Opening Correction (Again!)

  I decided to take a look at my Variation of  French Defense. Just to refresh you, take a look at the original Opening Correction post.  A truly crude idea, lets call it the Neanderthal Variation. After 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. dxc5?! Bxc5 4. c4

Dana Mackenzie had some interesting comments. He ( I was reading his blog later on and found a picture of him. Sorry, Dana!) pointed out that 4…nc6 is probably blacks best way of meeting this, as it attacks the weak f-pawn. 5. nf3 nge7 6. bf4 ng6 7. bg3 0-0 8. nc3 qb6 attacking b2 and adding pressure to f2. I call this the classical variation as it is not overly aggresive and simpley aims to capitalize on the weaknesses that white has.

White can play the aggresive 9. nb5, but this is probably not his best option. Rather na5 when black will play either 9…qb4+ or 9…bb4+.

  Mackenzie’s idea (Lets call this the Mackenzie Variation) runs as follows. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. dxc5?! bxc5 4. c4 qh4!? I don’t know whether to give this a !? or a ?! as the queen looks ridiculous. After 6. qc2! white handles both threats of c4 and f2 quite neatly. 6…nc6 7. nf3! This looks like a normal move, just developing with tempo, however it conceals a lethal trap. 7…qd8 is a must! If 7…qh5? 8. rg1!

Now 8…f6 (or 8…f5) is blacks only move. if he plays a normal developing move like 8…nge7?? 9. g4! qg6 10. bd3! and the queen is a goner.

10…f5 11. gxf5 e.p. and the twin threats of the rook and the pawn cannot be dealt with.

 This is my analysis to the Neanderthal Variation. I picked the name Neanderthal after Dana Mackenzie and his friends primitive names for their pet lines. (1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 bf5 4. g4 the Homo-Erectus Variation, although now he reffers to it as Bronstiens Folly. Likewise, 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 bf5 4. h4 the Caveman variation.) I will publish some sub-lines to the Neanderthal later.