Makagonov King's Indian with h3

The Classical King's Indian with h3  has gained a wide following, mostly because of its flexibility. It is commonly called the Makagonov System (E71) when White plays 5.h3 and the Krasenkow System when White plays 5.Nf3 followed by 6.h3 (though that was actually Vladimir Makagonov's preferred move order!) -- but I have not made a distinction between the two here as transpositions are common.    It is worth noting that when Martin Breutigam produced his ChessBase CD in 2002, he complained about having a paucity of source material to draw upon.  Times have certainly changed, for it seems that the line is now completely mainstream and much has been written about it.

I think the lines with h3 for White are very worth exploring, with a lot of room for creativity.  In some ways, h3 seems like a "high class waiting move," with White waiting for Black to commit himself before deciding on his plan.  I am most interested in the line from the Black perspective, where I tend to favor an early Na6, which is Black's most flexible rejoinder.  An interesting option against the 5.h3 move order, though, is a Byrne approach with a6, c6, and b5, as seen in the game Suba - Golubev, Predeal 1997, though this idea is not much discussed in the literature.  

You can find many videos with the line on YouTube, most from kingscrusher (as Black) and ChessExplained (typically as White).  Below I offer only a sample of their countless videos with the line, along with those of other players.  Game collections can be found at Chessgames.com, 365Chess, Chess.com, Red Hot Pawn, and Chess Age.   Selective game collections by DHW and MadBishop are also useful.  

Bibliography
The following materials are listed in reverse chronological order.  As always, I welcome additions and suggestions from readers.

Modernized: The King's Indian by Dejan Bojkov, Metropolitan Chess Publishing (2014): 237-271. See my complete review of this book in an earlier post.  Chapter 5 focuses on what Bojkov calls the "Bagirov Line," with 5.Nf3 and 6.h3, which others call the Krasenkow.  Bojkov recommends lines with Na6 followed by e5.  Sample games include Parligras - Fressinet, Plovdiv 2012; Avrukh - Milov, Gibraltar 2009; and Milanovic - Bojkov, Kraljevo 2011.

"Full Board War!" by David Vigorito, Chesslecture.com (Feb. 14, 2014). An 18-minute video featuring P. Svidler vs. H. Nakamuraplaying the King's Indian: Makagonov System (E71). By subscription only.

Winning with the King's Indian by GM Simon Williams, OnlineChessLessons (2014).
The video is previewed below -- part of the "crash test chess" series.  Features the Krasenkow variation in the game Korchnoi - Williams 2009, which opened with 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. h3 e5 7. d5 a5 8. Bg5 h6 9. Be3 Na6.



King's Indian h3+Bg5 Averbakh Variant-TWIC 958 by Michael Yip, d4ChessNews (2013).  Analyzes the game Kozul - Posedaru, Karpos Open - Skopje 2013 with a nice White victory.












A Strategic Chess Opening Repertoire for White by John Watson, Gambit (2012): 148-177. 

"Aggressive Queen Pawn Games, Part 1" by IM Bill Paschall, Chesslecture.com (August 27, 2012).  A 27-minute video that discusses the game Alexander Beliavsky vs. Aleksa Strikovich and the King's Indian Defense: Makagonov Variation (E71).  By subscription only.

Dejan Bojkov, A Modern Way to Play the King's Indian ChessBase DVD (2011).  A really excellent video, which does not stop at covering Na6 against the Classical but covers this modern, flexible approach against most lines that White can throw at you, from the Four Pawn Attack to h3 lines.  Among the games discussed are Avrukh - Milov, Gibraltar 2009.

"King's Indian Defence E90, Part 3," by Mikhail Krasenkow, ChessBase Magazine 134 (2009).  Examines the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3 e5 7.d5 a5.

"King's Indian Defence E90, Part 2," by Mikhail Krasenkow, ChessBase Magazine 133 (2009).  Examines the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3 e5 7.d5.

"King's Indian Defence E90, Part 1," by Mikhail Krasenkow, ChessBase Magazine 132 (2009).  Introduces the Krasenkow Variation, with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3.

"Magnus Madness; Part II; Avoiding Main Lines in China" by David Vigorito, Chesslecture.com (Oct. 5, 2009).  A 25-minute video presentation on Magnus Carlsen vs. Veselin Topalov (2009)  featuring the King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses (E90).

The King's Indian: A Complete Black Repertoire by Victor Bologan Chess Stars (2009).  This is a solid opening repertoire book.  Available online?  Sample games mentioned in the analysis include Bareev - Gelfand, Linares 1994; Guigonis - Degraeve, Montpellier 1997; Dinstuhl - Sieglen, Bad Godesberg 1991; Hansen - Kasparov, Svendborg 1990; Akopian - Hernandez, Linares 1996; Karpov - Golubev, Odessa 2008; Karpov - Kasimdzhanov, Spain 2007; Markus - Kotronias, Vrnjacka Banja 2006; Lutsko - Golubev, Odessa 2008; Gyimesi - Ivanov, Andorra 2001; Jansen - Reinderman, Hilversum 2008; Beliavsky - Kozul, Portoroz 1997; Kasparov - Kramnik, Las Palmas 1996; Andreikin - Cabezas, Kallithea 2008; San Segundo - Shirov, Madrid 1997 and others.

Beat the KID: Three Lines against the King's Indian by Jan Markos, Quality Chess (2009).
Excerpt at the Quality Chess site.  Reviewed by Carsten Hansen, Calls the line with 5.Nf3 and 6.h3 the Krasenkow System.  Some games collected at Chessgames.com.  

"Ideas in the King's Indian for Black, Lines with 5.h3" by IM David Vigorito, Chesslecture.com (July 16, 2007).  A 22-minute video featuring the Advanced King's Indian (E71).  By subscription only.

Beating the Fianchetto Defences by Efstratios Grivas, Gambit (2006): 139-188.  Reviewed by Carsten Hansen, and see publishers website for info and sample.  Recommends the Krasenkow line with 5.Nf3 and 6.h3.

King's Indian Battle Plans by Andrew Martin, Thinker's Press (2004): 217-229.  A very useful book, which offers a wide range of ideas for Black against each White system.  It features a whole chapter devoted to the Makagonov System, with ten sample games, including Krasenkow - Sutovsky, Pamplona 1998; Barsov - Sutovsky, York 1999; Krasenkow - Smirin, Belgrade 1999; Antic - Velimirovic, Subotica 2000; Gelfand - Gdanski, Belgrade 1999; Babula - Kiik, Istanbul 2000; Epishin - Bischoff, Bundesliga 2002; Barsov - Gallagher, Calcutta 2001; Divljan - Sahovic, Belgrade 2001; and Krasenkow - Antoniewski, Glogow POL 2001.


Offbeat King's Indian by Krzysztoff Panczyk and Jacek Ilczuk, Everyman (2004): 70-102. Focuses on the Makogonov System, where White plays 5.h3 and delays deployment of the Ng1, which typically develops by Nge2. The authors cover a wide range of approaches for Black, and in doing so presents a good overview of the Makagonov System for White as well in some fairly balanced coverage.  Games include Nikolaidis - Kotronias, Peristeri 1996; Akopian - Temirbaev, Uzbgorod 1988; Knaak - Piket, Hamburg 1991; Mikhaevski - Timoschenko, Paris 2000; Rogozenko - Ardeleanu, Brasov 1998; Suba - Nunn, Dubai 1986; Yermolinsky - Barcenilla, Chicago 2000; Chernin - Cebalo, Bled 1999; Gyimesi - Ilia Botvinnik, Tel Aviv 2001; Suba - Motylev, Eforie Nord 2000; Psakhis - Hrbolka, Pardubice 2002; Yermolinsky - Radjabov, Hyderabad 2002; Ivanchuk - Kasparov, Novgorod 1994; Bazhin - Fedorov, Kstovo 1994; and Kasparov - Kramnik, Las Palmas 1996.

King's Indian with h3 CD by Martin Breutigam, ChessBase (2002).
Reviewed by John Watson, Seagaard, and Carsten Hansen and generally well received.  More from the White perspective and a little dated now, especially because the CD seems to have encouraged a lot more games with the line.

"Replete with Ideas: King's Indian Romanian Variation 5.h3" by Leon Pliester, New in Chess Yearbook 60 (2001).

"KI Romanian Variation 5.h3" by Alexander Beliavsky, New in Chess Yearbook 43 (1997) .

The Unconventional King's Indian by John Watson, Hypermodern Press (1997): 47-90.  This book is available as a reprint from Hardinge Simpole.  The chapter on h3 systems was quite groundbreaking, and clearly Watson considered lines with h3 among the most complex and interesting in the King's Indian due to their flexibility for both players.  Watson outlines the many options and mentions many games, including Greenshpun - Yurtaev 1988;  Simic - Cvitan, Yugoslavia 1981; Sokolov - van Wely, Groningen 1994; Knaak - Piket, Hamburg 1991; Minev - Watson, Las Vegas 1984; Paunovic - Kupreichik, Yugoslavia 1992; Soln - Shaked, Biel 1995; Averbach - Bondarevsky, USSR 1951; Hansen - Kasparov, Svendborg 1990; and Ibragimov - Kruppa, USSR 1991 among many others in this very detailed and rich chapter.

Beating the Anti-King's Indians by Joe Gallagher, ICE / Batsford (1996): 31-52.  Recommends a system build around an early Na6 followed by e5, with some exceptions.  Main annotated games include Paunovic - Kupreichik, Yugoslavia 1992; Chernin - Polgar, New Delhi 1990; Raetsky - Gallagher, Hastings 1992-1993; and Alexandrov - Zakharevich, St. Petersburg 1994.

"Romanian Variation 5.h3" by Igor Glek, New in Chess Yearbook 36 (1995).

"KI Romanian Variation 5.h3" by Mihail Marin, New in Chess Yearbook 34 (1994).

Kasparov on the King's Indian by Gary Kasparov with Raymond Keene, Owl / Henry Holt / Batsford (1993): 72-78.  Gives many of Kasparov's games vs. this system, up until 1992, but focuses on the games Kavalek - Kasparov, Bugojno 1982 (annotated by Kavalek in 2005 and 2013) and Hansen - Kasparov, Svendborg 1990.

The King's Indian for the Attacking Player by Graham Burgess, Owl / Henry Holt / Batsford (1993): 21-30.  This is a classic repertoire book, which was quite cutting edge at the time for recommending lines with Na6.  The recommendations against h3 are no exception.  Sample games include Knaak - Piket, Hamburg 1991; Bronstein - Nijboer, Wijk aan Zee 1992; and Hansen - Kasparov, Svendborg 1990.

As always, I welcome additions and corrections from readers.

Related Articles:

• The Kavalek System vs. the King's Indian Fianchetto Variation (E62)
• Saemisch King's Indian, Byrne Variation (E80)
• Classical King's Indian with 6...Na6
• Review of Dejan Bojkov's Modernized

Cryptochessanalysis

"If you want new ideas, read old books..." -- Ivan Pavlov

I have been unconsciously devoted to cryptochessanalysis for many years.  Only recently did I recognize the depths of my delusion.  Like cryptanalysis, the goal of cryptochessanalysis is to crack a code to reveal hidden knowledge -- only instead of revealing secret information, it is directed specifically at understanding the secrets of chess openings.  Crytochessanalysis often begins by trying to decipher the hidden intentions and ideas of GMs and other strong players, but its true motive is more quixotic: to crack the code of chess itself by examining hints from those who have most deeply plumbed its mysteries -- those imagined to be, like the Priory of Sion, the keepers of the Grail.  I admit it is a crazy notion, at least once you carefully examine it, knowing full well that even GMs can fumble their way through theory, or construct elaborate magic acts to perform at the board which are revealed as hollow once you know the trick.  But I would not be surprised if there were others like me who have gotten caught up in a similar quest for truth in the opening.  

Cryptochessanalysis is unconsciously motivated by a fancifully Gothic story about chess, one that imagines our immortal game to be like The Da Vinci Code, where "the truth" about a particular opening line might be discovered through the close observation and study of games by its high priests.  Or, in true Gothic fashion, "the truth" is uncovered by studying games or analysis unearthed from the crypt of forgotten chess ideas, which sometimes come back to life like the Mummy released from its tomb.

Torre - Santasiere, Dimock Theme 1924
White to play after 11...O-O

I think it was my study of the Urusov Gambit that started me down the cryptochessanalytic path.   Tracking down the games of the Dimock Theme Tournament of 1924 in old newspapers, I felt like I was on the trail of true knowledge about the opening.  For example, when I first played over the game Torre-Santasiere (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 9, 1924), with its exciting Exchange sac 12.Rxe7, I knew this was a key tactic in the position. Torre's exact move order did not quite hold up to silicon-supported scrutiny, but he was definitely onto something.  One possible improvement on the line begins with 12.Qh4!? to be followed by Rxe7. Later, correspondence player Max Burkett tried 12.h4!? -- one idea being 12...h6?! 13.Rxe7! hxg5?! 14.hxg5!! with a winning attack for White.  I was amused when Tim Harding, in reviewing my analysis, wondered why Gabriel Velasco had overlooked this fascinating game in his book on Torre.  But the game had been completely forgotten until I dug it up.  And it was this game from the crypt, previously unknown to modern chess analysts, that pointed the way for future exploration.

Similar revelations came from an old piece of analysis by Al Horowitz, which led to my article on The Modern Horowitz Variation of the Max Lange Attack (blog/games/pgn).

This piece attracted significant attention, getting mentioned in Kaissiber #22 and in Dangerous Weapons 1.e4 e5.  But all I did was use Fritz to take a close look at an old article, and provide the world with a PGN file so they could carry the analysis further themselves.  Other adventures spelunking through the crypt of chess history have led me to explore The Panther and The Big Clamp.  In every case, it was my unconscious belief that new ideas were to be found in old books and old games that motivated my inquiries.

Not all cryptochessanalysis seeks its ideas in the past.  Sometimes my explorations begin with a puzzling game by a strong player, whom I suspect has done significant analysis before revealing his novel idea.  Back in 2006, I stumbled upon a fascinating game in the Advance Variation of the Caro-Kann that began 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 h5 5.Bg5 Qb6 6.Bd3! Bxd3 7.Qxd3 Qxb2 8.e6!!

Position after 8.e6!!

I knew instantly that I had found my latest subject for cryptochessanalysis. After some study, I finally wrote about the game in early 2007 in an article titled The Caveman Caro-Kann: Advance Variation with 4.h4 (blog/game/pgn). I played and analyzed the line for several years after that, collecting every published game with it.  There were clearly other cryptochessanalysts who had been drawn to the idea.  Eventually I put together all of my analysis in The Complete Caveman Caro-Kann (blog/game/pgn).  Even as I published that article, however, I wondered if I had not brought an end to the line in doing so.  Sometimes it is the complete mystery of an opening that makes it most interesting for new explorers.

One of my most elaborate adventures in cryptochessanalysis was in writing about what I called the "Guseinov Gambit," following the games of Gad Guseinov in two articles: Guseinov's Anti-Paulsen (blog/game/pgn) and Guseinov's Gambit Refuted? (blog/game/pgn).  These explorations were inspired by Guseinov's discussion of his ideas in an interview with Misha Savinov at ChessCafe.  After many hours of deep analysis, it was I who most doubted the line in the end, especially after I tracked down GM Guseinov's games on ICC (played as "GGuseinov") and found that he did not have a good answer to opponents playing the remedy suggested by Richard Palliser in Fighting the Anti-Sicilians (Everyman 2007).  The veil had begun to slip.  However, even though I came to a rather negative conclusion in the second article, I continued to play the line with great success and have yet to have an opponent play the critical line revealed by my analysis. 

If I ever do, I have something prepared....

Other cryptochessanalytic explorations inspired by mysterious novelties led to The Left Hook Grand Prix and The Werewolf (blog/game/pgn), both of which began with mere curiosity as to why strong players were playing strange moves.  It often turns out that these lines do not completely hold water -- there is always a leak somewhere.  But that does not mean they cannot lead to interesting chess!

In 2008, I analyzed the game Weeramantry--Bisguier, US Amateur Team 2008, which showed me that it was possible to play a fianchetto system in the open games. After all, if Bisguier could get away with it against strong opposition, then I certainly could against weaker players. This led to articles on A Black Fianchetto System in the Open Games, Part I and Part II.  It remains an unfinished project.  But now I know that the most interesting ciphers are the ones we have not solved.

A Missed Hook and Ladder Trick

I visited the Kenilworth Chess Club on Thursday where I participated in round 4 of the Summer Tournament.  I have annotated my game with Dr. Richard Lewis, whom I have known since the 1980s when he was president of the Westfield Chess Club for many years.  Our game was played quickly and was not one of our best, but it had a very amusing ending as Dr. Lewis resigned in a position where he could have won material using a tactic that LM Dana Mackenzie has called "the hook and ladder trick" (see diagram).  The tactic was pointed out immediately after our game by Kevin Chen on the next board.

Lewis - Goeller after 27...Qd4??
White to play and win material.

The name "hook and ladder" describes the image that the tactic presents, as Black's Queen can be imagined as standing at the top of the precarious "ladder" of the Rook's support from d8.  White can use the "hook" of 28.Re8+! to pull the "ladder" out from under the Queen and win material (using a form of deflection).  If Black's f-pawn were at f7, then Re8+ would absolutely force 28...Rxe8 dropping the Queen to 29.Qxd4.  Here, though, Black can escape the check with 28...Kf7 but White still wins material after 29.Qxd4 Rxd4 30.Rxc8.  The game would be rather drawish after 30...Rxa4, but certainly White would have gone from resigning in an apparently lost position to having the only chances to win! 

In his 2006 video lecture titled "The Hook and Ladder Trick" at ChessLecture.com (members only), LM Mackenzie laid out the motif very thoroughly, beginning with the game Aronian - Svidler, Tal Memorial 2006, which offers a very high level illustration. Mackenzie later published his idea as an article in Chess Life (July 2007) and recently revisited the theme at his blog, discussing the end of one of the Kamsky - Akobian tie-break games from the recent US Championship.  Those original contributions have since been copied by others, including in an article for kids by Jessica Prescott at Chesskid.com and a nice online video discussing the Aronian - Svidler game.



Missing that trick at the end of my game has made me want to spend a little more time on tactical training, so I was glad to see that LM Mackenzie recently came out with a series of video lessons, drawn from his ChessLecture.com videos, titled Tactical Motifs 1.  You can find extensive previews of this video online and it looks like a worthwhile investment.





Thursday night at the Kenilworth Chess Club was also of interest as I got to meet IM Leslie Leow, who has lived very near to the Kenilworth Chess Club for many years but never visited the club before.  He has very generously donated his collection of Informants 1-50 to the club, which we have very happily added to the club library.

The KCC library.

IM Leow played some remarkable games during his chess career (Chess Tempo seems to have the best collection), which stretched from the late 60s to early 90s and included winning the Singapore Chess Championship in 1979 and 1984.  He will represent Singapore at the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromso as its non-playing team captain later this summer, after which he will soon be moving to the west coast.  On behalf of the club, I would like to thank him for his gift -- and personally thank him for the chance to play a few blitz games during his visit.

Yaacov's Deathmatch

I have annotated a selection of games from the Deathmatch between IM Yaacov Norowitz and GM Boris Avrukh (Replay, PGN), played Sunday, June 22 on the Chess.com server. Commentator IM Daniel Rensch called it "The most exciting deathmatch in history," and he pointed out that it was also the biggest comeback in Chess.com deathmatch history, with Yaacov overcoming a 5-point deficit to take the match based on his excellent performance in bullet.

The rules of the match were that the contestants would play a series of 5-minute, 3-minute, and 1-minute bullet for set periods (adding up to 3 hours), competing for $1,000, with the winner of each time category gaining $100 and the overall winner getting $500. As expected, GM Avrukh performed better at the "slower" time controls, winning the 5-minute by a score of 5-2 and the 3-minute by a score of 6.5-4.5, so that he was leading by 5 points going into the Bullet games. However, IM Norowitz won the Bullet games with a convincing 8-2 margin, thus winning the overall event by a point in the final game, taking the match 14.5 - 13.5.  It was a very exciting finish, with Norowitz winning the final three games.

GM Simon Williams interviews IM Yaacov Norowitz

Members of the Kenilworth Chess Club have followed Yaacov's chess career very closely, as he is a former club champion and played at the club as a young man (winning the under-1800 trophy in 1992-1993).  The games with GM Avrukh demonstrated some nice tactics, including the following two puzzles that feature tricky Knight moves (see my notes on the games for the solutions).

Avrukh - Norowitz
White to play and win.

Norowitz - Avrukh
White to play and win.

More on Yaacov Norowitz

• A New Yorker and a Nomad to Contest Death Match 25 by Mike Klein, Chess.com June 19, 2014
• Yaacov Norowitz Lecture
• Yaacov Norowitz, Google Video Star 
• Yaacov Norowitz Invited to Open Championship 
• Norowitz Batting 4.38 Heading into Final Round
• US Championship, Rounds 3 & 4 
• Yaacov Earns IM in Reykjavic
• Yaacov Norowitz on Color Complexes

Vienna Gambit Traps from the Alrick H. Man

I have annotated the game Rudolf Smirka - Carlos Torre, New York 1925 (Replay / Download PGN), from the Alrick H. Man Vienna Gambit Theme Tournament.  It nicely illustrates some important but nearly forgotten traps in the Vienna Gambit (C29).  The chief trap is one that should have been known already in 1925 from Euwe - Yates, The Hague 1921, but which either remained unknown or had already been forgotten, at least to judge from the game and from Torre's notes on it in the Brooklyn Eagle.  The diagram below shows the critical position, with White to play and win after 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Qe2! Nc6? 7.Nxe4 Nd4? 8.Qd3 Bxf3.

Smirka - Torre, New York 1925
White to play and win.

This trap arises very naturally as Black seeks to exploit the pin on the Nf3 and the placement of White's Queen at e2.  White's winning move, which involves a retreat without capture, is easily overlooked, as it was by both players and even by Torre in his notes. 

This series will continue in the coming weeks, and I will eventually post all nine known games from the tournament with the goal of offering a useful introduction to the Vienna Gambit.

See also:

• The Alrick H. Man Vienna Gambit Theme Tournament
• The Dimock Theme Tournaments and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle
• Torre - Norwood, Alrick H. Man Theme Tournament
• Vienna Gambit (C29) Bibliography