Top-Level Repertoire against Italian Game
After the highly successful Top-Level Repertoire against Ruy Lopez, we are happy to release another wonderful project by GM Arjun Kalyan - Top-Level Repertoire against the Italian Game.
In this course, GM Arjun Kalyan provides you with a complete repertoire for Black based on 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
The move 3...Bc5 is considered Black's most ambitious response to the Italian Game. Hence, it's not a surprise that this move is the most common option in top-level practice.
In this course, you will find deep analysis and new ideas. GM Arjun Kalyan demonstrates how we can neutralize the Italian Game!
The course consists of 11 theoretical chapters, 25 interactive test positions, a Memory Booster, and a Video Version (3h and 15min).
Preview by GM Arjun Kalyan
The starting position of this database arises after the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5
The Italian Game is very close to my heart, as it was my favourite opening from the White side against 1...e5. The biggest advantage was that Black players were typically not aware of the subtleties involved in the move orders and the general ideas. Having played it with both colours, I will do my best to explain in detail all the tricks you need to know to successfully counter the Italian.
I prefer the move order starting with 3...Bc5 against the Italian Game as it is less forcing and the lines are not that dangerous. The drawback is that we need to study a lot of different sidelines here, and also we cannot go for some of the new trendy lines in 3...Nf6. I am in general a fan of the classical approach, where we try to play the best moves (at least with Black).
In this position, White's most popular move is 4.c3 This is the most played move in the position, but it is because people transpose to the main lines with d2-d3 soon after. In chapters 3-5, we are going to look at lines involving an early d4. Most of them have gone completely out of fashion but we still need to know how to deal with them.
Another very popular option is 4.b4
The dreaded Evans Gambit. We have to look at this seriously, as White has a lot of initiative if we do not react correctly. It does pop up occasionally, even at the top level, but there is no danger if we know what we are doing. White gives up his 'b' pawn to get some tempi against our pieces and advance in the center. We will see this in the 2nd chapter.
Another interesting line arises after 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4
We will start our journey with a couple of gambits to get you warmed up. The first time I saw this, it was really surprising for me because this is not something you would expect. White claims that he has already castled, and he wants to quickly do something in the center. The advantage of classical openings is that these gambits are usually dubious objectively.
Another interesting direction is 4.d3 Nf6 5.Nc3
This was one of my recommendations in my Italian course on Chessable last year from the White side. It is an interesting and quick-to-learn option for White, and I anticipate it gaining more popularity in the future. If we continue normally with 5...d6, we run into 6.Na4, winning our dark-squared bishop. My suggestion here is 5...a6. We create a luft on a7 for the bishop. Now we can continue with d6 next. I think this is the most flexible move, as in some cases we can avoid playing the move h6. We check this deeply in the 6th chapter.
The most important position of the Italian Game is being reached after 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3
These lines have been around for a very long time but have risen in popularity over the last decade. It is mainly to do with the modern plan of going a2-a4 and gaining space on the queenside. The other modern plan is to go Bg5 early and play more aggressively. After the burst in popularity, other traditional lines with Bb3 have also been explored.
White's main alternative is 5.d4 exd4
White has a choice in this position. The move 6.b4 can be called the Dubov variation, as he popularised it after beating Karjakin in a famous game. There are several ways to play here for Black. Our focus against such lines should be to find an easy and safe option that we can remember easily. We check such crazy lines in the 3rd chapter.
The move 6.cxd4 used to be the more popular move a decade ago, but then it evolved into a way to make a short draw. Nowadays, it is rarely seen when White is playing for an advantage. This is examined in the 4th chapter.
The most important direction is 6.e5 d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6
We keep the pressure on the d4-pawn. We have to be careful in these lines, as the bishop on b6 can become completely stuck on the queenside, especially when White takes on c6. White also has to play concretely here as our plan of going Bg4 is very quick.
After the main move 5.d3, our answer is going to be 5...d6
Our plan is to go ...Be6 and counter the light-squared bishop. However, people realised that if we allow White to take on e6 and go a4, b4 on the queenside, it is pretty unpleasant. So, we often go for the move a5 ourselves to prevent White from expanding there.
The most important position in our repertoire against the Italian Game arises after 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 (7.Bg5 is covered as well) 7...a5
We want to go Be6 next and do not want to allow White to play on the queenside with b4. This has become quite popular over the last few years. We go for the move a5 against most of the different systems that White can play. We have 3 big chapters examining these lines deeply. I have played these lines extensively with both colours and will do my best to explain the different subtleties here.
SAMPLE CHAPTER
SAMPLE VIDEO