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Preface<br />
CODE NAME: ZUKA<br />
After finishing Zuke ’Em: The Colle-Zukertort Revolutionized,<br />
a recurring question from readers and players on the<br />
Colle System Players Forum was “When are you going to write<br />
a book discussing how to meet ...g6?” Several other readers<br />
asked about the Dutch.<br />
Zuke ’Em gave little guidance against an early ...g6 or<br />
...f5 (other than directing the reader to other books) for two<br />
reasons:<br />
• I didn’t have any new ideas I deemed worth advocating<br />
against these lines.<br />
• Those systems were outside the intended scope of the<br />
work.<br />
To clarify this second point, Zuke ’Em provided ammunition<br />
against anti-Colle lines, especially those where Black<br />
deviated after White had already blocked his dark-squared<br />
Bishop with e3. Its other main purpose was to address tricky<br />
move orders that leave Black the option of transposing to a<br />
typical QGD.<br />
My thinking was that systems like the KID, Pirc, Modern,<br />
Grünfeld, and Dutch generally take the game so far outside<br />
normal Colle territory before White commits to e3 that they<br />
represent less of a repertoire challenge for the first player, who<br />
is free to pick any of several opening systems more suited to<br />
meeting ...g6 or ...f5 than the Colle.<br />
To some extent that basic idea still holds, but even within<br />
its truth we find the source of a frustration for Colle System
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
players. I’ve long advised players to weave the Colle into<br />
a larger repertoire, but that larger repertoire tends to have<br />
several disparate pieces with different pawn structures. Contemporary,<br />
serious players who use the Colle System have to<br />
use one system against the Pirc, another against the Dutch,<br />
another against the King’s <strong>In</strong>dian Defense, and (perhaps<br />
most annoyingly) two different tacks when facing the Grünfeld—one<br />
against the typical move order (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6<br />
followed by ...d5) and another against the Sneaky Grünfeld<br />
(1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 g6!?).<br />
It’s not surprising that different Black defensive systems<br />
are best met by different White choices, but it sure would be<br />
nice if those various White continuations were closely related<br />
to one another. This would significantly reduce the study time<br />
required because one would face similar structures, execute<br />
familiar strategies, and avoid traps lurking in foreign contexts.<br />
Furthermore, the more cohesive your repertoire, the less likely<br />
you will find yourself foundering when a clever move order<br />
forces you to switch from one system to another.<br />
After much work, I believe I can now present to readers the<br />
perfect regime to combine with the Colle System. It is a structure<br />
that can be used (with a few exceptions and a couple of<br />
tweaks) against repertoires based on the Dutch, Pirc, Modern,<br />
KID, and both Grünfeld move orders.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$zxzxzxzx%<br />
$xzxzxzxz%<br />
$zxzxzxzx%<br />
$xzxzxzxz%<br />
$zxπpzxzx%<br />
$xznzpñxz%<br />
$πpzx∫pπp%<br />
$xzxzxzxz%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Zuka: The Zuke ’Em Companion
Preface<br />
I have dubbed this setup “Zuka,” because I believe it is the<br />
perfect companion to those using a Zuke ’Em repertoire, but it<br />
also integrates well with a c3-Colle system repertoire. <strong>In</strong> fact,<br />
our move order allows the system to be used by almost any<br />
1.d4-player, whether you prefer 2.c4 or 2.Nf3.<br />
It might seem arrogant to assign this setup a name. I’m<br />
quite definitely not the first person to propose the configuration.<br />
It is becoming more and more popular to meet the<br />
Grünfeld with this setup, and it is not uncommon for people<br />
to use it against the Dutch, though we will be incorporating<br />
a twist by developing the Bishop to f4 early.<br />
I’m giving it a name for four reasons. First, I believe it has<br />
never previously been developed as an integrated system designed<br />
to combine seamlessly with the Colle, allowing White<br />
to meet practically any defense the Colle struggles against.<br />
Second, we will be using a novel move order in most cases,<br />
delaying Nc3 to avoid certain troublesome lines. Third, of all<br />
the relevant defensive systems, the KID poses by far the biggest<br />
problem for those who play quiet e3-systems, and I know of<br />
no modern work exploring this setup for White against the<br />
KID. Finally, I’ll be referring to this complex frequently, and<br />
didn’t want to say “The c4/d4/e3/Nf3/Be2/Nc3 configuration”<br />
over and over again.<br />
Normally one expects these one-size-fits-many approaches<br />
to come with a concomitant reduction in power, but the advantage<br />
sacrificed for simplicity is surprisingly small in this<br />
case. As we shall find later, there are just not many critical<br />
setups Black can use against the Zuka configuration once he<br />
has played ...f5 or ...g6, and White has every reason to expect a<br />
genuine advantage against each. Sure, White can score better<br />
against the KID if he knows the Classical Variation 20 moves<br />
deep, but I suspect such people have little interest in the Colle<br />
in the first place, and knowing the KID so well doesn’t solve<br />
the problems of the Dutch, the Grünfeld, etc.
10<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
Perhaps best of all, the Zuka system allows White to take<br />
the game into waters that are both unexplored and thematic,<br />
so he should expect to understand the relevant strategy better<br />
than his opponent. Finally, I believe the lines I propose here<br />
will appeal to readers of Zuke ’Em because they achieve the<br />
same goals that informed the variations in that book: they<br />
suppress Black’s counterplay while giving White either an<br />
initiative or long-term, concrete advantages.<br />
As always, I hope to see you on the forum (http://www.<br />
zuke-dukes.com/forum), and feel free to write me with feedback<br />
at David@zukertort.com.<br />
David Rudel<br />
Budapest, Hungary
Preface<br />
A Stand-Alone System Created for<br />
Colle Players but Usable by Anyone<br />
Author’s Note to Non-Colle Players<br />
The Zuka System developed and explained in this book<br />
can be used by most players who open 1.d4, whether they<br />
intend 2.c4 or 2.Nf3. Because Colle System players constitute<br />
a large proportion of my readership, I have used 2.Nf3<br />
throughout the book.<br />
Unless Black plays a delayed Dutch, this should make no difference<br />
at all because 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 and 1.d4 Nf6<br />
2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 are equivalent. <strong>In</strong> the case of a delayed Dutch<br />
(1.d4 e6, planning …f5) there are a couple of lines where 2.c4<br />
and 2.Nf3 lead to different possibilities. These are covered in<br />
Chapter 14. The extra-delayed Dutch, in which Black waits<br />
until his 3rd move before playing …f5, should really only<br />
pose a concern to Colle System players, so in the specific case<br />
of 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6, the coverage assumes White is aiming<br />
for a Colle setup.<br />
<strong>In</strong> all other variations the book should serve Queen’s Gambit<br />
players and their Colle System peers equally well, and Collecentric<br />
remarks are mainly confined to the preface and an occasional<br />
framing discussion in other introductory material.<br />
11
Background: The Current Status of<br />
Queen’s Pawn Game Responses to<br />
…g6-systems<br />
B efore jumping into a detailed look at how Zuka can be<br />
used against various ...g6 systems, a quick discussion of<br />
the current state of theory seems appropriate.<br />
When discussing deviations from “Queen’s Pawn Game”<br />
openings, loosely defined as anything where White opens<br />
1.d4 and delays or omits c4, one can identify two categories<br />
that match two very different kinds of Black repertoires.<br />
The first category comprises the various pet defenses,<br />
each designed to defuse an individual opening. The second<br />
category comprises recognized opening systems that naturally<br />
cut across White’s plans; examples include the Benoni, Dutch,<br />
and King’s <strong>In</strong>dian defenses. While challenging lines exist in<br />
both categories, the members of the second group are particularly<br />
problematic because they tend to result in structures the<br />
second player is well versed in playing. A tournament player<br />
might have to use each of his pet defenses once a year, but a<br />
Benoni specialist is going to bash out 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 many<br />
times each month.<br />
Furthermore, these “real” defenses are much more likely to<br />
provide Black substantial winning chances. Compare this to<br />
many pet defenses that make White work harder to achieve a<br />
significant advantage in the opening, but which can be quite<br />
hard for Black to win with even against mediocre play should<br />
White be happy with a draw. Examples include meeting the<br />
Colle with 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Bf5 or the accelerated London<br />
with 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 d6.<br />
But these two categories differ in another important regard.<br />
Pet lines are rarely tested at high levels, and their theory<br />
15
16<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
changes slowly. Once White finds the proper refutation for<br />
such a line, it can be a long time before it gets resurrected.<br />
At one point many of these variations could have been considered<br />
silver bullets, but their tips have since degraded to<br />
bronze or clay. Not so with the Modern, Pirc, Benoni, Grünfeld,<br />
Dutch, and <strong>In</strong>dian systems. Many of these are played at<br />
high levels regularly, and the opportunity for developments,<br />
even in their sidelines—the variations Queen’s Pawn Game<br />
players may adopt—is much greater. A recommendation for<br />
White that looked good in 2000 may have already had its<br />
coffin made by 2010.<br />
Of these various defensive systems, those employing an<br />
early ...g6 are particularly difficult for Colle System players to<br />
meet. The knee-jerk explanation for this is that White’s powerful<br />
Bishop on d3 bites on g6-granite. This reasoning contains<br />
some truth, especially for the C-K version which relies heavily<br />
on that Bishop. Yet it glosses over a more fundamental<br />
point. As I described in Zuke ’Em, the Colle-Zukertort aims to<br />
render Black’s light-squared Bishop as worthless as possible.<br />
If Black fianchettoes his dark-squared Bishop, White has no<br />
real hope of containing Black’s light-squared Bishop with a<br />
Colle structure because there is no compelling reason for the<br />
second player to issue ...e6.<br />
This short circuits White’s whole setup. Not only will Black<br />
get to make some use of his light-squared Bishop, but he does<br />
not need to take any drastic early action to do so. No wonder<br />
the Colle stands to do poorly against the ...g6 systems: Black<br />
has sabotaged from the start the whole basis of White’s opening!<br />
(<strong>In</strong>cidentally, the Zuka system I will be recommending<br />
renews this idea of suppressing Black’s play with this Bishop<br />
by eventually covering g4 and f5 with pawns on e4 and either<br />
f3 or h3.)<br />
Because theory can change relatively rapidly even in the<br />
sidelines of these defensive systems, many different suggestions<br />
for White have been given over the years. Smith and Hall
The Current Status of Queen’s Pawn Game …g6-systems<br />
actually suggested something close to the Zuka system against<br />
one particular ...g6 line, but they looked for massive Q-side<br />
expansion with a4 and b4, allowing Black to play ...e4. Soltis<br />
suggested White simply use a Torre against these openings in<br />
his 1992 repertoire pamphlet.<br />
A new era began when GM Summerscale suggested the<br />
Barry and 150 Attack in the original edition of A Killer <strong>Chess</strong><br />
Opening Repertoire.<br />
The Barry Attack<br />
The Barry Attack (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7<br />
5.e3 0-0 6.Be2) provoked much debate as it was used with<br />
some success by several strong players.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏PzP∏B∏%<br />
$zxzxzN∏x%<br />
$xzx∏xzxz%<br />
$zxzpzbzx%<br />
$xznzpñxz%<br />
$πpπx∫pπp%<br />
$rzxœkzx®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
The Barry instantly became the preferred method for upto-date<br />
Colle players to engage the ...g6 defensive complexes.<br />
Unfortunately, as is often the case in chess, success for White<br />
at high levels accelerated the evolution of the line. Black finally<br />
found a reliable response involving an annoying retreat:<br />
6...c5 7.Ne5 cxd4 8.exd4 Nfd7!<br />
1
1<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏x˜P∏B∏%<br />
$zxzxzx∏x%<br />
$xzx∏nzxz%<br />
$zxzpzbzx%<br />
$xznzxzxz%<br />
$πpπx∫pπp%<br />
$rzxœkzx®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
White doesn’t have anything better than 9.Nf3, so he had<br />
to find a way to make progress without Ne5.<br />
This ...Nfd7 tactic had been known even before Summerscale’s<br />
book. Long-time Barry proponent Mark Hebden beat<br />
widely renowned opening theorist GM John Nunn in 1998<br />
by castling long after playing Qd2, Ne5, and Be3. However,<br />
Hebden evidently didn’t trust the specific continuation in<br />
that game and ran into trouble with this line in 2005-6 as<br />
he started looking for something better. He even tried Ng1<br />
against fellow GM Jonathan Rowson. Nothing came of this<br />
experimentation and he agreed to a couple of draws from the<br />
position in 2006.<br />
<strong>In</strong> my view 7...cxd4 8.exd4 Nfd7 is the biggest issue for<br />
Barry Attack players. IMs Richard Palliser and Yelena Dembo<br />
(writing from opposite sides of the chess board) have each<br />
put more weight on the 7...Nc6 variation.
The Current Status of Queen’s Pawn Game …g6-systems<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰xıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏xzP∏B∏%<br />
$zx˜xzN∏x%<br />
$xzP∏nzxz%<br />
$zxzpzbzx%<br />
$xznzpzxz%<br />
$πpπx∫pπp%<br />
$rzxœkzx®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Position after 7...Nc6<br />
It’s true that White has gotten the worse of it from this<br />
position in recent years if one looks at all games, but closer<br />
examination shows that this is largely due to White stubbornly<br />
trying to attack come hell or high water with h4 or<br />
playing Nxc6 too early. The traditional move, 8.0-0 continues<br />
to work fine for White, who must now play positionally on<br />
the Q-side.<br />
The variation that Dembo gives as the refutation to White’s<br />
setup is 8.0-0 cxd4 9.exd4 Qb6 10.Nxc6 Qxc6.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰xıxzRapplex%<br />
$P∏xzP∏B∏%<br />
$zxŒxzN∏x%<br />
$xzx∏xzxz%<br />
$zxzpzbzx%<br />
$xznzxzxz%<br />
$πpπx∫pπp%<br />
$rzxœx®kz%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Does this pose<br />
a problem for White?<br />
1
20<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
Palliser agrees with Dembo’s assessment that White has<br />
nothing here, but I think they have under-estimated 11.Re1<br />
a6 12.Bf3, which Dembo gives a “?!” The Greek IM criticizes<br />
this move because it does not stop Black’s minority attack,<br />
but in the suggested continuation she gives, 12...Be6 13.a4<br />
b5 14.axb5 axb5, I don’t see what Black has accomplished<br />
after 15.Na2.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰xzxzRapplex%<br />
$xzxzP∏B∏%<br />
$zxŒxıN∏x%<br />
$x∏x∏xzxz%<br />
$zxzpzbzx%<br />
$xzxzx∫xz%<br />
$ñpπxzpπp%<br />
$rzxœrzkz%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
The b4-square belongs to White<br />
Following c3, Nb4, and probably Rc1, Black cannot make<br />
anything of the a-file. Note that he has problems finding a<br />
spot for his light-squared Bishop. He would like to move<br />
the Bishop to allow ...e6, shoring up the twice-hit d5-pawn.<br />
Rerouting it to e8 is complicated by the weakness on e7, and<br />
moving it to f5 invites a powerful K-side pawn storm. Retreating<br />
all the way to c8 leaves Black even less well-prepared to<br />
meet a K-side assault.<br />
While I don’t see 7...Nc6 as particularly problematic, it<br />
does prevent White from playing for an immediate K-side assault.<br />
It is a stylistic obstacle rather than a theoretic one.<br />
The Tarzan Attack<br />
The Barry Attack lost its greatest advocate when Hebden<br />
switched openings after his dispiriting encounters of 2005-<br />
2006 against 8...Nfd7. He began tilling the fields of 1.d4 Nf6
The Current Status of Queen’s Pawn Game …g6-systems<br />
2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.Qd2, which Israeli GM Arthur<br />
Kogan had been cultivating for some time.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQapplexzR%<br />
$P∏PzP∏B∏%<br />
$zxzxzN∏x%<br />
$xzx∏xzxz%<br />
$zxzpzbzx%<br />
$xznzxñxz%<br />
$πpπqπpπp%<br />
$rzxzk∫x®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
White’s play, aiming at Bh6 with a K-side assault, may not<br />
appear particularly nuanced, but it has proven quite hard to<br />
contain. The variation has received a fair amount of attention<br />
recently, and its theory is still evolving. Several repertoire<br />
books have suggested Black play for a relatively early ...c5 after<br />
5...Ne4 6.Nxe4 dxe4 7.Ne5 Nd7 8.Nxd7 Qxd7 9.e3 0-0.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰xıxzRapplex%<br />
$P∏PŒP∏B∏%<br />
$zxzxzx∏x%<br />
$xzxzxzxz%<br />
$zxzp∏bzx%<br />
$xzxzpzxz%<br />
$πpπqzpπp%<br />
$rzxzk∫x®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
White can really only stop …c5 temporarily with 10.Qc3.<br />
After 10...c6 11.Be2 b6, Black will get …c5 in eventually. The<br />
question is whether White can get anything out of it.<br />
While White has had some rough games recently with<br />
this variation, I think it is still too early to render judgment.<br />
Kogan has looked for improvements on move 10, and there<br />
are plenty of possibilities left to explore. White might find<br />
21
22<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
something in 11.a4, though Hebden only managed to draw<br />
with it against the significantly lower-rated Houriez in 2008.<br />
White could consider preventing ...c5 with 10.Qb4 instead<br />
of 10.Qc3. Castling long rather than developing his Bishop<br />
(11.0-0-0) is also a possibility.<br />
As of this writing, many of Kogan’s personal suggestions<br />
for White involve Be5, either played immediately on move 12<br />
or after 12.a4 or 12.0-0-0.<br />
I don’t think White has run out of ideas here, but it is hard<br />
to make a solid repertoire suggestion.<br />
The 150 Attack<br />
The 150 Attack refers to an opening system normally<br />
employed against the Pirc that emphasizes (to the point of<br />
caricature) the importance of classical development. White<br />
gets his pawns on e4/d4 and, meeting no resistance, proceeds<br />
to simply plop his pieces on their classically best squares. For<br />
Queen’s Pawn Game players, this means d4, e4, Nf3, Nc3,<br />
Be3, and normally Bd3 and Qd2 as well. The downside is<br />
that his Knight on c3 blocks his c-pawn, limiting his ability to<br />
transform the center and bringing a certain degree of inflexibility<br />
to his game.<br />
Back in 1999 GM Summerscale wrote that he thought the<br />
150 Attack was putting Black off the Pirc at all levels, and he<br />
may well have been right. To this day Pirc players continue<br />
to struggle badly against the 150 regardless of whether they<br />
castle early (e.g., 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be3<br />
0-0 6.Qd2 c6 7.Bh6) or delay castling (e.g., 1.d4 d6 2.e4 Nf6<br />
3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be3 c6 6.Qd2 b5 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.Bh6).<br />
This latter idea, shown below, is considered Black’s best, but<br />
White still tends to mop the floor with him in these lines as<br />
long as the first player knows the theory.
The Current Status of Queen’s Pawn Game …g6-systems<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰xıQapplexzR%<br />
$Pzx˜P∏B∏%<br />
$zx∏PzN∏b%<br />
$x∏xzxzxz%<br />
$zxzpπxzx%<br />
$xzn∫xñxz%<br />
$πpπqzpπp%<br />
$rzxzkzx®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Position after 8.Bh6<br />
While the 150 continues to dominate the Pirc, it has been<br />
on the business end of a rude awakening against the Modern<br />
Defense. <strong>In</strong> particular, after 1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e4 Bg7 4.Nc3<br />
a6!, White has had a terrible time proving any advantage<br />
(practical or otherwise) at all. Opening manuals written for<br />
players using the 150 Attack tend to suggest 5.Be3 b5 6.Qd2<br />
Bb7 7.Bd3 Nd7 8.a4! b4 9.Ne2, but no convincing response<br />
to 9...c5! has been found.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰xzQapplex˜R%<br />
$xıx˜P∏B∏%<br />
$∏xzPzx∏x%<br />
$xzPzxzxz%<br />
$πPzpπxzx%<br />
$xzx∫bñxz%<br />
$zpπqñpπp%<br />
$rzxzkzx®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Eggshell in the omelet<br />
Tiger Hillarp Persson suggested 10.c3 be met with 10...<br />
Ngf6 in his Tiger’s Modern. That line has been good for Black.<br />
Worse, even if White finds a promising rebuttal to that particu-<br />
23
24<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
lar variation, there appears to be no end to Black’s worthwhile<br />
ideas and potential improvements elsewhere in this system.<br />
This ...a6-version of the Modern has increased in popularity<br />
tremendously over the past 15 years, and I don’t see any<br />
good way around it for those wanting to use the 150 Attack.<br />
White has other ways to meet 4...a6, but none of them are<br />
particularly compelling. Of course, White could elect to play<br />
the 150 only when Black plays an early ...Nf6, but this is no<br />
solution in terms of repertoire preparation because Black<br />
can remain flexible longer than White can. Eventually White<br />
will have to decide whether to play an early c4 (the only real<br />
deterrent to the Modern), and Black can keep all his options<br />
available until then.<br />
Thus, the only way White can reliably incorporate the<br />
150 Attack selectively against the Pirc while still having good<br />
chances for an opening advantage against the Modern is to<br />
allow himself to be pulled into the King’s <strong>In</strong>dian Defense after<br />
1.d4 d6 2.e4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.c4 Nf6!<br />
Speaking of the King’s <strong>In</strong>dian, there is one other minor<br />
annoyance that sometimes goes unmentioned in manuals.<br />
Players using the Barry/Tarzan and 150 Attacks as a repertoire<br />
will often say they “use the Barry against the King’s <strong>In</strong>dian and<br />
the 150 against the Pirc/Modern.” But that is not true.<br />
The Barry, after all, follows the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3<br />
g6 3.Nc3 d5, but ...d5 is not a King’s <strong>In</strong>dian move. What is<br />
really going on is that White assumes that after 3.Nc3, Black<br />
will opportunistically switch to an unusual version of the<br />
Grünfeld, taking advantage of the fact that White has omitted<br />
c4.<br />
This is a reasonable enough idea. Black may not be particularly<br />
interested in playing a Pirc, and fixing a ram on d4/d5<br />
is the most direct way of removing flexibility from White’s<br />
setup. It also takes c4 away from White’s pieces. However,<br />
while Black certainly has the option of switching to a Grünfeld<br />
and playing for ...c5 (as is thematic in that opening), there
The Current Status of Queen’s Pawn Game …g6-systems<br />
is nothing requiring him to do so. As Richard Palliser has<br />
pointed out, there is no reason why a KID player cannot play<br />
the typical KID moves against a Barry/Tarzan/150 repertoire:<br />
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 Bg7 5.Be3 0-0 6.Qd2 e5!?<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏Pzx∏B∏%<br />
$zxzPzN∏x%<br />
$xzxzPzxz%<br />
$zxzpπxzx%<br />
$xznzbñxz%<br />
$πpπqzpπp%<br />
$rzxzk∫x®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Position after 6...e5!?<br />
<strong>In</strong> the few games between comparably rated, strong players,<br />
Black has done fine in this variation, which illustrates<br />
one problem with weaving together a repertoire based on<br />
two rather disparate, thematic systems. If your opponent<br />
mixes and matches moves from the two in an intelligent way,<br />
you can find yourself in uncharted waters where thematic<br />
components of neither system are necessarily critical or even<br />
pertinent.<br />
25
26<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion
Overview:<br />
Using Zuka Against ...g6-defenses<br />
Adopting a new opening requires committing both time<br />
and energy. Moreover, it involves overcoming a certain<br />
degree of psychological inertia, which is all the greater when<br />
the decision pertains to a defensive setup as important and<br />
common as the early-...g6 complex. Before discussing specific<br />
lines, I want to make sure you understand what you are getting<br />
into, and why.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏PzP∏B∏%<br />
$zxzPzN∏x%<br />
$xzxzxzxz%<br />
$zxπpzxzx%<br />
$xznzpñxz%<br />
$πpzx∫pπp%<br />
$rzbœkzx®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Typical position of Zuka system against ...g6<br />
An <strong>In</strong>tegrated System<br />
As described in the CODE NAME: Zuka preface, the Zuka system<br />
is a natural choice for those who use the Colle System (either<br />
type) against ...d5 because the two integrate seamlessly.<br />
White doesn’t have to learn two different systems based on<br />
2
2<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
different Grünfeld move orders, and he uses the same basic<br />
pawn structure against most deviations from a Colle, including<br />
the Dutch, KID, and several anti-Colle lines (e.g., 1.d4 Nf6<br />
2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Bf5).<br />
Another level of this cohesion shows through when one<br />
considers just the ...g6-defenses. Most players using a Colle<br />
System nowadays have to use one setup against the KID and<br />
another against the Pirc. Given the resilience (and recent<br />
popularity) of the ...a6-Modern, they probably need a third<br />
system just against that opening, and a fourth against 1.d4<br />
Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 g6.<br />
<strong>In</strong> addition to requiring extra study time, this many-system<br />
approach is vulnerable to sabotage when Black employs a<br />
crafty move order. I gave a couple of examples in the previous<br />
chapter: there is nothing stopping Black from starting with a<br />
Pirc and switching to a KID, nor is there anything preventing<br />
him from feinting at a Modern and switching to a Pirc. When<br />
White relies on different systems with different pawn structures,<br />
he can find himself in unfamiliar territory after Black<br />
throws a curve ball.<br />
Using an integrated system cuts such dangers down<br />
considerably. I feel strange saying this, but White really can<br />
use the d4/Nf3/c4/e3/Be2/Nc3 setup against practically any<br />
early-...g6 system without surrendering early equality to the<br />
Black player.<br />
Why does saying this make you feel strange?<br />
If you’ve read my Colle System books, you may recall that<br />
I give quite the opposite view when discussing that opening.<br />
The Colle System can be played safely against any Black<br />
setup, but that doesn’t mean White is well advised to do so.<br />
Class-level Colle System players have traditionally been lazy<br />
about learning proper refutations to various anti-Colle lines.<br />
It’s fine to start out using the Colle System against everything,
Overview: using Zuka Against …g6-defenses<br />
but you should gradually refine your repertoire by learning<br />
how to respond to Black’s deviations.<br />
But this really does not apply to the earliest moves of the<br />
Zuka when played against ...g6. Situations where White need<br />
vary his 4 th and 5 th moves after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 are<br />
few and easily recognized. Yet the opportunity to optionally<br />
deviate as a matter of taste is present, which brings me to my<br />
next point.<br />
Extensibility<br />
The Zuka system is “extensible” in the sense that players<br />
who happen to like other openings can work those into their<br />
repertoire. <strong>In</strong> some cases this simply lets White play a position<br />
he knows well. <strong>In</strong> other cases White’s willingness to play<br />
one line gives him more flexibility when meeting other lines.<br />
Sometimes this additional flexibility allows White to play a<br />
stronger response than he might otherwise have access to.<br />
Can you give an example of how a willingness to play<br />
one line allows White more freedom when faced with a<br />
completely separate one?<br />
Sure. A useful optional line for White is the closed Grünfeld:<br />
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.e3 0-0.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏PzP∏B∏%<br />
$zxzxzN∏x%<br />
$xzx∏xzxz%<br />
$zxπpzxzx%<br />
$xznzpñxz%<br />
$πpzxzpπp%<br />
$rzbœk∫x®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
The C losed Grünfeld is optional in the Zuka<br />
2
30<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
The repertoire proposed here does not require White to<br />
play this line, but if he is willing to do so, he can delay for an<br />
extra move the deployment of his light-squared Bishop. To<br />
avoid this version of the Grünfeld, White has to delay Nc3,<br />
meeting 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 with 4.e3 0-0 5.Be2.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏P∏P∏B∏%<br />
$zxzxzN∏x%<br />
$xzxzxzxz%<br />
$zxπpzxzx%<br />
$xzxzpñxz%<br />
$πpzx∫pπp%<br />
$rñbœkzx®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
White can avoid the Closed Grünfeld by delaying Nc3<br />
So long as White holds back Nc3, he can meet ...d5 with<br />
the Sneaky Grünfeld line, where he exchanges on d5 and<br />
then plays e4, after which Black cannot exchange his Knight<br />
because there is nothing on c3 for Black’s Knight to capture.<br />
If White is willing to play the Closed Grünfeld, then he<br />
can instead play 4.e3 0-0 5.Nc3, arriving at the same position<br />
but with Nc3 instead of Be2.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏P∏P∏B∏%<br />
$zxzxzN∏x%<br />
$xzxzxzxz%<br />
$zxπpzxzx%<br />
$xznzpñxz%<br />
$πpzxzpπp%<br />
$rzbœk∫x®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*
Overview: using Zuka Against …g6-defenses<br />
The value of this line is that White may wish to play his<br />
Bishop to d3 rather than e2 on the off chance that Black plays<br />
...c5, leading to an irregular Benoni.<br />
Best of all, if Black plays this way, he probably hasn’t studied<br />
the Benoni much. Benoni players do not typically begin<br />
their games 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6. Actually, even if Black is a Benoni<br />
specialist, he will likely be flummoxed by this particular<br />
Benoni. As we shall see, his standard tool for generating play<br />
(an early …b5) does not work in this line.<br />
This last point applies in general to most lines White will<br />
play when using the Zuka setup, leading to my next point.<br />
Black Is on His Own<br />
The Closed Grünfeld’s recent popularity notwithstanding,<br />
modern chess theory tends to sneer at an early e3, unless<br />
White has already developed his dark-squared Bishop. This<br />
goes double against the ...g6-systems, perhaps because it is<br />
assumed White should secure a good post for his c-Bishop because<br />
his f-Bishop is unlikely to find a good square early on.<br />
The flip side of this disposition is that opening manuals<br />
tend to dismiss the possibility of an early e3. Many treatments<br />
of the King’s <strong>In</strong>dian don’t discuss the line at all. Ironically, one<br />
of the few places I’ve found worthwhile discussion of the idea<br />
is Volume 2 of John Watson’s excellent Mastering the <strong>Chess</strong><br />
Openings, which is generally devoted to the most important<br />
or illustrative lines. Not even Yelena Dembo’s Fighting the<br />
Anti-King’s <strong>In</strong>dians gives any analysis of the Zuka setup. One<br />
paragraph in her Colle System chapter applies to the Zuka system<br />
by transposition, but she gives no variations or strategic<br />
advice. We will discuss her suggestion later in this chapter.<br />
Other than the practical advantage of taking Black out of<br />
book, what does White accomplish by playing e3 instead of<br />
e4?<br />
31
32<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
I thought you’d never ask...<br />
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love<br />
Delaying e4<br />
<strong>In</strong> most lines I will be suggesting White eventually play<br />
e3-e4. Since mainstream play in these lines calls for White<br />
to play e2-e4, one could see this as the forfeiture of a tempo.<br />
However, such a judgment is rash, for the lines I recommend<br />
only involve playing e4 after Black has already been forced to<br />
abandon his typical play.<br />
To accurately evaluate White’s slow approach, we must<br />
look at it in context. The whole point of hypermodern opening<br />
strategy is to speed development by forgoing early central<br />
control, and then use that faster development to undermine<br />
and attack White’s center. If Black is unable to attack White’s<br />
center, the onus is on him to show adequate compensation<br />
for his lack of central presence.<br />
Black’s lead in development is only meaningful if he can<br />
use it to force a concession, but the Zuka setup presents no<br />
targets for the second player. Much of Black’s general play in<br />
more popular (e2-e4) lines revolves about the relative weakness<br />
of White’s d4-pawn, and the early moves can depend<br />
critically on the presence of a pawn on e4 that Black can<br />
attack.<br />
To put a finer point on this, let’s look at Black’s most common<br />
response when White uses a Zuka setup.<br />
King’s <strong>In</strong>dian Defense<br />
<strong>In</strong> the case of the KID, the relevance of the e4-pawn shows<br />
up on move 6 in the standard move order: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6<br />
3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5.
Overview: using Zuka Against …g6-defenses<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏Pzx∏B∏%<br />
$zxzPzN∏x%<br />
$xzxzPzxz%<br />
$zxπpπxzx%<br />
$xznzxñxz%<br />
$πpzx∫pπp%<br />
$rzbœkzx®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Black can play ...e5 safely<br />
A rote beginner could be forgiven for asking why Black<br />
can even play 6...e5, yet KID practitioners do it without the<br />
barest hint of concern for their pawn. They know White cannot<br />
win material owing to 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Nxe5 Nxe4. With<br />
White’s pawn on e3 though, this central push is a dubious<br />
gambit at best.<br />
For this reason the standard method of dealing with e3 is<br />
to support ...e5 by first playing ...Nbd7, but this already takes<br />
Black outside the modern treatment of the line; that Knight<br />
normally goes to e7 by way of c6. Long ago, ...Nbd7 was<br />
Black’s standard play, and its advantages and disadvantages<br />
(compared to ...Nc6) are well known. Our proposed move<br />
order allows White to maintain an opening advantage in this<br />
thematic line, even playing a move down. The basic position<br />
is shown below.<br />
33
34<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰xıQ‰xapplex%<br />
$P∏P˜x∏B∏%<br />
$zxzPzN∏x%<br />
$xzxzPzxz%<br />
$zxπpzxzx%<br />
$xznzpñxz%<br />
$πpœx∫pπp%<br />
$rzbzx®kz%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
White to move<br />
I give plenty of analysis of this position later, but for now<br />
I point out that Black’s ...Nbd7 gives White greater fluidity in<br />
the center, allowing him to catch up on his development. By<br />
the time the center becomes static, Black is unable to conveniently<br />
attack it as he does in more familiar variations.<br />
This position is particularly important for those utilizing<br />
the Zuka system. It is also rather unexplored. Finding serious<br />
games between strong, comparable opponents is like searching<br />
for a straight pool cue in a low-class honky tonk. That is to<br />
say, they are uncommon. Yet, I claim White has good chances<br />
and, perhaps more importantly, a comprehensible plan. The<br />
lines I suggest give White control of the center and a space<br />
advantage while suppressing Black’s counterplay.<br />
If Black’s repertoire is centered on the KID, he should<br />
reach the diagramed setup through natural play, but even if<br />
his repertoire is built on some other ...g6 opening, he is likely<br />
to end up there anyway. With the d4-pawn solidly defended,<br />
...Bg4 loses much of its sting, so Pirc players will probably find<br />
themselves there as well. The c6-Modern just leaves Black a<br />
move down on the Grünfeld; its brother, the a6-Modern, is<br />
particularly ill-suited to meet White’s setup because d4 cannot<br />
be undermined, e4 cannot be targeted, and (most of all),<br />
Black cannot play for …a6/…b5 after White has played c4.
Overview: using Zuka Against …g6-defenses<br />
Neither can Black move-order White by playing a delayed Leningrad<br />
(1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 f5) because White<br />
can just transpose into the Dangerfield Attack with Bf4. Nor<br />
is 1.d4 g6 2.Nf3 f5 to be relied upon, for that move order is<br />
particularly prone to 3.h4!<br />
To wit, whatever Black may originally intend to play after …g6,<br />
he will likely end up transposing to the position shown above unless<br />
he plays into a Grünfeld line. <strong>In</strong> a tiny minority of games, Black<br />
will steer into Benoni waters by playing ...c5 instead.<br />
The Delayed Benoni<br />
<strong>In</strong> her Fighting the Anti-King’s <strong>In</strong>dians, IM Dembo suggests<br />
Black change course, presumably because she wants to avoid<br />
the standard ...Nbd7/...e5 line described in the previous section.<br />
Dembo does not give any lines, but suggests that 1.d4<br />
Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.e3 be met by 4...c5 or 4...0-0 and 5...<br />
c5, which she says yields “a very weak and harmless Benoni”<br />
if White responds with d5.<br />
It’s worth mentioning that Dembo’s general suggestion<br />
for fighting the Colle System centers on inflicting hanging<br />
pawns that can then be attacked. The Zuka setup is the only<br />
one that allows White to avoid that by advancing his d-pawn<br />
before Black can exchange it, so our setup represents a unique<br />
challenge to her entire suggested strategy. From a repertoirebuilding<br />
standpoint, one can understand the temptation to<br />
dismiss it as a rare line one hopes not to see too often.<br />
I do not mean to single Dembo out for criticism. <strong>In</strong> fact,<br />
her ideas are important to consider, and they lead to lines<br />
where White’s objecttive advantage is smaller than in the more<br />
common KID continuations. Still, I believe she has uncritically<br />
dismissed White’s potential, and a slew of strong GMs<br />
would appear to agree. I present these lines at this early stage<br />
because they provide further examples of how White’s delaying<br />
e4 has subtle benefits.<br />
35
36<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
The First Benoni Continuation<br />
Let’s first look at the idea of 4...0-0 followed by 5...c5, assuming<br />
White plays 5.Be2. (5.Nc3 will transpose to Dembo’s<br />
4...c5 line, which we treat later in this subsection. Strong players<br />
should consider 5.h3!?, a tricky optional play discussed in<br />
the Shrewd 5.h3 chapter.) After 4...0-0 5.Be2 c5 6.d5 d6 7.Nc3<br />
e6 8.0-0 exd5 9.cxd5, we arrive at a near-copy of the “old”<br />
Classical Variation of the Modern Benoni, the only difference<br />
being that White has a pawn on e3 rather than e4.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏xzx∏B∏%<br />
$zxzPzN∏x%<br />
$xzPπxzxz%<br />
$zxzxzxzx%<br />
$xznzpñxz%<br />
$πpzx∫pπp%<br />
$rzbœx®kz%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
The fact that White’s e-pawn is on e3 rather than e4 does<br />
not impact his long-term trump, his central majority. While a<br />
case could be made that the pawn on e3 prevents White from<br />
even contemplating Bf4, a thematic threat in this line, the<br />
truth of the matter is that Black typically avoids this anyway<br />
with 9...Re8, provoking 10.Nd2, blocking the Bishop.<br />
<strong>In</strong> fact, taking a closer look at …Re8 highlights the value<br />
of delaying e4. <strong>In</strong> the Classical Variation, which can be visualized<br />
by mentally moving White’s e-pawn to e4 in the above<br />
diagram, the targeting of White’s e-pawn is a critical component<br />
to Black’s game plan. After White uses a move on Nd2 he<br />
finds his pieces all a jumble, so he uses another move on f3 to<br />
allow Nc4. Of course, c4 is often a great square for a Knight,<br />
but that is irrelevant here because Black is just going to play<br />
…b6, …Ba6 and …Bxc4.
Overview: using Zuka Against …g6-defenses<br />
A typical version of this line illustrating all the time spent<br />
by White shoring up the vulnerable e4 is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6<br />
3.c4 c5 4.d5 d6 5.Nc3 exd5 6.cxd5 g6 7.Nd2 Bg7 8.e4 0-0<br />
9.Be2 Re8 10.0-0 Na6 11.f3 Nc7 12.a4 b6 13.Nc4 Ba6.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰xzQ‰xapplex%<br />
$PzNzx∏B∏%<br />
$ıPzPzN∏x%<br />
$xzPπxzxz%<br />
$πxñxπxzx%<br />
$xznzxπxz%<br />
$zpzx∫xπp%<br />
$rzbœx®kz%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
The time White has lavished on e4, directly or indirectly,<br />
has allowed Black to prepare his Q-side expansion, which<br />
is now more or less impossible to stop. Black’s …b6 cannot<br />
even be considered a waste of time because it prevents White<br />
from holding Black back with the simple a5. Moreover, since<br />
Black is certain to achieve …b5, White must use another move<br />
retreating his Bishop from c4 after it recaptures.<br />
From the diagram, White generally plays Bg5, and after<br />
…h6 Black has actually scored pretty well in top-level play,<br />
scoring exactly 50% in my database (though there are not<br />
many games to be found since White now prefers Bd3 instead<br />
of Be2 and this gives him such a good game that interest in<br />
the Benoni at top levels has dwindled).<br />
The vigor of Black’s Q-side initiative must be respected. For<br />
those who have never been on the receiving end of a Benoni<br />
Q-side assault, I’ll give the bloodbath seen in Kožul-Cvitan,<br />
Stari Mikanovci 2010, which involved the strongest players<br />
I can find locking horns in recent times over this line. That<br />
game continued 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bh4 Qd7 16.Re1 Rab8 17.Bf2<br />
Bxc4 18.Bxc4 a6 19.Bf1 Qd8 20.Rc1 Nd7 21.f4 b5 22.axb5<br />
axb5 23.b4 cxb4 24.Na2 Na6 25.Rc6 Ndc5 26.e5 b3 27.Nc3<br />
3
3<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
dxe5 28.f5 gxf5 29.Ne2 Rc8 30.Ng3 Qg5 31.h4 Qf4 32.Nh5<br />
Qb4 33.Rxc8 Rxc8 34.Nxg7 Kxg7 35.Rxe5 b2 36.Qb1 Ne4<br />
37.Be3 Rc1 38.Bxc1 bxc1Q 0-1.<br />
I bet you’re going to tell me that White can avoid such massacres<br />
by delaying e4.<br />
Quite so. Since White does not have to spend time tending<br />
to his e-pawn and then untangling the aftermath, he can<br />
play a4 and Rb1 (threatening b4) much sooner. Black’s entire<br />
strategy is neutralized, and White still has his long-term positional<br />
advantage (space and a central pawn majority). Black’s<br />
thin hope at play lies in advancing his c-pawn to c4 and then<br />
making use of c5. But then White can target the c-pawn, which<br />
will enjoy no pawn cover—unlike in similar variations of the<br />
Classical Benoni where Black gets pawns on a6, b5, and c4.<br />
You might be surprised to see who has opted to play<br />
this “very weak and harmless” Benoni. IMs Managadze and<br />
Renner, GMs Strikovic, Hort, Ftáčnik, Miles, and Lobron have<br />
all chosen White’s side of this position, as well as super-GM<br />
Morozevich, who played it in the 2007 World Championship<br />
tournament against reigning champion Kramnik, and won!<br />
Following 9.cxd5 (see first diagram of this section), that<br />
game continued 9... Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 Nbd7 12.a4 a6<br />
13.g4 c4 14.Be2 Rc8 15.g5 Ne8 16.f4 Qe7 17.Ra3 Rc5 18.Bf3<br />
Ra5 19.Bd2 Nc5 20.Qe2 Nb3 21.Ne4 Nxd2 22.Qxd2 Qd8<br />
23.Qb4 b5 24.axb5 Rxb5 25.Qxc4 Qb6 26.Qc6 Bxb2 27.Qxb6<br />
Rxb6 28.Ra2 Bg7
Overview: using Zuka Against …g6-defenses<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$zxzx˜Rapplex%<br />
$xzxzx∏B∏%<br />
$∏RzPzx∏x%<br />
$xzxπxzpz%<br />
$zxzxñpzx%<br />
$xzxzp∫xπ%<br />
$®xzxzxzx%<br />
$xzxzx®kz%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
29.Rc1 h6 30.h4 hxg5 31.hxg5 f6 32.Rc6 Rxc6 33.dxc6 fxg5<br />
34.Nxg5 Nc7 35.Rd2 Rd8 36.Bg4 Bc3 37.Rd3 Ba5 38.Kg2 d5<br />
39.e4 d4 40.e5 Bb6 41.Rb3 Rb8 42.Rh3 Ba5 43.Rh6 Rb2+<br />
44.Kg3 Be1+ 45.Kf3 d3 46.Rxg6+ Kf8 47.Rd6 d2 48.Ke4 1-0<br />
Notably, White’s g4-g5 would be impossible in the normal<br />
Benoni, with White’s pawn on e4, because Black could play<br />
...Nc5, forcing the e-pawn forward and dissolving the center.<br />
Some of these games where an IM or GM plays an e3-version<br />
of the Benoni come from an English move order, but in<br />
most cases White willingly plays e3 after Black has already<br />
signaled his interest in a Benoni. A couple (IM Renner – IM<br />
Kolbus 2008/9 Bundesliga and GM Lobron – GM Wojtkiewicz,<br />
2000 Frankfurt) are notable for matching exactly the<br />
move order expected when the Zuka system is used against<br />
an early ...g6.<br />
The Other Benoni Continuation<br />
Dembo’s other suggested move order provides a further example<br />
of the subtle value of delaying e4. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3<br />
g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.e3 c5 5.d5, White can transpose to the line discussed<br />
above, but he can also push for a Bd3-continuation.<br />
After 5...d6 6.Nc3 0-0 7.h3 e6 8.Bd3 exd5 9.cxd5, we arrive<br />
once again at a near-replica of a major tabiya of the Benoni,<br />
but with White having his pawn on e3 rather than e4.<br />
3
40<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$P∏xzx∏B∏%<br />
$zxzPzN∏x%<br />
$xzPπxzxz%<br />
$zxzxzxzx%<br />
$xzn∫pñxπ%<br />
$πpzxzpπx%<br />
$rzbœkzx®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Modern Benoni with e3 instead of e4<br />
If White’s e-pawn were on e4 rather than e3, we would be<br />
at the critical position for the modern main line of the Benoni,<br />
reached thousands of times in tournament play between titled<br />
players. Black’s essential problem in that system is a lack of<br />
natural pawn breaks. He cannot prepare ...b5 with ...a6 because<br />
White can just play a4. Even if he manages to get ...f5<br />
in, it is quite risky owing to the weakness on e6.<br />
For that reason, the critical line for Black (in the mainline<br />
version) is 9...b5!?<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQzRapplex%<br />
$Pzxzx∏B∏%<br />
$zxzPzN∏x%<br />
$x∏Pπxzxz%<br />
$zxzxπxzx%<br />
$xzn∫xñxπ%<br />
$πpzxzpπx%<br />
$rzbœkzx®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Normal Modern Main Line after 9...b5!?
Overview: using Zuka Against …g6-defenses<br />
Black depends on the tactic 10.Bxb5 (10.Nxb5 Re8 avoids<br />
material loss owing to further tactics) Nxe4 11.Nxe4 Qa5+<br />
to get compensation for his material after 12.Nfd2 Qxb5<br />
13.Nxd6. Black can exert pressure down the e-file and create<br />
practical chances by making a mess of the Q-side with his<br />
pawn mass on that wing. (See Mastering the <strong>Chess</strong> Openings:<br />
Volume 2 for illustrative examples and more discussion.)<br />
But with White’s pawn still on e3, this will obviously not<br />
work. Black’s Knight no longer eats a pawn on its way to e4.<br />
<strong>In</strong>stead, Black has to come up with some other way to find<br />
play because White still has the long-term trump, his central<br />
majority.<br />
There are fewer typical move orders that arrive at this e3version<br />
of the modern main line, but I did find one high-level<br />
game between Vladimir Burmakin and Andrey Zontakh (Portoroz,<br />
1995), one year after the former had earned his GM title<br />
and two years before the latter would do the same.<br />
That game continued 9...a6 10.a4 Nbd7 11.0-0 Re8 12.Re1<br />
Qc7 13.e4 Rb8 14.Bf4 Nh5 15.Bh2 c4 16.Bf1 Ne5 17.Nxe5<br />
Bxe5 18.Bxe5 Rxe5 19.a5 b5 20.axb6 Rxb6 21.Ra4 Rxb2<br />
22.Rxc4 Qd8 23.Qc1 Rb8 24.Ne2 Bd7 25.Nd4.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$zRzQzxapplex%<br />
$xzxıx∏x∏%<br />
$∏xzPzx∏x%<br />
$xzxπRzx˜%<br />
$zx®nπxzx%<br />
$xzxzxzxπ%<br />
$zxzxzpπx%<br />
$xzqzr∫kz%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
White has a great position because Black cannot stop an<br />
eventual Nc6. Black can lance the boil by exchanging on c6,<br />
but that gives White a dangerous, advanced, passed pawn.<br />
<strong>In</strong>stead, Black just decided to live with the Knight and White<br />
41
42<br />
Zuka: The Zuke Companion<br />
built up a very strong position after 25...Qb6 26.Qd2 Rc8<br />
27.Rxc8+ Bxc8 28.Nc6 Re8 29.Qc2 Nf6 30.Rb1 Qc7 31.f3 Nh5<br />
32.Rb8 Rf8 33.Qb2 f5.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$zrıxzRapplex%<br />
$xzQzxzx∏%<br />
$∏xñPzx∏x%<br />
$xzxπx∏x˜%<br />
$zxzxπxzx%<br />
$xzxzxπxπ%<br />
$zqzxzxπx%<br />
$xzxzx∫kz%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
From here, opening the a3-f8 diagonal with e5 would have<br />
been decisive, but White instead continued with 34.Qb6?, allowing<br />
Black to exchange on e4 and then pressure that square.<br />
Black sacrificed one pawn to allow him to trade off enough<br />
others to escape with a draw.<br />
Conclusion<br />
The Zuka system works against Black’s basic strategy in<br />
the various hypermodern ...g6 lines by refusing to give Black<br />
easy targets on d4 and e4 until after White has developed<br />
sufficiently (and forced Black to deviate from his preferred<br />
setups) to make attacking those squares unfeasible.<br />
The system is rather unexplored, and even a small amount<br />
of study will generally guarantee that you have a better grasp<br />
on the relevant strategy than your opponent.<br />
There are only a handful of important variations to know.<br />
<strong>In</strong> most games when White faces an early ...g6, he will find<br />
himself playing against either ...d6/...Nbd7/...e5 or the Sneaky<br />
Grünfeld. Rarely, White may find his opponent switching into<br />
a Benoni. <strong>In</strong> all three cases, White’s delay of e4 has subtle and<br />
important benefits.
Chapter 11<br />
<strong>In</strong>troducing the Dangerfield Attack<br />
I If you are a class-level player, you probably hate facing the<br />
Dutch. After spending so much time studying the typical<br />
lines of your main opening, you find yourself staring down<br />
at that silly pawn on f5, knowing your opponent knows his<br />
opening better than you do.<br />
Time to make your opponent an alien on his own<br />
planet.<br />
The Colle-Zukertort possesses several appealing qualities.<br />
The “double-barreled” system I propose for meeting the<br />
Dutch Defense shares several of those qualities.<br />
• Against many Dutch setups, White has a particular configuration<br />
to aim at.<br />
• There are plenty of tactics, but they are generally thematic<br />
and strategically motivated (so mere mortals like me<br />
can find them).<br />
• At the same time, the repertoire here should keep all the<br />
fun on White’s side of the board. Black finds himself with little<br />
in the way of counter-attacking options.<br />
If you have ever found yourself matched against someone<br />
proficient in the Dutch, you likely appreciate this last point.<br />
Finally, like the C-Z, the system described here is offbeat.<br />
<strong>In</strong> fact, “offbeat” is a mild term. It makes the rather syncopated<br />
1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b4!?<br />
look like a main line. No matter what manual your opponent<br />
used for his repertoire, you can be reasonably confident he<br />
will soon be out of book.<br />
20
210<br />
Chapter 11<br />
Book Survey<br />
Fundamentally, my system against the Dutch combines two<br />
threats, hence the “double-barreled” adjective. First, White<br />
hints at gaining fantastic piece placement by developing his<br />
dark-squared Bishop to f4 and then opening up the other<br />
with e3.<br />
1.d4 f5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQappleBzR%<br />
$P∏P∏PzP∏%<br />
$zxzxzNzx%<br />
$xzxzx∏xz%<br />
$zxzpzbzx%<br />
$xzxzpzxz%<br />
$πpπxzpπp%<br />
$rñxœk∫n®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Then, most of the time he will switch gears and aim for<br />
a powerful K-side pawn fusillade. For example, a common<br />
continuation is:<br />
3…g6?! 4.h4<br />
These two threats, actively placing both Bishops and storming<br />
the K-side, complement one another. <strong>In</strong> the Dutch Black’s<br />
standard antidote against a K-side pawn raid is to set up a<br />
Stonewall formation, and that is precisely what Black does not<br />
want to do against 2.Bf4! <strong>In</strong>deed, Aagaard writes in his Dutch<br />
Stonewall, referencing the position after 1.d4 f5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3<br />
d5, “This version of the Stonewall cannot be recommended.<br />
White’s fluid development soon leads to a dangerous initiative.”<br />
The reason for his disapproval becomes clear after 4.Nf3<br />
c6 5.Bf4, “White should not be allowed the luxury of bringing<br />
out both Bishops.” <strong>In</strong> his summary he writes “Systems involving<br />
e2-e3 are not a threat to the Stonewall player unless White<br />
has already brought his Queen’s Bishop into play.” Aagaard<br />
gives no suggested method to meet this contingency.
<strong>In</strong>troducing the Dangerfield Attack<br />
For this reason, I believe 2.Bf4 is vastly underestimated. It<br />
is certainly not well examined in the various opening manuals.<br />
A survey of recent books yields stunning results.<br />
Book and Author Year Pgs<br />
Dutch Defense by Christiansen and Silman 1989 1<br />
The Dutch for the Attacking Player by Pedersen 1996 ½<br />
The Dutch Leningrad by McDonald 1997 0<br />
Dutch Stonewall by Aagaard 2000 0<br />
Classical Dutch by Pinski 2002 1<br />
Understanding the Leningrad Dutch by Beim 2002 0<br />
Play the Classical Dutch by Williams 2003 0<br />
Starting Out: the Dutch Defense by McDonald 2004 0<br />
Leningrad System by Kindermann 2005 ¼<br />
Win with the Stonewall Dutch by Johnsen et al. 2009 4<br />
Dangerous Weapons: The Dutch Palliser et al. 2009 0<br />
I’ve estimated the coverage in what I hope is a fair manner.<br />
Johnsen, Bern, and Agdestein give 1.d4 e6 as a repertoire<br />
line. For the Zukertort player, this means you are going to be<br />
playing 1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.Bf4, so I counted coverage for those<br />
lines. Similarly, Pinski only spends 1/8 of a page on 2.Bf4, but<br />
two or three variations he gives in various annotated games<br />
land in our repertoire by transposition, so I included that coverage<br />
in the statistics. Lastly, though Aagaard spends 1½ <strong>pages</strong><br />
describing how Black should not contemplate the Stonewall<br />
after White plays Bf4, he doesn’t provide any guidance for<br />
what Black should do, so I indicated 0 <strong>pages</strong> for his book.<br />
Many of these books treat lines where White plays Bf4<br />
later, but there appears a decided tendency to omit move<br />
orders that allow White to use the double-barreled plan.<br />
For example, several manuals give coverage of 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3<br />
with Bf4 coming later, but with that move order much of the<br />
fizzle has escaped from White’s standard method of punish-<br />
211
212<br />
Chapter 11<br />
ing a Stonewall played against Bf4. The c-pawn is blocked.<br />
Similarly, Kindermann spends four times as much space on<br />
1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 g6, as he does on 1.d4 f5 2.Bf4, but<br />
the Knight on f3 turns out to be misplaced as it blocks the<br />
Queen’s access to the K-side.<br />
The Move That Gets No Respect<br />
Rodney Dangerfield built a career on the catchphrase “I<br />
get no respect.” The authors of books written from the Black<br />
side of the Dutch have some pretty harsh words for 2.Bf4. <strong>In</strong><br />
one of his books McDonald makes a blanket statement that<br />
any development using e3 rather than g3 is “completely harmless,”<br />
and evidently does not consider Bf4 worth even a line of<br />
discussion. Pinski uses precisely the same phrase, “completely<br />
harmless,” to refer to the same setups. Kindermann is particularly<br />
unabashed in his disdain. <strong>In</strong> one place he speaks of how<br />
“Bf4 has little to recommend it,” and in another he groups it<br />
with a collection of odds and ends upon which he casts the<br />
aspersion “I would not recommend a single one of the White<br />
ideas in this section.”<br />
Yet Kindermann’s suggested antidote to an early Bf4 is<br />
hopeless, saving Black from the fire only by transporting him<br />
to the frying pan. He recommends 1.d4 f5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 g6<br />
4.h4! h6, allowing Black to close the K-side should White<br />
play 5.h5, but this gives White both an enduring attack and<br />
fantastic position so long as he knows the key, one-move<br />
refutation.
<strong>In</strong>troducing the Dangerfield Attack<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQappleBzR%<br />
$P∏P∏Pzxz%<br />
$zxzxzN∏P%<br />
$xzxzx∏xz%<br />
$zxzpzbzp%<br />
$xzxzpzxz%<br />
$πpπxzpπx%<br />
$rñxœk∫n®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
White to play and eviscerate<br />
Do you see how White can exploit the vulnerability on g6<br />
created by Black’s 4…h6? (See next chapter for details.)<br />
Only Aagaard and Johnsen et al. give much respect to this<br />
line, the latter giving several variations where White achieves ≈<br />
without any suggested improvements for Black. It is likely no<br />
coincidence that their books focus on the Stonewall variation,<br />
which they do not recommend Black adopt against Bf4.<br />
Some of the invective ladled upon Bf4 can be attributed<br />
to the tendency of authors to favor the side from which their<br />
book is written. These are all books written from the Black<br />
side of the board, so it is not surprising to see negative sentiment<br />
concerning uninteresting side variations they hope the<br />
reader never actually has to engage.<br />
However, these authors have been kind enough to describe<br />
the problems they see in an early Bf4, so it is appropriate to<br />
discuss these as well as the move’s virtues. We shall do this in<br />
the next two sections.<br />
Bf4’s Supposed Vices<br />
Contempt for Bf4 is commonly justified by referencing three<br />
shortcomings:<br />
1. The Bishop is vulnerable to attack by …h6 and …g5.<br />
213
214<br />
Chapter 11<br />
2. Developing the Bishop in this way is inconsistent with<br />
White’s desire to fianchetto his other Bishop.<br />
3. Black’s thematic …e5 comes with tempo and practically<br />
guarantees equality.<br />
Hold on a sec. Why is Bf4 “inconsistent” with fianchettoing<br />
the light-squared Bishop?<br />
If Black plays …d6 and White plays g3, there is not much<br />
breathing room for a dark-squared Bishop on that wing.<br />
Anyway, I contend these concerns lose significant potency<br />
if White castles long, or at least retains the ability to do so.<br />
White then welcomes the expansion of Black’s K-side pawns,<br />
so the first point listed above is hardly a concern. It will, in<br />
fact, seldom even be a reasonable plan to consider. Similarly,<br />
the value attached to playing Bg2 depends on the assumption<br />
that White castles short. <strong>In</strong> typical play, White attacks on the<br />
Q-side while Black presses on the K-side. A Bishop on g2 helps<br />
defend White’s King and also hinders Black’s Q-side development,<br />
particularly in that Black has trouble safely playing<br />
…Bb7. <strong>In</strong> our repertoire, however, lines with a Bishop on b7<br />
are not particularly troublesome, especially as they leave e6,<br />
f5, and g4 with less protection.<br />
With regard to the third point, Black has by no means<br />
solved all his problems once he plays …e5. <strong>In</strong>deed, the pawns<br />
on e5 and f5 are high-maintenance and can be real liabilities if<br />
White castles long. To see an example of this, consider a typical<br />
position suggested by Pinski (via transposition) after:<br />
1.d4 f5 2.Bf4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 d6 5.c4 Be7 6.Nc3 0-0 7.Qc2<br />
Qe8 8.h3 Nc6 9.a3 Bd8 10.0-0-0
<strong>In</strong>troducing the Dangerfield Attack<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰xıBŒRapplex%<br />
$P∏PzxzP∏%<br />
$zx˜P∏Nzx%<br />
$xzxzx∏xz%<br />
$zxπpzbzx%<br />
$pznzpñxπ%<br />
$zpœxzpπx%<br />
$xzk®x∫x®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
After 10...e5 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Bh2, Black’s pieces are tied<br />
down defending his e-pawn. White has a free hand to prepare<br />
standard opposite-castle operations: Kb1, Rg1, perhaps Nd2<br />
(to safeguard e4) and/or Be2 (sometimes needed to defuse<br />
tactical threats against the Knight on f3 after g4).<br />
Bf4’s Virtues<br />
So, what does Bf4 have to commend it? Several things.<br />
We have already mentioned how a Bishop on f4 dissuades<br />
Black from establishing a Stonewall setup, and the pressure<br />
on c7 and e5 is obvious. There are two more nuanced points<br />
worth noting.<br />
First, Bf4 allows White to play e3 with a clear conscience,<br />
opening a transportation lane for the Queen. For example,<br />
many books grudgingly discourage Black from using the line:<br />
1.d4 f5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 g6<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQappleBzR%<br />
$P∏P∏Pzx∏%<br />
$zxzxzN∏x%<br />
$xzxzx∏xz%<br />
$zxzpzbzx%<br />
$xzxzpzxz%<br />
$πpπxzpπp%<br />
$rñxœk∫n®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
215
216<br />
Chapter 11<br />
And now the continuation mentioned above, 4.h4! Bg7?!<br />
5.h5, is very dangerous. Kindermann suggests that 4…h6 is<br />
the antidote. But it does not save Black, as we shall see later.<br />
Second, Black’s flexibility is limited by the moves he makes<br />
while White is playing Bf4 and e3. For example, after 1.d4 f5<br />
2.c4 e6 3.Nc3, Black can play 3…Bb4. However, if White’s<br />
move order involves playing Bf4, e3, and Nf3 before c4 and<br />
Nc3, Black will either no longer have the option of playing<br />
…Bb4 (e.g. 1.d4 f5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nf3 d6 5.c4 Be7<br />
6.Nc3) or will have at least already moved his dark-squared<br />
Bishop once (e.g. 1.d4 f5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.c4<br />
0-0 6.Nc3). Actually, my official recommendation in the latter<br />
case involves not allowing Black to pin a Knight on c3 even at<br />
the cost of the tempo. Playing 6.Be2 is preferable.<br />
Why a <strong>New</strong> Response to the Dutch?<br />
Players who use the lines suggested in the first volume<br />
of Zuke ’Em likely have A Killer <strong>Chess</strong> Opening Repertoire by<br />
Summerscale and Johnsen, and it is reasonable to question<br />
the time required to learn a new system. Obviously, only the<br />
reader can determine this. If you like playing the system in<br />
AKCOR and are comfortable with it, your study time is probably<br />
better spent elsewhere. That said, certain concerns are<br />
worth mentioning.<br />
Summerscale’s recommendation, 2.Bg5, is a strong move.<br />
Unfortunately, because of its strength, there is now a good<br />
deal of theory known. Right now it appears the wind is at<br />
Black’s back in the main line:<br />
1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 g6 3.Nd2 Bg7 4.e4 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5! 6.Nc5 b6<br />
7.Nb3 Nh6!
<strong>In</strong>troducing the Dangerfield Attack<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQapplexzR%<br />
$PzPzPzB∏%<br />
$zPzxzx∏N%<br />
$xzx∏xzbz%<br />
$zxzpzxzx%<br />
$xñxzxzxz%<br />
$πpπxzpπp%<br />
$rzxœk∫n®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
If your opponent is building his repertoire from a book<br />
published after 2003, he probably knows this continuation,<br />
which looks very good for Black. It is frustrating to know your<br />
theory solidly as White and still get the worse position!<br />
If you want to keep playing 2.Bg5 as your solution here, I<br />
would instead suggest the somewhat simplistic:<br />
1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bxf6 Bxf6 6.Qd2!?<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQapplexzR%<br />
$P∏P∏Pzx∏%<br />
$zxzxzB∏x%<br />
$xzxzx∏xz%<br />
$zxzpzxzx%<br />
$xznzxñxz%<br />
$πpπqπpπp%<br />
$rzxzk∫x®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
From here White can castle long, play e3, and then get<br />
down to business with h4. I’d be happy to play the White<br />
pieces in that position.<br />
White’s 3rd move has been recently criticized as looking<br />
poor after Black plays an eventual d5, but if you are aiming<br />
at the line given above, you should end up at pretty much<br />
the same place if Black continues 3…d5 4.h4 Bg7 5.Nf3 Nf6<br />
6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.Qd2.<br />
21
21<br />
Chapter 11<br />
If you are going to play these lines as White, be psychologically<br />
prepared for 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.h4 Bg7 5.Nf3<br />
c6!? 6.Qd2 Be6 7.Qe3 Bf7 8.h5 Nd7.<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰xzQapplex˜R%<br />
$P∏x˜PıB∏%<br />
$zx∏xzx∏x%<br />
$xzx∏x∏bπ%<br />
$zxzpzxzx%<br />
$xznzqñxz%<br />
$πpπxπpπx%<br />
$rzxzk∫x®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
This and similar positions have occurred several times in<br />
strong competition, and Black can get a Q-side pawn storm<br />
brewing very quickly. Be warned! <strong>In</strong>deed, we will be aiming<br />
for a much improved version of this in this book.<br />
Unfortunately, a less easily addressed problem occurs in<br />
the Dutch Deferred (1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5). If you currently use<br />
AKCOR’s recommendation, 3.d5, then I suggest you take a<br />
long, hard look at what happens when Black shows no rush<br />
to recapture his pawn after 3…Nf6 4.dxe6 d5!<br />
!@@@@@@@@#<br />
$‰NıQappleBzR%<br />
$P∏PzxzP∏%<br />
$zxzxπNzx%<br />
$xzx∏x∏xz%<br />
$zxzxzxzx%<br />
$xzxzxñxz%<br />
$πpπxπpπp%<br />
$rñbœk∫x®%<br />
^&&&&&&&&*<br />
Igor Naumkin has played this as Black several times with<br />
success. The good thing is that you can find another response<br />
to 1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 while keeping 2.Bg5 as your standard way
<strong>In</strong>troducing the Dangerfield Attack<br />
of meeting 1.d4 f5, should that be your aim. <strong>In</strong> our repertoire,<br />
there is no need to learn a separate line for 1.d4 e6.<br />
21