Open Defense (Spanish Match)

Open defense of the Spanish game
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
Trains	1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0–0 Nxe4
ECO key	C80 - C83
Named after	The position is opened by Black's 5th move

The open defense of the Spanish game is an opening variant in chess . In the opening system of the ECO codes , it is classified under the keys C80 to C83 .

The open defense arises after the moves ( see also: chess notation )

1. e2 – e4 e7 – e5

2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6

3. Bf1-b5 a7-a6

4. Bb5-a4 Ng8-f6

5. 0–0 Nf6xe4 (see diagram)

According to the moves most often played

6. d2-d4 b7-b5

7. Ba4-b3 d7-d5

8. d4xe5 Bc8-e6

White has recaptured the pawn and Black has protected his knight with the d5 pawn.

	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

The open variant after 8.… Bc8 – e6

The following strategic elements are important here:

• Black has a central knight on e4, but it cannot be held permanently because White can force him to trade or retreat with c2 – c3, Nb1 – d2 and Bb3 – c2. On the other hand, Black can try to use the currently active position of this knight for tactical operations.
• The black queenside structure is a little inharmonious. Black would like to close the gap in his pawn phalanx with c7 – c5; but his own knight c6 stands in his way for this.
• The e5 pawn gives White on the one hand a pawn majority and thus chances of attacking on the kingside, on the other hand Black can also attack this advanced pawn or force it to trade with f7 – f6.

Initially only 9th c2 – c3 was played, which wants to block the d5 pawn and gives the b3 bishop the c2 retreat. That led z. B. to the "Breslau variant" found in the spring of 1913 and considered dubious today 9. c2 – c3 Bf8 – e7 10. Rf1 – e1 0–0 11. Nf3 – d4 Nc6xe5 (Tarrasch won against Zukertort, Frankfurt 1887 and Gunsberg, Manchester 1890 after 11.… Qd8 – d7? With 12. Nd4xe6. Both after 12.… Qd7xe6 and 12.… f7xe6 White wins a piece with 13. Re1xe4 because the d5 is then relatively tied up.) 12. f2 – f3 Be7– d6

In the 1960s, open defense was fought mainly with the Keres variant 9. Qd1 – e2 , which is up to 10. Rf1 – d1 and 11. c2 – c4.

In the 1970s and 1980s, preference was given to the positional 9th ​​c2 – c3.

Since the 1990s, 9. Nb1 – d2 has been considered the most dangerous move for Black.

In addition, the move 9. Bc1 – e3 is also used , which also wants to block the d5 pawn.

One of the numerous complex lines is the Dilworth attack introduced by the English amateur Vernon Dilworth, which arises after 9. c2 – c3 Bf8 – c5 10. Nb1 – d2 0–0 11. Bb3 – c2 through Ne4xf2 and with 12. Rf1xf2 f7– f6 13. e5xf6 Bc5xf2 + 14. Kg1xf2 Qd8xf6 the f-file tears open. Another line is the La Grande variant: Black covers his knight with 11.… f7 – f5. 12. Nd2 – b3 Bc5 – a7 13. Nf3 – d4 Nc6xd4 14. Nb3xd4 Ba7xd4 15. cxd4 f5 – f4 16. f2 – f3 Ne4 – g3 17. hxg3 fxg3 18. Qd1 – d3 Be6 – f5 19. Qd2xf5 Rf8xf5 20. Bd3xf5 Qd8 – h4 21. Bf5 – h3 Qh4xd4 + 22. Kg1 – h1 Qd4xe5

Another example is 9. Nb1-d2 Ne4-c5 10. c2-c3 d5-d4 11. Nf3-g5. This knight sacrifice comes from the Russian grandmaster Igor Saizew , who dealt a lot with the Spanish game.

The open defense was recommended by Siegbert Tarrasch at the beginning of the 20th century because of its free puppet play. José Raúl Capablanca considered them to be inferior, as White got a pawn majority on the kingside, while the black queenside majority could be blocked. Nevertheless, she can still be found in the grandmaster's practice to this day.

Open defense is preferred by players who seek active defense. A prominent representative next to Max Euwe and Bent Larsen is the former vice world champion Viktor Korchnoi , who often used this variant in his two world championship fights against the then world champion Anatoli Karpow (1978 in Baguio City and 1981 in Merano ). Saizew's knight sacrifice was presented for the first time. The open defense suffered another setback at the 1995 World Chess Championship, when Garri Kasparow beat Viswanathan Anand with the white stones in a brilliant game with Saizew's knight sacrifice.

literature

• Bent Larsen: Practical Opening Theory. What should black play? The open variant in the Spanish game. Verlag Das Schach-Archiv / Rattmann, Hamburg 1967.
• Viktor Korchnoi: C80-C81 . SI Chess Informant, 1994.
• Victor Mikhalevski: Grandmaster Repertoire 13 The Open Spanish, Quality Chess UK 2013, ISBN 978-1-907982-44-6 .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Peter Köhler: Legendary chess games . P. 223, Google Books