Knight... Black is not secure to win, obviously, but may equalize easily with: 3...d5!
DIAG 12 : The «Ponziani Opening»: The Bishop's Opening was practiced, at the least since 1620, by Greco, Philidor, Bruhl, Cochrane, Staunton, Steinitz and many others; the most usual and popular Black's answer is 2...Nf6 (Berlin Defense; C24) This opening is rarely played today; it may continu by 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.Nc3 d6 symmetrical position) and it is obvious that Black has practically equalized (Siegbert Tarrasch, «Traité pratique du jeu d'échecs» PAYOT/ECHECS, 1992, p.377)
DIAG 13 : The «Bishop Game»: This Opening is still used from time to time. According to Wikipedia: «White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, which can lead to the Ruy Lopez, Giuoco Piano, Scotch Game and other openings. The original idea behind 2.Nc3 was to play a kind of delayed King's Gambit with an eventual f4, but in modern play White often plays more quietly, for example by fianchettoing his king bishop with g3 and Bg2. Black most often continues with 2...Nf6, but 2...Nc6 is also quite playable.» («The Vienna Game» from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
«The Vienna Game»)
Most usually Black tries to contest this choice by developing first his King side 2...Nf6 (Falkbeer variation; C26 to C29) Then many White's retorts (Siegbert Tarrasch, «Traité pratique du jeu d'échecs» PAYOT/ECHECS, 1992, p.377)
DIAG 14 : The «Vienna Game»: This romantic beginning is known for a long time and had been very popular during the classical period. According to Wikipedia: «White offers a pawn to divert the Black e-pawn and build a stronger center with d2-d4. Theory has shown that in order for Black to maintain the one pawn advantage, moves must be made that seriously weaken the position of the Black pieces. King's Gambit is one of the oldest documented openings as it was examined by the 17th century Italian chess player Giulio Polerio. It is in an older book by Luis Ramirez de Lucena. The King's Gambit is now rarely seen at the master level. Black can obtain a reasonable position by relinquishing the extra pawn at a later time and consolidating defensively.» («King's Gambit» from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
«King's Gambit»)
Tarrasch does not estimate this opening as a valuable one: (Siegbert Tarrasch, «Traité pratique du jeu d'échecs» PAYOT/ECHECS, 1992, p.383) «White sacrifices a Pawn to open the f-file for the Tower and to occupy the center with two Pawns. But the premature displacement of the f-Pawn is disadvantageous and I regard it as a decisive fault»
DIAG 15 : «The King's Gambit»: After the acceptance of the gambit the most usual and certainly only accurate White's answer is: 3.Nf3 Then the Classical Variation arises with: 3...g5 protecting the f4-pawn and threatening g5-g4
DIAG 16 : «King's Gambit Accepted»: 2o) The notion of «Semi-0pen game» : A "Semi-Open game" is a game beginning by 1.e4 (all Black's answer other than e5) As in the following diagram:
DIAG 17 : «Semi-Open game»: 1.e4 (Not e5): Tarrasch, under a theoretical point of view, shows a rather great skepticism concerning all this possibilities: «... 1...e5 is the only satisfactory answeer (to 1.e4) in Theory as in Practice» (Siegbert Tarrasch, «Traité pratique du jeu d'échecs» PAYOT/ECHECS, 1992, p.388 and the following). For a comprehensive study of this openings see: (CCT XI - «Classical openings») Following Openings are the most significant examples of «Semi-Open Games»: The French Defense is known since Greco and was regularly used by chess players of the past like McDonnell, FRaser, La Bourdonnais, Kieseritzky, Saint Amant, Cochrane, Staunton, Lowenthal, Bird etc... and has always been practiced through time, until today! According to Wikipedia: «The French has a reputation for solidity and resilience, though it can result in a somewhat cramped game for Black in the early stages. Black often gains counterattacking possibilities on the queenside while White tends to concentrate on the kingside. The defence is named after a match played by correspondence between the cities of London and Paris in 1834 (although earlier examples of games with the opening do exist).» («French Defence» from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
«French Defence»)
DIAG 18 : «French Defense»: Caro-Kann is a rather recent defense, whose oldest illustrations that we known date from 1864-1980. See: «ChessBase Mega Database» from ChessBase
«ChessBase.com Website»
and, for a comprehensive Game Collection Online:
«Caro-Kann Defense» from ChessGames.com
«Caro Kann Defense (B10-B19)»
The Caro-Kann was played, sometimes essentially in one side, by Zukertort (White), J Schwarz (Black), W. Paulsen (White), Max Weiss, Mieses (White), Delmar (Black), Alapin (White), Landau (White), Lasker, Steinitz (White), Nimzowitsch, Pirc (Black), Steiner, Flohr (Black), Max Euwe, Kmoch, Rubinstein, Botvinnick and many others... This interesting opening is always played nowatodays. In Wikipedia you will find an interesting article related to the Caro-Kann; In particular are given the following precisions: «The Caro-Kann Defence is a common chess opening characterized by the moves: 1.e4 c6. The usual continuation is 2.d4 d5 followed by 3.Nc3, 3.Nd2, 3.exd5, or 3.e5 (the Advance Variation). The Caro-Kann, like the Sicilian Defence and French Defence, is classified as a "semi-open game", but it is thought to be more solid and less dynamic than either of those openings. It often leads to good endgames for black, who has the better pawn-structure. The opening is named after the English player Horatio Caro and the Austrian Marcus Kann who analyzed the opening in 1886.» («Caro-Kann Defence» from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
«Caro-Kann Defence»)
DIAG 19 : «Caro-Kann Defense»: The Pirc is equally a rather recent defense, regularly played since about 1850. Before the 1930's one knows, among many others, some games of E. Williams, S. Winawer (Black), A. Albin (Black), A. Burn, L. Paulsen (Black), E. Lasker (White), J. Noa (White), B. Yankovich (Black), J. Capablanca (White), A. Alekhine (White), S.F. Lebedev (Black), F.J. Marshall (White), J Lokvenc (Black) etc... This Opening is currently always practiced and one may indicate, as an example, the game: Anand, Viswanathan (2788) - Zude, Erik (2424), 1-0 (B07) Venaco op rapid, 2005. More recently was, in particular, played the game: Laurent, Bruno - Klerides, Paris, O-1 (BO9) European Team Chess Championships, 2007. See: «ChessBase Mega Database» from ChessBase
«ChessBase.com Website»
and, for a comprehensive Game Collection Online:
«Pirc Defense» from ChessGames.com
«Pirc Defense (B07-B09)»
Let us quote now some complementary comments from Wikipedia: «The Pirc Defence is a relatively new opening. In the 1930s it was considered inferior, but by the 1960s it was found to be quite playable. This opening is tricky to play and correct play is sometimes counterintuitive. Black, in hypermodern fashion, does not immediately stake out the centre with pawns, but rather works to undermine White's pawn centre with pieces. Move order is not so critical in the Pirc as in other openings, but the most common sequence is 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6, with Black fianchettoing his bishop on g7 next move. A distinction is usually drawn between the Pirc and lines where Black delays the development of his knight to f6 — this is known as the Modern or Robatsch Defence. Early Deviations: After: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3, 3...g6 is the main line Pirc. Black has an alternate system known as the Pribyl System or Czech Defence, which begins with 3...c6. This often transposes to the Pirc if Black later plays ...g6. Alternatively, Black can play .. Qa5 and ...e5 to challenge White's centre, or expand on the queenside with ...b5. » («Pirc Defence» from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
«Pirc Defence»)
DIAG 20 : «Pirc Defense»: *** [This page is currently under construction!] ***
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