January 22, 2004
For 25 years, Jude Acers has graced a sidewalk table in the New Orleans French quarter taking on all challengers, giving chess lessons, analyzing classic games, and providing a perpetual boost for chess. If you are as old as me, you will also recall Jude's letters to Larry Evans during the late 1960s and early 1970s, poking holes in existing theory and advocating an aggressive approach to chess.
I'm excited to note that Jude has now committed his opening repertoire to print. It is a remarkable achievement, the sharing of a lifetime's commitment to chess. The new book The Italian Gambit System provides a complete repertoire for white with 1.e4 as well as a plethora of chess anecdotes, fantastic quotes, and a perpetual dose of energy and enthusiasm from the game.
Most of us began chess playing 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 and moved away from it when it stopped working against strong competition. Rather than move away from it, Jude embraced it, finding new complexities that are guaranteed to challenge most of your club opponents. More than just that single opening, Jude also provides analysis on a series of aggressive lines for white. I had a wonderful time comparing his approach to my own. To my chagrin, he has me concluding that my approach has grown sedate and stodgy!
I offer just one example from the book, which I wholeheartedly recommend for the club player. I'd include some instructive games from my large Chessbase database, but the fact is that the analysis in this book is so fresh that there are no games (yet!) in this line.
Miami variation [C50]
sample game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 Bxd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Be3 The "Miami variation." White
gains time with the attack on the Nd4, white will contine with Nc3, Qe2, 0-0-0,
and then f4. White's compensation? Easy development and the two bishops in an
open game. 6...Qf6!? 7.Nc3 c6 To prevent Nd5 8.f4 With the threat of fxe5 and Bxd4 8...Ne6 9.Bxe6 Qxe6 [9...dxe6 10.Qd6 exf4 11.Bxf4 Qh4+ 12.g3 Qe7 13.0-0-0 Qxd6 14.Rxd6] 10.fxe5 Qxe5 11.0-0 Ne7 12.Bd4 Qg5 13.Rf3 The threat is Rg3 13...Rg8 [13...f6 14.Rg3 Qh6 15.Be3+/-] 14.Qd3 Bringing the Ra1-f1 14...b6 15.Rg3 Qh6 16.e5 d5 17.exd6 Bf5 Diagram
18.Bxg7!? [18.Ne4 better?! 18...Bxe4 19.d7+! Kxd7 20.Qxe4] 18...Rxg7 19.Qe3 Qxe3+ 20.Rxe3 Be6 21.dxe7 Kxe7+/= *
JUDE ACERS TOUR WEBSITE http://hometown.aol.com/rmille9601/myhomepage/index.html
THE BOOK WEBSITE http://www.italiangambit.com