First Steps: The Queen's Gambit

The Queens Gambit is one of the great classical openings. All the world champions and elite players have played this opening most of them for both sides. In this book the highly experienced coach international master Andrew Martin explains the basic ideas behind all the different variations you can encounter after 1 d4 d5 2 c4. This includes the classical defences (such as the Orthodox, the Lasker and the Slav) as well as the weird and wonderful (such as the Albin Counter-Gambit, the Hennig-Schara Gambit and Marshall's Defence). 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. About the Author Bibliography Introduction 1 Piece Deployment for White 2 Piece Deployment for Black 3 Exchange Systems 4 The Queen’s Gambit Accepted 5 The Queen’s Gambit Declined 6 The Slav 7 The Semi-Slav and Meran 8 The Tarrasch Defence 9 The Semi-Tarrasch Defence 10 Less Common Ideas for Black Index of Complete Games Al Sayed.M-Li Chao, Gibraltar 2016 Alekhine.A-Capablanca.J, World Championship, Buenos Aires (Game 6) 1927 Anand.V-Carlsen.M, World Championship, Sochi (Game 3) 2014 Andersen.S-Gonzalez.K, Las Palmas 2016 Aronian.L-Jobava.B, European Team Championship, Reykjavik 2015 Artemiev.V-Motylev.A, Russian Championship, Chita 2015 Bacrot.E-Dominguez Perez.L, Biel 2008 Banikas.H-Rabinovich.A, Tallinn 1997 Berkes.F-Zhang.P, Taiyuan 2006 Bisguier.A-Littlewood.J, Hastings 1961 Brunello.S-Piorun.K, Gjakova 2016 Bu Xiangzhi-Ivanchuk.V, Danzhou 2016 Chernin.A-Bacrot.E, Corsica 2006 Ding Liren-Anand.V, Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis 2016 Eljanov.P-Kramnik.V, Baku Olympiad 2016 Fedoseev.V-Gabrielian.A, Taganrog 2015 Friedrich.P-Zaitsev.M, Herne 2016 Gamboa.N-Fressinet.L, Nancy 2012 Gofshtein.L-Sadler.M, Ischia 1996 Granda Zuniga.J-Sargissian.G, Linares 2015 Hamdan.A-Savchenko.S, Algiers 2016 Hebden.M-Longson.A, 4NCL, Wakefield 2016 Hort.V-Inkiov.V, Lugano 1984 Hulak.K-Spassky.B, Toluca Interzonal 1982 Ivanchuk.V-Arencibia.W, Capablanca Memorial, Havana 2005 Jones.G-Bruzon.L, Tromso Olympiad 2014 Kallai.G-Yusupov.A, Swiss Team Championship, Switzerland 1999 Kamsky.G-Carlsen.M, FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005 Karpov.A-Ljubojevic.L, Linares 1989 Kasparov.G-Miles.A, Basel 1986 Kasparov.G-Short.N, Thessaloniki Olympiad 1988 Kovalenko.I-Short.N, Tromso Olympiad 2014 Kuzubov.Y-Moiseenko.A, FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005 Laciner.K-Miladinovic.I, Istanbul 2001 Larsen.B-Kasparov.G, Niksic 1983 Li Bo-Brustkern.J, Budapest 2013