Chess Opening - Traps and Zaps - VOLUME 1 - Softcover

Pandolfini, Bruce

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0671656902 ISBN 13: 9780671656904

Publisher: Simon and Schuster, 1989

Synopsis

Fireside Chess Library
In the first completely instructional book ever written on chess openings, National Master Bruce Pandolfini teaches players how to take charge of the game's crucial opening phase.
Of the three traditional phases of chess play -- the opening, the middle-game and the endgame -- the opening is the phase average players confront most often. Unfortunately, though, many openings are not completed successfully, partly because until now most opening instruction has consisted of tables of tournament level moves that offer no explanations for the reasons behind them. Consequently, these classical opening patterns can serve as little more than references to the average player.
In Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps, Bruce Pandolfini uses his unique "crime and punishment" approach to provide all the previously missing explanation, instruction, practical analyses, and much, much more. The book consists of 202 short "openers" typical of average players, arranged according to the classical opening variations and by level of difficulty. Each example includes:
* the name of the overriding tactic
* the name of the opening
* a scenario that sets up the tactic to be learned
* an interpretation that explains why the loser went wrong, how he could have avoided the trap, and what he should have done instead
* a review of important principles and useful guidelines to reinforce each lesson.
Also included are a glossary of openings that lists all the classical "textbook" variations for comparison and reference and a tactical index. Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps is a powerful, pragmatic entry into a heretofore remote area of chess theory that will have a profound influence on every player's game.

About this title

About the Author

Bruce Pandolfini is the author of eight instructional chess books, including Bobby Fischer's Outrageous Chess Moves, Principles of the New Chess, Pandolfini's Endgame Course, Russian Chess, The ABC's of Chess, Let's Play Chess, Kasparov's Winning Chess Tactics, and One-Move Chess by the Champions. He is also editor of the distinguished anthologies, The Best of Chess Life, Volumes I and II. Perhaps the most experienced chess teacher in North America, and the Executive Director of the Manhattan Chess Club, Bruce Pandolfini lives in New York City.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 1

The Early d2-d4 Complex

Center Game

Danish Gambit

Goring Gambit

Scotch Gambit

Scotch Game

The openings of Chapter 1 are characterized by an early advance of White's d-pawn to d4, which pries open the center while also opening lines for rapid deployment of the pieces. For the developing student, this group of openings is an excellent training ground in tactics and active piece play.

In the Center Game (1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4) White contents himself with knocking out the e5-pawn, Black's foothold in the center. White then regains this pawn by capturing on d4 with his Queen. Such an early Queen move is theoretically a liability, and after 3....Nc6, White indeed must back the Queen out of the center, losing time. Despite this drawback, the Center Game offers White reasonably good chances, and Black must play energetically in midcourt to secure equality.

The Danish Gambit (1. e4 e5. 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2) is an entirely different kettle of fish. Here, White sacrifices two pawns to accelerate development. This is not a humble opening, and if White fails to generate sufficient attacking possibilities, he will will simply be two pawns down with no compensation. Black, lacking development, must defend carefully. Rather than clinging too greedily to his extra pawns, he should return one or both of them to mobilize his forces. Otherwise, White's attack becomes irresistible.

The Goring Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3) is closely related to the Danish Gambit, with the accent again on expeditious development. Here, White generally restricts himself to sacrificing only one pawn, thus minimizing much of the risk entailed in the Danish. Black, in theory, ought to be able to grab the pawn and endure White's attack. In practice, however, it's not so easy to keep White off his back.

The Scotch Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4) resembles the Goring Gambit, with the sacrifice of a single pawn for speedy development. Exactly what constitutes a Scotch Gambit is not so clear to the casual player. In practice, this opening almost always transposes into other openings: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Giuoco Piano, and even the Goring Gambit. It is often perceived as a transitional opening leading to a complex of related openings. One might play it to disguise one's true intentions.

The Scotch Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4) is White's attempt to enjoy the benefits of the Center Game without incurring its disadvantage: the premature exposure of White's Queen. With a pawn on e4 and a Knight on d4, White has the makings of a powerfully centralized game, and Black must conscientiously combine development and counterattack before White consolidates these assests into a concrete, permanent advantage. In theory, Black can pound away at squares e4 and d4, shaking White's grip on the center and ultimately achieving the freeing advance of his Queen-pawn from d7 to d5. This spirited thrust will allow Black to enter the middlegame on an even keel.

1

IN-BETWEEN MOVE

Center Game

1. e4 e5

2. d4 exd4

3. Qxd4 Nf6

4. Bg5 Be7

5. e5?

Scenario: White wants to attack the f6-Knight, but he overlooked 5....Nc6, assailing White's Queen and e-pawn. There are three safe squares for the Queen that also defend the pawn: c3, e3, and f4. If 6. Qc3, then 6....Bb4 pins White's Queen to its King. If 6. Qe3, then 6....Ng4 7. Qe4 (or 7. Bxe7 Qxe7 8. Qe4 Ngxe5) 7....Ngxe5 gains the e5-pawn. And if 6. Qf4, then 6....Nh5 7. Qf3 (or 7. Bxe7 Qxe7 wins the e-pawn next move) 7....Bxg5 8. Qxh5 Bc1 9.Nd2 Bxb2 10. Rb1 Bxe5 puts Black two pawns ahead.

Interpretation: White's second move, d2-d4, is designed to take control of the center, but the plan could backfire. White's Queen can be sucked into the central zone prematurely, after which it is subject to harassment from Black's developing army. Instead of the unprepared advance 5.e5, White should have brought out his b1-Knight, defending his e4-pawn. Afterward, he may be able to castle Queenside. Don't start attacking if you can't follow through with muscle. First build your game by rapid development. Then feast on your opponent's targets and weaknesses. Moreover, don't rely too much on the Queen. Before bringing it out, develop a couple of minor pieces.

2

PIN

Center Game

1. e4 e5

2. d4 exd4

3. Qxd4 Nc6

4. Qa4 Nf6

5. Nc3 d5

6. Bg5 dxe4

7. Nxe4 Qe7

8. 0-0-0 Qxe4

Scenario: Black's Queen seems protected by his f6-Knight, but not forever. White disrupts with 9. Rd8+!. Black's c6-Knight can't take White's Rook because it's pinned to Black's King by White's Queen. If 9....Kxd8 (or 9....Ke7 10. Qxe4+) 10. Qxe4, then Black's f6-Knight, now in a pin, cannot take the Queen back. Black says goodbye to his Queen.

Interpretation: If your King is still uncastled, avoid opening the center, giving your opponent some access to your fettered monarch. And at the very least, don't initiate risky captures that aid the enemy's attack. Black gauged that his Queen was adequately guarded by the f6-Knight after 8....Qxe4, but he neglected to consider what White's Rook check could do. Before inaugurating a combination or sequence of moves, try to evaluate the consequences of all your opponent's reasonable checks. They could force you to change your plans completely.

3

IN-BETWEEN MOVE

Center Game

1. e4 e5

2. d4 exd4

3. Qxd4 Nc6

4. Qe3 g6

5. Nc3 Bg7

6. Nd5 Nge7

7. Ne2 d6

8. Bd2 Bxb2

9. Bc3 Bxa1

Scenario: Black probably expects White to take his dark-square Bishop, which has grabbed White's Rook, but life isn't always tit for tat. Rather than capture on a1, White's rude Knight intercedes with a check, 10. Nf6+. After the obligatory 10....Kf8, White ends Black's torment with 11. Qh6 mate.

Interpretation: When you've flanked your King's Bishop, you probably can't exchange it away without incurring Kingside weaknesses. Especially vulnerable are the squares traveled by the Bishop -- for Black, the dark squares. The f6 and h6 squares are already weakened here by the g7-pawn's early advance. Once Black's dark-square Bishop also is shut out, those squares become indefensible. That's why it's prudent to think hard before exchanging the flanked King's Bishop, even if it wins a pawn. If you can get away with it, fine; but here, White actually wins by exploiting the undefended f6 with a Knight and also the abandoned h6 with his Queen. Be chary about early, impulsive pawn moves since they usually bring on enemy attack. As Marcus Aurelius put it, "What is not good for the swarm is not good for the bee."

4

MATING ATTACK

Center Game

1. e4 e5

2. d4 exd4

3. Qxd4 Nc6

4. Qe3 Bb4+

5. c3 Ba5

6. Bc4 Nge7

7. Qg3 0-0

8. h4 Ng6

Scenario: Black has castled into a furious assault. No prisoners are taken after 9. h5, driving away Black's Kingside shelter. If the g6Knight flees to e7, then 10. Bh6 capitalizes on a debilitating pin. So Black continues 9....Nge5, when 10. Bg5! pushes Black's Queen to a meaningless square, 10....Qe8, making it impossible for that piece to lend defense from f6. And here came more surprises, for 11. Bf6 g6 12. hxg6 Nxg6 is refuted by 13. Qxg6+! hxg6 14. Rh8 mate.

Interpretation: Black's troubles were manifold. Though tactically the early b4-Bishop check works out fine, it weakens Black's Kingside, especially the square g7. In the final position, White's dark-square Bishop runs roughshod over g7 and h8, made possible by Black's aloof dark-square Bishop placement. The King-Knight's defensive abilities are also not so good from square e7. It would have been more enterprising to develop this piece to f6. Black, too, castles into a powerful attack force spearheaded by the h-pawn. Moving it up, White introduces his h1-Rook with deadly effect. Near the end, White's c4-Bishop holds the key, for it pins Black's f7 pawn, preventing it from capturing on g6. It's amazing that Black lasts even fourteen moves.

5

FORK

Center Game

1. e4 e5

2. d4 exd4

3. Oxd4 Nc6

4. Qe3 Nf6

5. Bc4 Ne5

6. Bb3 Bb4+

7. c3 Bc5

8. Qg3?

Scenario: Black lays a trap, and White falls into it. White's Queen is history after 8....Bxf2+!, forking White's King and Queen. No matter what White answers, his Queen goes: (A) 9.Qxf2 Nd3+, Knight-forking White's King and Queen; (B) 9. Kxf2 Nxe4+, again Knight-forking White's royal pair.

Interpretation: White bought a couple of bad raps here. First, he should have answered Black's fourth-move b4-Bishop check by 5. Bd2. It's usual to respond to a premature check by the KingBishop by blocking with a pawn. That compels the Bishop to move again to save itself, which causes your opponent to waste a turn. So White naturally responded with 7.c2-c3. This mechanical move weakened the d3 square, leaving it without pawn protection. In one of the winning lines, Black's e5-Knight exploits this square. White could have avoided loss of his Queen even after that, however, for there was no need to play 8.Qe3-g3. The simple retreat 4. Qe3-e2 would have averted disaster. One might play White's final blunder, 8. Qe3-g3, because it is natural to move the Queen aggressively, since its great power is always uppermost in the mind. But in the opening, the Queen's value actually makes it a liability. Bring it out early and your opponent can attack it and force you to waste time saving it. Don't develop the Queen early without a good reason.

6

REMOVING THE GUARD

Center Game

1. e4 e5

2. d4 exd4

3. Qxd4 Nc6

4. Qe3 Nf6

5. Nc3 Be7

6. Bd2 d5

7. exd5 Nb4

8. 0-0-0 Nfxd5

9. Nxd5 Nxa2+

Scenario: White's move, 10. Kb1, is forced, but it wins. Black has to save his threatened a2-Knight, 10....Qxd5, but after 11. b3 Nb4, White flings an unexpected shock at his adversary: 12. Qxe7+! Kxe7 13. Bxb4+ Ke6 14. Bc4. In the end, White stays a piece ahead.

Interpretation: Black got terribly greedy while his King was in the center, where White's S.W.A.T team could get at it. Knight-pawns and Rook-pawns tend to bring on a hullabaloo. Too often, taking them means putting your pieces out of play, wasting time, and pushing your King out on a high wire. Black was doing fine until he got sidetracked by White's a2-pawn. But a simple recapture on d5 restores his excellent chances.

7

TRAPPED PIECE

Center Gambit

1. e4 e5

2. d4 exd4

3. Bc4 Qh4

4. Qe2 Bb4+

5. c3 dxc3

6. bxc3 Bc5

7. Nf3 Qh5

Scenario: Black's Queen wobbles on the board's edge -- an area where her mobility is restricted. White tackles her poor position with a series of troublesome threats. The starting move is 8. g4!. Black can try to save his Queen in several ways: (A) 8....Qg6 9. Ne5, and after Black's Queen moves, White's Knight takes on f7 and then on h8; (B) 8....Qxg4 9. Bxf7+ Kf8 (if instead 9....Kxf7, then 10. Ne5+ forks King and Queen) 10. Rgl Qh3 11. Rg3, and Black's Queen falls; (C) 8....Qh3 9. Bxf7+ Kf8 10. Rgl, followed by 11. Rg3, again trapping and winning Black's Queen.

Interpretation: inexperienced players are prone to early Queen sorties. They get it out there for impractical reasons. in the opening, the odds are a developed Queen will become a liability instead of a strength, so often the Queen is best left well enough alone on its home square in the early stages. Naturally, this rule like any other has limitations and exceptions. Black's third move, Qd8-h4, though respectable, suggests that Black does not understand how to use his Queen. His real error came at move 7, when his Queen treaded into no-man's-land. Had he played Qh4-e7 instead, the chances in the position would have been about even. In the opening, don't bring out your Queen early without clear and specific reasons. Try to develop your minor pieces first. As an old West Fourth Street (New York) park player used to say, "The Queen is a symphony. Play your preludes first."

8

MATING ATTACK

Center Gambit

1. e4 e5

2. d4 exd4

3. Nf3 Bb4+

4. c3 dxc3

5. bxc3 Bc5

6. Bc4 d5

7. Bxd5 Of6

8. Bg5 Qg6

Scenario: Black has put his head into the lion's mouth and the jaws are about to close. After 9. Bxf7+! Kf8 (getting mated by 9....Qxf7 10. Qd8 and losing the Queen by 9....Kxf7 10. Ne5+ are not particularly appealing to Black either) 10. Qd8+ Kxf7 11. Ne5+ Ke6, White has the convenient 12. Qd5 mate.

Interpretation: Black did some questionable things and White answered with a mating attack. Black's Bishop-check on move 3 was not lucrative, since the piece had to move again after it was attacked. Better to get out the King-Knight first instead of the KingBishop (remember, Knights before Bishops). And why budge the Queen on move 7? Even though it would not greatly improve his game, Black should have developed his g8-Knight instead. The Queen should be handled like fine china. It must receive careful development. You may think the Queen is the one piece you know how to use, but you're probably wrong. How can you understand the Queen when the pieces that truly constitute the Queen's power -- the Rook and Bishop -- escape your notice? Chess is pure reason; you can't get anywhere without reason in chess. "As it isn't, it ain't. That's logic," said Tweedledee in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

9
MATING ATTACK

Danish Gambit

1. el ebb

2. dx exd4

3. cb dxc3

4. Bc4 Bb4

5. bxc3 Be7?

Scenario: Black's last move, 5....Be7, is a bleating mistake, for he could not afford to block the e7 square because his Queen might have had needed access to protect f7. White forces a winning game by 6. Qd5, when Black can't defend f7 with 6....Nh6, for White merely captures the h6-Knight with his cl-Bishop; and Black can't recapture on h6 because mate at f7 would still be menaced. Black can avoid mate, 6....d6, but after 7. Qxf7+ Kd7 8. Qf5m+ Ke8 (the blunder 8....Kc6 permits 9. Qb5 mate) 9. Bf7+ Kf8 10. Be6+ Nf6 11. Bxc8, White is a piece ahead.

Interpretation: If you have extra material, sometimes you can give some of or all of it back and end up with an equal or better position. When your opponent takes back your material, he must cede at least one move to do that. If you can build your game while he's capturing, you should wrest away the initiative. If the position is reasonable, at the very least you will blunt his attack. Black might have taken some of the sting out ...

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon and Schuster
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0671656902
• ISBN 13: 9780671656904
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256