Simple Chess Repertoire

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Simple Chess Repertoire
Compiled by fredthebear

This collection was created by kenilworthian. Others have copied it, kenilworthian deserves the credit. Fredthebear tossed in some at the bottom.

This is a collection of games from Sam Collins's excellent book, "A Simple Chess Opening Repertoire for White," which presents a complete king's pawn repertoire focused around the isolated queen's pawn (IQP) and related lines -- generally where White plays for dark square control and attack in an open position. This is a very good repertoire for ambitious young players because it teaches an important pawn structure that can arise in a wide range of both d-pawn or e-pawn openings, and it therefore creates the basis for assimilating a wide range of opening ideas. Though I am personally interested in some variations in the book more than others, I have long been interested in the IQP structure and have found much of value in the book on the IQP generally -- as I had from Collins's earlier opening repertoire for White titled "An Attacking Repertoire for White" (which also focused on the IQP but with rather less "simple" lines). Ambitious players would do well to also spend some time studying the isolated queen pawn structure. I would especially recommend finding GM Alexandr Baburin's now classic "Winning Pawn Structures"; the book is out of print and often available only at inflated prices, but a number of .pdf copies can readily be found on the web, including at Scribd. I have also found the book "Isolani Strategy" by Alexander Beliavsky, Oleg Stetsko, and Adrian Mikhalchishin of use, though it is also becoming more rare. For those less interested in books, there are a number of online videos and articles that can be of help as well. One useful resources is titled "1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 White Repertoire Webliography," which links to videos and articles on lines very similar to those discussed by Collins in his 1.e4 e5 repertoire.

The weakest part of the repertoire is the French Defense, which is based on ideas developed by Denis Yevseev in Fighting the French: A New Concept (nearly 400 pages of dense analysis on this line). Though playable at the amateur level, there are lots of ways for Black to do well if he knows the theory. I would simplify the repertoire more by recommending the Monte Carlo Exchange French with 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4 (you can find good analysis online). This way White can transpose to familiar territory from the Scandinavian as well after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.c4!? with the idea of returning the pawn to 3...c6 (Panov-Botvinnik) or 3...e6 (Monte Carlo Exchange French - Game Collection: French Defense, Monte Carlo Exchange Variation or https://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/...).

You can also simplify more by playing the Hunt or Chase Variation against the Alekhine (1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.c5!?), which can transpose to the c3 Sicilian (though White has other ideas too -- see the game Mazukewitsch - Kandaurov, Tula 1967, for example). And it would be good to learn the main line Panov-Botvinnik against the Caro-Kann -- though that does not simplify White's task - see http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2....

Game 1 - Introducing the IQP
Ding Liren vs Lu Shanglei, 2015
(D50) Queen's Gambit Declined, 20 moves, 1-0
Game 2 kenilworthian created this collection
Zvjaginsev vs Vasquez Schroeder, 2013
(B01) Scandinavian, 22 moves, 1-0
Game 3 kenilworthian created this collection
S B Hansen vs V Chuchelov, 2006
(B30) Sicilian, 39 moves, 1-0
5b - Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3)
Hector vs I Sokolov, 2013
(C54) Giuoco Piano, 28 moves, 1/2-1/2
5c kenilworthian created this collection
Hector vs D Semcesen, 2012
(C54) Giuoco Piano, 44 moves, 1/2-1/2
Game 6. kenilworthian created this collection
D Smerdon vs A Naumann, 2014
(C54) Giuoco Piano, 29 moves, 1-0
6b - Two Knights (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4)
L Trent vs Kramnik, 2017
(C54) Giuoco Piano, 46 moves, 1/2-1/2
Game 7 kenilworthian created this collection
Hector vs Hracek, 2013
(C54) Giuoco Piano, 49 moves, 1-0
8b kenilworthian created this collection
T L Petrosian vs Navara, 2007
(C45) Scotch Game, 47 moves, 0-1
8c kenilworthian created this collection
T L Petrosian vs S P Sethuraman, 2006
(C45) Scotch Game, 70 moves, 1-0
8d kenilworthian created this collection
M Pap vs B Vuckovic, 2013
(C45) Scotch Game, 27 moves, 1-0
9a kenilworthian created this collection
Nakamura vs Onischuk, 2015
(C45) Scotch Game, 31 moves, 1-0
9e kenilworthian created this collection
J Ye vs Svidler, 2001
(C45) Scotch Game, 27 moves, 1-0
9f kenilworthian created this collection
Nakamura vs Hebden, 2008
(C45) Scotch Game, 49 moves, 1-0
10a kenilworthian created this collection
E Legaspi vs Barakat Khalid Salim, 1992
(C45) Scotch Game, 15 moves, 1-0
10b kenilworthian created this collection
Nakamura vs Fressinet, 2004
(C45) Scotch Game, 35 moves, 1-0
10c kenilworthian created this collection
E Haag vs Lengyel, 1964
(C45) Scotch Game, 32 moves, 1/2-1/2
10f - newer example
G Jones vs N Batsiashvili, 2017
(C45) Scotch Game, 57 moves, 1-0
11b kenilworthian created this collection
A Tzermiadianos vs Iuldachev, 2012
(C45) Scotch Game, 38 moves, 0-1
Game 13 - Philidor and others (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 and others)
A Sokolov vs Naiditsch, 2015
(C41) Philidor Defense, 40 moves, 1-0
Philidor Def: Hanham Var (C41) 1-0 Pedestal/Gueridon Mate
Polo vs Pasqualini, 1923
(C41) Philidor Defense, 9 moves, 1-0
Game 14 - c3 Sicilian
Naroditsky vs G Oparin, 2014
(B22) Sicilian, Alapin, 53 moves, 1-0
14b kenilworthian created this collection
Acs vs I Saric, 2014
(B22) Sicilian, Alapin, 29 moves, 1/2-1/2
14c kenilworthian created this collection
L Vajda vs Shirov, 2012
(B22) Sicilian, Alapin, 52 moves, 1-0
Game 15 - c3 Sicilian
R Mamedov vs Wojtaszek, 2014
(B22) Sicilian, Alapin, 54 moves, 1-0
Game 21 - c3 Sicilian
Kryvoruchko vs Negi, 2013
(B22) Sicilian, Alapin, 34 moves, 1-0
Game 22 - c3 Sicilian
D Gochelashvili vs O Nechaev, 2014
(B22) Sicilian, Alapin, 27 moves, 1-0
Game 24 - c3 Sicilian
D Howell vs D Gormally, 2014
(B22) Sicilian, Alapin, 25 moves, 1-0
Game 28 - Caro-Kann
Zvjaginsev vs Jakovenko, 2013
(B10) Caro-Kann, 27 moves, 1/2-1/2
Game 29 - Caro-Kann
Naiditsch vs R J Dive, 2012
(B10) Caro-Kann, 53 moves, 1-0
Game 31 - French Defense, Tarrasch Variation
A Kislinsky vs R Svane, 2013
(C07) French, Tarrasch, 53 moves, 1-0
32b kenilworthian created this collection
S Collins vs S Williams, 2012
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 65 moves, 0-1
33d kenilworthian created this collection
Naiditsch vs Pelletier, 2013
(C10) French, 73 moves, 1-0
Game 34 - French Defense
V Malakhov vs Mu Ke, 2015
(C04) French, Tarrasch, Guimard Main line, 56 moves, 1-0
Game 35 - Pirc
F Handke vs J Broekmeulen, 2011
(B07) Pirc, 17 moves, 1-0
Game 37 kenilworthian created this collection
Efimenko vs Kryvoruchko, 2013
(B01) Scandinavian, 48 moves, 1/2-1/2
Game 38 kenilworthian created this collection
D Pardo Simon vs J Ramirez Garcia, 2012
(B01) Scandinavian, 41 moves, 1-0
39d kenilworthian created this collection
Ni Hua vs A Muzychuk, 2010
(B01) Scandinavian, 48 moves, 1-0
40b - Alekhine
Wei Ming Kevin Goh vs A J Datu, 2010
(B03) Alekhine's Defense, 41 moves, 1-0
Game 41 - Alekhine Defense
E Inarkiev vs Brunner, 2012
(B03) Alekhine's Defense, 39 moves, 1-0
41b kenilworthian created this collection
Karpov vs Vaganian, 1969
(B03) Alekhine's Defense, 53 moves, 1/2-1/2
French Def: Tarrasch. Modern System (C03) 1-0 0-0 & Sac Attk!
Geller vs P Kekki, 1985
(C03) French, Tarrasch, 22 moves, 1-0
This is really a tremendous attacking game by Geller
Geller vs Dreev, 1990
(C03) French, Tarrasch, 25 moves, 1-0
French Defense: Tarrasch. Modern System (C03) 1-0 blitz
Carlsen vs Radjabov, 2012
(C03) French, Tarrasch, 28 moves, 1-0
French Tarrasch. Closed (C05) 1-0 Qside attack uses open b-file
Hydra vs Ponomariov, 2005
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 29 moves, 1-0
French Defense: Tarrasch. Closed Variation (C05) · 0-1
T Gelashvili vs Timman, 2000
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 29 moves, 0-1
French Tarrasch. Open System Euwe-Keres Line (C07) 1-0
Kasparov vs Short, 2001
(C07) French, Tarrasch, 24 moves, 1-0
French Tarrasch. Open System Euwe-Keres Line (C07) 0-1
P Simacek vs Jobava, 2013
(C07) French, Tarrasch, 20 moves, 0-1
French Rubinstein. Blackburne Def (C10) 1-0 Spectacular finish
Caruana vs E Berg, 2008
(C10) French, 28 moves, 1-0
Modern Defense: Two Knights Var (B06) 1-0 27.?
Tringov vs V Urdinov, 1998
(B06) Robatsch, 31 moves, 1-0
Modern Defense: Two Knights. Suttles Var (B06) 0-1 28...?
W van Lankveld vs Van der Wiel, 2000
(B06) Robatsch, 30 moves, 0-1
Modern Defense: Two Knights. Suttles Var (B06) 1-0 30.?
Xie Jun vs Larsen, 1994
(B06) Robatsch, 31 moves, 1-0
Caro-Kann Def: Karpov. Smyslov Var (B17) 1-0 Hammer the 6th
B Perenyi vs L Eperjesi, 1974
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 14 moves, 1-0
Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov. Modern Main Line (B17) 1-0
V Akopian vs Shimanov, 2012
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 23 moves, 1-0
Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation (B17) · 1-0
N Zykina vs N Algildah, 2010
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 38 moves, 1-0
Caro-Kann Def: Classical. ML (B18) 1-0 Notes by Stockfish; 25.?
L Milman vs J Fang, 2005
(B18) Caro-Kann, Classical, 31 moves, 1-0
Sicilian Defense: Canal Attack (B51) · 1-0
Tiviakov vs Anand, 2012
(B51) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 50 moves, 1-0
Sicilian Defense: Canal Attack (B51) · 0-1
Bologan vs Topalov, 2012
(B51) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 40 moves, 0-1
Sicilian Defense: Canal Attack (B51) 1-0 Lost tempos lose
Ivanchuk vs Kasparov, 1991
(B51) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 38 moves, 1-0
Sicilian Defense: Canal Attack (B51) 0-1 Stockfish notes
Aronin vs Kotov, 1948
(B51) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 55 moves, 0-1
Sicilian Defense: Canal Attack. Main Line (B52) 1-0
R Kashtanov vs J D Williams, 2012
(B52) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 26 moves, 1-0
Russian Game: Classical Attack (C42) 1-0 Stockfish notes
Fischer vs Gheorghiu, 1970
(C42) Petrov Defense, 35 moves, 1-0
Russian Game: Classical Attack. Chigorin Var (C42) 1-0Stockfish
Kasparov vs Timman, 1994
(C42) Petrov Defense, 30 moves, 1-0
Russian Game: Classical Attack. Staunton Var (C42) 1/2-1/2
Giri vs V S Gujrathi, 2022
(C42) Petrov Defense, 33 moves, 1/2-1/2
64 games

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