Winawer - h-Pawn Attack 7.h4
Against 7.h4 Black fixes the kingside with ...Qc7 and ...h6, then solves the problem of the c8 Bishop by bringing it to a4, where it attacks c2. The black King stays in the center or goes to the queenside.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.h4 Qc7 8.h5 h6 9.Nf3 b6 10.Bb5+ Bd7 11.Bd3 Ba4 12.O-O Nd7
Move by move
- 1.e4 – White takes the center with the pawn and frees the Queen and the f1 Bishop. Against 1.e4 this course answers with the French Defense, which prepares an immediate attack on the e4 pawn.
- 1...e6 – The French Defense: the e6 pawn prepares ...d5 and supports it, so after exd5 Black can recapture with a pawn. The price is the c8 Bishop, shut in behind the e6-d5 chain.
- 2.d4 – White brings the d-pawn alongside e4 and builds the classical center: neither pawn is attacked yet and White gains space.
- 2...d5 – Black attacks e4 at once. White must choose: defend it (Nc3 or Nd2), push it (e5) or exchange it (exd5). Each choice leads to one of the course's chapters.
- 3.Nc3 – White defends e4 by developing the Knight toward the center: it is the most ambitious choice, but the Knight on c3 can be pinned by ...Bb4.
- 3...Bb4 – Winawer Variation: the Bishop pins the c3 Knight to the King, so e4 is effectively left without defense. Black threatens ...dxe4 and forces White to clarify the center immediately.
- 4.e5 – White closes the center: the e5 pawn takes f6 away from the black Knight and gains space, while the b4 Bishop has moved away from the defense of Black's dark squares around the King.
- 4...c5 – The typical French lever: the c-pawn attacks the base of the chain, d4. Together with the pin on c3 it increases the pressure on White's center.
- 5.a3 – White asks the Bishop to decide at once: exchange on c3 (doubled pawns but the bishop pair for White) or retreat to a5, the Armenian Variation.
- 5...Bxc3+ – Black gives up the dark-squared Bishop to ruin White's structure: the doubled c2-c3 pawns and a3 will become targets. In return White gets the bishop pair and Black has some dark-square weaknesses.
- 6.bxc3 – Forced recapture: the c3 pawn reinforces d4 and the b-file opens for the Rook, but the pawns on the c-file stay doubled and slow.
- 6...Ne7 – The Knight goes to e7 because f6 is controlled by the e5 pawn: from e7 it can go to f5 or c6, and it leaves the ...f6 push and the Queen's exits to a5 or c7 free.
- 7.h4 – Aggressive push: the h-pawn wants to reach h5-h6 to weaken g7 and gain space on the kingside, discouraging Black's short castling.
- 7...Qc7 – The Queen attacks e5 and c3 and stays flexible: Black does not commit on the kingside until White has shown its intentions.
- 8.h5 – The pawn advances again and threatens h5-h6, which after ...gxh6 would wreck Black's pawns or, if allowed, weaken g7 forever.
- 8...h6 – Black stops the pawn: now h5-h6 is impossible and the kingside pawns are fixed. The g6 square becomes weak, though, and has to be watched by the f7 pawn.
- 9.Nf3 – The Knight develops and supports d4 and e5; with the pawn on h5 White can also think of Nh4 to exploit the g6 square.
- 9...b6 – Black prepares ...Ba6 to trade its light-squared Bishop, shut in behind e6, for White's good one.
- 10.Bb5+ – Intermediate check: White prevents ...Ba6 and forces the black Bishop to d7, then avoids the trade by retreating.
- 10...Bd7 – Black interposes the Bishop: on d7 it is developed and, as soon as the b5 Bishop moves, it can continue to a4.
- 11.Bd3 – The Bishop avoids the trade and returns to an active diagonal, aiming at g6 and h7, squares weakened by the structure of Black's kingside.
- 11...Ba4 – The Bishop leaves the chain and settles on a4: it attacks c2 and fixes the doubled pawns, which become Black's target.
- 12.O-O – White castles: with the pawn on h5 the King no longer has full protection, but the center is closed and Black has no pieces ready to attack.
- 12...Nd7 – The b8 Knight develops to d7, attacks e5 and frees the back rank: Black can castle long after ...c4.
How to exploit the position
Closed position: White has space and the bishop pair, Black has the better structure and has fixed the kingside with ...h6.
- Push ...c4: it drives the d3 Bishop off the diagonal toward g6 and closes the queenside, where the King will then go with ...O-O-O.
- After ...c4 the e7 Knight can go to f5, a square the white Bishop no longer controls, hitting d4.
- Fix c2 with Ba4 and Qc7: if the center opens with ...cxd4 cxd4, bring a Rook to c8 against the backward pawn.
- Keep the f7 pawn defending g6 and, if White brings the Knight to h4, answer with ...Nf8.
Master tips
Stop the h-pawn before h6
With ...h6 at the right moment the h5 pawn stays blocked and g7 is no longer undermined.