Openings

Opening development and coordination

Submitted by DrDave on

Summary

There are useful opening 'rules' (really, guidelines) which should be known and adopted at least until you know better.  Sadly, even strict obedience to the rules can lead to trouble, so you have to learn some specific opening lines.  You don't have to know every opening, but you need at least one system for White and a couple as Black.  Which ones you choose depends on your style and your appetite for study.

Opening principles

It's useful to review and rehearse the reasons for the

Openings Workshop 2011

Submitted by DrDave on

Four questions from the floor with comments from all

A defence to the Kings Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.f4
Asking around the group for moves for Black at move 2, we collected:

2...f6;
2...d6;
2...Nf6;
2...Nc6;
2...Bc5;
2...exf4;
2...Qh4+;
2...Qf6;
2...Qe7;
2...d5 ...

And that probably doesn't exhaust everything that has been tried, but it will do for now.  All have some logic so let's work our way through them.

Nice things happen

Submitted by DrDave on

Nice email from Robert Janninck:
I am a fan of your site. It helped me getting started with openings. In return I put the Italian game for you in chessbase format. For me when i see things happening on the board it always help, so i thougth maybe that will help others too.
...
My motivation: I like to help youre concept (site) to get better/easier and help others in having more fun in chess. Make it reachable and not for the money.
Thanks a million Robert!

Original handout:

Benonis

The Modern Benoni

One big swindle

C.H.O'D. (Hugh) Alexander once remarked, "If God played God in the Ben-oni, White would win. But at any other level, Black's practical chances are excellent."

Always a pleasure

Submitted by DrDave on

It's always a pleasure to have a chance to show these games to a new generation of chess players. Dan fancied learning about a more aggressive opening, and one of the ones we looked at was Evans' Gambit.

A la carte

I have been looking at French repertoires recently, and thought it was useful for my own amusement at least to see what various authors writing for the Black audience recommended.

Repertoire books these days often give you a choice, which is excellent.

Variation
 McDonald 2008

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