Alapin opening
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The basic position of the Alapin opening after 2. Ng1 – e2
The Alapin opening is an opening of the chess game . It is one of the open games and is classified in the ECO codes under the key C20. It is named after Simon Zinovievich Alapin (1856–1923), who successfully played several games with it at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. In today's tournament chess, the Alapin opening is almost impossible to find.
The Alapin opening arises after the moves:
1. e2 – e4 e7 – e5 2. Ng1 – e2
Opening ideas
At first glance, White's second move contradicts the basic strategies of opening theory. In contrast to the usual move 2. Ng1 – f3, which sweeps the important central square e5 or immediately attacks the pawn, the knight on e2 only influences the central square d4. He also locks his own bishop on f1, which otherwise plays an important role early on in popular open games such as Italian or Spanish . The main idea of this structure is to move f2 – f4 if necessary, without - as in the King's Gambit - sacrificing this pawn, but to hit back immediately after e5xf4 with the "Alapin knight".
variants
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Diagram 1 : Alapin - Rubinstein , Vienna 1908, after 6.… Nc5 – e6
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Diagram 2 : Alapin addiction, position after 9. c2 – c3
After White's passive move, Black has more or less a free hand. While
- 2.… Bf8 – c5 goes into the Scottish game after 3. d2 – d4 e5xd4 4. Ne2xd4 Nb8 – c6 , result after
- 2.… Ng8 – f6 other positional patterns, e.g. B. leads 3. f2 – f4 - in Alapin's sense - to Nf6xe4 4. d2 – d3 Ne4 – c5 5. f4xe5 d7 – d5 6. d3 – d4 Nc5 – e6 to a position (see diagram 1) in which White passes Space advantage, the half-open f-file and possibly the plan to order the knight e2 via g3 to f5.
After 3. f2 – f4 Black can continue stronger with e5xf4, after 4. Ne2xf4 d7 – d5! 5. Nf4xd5 Nf6xd5 6. e4xd5 Qd8xd5 7. Nb1 – c3 Qd5 – e5 + the result is a completely balanced position. 3. Nb1 – c3 is therefore more demanding for White.
Other black options are:
- 2.… d7 – d5 in the style of the Scandinavian Defense , after 3. e4xd5 Qd8xd5 4. Nb1 – c3 Qd5 – a5 5. d2 – d4 White reaches a position from the Scandinavian Defense with 4.… e7 – e5, but with the strange one , move never played in grandmaster practice 5. Ng1 – e2.
- 2.… d7 – d6 (somewhat passive), after 3. d2 – d4 e5xd4 4. Ne2xd4 the Philidor defense is achieved by changing moves .
More aggressive moves are:
- 2.… Qd8 – h4, but after 3. Nb1 – c3 Bf8 – c5 ( Schäfermatt threatens to swap colors) 4. g2 – g3 Qh4 – f6 5. d2 – d4 e5xd4 6. Nc3 – d5! White is better (Alapin - Albin , Berlin 1897).
- 2.… f7 – f5 leads to a king's gambit with swapped colors and an increased tempo for white, and the knight e2 from g3 can defend the gambit pawns if necessary. The game Alapin - Süchting , Berlin 1897, went as follows: 3. e4xf5 d7 – d5 4. d2 – d4 e5 – e4 5. Ne2 – g3 Ng8 – f6 6. Bc1 – g5 Bf8 – e7 7. Bg5xf6 Be7xf6 8. Qd1 –H5 + Ke8 – f8 9. c2 – c3 with a better position for White (see diagram 2).
literature
- Jeroen Bosch: Chess without blinkers 4. New in Chess, 2006, ISBN 90-5691-184-8 .