The Chess Mind

Many 1.e4 players find themselves annoyed when facing 1...e6 in reply. Wouldn't it be nice to give the French player the drubbing he or she so richly deserves? (French Defense players, ignore that comment as a joke, and please avert your eyes now.)

Needless to say, I can't truthfully promise an opening variation that will do that. If I could, I'd be a published chess author! What I can do is share an untrustworthy but lovable old cur of a variation. My results with it, primarily in blitz but against good opposition, have been very good, which is a testament to its dangerousness if not its soundness. In other words, it's worth trying, but caveat emptor - especially considering that the "buyer" hasn't paid anything at all!

1.e4 e6 2.c4

There it is, folks: impressed? Stay tuned, it gets better.

2...d5

2...c5 is a legitimate way to bail out, and perhaps I'll discuss that move in a future post.

3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3



Now we have the real beginning point of the line - the ordinary 4.exd5 would transpose to a version of the Exchange French that's reasonably good for Black. Of course, this position is even better for Black, but non-standard play will be required.

4...dxe4

Other moves are possible here too, but again, that's a story for another day.

5.Bc4

Now it's starting to become clear what White is up to, but wait: much more fun is on the way!

5...Qe7 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.d3!

What?!



7...exd3+ 8.Kf1! c6 9.Bg5 Be6 10.Re1



To put it mildly, this isn't forced. But Black's moves are extremely natural, and I've won dozens, possibly hundreds of blitz games against masters and up along these very lines. Here are three quick examples:

DM-NN (2504), ICC 3 0, 1999

1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 dxe4 5.Bc4 Qe7 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.d3 exd3+ 8.Kf1 Nbd7 9.Bg5 Nc5 10.Qa3 Qe5 11.Re1 Nfe4 12.Nf3 Qf5 13.Bxd3 Nxd3 14.Qa4+ Bd7 15.Rxe4+ 1-0

DM-NN (2236), ICC 3 0, 2000

1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 dxe4 5.Bc4 Qf6 6.Nc3 Qg6 7.Nge2 Bd6 8.d3 exd3 9.Nf4 Bxf4 10.Bxf4 d2+ 11.Kxd2! Nc6 12.Nd5 Kd8 13.Nxc7 Nf6 14.Rad1! Bg4 15.Qxb7 Rb8 16.Kc1+ Bxd1 17.Rxd1+ Ke7 18.Nd5+ Kf8 19.Bd6+ Kg8 20.Ne7+ 1-0

DM-NN (2402), ICC 1 0, 2000

1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 Nf6 (A different line, but the "traditional" motifs arise soon enough.) 5.Nc3 d4 6.e5 (N.B. 6.Bc4!! is an important improvement I've discovered since then.) dxc3 7.exf6 cxd2+ 8.Bxd2 gxf6?! 9.Nf3 Bd6 10.Bc4 Qe7+ 11.Kf1! Kf8 12.Re1 Qd7 13.Bh6+ Kg8 14.Bxf7+ Qxf7 15.Re8+ 1-0

(You can replay those games here.)

[N.B. This is reposted from my previous blog.]

In an earlier post, I introduced a long-time pet anti-French Defense line. The line is objectively unsound, but it's very easy for Black to go awry - sometimes, as we've seen, in a brutally quick and dramatic way. In today's post, I want to look at one important early Black deviation from the main line.

1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 and now, instead of 4...dxe4, let's see what happens if Black tries 4...Nf6. My responses to this move changed over time, and we'll take a look at them in more or less the order in which I tried them.



(A) 5.e5

This isn't a bad idea; it's just that White's (now) poor queen placement and lack of development render this a blank shot. After 5...Ne4 6.Nf3 (6.d4 Nc6 [6...c5 is also good for Black] 7.Nf3 Bb4+ and Black is already at least equal) 6...c6 7.d4 Qb6 the position is balanced and, at least equally important for the fan of this line, relatively dull.

(B) 5.d3

This option has two things going for it. First, it keeps White's pawn structure more or less intact; second, it comes with a cheapo: if 5...dxe4 6.dxe4 Nxe4??, White wins the knight with 7.Qa4+ and 8.Qxe4+. Every once in a while the cheapo works, but if Black avoids it and focuses instead on rapid development and control of the d4 square, then White's position is inferior. Thus 5...dxe4 6.dxe4 Bc5! 7.Nf3 O-O 8.Bd3 Be6! (8...Nc6 is good too) 9.Qc3 (9.Qxb7? Qxd3 10.Qxa8 Nxe4 wins due to the double threat of 11...Bxf2# and the queen-trapping 11...Bd5) Nc6! gives Black the advantage.

(C) 5.Nc3 d4 6.e5

First of all, note that 5...dxe4 6.Bc4! justifies the delay by transposing back into the sort of position examined in the initial post. Black can also play to hold the d5 point with 5...c6; that will probably be the subject of yet another post.

Sticking to 5...d4 lines then, you might remember that I presented a game in this line in the original post, which continued 6.e5 dxc3 7.exf6 cxd2+ 8.Bxd2 gxf6?!, when White won quickly. After the obvious and natural 8...Qxf6, however, Black is in good shape.

(D) 5.Nc3 d4 6.Bc4!!



This very nice idea is one of my best finds in this variation, and I'm pleased to say I found it in a blitz game rather than by asking my software for its opinion. (In case you're wondering, Don Fritz and the rest of the family have since given the move their blessing.) Of course, had Black played 5...dxe4, 6.Bc4 would be the obvious rejoinder - but even here, at the potential cost of a piece, it still works out well! After 5...d4 6.Bc4!! dxc3 7.Bxf7+ Ke7, 8.e5 leaves White with more than enough compensation.

Black should probably return the knight with 8...Nc6 9.bxc3 Qd3 10.Ba3+ Kd8 11.exf6 gxf6 12.Bxf8 Rxf8 13.Qd5+ Qxd5 14.Bxd5, when White is essentially a clean pawn ahead but Black can still resist. (Another possibility is 8...cxd2+ 9.Bd2 Ne4, but White has a winning attack with 10.O-O-O.)

It's more likely that your opponents will try to hang on to the piece with 8...Ng4, and then things get fun - at least if you have the White pieces. Best now is 9.d4! (threatening 10.Bg5+), when Black has two options:

(a) 9...cxb2 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.Rb1 with a significant advantage, thanks to his attack and huge leads in space and development.

(b) 9...Qxd4 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.Nf3 cxb2 (everything loses, but this is the most entertaining option) 12.O-O! bxa1Q 13.Nxd4 Qxd4 14.exf6+ gxf6 15.Re1+ Kd6 (15...Kd8 16.Re8+ followed by 17.Qe6#) and now, as Mike Tyson might say, 16.Bxf6! sends Black to "bolivian", as 16...Qxf6 17.Qd5 is mate.



In sum, while there was a time when I didn't enjoy facing the 4...Nf6 line, those days are long gone, thanks to the 6.Bc4! idea. Further, the results back this up: in the 5.Nc3 line (playing 6.Bc4 whenever facing 5...d4), my score in ICC 3 0 blitz against players rated from 2486 to 2712 is a terrific 14-1 (and I was better in the one loss, too, against one of the lower-rated players in the bunch). Better still, many of my wins were extremely quick - in the 5...d4 6.Bc4 line, for example, my score is a clean 5-0 with the wins coming in just 21, 11, 17, 13 and 16 moves!

I have been honest and warned the reader: there are problems with this whole 4.Qb3 line for White. Speaking from a purely practical perspective, however, there are many more ways for Black to go wrong than White - and when Black takes a wrong step in this variation, it's often straight into the abyss. So give it a shot, French Defense foes!

(The analysis can be replayed here.)

[Reposted from my previous blog.]

Now that the distraction of the Amber tournament is out of the way, we can turn back to what's really important: "my" anti-French variation! (1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3.) Here's part 3, what I call the appeasement strategy. In the first post we briefly examined the most obvious move, 4...dxe4, and in the sequel we considered the more restrained 4...Nf6. This time, we'll get some idea of how the placid 4...c6 works out.

Black's aim is to maintain the strong point on d5, making a sort of peace offering with White: "I'll let you be - I won't capture your pawn - so please let me play my game in peace too."

Now, there are cases where that sort of approach is wholly reasonable - here are two examples.

(1) 1.e4 e5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 (or 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.c3 d5 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.d4 Bg4) d5! 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Nc3 Bb4! 8.Be2 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qc4, when Black's decision on move 3 not to grab the pawn leads to a position where Black is at least equal and without any difficulties whatsoever.

(2) 1.e4 c5 2.d4 (or 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4) cxd4 3.c3 Nf6! (rather than 3...cxd4) 4.e5 Nd5 allows Black - who will still need to know some theory - to reach a safe, strong, dynamically balanced position while avoiding lots of traps, long-term positional pressure and her opponent's home turf in exchange for an extra pawn.

Back to the anti-French. Black is hoping for something similar, but in my experience with the line, White often gets a very comfortable advantage:

1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 c6



5.exd5 cxd5 6.d4 (6.Nc3 might be a more accurate move order, as 6...d4 is well-met by 7.Bc4, and 6...Nf6 7.d4 Nc6 8.Bb5 a6 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Nf3 Bd6 11.0-0 0-0 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 Rb8 14.Qc2 Be6 [14...Be7 15.Ne5+=] 15.Na4 gives White a comfortable edge.)



6...Nf6 (6...Nc6 7.Bb5) 7.Nc3 Be7 8.Bb5+ Nc6 9.Nf3 0-0 10.Bxc6 bxc6 11.0-0 (else ...Ba6, preventing castling, could prove annoying) 11...Bd6 12.Bg5 Rb8 13.Qc2 h6 14.Bh4 Be7 15.Ne5 Bb7 16.Na4+/-



offers a type of position that I've achieved quite regularly in this line: White gets a nice grip on e5 and c5, the pawn on c6 is locked in place and Black's two bishops are impotent. Granted, it's not the usual tactical melee, but I'll happily accept a positional edge like this any day!

(The analysis can be replayed here.)

For the Francophiles who have been terrified by the earlier installments of my anti-French Defense posts (in chronological order: here, here and here), rejoice: I give you the cure.

In fact, twelve cures. As I insisted from day one, the line, while dangerous, is objectively innocuous at best. Finding the antidote in the heat of battle is tough for most of us, especially when faced with something brand-new. So here, in the comfort of your own home, is the answer to your 1.e4 e6 2.c4 problems - and then some.



Response 1 - Head for the Sicilian with 1.e4 e6 2.c4 c5! One possible continuation, transposing to one of GM Rublevsky's pet lines, is 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Be2 d5 6.exd5 exd5 7.d4 with a position that's playable for both sides.



Response 2 - Head for the English Defense with 1.e4 e6 2.c4 b6!

Response 3: 1.e4 e6 2.c4 c6. After 3.d4 d5, White can choose between 4.e5 (Black should be okay after 4...Ne7 and maybe 4...c5), 4.Nc3 Bb4! (4...dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ is the very sharp Marshall Gambit in the Slav; it's playable for Black, but requires serious preparation), and 4.exd5 exd5 5.Nc3 Nf6.

Response 4: 1.e4 e6 2.c4 e5 - head for a double-king pawn position where the pawn on c4 is strategically double-edged. Interestingly, after the plausible 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Nc3 g6 (4...Nf6 looks okay, too) 5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 Bg7 7.Be3 d6 8.Be2 Nge7 9.O-O O-O 10.Qd2 f5 11.Nxc6 Nxc6 12.exf5 Bxf5, we have transposed into a position from the Modern Defense, albeit one in which it's generally (but not always) Black to move. Even so, Black seems fine here too, but I don't think this is the best choice. (I'd also relatively unhappy about responses 2 and 3. All three options are playable, but the other replies are stronger.)



Response 5: 1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 Bc5 - collecting on d5 leaves White with two weak d-pawns, and everything else leaves Black to capture or continue developing.

Response 6: 1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 Bd6!? - Black now threatens to take on e4, as Bc4 Qe7 won't block in the bishop any longer. White should try 5.Qxd5 if the goal is to punish Black, but then 5...Nf6 followed by 6...O-O leaves Black with a big development advantage in return for the pawn.

Response 7: 1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 - this is similar to response 5, but with Black closer to castling it's just so much the better.

Response 8: 1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd4 exd4 4.Qb3 dxe4 5.Bc4 Bc5 laughs at White's threat - yes, you want the f-pawn? Take it! After 6.Bxf7+ Kf8, Black threatens ...Qf6, and if White retreats with 7.Bd5, Qh4 8.Qg3 Qxg3 9.hxg3 Nf6 gives Black an edge. Best is 6.Nc3, when one reasonable possibility is 6...Qh4 7.Bxf7+ Kf8 8.g3 Qe7 9.Bd5 c6 10.Bxe4 Nf6 11.d3 Be6, when Black has sufficient compensation for the pawn.

Response 9: 1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 dxe4 5.Bc4 Qe7 6.Nc3 c6 7.d3 b5 8.Nxb5 cxb5 9.Bd5 Be6 10.Qxb5+ Bd7 11.Qb7 Qb4+ 12.Kf1 Qxb7 13.Bxb7 Bc6 14.Bxa8 Bxa8 15.Bf4 Nd7 16.dxe4 Bc5. Here the material situation is nominally in White's favor, but here the pawns cannot make their presence felt while the minors will start to coordinate and swarm very soon.



Response 10: 1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 dxe4 5.Bc4 Qe7 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.d3 exd3+ 8.Kf1 Nbd7 9.Bg5 Nc5 10.Qa3 Be6 11.Nd5 (11.Re1 d2 wins) Bxd5 (11...Qd7 might be even better, but it's needlessly sharp) 12.Bxd5 O-O-O 13.Bf3 Kb8 and White has no attack to compensate for the two pawns or his bottled-up kingside.



Response 11: 1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 dxe4 5.Bc4 Qe7 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.d3 exd3+ 8.Be3 Nbd7 9.O-O-O Ne5 10.Nf3 Nxc4 11.Qxc4 Qb4 12.Qxd3 Bd6 13.Ng5 Be6 14.Kb1 O-O-O 15.Nxe6 fxe6 leaves White down a pawn and without an attack.



Response 12: 1.e4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Qb3 dxe4 5.Bc4 Qd7 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.Nxe4 Na5 8.Qe3 (8.Qb5 Nxc4 9.Qxc4 Qe6 trades the queens, leaving Black with a better position and the two bishops) Nxc4 9.Nd6+ Kd8 10.Nxc4 Qd5 11.Ne5 Bd6 and Black, ironically enough, has a winning attack likely to be crowned by a rook move to the e-file, exploiting the king's losing the right to castle.



Problem solved!

(The analysis can be replayed here.)