Article Number
LOSOLTTD
Author
The Tchigorin Defense
95 pages, paperback, Chess Digest, 1995
Discontinued
The Tchigorin's Defense is the opening that won't go away. When Mikhail Tchigorin it to master chess in the 1880's it often worked wonders. But it's detractors said that was a tribute to Tchigorin, not to his defense.
Discarded by the opening authorities after his death, the opening has been periodically revived by original players - from Edgar Colle to David Bronstein to Tony Miles. With each revival, the defense is met with a new wave of theoretical criticism.Many masters, who learned early in their chess development not to block their c-pawns, just don't trust ...Nc6. But that doesn't matter, as long as there are imaginative players looking for a fighting defense to 1 d4. The opening just won't go away.
The basic Tchigorin strategy is relatively simple: after White's first move, 1 d4, Black declares that the d-pawn will be a source of weakness as much as it is a source of strength. To attack it, Black needs three elements: (a) a Knight on c6 that watches d4, (b) a Bishop that will capture on f3 after White defends d4 with Nf3, and (c) the ability to discover an attack on d4 with his Queen by way of ...dxc4.
Depending on how White responds to this elementary approach, Black will modify his development. For example, the attack on d4 can be supplemented by Black's Kingside pieces with ...Bg7 and ...Nge7-f5. Because the Queenside pieces are developed first, Black often needs to find King safety in the only available place for it - with ...0-0-0. And in some cases Black may use his e-pawn as a battering ram (...e7-e5!?).
Mikhail Tchigorin's original idea was to play ...Bg4 before ...Nc6. It doesn't work if White meets 1 d4 d5 with 2 c4. But when his opponents delayed advancing their c-pawn, Tchigorin was quick to attack the center with ...Bxf3, ...Nc6 and ...e7-e5.
Discarded by the opening authorities after his death, the opening has been periodically revived by original players - from Edgar Colle to David Bronstein to Tony Miles. With each revival, the defense is met with a new wave of theoretical criticism.Many masters, who learned early in their chess development not to block their c-pawns, just don't trust ...Nc6. But that doesn't matter, as long as there are imaginative players looking for a fighting defense to 1 d4. The opening just won't go away.
The basic Tchigorin strategy is relatively simple: after White's first move, 1 d4, Black declares that the d-pawn will be a source of weakness as much as it is a source of strength. To attack it, Black needs three elements: (a) a Knight on c6 that watches d4, (b) a Bishop that will capture on f3 after White defends d4 with Nf3, and (c) the ability to discover an attack on d4 with his Queen by way of ...dxc4.
Depending on how White responds to this elementary approach, Black will modify his development. For example, the attack on d4 can be supplemented by Black's Kingside pieces with ...Bg7 and ...Nge7-f5. Because the Queenside pieces are developed first, Black often needs to find King safety in the only available place for it - with ...0-0-0. And in some cases Black may use his e-pawn as a battering ram (...e7-e5!?).
Mikhail Tchigorin's original idea was to play ...Bg4 before ...Nc6. It doesn't work if White meets 1 d4 d5 with 2 c4. But when his opponents delayed advancing their c-pawn, Tchigorin was quick to attack the center with ...Bxf3, ...Nc6 and ...e7-e5.
| EAN | 0875682588 |
|---|---|
| Weight | 150 g |
| Manufacturer | Chess Digest |
| Width | 14 cm |
| Height | 21.4 cm |
| Medium | Book |
| Year of Publication | 1995 |
| Author | Andrew Soltis |
| Language | English |
| ISBN-10 | 0875682588 |
| Pages | 95 |
| Binding | paperback |