AboutTony D'Aloisio Expertise I've read a good deal on the subject and I can answer a lot of chess history questions (or at least I'll know where to look them up). Also questions regarding analyzing specific positions (although with the advent of powerful chess software, this isn't likely to have the importance it once did).
Experience I was a national master in the US for a number of years. My peak USCF rating was 2290, and I was ranked in the top 150 in the state of California. My current published rating is 2177.
Education/Credentials B.A. Sonoma State University 1984 (English major with Communications emphasis)
Question IM A HUGE FAN OF YOUR WORK IN THE CHESS WORLD. I WAS WONDERING IF U CAN BE SO KIND AND EXPLAIN IN AN EMAIL THE "chigorin defense''. IS IT A SECRET WEAPON FOR BLACK OR IF U CAN BE SO KIND AND SEND ME A COUPLE OF VARIATIONS THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR BLACK. THANKS AND HOPE TO HEAR FROM U SOON.
Answer Thanks for your kind words! There are at least two Chigorin Defenses that I know of. One is a long-lived main line against the Ruy Lopez, but I assume that you're talking about his defense to 1 d4 (1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6).
I am far from an expert on openings, but I think you should be able to find a great deal of information about this opening using the following link. Chigorin's Defense bears the ECO (Encyclopedia of Chess Openings) code D07, which might make it a little easier to trace among such indexes and directories:
