18 FUNDAMENTAL CHESS OPENINGS

just that litle bit less

attractive (from Black's
pointof view)than with a white bishop on g5.
B On the other hand Blacknow has a move that is
simplybad with a bishop on g5, but is entirely

feasible after 5 Af4.

6
Thus it is only natural that this hasbecome
the main line. With White's bishop on f4 in

stead of g5,Black's d5-pawn is safe.

dxes Sxc5 (D)

W
move-orders to reach the Semi-Slav, and will be
dealt with in the next chapter.

3..Df6 4 Df3 &e7

Black's most classical move. Now 5 g5

will take us back to the 4 g5 lines,but White
has an important alternative which rose to great
prominencein the 1990s.
5 Rr4 (D)
On the face of it, this move is less aggressive White now has a choice of two fundamen
than 5g5, but it has the great
not taily differen he first isto
keepe
overily encouraging
standardfma simplifying sition
Cent plans.
simpleby exchanging on dS. The
noeuvres like ..De4. line runs & cxd5 Axds9xdS exdS and now

both 10 a3 and10d3have beenplayed. 10a3

stops from playing 10..kb4+. After
Black
something like 10..2c6 11 12 0-0 d3 b6
B Rg4 Black has his pieces satisfacto
i
rily,. but White may still enethe iso
hone to besiege
lated d-pawn. 10 d3 b4+ pursues the same
strategy more fanatically, ignoring the some
what precarious of the white king and
position
hoping to take advantageof the now rather
loosely placed bishop on b4.
The other and far more popular plan is not to
worry abouta possible .dxc4,play 8 a3 or 8
Wc2. develop the queenside and increase the
pressure on d5 later on. A critical position arises
after 8a3Dc6 9c2 Wa5 (D).
5 )-0 Black's last move threatens ..De4 and forces
6 e3 White to react.
Now the nornal'moves 6.bd7, 6...c6 and The oldest line in this position goes 10 d1
6...b6 have never really caught on. Most of the e7 d2 11 allowing but also forcing Black
resulting middlegane positions are regarded as (in view of thethreat of 122b3) to lash out in
 PICSsurc OSTuOn sCs

after 8a3Dc69 Wc2 a5(D).

5 0-0 Black's last move threatens ...De4 and forces

6 e3 White to react.

Now the 'normal'moves 6...Obd7, 6.cóand The oldest line in this position goes 10 Zdi
6..b6 have never really caught on. Most of the de7 11 d2 allowing but also forcing Black
resulting middlegane positions are regarded as (in view of the threat of 12b3) to lash out in

QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED 19

flexible option which can be played with several

ideas in mind.
To begin with, it may be used as an anti-5

&f4 weapon since on 5f4Black now has the

excellent reply 5..dxc4.The white bishop finds

itself somewhat awkwardly placed after both 6
c4 Abf and 6e3Dd5,so this is usually avoided.

Against 5Âg5 Black has a choice between

transposing to the 4 g5 main lines by playing

5...2e7 or 5...h6 6h4 ke7 (althoughhe has

of course commited himself to a.Qbd7 line).
the Ragozin Variation 5..b4 (sce page 21)
by
or the Cambridge Springs by 5.c6 6 e3 as
(see page 15).
the centre with l1...e5 12 g5d4. This varia The critical test for 4..Dbd7 is 5cxd5 exdS
tion was thoroughly examined and considered 6f4.Again, as in the variation 3...e7 (sce
acceptable for both sides. page 14), because there is a drawback to the
Then, in 1988, 10 0-0-0 was introduced and natural reply ...d6 (in this case of course

this became extremely popular almost over 6.2d67Rxd6 cxd6 would beawkward) White
night. After 10...e7 both the ferocious at is hoping to achievea favourable version of the

tacking moves g4 and 11 h4 and the more

11 Exchange Variation.

subtle 11 Dd2 and11 #bl all turned out to be The whole of the 4..Dbd7 line, although it

very dangerous for Black. It took a few years, has been known for quite some time, has some
but by now Black has managed to work out how managed to stay clear of the theoretical
good defensive lines against all four of these This makes it an interesting choice
steamrollers.

moves and the Queen's Gambit Declined is for those who know their way about in the

back from the Intensive Care Unit, but it was Queen's Gambit and can hope to lure their op
mighty close! ponents into unknown territory.

3...216 4 f3 bd7 3...2f6 4 Df3 c5

9bd7 (D) 4
This is caled the Semi-Tarrasch Variation,
and it indeed bearsa close superficial relation

ship with the line 3..c5. However, the name is

at odds with the fact that Tarrasch was attracted

to his opening. the Tarrasch Defence, by the

point that Black is going to play ...exd5 if White
ever takes on d5, while in the variation that we

are discussing here. Black's aim is to avoid an

isolated that
u Pawn. Hardly a strategy
s
Tarrasch have a alone
approved of, let
given his name to! But of course chess opening
nomenclature is not always logical and this is

really a nice illustration of the fact.

However, the strategic idea behind the move
4.c5isperfectly logical and that is what counts.

This move has not yet established itself sufti Black attacks the white central formation in a
ciently to get a name, but it is a sound and very straightforward way.
 QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED 21

xd4xd4 |l cxd4 brings about an endgame without hischanceseven here, these two moves

with chances for both sides. White has some have become quite fashionable e oflate.
pressure against b7, but Black's pawn-majority 6...h6 forces White to make a decision.

on the queenside may eventually turn into a Should he take on f6 or is 7Lh4 the stronger
dangerous passed pawn. move? The latter invites the sharp response
7..g58g3De4, threatening 9..Dxc3 as well
3..Df6 4 Df3 &b4 as 9...h5. White must deal firmly with this. The
pawn sacrifice 92d2!Oxc310 bxc3 &xc3 11
4 b4 Rcl offers good attacking prospects (especially
This isthe Ragozin Variation, a near rela- because 11..9xd4? fails to 12 Wa4+ Dc6 13

tive of the Nimzo-Indian (which is only one Exc6),but exactly how good remains unclear.
move away: 5 e3). Black aims for counterplay What is clear is that in practice most players
4 or dxe4. That is why White's
..De4
by ...c5, .. or ...d prefer 7 Âxf6, leading to a much more sedate
best reply is thought to be... middlegame.The main line goes 7...Wxf6 8
Cxd5 exd5 Wa4+Oc69 e3 0-0 10 Re2 e6 110-0.In com
6 Rg5 (D) parison with the Exchange Variation, Black's

pieces are rather scattered all over the board so

it may look as if White's opening play hasbeen
successful, yet a Ragozinexpert usually man

ages to recoordinate them fairly quickly.

3...2f6 4 Df3 dxc4

4 dxc4
This is one of the youngest variations of the
Queen's Gambit Declincd. It was hardly ever
played before the 1990s. Black immediately
forces his opponent to make
fundamentalde a
cision. He can win back the pawn very casily

with 5e3 or 5Wa4+ but both these moves trans

pose to another opening where White has then

Now there are two main lines for Black, 'missed' a number of options. e3 c5 6 Âxc4 5
6...Dbd7and 6...h6. a is a Queen's Gambit Accepted and 5Wa4+
Against 6...Dbd7,7e3 c5 8 hd3 constitutes c6 6 xc4 b5 is a variation of the Semi-Slav.

White's most natural development.Black then Though ncither of these lines is bad for White,
lashes out on the queenside with 8..Was 9 We2 he may not like the choice of variation that has
c4. This leads, after 10&fs 0-0 110-0Re8, to a been forced on him.
difficult position.White's ideal plan would be to The more principled continuation is:

play e4, preferably after Dd2 and f3, but prac 5 e4

tice has shown that this is hard to achieve against 6 Rg5 c5(D)
an opponent who knows what he is doing, StilL, This is called the Vienna Variation, a line

this is White's most principled approach. enjoyed a certain popularity in the 1930s,
that

Very often. however, White avoids this type wascompletely forgoten for halfacentury but
of middlegamealtogether by playing 7Hc or 7 came back with a vengeance in 1987, when it
l
c2. White plans to radically stop ...c5-c4by was rejuvenated and analysed very deeply. It is

taking on c5 should Black play ..c5. For in provocative way to handle the opening be
stance, after 7 Wc2 c5 8 dxc5 Was 9 the d2! cause at first sight White appears to have a great
game assumesa totally different character from number of very attractive possibilities. Black's
the 7 e3 line. Though Black is certainly not position turns out to be remarkably resilient,
24 FUNDAMENTAL CHESS OPENINGS

h3, g4 and perhaps g3-f5, while Black ries On the other hand 3
not bad. e3f6and only
his luckon the queenside. Boch 10..a5 fol- now 4 g3 is considered less accurate because
lowed by ...b5 and ...a4 and lo .A8followed the possibility of playing bd2 is very usefu
by ...e6, ...Zc8 and .c5 have been played. in the Catalan, so it seems rather a pity 10give i

In the late 1980s, a plan became popular away so early.

which combines the developmentof White's 3 f6
king's knight to e2 with castling kingside: 10 4 g3 (D)
0-0.Of course White the more
this still allows
traditional plan of a minority attack on the
queenside, but the modern idea is to continue
3
10..2r8 1I intending a frontal attack in the
centre with e4.Thanks to some beautiful games
by Kasparov, this line has become extremely
Play is very different from the more
traditional Exchange Variation lines discussed
above.White attacks in the centre and Black
will have to think of a completely new strategy
to adapt to the new situation. One important
motif is the counter-thrust ..c5. Some typical
problems are illustrated by the following sam
ple line: 1l1..e6 12 ael (it is still an open
question whether this rook should go to dl or

el) 12...D6d7 13 .f4 (and here it is the choice This, the basic position of the Catalan,

i:
between keeping the bishops on the board or reached via many roads. Perhaps the most com
not which leaves theoreticians baffled) 13.c8 mon one is 1 d4f62c4 e6 3 g3ds 4 r3 (e
and after 14 e4 dxe4 I5 fxe4 e5! 16 d5 c4 17 g2 isequally sound and is ikely to transpos
dxe6 Dxe6 Black regains the sacrificed piece afterjust a few
more moves).
r
t
and stands well. White should prepare e4 fur The fianchetto (meaning Aank' develop
ther by playing 14 thl. If Black then goes ment, i.e. to g2 rather than somewhere on th
14...c5 anyway, White takes on c5 and plays fl-a6 diagonai) development of the king?
against the isolated d-pawn. bishop is not intended to take immediateactior
in the cetre nor is White aiming at any particu
We have now
examined all major options for lar fixed pawn-formation. It is chosen with th

Whiteof tackling the Queen'sGambit Declined long-term strategic goal of putting pressure o1
with one exception. Technically speaking this the long hl-a8 diagonal. This pressure is mos
is an independent opening which may arise in likely to be felt when Blackplays ..c5or whe
many different ways. Still, because the basic he takes on c4 at some point. In the latter casa
central formation is the one from the Qucen's White will in many cases regain the pawn wit!
Gambit Declined, it seems to me that the best a4+,but sometimesa gambit will also be at
place for discussing this opening is in the pres interesting option. White then allows his oppo
ent chapter. nent to keep the pawn on c4, hoping to use
We are talking about the Catalan Opening. whatever means Black employs to protect hi

in which White fianchettoes his king's bishop. booty to his own advantage. This could worl
alongthe lines of: Black plays ...b5 to protec
3 f3:The Catalan his pawn on c4, White attacks b5 with a4, Blacl
covers b5 with ...c6, White intensifies the pres
3 3 sure with es, Black blocks the hl-a8 diagona

This is the most popular way of introducing with ..Dd5,White attacks in the centre with e
the Catalan, although an immediate3g3 is also and possibly ds
 22 FUNDAMENTAL CHESS OPENINGS

By taking on d5, White fixes the central

pawn-formationand avoids the myriad varia

W tions thatwe have looked at on the previous
pages. The strategic situation is now clear. Yet
even here a great variety of plans and schemes
of development have been tried and investi
gated, both for White and for Black.
4 exd5(D)
Analogous to the Semi-Tarrasch, 4.xd5 is
sometimesplayed to avoid the typical Exchange
Variation pawn-structure. A direct transposi
tion is possible; e.g., 5 e4 xc3 6 bxc3 c5 7

O3 (page20),but White may deviate with 7

a3!. preventing the simplifying check on b4.

however.and White's straightforward aggres
sion may also create a few weaknesses in his
own camp.At any rate it is a real tactician's
variation. W
The first move to catch the eye is 7e5. This
was met in the 1930sby 7...cxd4, whereupon 8
Wa4+ Dc69 0-0-0kd7 10De4 e7 1I exf6

gxf6 leads to a highly complicated position

where Black seems to have sufficient compen
sation for the sacrificed piece. The moderm re

joinder to7eS is 7..h68exf6 hxg5 9fxg7 Eg8.

This too has held up reasonably well in prac
tice.

Then there is the alternative 7 Axc4. seem

ingly simpleand strong. White makes no im
mediate attempt to crush his opponent and Ag5
instead relies on his lead in developmentto give The best move and one of the reasons why
him the initiative. Yet here too, things have this particular move-orderconstitutes the most
turned out to be not that simple. The critical po accurate way of Exchange Varia
playing the
7..cxd4 8 Dxd4 &xc3+9
sition arises after an carly Dr3 he is nornally
tion. If White plays
bxc3 Wa5, when White has tried 10 2b5, 10 unable to stop Blackfrom playing .Af5, which
Axf6 Wxe3+ 11 fl (theidea being tomeet practically solves all development problems
11..Sxc4+ 12 kgl gxf6? with13 Ecl), and10 Black may have in this line. For instance in the
Lb5+. Ycars of intensive rescarch have not 5r3c6, which often arises from
position after
produced a clear main line. the Semi-Slav (1d4 ds 2 c4 c6 3 Or3 Df6 4
De3 eb and now 5cxd5 exd5), Black's opening
a
3...2f6 4 cxd5 problems arenowhere near to what he is facing
in the main line: 6 g5 e7
(an immediate
4 exd5 6..Q5 is also possible but leads to a more
This is the Exchange Variation or, perhaps middlegame after the disruptive 7
complicated
more accurately. the most important version of 7
Wb3) andnow 7e3Af5 or Wc2 g6!8e3 Af5.
it. White can take on d5 in many positions of 5 .. có (D)
theQueen's Gambit Declined. By choosing this The alternative 5.. Ae7is likely to transpose
particular move-order, however, he optimizes after a few moves, but the text offers Blackone
the latent advantages of this exchange. or two interesting extras.