First published in the UK by Gambit Publications Lt 2003 Copyright Steve Giddins 203 The right of Steve Giddins to be identitied as the author ofthis work has been assertedinaccordance with theCopyright,DesignsandPatentAct1988. Allrightsreserved. This book is sold subjet to the condition that it shall not, by way of tradeorotherwise,belent, fe-sold, hiredoutorotherisecirculatedin any form of binding orcoverotherthan that in which it is published and without asimilarconditionincludingthisconditionbeingimposedonthesubequent purchaser. A copy of theBritishLibrmy CataloguinginPublication data isavailable from theBritish Library. ISBNI901983 897 DISTRrBUll0N: Worldwide (exLeptUSA):Central Books Lt,99 Wallis Rd,LondonE95LN. Tel +44 (0)208986 4854Fax +4 (0)208533 5821. E-mail: orders@Centralbooks.com USA:BHBInternational, Inc.,302WestNorth2ndStreet,Seneca,SC29678, USA. For aJl other enquiries (including a full list of all Gambitchess titles) please contact the publishers, Gambit PublicationsLtd,PO.Box326,London WI4 OJN. E-mail: info@gambilboob.com Or visit theGAMBIT web siteat http://www.gambitbooks.com Edited byGraham Burgess Typeset by Petra Nunn Printed in Great Britain by TheCromwell Press,Trowbridge,Wilts. 1098765432I Gambit Pblication Lt Managing Director: GM Murray Chandler Chess Director: GM JohnNunn Editorial Director: F Graham Burgess GennanEditor:WPMPetraNunn Contents Symbols4 Introduction5 ITheKeystoSuccessfulOpening Play8 2Variety- theSpiceof Life?20 3Stylistics29 4MainRoadsorSide-Streets?46 5Move-Ordersand Transpositions57 6Useand AbuseofComputers73 7Universalities84 8InfidelityandDivorce104 9SomePlayers'RepertoiresAnalysed118 Indexof Players142 Index ofOpenings144 Symbols +checkWehtworldteam champi(lnhip ++double checkEchEuropeanchampionship #checkmateEchtEuropean team championship !brilliant moveEeeEuropean Clubs Cup good moveCtcandidates event ! ?interesting moveIZinterLonalevent '!!dubious moveZzona] event hadmoveOLolympiad ??blunderJtjunior event +- Whiteis winningWOIllwomen's event White is muchbettertpdrapidplaygame tWhiteis slightlybetterItteam tourament equal positionCOI.correspondence game lBlack is slightly better\-0the game ends in a win for White +Blackis much betterli_Iithe game ends in a dr.IW -+Black is winning0-Ithe game ends ina win for Black Chchampionship In) nth match game Chiteamchampionship (D) > next diagram Webworldchampionship Introduction Openings:Can't Live with 'em,Can't livewithout'em Openings are an areaofthe gamewith which mostchess-playershavea lovehate relationship+ Ontheone band, almostallseriouschess-playerslakea greatinterestintheopeningphaseof Inegame.Wespend avery largeproportionofourchesssludytime11npenings. and an equally large proportionofour chessbookmoncy goeson openingbooks.Althoughmanyofus wouldclaimthatweregretthelarge role played by openingtheory inmodL chess,thehardfacts tendtogive thelietothis.'nlCfailureofFichcrrandomchesstoattractmuchinterest rml the great IllaJorityof usattests t the fact that, whateverwe might like to tellourselves,mostofushavelittle realdesire to escape from the vast edirice that ismodemopeningtheory. However,ontheother hand,weare almostallsurethatopeningsareto Illameforthemajorityofour defeats, .Ititthatwewouldbemuchstronger liI,lyers"jfonlyIknewmyopenings properly".Justthinkofallthetimes V!Jl1 have heard team-mates and friends ,ompiaining after losing agame. How "lienhave you heard them say "Well, I losthecauseImisplayedtherook ending"or"If onlyIcouldplayfixed pawn-structures I)Her", or something similar? If your team-mates and friends areanythinglikemine,theanswer willbe"Hardlyever".Instead,what OTle hears in the great majority of cases issomethinglike "He knewthe opening beter than me", or "It's that opening.I'llhavetogiveitup;Ialways lose with iL". Thetruthofthemattcristhatthe great majority of players below master level spenda disproportionate amount oftheirchesstimeonopenings,yet achievevery littleinthewayofconcretebenefits.TherearV anumberof rcason!forthis- changingopenings toooften,over-concentrationonrote learingofvariations,atteexpense ofundcr>landingthepositions_ too greatawillingnesstotru{authority rather than using their own judgement, etc.Ahoveall,toofew players understand how to study openings, and how toformanopeningrepertoire.The negativeresultsofthisextendtothe wholeofone'sgame.Becausewe spend ` much timeonopenings,we neglect other areas ofthe game. [n addition,whenweloseagame,wefrequenllyblametheopening,decideto learn something else, and so spend yet moretimeonopenings,obliviousto thefactthat tereal reasonwelost the 6How TO BUlWYOURCHESSOPENINGREPERTOIRE game inquestion was bcause wemisplayedthe ending! The aim oflhis book is to try 10 help readersrectifythissorrystateofaffairs,byensuringthattheiropening studiesareconductedefcientlyand effectively. With properly-directed efforts,it inot odifficult to have a reliableandeffectiveopeningrepertoire, in much less time than most of u habitually spend on openings. Of course, having such a repertoire is not going to stop us losing games, nor will it ensure thatwenever emerge fromtheopeningwithabadposition.However,it will reduce the number of times these thingshappen. and it should also help ustofocusour attentiononthereal cause of o defeats, which in practice israrelytheopening.Onethingthe bookdoesnotattempttodoisto recommend anyspccifc opening repertoireper se,stilllessonethat guaranteesyouawininunder20moves against any defencethere are plenty ofotherauthorsouttherewhooffer such miracle cures,if that iswhat you are seeking. Instead,what I have tried to do is to help you decide for yourself whichopenings to play,butinsodoing.Ihavediscusseda large number ofspecifcopeningsystems,andmy opinionsonthesewillbeapparent from the text. You may legitimately be wondering whatqualifiemetogiveadviceon suchasubject.Iwouldfreelyadmit that for much of my chess career, I had noideaatallhowtoapproachthe problemofopenings.UpuntilVVby whichtimeIwasinmy30sand nttedabout2250,Ihadanextremely weak opening repertoire. In fact, I had almost norepertoireatall.becauseI choppedandchangedopeningsvirtuallyonamonthlybasis.'hatIdid have was a very good all-round knowledgeof lotsofopenings,chieflyhecauseIhappentobeblessedwithan excellent memory. However, there was nosingle opening whichI had played morethanahandfuloftimes.orof which[ couldclaimtohaveany real understanding.And,inevitahly,every timeI lost a game,Iput il down to the opening,madeamentalnotenotto play that line again. and consigned my scoresheet tothe dustbin. Myfirststepsonthe pathtorighteousnesscamewhenI startedliving and working in Moscowin late192, and wasexposedforthetirstlime i n my life t an expriencedchess tainer I stillrecallmyembarra