Article: 1189 of rec.games.chess.analysis Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.analysis Path: info!dregis From: dregis@exeter.ac.uk (David Regis=) Subject: Re: Marcozi bind Message-ID: Organization: University of Exeter, UK. References: Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 16:13:52 GMT In article sharma1@cs.uiuc.edu (Arun Sharma) writes: >Hi, > >Can anyone explain to me what it is or give me some pointers on where >to look for info ? > >Thanks, > >-- >Arun Hi Arun A. The Maroczy Bind is a structure usually arising from the Sicilian Defence. In the Open Sicilian after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 (say) 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Black should continue 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 This position with an extra central pawn for Black gives dynamic chances for both sides; Black can think about putting a Rook on c8 and hassling the c2 and e4 pawns with ...a6 and ...b5-b4, or blowing up the centre with ...d5. If Black continues: 4...d6 ...White can apply the Bind with: 5. c4. Now the ...b5 and ...d5 breaks are much more difficult and there is no minority attack/half-open c-file counterplay(*). These differences make the White structure very safe and solid. Of course, Black is solid too, but the dynamic chances are what make the Sicilian desirable. B. In some positions of the Open Sicilian where White's e4-pawn is not under attack it is a good idea to consider Nc3-e2 and c2-c4. C. The Maroczy Bind can also arise from the English Opening, 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 ... In this form Black often fianchettoes the Bc8 (sometimes the Bf8 too) and hopes to adopt a sound, flexible formation and hope that White either over-extends by pushing pawns forward on the King's-side, or alternately White goes solid but overlooks a ..b5/...d5/...e5 blow in the centre. This is sometimes known as the 'Hedgehog' formation, but that is properly reserved for a solid double-fianchetto formation without any pawn exchanges. HTH D -- (*) There's a game Vogt-Andersson found under http://www.ex.ac.uk/~dregis/DR/Canon/canonidx.html which illustrates this. From info!dregis Tue Nov 7 17:57:26 GMT 1995