Damiano's defense
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The basic position of Damiano's defense after 2.… f7 – f6
Damiano's defense is an opening in chess that emerges from the king knight game. It is incorrectly named after the Portuguese chess author Pedro Damiano , whose textbook appeared in 1512. The starting position of the opening arises after the moves
1. e2 – e4 e7 – e5
2. Ng1 – f3 f7 – f6.
It is classified under C40 in the ECO codes .
Since this defense of the pawn on e5 contradicts general opening principles and also allows an interesting tactical stroke, it is hardly to be found in master practice.
Generally, the superficial move order applies 3. Nf3xe5 f6xe5 4. Qd1 – h5 + Ke8 – e7 5. Qh5xe5 + Ke7 – f7 6. Bf1 – c4 + Kf7 – g6 7. De5 – f5 + Kg6 – h6 8. d2 – d4 + g7 – g5 9. h2 –H4 Kh6 – g7 10. Qf5 – f7 + Kg7 – h6 11. h4xg5 # as a refutation given by Greco around 1620.
The advance 6.… d7 – d5 is tougher, after which White can win with 7. Bc4xd5 + Kf7 – g6 8. h2 – h4 h7 – h5 (or 8.… h7 – h6) 9. Bd5xb7. 4.… g7 – g6 5. Qh5xe5 + Qd8 – e7 6. Qe5xh8 Ng8 – f6 is more sophisticated. Then White has to play carefully so that his queen is not in danger in the medium term. It is best for Black to carefully move 3.… Qd8 – e7, after which, however, after 4. Ne5 – f3 Qe7xe4 + 5. Bf1 – e2 or 4.… d7 – d5 5. d2 – d3 d5xe4 6. d3xe4 Qe7xe4 + 7. Bf1 – e2 Maintains developmental lead and the move 2.… f7 – f6 turns out not only to be a loss of tempo, but also a weakening of one's own position. Curiously, the exposed diagonal e8 – h5 made itself felt in 1897 in Saint Petersburg in a match between the master players Schiffers and Tschigorin . After 1. e2 – e4 e7 – e5 2. Ng1 – f3 f7 – f6 3. Nf3xe5 Qd8 – e7 4. Ne5 – f3 d7 – d5 5. d2 – d3 d5xe4 6. d3xe4 De7xe4 + 7. Bf1 – e2 Nb8 – c6 8 0–0 Bc8 – d7 9. Nb1 – c3 Qe4 – g6 10. Nf3 – e5 Nc6xe5 11. Be2 – h5 Tschigorin initially lost his queen to two minor pieces. As a result, he was able to turn the tide and achieve a winning position because of the weak game of his opponent. However, after Tschigorin failed to give a mate in six moves, the changeable game ended in a draw. If White wants to avoid the above tactical complications after 3. Nf3xe5, he can simply play 3. Bf1 – c4, 3. d2 – d4 or 3. Nb1 – c3, which also promises a clear opening advantage.
The more than questionable pawn move 2.… f7 – f6 was neither conceived by Damiano, nor did he recommend it. In fact, the so-called Damiano Defense can already be found in Lucena's work fifteen years older . The interface presented in section fragment was occasionally chess historians as a demonstration of the effectiveness of the much more powerful with the new chess become runner and especially the lady called. According to the medieval rules of chess, the covering of the e-pawn by the f-pawn was hardly to be criticized.
In Lucena's work, the refutation of the defense according to 3. … F6xe5, whereby the attack continues after 6.… d7 – d5 with 7. Bc4xd5 + Kf7 – g6 8. De5 – g3 + (instead of Damiano's convincing reinforcement 8. h2 – h4) 8.… Qd8 – g5 9. Qg3xc7. This fact was already pointed out by chess historians in the 19th century, but it has not been able to establish itself until today. Damiano's merit is that he decisively strengthened Lucena's variant, which also gives White a great advantage.
literature
- Antonius van der Linde : The chess game of the XVI. Century . 1874, p. 34.
- Joachim Petzold : Chess - A Cultural History . 1986, pp. 160-169.
- Alexander Khalifman : Opening for White according to Anand . Volume 1, 2003.
- Herbert Bastian: Basic Chess Course . Volume 2, 2004, p. 18.
- Jan Schoepe: Jan's forays into the open games . Volume 1, 2017, pp. 12-17.