Invest an hour and you will be ready to confound your opponents: Svitlana Demchenko's Opening Surprises

by Stefan Liebig
12/29/2024 – The World Championship match between Gukesh Dommaraju and Ding Liren demonstrated how important it can be to catch your opponent on the wrong foot in the opening. In her 60-minute course, Svitlana Demchenko shows how this can be achieved with both colours and very little theory. | Photos: Nils Rohde
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Multiple-time Canadian champion Svitlana Demchenko regularly appears as a guest on ChessBase reporter Arne Kähler's series Svitlana's Smart Moves and has already created several FritzTrainers. In their latest collaboration, the established duo focuses on easily prepared openings designed not to align with the opponent's repertoire but rather to surprise them.

Free video: Intro

Scandinavian Defence with Black

The first surprise weapon introduced is the Portuguese Variation of the Scandinavian Defence, a choice that could catch many White players off guard. This line features the following position, with a pawn sacrifice on c6:

The Canadian WIM promises many exciting and dynamic games with this variation. Black sacrifices a pawn to gain control of the centre, and advancing the pawn to e4 with a quick queen exchange, transitioning into an advantageous endgame, is often possible. If White tries an early check with the bishop on b5, Demchenko advises blocking with the light-squared bishop, which can then be exchanged or repositioned to g4 or f5. Should White quickly return the pawn with Nc3, solid and playable positions emerge.

Although Black may face slightly inferior positions in some lines, the author relies on better knowledge of the resulting structures, which can be an advantage with frequent use. In most cases, White is likely to be surprised and must tread carefully to avoid falling behind.

Players who enjoy wild positions will find this variation appealing - provided White decides to engage with it...

Queen’s Gambit with Black

For players who, like the author, find the pin of the knight on f6 by White's light-squared bishop in the Queen's Gambit annoying, Demchenko recommends the line 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 h6. This early move sidesteps theoretical debates, ensuring that White's bishop will not appear on g5. The videos provide numerous tips for different White setups, such as opting for ...Ne7 and ...Bf5 in the Exchange Variation to exchange the remaining light-squared bishop, often stationed on d3.

The Scotch Gambit with White

Take the initiative immediately with the Scotch Gambit.

As with most gambits, White aims for rapid piece development. Black faces the dilemma of either holding onto the pawn on d4 or sacrificing it. If Black opts for the latter, they often find themselves in cramped positions. Regardless, Black must calculate carefully to avoid the deadly tactics typical of this gambit. Correct play can even lead to transitions into Italian Game structures, ensuring variety.

Attacking with the King's Indian

Finally, the author explores the King's Indian Attack as a flexible solution for e4 players who wish to avoid sharp theoretical debates in the Caro-Kann, Sicilian, or French Defences. The plan involves playing e4, d3, g3, Bg2, Nf3, and castling kingside to build a reversed King's Indian setup. This strategy is particularly suitable for players who already use the King’s Indian Defence as Black. A rich legacy supports this approach, with legends like Bobby Fischer and Tigran Petrosian favouring it. Reviewing their games, along with more modern examples, can be highly beneficial.

A useful tip: Against the French Defence, White should play an early d3 to enable Nd2, avoiding a queen exchange after a central pawn exchange. The same idea applies to the Caro-Kann.

Conclusion

With over 70 minutes of video playtime, exceeding the promised 60, plus additional material, Svitlana Demchenko offers a wealth of inspiring lines in these quarter-hour videos. The repertoire is especially suited to ambitious amateurs who enjoy attacking and are willing to sacrifice material. These openings are excellent for surprising unprepared opponents, particularly when tournament preparation time and energy are limited. Those who discover new favourite variations for regular play can dive deeper with supplementary materials. The author herself is already planning more advanced video courses.

The author

WIM Svitlana Demchenko, born in 2003, is a Ukrainian-born Canadian chess player. She has been a multiple-time Canadian girls' champion and a two-time North American girls' champion in various age categories. Since 2018, Svitlana has been a member of the Canadian Women's Olympiad team and has represented Canada at the Women's World Cup.

This 60-minute course is a selection of exciting and practical openings that are both easy to learn and enjoyable to play.

Stefan Liebig, born in 1974, is a journalist and co-owner of a marketing agency. He now lives in Barterode near Göttingen. At the age of five, strange pieces on his neighbour’s shelf aroused his curiosity. Since then, the game of chess has cast a spell over him. Flying high in the NRW youth league with his home club SV Bad Laasphe and several appearances in the second division team of Tempo Göttingen were highlights for the former youth South Westphalia champion.