First Steps:

The Modern

Cyrus Lakdawala

• Publisher: Popular Chess
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9781781944127

The Modern Defense is an important opening that can be played by Black against absolutely any White opening system. It is an ambitious, counterattacking weapon, favored by dynamic players. White is initially allowed to occupy the centre but Black plans to undermine this structure in the middle game with well-timed blows from the pieces and pawns. If Black gets it right then the white centre can be dramatically swept away. However, when it goes wrong, Black can be overrun. First Steps is a new opening series and is ideal for improving players who want simple and straightforward explanations. First Steps emphasizes: • the basic principles• the basic strategies• the key tricks and traps First Steps books are based around carefully selected instructive games which demonstrate exactly what both sides are trying to achieve. There is enough theory to enable the improving player to get to grips with the opening without feeling overwhelmed. If you want to take up a new opening, First Steps is the ideal place to start.

Table of contents

• About the Author
• Bibliography
• Introduction
• 1 The Pseudo-Dragon and Pseudo-Lopez
• 2 The Classical Variation
• 3 The Jump to Nowhere
• 4 The Bc4 Cro-Magnon Lines
• 5 Fianchetto Lines
• 6 The Coward’s Variation
• 7 The Austrian Attack
• 8 The Dzindzi-Indian
• 9 The Averbakh Variation
• 10 Other d4 and c4 Lines
• 11 English Opening Set-ups
• 12 Anti-Queen’s Pawn Lines and Everything Else
• Index of Complete Games
• Agrest.E-Morozevich.A, Mallorca Olympiad 2004
• Aldama.D-Lakdawala.C, San Diego (rapid) 2017
• Aldama.D-Xia.B, San Diego (rapid) 2017
• Arutyunov.N-Lakdawala.C, San Diego (rapid) 2010
• Baker.B-Lakdawala.C, San Diego (rapid) 2016
• Barczay.L-Suttles.D, Sousse Interzonal 1967
• Belouadah.S-Rapport.R, Tromsø Olympiad 2014
• Darini.P-Mamedov.R, World Rapid Championship, Doha 2016
• Dordjevic.S-Lakdawala.C, San Diego (rapid) 2015
• Ginsburg.M-Lakdawala.C, American Open, Los Angeles 2002
• Graves.P-Lakdawala.C, San Diego (rapid) 2010
• Humphrey.J-Lakdawala.C, San Diego (rapid) 2012
• Ipatov.A-Guseinov.G, World Rapid Championship, Dubai 2014
• Jovanovic.Z-Rapport.R, Austrian League 2015
• Lakdawala.C-Xia.B, San Diego (rapid) 2017
• Loiseau.Q-Wojtaszek.R, French Team Championship 2013
• Mammadov.Z-Guseinov.G, Nakhchivan 2015
• McShane.L-Efimenko.Z, Wijk aan Zee 2011
• Naiditsch.A-Svidler.P, Khanty-Mansiysk (rapid) 2009
• Nikolic.P-Topalov.V, Monaco (blindfold) 1998
• Peng.Z-Malakhov.V, European Club Cup, Bilbao 2014
• Raetsky.A-Sakaev.K, St. Petersburg 1999
• Roumegous.M-Skripchenko.A, French Women’s Championship, Besancon 2006
• Salaun.Y-Seret.J, French Championship, Epinal 1989
• So.W-Norwood.D, Bunratty 2015
• Stevic.H-Nepomniachtchi.I, European Individual Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011
• Sussman.L-Lakdawala.C, San Diego (rapid) 2012
• Toh.T-Rogers.I, Singapore 1997
• Tsang.H-Lakdawala.C, San Diego (rapid) 2010
• Vasilev.D-Djukic.N, Plovdiv 2014
• Wei Yi-Carlsen.M, Bilbao 2016
• Yang.K-Lakdawala.C, San Diego (rapid) 2015