The Chigorin Defence

In hardly any other opening does the second player get so many chances for an early initiative as in the Chigorin Defence 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6. Among its practitioners are A.Morozevich and I.Miladinovic, as well as various other strong grandmasters.

Nevertheless, for a long time the Chigorin Defence had a dubious reputation. Only the success of the players just mentioned, combined with the appearance of the first German edition of this book in 2001 gradually changed this. This now thoroughly updated essential work on the Chigorin offers 115 games scrutinised in detail, explains all the strategic principles and therefore creates a solid theoretical basis for the defence.

The Chigorin Defence is especially suited to the aggressive player. The immediate attack on White's centre gives the first player many opportunities to go wrong. The resulting positions are full of strategic imbalances, which helps the student to develop his thinking in dynamic patterns.