My 11 yr old son is a good school player (never beaten) but I want to get into tournys this year.  His current competition does not know what the sicilian is..LOL.  I am a hack and understand very little myself.  We are looking for a repertoire.

He has studied the Italian opening along with the Evans Gambit and Fried Liver depending on black's moves.  He has his e4 opening.  He needs a good response to c6 though.  He is attacking in nature and loves traps, forced moves and pushing, pushing, pushing. 

We have not studied d4 at all or any of blacks defences. SOOOOOOO

What is a good response to c6 as white considering his attacking nature?

What is a good d4 system? 

I know there are thousands of opinions.  I would like those who played chess as juniors and stayed with it or have coached juniors to respond.  I don't have the money for a coach and I am trying to do what I can as a dad with no talent for the game.  

Thanks from Jerry in Maryland where we have 20" of snow and it is still falling.

A good response to 1...c6 (the Caro-Kann Defense) for an attacking player is the Panov-Botvinnik Attack (below).White accepts an isolated queen's pawn for quick development and attacking chances. A good system playing 1.d4, or against 1.d4? There, I'm a little out of my depth. Maybe the King's Indian Defense, or something similar? You said he likes attacking.

I think the simplest anwser to 1.d4 is 1...d5.  You can then aim for a setup of d5, c6, e6, Bf5, Nf6, Nbd7, Bd6 and black should be okay for the level your son is playing out.

Another, quite simple response to 1...c6 (which is known as the "Caro-Kann defense") is 2.d4, d5 3.exd5. cxd5 4.Bd3. This is called the Exchange Variation, and White just plays c3 to secure his d-pawn, Nf3, Bf4, and the Nbd2. You get quick development and a fairly simple position.

Thanks for the imput.  I also ment to request a response to the Sicilian Defense.  What is the best reply by white?

Against 1. d4, if your son likes to be aggressive, then check out the Budapest defense. for the Budapest Ng4 variations, any good budapest text will do. For the Budapest Fajarowicz variation (ultra-aggressive!) check out the analysis in "Secrets of Opening Surprises" Volume 8, page 63 by GM Arthur Kogan.

If White avoids the Budapest with 2. Nf3, then check out the Spielman Attack, "Secrets of Opening Surprises" Volume 8 page 97, again by Arthur Kogan.

You can find the SOS books on Amazon. Just do a search under "Secrets of Opening Surprises" or "Jeroen Bosch".

That should do it for you.

It depends. The best reply is to play the Open Sicilian if you know it well. But if you want something that doesn't require that much study and suits an aggressive player then probably either Smith Morra Gambit or Grand Prix Attack is the way to go. (Of course, they also require study.)

Against the Sicilian defense check out the Vinohrady Variation,

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g4!? 

"Secrets of Opening Surprises" Volume 5 page 20. Ultra-aggressive and not well known.....

That would be the GRand Prix Attack, or at least it could be.

But on your comment about the Fried Liver Attack, don't teach your son that. It won't work, and black finds his way out safely most of the time. Much better would be the Lolli Attack. It's so astoundingly better than the Fried Liver.

This is all great info.  He actually played the Smith Morra (close enough) against my sicilian (using a book to help my moves) w/o knowing it.  He may do well to study that line. 

I never heard of the Lolli. I will have him study it.  He kills at school with the Fried Liver because he does not have any competition.  I have read that the Fried Liver is NEVER used by superior players.

Budapest?  I will check it out also.  After 2 years of chess he if finally wanting to study it a bit.  I never pushed him but now he is showing interest.  I think it was a trophy that he won for his county victory! LOL

Please keep it coming......remember he is a kid.  Trying to keep is simple (for me), solid but aggressive. 

Thanks, Jerry

PS - I truly appreciate the time you all are taking to answer my questions.  I don't have anyone to ask and he shows a natural talent (beats all the teachers...LOL) that I would like to develope.

I know GM Karsten Muller rec's the Morra gambit for junior players.. I can see why, the pieces land on natural squares and the value of 1 pawn isnt that much at that age, and its great for attacks

I have played chess since I was about 8 and that is a long time ago.

I coach juniors in our club now.

i e4 is right, against c6 The Caveman Attack, Kids love openings with traps this one qualifies. agree Morra against Sicilian, Wing Gambit is fun against the French and almost sound.

Against d4 e5 the Englund Gambit. just Google this stuff you will get the idea pretty quick.

A good book for youngsters is Gambiteer 1 and 2 they love it and it is a lot of fun.

he will grow out of all this anyway. Just let him have fun.

Buy "Attacking Chess" Josh Waitzkin. It tells about the way he played when he was a kid. He was like to play attack style.

He will like the caveman attack for its name alone! LOL 

just dont try the hillbilly attack in the caro kann, it is terrible!

against d4: d5 and play the Tarrarsch defense (more of a counter attack) Black accepts an IQP for space and mobility (this allows king side assaults). It is solid and agressive, Garry Kasparov played it throughout his career. The opening is a classic and the moves are intuitive.

I would recomend against any strategically complex openings like the KID, Budapest or Sicilian. As for the fried liver attack I would say play IT!! White has compensation for the knight, even at master level most of them would rather be on the white side of the attack under normal time controls.

If your son is an attacking style player maybe you should at the grand prix attack in response to the scillian

There's also nothing at all wrong with just jumping in and playing the open sicilian. You learn openings by playing them, and he's not going to be playing against booked-up GMs, is he?

paulgottieb....playing against GMs he will not!  His hack father and a bunch of kids that are not very good.  I must get him into a tourny so he can be beat OTB.  I just want him to have a decent chance of winning or drawing one game at his first tourny so he can take away some good while learning from his looses.

He will follow book on the few lines he knows and then he is looking for traps and hidden attacks and forced moves. 

There are various anti-sicilians which can be used against 1..c5 from black. I recommend playing 2. c4 followed by Nf3, d4 and Nxd4 in order to establish the Marcozy bind. In the 1950's the bind was very feared and was almost considered to be a forced win for white. Today, it is not regarded as highly but an unprepared opponent is unlikely to fare well against it.