For 1.e4 players who, naturally, regularly meet 1…e5 but shy away from reams of theory associated with the Ruy Lopez, the Scotch is no doubt a good choice.

There’s a comprehensive new book on the Scotch game by Yelena Dembo and Richard Palliser now available which I can recommend. The Scotch is an excellent, uncompromising opening; but these days there’s really no avoiding theory — and there’s as much to learn in this book as in any good Ruy Lopez primer.

In this week’s game — played in the 4th round of Oxford’s Four Nations campaign against a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) opponent — Oxford’s Tom Eckersley-Waites demonstrates that the Scotch can be prepared against as easily as any other regular choice and in fact offers Black his own paths to the initiative.

White: Diana Arutyunova Black: Tom Eckersley-Waites 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 4…Nf6 is considered the main line to which Dembo and Palliser dedicate 134 pages. In practice, Tom’s move occurs rather more often and this is reflected in the fact that, in Dembo and Palliser, 176 pages are given over to it.

5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Bc4 Ne5 Not the only move — but the most active.

8.Be2 Qg6 9.0–0 d6 10.f4!? A pawn sacrifice since now Black can take on e4.

10...Bh3!? A rarely played move - prepared by Tom for this game. After 10...Qxe4 11.Bf2! Bxd4 12.cxd4 N5g6 13.g3 White has good compensation for the pawn.

11.Rf2 Qxe4 12.fxe5?! Handing Black a powerful initiative. 12.Qd2 Nd5 13.fxe5 Qxe3 is roughly equal.

12...Qxe3 13.exd6 Bxd6 14.gxh3? White should try to bail out with 14.Qd2 but even then, after 14...Qxd2 15.Nxd2 Bd7, Black is better.

14...Bxh2+! 15.Kf1 Qxh3+ 16.Rg2 Nd5! 17.Nc2 Nf4 18.Ne1 Nxg2 19.Nxg2 Bg3 20.Qa4+ Kf8 21.Qb4+ Kg8 22.Qc5 White has a small material deficit - but, more to the point, there is nothing much she can do to cause trouble and Black has the clear plan to push his passed pawns.

22...Re8 23.Qh5 Qxh5 24.Bxh5 g6 25.Bf3 c6 26.Nd2 f5 27.Kg1 Kf7 28.Bd1 Kf6 29.Nf1 Bc7 30.Kf2 h5 31.Nge3 h4 32.Kg2 h3+ 33.Kh1 Bf4 34.Nc2 g5 0–1

I give no solution to the chess puzzle this week since it represents the first stage of the 2011-2012 Winton Capital British Chess Solving Championship. Competitors need to send White’s first move only to: Paul Valois, 14 Newton Park Drive, Leeds LS7 4HH, together with a cheque or postal order for £3 made payable to British Chess Problem Society; and please mention that you saw the starter problem in The Oxford Times. After the closing date of July 31, all entrants will be sent a free copy of The Problemist, the magazine of the British Chess Solving Society. Those who successfully solve the starter problem will also receive the — significantly more challenging — postal round to solve. In due course the best competitors from the postal round will receive an invitation to the final to be held at Oakham School, Rutland in February 2012.