The Italian Renaissance – I: Move Orders, Tricks and Alternatives by Martyn Kravtsiv

With the seemingly bulletproof Berlin Wall and Marshall Attack continuing to thwart White’s best efforts to find an advantage in the Ruy Lopez, many top players have incorporated the Italian Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4) along with the related Bishop’s Opening (2.Bc4) into their repertoires. In this two-volume work, GM Martyn Kravtsiv shares his insights on this Italian Renaissance from White’s perspective.

The first topic is the Bishop’s Opening, which can be used as an Anti-Petroff move order as well as a weapon in its own right. 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 may or may not transpose to the main Italian lines, and it is useful to have it in your arsenal in order to choose the most effective sequence against each opponent.

Next is the more popular 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3. Before reaching the Italian, White must be ready to deal with the Petroff Defence (2…Nf6). Kravtsiv advocates the well-regarded 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 variation, offering an array of weapons to cause problems for Black, including a large number of untested yet dangerous ideas. The Italian Game will be covered in the second volume.

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Martyn Kravtsiv is a Ukrainian Grandmaster with a peak rating of 2685, with expert knowledge and experience of 1.e4.

Shortlisted for FIDE Book of the Year 2021