The Italian Game (sometimes referred to as the Giuoco Piano) is one of the oldest openings around, and also one of the first lines a player learns when he or she is introduced to chess. It leads to play that is easy to understand: both sides develop their pieces logically and begin attacks on the op[...]
The Benko Gambit is one of the most dynamic defences for Black against 1.d4 and is favoured by world class players such as Veselin Topalov and Alexander Khalifman, both of whom have used this defence to score memorable victories. The dynamic counterplay Black receives in return for the sacrificed qu[...]