Gone are the days when the Advance variation in the Caro-Kann (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5) was thought to be a poor cousin to the French Advance - now it is arguably one of White’s best ways to secure the advantage against the notoriously solid defense.  And thanks to the likes of Nigel Short, Mickey Adams, Alexei Shirov and Peter Svidler et al., the White lines became so much more aggressive.

These highly aggressive lines (with an early h4, g4 or Ne2) took a direct, almost bludgeoning approach to the game, so much so that it got coined as “The Caveman Caro-Kann: Advance variation.”  And in a new series, GM Ronen Har-Zvi trends the developments in all the sharpest lines.

Have you ever considered The DERLD? This was the acronym title given to the Delayed Exchange of the Ruy Lopez Differed with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Bxc6 by English authors Tony Swift & Len Pickett. While both authors were only top club players for Lewisham, in the early 1970s they collaborated on a series of critically-acclaimed opening research pamphlets (and many magazine articles). Their most famous was the DERLD, and their published analysis on it was even used by an untitled English player to crush one of the world's top theoreticians at the time, GM Ludek Pachman, in just 25 moves during a 1972 London tournament! However its modern-day treatment is considered more positional in nature, has a different character to it than that of the Exchange variation of the Ruy Lopez, and has been played by top GMs such as Mickey Adams and Gata Kamsky.

The Hedgehog is a thoroughly modern defense where flexibility and understanding trumps all.  This counter-punching system was a big favorite of the likes of Garry Kasparov, Ljubomir Ljubojevic and Ulf Andersson, and for player’s of the White pieces playing the English Opening, it can still be problematic at the best of times.  But the late Polish-American GM Aleksander “Wojo” Wojtkiewicz - who was a feared player of the White pieces - came up with a simple, yet at the same time aggressive plan to “Sonic the Hedgehog” with  1 c4 c5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nc3 e6 4 g3 b6 5 Bg2 Bb7 6 0–0 a6 7 Re1.  And in a new series, GM Ronen Har-Zvi returns to look more carefully at Wojo’s system - that led to him scoring many spectacular wins - as a potent weapon in your arsenal to make roadkill out of the prickly Hedgehog.

In the King’s Indian Defense, White has to memorize a labyrinth of variations if he hopes to have any real chance at walking away with an advantage.  But the London System (1. d4 2. Nf3 3. Bf4) is an excellent way for amateurs to meet the King’s Indian Defense - and for a bit more bite, White can adopt a big Boris Spassky favorite by playing the London System with c4 against the KID.

Not only was it a weapon of Spassky's, it was also used by the likes of Kasparov, Bronstein and Smyslov.  And in a new four-part series, GM Ronen Har-Zvi takes a closer look at playing the London System (with c4) as an Anti-King’s Indian system.

The Grunfeld Defense is one of those annoying openings that torment all 1 d4 players. After 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 Black immediately begins active operations in the center and, more importantly, forces White to memorize a labyrinth of variations if he hopes to have any real chance at walking away with an advantage.  But have no fear as there’s one Anti-Grunfeld line - favored by Veselin Topalov, among others - that’s fast becoming a panacea for white with easy play and troubles for black, and that’s lines with 4 Qa4+.  And in a new series of Ronen’s Opening Survey, our openings expert takes a look at these Anti-Grunfeld lines. 

Frank J. Marshall, who held the U.S. championship title for 29 years before he relinquished it in 1936, had such a combinative style that he likened himself to boxing legend Jack Dempsey, who always went for a quick knockout blow. He left us his legacy of the Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez - but lesser known perhaps is his “other” gambit, a similarly vicious line against the notoriously tough Slav Defense that was also christened the Marshall Gambit after its inventor

Players wishing to play the Dutch Defense must certainly pay as much attention to Anti-Dutch systems as they do to the main line, as it is these very lines that can more frequently arise at club level.  And one of the most popular is the tricky 1 d4 f5 2 Bg5, a line that’s certainly a blood brother of the Trompowsky Attack. Black has to be extremely careful when facing 2 Bg5, because many up against this line have fallen victim to a miniature with White winning with a crushing attack in under 25 moves. This line is also a favorite in online play, and especially here on ICC!  And in a new series of Ronen’s Opening Survey, GM Ronen Har-Zvi explores the cut and thrust of the blood-thirsty Anti-Dutch with 2 Bg5.

The Scotch game with 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 first came to prominence when one of the leading players of his day, Scottish barrister John Cochrane (who also came up with the Cochrane variation against the Petroff's with 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nxf7!?) suggested it for his London Chess Club team when they took on Edinburgh Chess Club in what went on to become a famous correspondence match in 1824. When London first played it, they got a great position - but Cochrane had to leave for India and they could't convert their advantage, and drew. Edinburgh then opted to play the new idea in the next game and won - so the opening was named in their honor. However the Scotch lay dormant for the best part of a century at elite level until Garry Kasparov sensationally brought it back into fashion when he used it to ruffle up Karpov during their 1990 world title match. Since then, the venerable Scotch has had a new lease of life. And in a new series of Ronen's Opening Survey, our resident theoretical guru, GM Ronen Har-Zvi shows us just how potent a good Scotch can be.

Hungarian master Gyula Breyer (1893-1921) was one of the leading members of the hypermodern school of chess theory, but is best remembered for the variation of the Ruy Lopez named after him: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d6 9.h3 Nb8. This line became fashionable in the 1960s, and soon became a big favorite of ex-world champion Boris Spassky and candidate Lajos Portisch during this period.  It also received attention from both Kasparov and Karpov during their mighty duels through the 1980s.  It then went out of fashion for over 20 years at the elite level, only to now come back in vogue as a new favorite of Norwegian superstar Magnus Carlsen. And in a new series of Ronen's Opening Survey, our resident theoretical guru, GM Ronen Har-Zvi tells us why we could be going back to the future by switching to lines  such as the solid and ultrasound Breyer, especially as the Sicilian gets more and more "engined out". 

Back in the 60s and 70s everybody was playing the Sicilian Najdorf Variation, inspired by the genius of Bobby Fischer. One of the more controversial lines he championed in the mainline was the controversial Poisoned Pawn Variation with 7 …Qb6. After going out of fashion for a period, recently Sicilian aficionados have again resumed the maze-like challenges and complexities of the Fischer favorite, but this time with a new millennium twist of 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7. f4 Qb6. And in a new series of Ronen's Opening Survey, our theoretical guru, GM Ronen Har-Zvi casts a critical eye over this modern-day treatment of the Poisoned pawn.

The Orthodox Defense to the Queen's Gambit (1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nf3 Be7) is an extremely resilient system for Black, and a solid favorite of not just your average club player but also many of the world's top stars.  For many years, the two main lines against it used to be 5 Bg5 or 5 cxd5.  But in the early 1970s, Hungary's Lajos Portisch revived an old favorite of English player Joseph Blackburne (1841-1924) of 5 Bf4 with some pioneering new ideas in it. Players such as Kasparov, Karpov, Kramnik, Fischer, Carlsen, Topalov and Ivanchuk added it to their repertoire. And in a new series of Ronen's Opening Survey for Chess.FM, our resident openings expert, GM Ronen Har-Zvi, takes a closer look at the many attractions to the Queen's Gambit Declined with 5 Bf4 and why you also should be adding it to your repertoire.

The Lasker Defense (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 Ne4) in the Queen's Gambit is one of those openings where the idea of "black to equalize" is seen in full force with the exchange of some minor pieces. It was the main weapon of Emanuel Lasker in his title defense against the American champion Frank Marshall in 1907, hence the name, and recently received a revival by being adopted by Vishy Anand in his title defense earlier this year against challenger Veselin Topalov. And in a new series of Ronen's Opening Survey, Chess.FM's resident openings expert, GM Ronen Har-Zvi, overviews the Lasker Defense in light of new interest shown in it following Anand's recent adoption of it.

The new year brings with it a new Ronen Har-Zvi here on Chess.FM, as we rebrand his poplar weekly show from "New Idea In…" to "Ronen's Opening Survey". And in the first of his new series, our opening expert GM Ronen Har-Zvi shows just how best to handle the sometime difficult Alekhine's Defense with White's most reliable weapon of (1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 d4 d6) 4 Nf3 - a solid line used by all the top players that continues to score big for White.

The Archangel Variation 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 b5 6 Bb3 Bb7 derives its name from a group of players from the Russian city of Arkhangelsk, who pioneered the development of the line in the early sixties. Although the twin lines 6...Bc5 (New Archangel) and 5...Bc5 (Moller Defence) are in fact older than the Archangel, both had been forgotten for many decades. But the Nineties saw a revival of these lines thanks to elite players such as Alexei Shirov and Mickey Adams regularly playing it.

 Playing the White side of the Sicilian is a tricky business these days with all that main-line theory to remember. Indeed, if White is looking to present Black with some real problems while still avoiding mountains of theory, then the Anti-Sicilian Bb5 lines – more specifically, the Rossolimo (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5) and the Moscow (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+)  – might just be the way to go.

They are easy to play and often can resemble a Ruy Lopez - not what Black is looking for.  Even players such as Anand, Carlsen and Svidler regularly use it - and with excellent results.  So in his latest series “New Ideas In….” GM Ronen Har-Zvi examines the Anti-Sicilian Bb5 lines.

In a new series of “New Ideas In….” to accompany his recent series on the Rubinstein French, GM Ronen Har-Zvi take as look at the Psuedo-Steinitz variation of the French Defence with 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e5 Ne4!? While this interesting line can also be played against the Tarrasch with 3 Nd2, it’s best against 3 Nc3, as White has the strong option of ignoring the Knight on e4 and playing Bd3 and c3.

The idea is to break down the White center as quickly as possible - and, if White takes on e4, the Black pawn stops White’s natural development - and the Psuedo-Steintz is regarded as a good alternative line for players of the French Defence.

With over 90% of White players opting for either 3 Nc3 or Nd2 against the French Defense, many players like the idea of the option of an easy-to-play sideline rather than the theory-trodden paths of the Winawer or Tarrasch variations. A simple solution is the Rubinstein variation with 3 ...dxe4 that can be deployed against both the big main-lines of 3 Nc3 and 3 Nd2 and has easy development and no pawn structure weaknesses for Black.