Semi-Italian Opening
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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | • Italian Opening (Giuoco Piano) • Rodzinski vs. Alekhine, Paris 1913 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Italian Game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Synonym(s) | Lesser Giuoco Piano Half Giuoco Piano Paris Defence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Semi-Italian Opening (also called Lesser Giuoco Piano, Half Giuoco Piano, and Paris Defence) is one of Black's responses to the Italian Game.[1][2] It begins with the moves:
Black's intent is to play a Hungarian Defense with an early ...Bg4, fighting for control of the d4-square.[1][3] The line was tried by Alexander Alekhine early in his career.[3][4] The first recorded use in international competition was in 1846. Horowitz called the defence "solid", also writing: "It does not seem quite sufficient for equality."
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings code for the Semi-Italian is C50.
Lines
Main line: 4.c3
- 4...Bg4 5.d4 Qe7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Qb3 Nd8 8.Nbd2 g6 9.dxe5 and White was slightly better in Levenfish–Tolush, Leningrad 1939 (Black won).[2][3][5]
- 4...Qe7 5.d4 g6 or 5.0-0 g6 is satisfactory for Black (Alekhine).
- 4...Be6 is preferred by Tartakower.
4.d4
4... Bg4 (after 4...exd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 White has the freer game according to Keres; instead of 5...Nf6, Evans has suggested 5...g6!?)[3] and now:
- 5. c3 and now:
- 5...Qd7 and White has some space advantage after either 6.d5 or 6.Bb5 (Keres), or 6.Be3 (Evans).[3]
- 5...Nf6 6.Qb3 with a clear advantage for White (Keres).
- 5...Qf6 6.Be3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 with some advantage for White (Keres).
- 5...Qe7 transposes to the Main line.
- 5. h3! and White is slightly better,[2] for example: 5... Bxf3 6. Qxf3 and now:
4.h3
White prevents Black's thematic Bg4. The reply 4.h3 leads to lines similar to the Hungarian Defense, for example 4... Be7 5. d4 and now:
- 5...Nf6 6.d5 Nb8 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Be3 a5 9.g4!? (Keres preferred 9.c4) Na6 10.Qd2 c6 11.c4 Nd7 12.Nc3 Ndc5 leading to a sharp game with balanced chances in Kupreichik–Podgayets, USSR 1970.[3]
- 5...Nxd4 6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Qh5 g6 8.Qd5 Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.Bxe6 fxe6 11.Qc6+ Kf7 12.Nd2 Qd7 13.Qc4 c5 14.0-0 d5 (Sax–Ivkov, Amsterdam 1976) with an even game (Unzicker).[6]
4.Nc3
This transposes to the game Maslov–Lutikov, USSR 1963, which continued 4...Bg4 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 Nf6 7.Ne2 (or 7.d3) and White stands slightly better (Keres, Filip).[7]
Notable games
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |              | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
Rodzinski versus Alekhine, Paris 1913:[2][3]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 d6 4. c3 Bg4 5. Qb3!?
- 5.d4, the Main line, is better.
5... Qd7 6. Ng5?!
- 6.Bxf7+ Qxf7 7.Qxb7 Kd7 8.Qxa8 Bxf3 9.gxf3 Qxf3 10.Rg1 Qxe4+ 11.Kd1 Qf3+ 12.Ke1 Qe4+ with perpetual check (Alekhine), or 12...e4 13.Na3 Ne5 14.Qxa7 Nd3+ 15.Kf1 with an even game according to Sozin,[3][8] but Black has a forced mate with 15...Qd1+ 16.Kg2 Nf4+ 17.Kg3 Qf3+ 18.Kh4 Qh3+ 19.Kg5 Ne6#.
6... Nh6 7. Nxf7 Nxf7 8. Bxf7+ Qxf7 9. Qxb7 Kd7 10. Qxa8 Qc4 11. f3 (see diagram) Bxf3! 12. gxf3 Nd4 13. d3?
- 13.cxd4 Qxc1+ with clear advantage for Black.
13... Qxd3 14. cxd4 Be7 15. Qxh8 Bh4# 0–1
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hooper & Whyld (1987), Semi-Italian Opening, p. 304
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Kasparov & Keene (1982), pp. 308–9
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Harding & Botterill (1977), pp. 129–30
- ↑ Horowitz (1964), pp. 39–41
- ↑ "Levenfish vs Tolush, USSR Championship 1939". Chessgames.com.
- ↑ Matanović (1981), p. 227, n. 1
- ↑ Matanović (1981), p. 243, n. 8
- ↑ Matanović (1981), p. 242, n. 4
Bibliography
- Harding, Tim; Botterill, G. S. (1977). The Italian Game. B. T. Batsford Limited. ISBN 0-7134-3261-6.
- Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1987). The Oxford Companion to Chess. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-281986-0.
- Horowitz, I. A. (1964). Chess Openings: Theory and Practice. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-20553-6.
- Kasparov, Gary; Keene, Raymond (1982). Batsford Chess Openings. American Chess Promotions. ISBN 0-7134-2112-6.
- Matanović, Aleksandar, ed. (1981). Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings C (2nd ed.). Yugoslavia: Chess Informant.