Richter-Veresov Attack
Encyclopedia
The Richter–Veresov Attack (or Veresov Opening) is a chess
opening
that begins with the moves:
It is also often reached by transposition, for example 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 (the most common move order), 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 3.Nc3, or 1.Nc3 Nf6 2.d4 d5 3.Bg5.
The opening was named after the German International Master Kurt Richter
and later the Soviet master Gavriil Veresov
, who played it frequently for over a quarter of a century.
Along with the Trompowsky Attack, Colle System
, London System
, and Torre Attack
, the Richter–Veresov Attack is one of the more common branches of the Queen's Pawn Game
. The more famous Ruy Lopez
opening looks like a Richter–Veresov Attack mirrored on the queenside, but the dynamics of play are quite different.
The ECO
code for the Richter–Veresov Attack is D01.
, Monte Carlo 1902. However, it was Savielly Tartakower
who played it regularly in the 1920s and even to the end of his life, and featuring it in his victory over Donner
at Staunton Centenary 1951. Tartakower's interpretation and treatment of the opening generally led to a closed, manoeuvring game.
Kurt Richter was the next player to develop new ideas in the opening, during the 1930s. He mostly found it useful to facilitate his risk-taking style, and he produced some dazzling victories which contributed to a whole chapter of his book of best games. Some theoreticians refer to the opening as the Richter Attack.
It was Gavriil Veresov, however, who greatly strengthened both the theory and practice of the opening from World War II
to his heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. He is credited with many beautiful games, demonstrating that the opening contained more subtlety and depth than was previously considered, often culminating in a central advance or direct assault on the enemy king. As a tool for rapid piece development, it resembled a king pawn opening, and requiring fewer pawn moves than standard queen pawn
fare.
The opening has never been very popular at the top level, though various prominent players have employed it on occasion. In 1959, for example, David Bronstein
played the Richter Attack against Veresov himself.
, Tal
, Smyslov
, Larsen
, and Bronstein all experimented with the Veresov Opening as an occasional surprise weapon. Even Karpov
employed it with success against Romanishin
in a Soviet Team Championship. Other, more frequent practitioners have included Hector Rossetto
, Lev Alburt
, Victor Ciocaltea
, Nikola Padevsky
, and Tony Miles
.
In more contemporary play, the system has remained popular. Grandmaster Jonny Hector
has become an adherent of the Veresov and some interest has also been shown by leading GM Alexander Morozevich
.
After 3.Bg5 (see diagram), Black's most popular choices are 3...Nbd7, 3...e6, 3...Bf5, 3...c6, and 3...c5, all potentially leading to different variations. White's plans typically include rapid queenside castling and an early f3 and e4.
After the black reply 3...Bf5, Richter usually continued 4.f3, hoping to build a large pawn centre; Veresov, on the other hand, usually played 4.Bxf6, damaging the black pawn structure. Today, these two lines are known, respectively, as the Richter and Veresov Variations.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
opening
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
that begins with the moves:
- 1. d4 d5
- 2. Nc3 Nf6
- 3. Bg5
It is also often reached by transposition, for example 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 (the most common move order), 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 3.Nc3, or 1.Nc3 Nf6 2.d4 d5 3.Bg5.
The opening was named after the German International Master Kurt Richter
Kurt Richter
Kurt Paul Otto Joseph Richter was a German chess International Master and chess writer.- Chess achievements :...
and later the Soviet master Gavriil Veresov
Gavriil Veresov
Gavriil Nikolayevich Veresov was a Soviet chess player. He was awarded the title of International Master in 1950 but chessmetrics.com rates him 13th in the world in 1944....
, who played it frequently for over a quarter of a century.
Along with the Trompowsky Attack, Colle System
Colle System
The Colle System is a chess opening strategy for White introduced by Belgian Edgard Colle in the 1920s. Also known as the Colle–Koltanowski system, played frequently and further developed by George Koltanowski, this variation of the Queen's Pawn Game is characterised by a systematic if modest...
, London System
London System
The London System is a complex of related chess openings that begin with 1.d4 followed by an early Bf4. The London System requires very little knowledge of opening theory and normally results in a very closed game...
, and Torre Attack
Torre Attack
The Torre Attack is a chess opening characterized by the moves:The opening is named after the Mexican grandmaster Carlos Torre Repetto. The variation was also employed by Savielly Tartakower, and the young Tigran Petrosian on occasion...
, the Richter–Veresov Attack is one of the more common branches of the Queen's Pawn Game
Queen's Pawn Game
In the most general sense the term Queen's Pawn Game can refer to any chess opening which starts with the move:It is the second most popular opening move. The name is now usually used to describe openings beginning with the moves 1.d4 d5 where White does not follow through with an early pawn...
. The more famous Ruy Lopez
Ruy Lopez
The Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The opening is named after the 16th century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, who made a systematic study of this and other openings in the 150-page book on chess Libro del...
opening looks like a Richter–Veresov Attack mirrored on the queenside, but the dynamics of play are quite different.
The ECO
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
code for the Richter–Veresov Attack is D01.
Incremental development
The opening dates back as far as the game Marshall–WolfHeinrich Wolf
Heinrich Wolf was an Austrian chess master.-Biography:In 1899, he tied for 5-7th in Vienna . In 1900 he tied for 7-10th in Munich...
, Monte Carlo 1902. However, it was Savielly Tartakower
Savielly Tartakower
Ksawery Tartakower was a leading Polish and French chess Grandmaster. He was also a leading chess journalist of the 1920s and 30s...
who played it regularly in the 1920s and even to the end of his life, and featuring it in his victory over Donner
Jan Hein Donner
Johannes Hendrikus Donner was a Dutch chess grandmaster and writer. Donner was born in The Hague and won the Dutch Championship in 1954, 1957, and 1958. FIDE, the World Chess Federation, awarded him the GM title in 1959. He played 11 times for the Netherlands in the Chess Olympiads...
at Staunton Centenary 1951. Tartakower's interpretation and treatment of the opening generally led to a closed, manoeuvring game.
Kurt Richter was the next player to develop new ideas in the opening, during the 1930s. He mostly found it useful to facilitate his risk-taking style, and he produced some dazzling victories which contributed to a whole chapter of his book of best games. Some theoreticians refer to the opening as the Richter Attack.
It was Gavriil Veresov, however, who greatly strengthened both the theory and practice of the opening from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to his heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. He is credited with many beautiful games, demonstrating that the opening contained more subtlety and depth than was previously considered, often culminating in a central advance or direct assault on the enemy king. As a tool for rapid piece development, it resembled a king pawn opening, and requiring fewer pawn moves than standard queen pawn
Queen's Pawn Game
In the most general sense the term Queen's Pawn Game can refer to any chess opening which starts with the move:It is the second most popular opening move. The name is now usually used to describe openings beginning with the moves 1.d4 d5 where White does not follow through with an early pawn...
fare.
The opening has never been very popular at the top level, though various prominent players have employed it on occasion. In 1959, for example, David Bronstein
David Bronstein
David Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess grandmaster, who narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics...
played the Richter Attack against Veresov himself.
The Veresov today
Moving into the last third of the 20th century, grandmasters of the calibre of SpasskyBoris Spassky
Boris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
, Tal
Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
, Smyslov
Vasily Smyslov
Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, and was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions . Smyslov was twice equal first at the Soviet Championship , and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won...
, Larsen
Bent Larsen
Jørgen Bent Larsen was a Danish chess Grandmaster and author. Larsen was known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play and he was the first western player to pose a serious challenge to the Soviet Union's dominance of chess...
, and Bronstein all experimented with the Veresov Opening as an occasional surprise weapon. Even Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
employed it with success against Romanishin
Oleg Romanishin
Oleg Mikhailovich Romanishin is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster and former European junior champion.Many honours and awards were bestowed on him as a young man. After winning the European Junior Championship in 1973, he became an International Master the same year...
in a Soviet Team Championship. Other, more frequent practitioners have included Hector Rossetto
Héctor Rossetto
Héctor Decio Rossetto was one of the best chess players in Argentine history.He earned the title of International Master in 1950 and the Grandmaster title in 1960....
, Lev Alburt
Lev Alburt
Lev Osipovich Alburt is a chess Grandmaster and a well-respected chess writer. He was three-time Ukrainian Champion, and after defecting to the United States in 1979, became three-time U.S. Champion.-Career:...
, Victor Ciocaltea
Victor Ciocâltea
Victor Ciocâltea was a Romanian chess master. He was awarded the International Master title in 1957 and the International Grandmaster title in 1978...
, Nikola Padevsky
Nikola Padevsky
Nikola Bochev Padevsky is a Bulgarian chess Grandmaster.Padevsky was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city. He became Bulgarian National Champion in 1954, going on to win it in 1955, 1962 and 1964 in a play off after which he gained the status of a grandmaster, after initially being...
, and Tony Miles
Tony Miles
Anthony John Miles was an English chess Grandmaster.- Early achievements in chess :Miles was born in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham...
.
In more contemporary play, the system has remained popular. Grandmaster Jonny Hector
Jonny Hector
Jonny Hector is a Swedish chess grandmaster.Born in Malmö, Sweden, Hector has lived in Denmark for many years. He learned chess at the relatively late age of 14, but quickly became a very strong player...
has become an adherent of the Veresov and some interest has also been shown by leading GM Alexander Morozevich
Alexander Morozevich
Alexander Morozevich is a Russian chess Grandmaster. In the November 2011 FIDE list, he had an Elo rating of 2762, making him the 9th-highest rated player in the world, although he has previously ranked as high as second, in the July 2008 list....
.
After 3.Bg5 (see diagram), Black's most popular choices are 3...Nbd7, 3...e6, 3...Bf5, 3...c6, and 3...c5, all potentially leading to different variations. White's plans typically include rapid queenside castling and an early f3 and e4.
After the black reply 3...Bf5, Richter usually continued 4.f3, hoping to build a large pawn centre; Veresov, on the other hand, usually played 4.Bxf6, damaging the black pawn structure. Today, these two lines are known, respectively, as the Richter and Veresov Variations.