The Giuoco Piano

The Giuoco Piano (Italian for “quiet game”) is the oldest recorded chess opening, appearing as one of 12 chess openings detailed in the Göttingen manuscript over five hundred years ago. It is popular with juniors and chess novices, as the basic ideas of this opening are simple to understand: rapid development, control of the centre, and an attack on the vulnerable f7-square. However, this reputation belies its sophisticated and fearsome nature, and it is played even today by many of the world’s top players, including World Champion Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen. In the first ever English “Master & Amateur” ChessBase DVD, International Master Lorin D’Costa and chess-software expert Nick Murphy take you through the main ideas of the Giuoco Piano in an easy to follow, conversational style. In this DVD they examine: 1. The Giuoco Piano ‘main line’ 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 – White challenges the centre straight away. 2. The Giuoco Pianissimo 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 – with a slower build-up. 3. The Giuoco Piano ‘Evans Gambit style’ 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.b4 – aiming for a queenside space advantage. The Master and Amateur series gives you the advantage of an expert’s chess knowledge combined with an amateur player asking the questions that YOU want to ask. Video running time: 5 hours 42 min.