how to handle newfangled openings

[There is a superb essay by Reti on the legacy of the hypermoderns which was published in Virginia Chess in 1993, archived at Palle Mathiasen's World Champions site at http://www.chesschampions.com/reti.html] Oh dear, link rot got to it. Reproduced without permission here.

NIMZOVITCH founded the HYPERMODERN school, and wrote a very

A4. Piece attacks vs. Pirc/Modern 1. e4 ...d6/...g6: 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3

The trouble with the Pirc is that Black will just lurk behind his pawns, and your pieces won't find much to attack. I play the Pirc/Modern as Black, and am always more impressed by systems which threaten to open lines with pawn breaks than any of the piece play lines. But that's not to say they aren't all dangerous; the player with a plan will always beat the player without one.

C. King's Indian Attack against the common half-open defences

Introduction to the King's Indian Attack

"Club players and home enthusiasts often ask me to recommend an openings system for White which is safe, yet aggressive and does not require a superb memory and months of intense learning. In such cases I invariably recommend the King's Indian Attack" - Keene

 

by Bob Martin

Bob sent me these games with his own notes to illustrate both some nice amateur games with the Sicilian Defence, but also to illustrate what sorts of thinking and assessment goes on at club level. Bob is about an {A} player, so if that's where you want to be, this is the level of judgement you should be capable of. Thanks, Bob!

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(28) Martin,R [B78]

  1997

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6

  (1) This initiates a dark-square game.

This club is a GP-free zone

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 d6

Support the campaign for d2-d4

by playing 4. c3, 4. b4 or 3. d4!

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The position above is the Giuoco Pianissimo.

 "Giuoco Pianissimo" is an old Italian phrase meaning "very quiet game"; if you can't remember that you might prefer if we just call this line "Old Stodge"...