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Chess Style Evolution

Jump to Chess Style:
Romantic | English | Classical | Hypermodern

Since around about the late 1700s - and rocketing into the present day - Chess has seen, what could argued as, four distinct periods of dominance in one particular Style, respectively termed as follows:

Romantic Style
English Style
Classical Style
Hypermodern Style

For each Style, covered on this page, you'll find details such as Key Features; Players who influenced the Style; and Chess Openings that were popular for each Style.

After reading about a particular Style, you'll also find an example game that it featured in and typical of the era in which it was played ...

Chess Style
- Romantic -

Popularized by the Italians, from about the late 1700s, this is sometimes referred to as "The Italian game".
Key Features of the Romantic Chess Style: Fast development of their army, followed by direct attacks on the enemy. Go all-out for Checkmate but, if you found your game heading for a Loss, then above all, make it a glorious one. If a player offers a piece for a sacrifice, the opponent is compelled to Accept, else face humiliation for the cowardly refusal.
Notable Players of the Romantic Style: Adolf Anderssen Paul Morphy Henry Blackburne	Chess Openings of the Romantic Style: Englund Gambit* King's Gambit* Queen's Gambit* Evans Gambit* * All would Accept, naturally.

Example Game, Featuring
The Romantic Chess Style
- Anderssen-Kieseritsky, London, 1851 -

e4 ... e5
f4 ... exf4
Bc4 ... Qh4+
Kf1 ... b5
Bxb5 ... Nf6
Nf3 ... Qh6
d3 ... Nh5
Nh4 ... Qg5
Nf5 ... c6
g4 ... Nf6
Rg1 ... cxb5
h4 ... Qg6
h5 ... Qg5
Qf3 ... Ng8
Bxf4 ... Qf6
Nc3 ... Bc5
Nd5 ... Qxb2
Bd6 ... Bxg1
e5 ... Qxa1+
Ke2 ... Na6
Nxg7+ ... Kd8
Qf6+ ... Nxf6
Be7#
1-0

Anderssen (White) - Kieseritsky (Black)

Moves 1-2 complete The King's Gambit (Accepted) ...

It's a perfect example of the "Attack from the outset" mentality, of this Romantic era.

Move 3 - notice how the all-out attacking style leaves White's King totally exposed, with the Check by Black's Queen ruining any chance for Castling the King to safety.

Throughout the early stages of the game, it's also interesting to note how Black's Queen is involved most of Black's attacks ...

It's a total contradiction to today's modern game, where you can get severely punished for bringing out your Queen too early ...

But, hey, that's the Romantics, for you.

Around Moves 18-19, towards the end of the game, the majority of Black's army are still undeveloped, at home - he's relied solely on his Queen and King's Bishop to do the dirty work.

In contrast, White's army has stormed across the Board, as he closes in on Black's King.

White goes on to Win this Romantic Style game (1-0)

<<< Back to the Chess Glossary (Romantic Style)

Jump to Chess Style:
Romantic | English | Classical | Hypermodern

Chess Style
- English -

Briefly bisecting the Romantic and Classical/Modern eras was a style lead by Englishman Howard Staunton and often referred to as the English school or English style.

The English Style was/is a total contradiction to the Romantic - attack immediately - style of the Italian game, as English proponents aim to control the small center of the Board, or gain some other advantage, before spearheading attacks against the King.

Staunton's game often preferred a Flank Opening - developing from the Flanks of the c and/or f Files, respectively.

In addition, Staunton sometimes also opted for a Fianchetto development - that is, a sequence that develops a Bishop to the 2nd Rank, to sit behind an advanced Pawn, but in front of where the Knight starts a game.

Key Features of the
English Chess Style:

Open from the Flanks to control the Small Center of the Board.

Typical Openings begin with advancing either Bishop's Pawns, to the 4th Rank.

Once the Center is controlled, try to gain some sort of advantage - material and/or positional - before proceeding into a direct attack against the enemy's King.

Notable Players of the
English Style:

Chess Openings of the
English Style:

Example Game, Featuring
The English Chess Style
- Anderssen-Wyvill, London, 1851 -

e4 ... c5
d4 ... cxd4
Nf3 ... Nc6
Nxd4 ... e6
Be3 ... Nf6
Bd3 ... Be7
0-0 ... 0-0
Nd2 ... d5
Nxc6 ... bxc6
e5 ... Nd7
f4 ... f5
Rf3 ... c5
Rh3 ... Rf7
b3 ... g6
Nf3 ... Nb6
Bf2 ... d4
Bh4 ... Nd5
Qd2 ... a5
Bxe7 ... Rxe7
Ng5 ... Ne3
Qf2 ... Bb7
Bf1 ... Ng4
Qh4 ... Qd7
Rd1 ... Rc8
Be2 ... h5
Rg3 ... Qe8
Rd2 ... Rg7
c3 ... Ne3
cxd4 ... cxd4
Rxd4 ... Rc1+
Kf2 ... Nd5
Rfd3 ... Qc6
Rd2 ... Qb6
Bc4 ... Rc2
Ke1 ... Rxd2
Rxd2 ... Qg1+
Bf1 ... Rc7
Rd1 ... Rc2
Qg3 ... Ba6
Qf3 ... Bxf1
0-1

Anderssen (White) - Wyvill (Black)

Move 1 completes The Sicilian Defence Opening, where Black's Pawn goes straight out to patrol the Small Center, from its Flank, on the c-file.

This typifies Wyvill's bias towards the English Style ...

If it were him playing as White - and getting to move first - he'd more than likely have opened with his Pawn to c4, which is the "textbook" English Opening.

Move 2, White, staying true to his all-out attacking, Romantic Style instincts, plays his Queen's Pawn to d4, inviting its sacrifice ...

And, typical for the era, Black doesn't refuse the sacrificial gesture, proceeding with his c-file Pawn to capture (x) White's Pawn, on d4 - even though it puts his Pawn in the line of sight, for White's Queen.

Moves 2 to 14 show Black's English Style ethos - he's done his Flank Opening and proceeds to gain positional advantage, down the center of the Board, controlling the area with his Pawns.

Moves 19 to 40 and White continues to push for sacrifices - if he's going to lose, it'll be by a fight to the death, in true "Romantic Style".

Black continues to push towards White's King and his English Style proves decisive, overcoming White's Romantic Style to eventually Win the game (0-1).

<<< Back to the Chess Glossary (English Style)

Jump to Chess Style:
Romantic | English | Classical | Hypermodern

Chess Style
- Classical -

The Classical Chess Style is also referred to as the Modern Style and, while it builds on the Center-square focus of The English Style, it aims to control the Small Center, directly from the Small Center.
Key Features of the Classical Chess Style: Use the Pawns to control the Small Center of the Board, first, with other pieces - the Knights and Bishops - offering support. Once the Center is controlled, attempt direct attacks against the enemy's King.
Notable Players of the Classical Style: Wilhelm Steinitz Emanuel Lasker Alexander Alekhine Mikhail Chigorin	Chess Openings of the Classical Style: Center Game Giuoco Piano Two Knights Defence Hungarian Defence

Example Game, Featuring
The Classical Chess Style
- Lasker-Chigorin, Hastings, 1895 -

d4 ... d5
Nf3 ... Bg4
c4 ... Bxf3
gxf3 ... Nc6
Nc3 ... e6
e3 ... Bb4
cxd5 ... Qxd5
Bd2 ... Bxc3
bxc3 ... Nge7
Rg1 ... Qh5
Qb3 ... Nd8
Qb5+ ... Qxb5
Bxb5+ ... c6
Bd3 ... Ng6
f4 ... O-O
Ke2 ... Rc8
Rg3 ... c5
Rag1 ... c4
Bc2 ... f5
Bc1 ... Rf7
Ba3 ... Rc6
Bc5 ... Ra6
a4 ... Nc6
Rb1 ... Rd7
Rgg1 ... Nge7
Rb2 ... Nd5
Kd2 ... Ra5
Rgb1 ... b6
Ba3 ... g6
Rb5 ... Ra6
Bc1 ... Nd8
Ra1 ... Nf7
Rbb1 ... Nd6
f3 ... Nf7
Ra3 ... g5
Ke2 ... gxf4
e4 ... Nf6
Bxf4 ... Nh5
Be3 ... f4
Bf2 ... Ra5
Rg1+ ... Kf8
Raa1 ... e5
Rab1 ... Ng7
Rb4 ... Rc7
Bb1 ... Ne6
Rd1 ... Ned8
Rd2 ... Nc6
Rb5 ... Rxa4
dxe5 ... Nfxe5
Bh4 ... Rg7
Kf2 ... Rg6
Rdd5 ... Ra1
Bd8 ... Nd3+
Bxd3 ... cxd3
Rxd3 ... Rag1
Rf5+ ... Ke8
Bg5 ... R6xg5
0-1

Lasker (White) - Chigorin (Black)

Move 3 sees White play the "Queen's Gambit", only for Black to "Decline" it, in favor of capturing White's f3 Knight.

If Black had been a player of the Romatic Style, he wouldn't have the nerve to Decline the Gambit sacrifice - out of honor he'd be duty-bound to capture White's Pawn.

At this point, keep in mind, both of these players are true heavyweights of Chess, as it was, in the Classical / Modern Style era ...

From Move 4, to Move 17, White appears to assume control of the Center of the Board ...

But, about the 17th Move stage, it's Black who, slowly-but-surely, begins to make headway in the Small Center.

Between Moves 17 and 52, both sides take, then concede advantage in the Small Center.

On Move 53, it appears White has tipped the balance in his favor and is on course to win the battle for control of the Center of the Board.

But it turns out to be a proverbial red herring, as it turns out Black had finally left the Center alone and was, in fact, carrying out his attack on White's King!

Black, after 57 Moves, eventually goes on to Win this battle (0-1).

So, in this game at least, between these two titans of the late 1800s, it was Chigorin who proved his mastery of the Classical Style.

<<< Back to the Chess Glossary (Classical Style)

Jump to Chess Style:
Romantic | English | Classical | Hypermodern

Chess Style
- Hypermodern -

The Hypermodern Style aimed to revolutionize theory on how to tackle the Opening.

Hypermodern players weren't overly concerned with trying to immediately occupy and control the Small Center of the Board.

Instead, they chose to allow their opponent to rush in for Center occupation with their Pawns.

The Hypermoderns would spend their early time calmly developing other pieces, which, once in place, would then attack the enemy's centrally camped division.

Key Features of the
Hypermodern Chess Style:

Openings can start in the center, but the main ethos is to patrol the center from the Flanks - that is, the outer Files (a to c on the Queenside; f to h on the Kingside).