Hedgehog (chess)

As a hedgehog is called in a chess position type, which is characterized primarily by a particular pawn structure in the opening and middle game. This structure lasted until the 1960s as unfavorable. In the 1970s, they came because of the successes achieved some young grandmaster with her fashionable. Today the Hedgehog enjoys widespread recognition. The term " hedgehog ", German "hedgehog ", probably goes back to William Hartston.

Selling

The hedgehog is formed out of the opening after the exchange of the c- to the d-pawn. The black farmers stand on a6, b6, d6 and e6. White pawns on c4 and usually also on e4. White has space advantage; Black maneuvered his pieces on the last three rows, waiting for a favorable opportunity to play b6 - b5 or d6 -d5.

Historical development

Until the 1960s, the hedgehog position was seen as detrimental structure. The general opinion was that Black has a depressed position and is doomed to passive defense. Strong players avoided this structure usually. However, Fritz Sämisch has chosen in the 1920s against Karel Opočenský and Alexander Alekhine a hedgehog structure. A hedgehog position was also at a 1967 game played in Moscow Mikhail Botvinnik of the two former World Champion Vasily Smyslov and on the board.

As a pioneer of the hedgehog structure applies the Yugoslav grandmaster Ljubomir Ljubojević. He led this structure in 1973 as a response to the opening in the English grandmaster practice, and was this year against Vlastimil Hort, Lew Polugajewski, Wolfgang Uhlmann, Lajos Portisch and Arturo Pomar successful. Ljubojevics successes convinced his friend Ulf Andersson, also to play like that. 1975 succeeded Andersson, teach its first loss as World Champion Anatoly Karpov with the hedgehog structure.

Soon, numerous Grand Master took the Hedgehog structure in their repertoire, including Florin Gheorghiu, Lajos Portisch, Zoltan Ribli, Andras Adorjan and Lew Polugajewski. Even Karpov himself defended in 1975 and 1977 twice with the hedgehog. Early 1980s, followed by the young grandmaster Lev Psachis, Lubomir Ftacnik and Garry Kasparov this fashion trend. Interzonal 1979 in Riga Adorjan had Black against Tony Miles win at all costs, in order to qualify for the candidates matches. He chose the hedgehog and won a brilliant game. Another spectacular and well-known game won Ftacnik at the Chess Olympiad 1982 in Lucerne against Polugajewski.

Important contributions to the popularization of the hedgehog under German club players contributed Matthias Wahls, who wrote a series of magazine articles about the hedgehog, and Frank Zeller, who has written the first comprehensive monograph on the subject in German language.

Formation

Hedgehog positions arise only if both sides are in agreement, so White has the option of changing the hedgehog by example his c-pawn is not in c4 or by playing an early d2 -d4 c7 - c5 and d4 -d5 answered. They can arise from different openings, such as from the English Opening, from Sicilian, from the Nimzo or Queen's Indian. A private opening code ( A 30) has only the so-called English hedgehog.

Classic headways are

1 Sg1 -f3 - f6 Ng8 2 c2 - c4 c7 - c5 3 g2 - g3 b6 b7 - 4 - g2 Lf1 Bc8 - b7 e7 - e6 5 0-0 6 Nb1 - c3 Bf8 - e7 7 d2 -d4 d7 - d6 c5xd4 8 Dd1xd4

And

1 e2- e4 c7 - c5 2 Sg1 -f3 e7 - e6 3 d2 -d4 c5xd4 4 Sf3xd4 Sb8 - c6 5 Nd4 - b5 d7 - d6 6 c2 - c4 Ng8 - f6 7 Nb1 - c3 a7 a6 - 8 Sb 5 -a3 Bf8 - e7 9 Lf1 - e2 0-0 10 0-0 b7 - b6

White can fight the hedgehog in various ways: With runners on e2 and e3, with the runners on g2 and b2 or with the runners on b2 and d3.

Strategic and psychological motives

In the hedgehog position White is often objectively better. In order to overcome but the black defense, he has to play tactically very precisely what overwhelmed many white players. On the other hand the Hedgehog for black is very easy to play: He defends his position and waits until White is active or until a favorable opportunity to push the center. Then both players from quiet positional maneuvering in an open position full dynamics must switch to a specific play from train to train. Besides passive defense and waiting for the advances d6 -d5 b5 or b6 - black, in some positions also an expansion on the kingside strive with Kg8 - h8, Rf8 - g8, g7- g5, g6 - Rg8 and Rc8 - g8.