Blumenfeld Countergambit: Duz-Khotimirsky Variation
Blumenfeld Countergambit – Duz-Khotimirsky Variation
Definition
The Blumenfeld Countergambit, Duz-Khotimirsky Variation is a specific line in the Blumenfeld Countergambit that arises after the moves:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 b5 5. Bg5 …
Here White immediately pins the f6-knight with 5.Bg5, instead of the more common 5.cxb5 or 5.dxe6. The variation is named after the Russian-Ukrainian master Fyodor (Fedir) Duz-Khotimirsky, a participant in many major tournaments during the early 20th century and one of the first strong proponents of this idea.
Move-Order & Basic Idea
- 5.Bg5 targets the f6-knight and indirectly the d5-pawn. By pinning the knight, White delays Black’s intended …exd5 followed by …d6 or …bxc4 because recaptures on d5 may leave the b5-pawn hanging.
- Typical continuations include:
- 5…exd5 6.cxd5 d6 7.e4 when White obtains a broad center at the cost of accepting Black’s strong queenside majority.
- 5…h6 6.Bh4 attempting to preserve the pin and provoking weaknesses such as …g5.
- 5…bxc4 where Black grabs the c-pawn but must reckon with 6.e4 or 6.Nc3, accelerating White’s mobilization.
Strategic Themes
- Pin & Pressure: The Bg5 pin hinders Black’s intended …exd5/…d6 development plan and makes …e6-e5 harder to achieve.
- Central Expansion: After exchanges in the center, White often plays e2-e4, building a formidable pawn duo (d5/e4) while Black counters on the queenside with …a6, …b4, and the c-file.
- Pawn Imbalance: Black sacrifices a wing pawn (the hallmark of the Blumenfeld) to accelerate development and obtain a mobile queenside majority. The Duz-Khotimirsky pin tests the soundness of that sacrifice.
- King Safety & Piece Activity: Because both sides keep queens on the board and pawn structures remain asymmetrical, rapid development and timely castling are paramount.
Historical Background
Fyodor Duz-Khotimirsky (1879-1965) was an attacking player who crossed swords with such luminaries as Alekhine and Capablanca. Although the Blumenfeld Countergambit itself is named after Benjamin Blumenfeld (1884-1947), Duz-Khotimirsky’s early adoption of Bg5 gave rise to this sub-variation. The first high-level appearance of the idea dates back to St. Petersburg 1909, where Duz-Khotimirsky used the pin in a casual game versus Eugene Znosko-Borovsky.
Illustrative Game
A frequently cited example is the sharp duel between two Soviet masters:
White’s 5.Bg5 forced Black into early concessions, yet the ensuing struggle shows how Black’s a6-b5-b4 lever compensates with active counterplay.
Modern Relevance
The line remains a rare bird in grandmaster praxis, but it surfaces occasionally as a surprise weapon:
- Grischuk – Navara, European Club Cup 2013: Grischuk uncorked 5.Bg5 and steered the game into uncharted territory, ultimately winning after a tense middlegame.
- Rapport – Bacrot, Bundesliga 2019: Rapport’s creative handling with h2-h4-h5 illustrated modern ways to exploit the pin for kingside aggression.
Anecdotes & Trivia
- Duz-Khotimirsky is famous not only for this variation; he also once defeated the teenage Alekhine three times in a single tournament (Kiev 1918), earning him the nickname “Alekhine’s Nemesis.”
- Legend has it that Blumenfeld himself disliked facing 5.Bg5, jokingly calling it “the mosquito” because “it annoys more than it harms.”
- Because of the rarity of the line, some modern databases still misclassify games with 5.Bg5 under “Miscellaneous Queen’s Pawn Openings.”
Related Variations & Further Study
- Main Line Blumenfeld: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 b5 5.dxe6 — White grabs the pawn immediately.
- Larsen Variation: 5.e4!? leading to completely different structures (sometimes transposing to Benoni-type setups).
- Queen’s Gambit Anti-Benoni set-ups with g2-g3 can transpose if White declines the gambit altogether.
For players who relish dynamic asymmetry and are willing to invest time into off-beat theory, the Duz-Khotimirsky Variation offers an excellent laboratory for original middlegame ideas.