Chess: Interesting Sidelights

How To Play The Middlegame In Chess

King's Indian Defense

Sicilian Najdorf

Benko Gambit

Queen's Gambit: Tartakower Variation

Trompowsky Opening

Chess: Understanding the Pirc Defense (Austrian Attack) Part II

1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 g6 Line



What's the game plan for Black?



Black aims to undermine and disrupt
White's center via a timely ... c5. In some
scenarios, however, ... e5, or, ... c6 followed
by ... b5, is preferable to ... c5. Black also
wants to establish the latent power of the
fianchettoed king's bishop.

What's the game plan for White?



White has divers weapons, but the toughest
questions are posed by the Austrian Attack
(3 Nc3 g6 4 f4). White tries to effectuate
a central clamp, followed by direct kingside
hostilities. More subtle but no less menacing
is the Classical Variation (3 Nc3 g6 4 Nf3 Bg7
5 Be2). Its motivation is to ensure that White's
space advantage endures. Other attempts
(4 Bc4, 4 Bg5, 4 Be3) carry their own brand of
trouble but are less likely to obtain a pull
against precise defense.

1 e4



1 ... d6



Inaugurating the Pirc Defense.

2 d4



2 Nc3
2 Nf3
2 f4
2 g3
2 c4
2 d3
2 Bc4

2 ... Nf6



2 ... g6
2 ... e5
2 ... c6
2 ... Nd7
2 ... Nc6
2 ... c5
2 ... e6
2 ... f5

3 Nc3



3 f3
3 Bd3
3 Nd2
3 Be3

3 ... g6



3 ... e5
3 ... c6
3 ... Nbd7
3 ... Nc6
3 ... e6

4 f4



4 Nf3
4 Be3
4 Bg5
4 g3
4 Be2
4 f3
4 h3
4 Bc4
4 Nge2
4 Bf4
4 h4
4 Bd3

4 ... Bg7



4 ... c6
4 ... Bh6

5 Nf3



5 e5
5 Bc4
5 Bd3
5 Be2
5 a3
5 Be3

Position After 4 ... Bg7



Most generally, White wants to first complete
mobilization via Bd3/O-O or Be3/Qd2/O-O-O
so as to push e4-e5 with absolute luxury.

Position After 4 ... Bg7



5 e5 is not too threatening because of:

5 ... Nfd7 6 Nf3 c5 7 dxc5 dxe5 8 fxe5 Nxe5
9 Qxd8+ Kxd8 10 Nxe5 Bxe5 11 Ne4 f6 12 c3 Be6
13 Be3 Nc6 14 Nd2 Kc7.

Position After 4 ... Bg7



5 Bd3 permits Black to exploit the unprotected
d4 pawn to his advantage:

5 ... Nc6 6 d5 Nb4 7 Be2 c6 8 a3 Qa5 9 Be3 Nxe4
10 axb4.
5 ... Nc6 6 Nf3 d5 7 e5 Ng4 8 O-O O-O 9 h3 Nh6
10 g4 Nb4 11 f5.
5 ... Nc6 6 Nf3 Nb4 7 Be2 d5 8 e5 Ne4 9 a3 Nxc3.

Position After 4 ... Bg7



5 Bd3 permits Black to exploit the unprotected
d4 pawn to his advantage:

5 ... Nc6 6 Nf3 Bg4 7 e5 Bxf3 8 gxf3 Nh5 9 Be3 e6
10 h4 O-O 11 Qd2 dxe5 12 dxe5 Nb4 13 O-O-O.
5 ... Nc6 6 Nf3 Bg4 7 d5 Nd4 8 Be3 Nd7 9 O-O c6
10 Qd2 Nxf3+ 11 gxf3 Bh3 12 Rfe1 Nf6 13 dxc6.
5 ... Nc6 6 Nf3 Bg4 7 Be3 e5 8 dxe5 dxe5 9 Bb5
9 ... exf4 10 Qxd8+ Rxd8 11 Bxc6+ bxc6 12 Bxf4 O-O
13 h3.