The Scotch Game is the most "open" of all the Open Games. In fact this is the only really Open Game, in its essence, which matches the traditional terminology. The move 3.d2-d4 breaks immediately the symmetry. White tries to occupy the centre and gain additional space. Rapid contact between the opposing forces takes place, in fact much quicker than in the other open (and not only open...) games, which increases the value of every move and requires from both sides tremendous accuracy at a very early stage of the game. Positions with opposite castles arise much more often in the Scotch than in all the other Open Games put together. Alexander Khalifman is a GM and FIDE Senior Trainer, FIDE World Chess Champion in 1999. He won the Soviet Union Youth Championship (1982, 1984), the European Under-20 Championship (1985), the Russian Championship (1996). He was a member of the gold medal-winning Russian team at the Chess Olympiads in 1992, 2000 and 2002, and at the 1997 World Team Chess Championship. Author of many books as Opening for White According to Anand, Opening for White According to Kramnik. Sergei Soloviov is an IM, author of many books as Boris Spassky's 400 Selected Games, Leko's One Hundred Wins.

The Modern Scotch

Alexander Khalifman

Sergei Soloviov

Chess Stars LTD.

Squeezing 1.e4 e5: A Solid Strategic Approach

<p>In the Alapin System White's strategic idea is extremely simple. He prepares to advance with d2-d4, to build a solid pawn centre and then dictate the play. He will have to pay for this with the fact that his queen's knight has been deprived of the best square for its development, but it may have other suitable squares (in many variations this will be not the d2-square but a3). Secondly, it very often happens that after d4 cxd4 cxd4, White's queen's knight still gets access to its best square on c3. The modern evaluation of this system is that Black has comfortable enough lines in which he can obtain an acceptable game. The authors try to prove that not all of these lines are equally good.</p>

Squeezing the Sicilian. The Alapin Variation

Chess Stars

<p>The authors recommend an economical and quite promising method for White to fight against the Caro-Kann Defence – the Exchange system (3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3). This minimalist approach against this classical opening deserves very serious attention today. This is confirmed incidentally by the fact that at present the popularity of the Exchange system (particularly after the year 2017) has increased considerably, and at quite different levels. Easiest way to explain authors' approach is to quote the description given in the previous books of this series: 1. White controls the centre, develops quickly and castles. He DOES NOT strive for a direct clash with the opponent after the first few moves in the opening. 2. White begins active operations only after the completion of our development; as a rule, these will take place in the centre and on the kingside. 3. Of course it is necessary to know the theory and to calculate the variations precisely, but in general White is striving to reach positions in which the basic strategical principles, the correct evaluation of the arising positions and the ability to choose the correct plan will be at least as important. 4. Finally, White is still fighting for an advantage in the opening. It may be just a small edge, but let’s see how things develop....</p>

Squeezing the Caro-Kann Simple Chess

Jose Raul Capablanca 2: 1927-1942

Thinkers' Press

Emanuel Lasker Volume 2: 1904-1940

Humor & Entertainment

Puzzles & Games

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Books by Sergei Soloviov