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Encyclopaedia Of Chess Openings
The ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' (''ECO'') is a reference work describing the state of Chess theory#Opening theory, opening theory in chess, originally published in five volumes from 1974 to 1979 by the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavian company Šahovski Informator (Chess Informant). It is currently undergoing its fifth edition. ''ECO'' may also refer to the opening classification system used by the encyclopedia. Overview Both ''ECO'' and ''Chess Informant'' are published by the Belgrade-based company Chess Informant, Šahovski Informator. The moves are taken from thousands of master games and from published analysis in ''Informant'' and compiled by the editors, most of whom are Grandmaster (chess), grandmasters, who select the lines which they consider most relevant or critical. The chief editor since the first edition has been Aleksandar Matanović (1930-2023). The openings are provided in an chess opening theory table, ''ECO'' table that concisely p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dutch Defence
The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: : 1. d4 f5 Black's 1...f5 stakes a claim to the e4-square and envisions an attack in the middlegame on White's ; however, it also weakens Black's kingside to some extent, especially on the e8–h5 diagonal. Like its 1.e4 counterpart, the Sicilian Defence, the Dutch is an aggressive and unbalancing opening, resulting in the lowest percentage of draws among the most common replies to 1.d4. Historically, White has tried many methods to exploit the kingside weaknesses, such as the Staunton Gambit (2.e4) and Korchnoi Attack (2.h3 and 3.g4). The Dutch has never been a main line against 1.d4 and is rarely seen today in high-level competition, although a number of top players, including Alexander Alekhine, Bent Larsen, Paul Morphy, Miguel Najdorf, Simon Williams, and Hikaru Nakamura have used it with success. Its most notable use may have been in 1951, when both World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik and his challen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pirc Defence
The Pirc Defence ( ) is a chess opening characterised by the response of Black to 1.e4 with 1...d6 and 2...Nf6, followed by ...g6 and ...Bg7, while allowing White to establish a with pawns on d4 and e4. It is named after the Slovenian grandmaster Vasja Pirc. The Pirc Defence is usually defined by the opening sequence :1. e4 d6 :2. d4 Nf6 :3. Nc3 g6 This is the most commonly played line after Black responds to 1.e4 with 1...d6. It has been claimed to give rise to somewhat interesting and exciting games, where Black will have but has to be cautious about playing too passively. According to Garry Kasparov, the Pirc Defence is "hardly worth using in the tournaments of the highest category", as it gives White "too many opportunities for anybody's liking". Description The Pirc Defence, named after Slovenian grandmaster Vasja Pirc, is a relatively new opening; while it was seen on occasion in the late nineteenth century, it was considered irregular, thus remaining a side ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sicilian Defence
The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the following moves: :1. e4 c5 The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. The opening 1.d4 is a statistically more successful opening for White because of the high success rate of the Sicilian defence against 1.e4. '' New In Chess'' stated in its 2000 Yearbook that, of the games in its database, White scored 56.1% in 296,200 games beginning 1.d4, but 54.1% in 349,855 games beginning 1.e4, mainly because the Sicilian held White to a 52.3% score in 145,996 games. 17% of all games between grandmasters, and 25% of the games in the Chess Informant database, begin with the Sicilian. Grandmaster John Nunn attributes the Sicilian Defence's popularity to its "combative nature": "in many lines Black is playing not just for equality, but for the advantage. The drawback is that White often obtains an early initiative, so Black has to take care not to fall victim to a quick attack." Gra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Semi-Open Game
A Semi-Open Game is a chess opening in which White plays 1.e4 and Black breaks symmetry immediately by replying with a move other than 1...e5. Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 365. ''semi-open game''. The Semi-Open Games are also called Single King Pawn, Asymmetrical King Pawn, or Half-Open Games (or Openings), and are the complement of the Open Games or Double King Pawn Games which begin 1.e4 e5. Popular defenses The most popular Black defense to 1.e4 is the Sicilian, but the French and the Caro–Kann are also very popular. The Pirc and the Modern are also commonly seen, while the Alekhine and the Scandinavian have made occasional appearances in World Chess Championship games. The Nimzowitsch is playable but rare, as is Owen's Defense. The Borg Defense and the St. George Defense are oddities, although Tony Miles once used St. George's Defense to defeat then World Champion Anatoly Karpov. The Sicilian and French Defenses lead to unbalanced positions that can offer exciting ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irregular Chess Opening
In chess, an irregular opening is an opening considered unusual or unorthodox. In the early 19th century the term was used for any opening not beginning with 1.e4 e5 (the Open Game) or 1.d4 d5 (the Closed Game). As opening theory has developed and openings formerly considered "irregular" have become standard, the term has been used less frequently.Hooper & Whyld, ''The Oxford Companion to Chess'', Oxford University Press, 1996, p 182, "Irregular opening, in the early 19th century any opening that did not begin with 1.e4 e5 or 1.d4 d5. However, Jaenisch said, 'As this distinction is purely arbitrary, and unfounded on principle, we cannot ourselves adopt it. We distinguish all the openings as "correct", or else as "incorrect" or "hazardous".' Since then many so-called irregular openings have become standard play. These and many other openings have acquired names and the term irregular opening has gradually fallen into disuse." Because these openings are not popular with chess play ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richter–Veresov Attack
The Richter–Veresov Attack (or Veresov Opening) is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. Nc3 Nf6 :3. Bg5 It is also often reached by transposition, for example 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 (the most common move order), 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 3.Nc3, or 1.Nc3 Nf6 2.d4 d5 3.Bg5. The opening was named after the German International Master Kurt Richter and later the Soviet master Gavriil Veresov, who played it frequently for over a quarter of a century. Along with the Trompowsky Attack, Colle System, London System, and Torre Attack, the Richter–Veresov Attack is one of the more common branches of the Queen's Pawn Game. The Richter–Veresov Attack looks like the more popular Ruy Lopez opening mirrored on the queenside, but the dynamics of play are quite different. The ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' code for the Richter–Veresov Attack is D01. Incremental development The opening dates back as far as the game Marshall–Wolf, Monte Carlo 1902. How ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Torre Attack
The Torre Attack is a chess opening characterized by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. Nf3 e6 :3. Bg5 ('' ECO'' code A46) or the Tartakower Variation in the Queen's Pawn Game (''ECO'' code D03): :2... d5 :3. Bg5 or the Torre Attack in the East Indian Defence (''ECO'' code A48): :2... g6 :3. Bg5 or the Torre Attack in the Indian Defence (''ECO'' code A47): :2... b6 :3. Bg5 Description A common position for White's opening attack on Black's will be with the light-squared bishop at d3 and the dark-squared bishop at g5, and the knights at d2 and f3: White pursues quick and harmonious development, will bolster his d4-pawn by c2–c3, then often enforces e2–e4 to obtain attacking chances on the kingside as the pins the f6-knight. If White plays an early c4, the opening will transpose to a number of more common queen pawn openings, such as the Queen's Gambit or one of the various Indian defences. The opening is named after the Mexican grandmaster Carlos Torre Repetto, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trompowsky Attack
The Trompowsky Attack is a chess opening that begins with the moves: : 1. d4 Nf6 : 2. Bg5 White prepares to exchange the bishop for Black's knight, inflicting doubled pawns upon Black in the process. This is not a lethal threat; Black can choose to fall in with White's plan. The Trompowsky is a popular alternative to the more common lines after 1.d4 Nf6 beginning 2.c4 or 2.Nf3. By playing 2.Bg5, White sidesteps immense bodies of opening theory of various Indian Defences like the Queen's Indian, King's Indian, Nimzo-Indian, as well as the Grünfeld Defence. The opening is named after the one-time Brazilian champion Octávio Trompowsky (1897–1984) who played it in the 1930s and 1940s.Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 430, Trompowsky Opening Chess master Karel Opočenský (1892–1975) also played it in the 1930s, and the opening is also known as the Opočenský Opening.Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 281, Opočenský Opening Also, chess master William Allen Ruth developed the ope ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Defence
In the game of chess, Indian Defence or Indian Game is a broad term for a group of chess opening, openings characterised by the moves: : 1. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. d4, d4 b:Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...Nf6, Nf6 They are all to varying degrees hypermodernism (chess), hypermodern defences, where Black invites White to establish an imposing presence in the with the plan of undermining and ultimately destroying it. Although the Indian defences were championed in the 1920s by players in the hypermodern school, they were not fully accepted until Russian players showed in the late 1940s that these systems are sound for Black. Since then, the Indian defences have become a popular way for Black to respond to 1.d4 because they often offer a balanced game with winning chances for both sides. transposition (chess), Transpositions are important and many variations can be reached by several move orders. It is also possible to transpose back into classical openings such as the Queen's Gambit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bird's Opening
Bird's Opening (or the Dutch Attack) is a chess opening characterised by the move: : 1. f4 Named after 19th century English player Henry Bird, Bird's opening is a standard flank opening. White's strategic ideas involve control of the e5-square, offering good attacking chances at the expense of slightly weakening their own . Black may challenge White's plan to control e5 immediately by playing From's Gambit (1...e5); however, the From Gambit is notoriously double-edged and should only be played after significant study. The ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' assigns two codes for Bird's Opening: A02 (1.f4) and A03 (1.f4 d5). History The opening was mentioned by Luis Ramírez de Lucena in his book ''Repetición de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez con Cien Juegos de Partido'', published c. 1497. In the mid-nineteenth century the opening was sometimes played by La Bourdonnais and Elijah Williams, among others. The British master Henry Edward Bird first played it in 1855 and continu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |