CHESS: By the Bishop.

THERE are 20 possible first moves for white and after black's reply there are 400 different opening positions. After a few more moves the number rapidly becomes enormous. Almost all the 400 possibilities have opening names attached to them, although many are somewhat fanciful and arguably some of them lose outright (1 .g4 e5 2.f3 Qh4 mate). It is surprising how many of them do not lead to a forced loss. This accounts for the fact that books on chess openings far outnumber all the others.

In tne 19tn uentury almost every game started n.e4 et>, roiiowea oy some form of open attacking game, often involving pawn sacrifices to get at the opposing king. Typical of such openings were the Giuoco Piano (2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4) (and its offshoots like the Evans Gambit), the Ruy Lopez (2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5) and the King's Gambit (2.f4). Whereas opening books of those times concentrated heavily on these lines, nowadays, apart from the enduring popularity of the Ruy Lopez, most of these openings are relegated to one or two columns of analysis.

Subsequently the less violent queen pawn openings became the norm and later still came the develonment of flank oneninns novemed by long term strategic goals-creeping round the edges. These were rejectee lut of hand by the old-time theorists Jowadays, you can take your choice if opening. Play what suits your style, actical opening play for pieces oi ;trategic - closed manoeuvring.

So do you play the man or the loard? Do you choose your opening lecause it promises a good positior iccording to the latest theories or dcrou choose one that avoids youi ipponent's known opening prefer-mces. but mavbe Dromises little in terms theoretical advantage? I prefer the latter. Most games at local level are decided by ability in the middle game, so why not defer analysis until then? Leave some time for the ending as well, since so many games in practice are decided by technical errors in time trouble at the end of a game.

The following game played by two of the greatest modern players who still espouse a classic style was used in the film From Russia with Love.

Boris Spassky - David Bronstein 

1 .e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d5 4.exd5 Bd6 5.Nc3 Ne7 6.d4 0-0 7.Bd3 Nd7 8.0-0 h6?

A weakening move. Better is 8...Nf6. 0Now white sacrifices a pawn to gain time and space.

9.Ne4! Nxd5 10.c4 Ne3 11.Bxe3 fxe3 12.c5 Be7 13.Bc2 Re8 14.Qd3 e2 Played in order to divert the attack, but white ignores the threat.

15.Nd6!? See diagram.

15...Nf8? The critical line is 15...Bxd6 16.Qh7+ Kf8 17.cxd6 exf1Q+ 18.Rxf1 cxd6 19.Qh8+ Ke7 2O.Re1+ Ne5 21.Qxg7

Rg8 22.Qxh6 Qb6 23.Kh1 Be6 24.dxe5 d5= and although the computer evaluates this as equal, white has the chances.

16.Nxf7! exf1Q+ 17.Rxf1 Bf518.Qxf5 Qd719.Qf4 Bf6 20.N3e5 Qe7 21.Bb3 Bxe5 22.Nxe5+ Kh7 23.Qe4+1-0.