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The Modern Defence
This Hardinge Simpole Openings Classic reprint represents a landmark in the evolution of openings theory. This ground-breaking treatise on the revolutionary Modern Defence became a Bible for those adventurous players who were prepared to permit the opposition to construct a vast pawn centre - only to dynamite it with violent counter-measures in the middlegame. Such players included Botvinnik, Ivkov, Larsen and Suttles, as well as the two authors who were enthusiastic practitioners of the system.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1972
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August 3, 2010
The legendary Marcel Duchamp is best remembered as a Dadaist/Surrealist artist. If you look him up on Wikipedia, the first thing you see is this famous sculpture:
which certainly annoyed plenty of people when it was exhibited in 1917.
As well as being an artist, Duchamp was a strong chessplayer who represented his country in the Chess Olympiad (world chess team championship) more than once. It didn't actually happen, but I wonder whether he sometimes wished that he'd also invented the Modern Defence:
Conventional opening principles say "control the centre" and "knights before bishops"; the Modern ignores the centre and prepares to develop a bishop at once, postponing the question of what to do with the knights. It's the closest thing there is to a Dadaist chess opening, and is actually not at all bad.
Duchamp died in 1968, by which time the Modern was well on the way to respectability. I'm sure he had opinions on it - he had opinions on everything. If anyone knows, please tell me!
which certainly annoyed plenty of people when it was exhibited in 1917.
As well as being an artist, Duchamp was a strong chessplayer who represented his country in the Chess Olympiad (world chess team championship) more than once. It didn't actually happen, but I wonder whether he sometimes wished that he'd also invented the Modern Defence:
Conventional opening principles say "control the centre" and "knights before bishops"; the Modern ignores the centre and prepares to develop a bishop at once, postponing the question of what to do with the knights. It's the closest thing there is to a Dadaist chess opening, and is actually not at all bad.
Duchamp died in 1968, by which time the Modern was well on the way to respectability. I'm sure he had opinions on it - he had opinions on everything. If anyone knows, please tell me!
Displaying 1 of 1 review