B. Slow attacks with f4 against the common half-open defences

The move f4 is often a strong idea against the Sicilian and Pirc, and to some extent the French; less good against other lines. The ideas are similar:

• develop rapidly
• use the extra space given by the extra central pawn
• use the f4 pawn to break open lines against the King

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Example games B5a

• Hodgson - Ady, Streatham Vs Ymca, London, 1981[B23]
• Hebden - Large, British Ch'p, 1982[B21]
• Plaskett - Howell, British Ch'p, 1983[B21]
• Ekebjaerg,Ove - Danner,Georg, cr Nielsen-mem, 1987
• Hodgson - Nunn, Aaronson Open, 1978[B23]

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B5. Playing f4 vs. Sicilian (a) 1. e4 c5 Grand Prix attack

This is another system where the White side is easy to understand, and where Black has struggled to find a clear equaliser. 2. f4 can lead to the slow Sicilian with g3 and Bg2, but several English players have adopted the more aggressive system with Bc4. We will look at both systems.

  A second idea is to play Bb5xNc6 and then play a slow Dutch-style attack with Qe1 and Qh4.

1. e4 c5 2. f4 g6

 

There are alternatives:

[2... d5 can be met by 3. Nc3 (EG)

 

[The point of 2...d5 is the wicked gambit line 3. exd5 Nf6 4. c4 e6 5. dxe6 Bxe6 devised by Mikhail Tal]

]

[2... e6 3. Nc3 d5

 

[3... Nc6 4. Nf3 Nge7 5. Bb5 d5 6. Qe2 d4 7. Nd1]

4. Nf3]

3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bc4

[The other idea in this line is 5. Bb5 to exchange off the Nc6, and then play a standard Dutch-style attack with Qe1 and Qh4 (EG)]

  Black can play ....d6 (EG) but more often goes:

5... e6

 

6. f5

  This is the sharpest line, although White does not have to gambit

[e.g. 6. O-O Nge7]

  Now the complications that follow...

6... exf5 7. d3 Nge7 8. O-O O-O? (EG)

or

6... gxf5 7. d3

  ...must be known in a little detail to be played safely. There is also plenty of scope for original analysis - for example, what should happen after

6... d5

  The gambit is probably best declined with

6... Nge7 7. fxe6 dxe6

[7... fxe6 may be better

 

when Black's King is in danger but the central pawn mass is dangerous and may trap the White Q-side pieces]

  There are also many lines with f4 in the open Sicilian i.e.. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 (...) 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 (...) 6. f4.

Example games B5a

First, a straightforward quick attack down the King's side

Hodgson - Ady, Streatham Vs Ymca, London, 1981[B23]

1. e4 c5 2. f4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bc4 e6 6. f5 exf5 7. d3 Nge7 8. O-O O-O?

 

This natural-looking move is probably a decisive mistake. Black has no effective counter to White's simple mating attack.

9. Qe1 Nd4 10. Qh4 Nxf3+ 11. Rxf3 fxe4 12. Rh3 h6 13. Bg5 Re8 14. Rf1 d5 15. Nxd5 hxg5 16. Nf6+ Black resigns

[16. Nf6+ Kf8

[or 16... Bxf6 17. Qh7+ Kf8 18. Qxf7#]

17. Nh7+ Kg8 18. Bxf7+ Kh8 19. Nxg5+ Bh6 20. Qxh6#]

1-0

 

  Next, a slower attack with the Bb5 idea

Hebden - Large, British Ch'p, 1982[B21]

1. e4 c5 2. f4 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 4. Bb5 Bg7 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. d3 Nf6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. O-O b6

 

White has an obvious plan. And the player with a plan will always beat the player without one.

9. Qe1 Ne8 10. Qh4 Nd6 11. f5 gxf5 12. e5 Ne8 13. Bh6 f6 14. Kh1 Bxh6 15. Qxh6 Ng7 16. Rae1 Be6 17. Ne2 c4 18. Nf4 cxd3 19. cxd3 Bxa2

 

Black might as well snatch a pawn, he has achieved nothing to counter White's simple attack.

20. e6 Qc8 21. Re3 Nxe6 22. Nxe6 Bxe6 23. Rxe6 Rf7

[23... Qxe6 24. Ng5 Qf7 25. Nxf7 Rxf7]

24. Rfe1 1-0

 

  And what if Black throws a spanner in the works with 2...d5?

Plaskett - Howell, British Ch'p, 1983[B21]

1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 e6 5. Nf3 Be7 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. Qe2 Nc6 8. c3 O-O 9. O-O b6 10. d3 Bb7 11. Ng3 Bd6 12. Bd2 Qc7 13. Ng5

 

Black's pieces are nicely placed but going nowhere. White, as usual, knows where he is going!

13... Ne7 14. N5e4

  forcing an exchange he had earlier avoided

14... Nxe4 15. dxe4 Ng6 16. Nh5 Kh8 17. Rae1 Rad8 18. Bc1 Rd7 19. e5 Be7 20. f5 exf5 21. Rxf5 Bd5 22. Bxd5 Rxd5 23. Qg4 Qd7 24. Ref1 Kg8

 

25. Nxg7 Kxg7 26. Qh5 Kg8 27. Bh6 Qe6 28. Bxf8 Nxf8 29. c4

[29. Rxf7 Rxe5]

29... Rd4 30. Rxf7 Qg6 31. Qf3 Ne6 32. Rxe7 Rf4 33. Rxe6 1-0

Ekebjaerg,Ove - Danner,Georg, cr Nielsen-mem, 1987

[B23/07]

1. Nc3 c5 2. e4 d6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bc4 e6 6. f5 Ne7 7. O-O O-O

 

A typical sort of position in this line, although an odd move order (no ...Nc6)

8. fxe6 fxe6 9. Ng5 d5 10. Rxf8+ Qxf8 11. exd5 b5 12. Bxb5 exd5 13. Qf3 Qxf3 14. Nxf3

 

White is simply a pawn up and needs only consolidate to win the ending.

14... Ba6 15. Ba4 Bb7 16. d3 Nbc6 17. Bg5 h6 18. Bxe7 Nxe7 19. Re1 Nf5 20. Bd7 Nd4 21. Be6+ Nxe6 22. Rxe6

  White has given up both bishops, which would make me anxious, but he seems to know what he is doing.

22... g5 23. Na4 Rc8 24. Ne5 Rc7 25. Re8+ Kh7 26. Nc3 a6 27. Nd1 d4 28. b3 h5 29. Nb2 g4 30. Nbc4 Kh6 31. Nd6 Bd5 32. Nec4 Kg6 33. Nb6 Bf7

 

34. Nxf7 1-0

  Without the light-squared bishop Black is in trouble, but it might have been worth struggling on over the board (this was postal).

Hodgson - Nunn, Aaronson Open, 1978[B23]

1. e4 c5 2. f4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bc4 d6

 

[5... e6 and now 6. f5, 6.e5, 6.O-O, 6. d3, and 6.a3 have been tried. Since Grandmaster Nunn lost this dashing game to the young Hodgson, hardly anyone has tried this line!]

6. O-O Nf6 7. d3 O-O 8. f5 gxf5 9. Qe1 fxe4 10. dxe4 Bg4 11. Qh4 Bxf3

[11... Bh5 idea ...Bg6]

12. Rxf3 Ne5 13. Rh3 Ng6

[13... Nxc4 14. Nd5 Re8 15. Nxf6+

[15. Bh6 Bxh6 16. Qxh6 Ne5 17. Rf1]

15... exf6 16. Qxh7+ Kf8 17. Rg3 Bh8]

14. Qg3 Qd7 15. Nd5 Nxd5 16. Bxd5 e6 17. Bb3 d5 18. Qf3 c4 19. Ba4 Qxa4 20. Qh5 Rfd8 21. Qxh7+ Kf8 22. Bh6 Bxh6 23. Rxh6 Rd7

[23... c3 =+ Nunn]

24. Rf1 Ke8 25. Qg8+ Nf8 26. Rxe6+ Kd8 27. Qxf8+ Kc7 28. Qc5+ Kd8 29. Rh6 1-0

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This document (sic8.txt.html) was last modified on 25 Jan 1996 by

Dr. Dave