Modern Chess Openings

766 Pages·2008·7.8 MB·748\766

by  Nick de Firmian

MODERN
CHESS
OPENINGS
MC0-15

FIFTEENTH EDITION
MODERN
CHESS
OPENINGS
MC0-15
COMPLETELY REVISED BY
NICK FIRMIAN
DE
Copyright© 2008 by Nick de Firmian
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RANDOM HOUSE is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.
Portions of this work were previously published, in different form, in Modem Chess Open­
ings, 14th Edition, by Nick de Finnian, published by David McKay Company in 1999.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
Fifteenth Edition
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN: 978-0-8129-3682-7
C ONTENTS
Acknowledgments-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ix
Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------xi
Exp lana tozy Notes-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------xiii
Tips for the Novice------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------xv
I. DOUBLE KING PAWN OPENINGS
1 e4 e5
2 f4 -------------------------·······- 1 King's Gambit ...................................................................... 3
2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bes------------ 2 Giuoco Piano. .................................................................... 18
2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4 ----- 3 Evans Gambit .................................................................... 26
2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 ------------ 4 Two Knights' Defense ....................................................... 30
2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5------------------ 5 Ruy Lopez ......................................................................... 42
A. Variations without . .. a6. ............................................ 43
Includes Classical Defense, Berlin Defense,
Cozio Defense, Bird's Defense, Old Steinitz Defense,
3 ... g6, Schliemann Variation
B. Variants on Moves 4-6 after 3 . . . a6. .......................... 55
Includes Exchange Variation, Modem Steinitz
Defense, Lines with 3 ... a6 and . .. Bc5,
Arkangel Variation, Fifth-Move Variants,
Sixth-Move Variants, Open Variation
C. Main Lines-Closed Variations and the
Marshall Attack ............................................................ 79
Includes Closed Defense, Chigorin Variation,
Breyer Variation, Smyslov Variation, Zaitsev
Variation, Marshall Attack and Anti-Marshall
Systems
2 Nf3 Nf6-----········-------------- 6 Petrov's Defense. ............................................................... 96
2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 ------------ 7 Scotch Game ................................................................... 104
2 Nc3 -----------------------··----- 8 Vienna Game ........................................ : .......................... 114
2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6----------- 9 Four Knights' Game. ....................................................... 121
2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3--------------·-·- 10 Three Knights' Game ...................................................... 129
2 Nf3 d6 --------------·-·----------- 11 Philidor's Defense ........................................................... 132
2 Nf3 Nc6 3 c3··--···-·-----------12 Ponziani's Opening ......................................................... 135
2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 c3------13 Garing Gambit. ................................................................ 138
2 d4 exd4 3 c3 -------------------" 14 Danish Gambit ................................................................ 141
2 Nf3 f5 ---------------------------- 15 ·Latvian Gambit ............................................................... 144
2 Bc4----------------------------·-··-16 Bishop's Opening. ........................................................... 147
2 d4 cxd4 3Qxd4----------------17 Center Game. ............................................ ; ...................... 151
·
18 Unusual Double King Pawn Openings .......................... 154
Il. SEMI-OPEN GAMES
1 e4
1 ... Nf6---··----------------------- 1 Alekhine's Defense ......................................................... 159
1 . .. c6------------------------------ 2 Caro-Kann Defense ......................................................... 171
1 . .. e6----------------------------- 3 French Defense ............................................................... i 97
1 . . . c5----------------------------- 4 Sicilian Defense .............................................................. 244
A. Najdorf Variation ......................................................... 246
B. DragonV ariation (including the Accelerated
Dragon) ....................................................................... 269
v
C. Scheveningen Variation. ............................................ 290
D. Variations with 2 ... e6. ............................................ 302
Includes Taimanov, Paulsen, and Four Knights'
Variations
E. Classical Sicilian Variations. ..................................... 318
Includes Richter-Rauzer Attack, Boleslavsky
and Sozin Variations, Velimirovic'.: Attack
F. Sicilian Systems with 2 . .. Nc6 and. ;'. e5. ............. 336
Includes Sveshnikov, Kalashnikov,
and Lowenthal Variations (also 4 . . .Q b6)
G Non-open Sicilians (variations without 2 Nf3
and 3 d4) ..................................................................... 346
Includes Closed Sicilian, 2 c3, 3 Bb5 Variations,
f4 Attack, Smith-Morra Gambit and other Unusual
Second Moves
1 . .. d6 2 d4 Nf6----------------- 5 Pirc Defense .................................................................... 362
1 ... g6 2 d4 Bg7---------------- 6 Robatsch Defense, .............................................. _ ........... 373
1 . . . d5 2 exd5 ------------------- 7 Center Counter Defense .................................................. 378
1 ...N c6 --------------------------- 8 Nimzovich Defense ......................................................... 381
1. .. various---------------------- 9 Unusual King's Pawn Defenses. ..................................... 384
ill. DOUBLE QUEEN PAWN OPENINGS
1 d4 d52c4
2 ... e6---------------------------- 1 Queen's Gambit Declined. .............................................. 389
Includes Orthodox Defense, Petrosian Variation,
Lasker's Defense, Cambridge Springs Defense,
Tartakower Variation, Exchange Variation, 5Bf4 Ragozin
System, Vienna Variation, Semi-Tarrasch Defense
2 . . . e6 3 Nc3 c5----------------- 2 Tarar sch Defense. ............................................................ 440
2 .. . dxc4----------------------- 3 Queen's Gambit Accepted .............................................. 449
2 .. . c6--------------------------- 4 Slav and Semi-Slav Defense. .......................................... 460
2 . . .N c6 --------------------------- 5 Chigorin's Defense .......................................................... 488
IV. OTHER QUEEN PAWN OPENINGS
1 d4
1 ... f5 --------------------------- 1 Dutch Defense ................................................................. 493
1 . .. Nf6 2 c4 e5 ----------------- 2 Budapest Defense. ........................................................... 503
3 Queen's Pawn Games and Gambits ................................ 506
Includes Trompowski, Veresov, and Torre Attacks,
Colle System, Reversed Stonewall, Polish Defense,
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Albin Counter Gambit
V. INDIAN OPENINGS
1 d4Nf62c4
2 ... e6 3 g3 --------------------- 1 Catalan Opening ............................................................. 517
2 ... e6 3 Nc3 Bb4------------- 2 Nimzo-Indian Defense .................................................... 536
2 ...e6 3 Nf3 b6---------------- 3 Queen's Indian Defense .............................................. ; ... 563
2 . .. e6 3 Nf3 Bb4 --------------- 4 Bogo-Indian Defense. .......................'. .............................. 582
2 ... g6------------------------------ 5 King's Indian Defense. .................................................... 588
2 .. . d6 ---------------------------- 6 Old Indian Defense. .....................................-. .................. 628
2 . . . g6 3 Nc3 d5 --------------- 7 Griinfeld Defense ............................................................ 631
2 . . . c5 3 d5---------------------- 8 Benoni Defense ............................................................... 649
2 ... c5 3 d5 b5----------------- 9 Benko Gambit .................................................................. 663
VI. FLANK OPENINGS
1 c4-------------------------------� 1 English Opening ............................................................. 6 75
Includes all systems and responses
vi
1 Nf3 d5 2 c4--------------------- 2 Reti Opening ................................................................... 718
1 Nf3, 2 g3, 3 Bg2, etc.--------- 3 King's Indian Attack ....................................................... 724
1 b3 ------------------------------- 4 Larsen's Opening ............................................................ 729
1 f4 ----------------------------- 5 Bird's Opening ................................................................ 732
1 various-------------------------- 6 Miscellaneous Flank Openings ...................................... 735
Index ....................................................................................................................................... 741
vii

A CKN OWLED GMENTS
Modern Chess Openings, 15 ed., is a task too large for one person, even
though I spent more than a year of long hours on this revision. The fol­
lowing people were essential to completing this book.
Grandmaster John Fedorowicz
Contributed the long chapter on the Slav and Semi-Slav Defenses.
Included now is a new section on the trendy 4 . . a6. John also ad­
.
vised on several Indian Defenses, particularly the Benko Gambit (his
specialty).
International Master Justin Sarkar
Wrote the chapter on the King's Indian Defense. This complicated
and fashionable opening has received excellent coverage here. The
changing trends required considerable restructuring of the tables.
Internation�l Master Yuri Lapshun
Revised the Grunfeld Defense. Yuri duly immersed himself into the
intricacies of this sharp defense.
John MacArthur
Contributed suggestions and helped with database issues.
Many thanks to Random House editor Helena Santini who saw this proj­
ect through from start to finish. Special thanks to Scott Knoke for his care
in copyediting this book.
-NICK FIRMIAN
DE
December 2007
ix