A Casual World Trip #2 - The Indian Opening

I was wondering, what the first Blog entry after the Introduction should be about. Then I thought to myself, that it would be proper to start at the Beginning. Or, to be precise, the Opening.

I have to admit, that Openings can be frightening and intimidating for somebody who is new to the Game. For very good reasons, since it is absolutely possible to completely and hopelessly ruin your game in the first five Moves. Even the most superficial study on the subject will confront the reader with an almost infinite set of Openings and Variations. And one would assume, that almost all of them are named. 

An example. I am a simple man and as such I prefer to ignore the e4 Openings and go for d4 instead and execute the London System.

Delightful. Now just follow up with e3 and c3, develop the Bishop and then Castle. But what happens, when Black moves 3. ...Nc6? What happens then is, that the AI starts messing around with you.

Or at least that may be a not completely unreasonable suspicion on my side. As I said, probably all Openings and Reactions to them have some sort of Name to them. So after just three moves the Computer tells me, that this is a "Queen`s Pawn Opening: Zukertort, Chigorin Variation"

Johannes Herman Zukertort (1842 - 1888; left) and Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin (1850 - 1908) were both Chess Masters of the late 19th Century. It is absolutely possible, that they were among the first ones to respond to a d4 Opening like this. Or at least among the first Tournament Players to do so. Or maybe the Computer just got a bit confused. The Chess Novice surely can`t tell whether it is the former or the latter.

But should the Chess Novice care? Probably not too much. In a way I look at all these designations as some sort of fancy oddities, that have very little effect on my first steps. Which means to occupy the Center, develop the Pieces and Castle.

Now I hear you say: "William, why is this Chapter called The Indian Opening?". And you would be absolutely right to ask this question. The answer is, that the Zukertort Chigorin Variation happened during a match versus an Indian Player, making India the 6th Passport in my Collection.

And if you tell me: "That was a VERY roundabout way to get to the point.", then I will answer: "Correct. Welcome to this Blog."