by William Aramil
Contents at a Glance
Part 1: Chess Opening Fundamentals
For Openers …
An introduction to the board, coordinates,
and how the moves of a game are written.
Also, what openings are and their overall goals.
The Basic Elements of Chess Openings
The five elements to help guide you
through every opening move.
The Elements in Motion
The elements are applied and analyzed in
a famous game.
Part 2: 1)e4 Openings
4 1)e4 e5 45
Openings beginning with 1)e4 e5, excluding
the Ruy Lopez.
Ruy Lopez
The king of all openings in the history of chess.
The Dynamic Sicilian
The sidelines and alternatives of the
trendiest opening in chess today.
Sicilianaires
The most fashionable starting position
within the Sicilian Defense.
The Narrow, French, and Caro
Mostly hypermodern defenses for Black.
Part 3: 1)d4 Openings
1)d4 d5 111
The well-known Queen’s Gambit and Slav Defense.
1)d4 Nf6 125
Some of the less popular and semipopular
lines after the position 1)d4 Nf6.
The Nimzo, the Bogo, and the Queen’s Indian
A champion’s defense against 1)d4.
Hey Grunfeld, This KID Means Business!
Systems where Black castles kingside and
develops quickly.
Part 4: Opening Choices
Building an Opening Repertoire
How to choose an opening and avoid bad habits.
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Book Details
Price
|
3.00 |
|---|---|
Pages
| 206 p |
File Size
|
8,178 KB |
File Type
|
PDF format |
ISBN
| 1-4406-5181-7 |
Copyright©
| 2008 by William Aramil |
In keeping with the spirit of satire implied by the word “idiot,” National
Master William Aramil produces a wonderfully readable chess
book here. While the game of chess has a reputation of being played by
rocket scientists and such, the truth is that people of all backgrounds
excel at the royal game all around the world. Time-tested chess principles
are passed down through the generations, and by writing a book
to train the novice, William takes on a truly worthy task. Every world
champion has, at some point, been a novice!
NM William Aramil himself made it to the top of the chess community
for his moment in time when he won first place in the Denker
Tournament of High School Champions in 2003. The American chess
scene has become a truly international mix of players from around the
world, particularly with many Russian Grandmasters and their offspring
living and competing in America. The point is that, in attaining
first place in the national event, William won not only a university
scholarship but a place in history along with every yearly winner who
plays in honor of the late, great Grandmaster Arnold Denker. One
could go on to find other accomplishments in William’s young career,
but another point here is the matter of style.
Few people not well acquainted with chess realize that chess can bring
regional and cultural style along with it. Perhaps few people are aware
of the superb chess legacies of strong players from the Philippines
or their fresh attacking style! William, being of Filipino-American
descent, is no exception, and his attacking prowess and accurate board
vision make him a powerful enemy at the chessboard, no matter what
skill level the opponent. I have vivid memories of losing two important
blitz (5-minute) games in an official event in Las Vegas to the young
chess wunderkind, much to my disappointment. Along with a slashing,
attacking style of his own, William has a strong grip on all phases of
the game, including defensive techniques. He has much to teach as a
chess trainer and, now, an author. This work will take the reader on a
journey from beginner to intermediate, and the lessons taught here will
continue to apply for a lifetime. Experienced players also would do well
to read the book, and it is clear that the principles and variations contained
herein apply equally to all who play chess.
One of the many wonderful things about the royal game is its applicability
to real life and decision-making. How many times have you heard
the phrase, “Life is a chess game”? Young and old will learn time-tested
lessons in the dance of the lively pieces, as mate is delivered or parried
in cut-and-thrust battle. Slow positional ideas will reveal themselves
as maneuvers unfold across the chessboard, shaped by clear thinking.
With a strong background into the workings of chess, the goddess of
chess Caissa herself will smile as the novice becomes the dangerous
intermediate player. Perhaps future Grandmasters will one day look
back at such auspicious beginnings as offered by this book. Either way,
the game and its inherent beauty and knowledge will march forward
into human generations until Father Time himself adjourns the game.
—International Master Emory Andrew Tate Jr.
Emory Andrew Tate Jr. is a world-renowned chess player and linguist
still active on the difficult chess circuit. Six-time Indiana State
Champion and five-time Armed Forces Champion of the United States,
Tate incorporates an inimitable tactical style with a deep understanding
of chess principles. Emory played a small but important role in training
William Aramil as a youth and takes pleasure in William’s current successes,
both on and away from the chessboard.
Introduction
You understand the rules of chess and can identify a checkmate, but
you never seem to get out of the opening unscathed. You have always
wanted to know why a Grandmaster or World Champion played a certain
move in the opening, but you were never given an explanation of
the idea. You often wonder, “Why doesn’t the master play this move?”
or “What’s wrong with this idea?”
If you would like to know more about any of these areas, then this is
the book for you.
Why are openings so useful to know? As with almost any aspect of life,
a bad beginning or first impression can be detrimental to you—and
very difficult to reverse. In a game of chess, it is essential to start with
accuracy, or you may find yourself in deep waters. Taking this idea to
an extreme, it is possible to lose a game of chess in two moves! (I have
seen this position occur in a real game.)
Although certain players realize the significance of openings, unfortunately,
some feel that it is necessary to memorize countless variations
of openings to gain a quick advantage or avoid a quick loss. The main
problem these players will encounter is that they lack the knowledge of
the intricacies of each move and its resulting position. Chess is simply
too vast to attempt to remember every possible variation within the
opening. After all, there are approximately 169 octillion different combinations
of positions within the first 10 moves!
I have found that the common thread to chess improvement is the
assimilation of the elements of the game and the concepts of the moves
played, not rote memorization. Therefore, in this guide, you will be
shown the elements and ideas behind the opening moves. Hopefully,
this work will provide a path to your enhancement, not only in the
opening but in your entire chess game.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Chess Opening Fundamentals 1
1 For Openers … 3
A Chess Player’s Tool..................................................... 3
The Coordinates............................................................ 4
Files, Ranks, and Diagonals.......................................... 5
Notation.......................................................................... 6
Name That Square....................................................... 6
Move Numbers............................................................. 8
This or That................................................................. 8
Writing Special Moves................................................ 10
Symbols...................................................................... 12
The Opening vs. an Opening?..................................... 13
Opening Names........................................................... 14
A Good Beginning....................................................... 15
The Goal...................................................................... 15
2 Basic Elements of Chess Openings 17
Material......................................................................... 18
Time.............................................................................. 18
Space............................................................................. 19
Seizing Squares.......................................................... 19
I Have Space and …................................................... 20
Help, I Can’t Breathe................................................. 21
Pawn Structure............................................................. 21
The Soul of Chess........................................................ 22
Pawn Chains.............................................................. 22
Pawn Islands.............................................................. 23
Isolated Pawn............................................................. 24
Backward Pawn.......................................................... 24
Two Many.................................................................. 25
King Safety: The Trump Card.................................... 26
3 The Elements in Motion 33
Analyzing Opening Variations..................................... 34
Part 2: 1)e4 Openings 43
4 1)e4 e5 45
Petrov Defense............................................................. 46
Scotch Game ............................................................... 49
Italian Game................................................................. 51
3)…Bc5...................................................................... 51
3…Nf6...................................................................... 56
5 Ruy Lopez 59
Side of the Ruy............................................................. 60
3)…Bc5 ..................................................................... 60
Berlin: 3)…Nf6......................................................... 63
Exchange Variation: 4)Bxc6......................................... 66
The Main Game........................................................... 69
6 The Dynamic Sicilian 75
2nd Best........................................................................ 76
Smith-Morra............................................................. 76
The c3 Sicilian.............................................................. 77
2)Nf3............................................................................. 79
4)…Nf6..................................................................... 80
4)…a6....................................................................... 81
2)…Nc6........................................................................ 82
7 Sicilianaires 85
Classical Sicilian........................................................... 87
The Sicilian Dragon: Love and Hate.......................... 89
Najdorf.......................................................................... 93
8 The Narrow, French, and Caro 97
The Narrow.................................................................. 98
Alekhine Defense: 1)…Nf6......................................... 98
Center Stage.............................................................100
French Fighters?!....................................................... 101
Advance Variation....................................................102
A Knightmare ......................................................... 104
Caro-Kann..................................................................105
The Advance.............................................................106
Main Line................................................................107
Part 3: 1)d4 Openings 109
9 1)d4 d5 111
Queen’s Gambit.......................................................... 112
I Accept!...................................................................113
No Thanks!..............................................................115
The Slav......................................................................117
The Others...............................................................118
S.S. the Semi-Slav...................................................119
The Slav Accepts.......................................................122
10 1)d4 Nf6 125
Are You Hungary?......................................................126
Benko Gambit............................................................128
Benoni.........................................................................130
11 The Nimzo, the Bogo, and the Queen’s Indian 133
3)Nc3..........................................................................134
The Main Line.........................................................135
3)Nf3...........................................................................138
The Bogo Is Not Bogus.............................................. 139
Queen’s Indian.......................................................... 141
12 Hey Grunfeld, This KID Means Business! 145
The Grunfeld.............................................................146
7)…c5......................................................................147
7)…0-0....................................................................150
The KID.....................................................................151
Fianchetto System.....................................................151
The Classic KID.......................................................154
Part 4: Opening Choices 159
13 Building an Opening Repertoire 161
Selecting Openings..................................................... 162
Solid and Sound........................................................162
Charge!....................................................................163
Risky Gambits..........................................................165
The Quick Win.......................................................... 166
The Effect of Surprise................................................168
Practicality...............................................................169
The Long Shots.........................................................169
Inventions.................................................................170
Opening Improvement............................................... 171
Results Now!.............................................................171
Learning the Right Way........................................... 171
Your Choice...............................................................172
Appendixes
A Glossary 173
B Advancing to the Next Level 177
Index 181
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