Quick overview: The Semi-Tarrasch is a sub-variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, which arises after the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c5. On the surface it appears like a Tarrasch, but the fact that Black avoids the isolated queen pawn means that it is actually more similar to the Grunfeld. The Semi-Tarrasch … Read more
Combining aggression with positional play, the Grand Prix Attack provides white with a sound, dangerous system against the Sicilian Defense. The mainstay of White’s strategy is the kingside attack, often spearheaded with f5. Despite its simplicity, this attacking plan has proven extremely challenging for black to defend against, with many strong players unable to find … Read more
Quick overview The Sicilian Najdorf is one of the most reputable and popular openings, particularly at the top level. It has been used effectively by World Champions such as Garry Kasparov and Bobby Fischer. It arises after the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6. The idea behing 5…a6 is to … Read more
The wayward queen attack is a direct attack upon Black’s weakest square, f7, with White’s strongest attacking piece-the queen. White plays 2.Qh5 with an attack against Black’s e-pawn along with putting pressure on f7. Developing the bishop to c4 will increase the pressure by threatening a checkmate. However, this is not all one-sided, and black … Read more
The Torre Attack is a dangerous weapon for white against one of Black’s favorite moves against 1.d4, namely 1…Nf6. The Torre Attack works particularly well if black continues with 2…e6 because 3.Bg5 pins the knight. Since in many openings, including the Torre Attack, the e4 advance is crucial for white, pinning the knight on f6 … Read more