Kasparov's Chess Openings - Otto Borik

An English translation of the 1989 German book “Kasparows Schacheröffnungen”. It makes a credible hypothesis that a vocabulary of 2000 words is sufficient to understand 85% of non-specialised text and everyday conversation, and applies this idea to chess. In this way, Borik arrives at a minimal chess opening repertoire for optimum use.

And using World Champion Garry Kasparov as a base, the repertoire is suited for players looking for an active, tactical oriented game without excessive risk. And I think this book succeeds exceptionally well, as a concept and in practice. What sets this book apart is the use of model games as the foundation of each opening system,

What is most amazing in the book is the selection of model games from Garry Kasparov’s career, they exemplify the themes of each opening system particularly well. Borik includes the full game annotated, so doesn’t leave the player stuck at the end of a line without a clear idea of how to proceed. After each model game is supplementary material offering a handful more games covering variations and sidelines from the main model game.

German Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson, a renown expert in opening theory, named this book as the first chess book he studied from cover-to-cover. He was one of Magnus Carlsen’s team of seconds in the 2016 and 2018 World Championship matches.

This book is a modern revamp of a single book opening repertoire, and as such it stands heads above other one-book minimal but complete opening repertoire books. This is both an opening repertoire based on model games, and a book of Kasparov’s memorable games, with some notable losses (e.g. the tragedy of Barcelona, Kasparov’s loss to Yusupov in a King’s Indian Defence)

Repertoire as White (1. d4)

Chapter 1 is a broad sweep through the Queen’s Gambit systems, starting with two model games using the Exchange systems, a demonstration against Campora of the Bg5 system, and Nigel Short provides an adequate canvas for a model game using the Bf4 system. Timman provides suitable opposition for a model demonstration of dealing with the mainline Slav. Kasparov provides a model game against the Semi-Slav against van der Wiel, but it takes games from Christiansen, Larsen and Piket to infer how Kasparov would play against the Meran system. The Queen’s Gambit Accepted is pure opening theory, waiting for a Kasparov model game.

Chapter 2 covers the Classical Qc2 variation of the Nimzo-Indian. Hjartarson is Kasparov’s accomplice to demonstrate the … b6 Nimzo system. Nikolic provides a target on the … d5 system. Then there’s another theory section to cover off other fourth moves for Black.

Chapter 3 takes a broad sweep through the Benoni systems. The sole model game is Kasparov’s 21-move demolition of Nunn’s Modern Benoni with the Taimanov system. Interestingly it doesn’t cover the 8… Bd7 line, which gives White sufficient headaches. Other Benoni lines are just mentioned in passing: the Old Indian and the Czech system, because they don’t meet the minimum threshold of games played.

Chapter 4 introduces Kasparov’s “patent” 8. Rb1 in the Exchange Grunfeld. There’s some decent coverage of lines where Black takes the sacrificed pawn, but the player needs a bit more tactical awareness than in other chapters to digest the material. Borik offers a transposition that cuts out some of Black’s possibilities (THe cunning 9. Qd2 instead of the 9. Be2).

Chapter 5 handles both the King’s Indian and Old Indian complexes. The Classical King’s Indian is where White and Black repertoires intersect. When playing the White pieces, Borik opts for the 9. Nd2 instead of the sharper 9. Ne1, side-stepping any opening theory secrets (“as White it is best to use solid systems which postpone the real battle until the middle-game, thus avoiding sharp theoretical clashes”). Smirin provides a suitable opponent to dismantle in Kasparov model style. A Kasparov simul against the Swiss Olympiad team (sans Korchnoi) is the backdrop for a model game against the Old Indian.

Repertoire as Black (Sicilian & King’s Indian)

Kasparov’s career-long adherence to the Sicilian Defence is well known, although predominantly with the Najdorf variation after the Karpov matches came to a close. Kasparov’s most famous game with the Sicilian is the 24th game of the 1985 match against Karpov wherein a Scheveningen system Kasparov sacrifices two pawns to create counterplay that secures the 22-year old the World Champion title.

Chapter 6 covers the Black side of the Sicilian Defence, primarily focused on the Scheveningen System. Beliavsky provides a suitable opponent to demonstrate Kasparov’s thematic approach with the Black pieces. Not a perfect game, but is an effective example of the fighting spirit of both sides handling of the Scheveningen. The Supplementary material does cover the more famous game against Karpov. There follows a model game against Ljubojevic in handling the Keres Attack, against Hjartarson in dealing with the English Attack.

The Sicilian sidelines (relative to the Open Sicilian) are covered too, starting with a model game versus Spassky’s Closed Sicilian. The c3-Sicilian is bereft of up-to-date examples of Kasparov’s handling, so Borik presents the player with older games played by Kasparov along with a short theoretical overview of variations.

Chapter 7 covers playing the King’s Indian Defence as Black against 1. d4. It starts off with a model game against Danailov in an Exchange King’s Indian, showing that even a queenless middlegame has some bite as Kasparov takes advantage of the d4-hole in White’s pawn structure. Kasparov’s opponents have avoided trying the sharp 9. Ne1 variation of the Classical King’s Indian, so it’s covered by a single game in the Supplementary Material section, Korchnoi - Kasparov played in Barcelona 1989.

The Petrosian system is covered in an almost brilliancy game against Yusupov from the Barcelona leg of the World Cup tournaments of 1989. Speelman provides a fitting opponent to demonstrate Black’s model play against the Gligoric System, Kasparov sacrifices the e-pawn and follows up with … f4 to create a strong-point of e5 and hem in the White pieces behind his own light-squared pawn chain.

Against the Sämisch King’s Indian, Kasparov dismantles Timman centre with a queenside pawn sacrifice. Gheorghiu uses a specific move order to side-step this gambit, allowing Kasparov to demonstrate a kingside pawn sacrifice similar to the Speelman game forcing a White pawn to e4, blocking in the White pieces behind it, and then playing his f-pawn to f4 creating a strongpoint on e5 for the Black dark-squared bishop. Kasparov converts Black’s positional compensation

Chapter 8 rounds off the repertoire dealing with less mainstream openings. It sees Kasparov adopt a Grunfeld type structure to combat Romanishin’s Bird’s Opening, fighting for control of the e5-square. Hort’s Queen’s Pawn Opening (a Jobava London system) is dismantled with a similar Slav Grunfeld setup fighting for control of the e5-square. Kasparov overcomes Simon Webb’s Double Fianchetto system with a Botvinnik English structure. And Ljubojevic’s pieces are tied up in a model game against his King’s Indian Attack.

Title

Kasparov's Chess Openings

ISBN

1852235314

Author(s)

Borik, Otto

Publisher

Crowood Press

Year

1991