I occasionally play online and often see lower rated players wasting time with Pawn moves like a3, ...a6, h3 and ...h6 in the belief that they are preventing possible attacks by Bishops and Knights reaching b4 or b5 and g4 or g5. However, such Pawn moves should not be played unless there is a specific reason for doing so.
Most players are also familiar with the concept of the Classic Pawn Center (Pawns on d4 and e4) and the following game is a good example, plus the opening, the Giuoco Piano which is a favorite of many non-Masters, was used.
The Giuoco Piano was a favorite of GM Nicolas Rossolimo (1910-1975) who was born in Kiev in the Ukraine, but eventually made his way to New York City by way of Paris.
The game, which was awarded a Brilliancy Prize, was played in the 1967 Puerto Rico Open that was held in San Juan. Robert Byrne scored 6.5-0.5 to take first place and Bernard Zuckerman, who drew with Byrne and Dr. Erich Marchand, finish second with 6-1. The sixteen-year-old Puerto Rican Champion Julio Kaplan and Rossolimo headed a group with 5.5-1.5.
Besides being a good example of opening play, Rossolimo’s Queen sacrifice is reminiscent of the one Marshall played against Leviysky at Breslau in1912. See the game HERE. As far as I know, Rossolimo’s game received no mention in the tournament reports.
[Event "Puerto Rico Open, San Juan"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1967.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nicolas Rossolimo"]
[Black "Paul Reissmann"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C54"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "1967.??.??"]
{C54: Giuoco Piano} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 (3. c3 {Speaking of the Classic
Pawn Center (Ps on d4 and e4), why can't white prepare to play d4 with this,
the Ponziani Opening, so as to recapture cxxd4 after ...exd4? The amswer is
that it allows black easy equality. For example...} Nf6 {Already white must
react to black's threats. Equally goo is 4...d5} 4. d4 Nxe4 5. Bd3 (5. dxe5 Bc5
{White has a bad position.}) 5... d5 6. Nxe5 {Black has completely equalized.})
3... Bc5 4. c3 {A logicmove here because a later d2-d4 will gain a tempo by
attacking the B.} Nf6 {White's last move did not help his development, so
black takes advantage of it ny attacking the e-Pawn while developing his N.} 5.
d4 {White could also play the slow but solid 4.d3} exd4 (5... Nxe4 {would be a
serious mistake. After} 6. dxc5 Nxc5 7. Ng5 O-O 8. Qh5 {White has a winning
attack.} h6 9. Nxf7) 6. cxd4 {The Classic Pawn Center} Bb4+ (6... Bb6 {Black
should not play this. It results in captures galore, but if white sees his way
through them he will have a decisive advantage.} 7. e5 Ne4 8. Qe2 d5 9. exd6
Bf5 10. Nc3 O-O 11. Nxe4 Re8 12. Nfg5 Nxd4 13. Bxf7+ Kf8 14. Qd3 Qxd6 15. Bxe8
Rxe8 16. O-O {White is a R up.}) (6... Bb6 7. d5 {This is much leass
complicated than 7.e5} Ne7 8. e5 Ne4 9. O-O d6 10. Qe2 f5 11. Nc3 O-O 12. e6 {
White is better. Bote that capturing on f2 is, as is usually yhe case, not
good.} Bxf2+ 13. Rxf2 Nxf2 14. Qxf2 {Black's R+P are not enough compensation
for the B+N so it is rarely a good idea to make such an exchange.}) 7. Bd2
Bxd2+ {This is solid, but there is nothing wrong with 7...Nxe4 except that
things cam then gey tricky!} (7... Nxe4 8. Bxb4 Nxb4 9. Bxf7+ {This is almost
always seen, but equally playable is 9.Qb3 d5!} Kxf7 10. Qb3+ Kf8 11. Qxb4+ Qe7
{with equal chances.}) 8. Nbxd2 {White has now achieved the strong Pawn cen he
was aiming for, but in this case its strength is an illusion.} d5 {This is the
most accurate counterattack,} (8... Nxe4 9. Nxe4 d5 10. Bd3 dxe4 11. Bxe4 {
The position is equal, but black's position is not very active.}) 9. exd5 Nxd5
10. Qb3 {Taking stock of this position note that white has an isolated d-Pawn
which could be a serious liability if the game reaches the ending. However, in
the middlegame it gives white attacking possibilities. In order to utilize
those possibilities white must seek active positions for his pieces. It's
instructive to see how Rossolimo accomplishes it.} Nce7 11. O-O c6 12. Rfe1 O-O
13. a4 {[%mdl 32] This position has been reached many times and black has
played a wide variety of moves, but the most accourate is probably 13...a5 to
prevent the advance of white's a-Pawn} b6 {Opening theoretician Ludek Pachman
felt this was a bad idea, but his verdict was based on the fact that black
developed his B on b7. It's important that black maintains control of d5 and
13...c6 supports that square.} 14. Ne5 Bb7 {This is, indeed, faulty.} (14...
Be6 {is correct and gives black full equality.} 15. Rac1 Rc8 16. Ndf3 h6 {
with equal chances.}) 15. a5 Rc8 16. Ne4 {White's pieces are well paced and
can now think about attacking. Even though at this point all black can to is
hunker down and try to defend his position it is hardly lost. The problem is
that when you get into situations like this defending is difficult because a
small slip can very easily prove fatal. The attacker has much more leeway.} Qc7
{Black is in serious trouble after this.} (16... Rc7 {Vacating c8 for the B is
the best try. White's advantage is kept to a minimum.} 17. Nc3 (17. a6 Bc8 {
Control of the c8-h3 diagonal allows black to defend himself on the K[side.})
17... bxa5 18. Rxa5 Bc8 19. Qa3 Be6 20. Rxa7 Ng6) 17. a6 Ba8 18. Qh3 {With the
Q-side secure and his domination of the center white can now launch a decisive
K-side attack. Note that id black had his B on c8 this ,ove would not have
been possible.} Nf4 19. Qg4 Ned5 20. Ra3 {This clever R lift allows it to join
in the battle. At the time it was played it was given a "!" but engines claim
to have found an even better move which in some ways is unfortunate because it
eliminates the Q sacrifice and practically speaking the win seems much less
clear..} (20. Ng5 c5 21. Ngxf7 h5 22. Qg5 Rxf7 23. Nxf7 Qxf7 24. Re7 Qf6 25.
Qxf6 gxf6 26. Rxa7 cxd4 27. g3 b5 28. Bxb5 Nh3+ 29. Kf1 Nb6 30. Rb7 Bxb7 31.
axb7 Rb8 32. Bc6 {White has a B+2Ps vs 2Ns, but dominates the position which
is evaluated at 5 Pawns in his favor. While that may be true, Rossolimo's way
is much more pleasing.}) 20... Ne6 {This allows Rossolimo to execute a
brilliant finsh. Black could have avoide it by playing something else, but
thankfuilly he didn't.} (20... c5 21. Rg3 g6 22. Nf6+ Nxf6 23. Qxf4 Nd5 24.
Bxd5 Bxd5 25. h4 {White should probably win, but the game would have lost its
luster.}) 21. Bxd5 cxd5 22. Nf6+ Kh8 {Niow comes the sockdolager!} 23. Qg6 $1 {
[%mdl 512] This surprising move reminds one of the finish in the famous
Levitsky-
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