In this and the next part i want to introduce you my repertoire-line in the Classical Dutch (or Iljin-Zhenevsky-System), based on the Alekhine Variation. Let's first have a look, how it all begins:
Introduction: This position is usually reached after (move-transpositions are possible):
1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.c4 d6 7.Nc3
The black position may look a bit passive but it is a very flexible structure (if you for example compare it with the Stonewall); Black's plan in general is to try to get the move ...e5 working, which will give the c8-bishop a better scope. Another commen maneuver is to shift the queen to the kingsside via ...qe8-g6 or qe8-h5, where she on the one hand can control the important e4 square or on the other hand anticipate in the attack on the enemy king. Sometimes black even sacrifices the e-pawn by playing e5, which often gives him considerable compensation. Here black's main lines are 7...a5 (this should hinder a queenside expansion by white with b4) or the already mentioned 7...Qe8. The Alekhine Variation begins with the move 7.Ne4!?; the idea behind this move is to trade it against the Knight on c3, which would ease black's defensive task; furthermore the bishop can come to f6, gaining a better scope. If white instead takes the knight on e4, black will recapture with the pawn chasing the f3-knight away.
7...Ne4!?
In this first part i want to look at three possible setups for white:
A) White plays Nh3 (instead of Nf3)
B) White plays b4
C) White plays Bf4
I won't look at setups, where white plays e3/Qc2, because i think the full answer to this setups is a black's queenside-fianchetto (b6+Bb7).
In the second part i want to show the mainline with 7...Ne4.
A) White plays Nh3
1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nh3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.c4 d6 7.Nc3
This line is known as Blackburne Variation
Let's look at the pros and cons of placing the knight to h3 instead of f3:
The knight on h3 is heading for the f4-square, where it attacks the e6 and d5 points, while simultanously the Bg2 bishop has a great diagonal. On the other hand white has less pressure on e5 and sometimes black can chase the knight away with a timely g5.
In theory this setup lacks punch, because the desired advance of black's e-pawn is easily achieved. Now let's see some lines:
7...e5! Here it is!
8.dxe5
(8.d5 doesn't achive anything for white: 8...Ne4! 9.Nxe4 fxe4 10.Qc2 (10.Qb3 a5!=)
Bf5 =+ the pawn on e4 cramps white;
9.Qc2 Nxc3 10.Qxc3 Na6 11.b4 f4! with initiative for black)
dxe5 9.Rxd8 Bxd8!
[9...Rxd8?! 10.Nd5! Nxd5 11.Bxd5+ Kh8!
(Kf8? 12.Ng5 h6 13.Ne6 Bxe6 14.Bxe6 Nc6 (...g6 15.Bxh6+) 15.Bxe6+/- )
12.Bg5! Bf6 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Rad1 c6 15.Bg2 Re8!+= and white is slightly better because of the better structure and better development]
10.b3
[10.f4 e4= ; 10.Ng5 c6!
(10...h6? 11.Ne6! Re8 12.Rd1! Rxe6 13.Rxd8+ 14.Re8 Bxd5+ 15.Rxe8+ Kxe8 16.Bg2 c6 17.b3 Kf7 18.Bb2 Na6 19.Rd1 e4 (...Be6 Nb5!+/-) 20.f3 exf3 21.exf3 Be6 22.Ne2! +/-)
11.Rd1 Na6 12.b3 e4 13.Bf4 (Bb2 h6=) Ba5!=]
10...c6 11.Ba3
[11.Bb2 Na6 12.Rad1 Be7 13.Rfe1
(13.Ng5 e4 14.h4 (14.e3 Nb4=) e3!? 15.fxe3 Ng4 16.Rf3 Bc5 17.Bc1 h6 18.Nh3 Re8 19.Na4 Bxe3 20.Bxe3 Nxe3 21.Rd2 Rb8=+)
13...Nc5 14.f3 a5 (...e4!?) =]
11...Re8 12.Rfd1 Na6 13.Bd6
(13.Rd2 Ba5! 14.Bb2 h6 15.Rad1 Be6 =+ White's knight on h3 is misplaced )
13...Bc7 14.Bxc7 Nxc7 15.Rd6 Kf7 16.f3 Le6 17.Rad1
(17.Ng5+ Ke7 18.Nxe6 Nxe6 19.Rad1 Red8=+)
Ke7=
Instead of 7.Nc3 white can also chose the following:
A1)7.b3 e5!8.dxe5
(8.d5 h6!? 9.Nc3 Na6! 10.f3 c6! 11.e4? fxe4 12.Fxe4 Qb6+ 13.Kh1 (13.Nf2 Ng4 14.Na4 Qd4 15.Qxd4 exd4 16.Nd3 (16.Bb2? Ne3!-/+) ...Bd7 17.Bd2 g5=+) Bg4 14.Qd2=+)
8...dxe5 9.Bb2 Ng4! 10.Qxd8 Rxd8 11.Nc3 c6 12.Rad1 Na6 13.Rxd8 Bxd8 14.Rd1 Be7 15.e4 h6=
A2)7.Qb3 now black has two good moves:
A2.1)7...Ne4!? 8.Nc3 (8.Nd2 Nc6 9.Nxe4 fxe4 10.Rd1!
(10.Lxe4 e5! 11.dxe5!? Bxh3 12.exd6 Bxf1 13.Kxf1 cxd6 14.Qxb7 Nb4 15.Qxa8
(15.Qxb4? d5 16.Bxd5+ Qxd5 17.cxd5 Bxb4-+) ...Qxa8 16.Bxa8 Rxa8 17.Bd2 a5-/+)
10...a5 11.d5 a4 12.Qc2 Nb4 13.Qxe4 e5 14.g4 Bd7 15.a3 Na6 16.Be3 b6 17.f3 Nc5 18.Qc2) Bh4) =
8...Nxc3 9.Qxc3 Bf6 10.Be3 Nc6 11.Nf4 Qe8 12.Qd2 g5 13.Nh3 (13.Nd3 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Bxd4 15.Qxg5+ Bg7=; 13.Nxe6!? Bxe6 14.d5 Ne5 15.dxe6 Nxc4 16.Qd3 Nxe3 17.fxe3 c6 18.Qb3 d5 19.Rxf5 Qxe6 20.Rxd5 Rae8=) h6 14.f4 g4 15.Nf2 Bd7 16.Rc1 Nd8 17.Nd3 Rf7 18.b4 a6 19.Bf2 Bc6 20.d5 exd5 21.cxd5 Bb5 22.e3 Re7=
A2.2)7..Na6!
A2.21) 8.Rd1 c6 9.Nc3 Qb6 10.Qxb6 axb6 11.Na4 Nd7 12.Nf4(12.Nc3 Nf6 13.a3 Nc7= 14.e4? Nxe4 15.Nxe4 fxe4 16.Bxe4 d5 17.Bg2 dxc4-/+) Nc7 13.b3 g5 14.Nd3 b5=
A2.22) 8.Nc3 c6 9.Rd1 Qb6 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Nf4 Bxd4 13.Qxb6 Bxd6 14.Rxd6 Kh7 15.e4 Bc7 16.Rdd1 e5 17.Nd3 f4 with initiative
A2.3) 8..Nf4 e5 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Rd1 Qe8 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.cxd5 Nc5 12.Qc4 b6 13.Be3 Ba6 14.Qc2 f4! with initiative;
8.c5+ Kh8 9.cxd6 cxd6 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Rd1 Qc7 12.Nd3 Nc5 13.Nxc5 Bxc5=
A3)7...Nf4!? c6
(7...g5? 8.Bxb7! Bxb7 9.Nxe6+/- ;
7...e5 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Nd5 c6 10.Nxf6 (10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 11.Nc3 Be6 12.b3 Na6 13.e4 Nxe4! 14.Nxe4 fxe4 15.Bxe4 Bf5 16.Qe2 Bxe4 17.Qxe4 Rae8 18.Re1 Qd6 19.Qe3 b6 20.Bb2 e4 21.Rad1 Qe7 22.f4 exf3 e.p. 23.Qxe7 f2+! 24.Kg2 f1(Q)+! 25.Rxf1 Rxe7 26.Rxf8+ Kxf8 27.Rd2+=) Bxf6 11.Nc3 Be6=)
8.Qb3 Qb6 9.Nd3 Nbd7 (9...Qxd4?? Be3 +-) 10.Nc3 e5=
Conclusion: The Blackburne Variations is harmless.
B) White plays b4
1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.c4 d6 7.b4
This line is considered best according to theory; white gains space on the queenside, where he will attack. In the mainline after 7.Nc3 a5 black hinders this expansion by white in a certain extent, although if white really wants, he can opt for b4 a move earlier, so it can not be avoided at all. But i think it is not necessary to avoid it at all! In most games black players went for 7...Qe8 and white got his game. Only in a few games black players played the best move.
7...Ne4! I think this is the full answer against the b4-Sytem.
8.Lb2
A)8.Nbd2 d5 9.c5
a) 9.Qb3 Nc6! 10.b5
(10.c5 b6 11.b5 (11.Bb2 Qe8 12.Rab1 Bf6 13.e3 Ba6 14.Rfe1 Rb8 15.cxb6 Rxb6 16.a3 Bb5 17.Bf1 Bxf1 18.Rxf1 Qa8 19.Rfc1 Rfb8=)
11...Na5 12.Qc2 bxc5 13.dxc5 a6 14.a4 Bxc5-/+;
10...Sa5 11.Qa4 c6 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Ne5 Qxd4 14.Bf4 Bf6 15.Rfd1 Qc5 16.Rac1 Bxe5 17.Be3 Qe7 18.Qxa5 Bd6 19.bxc6 bxc6 20.Rb1 Qc7 21.Bb6 Qe7 22.Be3 Qc7=)
b) 9.cxd5 Nc3 10.Qe1 Bxb4 11.a3 Be7 12.dxe6 Bxe6 13.Nc4 Ne4 14.Nce5 c5 15.Be3 Na6=;
9...a5 10.bxa5 Nc6 11.Nb3 Bf6 12.Qc2 g5=+ (12...e5=) ;
B) 8.Sfd2 d5! 9.a3
(9.c5?! Nc6 10.Nb3 Nxb4 11.f3 Nf6-/+)
9...a5 10.b5 Bf6
(10...c5 11.cxd5 exd5 12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.Bg5 Re8 16.Rc1+=)
11.e3 c5 12.Nxe4 dxe4! 13.Bb2 Rf7 14.Nd2 a4=;
C) 8.a4!? Probably the best try ...c5! 9.b5
a) 9.dxc5 dxc5 10.b5 (10.Qxd8 Rxd8=+) 10...Nd7
(10...a6 11.Ra3 axb5 12.Rd3 Nd7 13.axb5 Bf6 14.Bf4 Qe7 15.Nfd2 e5 16.Be3 Nxd2 17.Nxd2 e4 18.Rd5 g6 19.Nb3 b6 20.Rxf5 gxf5 21.Qd5+ Qf7 22.Qxa8 Ne5 23.Nd2 Be6 24.Qa6 Bd8=)
11.Ra3 Bf6 12.Rd3 Qe7 13.Nfd2 Ne5 14.Nxe4 fxe4 15.Rc3 b6 16.Bxe4 Bb7 with compensation;
b) 9.bxc5 dxc5 10.d5 Bf6 11.Ra3 Na6 12.Be3 b6 13.Nfd2 exd5 14.cxd5 Nd6 15.Bf4 Bb7=;
9...Nd7 10.Qc2 Ndf6 11.Nbd2=]
8...d5 9.c5 Sc6 10.b5
10.a3 b6 11.Nbd2 bxc5 12.dxc5 (12.bxc5 Rb8 13.Rb1 Ba6=+) 12...Bf6=+
10...Na5 11.Nbd2
11.Ne5 a6 12.f3 Nf6 13.a4 Nd7 14.Nd3 Nc4 15.Qc1 Bg5 16.f4 Be7 17.Nc3 Nf6=
11...a6 12.a4 axb5 13.axb5 Bd7=
Conclusion: This line is a sound alternative, but it has lost its reputation as a killer-move.
C) White plays Bf4
Here white has some move-orders, when he can play Bf4. So i will show more diagramms. The Bf4-setups are considered harmless by theory because it runs in the black's main plan of ...e5, so that the bishop has to move again losing a tempo, but this is not that easy to achieve! To my mind, this is one of the better sidelines (probably unterrated).
1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e6 4.Nf3
[ a) 4.Bf4
...Ne4 5.Nxe4 fxe4 6.a3 Nc6 7.d5 (7.b4 d5 8.b5 Na5=+) 7...Qf6 8.e3
(8.Nh3 exd5 9.cxd5 Ne5 10.Qc2 d6 11.Qxe4 Be7 12.e3 Bf5 13.Qa4+ Nd7 14.Bb5 Qxb2 15.0-0 a6 16.Bxd7+ Bxd7 17.Qe4 Qf6 18.Rac1 Rc8 19.Bg5 Qe5 20.Qxe5 dxe5 21.Bxe7 Kxe7 22.Ng5 h6 23.Ne4 b6 24.f4 Bb5 25.Rfe1 exf4 26.exf4 Kd7 27.g3=)
8...Qxb2 9.dxc6 Qc3+ 10.Ke2 Qb2+ 11.Ke1 Qc3+=]
b) 4.a3 Le7 5.Lf4
...0-0 6.e3 d6 7.Nf3 Ne4 8.Bg3 Nxg3 9.hxg3 c5 10.Bd3 cxd4 11.exd4 Nc6 12.g4 Bf6 13.gxf5 Nxd4 14.fxe6 Nxf3+ 15.gxf3 h6 16.Qe2 Bxc3+ 17.bxc3 De7=]
4...Le7 5.Lf4
[ a) 5.h3 0-0 6.Bf4 c5! 7.dxc5
(7.d5 d6 8.dxe6 Bxe6 9.e3 Ne4 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.Nd2 Qa5=)
7...Bxc5 8.e3 Nc6 9.Be2 Ne4 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.Nd2
(11.Ng5 d5 12.Bg4 Rxf4!? 13.exf4 Qa5+ 14.Kf1 Nd4 15.a3 Qa6 16.Rc1 h6 17.b4 Bb6 18.a4 hxg5 19.b5 Qa5 20.c5 Bxc5 21.Rxc5 Qb4 22.Rc7 gxf4 23.Kg1 Qb2÷)
11...Rxf4 12.exf4 e3 13.Ne4 (13.fxe3?? Qh4+-+) 13...exf2+ 14.Nxf2 Qh4 15.0-0 Qxf4©;
b) 5.d5 0-0 6.g3
(6.Bf4 d6 7.dxe6 Bxe6 8.Ng5 Bxc4 9.e3 Bxf1 10.Qb3+ d5 11.Kxf1 Na6 12.Ne6 (12.Qxb7 Nc5 13.Qxc7 Nfe4=) 12...Nc5 13.Nxc5 Bxc5 14.Qxb7=;
6...Ne4 7.Nxe4 fxe4 8.Nd2 e3!? 9.fxe3 exd5 10.cxd5 Bb4 11.Bg2 d6 12.Rf1 Bf5 13.e4 Bg6 14.e5! (14.Rxf8+ Qxf8=) 14...Rxf1+!
(14...dxe5 15.Rxf8+ Qxf8 16.d6 Qxd6 17.a3 Bxd2+ 18.Bxd2 Nc6 19.Qb3+ Kh8 20.Qxb7 Rd8 21.Bg5 Nd4 22.Bxd8 Nc2+ 23.Kf1 Nxa1 24.Qd5 Qf8+ 25.Kg1 c6 26.Qa5 Nb3 27.Qb4 Qxd8 28.Qxb3 Qd6 29.Qc4+=)
15.Kxf1 dxe5 16.d6 Qf8+ 17.Ke1 Qxd6 18.a3 Nc6! 19.axb4 Nd4 20.Kf1 Nc2 21.Ra3 Rf8+ 22.Kg1 Nxa3 23.bxa3 Qd4+ 24.Kh1 c6 25.Qb3+ Bf7 26.Qd3 Qxd3 27.exd3 Rd8 28.Be4÷)]
5...d6
[5...0-0 6.e3 d6
7.Be2 Nc6 8.0-0 Ne4 9.h3 (9.Qc2? g5 10.Bg3 Nxc3 11.Qxc3 f4-+) 9...Nxc3 10.bxc3 Bf6 11.Rb1 e5=]
6.h3 0-0 7.e3 Ne4!?
8.Nxe4
[a)8.Qc2 Nxc3 9.Qxc3 Bf6 10.0-0-0 Nc6 11.g4 g5 12.Bg3 Qe8 13.Bd3
(13.gxf5 exf5 14.a3 Qe4 15.Bg2 f4 16.exf4 gxf4 17.Rhe1 Qf5 18.Bh4 Bxh4 19.Nxh4 Qf6 20.Bd5+ Kh8 21.Ng2 Bd7 22.Qd2 Rae8 23.Rxe8 Bxe8 24.f3 Bd7 25.h4 Bh3 26.Bxc6 bxc6 27.d5 cxd5 28.cxd5 Bxg2 29.Qxg2 Qxh4 30.Qg1 a6 31.Re1 Qg3 32.Qd4+ Qg7 33.Qa7=)
13...e5 14.dxe5 dxe5 15.e4
(15.gxf5 e4-+; 15.Bxf5 e4 16.Nd4 Nxd4 17.exd4 c5 18.Be5 Bxe5 19.dxe5 Bxf5 20.gxf5 Rxf5 21.Rd5 Qf7=)
15...fxg4 16.hxg4 Bxg4 17.c5 h5 18.Bc4+ Kh8=+;
b) 8.Bd3 g5 9.Bh2 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Nc6 11.0-0 Bf6 12.Rb1 e5 13.d5 Na5 14.e4 g4 15.hxg4 fxg4 16.Nd2 Bd7 17.c5 Bg5÷]
8...fxe4 9.Nd2 d5 10.Be2 Nc6 11.Bh2 Bd6!? 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.Rc1 a5 14.0-0
[14.c5 Qe7 15.0-0 Qg5=+]
14...a4 15.a3 Bd7 16.f3 Qg3 17.Qe1 Qg5 18.f4 Qg6 19.Bg4 =
Conclusion: A sound alternative to the main line.
Here it is the other way round as in the b4-system: The b4-system was considered very good, but is just ok, whereas Bf4-systems were considered inferior, but in fact are good.
I hope you liked it! Now you should be able to play it for yourself. Good luck! ;D
