Giuoco Piano Game, Evans Accepted, Bronstein–Tartakower
Giuoco Piano Game
Definition
The Giuoco Piano (Italian for “quiet game”) is one of the oldest recorded chess openings and the classical starting point of the Italian Game: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5. Both sides develop their kingside pieces rapidly and fight for central control, but neither side commits to an early pawn break, hence “quiet.”
How it is used
- Development-first philosophy. White castles quickly, places rooks on e1 and d1 or f1, and only later decides whether to strike with d2–d4 or c2–c3 & d2–d4.
- Flexible pawn play. Black can adopt the symmetrical …d6 followed by …Nf6, or the sharper …Nf6 right away and meet 4. d3 with …d5.
- Choice of tempo. The opening can transpose into sharper lines such as the Giuoco Pianissimo (4. d3) or the Evans Gambit (4. b4), or keep a strategic character with 4. c3 (Main Line).
Strategic and Historical Significance
- Renaissance roots. First analysed by Greco (1620s). Many classical principles—development, centre control, and king safety—can be illustrated with only a handful of moves.
- Modern revival. After lying in the shadow of the Ruy Lopez for decades, the Giuoco Pianissimo has re-emerged at elite level (Carlsen, Anand, Nepomniachtchi) as a low-risk weapon against 1…e5.
- Didactic value. Coaches often recommend it to club players because tactics arise naturally from sound piece placement rather than from highly theoretical forcing sequences.
Example Game
Position after 7. Nbd2 (Pianissimo): minor pieces are developed, kings are castled, but pawns are still locked—both sides are maneuvering for the vital d4/d5 break. A model encounter is Capablanca – Havasi, Budapest 1929, where Capablanca’s timed d3–d4 advance secured a lasting space advantage.
Interesting Facts
- The earliest preserved full game score in chess history is a Giuoco Piano (Polerio – Gioacchino Greco, c.1620).
- “Piano” means “quiet,” but some of the wildest romantic gambits in the 19th century (Evans, Moeller, Jerome) all stem from this supposedly peaceful starting point.
Evans Accepted
Definition
The Evans Gambit is an off-shoot of the Giuoco Piano: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4. If Black captures the pawn with 4…Bxb4 the gambit is said to be “Evans Accepted.” Black pockets the pawn but concedes both time and central pressure.
Main Ideas for Both Sides
- White
- Gain time by attacking the bishop (c3, d4).
- Seize the centre with c2–c3 and d2–d4, opening lines toward f7.
- Keep the initiative alive; if the attack fizzles, the extra pawn will tell.
- Black
- Return the pawn at an opportune moment (…Ba5 …d5 or …Bf8 …d5) to complete development safely.
- Exploit queenside majority in late middlegame if still a pawn up.
Historical Context
- Invented by the Welsh sea-captain William D. Evans in 1827.
- Peak popularity during the Romantic Era; Adolf Anderssen and Paul Morphy scored dazzling miniature wins with it.
- Re-examined by Garry Kasparov in the 1990s; he used it to defeat Anand (Riga 1995) and Short (Linares 1995), proving its soundness at top level.
Classic Example
Anderssen – Mayet, Berlin 1852: after 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O, the lead in development and open diagonals against f7 produced a swift mating attack.
Interesting Facts
- Kasparov’s second Evgeny Bareev once called the Evans “the nuclear weapon of the 19th century.”
- Savielly Tartakower famously quipped: “In the Evans Gambit, the triumph of science is to discover how to lose a pawn.”
Bronstein – Tartakower Attack
Definition
The Bronstein – Tartakower Attack is a sharp line of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Tartakower (Makogonov–Bondarevsky) System: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 h6 5. Bh4 0-0 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5!? (the hallmark pawn capture introduced by David Bronstein and earlier explored by Savielly Tartakower). White grabs a pawn, planning to maintain it with b2–b4 and/or rapidly mobilise the queenside majority, while Black counts on central and kingside activity to compensate.
Strategic Themes
- The “hanging centre”. After …d4 breaks, Black obtains two central pawns on d5 & e6 that may surge forward or become targets.
- Minor-piece imbalance. White often gives up the dark-squared bishop (Bh4×f6) to damage Black’s pawn structure, increasing the endgame value of the extra pawn.
- Timing of b2-b4. If White successfully supports the c5-pawn, Black is forced to spend time regaining it, allowing a queenside pawn roller in the late middlegame.
Historical Notes
- Tartakower’s heritage. In the 1920s Tartakower pioneered the idea of defending the QGD with …c5, claiming activity over sheer solidity.
- Bronstein’s refinement. At the 1953 Candidates tournament, Bronstein unleashed 7. dxc5!? against Keres and Geller, demonstrating that Black’s counterplay is not automatic.
- Modern standing. Engines show the line to be dynamically balanced; it remains a surprise weapon for grandmasters seeking to avoid the heavy theory of the Exchange and Catalan Systems.
Illustrative Game
Bronstein – Keres, Zürich 1953. After 7…Bxc5 8. Nf3 Nc6 9. a3 Be7 10. Qc2 Qa5 11. Rd1 ! White preserved the c-pawn and generated long-term queenside pressure, though the game eventually ended in a tense draw.
Interesting Facts
- Because both protagonists were noted for imaginative play, the line is sometimes jokingly dubbed the “Creative Gambit” even though White is the one who takes a pawn.
- In the age of tablebases, the famous queen endgame Bronstein – Botvinnik (Moscow 1956) stemming from this attack was proven to be drawn after 72 moves—validating Bronstein’s defensive ingenuity half a century later.