The Bishop's Opening and the Italian game

A review

After my last match, a disaster which cost me 30 points, I needed to make some changes to the openings I play. Tiviakov begins this DVD pointing out an important idea I didn't think of... how to avoid studying the Petroff Defence if someone plays 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3? The opening could be a field of battle once again in the next World Championship!

Tiviakov, in this video series, makes special mention of Kramnik's games as proof that for White it is difficult or nearly impossible to gain an advantage against what is also known in some countries as the Russian Defence.

In fact, we have seen what the Russian Defence has accomplished in the last couple of high-level tournaments, and for those who missed it, I'm talking of course about Grischuk vs Caruana from the Candidates and Vitiugov vs Caruana from the Grenke Chess Classic!

Of course in our busy times, in this century based on rushing, we want the answer, instead of endless questions! For Tiviakov the answer is playing 2.Bc4, aiming to eventually transpose into the Italian!

As always, when I try to discover a new opening, I try to find the names of the top players who actually play it. A few names mentioned by Tiviakov can help us: Caruana, and Morozevich.

So why there is a connection between the move Bc4 and the Italian game? As always there is the possibility of transpositions into other openings like after 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6

Now White just needs to play Nf3, and this is the tabya for the Italian game!

Of course the next transposition happens if Black tries stubbornly to enter the Russian Defence by playing: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 now Black can play 3...Nc6 and we enter the Italian game once more playing 4.Nf3

So what is the Bishop's opening?

Tiviakov begins to define it as when Black tries to fight for the centre, via d5, push the pawns on c7 and d7 to c6 and d6, and develop the b8-knight to d7.

Tiviakov illustrates and explains quite well the ideas of the Bishop's game, I'd say better than in books, because I consulted three different works — two recently published, and one older, and I couldn't find the details Tiviakov gives. Not only that, in most works the lines given by Tiviakov are not treated at all, making this video series better than a book because, at my level, it is quite possible those lines will be played.

While listening to Tiviakov's videos, I pay notice of possible tactical tricks. Try to work out the following, alone (no engine, and no solution, like in a real game!) after the moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 c6 3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5 Qa5 5.Nc3

Please ask yourself: Is the move Nc3 a mistake because Black can play Nxe4, or does White have a clever tactical shot to refute Nxe4? (Tiviakov explains it in the video! I'm not giving any answer, because I want the reader to be always ready, like in a tournament game, to refute possible dubious moves.)

By the way, I'd like to argue, just for a minute, for the superiority of the ChessBase training system. After a long line given by Tiviakov for the Bishop opening, it ends in this position.

Houdini 6 Pro

Houdini 6 continues where its predecessor left off, and adds solid 60 Elo points to this formidable engine, once again making Houdini the strongest chess program currently available on the market.

What should I do?

If one owns an engine program like Houdini or Komodo (I have them both!) it's enough to click on your favourite engine, for example I've clicked on Houdini 6:

Then I return to my Chessbase 14 program and I do the following, click on position setup:

Then click on COPY FEN (highlighted)

Mega Database 2018

The "Mega" is the database every serious chessplayer needs. The database contains 7.1 million games from 1500 to 2017, in highest quality standard, full of top level analyses and completely classified.

And then return to your favourite engine and click paste position —  Et voila — one is ready to practice that position against the silicon friend, and ready if it happens in a tournament game.

Returning to review the DVD: It is made up of 16 videos which give a repertoire for playing the Bishop's opening and the Italian game.

This is followed by ten videos of training positions, in which Tiviakov shows the student positions, and ask questions, giving feedback if one doesn't find the right move. Then there is a mega-database based upon the ECO keys which cover the Bishop opening and Italian game. This is a gift of over 350000 games!! And another database of all Tiviakov's games played in these 12 years with the Italian and Bishop game, for a total of 151 games.

I started to watch Tiviakov's games, because I find quite important when the author of an opening book or DVD is also the one who suffered in the same positions we will suffer!

Here two games I found interesting from Tiviakov's personal games:

Final thoughts

Tiviakov has made another very important DVD, which unlike this one is not a repertoire (but also explains the ideas behind some moves, because at heart he is a good coach!) and treats mating attacks on the kingside in the Italian, and Ruy Lopez.

With these 2 DVDs in one's hand, one can be prepared for the opening theory, and at the same time the middlegame themes and ideas.

I feel Tiviakov really did the homework for me, because he showed me many possible unusual continuations which could surprise me at the board, giving me a good 50% of the opening preparation needed to play in tournament.

Now it's time to put in my own 50% of preparation playing it in slow time control games, blitz, studying the games given in the database, before actually put it at work in my tournament games.

Attacking with the Italian Game and the Ruy Lopez

The purpose of this DVD is to teach players how to conduct the attack on the black king using different methods. Although the Italian Game and the Ruy Lopez are mostly positional openings, it is very often possible to make use of attacking methods of play

Postscript

Tiviakov won the strong Nakhchivan Open in Azerbaijan in early May, and sent us the following annotated game, in which he notes that his work on these recent DVDs came in handy.

The Art of the Positional Exchange Sacrifice

The positional exchange sacrifice is one of the most powerful and fascinating strategic weapons in chess. On this DVD Sergey Tiviakov explains why the positional exchange sacrifice is such a strong weapon and how to use it.

Alinca castle following an extensive renovation | Photo: Rahim Gasimov

Final standings (top 25)

Links

• More reviews by Davide Nastasio
• All DVDs by Sergei Tiviakov