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we a McoKAY CHESS LIBRARY | MCO-14 - re 2 » MODERN BICHESSSOPENINGS COMPLETELY REVISED an - ; Nick de. Firmian, Unitegstates Chess Champion FOURTEENTH EDITION MODERN CHESS OPENINGS MCO-14 ComPLereLy REVISED BY NICK DE FIRMIAN DAVID McKAY GOMPANY, ING NEW YORK (Copyright ©1999 by Nick de Firmian A rights recorved under International and Pan-American Copyright Ganventions Pblished in the United States by David McKay Company. 2 ‘of Random House, inc, New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random Houee of Canada Limited, Toront Portons ofthis work were previously published, in diffrent form, in Modeon Chees Openings. 13th Editon. by Nick de nd Water Kom, published by avid Mckay Company, « division of Random House, ine, 1a 1990. Hardcover: 0:120-2083-5, Paperback 0.8129-2088-3 Random House website dress: www-xandombouse-com Prine in the United States of Ameria on aeld-ee paper 705492 Fourteenth Edition ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ‘Modern Chess Openings, 14 ed., was an enormous task to complete, con- suming twenty months of long hours by your author. Still there was much more that needed to be done and I wish to gratefully acknowledge the con- Uuibutions of the following people. Grandmaster John Fedorowicz [last teamed up with John in proparing Deep Blue's openings for its successful match against Kasparov, and was very pleased he was able to contribute the sections on the Indian Defenses in which he specializes. John wrote the chapters on the Benko Gambit, the Bogo- Indian Defense, the Grinfold Defense, and the King’s Indian De- fense. International Master John Donaldson ‘The Chess Director of San Francisco's Mechanic's Institute con- tributed the Accelerated Dragon and coauthored the Slav and Semi- Slav chapter with de Firmian, International Master Elliott Winslow and National Master Stephan Brandwein Contributed the long chapter on the Queen's Gambit Declined and most of the work on the romantic-era double king pawn openings (The King's Gambit, Giuoco Piano, Four Knights’ Defense, Philidor's Defense, Bishop’s Opening, atc.) Senior Master Bruce Leverett Gontributed the English Opening, his specialty. This long chapter cavers many systems thet Dr. Leverett explored with a year of pains- taking care. Although I edited and checked the contributions to conform to the rest of the book, the reader may still note a small difference in the style of these sections. Graham Hillyard Ensured @ high technical standard by doing most of the arduous job of proofreading and checking transliteration. He also contributed historical information and researched chess games. John MacArthur Collected and organized more than a million games in creating the database I used in the production of MCO-14, Many thanks to Random House editors Mark Gottlieb and Stanley New- man and production manager Eli Hausknecht, who took this mass of ‘material and produced a finished book. Special thanks to David Stanford Burr, who diligently reviewed the typeset pages. Nick be Fieaian Current US Chess Champion ‘August 1909 INTRODUCTIO ‘Modern Chess Openings (MOO) has been the standard English language work on chess openings for almost a century, each new edition presenting the latest strategies, The book seeks to give the reader a clear and concise presentation of whichever chess opening he (she) chooses, using the sim- ple algebraic chess notation. The book is divided into five sections of major openings groups, each section containing chapters of the specific openings (or major variations of the openings). The chapter introductions give an overview of the strategic concepts and some historical informa- tion, The major content of the book isthe tables and notes of chess varia- tions. The best play (as is currently known) is usually the main variation, and sidelines are either clever traps and tricks that are good to know, in- teresting but litle tested plans or enticing mistaken strategies along with their refutation. Some pages are dense material, reflecting the current focus on these oponings, while others are less dense and more suitable for beginners. thas been ten years since I wrote MCO-13 (my first effort in this Jong series), and there have been changes in not only the chess openings, but in the approach to chess itself, as many players now study with com- puters and consult large databases of grandmaster and othor games. ‘The databases allow grandmasters and tournament players the ability to re- search potential opponents or view thousands of games on an opening vai The commercial computer programs are excellent sparing part- ners for most players and work well calculating three- to five-move vari- ations. Yet the use of computer technology has not really changed the ancient game of chess. This is not well understood, and even Kasparov has been confused by this, losing a match to IBM's super computer Doop Blue 3.5-2.5. Lest history evaluate this epic “Man vs. Machine” contest incorrectly, Kasparov played much worse than usual, trying a faulty anti- computer strategy when he would likely have won by normal play. I had 4 special perspective in this match as I worked with IBM on this project and set Deep Blue’s opening moves for its two victories. In these gamos the computer emerged with a large opening advantage (before it even began to “think"), which put Kasparov in a hole, Chess openings are very difficult for computers unless they simply ropeat human moves. Imagi- nation and strategic thinking will always be two strengths humans have over computers. Some of my grandmaster colleagues have queried me whether MCO-14 is a book just for “average” chess players, as it covers the whole spectrum of openings in one volume. This has definitely NOT been my aim during its production. The openings are covered in a concise fashion that is easy to follow, but the content is cutting-edge ideas that I play myself ‘The raw material comes from o million-plus game database, over one hun- dred books on specific openings, unpublished analyses from the World Championship cycle, US Championships and other tournaments, months of super-computer calculations, chess magazines and letters with sugges- tions from readers. I spent more than a year and a half sifting and evaluat- ing this material, assisted by the Fritz computer program checking for tactical errors. This was not enough time to properly cover all the open- ings, so | engaged specialists in a number of openings to research and write about them. These contributions are specified in the Acknowledgments. Nick be FiRwian Current US Chess Champion ‘August 1999 CONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction Bibliogrephy nnn + ait Explanatory Notes ose ips forthe Novice 1. DOUBLE KING PAWN OPENINGS BE King Gambil a 2.NEQ Neb 9 et Bes 2 Givoee Piano 18 NIG Neb 9 Bes Bes 4 3 Evans Gambit 2% 2NIGNe® 3 Bes NIG. 4 Two Knights’ Defense 2 2 NFa Neb 9 Bs. Ruy Lopee, 0 ‘A. Varitions wi 6 a Includes Classical Defonse, Hein Defense, CCozio Dolense, Bird's Defense, Old Stinits Defense, 23-46, Schliemann Defense B, Variants on Moves 4-6 fer 3.96, 5 Includes Exchange Veriation, Modern Stenite Dafne, Lines with 3... a6and . Bs, ‘Arkangel Variation, Fith-Move Variant th: Move Variants, Open Variation G. Main Lines, 3-084 Baa NI6 50-0 Bo (Rot bs 7 bba do a3 00 (and Marabell Attack 7... 00) a Inclades Closed Defense (minor systems) CChigorn Variation, Braver Variation, Smyslov Variation, Zaitsv Variation, Mershell Attack ANE Nfj—nnnenn G Potrov's Dense o 2NI9 Nob 2d exdt-—--— 7 Seateh Game rot B Neder 6 Vionna Game. a BINT Now 9 Ne Nes. 9 Four Knights Gamo 8 BNI Neb 9 Neewene—-—— 40 The Knights” Game, us BND dm 11 Philidor Delonte INE Nob 9 en 12 Ponsians Opening 2.NEa Nob 9 dex # 02-19 GBring Gambit 2.44 exdd 3.) nese M4 Danish Gambit 2Nf (5 95 Latelan Gambit 2 Ronn 6 Bishop's Opening 2d 17 Genter Game, 16 Unusual Double King Pawn Openings 8 II, SEMLOPEN GAMES tet 1 ———-= 1 Alokhine's Defense 185 1 gg 2 Cato Kann Dons 167 10 fenennananon Franch Defense, 11 1 legen Selah Defense 22 ‘A Nojdoe Variation 2

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