Winawer variant
The Winawer variant (also Nimzowitsch variant ) is a variant of the French defense , an opening in the game of chess .
It arises after the moves (see also: chess notation ):
- 1. e2-e4 e7-e6 2. d2-d4 d7-d5 3. Nb1-c3 Bf8-b4
In the opening system of the ECO codes , it is classified under the keys C15 to C19. The Winawer variant usually offers both players a content-rich and exciting game.
General
| 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 Winawer variant after 3.… Bf8 – b4
After the bishop move 3.… Bf8 – b4 White has a whole range of possible answers (including 4. Bc1 – d2, Bf1 – d3, a2 – a3, Ng1 – e2 and e4xd5). The move 4. e4 – e5, which is considered the strongest today and is played accordingly, is of particular importance. After that, the white pawn considerably restricts the black kingside , which gives the white man good opportunities to attack.
Black usually seeks counterplay on the queenside with 4.… c7 – c5. The resulting variants can be extremely double-edged and sharp. Often the initiative has to be sought unconditionally , and pawns or pieces are often sacrificed .
After the main continuation 5. a2 – a3 Bb4xc3 + 6. b2xc3, which consolidates White's center , White's weakness is clearly on the queenside, where the weak double pawn on the c-file is a popular target of Black's attack. For this, the diagonal a3-f8 can be very weak in the black camp - after the white a3-a4 always threatened with a runner on a3 emerge. Black's other weaknesses are the narrow kingside and the often weak bishop on c8 in the French defense.
The story of the move ... Bb4
There is disagreement about the origins of the move 3.… Bb4 in chess history, after which the Winawer variant is created. The opening variant bears the name of Szymon Winawers (1838-1919), a great Polish chess player.
The first time that the move 3.… Bb4 was demonstrably used was in 1861 in London . Ignaz von Kolisch played the runner move against Louis Paulsen in the 21st game of a competition. Another game, the 27th game of the competition, also ended in a draw. From 1862 there was a game between Joseph Henry Blackburne against the - at that time unofficial - world champion Wilhelm Steinitz , in which this runner was used. Winawer's first game with this bishop's move did not take place until 1867, also against Steinitz. Only three more Black games by Winawer with the move 3.… Bb4 are recorded. So it was probably not Winawer who was the first to introduce the move 3.… Bb4 into chess theory. But why Winawer, and not Kolisch or Paulsen, went down in chess history as the originator of this move is not clearly clear.
The variant is often referred to as the Nimzowitsch variant, after the great chess master Aaron Nimzowitsch (1886–1935), who laid the foundation for the revolutionary, hypermodern chess school . Nimzowitsch was not the first to use the move 3.… Bb4, but he gave the French defense a lot of new impetus and relativized the strength of White's previously dominant style of play, 3. exd5 exd5, the exchange variant . His numerous strategic ideas on the pawn chain and the double pawn theory also contributed considerably to the understanding of the entire line. In researching the sequence of moves 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5, which is by far the most important and most widely played continuation of the Winawer variant today, he did not excel. Nimzowitsch's ideas on the French defense do not refer directly to this line. That is why the name Nimzowitsch does not seem appropriate when naming this line.
The great chess theorist and world champion Alexander Alekhine also experimented with the Winawer variant. However, he didn't play 4. e5 either, but rather 4. Qg4, 4. a3 or 4. Nge2. He used the move 4. a3 in particular several times in the world championship match against Max Euwe in 1935. However, due to a lack of success, the move could not keep up with the master's practice, and Bobby Fischer's later attempt to give the move 4. a3 new impetus ultimately failed.
Probably the greatest developer of the Winawer variant was the multiple world champion Michail Botwinnik (1911-1995). Botvinnik made a decisive contribution to opening theory, and many of its variants are still considered good today. As a white man he achieved outstanding success in the Winawer variant. Already in 1934 he succeeded against Milner-Barry (sequence of moves 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3 + 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Nf3) and in 1935 against Ragosin (sequence of moves 7. Qg4 instead of 7. Nf3) significant victories.
The move 7. Qg4, which today is considered the most dangerous variant for Black and was and is used by many grandmasters - including Michail Tal , Boris Spassky , Anatoli Karpow , Garri Kasparow and Viswanathan Anand - was an idea of the great opening theorist Rauser and celebrated his Premiere in the game Rauser-Alatortsev in Leningrad in 1934. Botvinnik also suffered defeats as Black when his opponents played 7. Qg4. Botvinnik wrote:
- "The most dangerous move of all for Black ..."
The move 7. Qg4 immediately attacks Black's kingside and forces Black to make a decision that shapes the rest of the game. Many years passed before the French players found satisfactory defense systems against 7. Qg4. Instead of 6.… Ne7, Botwinnik initially introduced a system with 6.… Qc7 in order to protect the g7 pawn with the queen after 7. Qg4 with f7 – f5. This system could not prevail because Black is using the pawn lever f7 – f6. After 6.… Ne7 7. Qg4 one tried, among other things, 7.… Nf5 and 7.… Kf8 in order to forestall the threatened destruction of the black kingside, but these moves also had their disadvantages. That is why 7.… cxd4 was mostly played, the game Kotow - Chekhov , in which White after 7.… cxd4 with 8. Qxg7! continued, but showed a considerable advantage for White in this line too.
The move 7.… Qc7 was played for the first time in 1945 in the game Panow- Ragosin, which is now considered to be one of the sharpest lines in the entire French defense. In this variant Black leaves the pawns on the kingside unprotected in order to blow a powerful attack on the queenside and destroy the white pawn center. One of the people responsible for the popularity of this line is the grandmaster Wolfgang Uhlmann , French expert and strongest player in the GDR, who used this sharp move successfully for a long time.
In addition to the super sharp 7.… Qc7, another move was attempted. The short castling for Black on move 7 was initially thought to be far too dangerous. Stefan Kindermann wrote about this in his work “French Winawer” (2001):
- “I suspect that in the beginning of move 7. Qg4 White's chances of attacking Black castling were valued very highly, since after the next obvious moves Nf3 and Bd3 the classic bishop sacrifice on h7 is threatening! It took many years to clearly understand that the liberating lift of the black f-pawn, which is actually required in most plays, does not lead to a fatal weakening of the black e-pawn and the e5-square, but rather promises the black excellent dynamic counter-chances. "
In the 1980s, Uhlmann, like Viktor Kortschnoi later, also switched to the 7th… 0–0 variant. In this variant, White has a good chance of attacking the king, but if Black survives it, he has better chances of the endgame because of the better pawn structure.
Bobby Fischer , one of the most famous chess players ever, questioned the correctness of the Winawer variant. He described this defense as "anti-positional and weakens the kingside" . However, Fischer sometimes had big problems himself as a white man against the Winawer variant in his career. He suffered bitter defeats against Mednis, Uhlmann and Kovacevic.
Opening theory
A small introduction to the theory, i.e. important variants and sequences, can be found here.
1. e2 – e4 e7 – e6 2. d2 – d4 d7 – d5 3. Nb1 – c3 Bf8 – b4 (Winawer variant)
This is the most aggressive and sharpest sequel for Black. The knight on c3 is tied up and Black threatens to capture the e4 pawn. Another possibility is 3. ... Ng8 – f6 , which has also gained importance in the modern compensatory sense.
4. e4 – e5
The advanced king's pawn constricts the black kingside and gains space for a later king's attack.
- 4. e4xd5 e6xd5 leads to the exchange variant .
- In the Winkelmann-Reimer Gambit 4. a2 – a3 Bb4xc3 + 5. b2xc3 d5xe4 6. f2 – f3 e4xf3 ?! 7. Ng1xf3 White receives dangerous initiative because of his lead in development and the half-open f-file. In contrast to the related Blackmar-Diemer-Gambit , Black has weaknesses on Black's squares and White's center pawn d4 is well defended by c3. Black can either play 6.… c7 – c5 or 6.… e6 – e5 to reject the gambit.
- With 4. Ng1 – e2 White can offer a gambit. After assuming 4.… d5xe4 5. a2 – a3 Bb4xc3 + 6. Ne2xc3 f7 – f5 7. f2 – f3 e4xf3 8. Qd1xf3 White has good attack prospects. In Alekhine - Nimzowitsch, Bled 1931, White later won after these initial moves.
- Another gambit continuation for White results with 4. Bc1 – d2 d5xe4 5. Qd1 – g4.
After 4. e5 Black faces a decision. Either he immediately attacks the center and plays 4.… c7 – c5. Or he first develops the kingside and goes for 4.… Ng8 – e7. Most of the time, this just means changing trains. Each possibility, however, offers the black specific secondary possibilities that the white must reckon with.
4.… c7 – c5
A typical procedure - sooner or later Black has to become active in the center and attack the pawn chain at the base. Black can postpone these plans for the time being in order to swap his bad white-squared bishop on a6 for the good white one.
- After 4.… Ng8 – e7 5. a2 – a3 Bb4xc3 + 6. b2xc3 Black can go to b7 – b6 instead of going over to the main line with c7 – c5. However, after 6.… b7 – b6 7. Qd1 – g4, the short castling 0–0 is a mistake because of the peg 8. Bc1 – g5 and Bg5 – f6.
On the aggressive queen loss 5. Qd1 – g4 Black should immediately go into the center with c7 – c5. 5.… Ne7 – f5 is playable.
5. Bc1 – d2 avoids the double pawn. After another b7 – b6 6. Qd1 – g4 0–0 the pin 7. Bd2 – g5 is a loss of tempo here.
- With an immediate 4.… b7 – b6 5. Qd1 – g4 Bb4 – f8 Black would fall a little behind.
- 4.… Qd8 – d7 prepares b7 – b6. After 5. Qd1 – g4, f7 – f5 would protect the pawn on g7 with the queen. See the immortal long distance game .
5. a2-a3
Black can counter the aggressive queen loss 5. Qd1 – g4 with Ng8 – e7. This position can also arise over 4.… Ng8 – e7 5. Qd1 – g4 c7 – c5. 6. d4xc5 is now the best for White.
5. Bc1 – d2 avoids the doubles pawn and at this point minimizes the risk for White. Since Ng8 has not yet drawn, Ng8 – h6 is the possible answer.
5.… Bb4xc3 +
Black exchanges his black-squared bishop and thus weakens the pawn structure of the white queenside. As compensation, White has good chances of attack, and the diagonal a3 – f8 can also become weak for Black.
- 5.… Ba5 , the very sharp so-called Armenian variant, is also possible . However, this variant is rarely found at a high level, as it has been shown that White has better chances in the long term. Alekhine then recommended 6. b2 – b4 with the idea of c5xb4 7. Nc3 – b5 b4xa3 + 8. c2 – c3 Ba5 – c7 9. Bc1xa3. Another possibility for Black is 6.… c5xd4 7. Qd1 – g4 Ng8 – e7 8. Qg4xg7 Rh8 – g8 9. Qg7xh7 Nb8 – c6.
The Armenian Grand Master Lputjan is an important specialist in this field .
- Another possibility is in 5.… c5xd4 . At a high level, this variant has all but disappeared, as White also gains space here on the queenside and the a-line opens up for him. One possible move order is 6. a3xb4 d4xc3 7. Qd1 – g4 (7. Ng1 – f3 !?) c3xb2 8. Bc1xb2 Qd8 – e7.
6. b2xc3 Ng8-e7
After 6.… Qd8 – c7 Black wants to answer 7. Qd1 – g4 with f7 – f5, but with this he takes the option f7 – f6. White often plays 7. Ng1 – f3, which after 7.… Ng8 – e7 leads to the positional main variation 6.… Ne7 7. Nf3, whereby Black has already committed to Qd8 – c7.
The rare but interesting 6th… Qd8 – a5 7. Bc1 – d2 Qa5 – a4 !? is called Black Queen Blues in English-speaking countries . From a4, the black queen has the pawns c2 and d4 in its sights and blocks the maneuver Bc1 – a3.
After 6.… Ng8 – e7 White has the choice between the calm 7. Ng1 – f3 and the aggressive 7. Qd1 – g4. He can also immediately become active on the weak black diagonal a3 – f8 and 7. a3 – a4 !? play, which usually leads to the variants after 7.Nf3 when the move is changed.
7. Ng1-f3
This is the positional continuation for White. The main variation goes as follows: 7.… Bc8 – d7 8. a3 – a4 Qd8 – a5
A: 9. Bc1-d2. In addition to the queen move 9. Qd2 the main continuation, which prevents the exchange on d4, but makes the bishop maneuver after a3 impossible. After 9.… Nb8 – c6 10. Bf1 – e2 (Bf1 – b5 is also good) 10.… f7 – f6 both sides raise their chances.
B: 9. Qd1-d2. White covers Bc3 and retains the opportunity to develop the bishop to a3. 10. Bf1 – e2 f7 – f6! In this variant, too, the white center is attacked with the f-pawn.
7. Qd1-g4
The sharpest line of the Winawer variant. Most of the time, a sharp fight develops.
- 7.… Qd8 – c7
This super sharp reply has long been the most popular black sequel. Black sacrifices his pawns on the kingside for an attack on the queenside. Pawn and piece sacrifices are commonplace in this line, and often both kings do not even get castling.
After the main line 8. Qg4xg7 Rh8 – g8 9. Qg7xh7 c5xd4 Black is already threatened with check on c3, which White parries best with 10. Ng1 – e2. The continuation 10. Ke1 – d1 is actually called the life and death variant .
- 7.… 0–0 (Warsaw variant)
This is clearly the most reliable and safest alternative after 7. Qg4. In their theoretical work “French Winawer” (2001), Kindermann and Dirr suggested the name “Warsaw Variant” for this line, named after the Polish capital in which this move was first played. Black often has to endure a wild attack by the king, but he also has good defense options. If the black man survives the attack unscathed, he has good chances of the endgame due to the better pawn structure. The main line goes as follows: 8. Bf1 – d3
- 8.… Qd8 – a5 Was introduced to tournament practice by the Russian French expert Alexander Rustemow , who is also the coach and second of the world-class player Alexander Morozevich . With the queen's loss, Black wants to put pressure on c3 and d4 early on.
- 8.… f7 – f5 Another possibility, the further move order is usually 9. e5xf6 Rf8xf6 10. Bc1 – g5 Rf6 – f7.
- 8.… Nb8 – c6. Currently most commonly used. After 9. Qg4 – h5 the previously frequently used move 9.… h7 – h6 would be a mistake, since the bishop sacrifice Bc1xh6! in connection with long castling and Rd3 – g3 leads to a devastating attack on the king. In 1988 the French players had to give up a few moves after this sacrifice in the games Sönke Maus - Robert Hübner and Lothar Vogt - Wolfgang Uhlmann, which were played almost simultaneously .
literature
- Kindermann , Dirr: French Winawer - Volume 1: 7. Dg4 0-0 , Chessgate, 2001, ISBN 3-935748-00-0 .
- Wolfgang Uhlmann : French ... played correctly - A lifetime of French , Joachim Beyer Verlag, 2004, ISBN 3-88805-271-8 .
- Viktor Moskalenko : The Flexible French , New in Chess 2008, ISBN 978-90-5691-245-1 .
- Viktor Moskalenko : The Wonderful Winawer . New in Chess, Alkmaar 2010, ISBN 978-90-5691-327-4 .