13. Attack with 4.Bg5 and the Sharp Reaction 4...h6!
Punishing the premature development of White's bishop by gaining tempi and space.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bh4 Bb7 6.e3 g5 7.Bg3 Ne4
Move by move
- 1.d4 – White occupies the center with the d-pawn, protected by the queen, and frees the c1 bishop. This is the move that starts Queen's Gambit, Catalan and Nimzo-Indian games.
- 1...Nf6 – Black develops the knight toward the center and immediately prevents 2.e4. With Nf6 Black stays flexible: he can choose between the Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian, King's Indian or the Queen's Gambit Declined.
- 2.c4 – White gains space on the queenside and attacks the d5 square from a distance. White now threatens Nc3 and e4 to build a big pawn center.
- 2...e6 – Black opens the diagonal for the f8 bishop and prepares both d5 and Bb4. Compared with 2...d5, Black stays elastic: he waits to see whether White plays Nc3, which allows the Nimzo-Indian.
- 3.Nf3 – White develops the kingside knight instead of Nc3 and avoids the Nimzo-Indian: without the knight on c3, ...Bb4 can't pin anything, but White controls e4 less.
- 3...b6 – The Queen's Indian Defense: Black prepares Bb7 or Ba6 to control e4 and the light squares. Without a knight on c3, ...Bb4 would have no pin.
- 4.Bg5 – The bishop pins the f6 knight to the queen and takes away Black's control of e4. White develops actively before playing e3.
- 4...h6 – Black immediately asks the bishop to decide: exchange on f6, giving up the bishop pair, or retreat to h4, where it can be chased away with ...g5.
- 5.Bh4 – White keeps the f6 knight pinned. The bishop on h4, however, can be attacked by ...g5.
- 5...Bb7 – Black develops the bishop on the long diagonal and increases control of e4, where the pinned f6 knight isn't enough.
- 6.e3 – White reinforces d4 and opens the f1 bishop's diagonal. The c1 bishop is already outside the e3 chain, but on h4 it remains exposed.
- 6...g5 – Black chases away the h4 bishop and breaks the pin. It weakens the kingside, but now the f6 knight can jump to e4 with a tempo.
- 7.Bg3 – The bishop retreats to g3, on the h2-b8 diagonal. From there it controls c7 and d6, but it can be attacked by ...Nh5 or ...Ne4.
- 7...Ne4 – The knight jumps to e4, supported by the b7 bishop, and attacks the g3 bishop. Black also threatens ...Bb4+, exploiting the undeveloped b1 knight.
How to exploit the position
Black has gained time against White's bishop and has a strong knight on e4, but has weakened the kingside with ...h6 and ...g5. The position is sharp.
- Exchange with ...Nxg3: after hxg3 Black has the bishop pair, even though the h-file opens for White's rook.
- Play ...Bb4+: with the b1 knight still at home White must parry with Nbd2 or Nfd2, and the e4 knight increases the pressure on d2.
- Develop with ...d6 and ...Nd7 to support the e4 knight and prepare ...Bg7 on the long diagonal.
- Against h4, which attacks the g5 pawn, answer with ...g4 or ...Rg8; don't castle short while the kingside pawns are advanced.
Master tips
...g5 and ...Ne4 against the bishop
When White's bishop comes out to g5, ...h6 and ...g5 chase it away with a tempo.