The ubiquitous bayonet

by Jonathan Speelman
8/21/2022 – Pushing the g-pawn early in the game has become so common that when GM Jon Speelman watches Shakhriyar Mamedyarov play, he feels tempted to bet with himself when ‘the bayonet’ will be deployed. This week’s thematic column features a couple of classics (by Paul Keres and Alexei Shirov), an example from Mamedyarov’s practice and a remarkable win by Richard Pert from the British Championship. | Photo: Niki Riga
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Pushing the knight’s pawn

[Note that Jon Speelman also looks at the content of the article in video format, here embedded at the end of the article.]

When I was getting established as a chess player all those years ago, I became known for pushing my rook’s pawns more than other people. This was probably partly an homage to Bent Larsen, whose best-games book I read and reread as a kid — but I also just liked it. Decades later, when our lord and master AlphaZero espoused this with such enthusiasm and artistry I was delighted.

Alexei ShirovThe other big push of the knight’s pawn was much less common in my own games and in general. Of course, it was common in the Yugoslav Attack against the Dragon, and there was the Benko Gambit — well away from both kings. But an early g2-g4 was extremely rare until Paul Keres introduced it against the Sicilian Scheveningen, and then decades later Alexei Shirov [pictured], after working with Alex Shabalov, launched it against the Semi-Slav.

Today it’s become so common that when I watch Shakhriyar Mamedyarov play, I’m almost tempted to bet with myself when the bayonet will be deployed. It features in lines of the Queen’s Gambit Declined and in some English/Reti types of position. And against the Sicilian, they nowadays sometimes play g4 before a black knight has even considered grazing the pastures on f6.

In the games analysed below, I’m looking at a selection of games with an early g2-g4, and I finish with an example from the British Championship of Black playing 3...g7-g5: an idea which totally discombobulated his opponent.  

We begin with the stem game of the Keres Attack against the Scheveningen, followed by the stem game of g4 against the Semi-Slav. I had to have at least one example by Mamedyarov and have added one, albeit just a blitz game. To finish, Richard Pert’s game from the British.

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,186,70654%2421---
1.d4960,56055%2434---
1.Nf3286,91356%2440---
1.c4185,11556%2442---
1.g319,90256%2427---
1.b314,60954%2428---
1.f45,95948%2376---
1.Nc33,91950%2383---
1.b41,79148%2379---
1.a31,25254%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
My notes are mainly taken from Keres' own best games collection, which was translated by Harry Golombek into three volumes in English in the 1960s. I've also consulted our lords and masters for comparison. 1.e4 c5 2.Ne2 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6
6.g4!? Keres says that this move came into his mind during the game as a way of improving on g3 followed by a later g4. He wondered about h5, d5 and e5 and concluded that none of them was especially strong. Later g4 became the main line agaisnt the pure Scheveningen move order (as here) and a reason for Black to consider avoding it. Nc6 6...h5? 7.g5 6...d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.Qe2+ 6...e5 7.Nf5 7.Bb5+ Bd7 8.Bxd7+ Qxd7 9.Nf5 h5 10.Bg5 Keres Nxg4? 10...Nh7 Stockfish 11.h3 7.g5 Nxd4? Faced with this new idea Bogoljubov was worried about Nd7 Ndb5, and made what turned out to already be a serious concession. 7...Nd7 8.Ndb5!? 8.Be3 Be7 9.h4 0-0 8...Nb6 9.Bf4 Ne5 8.Qxd4 Nd7 9.Be3 a6 9...Qb6? 10.Qxb6 Nxb6 11.Nb5 Keres 10.Be2 Qc7 Keres was intending to play a4, and indeed 10...b5 11.a4 b4 12.Qxb4 Rb8 is unconvincing: 13.Qd4 Rxb2 14.a5 is very pleasant for White. 11.f4 b6
12.f5! Ne5 To slightly parphrase Keres: "White was threatening fxe6 fxe6 Bh5+. Black, it's true, now gets an ideal post for his knight, but White has several distinct advantages with targets on b6, which is a particular problem, d6 and e6..." 13.fxe6 fxe6 13...Bxe6 14.Qa4+ Bd7 15.Nd5 14.a4 Be7 15.h4 Qc5 16.Qd2 Qc7? Keres thought that 16...Qb4 17.0-0 was very strong but in fact Rf8! is a reasonable defence. 17.Rf1 Bb7 18.Bd4 Rf8 19.0-0-0 Rxf1?! 19...Bd8 was perhaps slightly tougher 20.Rxf1 Bd8 20...0-0-0 21.Qe3 21.Qf4 Ng6 22.Qg4 Qe7 23.Qh5 e5 24.Be3 Bc7 25.Qxh7 Nf4 26.Bxf4 exf4
27.Bh5+ Kd7 28.Bg4+ Kc6 28...Kd8 29.Rxf4 29.Nd5 Bxd5 30.exd5 29.Qf5 b5 30.Qd5+ Kb6 31.Qd4+ Kc6 32.Nd5
Slaughter! 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Keres,P-Bogoljubow,E-1–01943B81Salzburg
Shirov,A2655Thorhallsson,T24251–01992D45Reykjavik5
Mamedyarov,S2768Cheparinov,I26891–02016D37World Blitz 20167.15
Ethelontis,A2055Pert,R24110–12022A09108th ch-GBR 20222.15

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There are few names which, like that of Alexei Shirov, can be associated with fantastically imaginative and tactically influenced play. Now the Latvian grandmaster is presenting a DVD on precisely that element of the game of chess. And one that is completely based on his own games.

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Jonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.
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