Review of Pete Tamburro's "Openings for Amateurs"

Pete Tamburro's Openings for Amateurs (Mongoose 2014) lives up to its billing as an excellent introduction to the openings for scholastic and club players.  They just don't write books like this anymore -- ones that give good general advice on the openings and explore a variety of lines for advanced beginners and amateurs to play and learn from, with discussion they can quickly grasp and use.  In fact, this book fills a void in the contemporary chess literature last served by classics like Larry Evans and company's How to Open a Chess Game (1975) and I. A. Horowitz's How to Win in the Chess Openings (circa 1950s) -- both still in print (!) and both still in English descriptive notation (!) which tells you how few books have been published to take their place.  To be fair, there are some other contemporary books in this category, such as Sam Collins's Understanding the Chess Openings, which covers opening principles and surveys all of the major openings; but Collins's book, while useful, is more of a map than a guide. Pete Tamburro, meanwhile, wants to be your guide, and I can think of no better guide for amateurs than the man who invented "Openings for Amateurs" with his articles, videos, and online discussion forum.

The book is divided into two halves: "The Primer: Mistakes in the Opening Most Often Made by Amateurs, and Other Worries" (comprised of general opening advice with illustrative games and examples) and "Openings for Amateurs" (comprised of an opening repertoire with illustrative games and analysis).  The first half will mostly appeal to players rated between 1100-1900 (from advanced beginners to club players), while the second half has a lot to offer any players looking to expand their repertoires.  But even stronger players would do well not to skip the Primer, since it is chock full of useful "bonus" lines and repertoire analysis, so that the two halves really form a coherent whole in the end.  The material to illustrate principles in the Primer is usually drawn from basic or less important lines that are part of the repertoire -- such as ideas for meeting the King's Gambit, Danish, Halasz Center Gambit, and Vienna Gambit (part of an Open Games repertoire for Black), or the Grob and Orangutan (which you are bound to meet at some point). There is also a nice section titled "When Facing Some of the 'Pre-Planned' Openings, Don't Be Afraid to Have Your Own Plan Ready to Go," which offers a coherent repertoire for counter-attacking the Colle, Barry, and Zuke. Tamburro fills the Primer with interesting bonus material like this, also discussing some openings that don't make it into the repertoire such as the Barry Attack and Colle for White (not a bad 1.d4 repertoire) and C.J.S. Purdy's "All-Purpose Defense" for Black with ...e6, ...d5, and ...c5, leading to a French or Tarrasch Defense depending on White's choices.  

Most players will find the "Openings for Amateurs" repertoire portion of the book to be its main attraction.  As a player who has always played "amateur" lines, I liked Tamburro's opening choices a lot and was surprised at how many were already part of my repertoire or had been in the past.  Then it slowly dawned on me that I have known Tamburro's work for well over a decade, so he has already had his influence on me!

Tamburro recommends a repertoire built around 1.e4 for White.  For Black against 1.e4 he suggests either 1...e5 (heading toward sharp Open Games) or 1...c5 (heading toward the Sicilian Dragon).  And for Black against 1.d4 he recommends either 1...Nf6 (heading toward the Nimzo-Indian or Bogo-Indian) or 1...f5 (heading toward the Stonewall Dutch).  Along the way, he also discusses the Reversed Dragon line of the English, which can be used for White or Black.  Typically, each chapter here will discuss a number of interesting options before focusing on the repertoire line, so there is plenty of bonus material here as well.  

The principles that Tamburro uses in choosing an opening include that it: does not require a lot of memorization, follows general principles, makes you feel comfortable, makes your opponent uncomfortable, and is an opening "you can grow with" (meaning it doesn't allow a known equalizing line or have a known refutation that your stronger opponents are sure to know).  For the remainder of this review, I'd like to take a closer look at this repertoire, which seems very well chosen for its intended reader:

Sicilian Defense, Chekhover/Rossolimo, Closed and Alapin (1.e4 c5)
Tamburro starts in the right place, as the Sicilian is the line you are most likely to face if you open with 1.e4.  To help combat this important defense, he discusses three alternatives which will appeal to a variety of styles.  After all, one of his key principles is that you need to choose openings that you feel comfortable playing.

I especially like the lines with Bb5 for White.  Tamburro recommends 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3, meeting 2...d6 with 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 and 2...Nc6 with 3.Bb5 or an Alapin-like 3.c3 (covered later).  He also discusses possible transposition to Alapin-like lines if Black chooses 2...e6.   Sample games here include Tal–R. Byrne, Biel Interzonal 1976; J. Polgár–Shirov, Las Palmas 1994; Vojtek–Debnar, Slovak Team Chp. 1997; Firat–Reshetnikov, Moscow 2013; Rossolimo -  Müller, Bad Gastein 1948; Rossolimo - Kottnauer, Bad Gastein 1948; and Rossolimo - Romanenko, Salzburg 1948.  The coverage of the Chekhover is first-rate and includes material I wish I had seen before writing my own "Notes on the Chekhover Sicilian (B53)."  

The closed line with 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 followed by 3.g3 is another good option for players seeking to limit their theory.  Sample games here include Smyslov–Denker, USA-USSR Radio Match 1946 and Spassky–Geller, Candidates’ Match (6) 1968.  Though I usually play the Grand Prix Attack myself (another amateur favorite), I have also tried the Closed with g3, especially as a way of addressing the move order 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6!? when White's light-squared Bishop will probably be most comfortable fianchettoed.  I learned a lot about this line from analyzing Capablanca - Zhenevsky, Moscow 1925, which demonstrates the strategic depth of the opening for both players, and from IM Attila Turzo's excellent video The Basic Principles of the Closed Sicilian for White (ChessLecture) which covers some of the same territory that Tamburro does.  

Finally, the c3 Sicilian is a completely different animal but also a good system for amateurs, some of whom might also want to experiment with the Smith-Morra (which is definitely not a line that Tamburro recommends, let me be clear!)  Samples games include Alekhine–Podgorny, Prague 1943 and Sveshnikov–Bonsch, Cienfuegos 1979.  All-in-all, a great set of options for meeting the Sicilian, and definitely all lines you can "grow with."

French, Tarrasch Variation (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2)
This is a good approach to the French and fits well with other recommendations, especially the c3 Sicilian (which Tamburro shows can reach similar positions).   Illustrative games include Rublevsky–Dyachkov, Russia Club Cup 1998; Karpov–Kuzmin, Leningrad Interzonal 1973; and Tiviakov–Zhang Pengxiang, Olympiad 2006. 

Caro-Kann, Fantasy Variation (with 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3!?)
Probably one of Tamburro's most surprising recommendations is the Fantasy Variation, which has been an interest of mine (see my bibliography on the Fantasy Variation of the Caro-Kann, for instance) and a line that I definitely plan to return to after reading this chapter! I would recommend the recent book Extreme Caro-Kann by Alexey Bezgodov for serious students. Sample games here include Tatai - Mariotti, Reggio Emilia 1967-68; Smyslov - Gereben, Moscow vs Budapest 1949; and Robson–Shankland, U.S. Junior Ch. 2010 (where Tamburro has some improvements on White's play).  Interestingly, in his excellent earlier book Learn Chess from the Greats, Tamburro gave a "?!" mark in his annotations to White's third move.  Clearly he has had a change of heart over the years!

Austrian Pirc (1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4)
I have been one of many players inspired by Tamburro's "Openings for Amateurs" lectures at ICC/ChessFM, where he presented on the line 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.e5 dxe5 6.dxe5!? exchanging Queens to achieve a favorable ending.  I wrote about this line in the article "The Simplified Pirc."  It's definitely a solid system that will teach you a lot about chess and score you many points.  And if Black does not exchange pawns in the center, he will be under quite a bit of pressure. Sample games include Bronstein–Benko, Monte Carlo 1969 and Z. Polgár–Shchekachev, Vienna 1991.  

Canal Variation of the Alekhine's Defense (1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Bc4)
I have from time to time experimented with a "Mad Dog" opening repertoire built around 1.e4 with an early Bc4 for White against most everything Black can play, and it naturally features the Canal Variation against the Alekhine with 4.Bc4 (though I have also experimented with the gambit line of the Chase Variation with 3.c4 Nb6 4.c5 Nd5 5.Bc4!? as well).  I agree with Tamburro's view that Canal's approach is underestimated by theory and I was glad to see him discuss it.  Sample games include Canal–Pérez, Madrid 1951, and Sax–D. Burić, 2002.

Scandinavian (1.e4 d5 2.exd5)
I like Tamburro's repertoire against the Scandinavian, especially 2...Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.d3!? which I play also, ever since I saw Andrew Martin mention that it might be White's "most dangerous" option.  Tamburro also covers some of my favorite attacking lines, including the sharp 2...Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nf3 Ng4 6.c5! N6d7 7.Bc4, which is another one of those "Mad Dog" lines where the Bishop aims at f7.  Sample games include Houska–Keitlinghaus, Bundesliga 2003/04; Losev–Orlinkov, Moscow 2010; R. Byrne–Rogoff, U.S. Chp. 1978; and Lisetskaya–Everitt, ICCF 2011.

Spanish Four Knights (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bb5)
About eight years ago I visited Fred Wilson at his book shop in New York City, where he completely sold me on the Spanish Four Knights by calling it a "real man's" opening -- because it leads to hand-to-hand combat and has been played by some of the toughest players in chess history.  Following Wilson's recommendations, I played and analyzed it quite a bit (see my bibliography and articles one, two and three on the line in what should have been a much longer series).  On the only occasion that I visited Pete Tamburro at his home, we discussed our mutual interest in the Four Knights and he photocopied some fascinating historical analysis for me from the January 1922 issue of British Chess Magazine (which he also discusses at length in his book).  The article he copied recommended meeting Rubinstein's  4...Nd4 with the simple 5.O-O! -- the same line I had learned from Wilson and discussed in my first article.  Sample games in this chapter include Capablanca–H. Steiner, Los Angeles 1933; Maróczy–F. Treybal, Prague 1908; and Perlis–Freymann, St. Petersburg 1909.  Besides those books mentioned in my bibliography, there are also the more recent The Four Knights Game by Andrey Obodchuk and The Four Knights: Move by Move by Cyrus Lakdawala -- the latter of which also discusses the next line via Glek's move order.

Paulsen Vienna with g3 (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3)
This line has been a favorite of mine, as I discuss in my Glek Four Knights and Paulsen Vienna Bibliography.  It really fits the bill for an opening that you can play on general principles without a lot of memorization.  Sample games from the book include Motwani–B. Jónsson, Iceland 1992 and Bisguier–Snow, U.S. Amateur Team East 2013.

Open Games as Black (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6)
I have always been attracted to the open games for both White and Black, and there are many good opening manuals to support that choice (John Emms's Play the Open Games as Black is still a favorite of mine). I'm glad that Tamburro does not shy away from this approach, as it has always struck me as the most principled defense for Black and the one most likely to lead to fun and interesting games for amateurs.  Tamburro recommends the Fritz Variation of the Two Knights Defense against the Italian and main lines against the Scotch.  Sample games here include Sachs - Friedman, Cleveland 1948; Spielmann–Eliskases, Match 1936; Showalter–Gossip, New York 1889; and Smeets–M. Adams, Staunton Memorial 2008.  In the last chapter of the book, Tamburro discusses the Ruy Lopez as White and Black, recommending the Marshall Gambit for serious students, but also discussing the fun to be had with the Schliemann (3...f5).  For those interested, I had a couple of articles on GM Josh Friedel's use of the Fritz-Ulvestad Defense (see first and second) and a webliography and commentary on the Two Knights for Black.  I also have an interesting piece on the Anti-Modern 5...Ng4.

Sicilian Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6)
For those who are not up to playing the open games as Black, Tamburro recommends the Sicilian Dragon, which was my own first line (picked up from the classic How to Think Ahead in Chess by Fred Reinfeld and I.A. Horowitz).  As Tamburro notes, you don't have to do a lot of deep opening study to get started with this line at the amateur level, but as you climb up the ratings ladder you will have to hit the books -- or at least check out my webliography.  Tamburro's sample games include Vasiukov–Parma, Rijeka 1963; M. Burrows–Felgaer, Gibraltar Masters 2013; and Rauzer–Botvinnik, USSR Ch. 1933.

English, Reversed Dragon (1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2)
Some years ago we had a "Reversed Dragon" theme tournament at the Kenilworth Chess Club, in which I really enjoyed participating.  It definitely convinced me that this is a great line for amateurs, as Tamburro had already discussed in one of his ICC/Chess FM lectures. Here he outlines a repertoire that follows the games of former World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik: Botvinnik–Lundin, Stockholm 1962; Botvinnik–Portisch, Monte Carlo 1968; Botvinnik–Söderborg, Stockholm 1962; and Benko–Botvinnik, Monte Carlo 1968.  I think a player who adopted this and the Sicilian Dragon as Black would have an interesting lifetime system.  

Nimzo- and Bogo-Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4)
Tamburro makes a great case for the Hübner Variation but also covers a wide range of methods of handling this solid defense.  The Hübner was nicely discussed recently by Jeremy Silman in his series "Riding the Winds of Fashion, Part One" and "Part Two" at Chess.com, which should definitely convince you that this is an opening you will learn a lot from playing.  Sample games from Tamburro's book include Pinter–Timman, Las Palmas Interzonal 1982; Spassky–Fischer, World Championship 1972; González–Perrine, corr. 1943; Abramavicius–Ribera, Hamburg 1930; and Colle - Capablanca, Karlsbad 1929.

Dutch Stonewall (1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 c6 6.O-O Bd6)
I had noticed that Tamburro was playing the Dutch Stonewall in recent years, and his interest in the line may have been part of what led me to experiment with it myself. I put together an article on The Stonewall in Black and White, which has been a favorite of readers ever since (probably my most popular article ever to judge from the stats).  And the Stonewall definitely has much to recommend it, not least because of its well deserved reputation for leading to super-solid positions.  Sample games include Flohr - Botvinnik, Match (10) 1933; Marshall–Chigorin, Ostend 1905; Gurevich - Illescas, Sanxenxo 2004; Kasparov - Illescas, Dos Hermanas 1996; Turner–Agdestein, Tromsø 2008; and Lenic - Kuzubov, World Youth 2005.

Ruy Lopez (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5) Tamburro ends with "A Plea for the Ruy Lopez" as a great line for lifelong learning.  But that one fell on deaf ears: like most amateurs, I will do anything to avoid the Spanish Torture, even by "flipping the Bird" at the Lopez Bishop with 3...Nd4!?  But this might be the best chapter in the book for those willing to listen.

Overall, this is a great book with much to recommend it.  Download an excerpt from the Mongoose website for more details.

The Bird Defense (C61) of 40 Years Ago

I have been reading 40 Years of Friendship, 100 Games of Chess by Wayne Conover, Steve Pozarek, and Eugene Salomon (Smashwords eBook 2014), which I picked up mostly out of nostalgia for New Jersey chess: I knew all three players when I was a young member of the Westfield Chess Club from 1979-1984.  I also correctly predicted the book would contain some of former New Jersey champion Pozarek's games with the Bird Defense from the 1970s, which I have used to analyze the classic Bird line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.O-O c6 6.Bc4 Nf6 -- last popular about 40 years ago, but perhaps due for a revival.  It was Pozarek who introduced me to the Bird Defense in a series of articles on this specific variation.  That series began in the Westfield Chess Club Newsletter of March 1980 (edited by UNIX inventor Ken Thompson), in the same number that featured Wayne Conover's annotated victory over an IM and the crosstable of a 5-minute tournament where Gene Salomon finished second behind future IM Mike Valvo -- and a 14-year-old unrated kid named Mike Goeller finished in the middle of the strong field.  

In retrospect, I think it was also Pozarek who introduced me to the idea that amateurs can make useful contributions to chess theory.  I am a collector of amateur chess memoirs and game collections like this one, and I find that I have often discussed in this blog the important contributions they offer to theory: Sidney Bernstein's Combat: My 50 years at the Chessboard shows ways of playing a New York approach to 1...Nc6 and ...h5 in the Dragon (among numerous other interesting ideas); Dr. Philip Corbin's Calypso Chess features games with the Smith-Morra Gambit and the Elephant Gambit; Asa Hoffmann's Chess Gladiator offers a game with Janowski's Brother Indian (among many other original opening ideas); Ariel Mengarini's Predicament in Two Dimensions: The Thinking of a Chessplayer illustrates the Albin Counter Gambit with Nge7; and Billy Colias's posthumous Midwest Master offers insight into the Grand Prix Attack for Black and White.  The spirit of chess amateurism is alive and well, and the present volume does not hesitate to offer up some opening novelties and insights of its own.

In the middle section of the book, Conover, Pozarek, and Salomon offer contributions to theory in the Leningrad Dutch, the Caro Kann Defense, the Averbakh Variation of the King's Indian, and the Alekhine Defense.  Though there should be fewer games and a little more theory in this part, it is still more than most readers would expect to find.  This part of the book is made up mostly of games from Conover and Salomon, who studied together and played many of the same openings, but Pozarek tries his best with the Alekhine (using mostly his co-authors' games).  Too bad he didn't think to write about the Bird.  I would have liked to see more off-beat openings like that one.  After all, amateurs tend to experiment more than the pros.

Steve Goldberg's "Stories from Grandpa" at ChessCafe offers two useful critiques of the book.  I especially agree with his complaint about the number of diagrams, considering that, as an e-book, it would not have cost anything to add more.  I also agree with the implicit criticism in Goldberg's title, because the memoir part of the book seems less written for a general reader than, as Pozarek explicitly tell us, "first and foremost" for "families and friends."  However, there are definitely some very good games in these pages against a lot of quality opposition, including a whos-who of Northeast chess history: Pal Benko, Joel Benjamin, John Fedorowicz, Arnold Denker, William Lombardy, Steve Stoyko, Leroy Dubeck, Scott Massey, Mike Valvo, Orest Popovych, and Edgar McCormick. It even has some simultaneous games against such one-name luminaries as Korchnoi, Petrosian and Alekhine(!)  And practically none of these games will be found in the databases.  In fact, if it were not for this book, all of these games would vanish and remain unknown, like so many great master games.  

As with all amateur volumes, written as a "labor of love," it has something to offer those willing to take the time to look.  The following diagrams highlight some of the better moments enjoyed by these three players:

(1) Conover - Rozier
White to play and win.

(2) Zweibel - Pozarek (see game)
Black to play and win.

(3) Salomon - Watson
White to play and win.

Solutions: (1) 46.Nf5! (forcing mate in 9 moves or fewer); (2) 14....Bxf2+!; and (3) 61.Rc4!! (the only way to win)

"The Dark Knight System" Review

FM James Schuyler's The Dark Knight System: A Repertoire with 1....Nc6 (get the e-book at Everyman Chess) has been my constant companion for the past month or so and is definitely among my favorite opening books of recent years.  Schuyler presents a "New York approach to 1...Nc6," striving always for dark square pressure with a quick ...e5 or, if that is prevented, playing for a Pirc set-up with ...g6 and ...Bg7.  There is much to admire in his repertoire and I recommend it to anyone looking for an off-beat and easy to learn system as Black that is sure to befuddle your opponents while guaranteeing that you are always in the game even against the most prepared.  Schuyler's system is ultimately very solid and very coherent, with many innovative ideas that are clearly the product of his own analysis.   

I have already discussed Schuyler's extremely logical "dark square" system against the Scotch Gambit with 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.Nf3 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.e5 Ng4! in my article on "The Two Knights Anti-Modern," and I would suggest the book is worth having for his repertoire against the Scotch and Scotch Gambits alone as the specific lines he recommends have not been well analyzed in the literature.  For today, I have taken a close look at what I call "The Dark Knight's Zugzwang" which arises after 1.d4 Nc6 2.d5 Ne5 (Schuyler indirectly makes a good case for 2...Nb8!?) 3.e4 e6 (3...d6!? is a safer and more "dark-square focused" approach, as I discuss) 4.dxe6 fxe6 (4...dxe6 might eventually equalize but is hardly the type of thing you want to play) 5.Nc3!  (see diagram below).  

At this point Black has to be careful, and one book on these lines suggests that Black is almost in zugzwang because so many logical moves practically lose, including 5...Bc5?? 6.Qh5+ handing White a piece and 5...Bb4?! 6.Qd4! forking over the two Bishops and a big positional edge due to pressure on c7 and g7 after 6....Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3.  Schuyler recommends 5...b6 6.Nf3 Nf7, which is logical enough, but I am not a big fan of this so I explore several alternatives in my notes that actually seem a little more in keeping with his recommended "dark square" approach.  Overall, I think there are several good ways for Black to play, which is very encouraging since I had always thought that this position was probably the most critical for Black after 1.d4 Nc6.

The contents of the book are as follows:

• Introduction 
• Weak Colour Complex (ideas behind the "dark square" system)
• Section One: 1 d4 Nc6 (unusual second moves for White) 
• Ch. 1 - 2.Nf3 d6
• Ch. 2 - 2.c4 e5 3.d5 Bb4+!?
• Ch. 3 - 2.d5 Ne5
• Section Two: 1 e4 Nc6 
• Ch. 4 - 2.d4 e5
• Ch. 5 - 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 g6
• Ch. 6 - 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.d4 d6
• Section Three: Others
• Ch. 7 - 1.c4 Nc6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 (3.g3 f5) 3...f5
• Ch.  8 - 1.Nf3 Nc6
• Ch. 9 - Others 
• Ch. 10 - Miscellaneous Topics
• Illustrative Games (pages 134-212)
• Indexes 

The overall concept of the system that Schuyler recommends is quite easy to grasp.  In general, if White allows it, Black should play a quick 2...e5, as after 1.d4 Nc6 2.c4 e5 or 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5.  And if White discourages Black from playing 2...e5 with 2.Nf3 (as after 1.d4 Nc6 2.Nf3 or 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 when 2...e5 would simply transpose to the Open Games), then Black should generally seek to transpose to Pirc lines with 2...d6, ...Nf6, ...g6 and ...Bg7, encouraging White to play d5 and thus weaken his dark squares.  This approach has been tried by the tricky Jens Fries Nielsen, but it was pioneered by Frederick D. Yates, a strong British player from 1910-1931 -- see Janowski - Yates, Marienbad 1925 and Kmoch - Yates, Hastings 1927-1928 for example, but there are a number of other games worth exploring (especially Alekhine - Yates, Karlsbad 1923) and I hope to return to the subject of Yates's opening ideas in the King's Indian and Pirc at a future date. 

By incorporating this Pirc approach, Schuyler has really simplified his 1...Nc6 repertoire, and in a section titled "Reducing the Workload - The Dark Knight for Dummies," he offers that readers could even simplify the repertoire further by adopting 1.d4 Nc6 2.d5 Nb8!? and Mestrovic's favorite 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d6!? - both of which should generally transpose to the "Yates system." 

Among Schuyler's more interesting recommendations is  2.c4 e5 3.d5 Bb4+!? (see here for sample games) which has not been much played and is therefore easier to learn than the complex and increasingly well explored possibilities of the Black Knights Tango after 3...Ne7 etc. -- though in Schuyler's system Black still gets to play the best lines of the Tango via the move order 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.d5 Ne7 4.c4?! Ng6.

I am constantly impressed by Schuyler's solid choices that adhere to the "dark square" concept and by the very logical and interesting repertoire he presents.  Because of his preference for sharp play on the dark squares, Schuyler eschews the rather standard transpositions to the Chigorin as recommended in Keene and Jacobs's classic A Complete Defense for Black and Christoph Wisnewski's Play 1...Nc6! -- the latter of which doubly sins against the dark square approach by recommending 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 lines as well as the direct approach to the Chigorin via 1.d4 d5 2.c4 (or 2.Nf3) 2...Nc6, which is not even true to his title.  Meanwhile, books like T. Kapitaniak's Nimzovich Defence, Harald Keilhack and Rainer Schlenker's 1...Nc6 aus allen Lagen, and Igor Berdichevsky's 1...Nc6 Modern Practice (as well as his 2005 Convekta CD Modern Chess Openings 1...Nc6!?) are very useful for reference and for exploring alternatives, but increasingly dated and a bit too unfocused for today's busy chess player.  So while I think there are many interesting ways of playing the 1...Nc6 system, I also think Schuyler has done a very good job of presenting a repertoire that works and is easy to learn.  He has also provided a useful selection of sample games (which make up almost half of the book) so that you can get a feel for common middlegame positions.

Highly recommended.

The Two Knights Anti-Modern

I have posted analysis of a line I like to call "The Anti-Modern," which opens 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 Ng4!  Black's last move immediately puts pressure on White's advanced pawn on e5, making it difficult for him to both defend that pawn and to try to regain the pawn at d4. In this way, it is the perfect "dark square" system against the Modern.  The repertoire is inspired by James Schuyler's discussion of this line in his excellent book The Dark Knight System (where he reaches it via the move order 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.Nf3 exd4 4.Bc4 etc.), and I have mostly followed his suggestions. I have mainly played these positions from the White side, but I must say that I am more likely to play them from the Black side in the future!

This is the first in a series of articles that will examine lines discussed by Schuyler, whose excellent book ends up covering a lot of varied and interesting territory.  I will also post a full review of this book, which you can meanwhile learn more about from an excerpt and video from Everyman Chess.

Brief Review of Calypso Chess

I am a fan of amateur chess game collections.  Among my favorites have been Dr. Carl Hartlaub's Glanzpartien, Sidney Bernstein's Combat, and Billy Colias, Midwest Master.  As I suggested in "Chess Amateurism," the games of amateur players are often more fun to play over than the games of the very top players for amateurs, not only because they feature the types of openings (especially gambits) that the untitled masses enjoy, but also because they focus on attractive and comprehensible tactics rather than sometimes incomprehensibly deep strategy.  So I was naturally interested in Calypso Chess by Dr. Philip Corbin (FM) -- known as "the Caribbean Tal" -- and I was not disappointed by this wonderful book, which is an exemplary illustration of the chess amateur ideal. The title is meant to communicate an attitude toward chess that seeks "the eternal quest for ethereal beauty" and the book itself offers a reflection of how "chess should be played - not negatively, but for positive pleasure, so that works of art may be created which bring joy to others, calypso style!" (xi).  The games feature many of the openings that amateurs like myself enjoy, including the Stonewall Attack, Smith-Morra Gambit, Elephant Gambit (a Corbin specialty), Wing Gambit against the French, Budapest Gambit, Giuoco Piano, Max Lange Attack, and even the Urusov Gambit (though in this case I could find no examples of Corbin's opponents accepting it!)  But most importantly, the games -- including wins, losses, and draws -- are annotated by someone who clearly loves chess.

If time permits, I may annotate some of Corbin's more snappy wins in a future post, and his games have definitely gotten me interested in the Elephant Gambit or Queen's Pawn Counter-Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5!?) about which I am tempted to write some day.  For now, you can find several of Corbin's games annotated online at The Chess Drum (which has followed his exciting play for years):

• Short - Corbin, Barbados Simultaneous 2006 (Elephant Counter-gambit)
• Corbin - Asabri, Bled 2002 (Max Lange Attack)
• Corbin - Chubinsky, World Open 1985 (Alapin Sicilian)
• Corbin - Gebregziabher, Dresden 2008 (French Defense, Wing Gambit)

You can also find a large collection of his games at Corbin's "Packed Pearls" website.  On the chessboard displayed, choose a square or a pearl to select a set of games to view (including both casual and rated encounters):
http://packedpearls.com/partie.php

On his Facebook page, you can find a wide range of photos: Philip Corbin photos

Pick up Calypso Chess: The Entertaining Chess Games (1970-2010) of Dr. Philip Corbin, FIDE Master, Barbados.  You will not be disappointed.

Review of "Mayhem in the Morra" and a Smith-Morra Update

IM Marc Esserman's brilliant Mayhem in the Morra (Quality Chess 2012) arrived in the mail this weekend and has not been out of my hands very much since.  Not only is it chock full of interesting ideas and original games in the Smith-Morra Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3), but it is also a fun book to read!  In fact, I find it hard to remember the last opening book that was as entertaining to read as Mayhem in the Morra, which has an inspired and amusing style -- overflowing with personal anecdotes, quotes from James Bond and Austin Powers films, and incitements to romantic violence at the chessboard.  Esserman's Harvard education shows in the quality of his prose -- quite rare for a chess writer these days -- and combined with the spectacular games, it's like a one-two punch that leaves your head spinning and your brain giggling from shock and awe.

As its subtitle indicates ("Sicilian Refuted!  Morphy and the Romantics Run Wild!"), the book is essentially an argument for a romantic revival, using the Morra Gambit to demonstrate just how far you can carry the initiative from a gambit if you are brave enough to go "all in."  I did not need much convincing, as a life-long explorer of the Urusov Gambit, and I am sure I am not the only amateur who loves to find a fellow-traveller in gambit-land, especially a strong player willing to share his unpublished games and private analysis.  But even a gambit doubter will likely end up agreeing with Esserman's assessment that "White is fighting for the advantage in the Morra Gambit."  I have posted some notes on games and lines from the book that should help you to decide for yourself whether or not that is so.  

Ultimately, Mayhem in the Morra is a personal "labor of love" and a must-have for anyone who plays the Smith-Morra from either side.  Though the analysis often runs deep, the presentation is very straight-forward. 

Table of Contents

Foreword by Larry Christiansen 4
Foreword by Loek van Wely  5
Key to Symbols used 6
Preface by the Author 7
Introduction – The Much Maligned Morra 11
Morra Methodology 29
Morra Accepted
  Chapter 1 - Siberian Wilderness 31
  Chapter 2 - The Scheveningens I 57
  Chapter 3 - The Scheveningens II 77
  Chapter 4 - Into the Deep 97
  Chapter 5  - The King in the Windy City – the Chicago Defense 121
  Chapter 6 - Slaying the Dragon 139
  Chapter 7 - The Professional’s Choice – Nge7   155
  Chapter 8 - Early Bishop Out – Nge7 Reloaded? 183
  Chapter 9 - Taylor’s Temple of Doom 203
  Chapter 10 - Finegold’s Final Frontier 233
  Chapter 11 - Searching the Stars for a Refutation 245
Morra Declined  
  Chapter 12 - Potpourri 253  
  Chapter 13 - Crushing 3...d3 with the Morra-Maroczy: squeeze, squeeze, destroy! 271
  Chapter 14 - The Noxious 3...Nf6 283
Appendix – Supplemental Games 313
Endnotes 345
Works Cited 348
Game Index 350
Variation Index 353
Transpositions 359

Having heard Esserman lecture on the Morra, I knew a lot of what to expect from his book.  But there were still surprises, and I was glad to have all of his analysis laid out for me in detail.

The "Siberian Wilderness" of Chapter 1 shows "the trapper trapped" after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. O-O Nf6 when, instead of walking into trouble with 8.Qe2? Ng4! 9.h3?? Nd4! and Black wins, White turns the tables with 8.Nb5! Qb8 9.e5! with a blistering initiative as illustrated by several games, including Milman - Ehlvest, NY Masters 2003.   

"The Scheveningens" I and II of Chapters 2 and 3 feature a d6 and e6 set-up for Black, as illustrated in the games Esserman - Bartell, USCL 2009 and Hague - Plaskett, BCF-ch 2004.  Chapter 2 includes the Classical Main Line, which Esserman treats with 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.O-O Be7 8.Qe2 Nf6 9.Rd1 e5 10.Be3 and 11.Rac1, emphasizing development above all and concluding with at least a strong bind for the pawn.  

Chapter 4 goes "Into the Deep" with the line 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 e6 5.Nf3 a6 6.Bc4 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7 8.O-O b4 when White sacs with 9.Nd5! as shown in Esserman - Sarkar, Miami 2008 and another game analyzed in my notes.  

"The King in the Windy City" practically refutes the Chicago Defense and features the game Esserman - Martirosov, Harvard 2008, which is analyzed in my notes.  Though the lines are complicated, they all ultimately favor White.

"The Professional's Choice - Nge7" is handled well with the games Esserman - Shabalov, Foxwoods 2008; Esserman - Lian, USCL 2008; and Esserman - Van Wely, Orlando 2011 (among several others).  Meanwhile, in "Early Bishop Out - Nge7 Reloaded?" in Chapter 8, Esserman has to do some original analysis (discussed in my notes) to show that White holds the balance in the highly dynamic positions that follow 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Bb4 7. O-O Nge7 (see diagram).  

This may well be the critical position in all of the Smith-Morra.  GM Estafios Grivas, who recommends this line in NIC #88, thinks White can equalize with 8.Qe2; Esserman, however, chooses to explore instead the novel 8.Qc2!? which keeps more tension in the position and makes possible some interesting pressure along the b1-h7 diagonal. I am not sure that White does more than equalize here also, but Esserman's analysis suggests that the position contains some interesting long-term resources for the first player. 

"Taylor's Temple of Doom" in Chapter 9 explores some interesting White alternatives, including 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 a6 7.O-O Nf6 8.b4, with which Esserman beat me in a simul at our club (which, to my embarrassment, is among the games he annotates).  In the end, however, Esserman focuses on FM Ben Hague's 8.Bf4, which was recommended in the latest edition of Hannes Langrock's The Modern Morra Gambit and analyzed at length by Karsten Müller in Tim Harding's article "Has the Morra Gambit Been Revived?"  Esserman finds some additional resources here that make 8.Bf4 a very sharp weapon indeed, and you will start to wonder whether maybe Bf4 is as useful a move in most lines as Bc4.

"Finegold's Final Frontier" in Chapter 10 begins with the game Esserman - Finegold, ICC 2006, which I analyzed in "Smashing the Finegold Defense."  Esserman explores some alternatives to his Nd5 sacrifice, all of which look quite attractive for White and help to put the Finegold into question.

Finally, I am very impressed that Esserman also offers up his repertoire against the Smith-Morra Gambit Declined, which includes several original ideas worth exploring.  Quite a bonus, especially considering that very few books on the Morra cover the declined lines at all.

Mayhem in the Morra includes lots of new analysis, but what makes the book most interesting are Esserman's own games, many of which had remained unpublished or unknown, especially his numerous ICC blitz games using various handles (from Borba to wHySoSeRiOoOus).  The two diagrams below show interesting positions from two of his games, and you can find the "solutions" in my Notes on Marc Esserman's Mayhem in the Morra.

Esserman - Martirosov, Harvard 2008
White to play and win.

wHySoSeRiOoOus (Esserman) - Reti, ICC 2010
White to play and win.

Though you will sometimes see the Smith-Morra cropping up in blitz games between strong players -- as in the recent game Muzychuk - Gaprindashvili, Women's World Rapid Championship, Batumi, Georgia 2012 (which I annotate) -- there are not many players as strong as Esserman willing to use it against titled opponents.  The book reads practically like a who's-who of "Morra miniature" victims, and even the games where Esserman blunders painfully in winning positions are exciting to explore.

Muzychuk - Gaprindashvili, Batumi 2012
White to play and win.

As a collection of Morra games, the book also serves as a great tactics primer, with practically the same value as playing over a bunch of Mikhail Tal's games.  Surprisingly, only one game of Tal's featured the Smith-Morra. Esserman annotates it, of course.

Honestly, I think this book is a must-have for anyone who loves chess. 

Other articles on the Smith-Morra that have been posted on this blog include Smith-Morra Gambit Update, Smashing the Finegold Defense to the Smith-Morra, The Smith-Morra Gambit's Siren Call, and Smith-Morra Gambit Bibliography.  You might also check out the Smith-Morra Gambit Themed Simul at the Kenilworth Chess Club, three games from which feature in the book: against me (as mentioned), Ian Mangion, and Mark Kernighan.    Esserman is looking to do some more Smith-Morra themed simuls (see pictures of his recent one in Harvard Square) and I very much hope we can have him back at Kenilworth.  Stay tuned!

New Smith-Morra Links and Videos

B21 Smith-Morra Gambit [White]
A great games collection: White wins every game!

B21 Smith-Morra Gambit [Black]
A terrible game collection: Black wins every game!

The Morra (Smith) Gambit by Janos Flesch (PDF)