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An Opening Repertoire for the
Attacking Player

by S. Evan Kreider

The purpose of this article is not to teach any openings (though our site will include such content in the near future), but rather to help the attacking player decide upon a set of openings which form a consistent and efficient repertoire, as well as to direct the player to resources from which to learn these openings. I have selected this particular repertoire based on the following criteria: a) it is suitable for the aggressive player (i.e., it maximizes tactical opportunities and attacking (or counter-attacking) possibilities); b) it is suitable for the amateur player with a reasonable but limited amount of time and energy to devote to study (i.e., most if not all amateur players); c) it results in positions which are good (or at least equal) for White; d) it results in positions which are equal (or only minimally and reasonably disadvantageous) for Black; e) it contains various structurally and strategically similar lines, when possible; f) it is relatively natural and intuitive to play.

[N.B.: I have linked each opening to an interactive board which will open in a new window for you to follow along with the move list in each description. Simply click on the relevant link, follow along using the VCR style buttons or by clicking on the moves in the move list, and then close the window when you are through.]

Given these criteria, I recommend playing 1. e4 as White. It tends to lead to open games, attacking possibilities, and tactical opportunities, which are usually the keys to success for the amateur / non-Master / hobbyist / club player.

If Black responds symmetrically with 1. …e5, then I recommend the Vienna Game. Theory suggests that Black can get an equal game if (s)he knows what (s)he’s doing, but it’s still a sound and reliable alternative to the dense theory of the Italian or Spanish. It’s also an especially deadly weapon at the club level, since most club players are not as familiar with it as they are with the other open games. Also among its virtues is the fact that (unlike the Italian, Spanish, or Scotch) it allows you to avoid Petroff’s Defense, Philidor’s Defense, the Latvian Gambit, and the Elephant Gambit. There are a variety of ways to play the Vienna Game; however, I recommend the aggressive 3. f4 variation, which is a sort of improved King’s Gambit, (and which even Judit Polgar has played on a couple of occasions). After the typical 1. e4 e5, 2. Nc3 Nf6, 3. f4 d5, 4. fxe5 (4. d3 exf4! tends to lead to an advantage for Black) 4. …Nxe4, I like 5. d3. It’s more sound than the lines with early queen development (5. Qe2 or 5. Qf3), but less common than the main line 5. Nf3. Black may equalize with extremely accurate play: 5. …Nxc3 (5. …Bb4 is fine for Black but a bit draw-ish after 6. dxe4 Qh4+, 7. Ke2 Bxc3, 8. bxc3 Bg4+, 9. Nf3 dxe4, 10. Qd4 Bh5), 6. bxc3 d4, 7. Nf3 dxc3, 8. Be2 Nc6, 9. O-O Nd4, 10. Ng5 Bc5, 11. Kh1 O-O, 12. Bh5 Be6 with an unclear but roughly balanced position. A good book from which to learn the Vienna is IM Gary Lane’s Vienna Game (Everyman Chess, 2000), which has received good reviews, and contains a good mix of analysis and explanation. It will also show you how to play variations of the Vienna other than 3. f4, if you are so inclined, or would like some variety.

If Black responds with 1. ...e6, then I recommend the Advance French. It’s true that if Black really knows what (s)he is doing, then the Advance variation leads to equality, but even so, it is very sound, and it offers a lot of possibilities for White to launch dangerous assaults against the Black king. It also does not require you to memorize a mountain of theory in order to play it well, compared to the main line French. A typical line runs: 1. e4 e6, 2. d4 d5, 3. e5 c5, 4. c3 Nc6, 5. Nf3 Nge7 (5. …Qb6, 6. a3 c4, 7. Nbd2 leads to a slight advantage for White), 6. Bd3 cxd4, 7. cxd4 Nf5, 8. Bxf5 exf5, 9. Nc3 = . GM Tony Kosten’s The French Advance (Chess Press Opening Guides, 1998) offers an excellent blend of hard theory with strategic and tactical advice, and Kosten is an excellent writer in addition.

If Black responds with 1. ...c6, then I recommend the Advance Caro-Kann; more specifically, the Short-Nunn attack (White follows 1. e4 c6, 2. d4 d5, 3. e5 Bf5 with 4. Nf3, 5. Be2, and usually 6. Be3 or O-O, developing his forces, and then advancing aggressively on the kingside). I believe this is currently the best approach against the Caro-Kann, and it has the advantage of being less theory-laden than the classical approach (3. Nc3 or Nd2). It also leads to some similar pawn structures as the French Advance, which will maximize your understanding of the positions which arise from either. IM Byron Jacobs’ The Caro-Kann Advance (Chess Press Opening Guides, 1997) will teach you the Short-Nunn, as well as other approaches to the Caro-Kann Advance, including how to deal with the rarer side-lines which Black might try to surprise you with; furthermore, as is typical with most (if not all?!) of the Chess Press Opening Guides series, hard analysis is combined with explication of the underlying concepts and strategies of the opening.

If Black responds with the Sicilian, then you need to do some serious thinking. The Sicilian may be the most dangerous of Black’s responses, and it alone is responsible for turning a lot of players off to 1. e4. However, I am here to tell you that you should not fear! The Sicilian is just as dangerous for Black as it is for White. In addition, White has several sound sidelines to choose from which will allow you to avoid main line Open Sicilian territory. From among them, I recommend the Sicilian Grand Prix Attack. Like most of White’s non-main line second-tier Sicilian systems, it probably will not secure an opening advantage against the Black player who really knows her / his stuff, but it’s perfectly sound, and leads to lively, dynamic play, with plenty of attacking opportunities for White. Another nice thing about the Grand Prix attack is that it can lead to similar positions and strategies as the 3. f4 Vienna Game, so they complement each other nicely. A typical line runs: 1. e4 c5, 2. Nc3 Nc6, 3. f4 g6, 4. Nf3 Bg7, 5. Bb5 (5. Bc4 is not as b) 5. …Nd4, 6. O-O Nxb5, 7. Nxb5 d5, 8. e5 = . IM Gary Lane’s The Grand Prix Attack (Batsford, 1997) has received good reviews; I’ve heard that it has recently gone out of print, but you can still find it through most online chess stores.

Against the Pirc or the Modern, I recommend the 4. Be3 lines, often referred to as the “150 Attack” (a.k.a. the “Caveman Attack”). White typically employs a set-up with pawns on e4 and d4, Nc3, Be3, Qd2, O-O-O, and commences a kingside attack with the aid of the queen-bishop battery and a pawn storm. Frankly, there aren’t a lot of books detailing this system, but John Nunn’s The Ultimate Pirc (Batsford, 1998) gives detailed analysis and a bit of commentary.

For the most part, Black’s other alternatives provide no real problems for White. Solid main lines will work well against the Alekhine, the Nimzowitsch, and the Scandinavian (a.k.a. Center-Counter Defense). Any standard openings manual or encyclopedia (like MCO or NCO) can show you what to do, and there will be comparatively little theory involved. You will be best served by playing carefully and actively, and watching out for tactical opportunities for both yourself and your opponent.

Now a Black repertoire. Against 1. e4, an excellent choice for the aggressive, tactical player with only a moderate amount of study time is the …Nf6 Scandinavian. This line of the Scandi (a.k.a., “Center-Counter Defense”) is not as common at the club level as the …Qxd5 lines, so the surprise value alone speaks to its advantage. In addition, it’s a sound, equalizing line with plenty of opportunities for sharp, tactical play. A typical line begins: 1. e4 d5, 2. exd5 (2. e5 is bad, since after 2. …Bf5, 3. …e6, and 4. …c5, Black is essentially playing a French without the locked-in bishop) 2. …Nf6, 3. d4 Bg4, 4. Be2 Bxe2+, 5. Qxe2 Qxd5. GM John Emms' The Scandinavian (Chess Press, 1997) offers detailed coverage of the …Nf6 lines, as well as the …Qxd5 lines, should you want some variety.

Against 1. d4, I recommend the Leningrad Dutch. It’s a sharp counter-attacking system for Black against the otherwise deadly-dull (from the point of view of the attacking player!) 1. d4 opening. 1. …f5 also has the advantage of being quite playable against White’s non-1. e4 and non-1.d4 openings choices; for example, 1. c4 f5 and 1. Nf3 f5 often transpose directly to the Dutch, or at the very least allow the Black player to create very Dutch-like positions which (s)he will be comfortable playing. A typical line begins: 1. d4 f5, 2. c4 Nf6, 3. g3 g6, 4. Bg2 Bg7, 5. Nf3 O-O, 6. O-O d6. The Dutch for the Attacking Player by IM Steffen Pedersen (Batsford, 1996) is a well-received repertoire book which manages to walk that fine line between theory and explanation, with sufficient coverage and detail of the relevant lines.

These lines should provide the aggressive chess player with plenty of opportunities for sound and active play. Enjoy!