January Camp - Italian Game - Pawn Structures, Tactical Ideas, Endgames, and Theoretical Trends.
Introduction and Free Preview
The camp dedicated to the Italian Game is already a digital product. This product includes all the videos from the workshop as well as the PGN file related to the training sessions. Overall, the material consists of approximately 10 hours of video and a PGN database which includes 79 files!
You will find the following lectures:
Master the Italian Endgames - GM Grigor Grigorov
Typical Pawn Structures - Doubled Pawns on e5 and e6 - GM Dejan Bojkov
Modern Theoretical Trends - GM Boris Avrukh
Typical Attacking and Tactical Ideas - GM Mihail Marin
Typical Pawn Structures - The Advances ...d6-d5 and d3-d4 - GM Davorin Kuljasevic
Typical Pawn Structures - Gaining Space on the Queenside - GM Petar Arnaudov
Q&A Session with GM Grigor Grigorov and GM Petar Arnaudov
In this article, we will briefly present some interesting moments taken from the lectures.
Master the Italian Endgames - GM Grigor Grigorov
It goes without saying that in order to master an opening you need to know how to handle the arising endgame positions. In this lecture, GM Grigor Grigorov deals with the Italian endgames.
In the introduction, he writes:
Covering Italian endgames is not an easy task. The flexible pawn structure provides a variety of different plans and ideas. For example, let's take a look at one of the basic Italian positions which arise after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 d6 6.c3 0-0
As you can see, no pawns have been exchanged, the game can take different directions. Sometimes, pawn breaks and piece exchanges might dramatically change the pawn structure. As a result, we will get an endgame which has nothing to do with the character of the Italian game. In my lecture, I have tried to stick to the most common modifications of the pawn structure. By doing so, I focused on the endgames that you are most likely to get when playing the Italian with White or Black. At the beginning of the article, I deal with the endgames where Black has doubled pawns on e6 and e5. This structure arises when the light-squared bishops have been exchanged via the e6-square. Later, I start examining the symmetrical structure with an open d-file. Such structure is being reached when Black plays d6-d5 followed by ...dxe4 or White goes d3-d4 followed by dxe5. This is maybe the most common type of Italian endgame. Therefore, I try to provide a throughout coverage of the ideas for both sides. Just like in the endgames with doubled pawns on e5 and e6, in the symmetrical structure, I deal with different structural modifications on the wings. The article continues with some general ideas which are typical for endgame positions with all pawns on the board. The lecture finishes with an examination of a theoretically important endgame. At the end of the article, I provide 5 test positions which allow you to test your understanding. Since the Italian structure is fundamental, I believe that studying the material will contribute to the improvement of your general understanding.
The PGN version of the article consists of 12 model games and 5 test positions.
Below, you can take a look at one of the model games.
Typical Pawn Structures - Doubled Pawns on e5 and e6 - GM Dejan Bojkov
In this lecture, GM Dejan Bojkov deals with one of the most important Italian structures - doubled pawns on e5 and e6. While GM Grigorov examines endgame positions with doubled pawns on the e-file, GM Bojkov handles the middlegame implications of this pawn structures. The fact that he plays these positions for both sides contributes to the objectivity of his evaluations. Upon completing this lecture, you will know how to play with and against such pawns in the middlegame.
The article features 14 extensively annotated model games.
Below, you shall take a look at one of the examples.
Modern Theoretical Trends - GM Boris Avrukh
When speaking about theoretical coverages, the name of Avrukh comes naturally. In this lecture, he follows the latest developments in the Italian Game. Of course, since the Italian is a vast territory, exploring all the lines is not possible. Nevertheless, Avrukh provides fresh ideas in many important theoretical positions.
The lecture is divided into 3 parts:
1) Italian Game with 3...Nf6
2) "Quick Italian" with 4.c3 followed by 5.d4
3) Black plays 3...Bc5
Besides his high-quality analysis, Boris shares his personal opinion on the theoretical potential of the different lines.
Typical Attacking and Tactical Ideas - GM Mihail Marin
In this lecture, GM Mihail Marin covers the most important attacking and tactical ideas in the Italian Game.
In order to introduce the subject, Marin takes a look at one of the main Italian positions.
Here is what he writes:
This is one of the most typical Italian Game tabiyas. The position is almost symmetrical, but the few tiny differences keep the game alive. Due to his pawn on c3, White is better prepared for gaining a space advantage in the centre with d3-d4. However, due to Black's pressure on e4 and d4, but also on f2 this is likely to take some time (Re1, Nf1-g3). Black's queen's knight blocks the c-pawn, thus preventing the similar plan (...c7-c6 followed by ...d6-d5). On the other hand, it does not obstruct the queen and the queen's bishop, thus making ...d6-d5 possible before White plays d3-d4. Moving closer to our main theme, we should pay attention to the squares on f5 and f4. Since Black might have to play ...h7-h6 later, installing a knight on the aforementioned squares yields the players the chance of starting a sacrificial attack with Bxh6/h3 or Nxg7/g2. This will be a guiding idea in most of the games below. I will also reveal a few aspects referring to the development. White's development is a bit slow but fluent and logical. Black can develop quicker, but he should be aware of the fact that not all the optically natural plans are good. This will be the main theme in the first examples. The most natural way of developing the bishop in c1 is Be3. However, if White does not manage to play d3-d4 before that, this would lead to an exchange, yielding Black some chances to instal astable knight on f4. It would also eliminate the chances for a sacrifice on h6 or g7. For this reason, WHite many times leaves his queenside underdeveloped, in order to keep the attacking ideas alive. Objectively, such an approach should not offer chances for an advantage, but in practical play, it can cause certain problems. This situation is also illustrated in the database. Being a tempo down, Black has fewer attacking chances, but as the game advances, they could be more concrete.
The PGN version of the lecture consists of 9 extensively annotated model games.
Below, you can try to solve a test position which is taken from the lecture.
Everything is ready for White’s kingside attack. The game continued 16.Bxh6 Bxb3 17.Bxg7 Nh7 18.axb3 Kxg7. Which is the most convincing continuation now?
Typical Pawn Structures - The Advances ...d6-d5 and d3-d4 - GM Davorin Kuljasevic
One of the central themes in the Italian game is grabbing space in the centre - more space for your pieces/less for the opponent. Despite the symmetrical position, it is easier for White to carry it out since c3-pawn supports the advance d3-d4, while Black has to recapture with a piece on d5.
In the lecture, GM Kuljasevic discusses different strategies for White and Black to prepare and carry out d4 and d5, as well as obstructing opponent’s plans. Additionally, he examines typical middlegame positions and structures that arise in the Italian Game when one or both these breaks get carried out.
The PGN version of the lecture consists of 8 extensively annotated model games.
Below, you can see one of them.
Typical Pawn Structures - Gaining Space on the Queenside - GM Petar Arnaudov
In recent years, the plans connected with gaining space advantage on the queenside become vital for the Italian game and brings new life in this opening.
In this lecture, GM Arnaudov presents the application of this plan for Black and White in different pawn structures.
The PGN version of the article consists of 11 model games and 5 test positions.
Below, you can take a look at one of the model games.
Basic Italian Repertoire for White - GM Arturs Neiksans
At the end of the camp database, you will find the PGN version of the Italian Webinar conducted by GM Arturs Neiksans. You can find the video version of the event HERE.