1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 f3!

[James Pratt]

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 f3! c5 5 dxc5 d4 6 Nb5 Nc6 7 e3 - does anybody know a name for this line? I can't find it in Hartston or MCO, nor Pachman or ECO. Is it popular? Well regarded?

[IM Jack Rudd]

Chessgames.com calls it the Lutikov variation. You may think it's popular or well-regarded; I couldn't possibly comment.

[James Pratt]

Thanks Jack. Anybody else could shed light?

[Gavin Strachan]

nc6 rather e5 better for black so you don't end up with that juicey hole on d6? kick the knight with a6 and then e5 later.

Opening rather reminds me of f3 in Nimzo, going for the big centre.

[Colin Patterson]

Of some tangential relevance is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3. f3!? - this is termed 'Alekhine's Anti-Gruenfeld Attack' by author Alan Watson in his 1996 book of the same name. It is hoped that the super-early 3. f3 will deter Black from playing his favourite Grunfeld Defence, heading the game towards a Samisch structure in a branch of the KI/Nimzo/Benoni/Benko complex. In my experience this can work out quite well, as the habitual Grunfeld player can be psychologically damaged by the odd course of events.

However, the book indicates that 3. ... d5 (not being denied his Grunfeld) is the most active and challenging response by Black, whereupon 4. cxd5 is the most popular continuation. The book explores this pawn capture in a lot of detail, but in passing, the author does point out ... "If 4. Nc3 c5! gives Black good play" - which seems a fair but not very detailed comment and of course is a transposition to the line you enquire about.

[Chris Goodall]

Rowson mentions it in Understanding the Grünfeld. 7.e3 and then Black plays ...e5 anyway. 8.exd4 Nxd4 9.Bg5 Bxc5!? I won't give away his subsequent comments. He mentions Lechtynsky as a source.

[Roger de Coverly]

Other ideas are possible. The sequence 4 .. Bg7 5 e4 dxe4 5 fxe4 e5 6 d5 reaches a position very similar to those arising in the Kings Indian four pawns attack where Black plays .. e5 instead of .. c5 .