Alapin's Opening

When Alapin opening is an opening of the chess game. It is one of the open-ended play and is classified in the ECO codes under the key C20. It is named after Simon Zinovievich Alapin (1856-1923), which has the exit of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century so some games successfully disputed. In today's competitive chess Alapin the opening is as good as not to be found.

The Alapin opening arises after the moves:

1 e2- e4 e7 - e5 2 Sg1 - e2

Opening ideas

At first glance, the second white train goes against the basic strategies of opening theory. In contrast to the usual train 2 Sg1 -f3, of the important central e5 sweeps or immediately attacked the farmers, the knight takes on d4 e2 only affect the central field. He also imprisons its own bishop on f1, the otherwise early stage plays an important role in the popular open games such as Italian or Spanish. The main idea of ​​this construction is appropriate, to draw f2 - f4, without - as in the King's Gambit - to sacrifice these farmers, but after e5xf4 immediately hit back with the " Alapin Springer ".

Variants

Black has more or less according to the passive white train free hand. during

  • 2 ... Bf8 - c5 - c6 Sb8 passes in the Scottish game after 3 d2 -d4 e5xd4 4 Se2xd4, to give, after
  • 2 ... Ng8 - f6 position other images, such as leads f2 - f4 3 - in the sense Alapins - after Sf6xe4 4 d2 -d3 Ne4 - c5 d7 -d5 5 f4xe5 6 d3- d4 - e6 Sc5 a finding (see Figure 1), in the white space above advantage, the semi-open f-file and possibly has the plan, the Springer e2 to summon via g3 after f5. After 3 f2 - f4 Black can continue with more but e5xf4, after 4 Se2xf4 d7 -d5! 5 Sf4xd5 Sf6xd5 6 7 Nb1 - c3 e4xd5 Dd8xd5 Qd5 - e5 creates a completely balanced position. Demanding for white is therefore 3 Nb1 - c3.

More black options are:

  • 2 ... d7 -d5 in the style of Scandinavian defense, 4th after 3 e4xd5 Dd8xd5 Nb1 - c3 - a5 Qd5 5 d2 -d4 White reached a position from the Scandinavian Defence with 4 ... e7 - e5, 5 but with the strange, the grandmaster practice never played train Sg1 - e2.
  • 2 ... d7 - d6 (somewhat passive), after 3 d2 -d4 e5xd4 4 Se2xd4 is achieved through the diverter Philidor Defence.

More aggressive traits are:

  • 2 ... Qd8 - h4, but after 3 Nb1 - c3 - c5 Bf8 ( the Shepherd Matt with colors reversed threatened ) 4 g2 - g3 Dh4 - 5 f6 d2 -d4 e5xd4 6 Nc3 -d5! White is better ( Alapin - Albin, Berlin 1897).
  • 2 ... f7 - f5 leads to a King's Gambit with colors reversed and an extra tempo for White, moreover, the Springer e2 g3 defend from the gambit pawn if necessary. The game Alapin - Süchting, Berlin, 1897 was as follows: 3 e4xf5 d7 -d5 4 d2 -d4 e5 -e4 5 Se2 - g3 Ng8 - f6 - g5 6 Lc1 Bf8 - e7 7 Lg5xf6 Le7xf6 8 Dd1 - h5 Ke8 -f8 9 c2 c3 with better position for White ( see diagram 2).
Half-open file Transposition (chess) Adolf Albin Tempo (chess)
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