It is a system aimed at getting a version of Philidor's Defence without allowing White to play what are regarded as theoretically strong replies.
I came across a decent-looking antidote while going through my free copy of Chess magazine from the Hastings congress (https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2020/01/hastings-bonus.html).
Notes in italics are from the winner's Chess annotations.
Harry Grieve (196) - Dominic Klingher (200)
Delancey UK Schools' Terafinal 2017 Round 5
1.d4 d6 2.e4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7
A slightly unusual move-order aimed at reaching a Philidor without allowing the early exchange of queens that can occur after 3...d5 4.dxe5 dxe5 [sometimes called the Lion's Yawn].
The opening is a Pirc after 3...g6, and a Pribyl after 3...c6.
4.f4!?
By highlighting the drawback to Black's third move, White gains a strong grip on the centre.
Much more popular in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database is 4.Nf3, but it is probably fair to say the text is regarded as the move Black has most to worry about. For example, IM Jeremy Silman, in reviewing the 2008 book The Black Lion: The Chess Predator’s Choice Against Both 1.e4 And 1.d4, says f4 "must be the critical test."
4...e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Qxd4
Pillsbury played 6.Nxd4 in 1902, the earliest known example of this line, but Grieve says the e4 pawn can quickly become weak.
6...c6 7.Be3 d5!?
A thematic pawn sacrifice aimed at reducing Black's slight cramp.
We are very much still in mainline theory.
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| White has to decide what type of game he wants |
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8.e5!?
A solid choice to avoid the complications - White aims to establish a grip on the dark squares.
Naturally Black has to also be prepared for 8.exd5, when the main line runs 8...Bc5 9.Qd3 Qe7 10.Nd4 Nb6 11.dxc6 bxc6, with White scoring very well after 12.0-0-0. However, Black has important alternatives at move 10, viz ...Ng4 and...Nxd5. Grieve's choice has the advantage that your opponent is likely to have spent much more time analysing the pawn grab.
8...Bc5!?
Grieve says this seems slightly inaccurate compared with the more popular 8...Ng4. However, the text has been played by grandmasters and is the choice of Komodo10, although Stockfish10 prefers ...Ng4. After 8...Ng4, Grieve gives 9.Bg1 Bc5 (9...Nh6 is also interesting, targeting the weakened f5 square) 10.Qd2 Bxg1 11.Rxg1 Qb6 12.Na4 Qe3+ 13.Qxe3 Nxe3, as played as long ago as 1991, and repeated several times since. But White seems to be doing well after 14.Bd3.
9.Qd2 Ng4?!
This may be the real problem with Klingher's play. The main line runs 9...Bxe3 10.Qxe3 Ng4, although White looks better coordinated after 11.Qd2.
10.Bxc5 Nxc5 11.h3 Nh6 12.g4
White gets a lot of space on the kingside, and the black knight on h6 is badly misplaced.
The engines prefer queenside expansion with 12.b4.
12...b5?
Grieve suggests 12...0-0, but the engines prefer White - Stockfish10 even reckons White is winning - after 13.f5. The engines suggest Black should prevent this with 12...f5, although they reckon White is better after 13.exf6 or 13.g5.
13.b4 Nd7
The engines agree with Grieve's suggestion of 13...Na4, but have White winning after 14.Nxa4 or 14.f5.
14.a4 bxa4 15.b5!?
Simple moves such as 15.Nd4 and 15.Nxa4 are also strong.
15...Bb7
White is also much better after the engines' 15...cxb5 16.Bxb5.
16.bxc6 Bxc6 17.Nd4 Qh4+ 18.Qf2 Qxf2+ 19.Kxf2 Rc8
White has clearly won the opening battle, with the more active and better coordinated pieces as well as the superior pawn-structure.
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| How does White best realise his advantage? |
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20.Ncb5!?
Clearly the best move. With Nd6 and Nxa7 threatened, Black's next move is almost forced, but will still leave him with serious problems to resolve.
Note that 20.Nxc6?! Rxc6 21.Nxd5 Rxc2+ gives Black play he does not really deserve. However, the prosaic 20.Nxa4 also leaves White in command.
20...Bxb5 21.Bxb5 Rc7 22.Rxa4
White has got his pawn back and dominates on the queenside.
22...Ke7
As Grieve points out, 22...0-0 loses a piece to 23.Bxd7 Rxd7 24.g5.
23.Nc6+ Kf8 24.Rxa7
Now White is a pawn up, and Black is effectively playing without two pieces stranded on the h file (1-0, 42 moves).
One game may prove little, but 4.f4!? seems to set Black difficult problems without exposing White to undue risk.
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