Alapin variant

The title of this article is ambiguous. For the variant in the Spanish game, see Spanish game # Alapin variant .

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Basic position of the Alapin variant

The Alapin variant is a variant of the Sicilian defense , a chess opening . It is named after the Russian master player Simon Alapin and is created after the moves

1. e2-e4 c7-c5
2. c2-c3

It is classified under the key B22 in the ECO codes . It should not be confused with the Alapin variant in the Spanish game (1. e2 – e4 e7 – e5 2. Ng1 – f3 Nb8 – c6 3. Bf1 – b5 Bf8 – b4), the Alapin opening (1. e4 e5 2. Ne2) or the Alapin gambit in the French defense (1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Be3).

The idea of ​​2. c2 – c3 is to play 3. d2 – d4. After 3.… c5xd4 4. c3xd4 White would get the pawn center , which is considered advantageous. However, it has two disadvantages: on the one hand, it does not develop a piece and, on the other hand, it blocks the c3-square for the knight on b1. Black's counterplay is therefore based on the fact that White cannot move this knight to his best square at the moment. With 2.… d7 – d5 or 2.… Ng8 – f6 he immediately attacks the pawn on e4, who cannot be defended with Nb1 – c3.

In the main lines of the Sicilian Defense White always plays 2. Ng1 – f3. The Alapin variant has therefore long been considered a way of avoiding these variants. It is considered to be very logically structured and, in contrast to many main variants, requires relatively little theoretical knowledge. In addition, it offers the player of the white pieces the opportunity to move into variants that he knows better than his opponent.

2.… d7 – d5

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Counterattack with 2.… d7 – d5

After 2.… d7 – d5 the black d-pawn attacks the white e-pawn. The variant is considered very solid and has a high draw rate of 38%. Garry Kasparov liked to play this variant, including in the famous game against the computer Deep Blue , which Kasparov lost. (See Deep Blue - Kasparow, Philadelphia 1996, 1st game ; this was the first game that a world chess champion lost to a computer.)

3. e5 is possible, but leads after a further 3.… Bf5! 4. d4 e6 into a variant that is similar to the French advance variant . However, while there the bishop remains on c8 and is locked behind the pawn chain d5 / e6 / f7, he has active play here. Therefore White usually exchanges the pawns: 3. e4xd5 Qd8xd5 Bringing the queen into play early is seldom advisable, but here it cannot be attacked by Nb1 – c3 as in the Scandinavian Defense, for example .

After another 4. d2 – d4 Black has several plans at his disposal. He can try to conquer the pawn on d4, but White basically has sufficient defensive possibilities: 4.… Nb8 – c6 5. Ng1 – f3 Bc8 – g4 ties the knight to the white queen. 6. Bf1 – e2 c5xd4 7. c3xd4 e7 – e6 leads to even play. The "conquest" of the pawn fails because of the tactics : 7.… Bg4xf3? 8. Be2xf3 Qd5xd4 ?? 9. Bf3xc6 +! bxc6 10. Qd1xd4 Queen loss. The main line is 4.… Ng8 – f6 5. Ng1 – f3 Now 5.… Bc8 – g4 is possible to develop the bishop in front of the pawn chain or the solid 5.… e7 – e6 . Then White has numerous playable moves to choose from: 6. Bf1 – e2, 6. Bf1 – d3 or 6. Bc1 – e3 White threatens to conquer the c-pawn with 7. dxc5 and thus forces Black to trade, so that the c3-square becomes free again for the white knight. 6.… c5xd4 7. c3xd4 Nb8 – c6 8. Nb1 – c3 Qd5 – d6 After the knight move, the queen was attacked and had to move away. It can also go to a5 or d8 as in the Scandinavian Defense. The best development space for Bf1 is now d3, as he controls an important diagonal there and helps with the king's attack after Black's short castling. So that the bishop on d3 cannot be attacked by ... Nc6 – b4, White first moves 9. a2 – a3 This can be followed by 9.… 0–0 10. 0–0 . Then a typical Isolani pose emerged. The white d-pawn no longer has any neighboring pawns and must be permanently defended by pieces that can then no longer take part in the attack on the king. On the other hand, the pawn threatens to advance and thus intensify the white attack. In addition, he ensures white space advantage and controls important central fields. However, if White's attack is unsuccessful, Black often succeeds in conquering the pawn and then using the extra pawn to win in the endgame . Quick white victories or long games in which Black ultimately wins are typical in this position.

2.… Ng8 – f6

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Position after 2.… Ng8 – f6

Even with 2.… Ng8 – f6 Black can attack White's e-pawn, who cannot be defended by 3. Nb1 – c3. 3. d2 – d3 is very passive. Therefore, similar to the Alekhine defense (1. e2 – e4 Ng8 – f6), 3. e4 – e5 with an attack on the knight now follows . Since after 3.… Nf6 – e4 ?? 4. d2 – d3 is lost, Black plays 3.… Nf6 – d5 . As in the Alekhine defense, White can now continue to attack the knight, but this does not give him any advantages: 4. c3 – c4 Nd5 – b4 5. a2 – a3 Nb4 – c6. In the resulting position, the white e-pawn lacks support. Most of the time White therefore follows the plan originally drawn up and plays 4. d2 – d4 c5xd4 . Now he can strike back immediately with 5. cxd4, which usually leads to the main line by changing moves: 5.… d7 – d6 6. Ng1 – f3 Nb8 – c6. 5. Qxd4 is possible, which is rarely played. Black answers with 5.… e7 – e6 to defend the knight and can then attack the queen with ... Nb8 – c6. Instead, White usually plays 5. Ng1 – f3 .

(5.… dxc3 ?? 6. Qd1xd5.) The main moves are 5.… e7 – e6 (6. cxd4 d6 [b6 7. a3 Ba6] 7. a3 !?) and 5.… Nb8 – c6 .

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Position after 2.… Ng8 – f6 3. e4 – e5 Nf6 – d5 4. d2 – d4 c5xd4 5. Ng1 – f3 Nb8 – c6

The older continuation is now 6. c3xd4 d7 – d6 7. Bf1 – c4 Nd5 – b6 (or 7.… e7 – e6) 8. Bc4 – b5 dxe5 9. Nf3xe5 Bc8 – d7, which leads to a calm position. Another 10. Bb5xc6 Bd7xc6 11. Ne5xc6 bxc6 12. 0–0 g7 – g6 13. Rf1 – e1 Bf8 – g7 14. Bc1 – g5 0–0 !? 15. Bg5xe7 Qd8xd4 16. Qd1xd4 Bg7xd4 17.Nc3 or 17.Nd2. (17. Bxf8 ?! initially conquers the rook, but after 17.… Bxb2 Black wins the rook back and can keep the extra pawn.)

After another 6th Bf1 – c4 White offers a pawn sacrifice . 6.… e7 – e6 7. c3xd4 d7 – d6 is possible. 6.… Nd5 – b6 7. Bc4 – b3 . It is basically possible to accept the pawn sacrifice with 7.… d4xc3 8 Nb1xc3, which leads to a kind of Morra gambit with a particularly favorable position for White. He has free pawn play and development advantage, but one pawn less. The main line is 7.… d7 – d5 After 8. c3xd4 White wins back his pawn, but allows Black to develop his pieces freely. For example, it could be ... Bc8 – g4 and ... e7 – e6. So White plays just like after 7.… d6 8. e5xd6 . After 8.… d4xc3 9. Nb1xc3 e7xd6 Black receives an extra pawn, but White receives a strong attack. It could follow: 10. Ng5 d5 11. 0–0 Be7 12. Qh5 g6 13. Qh6. 8.… Qd8xd6 9. 0–0 After 9. cxd4 Be6 10. 0–0 Bxb3 11. Qxb3 e6 12. Nc3 Be7 an even position emerges.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ John Emms : Sicilian Secrets. Everyman Chess, 2004, p. 170.
2. ^ ^{A b} John Emms: Sicilian Secrets. Everyman Chess, 2004, pp. 171f.
3. ↑ John Emms: Sicilian Secrets. Everyman Chess, 2004, p. 17f.
4. ↑ John Emms: Sicilian Secrets. Everyman Chess, 2004, p. 178.
5. ↑ John Emms: Sicilian Secrets. Everyman Chess, 2004, p. 140.