chess-The Oxford Companion to Chess - First Edition by David Hooper & Kenneth Whyld

TA BI'A (pl. ta'bi et), an opening sysiem nsed in
snATxANr. Each ra bi a consists essenrially of a
pAwN FoiurroN which a player should 1ry lo sci
upihe need notconpletelhisformalionr he may be
prevenled lrom doing so or a betler course ot
action might presenl itself. Generally the pawns
are snpported by Pieces fro6 lhe rear. A player
t.ies to gdin space, perhaF establishing one or
dore pawns on his litth ra.k: e.g.lorWhite, b5.nd
t5, theslrongsqna.es, orc5 and 95, rokeepoullhc
black BizaN. He also ries to mate holcs in lhe
enemy pa*n Iornation s that his 6r2an may be
advanced to the 6fth rank or beyond. As in fte
nodern game the initiative confers advantage, Ior
the player moving 6srbas the grealcr influenceon
the shape ol lhe pawn fomation. Usually he begins
6y advarcing the pawn or pawns he wisbes to
establisb on the lourth rank, bu! he is a&ised,
{hen his opponent noles a pawn. to make a.eply
that will stand against ii'. to prevent lhe opPo
.e.fs gaining space in any part ol the board. fot
exanple, whne miShr begin 1 13 anssering 1 . . .
f6by2ll or 1 . . c6 by2c3 Thcpiecesshown as
queens and bishoF are 6.zans G) a.d Firs (A)
In tbe Saif openin8 a player atlcnpts a. earty
advance of hh d-pawfl (the sail paNn or sword
pawn). aot agood idea: Forex.nPle 1d3 c6 2d4
b6 3 c3 d 4 d5 Nt6 5 c,l b5 (corpare thc unN(o
cMn) 6 b3 bxc4 7 bxc4 Aa6 8 Na3 Axc4 9
Nxc4 Nxd5, wnh advantage to Blact.
%*W
t&, vw
ww
%
%&i%*
t'ilt
s&, %
Txe mujannah, meanins flank openins, a solid
formation thal the opponent cannot easily prevenl.
White concedes no space, bolds his weat square f4
6rnly. and can lidk his rooks on tte sccond rank
tor action on any part of lhe board. aldrtu
comments on ihe pawn advances lhat Whne diSbl
nowprepare: on rhekingtside (bes1),ii the.entrc
(the most popular. on tnc quecn\ side (rhe least
Vz%%.
fr.%%&
w 7x&, %
'eww.w
"l&& w wk
w^ffiLffia'&
% t&&,aru
The sayyel, Beaning iorrenl. white's aim is to
.d!an@ the t-pawn (rhe roreni pawn) to f5. Tlis
and the mnjannah were rhe two openinss mosl
w w 7gl&
w%,&%w
w z&ttw
frffiwwd%
HW WAH,
'% & %.tw*
{&ffiwru
The muwashshah. invented by alsn[. The nane
means dchly-girdled. a.d White has iddeed a
pronninS posinon: but a srong opponent would
nor permn thc completion of this ra hi a
al-LajEj sives nary fictitious ganes showing
how advantase niSht be sough! in rhe middle
gane: by bahinguse ofslrongsquareson thc fiftn
rank, by making a path fo. rhe 6uan, or by
advancing a group otpams. To tbis end be does
noi always gile rhe besl moves for thc delcndcr.
some oI his cramples folloN.
1I316 2f4f5 3c1.6 4c1d 5NflNr6 6NcrN.6 7e3
e6 39396 9b3b6 10d3d6 11Rsl Rg3 12 Rbl Rb3
(rhcdoublcmujannah)l3h3Rb? llRb2Rhs? 15Rbs2
h6 16 ga rxga 17 hxga si GLe white advrnes his
q pawn) 13 15 d5 19 L{c6 dr.4 20 bx.4 Axc6 2l Nd5
zanhasaclearrcadro
the ente or the board' (via B ro d5) A vanaion on
Black s ],uhmove:1,1. . . R L5 RI: h6 16g4hg4 17
h(g4 Bj 1315 cxl5 19 gxr5 Nd7 20 Ndz Ne7 21 Ah3
(nor 2r ea, leavins holes lor the blacklizln) 21. . . g,l 2?
Rfg2h5 2lNde4R$ 24NF-Rg7 ?jNl3Rggs 26Nh4