c3-d3 Giuoco Pianissimo: Introduction

Introduction (Read on for Chapter 1)

     GM John Emms presents a flexible approach to the open games in his Beating 1. e4 e5 book. In studying his work, I will use this group to mark my progress and share my findings. Enjoy!

Move Two: An Early Decision

     We choose to begin with the bishop's opening in order to evade the Petroff, which could otherwise result in positions very different than those in the Italian. The bishop's opening and Italian are quite similar.

Ambiguous Plans

     In the Giuoco Pianissimo, we wish to reach a position with have a knight on f3 and pawns on c3 and d3, with the option (but not requirement!) of breaking in the center with a d4 push. White may opt to keep the center closed and attack on the kingside instead. In my personal opinion, that is the power of this opening. White can choose to castle kingside, queenside, or not at all--the moment black commits to a direction, white can pick the plan most favorable.

     A more concrete advantage is the movement of the queenside white knight, who often takes the trip Nd2-f1-g3. In delaying castling, we avoid blocking the f1 square with the rook. This way, the knight can arrive at its destination sooner, and without constraint.

Move Order

     We choose to play 4. c3 so that the bishop may escape to the c2 square if the black knight comes to chase it at a later point with Na5, and to support a potential d4 push. Black doesn't have time at the moment to make the Na5 threat because the knight is busy guarding e5, and black isn't done developing.

     According to Emms, 5. ...a6 has been the most popular choice in recent years as it retains flexibility for black:

1. Black has not yet castled
2. Black still has a choice on either a d6 or d5 push.

     The utility of ...a6 extends beyond its role as a waiting move; it creates a hideaway for the black bishop. Without this move, white can trade a knight for that bishop with plans of b4, Nbd2-c4 followed by an exchange or capture on a5 or b6.

     White generally plays Bb3 at one point or another (according to Emms--I personally lack the experience to validate this comment), so playing it now lets white continue to maintain an ambiguous position.

     Note that up until 6. ...Ba3, black has been unable to break open the center with d5 (See variation on board above). If black tries 5. ...d5?, white can capture black's e5 pawn after the exchanges on d5. After 8. d4, black is a pawn down after the recapture of either the bishop or knight. Attempting to get the pawn back with 8. ...Bxd4 would cost black a minor.

     7. h3 is white's final waiting move. It has the prophylactic property of keeping black's knight and bishop off of the g4 square. In addition, it helps white prepare for a dangerous kingside attack with a g4 pawn push should black choose to castle with 7. ...O-O.

Below, I present to you my summary and analysis of Chapter 1.

Game One

Game Two

Game Three

Game Four

Game Five

Game Six

Game Seven

Game Eight

Game Nine

Game Ten (initial move order modified by Emms)

Actual move order:

5. ...d6 6.Bb3 a6 7.h3 O-O 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 Be6 10.Nbd2 Ba7 11.Nh2

The Early Castle

     This game illustrates how white can launch a kingside attack in the event that black castles early before white commits to doing so as well. Primarily, this starting position arises when black fails to prevent the bishop pin before castling. Instead, black can avoid castling early by playing 7. ...h6!?. (See Sideline Game 1 below for details.)

The Bishop Pin

Bg5 is a good move due to the combination of the following:

1. Black has already castled, so relieving the pin with ...h6 and ...g5 would compromise the safety of the black king.
2. White has yet to castle, and could respond to such pawn pushes with a kingside pawnstorm and break open the kingside without endangering the white king.
3. Black's bishop is far away on a7 and cannot relieve the pin.

In Sideline Game 2, Black tries to relieve the pin immediately with ...h6 and ...g5. White uses these overextended pawns as a basis for attack, which is a theme we observe in these games surrounding Game 10.

Knight's Spring Attack

     This surprising move (10. Nh2!) was suggested by the opponent who beat Kasparov (see Sideline Game 3). Not a good enough reason to play it? Tough crowd. The idea is to prepare Ng4, which would thematically provoke black to advance kingside pawns. Alternatively, 10. Nf1 transposes to Game 6, above.

 Relieving The Pin 

     Note that the provocation of ...h6 is not out of amateurish fear, but rather, a tactical threat. In a correspondence game between G.Hassell and S.Smith in 2000 (See Sideline Game 4), black tried instead to counterattack in the center with 10. ...d5. Seeing that the pin was still there, white pressured the f6 knight with Qf3 and Ng4, threatening to break open the defenses around the black king with an exchange on f6. Black attempted to pacify the offending g4 knight with 12. ...Bxg4 (See Sideline Game 4), but this opened up the h-file, with which white delivered the fatal blow with queen and rook. ...h6 at this final position would be in vain, as white could sacrifice the bishop to access the king.

Taunting Knight

     White exerts pressure on g5 with 15.Ndf3!, taunting black to chase it away with 15....g4. Should black have submitted to this provocation, the knight would retreat to d2, and white would plan to bust open the kingside with 16.f3.

Sorry, That Spot Is Not Available

     f4 at first appears like an ideal spot for the black knight, but 19. ...Nf4 is unpleasant for black. After 20.Bxf4 exf4, the a7 bishop is cut off by the white pawn chain. The alternative, 20. ...gxf4 leaves black vulnerable to a dangerous 21. g3 break.

Sideline Game 1:

A Prophylactic Delay

Black may feel unenthusiastic about castling into such an attack, and can opt to play the noncommittal 7. ...h6!? instead of 7. ...O-O. This quiet move serves a number of functions:

1. Black waits for white to commit
2. Black prevents the bothersome Bg5 pin
3. This move is played in the mainline, but black may end up one tempo ahead.

     While the first two points are self-explanatory, the third may require elaboration. Up until this move, white has been delaying the move Nbd2 because it would prevent white from pinning the f6 knight with the bishop. Since this is no longer possible after ...h6, white might as well develop the knight. If white continues with the plan to transfer the d2 knight to the e3 square via Nbd2-f1-e3, the game virually transposes to the mainline. The subtle difference is that black does not have the chance to play this ...a6 move in the mainline. On one hand, one might consider black to be one tempo ahead. On the other hand, white may use the h6 pawn as a basis for attack and it may prove to be a liability.

     White has the opportunity to avoid this transposition and launch an attack on the kingside instead. (See opening post, Plan A.) Emm's annotations of the sideline game by woman grandmasters Stepovaia and Turova demonstrate this possibility, including an example of capitalizing on the h6 pawn weakness.

Sideline Game 2:

Kingside Pawn Kicks

     Black tries to relieve the pin on the f6 knight with immediate ...h6, ...g5 pawn pushes. This game by WGMs Kulish and WGMs Stjazhkina shows how white can take advantage of the weakened kingside. In brief, white threatens to break with h-pawn pushes, gains space and time with a tactical threat (16.h5), and breaks open the f-file with f4.

Sideline Game 3:

Some bloke with a chess set tried out this opening as white and decided that it just wasn't for him after the game. Just kidding! Chess legend Kasparov "failed to find the right plan," according to Emms, and struggled to generate kingside play after 10. Bh4?!.

Sideline Game 4:

 (Comments embedded in the puzzle! Didn't think you'd have to work, did you?)

Summary:

[reserved]