Winawer 5.a3 Be7 – Alekhine Gambit (French)
French: Winawer
Definition
The Winawer is one of the main branches of the French Defence, arising after the moves 1. e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4. Black immediately pins the c3-knight and attacks the e4-pawn, accepting structural weaknesses (doubled c-pawns after …Bxc3+) in exchange for long-term pressure and dynamic counter-play on the light squares and the queenside.
Typical Move Order
A few of the most common continuations are:
- 4.e5 c5 – the main line. Black strikes in the centre while the bishop on b4 keeps the pin.
- 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3 – the Winckelmann–Reimer Variation, a quieter alternative.
- 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 – the main “Winawer Pawn Structure”, giving White the bishop pair and a massive pawn centre but saddling him with weak c-pawns.
- 4.Ne2 – the “Prins” (or “Chigorin”) system, sidestepping doubled pawns.
Strategic Themes
- Pawn Structure: After …Bxc3+ White’s pawns become c2-c3-c4 (later c4) with a strong centre (d4-e5) but long-term weaknesses on c3 and d4.
- Light-Square Control: Black often breaks with …f6 and/or …cxd4, striving to undermine e5 and d4 and to activate the half-open c-file against c3.
- Opposite-Side Castling: In sharp lines (e.g. 7.Qg4 “Poisoned Pawn”) White castles long; Black castles short and throws the g- and h-pawns up the board.
- Bishop Pair vs. Structure: White’s two bishops can become powerful if the position opens, but Black counts on the solidity of the French pawn chain and piece activity to compensate.
Historical Significance
Named after the Polish master Szymon Winawer (1838-1919), the variation first appeared in serious practice in the late 19th century. It became a mainstay of the repertoires of world champions such as Mikhail Botvinnik, Mikhail Tal, and Anatoly Karpov. In modern chess it remains one of the most theoretically rich defences to 1.e4.
Illustrative Game
Botvinnik’s classic strategic win shows the typical flow of a Winawer middlegame:
(Botvinnik – Mikenas, Moscow 1945)
Interesting Facts
- Because the Winawer often leads to blocked structures, computers used to underestimate Black’s dynamic chances. Modern engines, however, consider many Winawer positions fully playable for Black.
- The “Poisoned Pawn” line (7.Qg4) was revived at elite level by Vassily Ivanchuk and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, generating fresh theoretical battles well into the 2020s.
Alekhine Gambit
Definition
The term “Alekhine Gambit” is attached to more than one opening, but it most commonly denotes the pawn sacrifice 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4!? in the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. White gives up a pawn to occupy the centre with pawns on d4 & e4, opening lines for rapid development.
How the Gambit Works
- 3…e5 is the critical test, striking back in the centre. After 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 White recovers the pawn and keeps lead in development.
- 3…Nf6 4.Nc3 allows 4…b5 (the traditional main line) when White either plays 5.e5 Nd5 6.Nxb5 or sacrifices a second pawn for initiative.
Strategic Ideas
- Initiative vs. Material: White’s centre can steam-roll if Black is careless; conversely, if Black consolidates he will enjoy an extra pawn in the endgame.
- Piece Activity: The open diagonals (c4–e2, a2–g8) and half-open e- and d-files give White’s pieces aggressive posts.
- King Safety: Both sides often delay castling; tactical blows on the e-file are frequent.
Historical Background
Alexander Alekhine experimented with the idea in the 1920s, notably against Tartakower and Rubinstein. Although engines initially frowned on the gambit, modern neural-network evaluations rate many resulting positions as roughly balanced.
Illustrative Game
A sparkling miniature by the gambit’s namesake:
(Alekhine – Tartakower, Vienna 1922)
Other Openings Sharing the Name
- French Defence: 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 (or 5.f3) is often called the Chatard-Alekhine Attack, sometimes shortened to “Alekhine Gambit”.
- Grünfeld Defence: The pawn sacrifice 4.e4 in the sequence 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 is occasionally labelled the “Alekhine Gambit vs. Grünfeld”.
Trivia
A young Garry Kasparov used the Alekhine Gambit in a 1980 USSR junior event, scoring a smashing 20-move win—proof that even world champions dabble in off-beat romantic lines!
5.a3 Be7 (French Winawer Sideline)
Definition
5.a3 Be7 is a rare but enterprising sideline in the Winawer main line 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3. Instead of retreating the bishop to a5 or taking on c3, Black calmly tucks the bishop back to e7, preserving the bishop pair at the cost of a tempo.
Key Position
After the further 6.dxc5 or 6.Qg4, the position differs markedly from normal Winawer structures:
Why Play …Be7?
- Avoiding the Main Book: 5…Be7 sidesteps the heavily analysed 5…Bxc3+ and 5…Ba5, forcing the opponent to think for himself.
- Flexibility: Black may later decide whether to exchange on c3 or drop the bishop back to d7. The bishop often re-emerges on g5 or h4 after …Nh6–f5.
- Psychological Weapon: Because the line is uncommon, even strong players can mis-place their pieces in the unfamiliar pawn structure.
Drawbacks
- Loss of a Tempo: Black has spent two moves (…Bb4-e7) to place the bishop on e7, a square it could have reached in one move from f8.
- Centre Tension: The absence of pressure on c3 allows White ideas such as Nf3, dxc5, Qg4, and potentially Nb5-d6.
- Theoretical Verdict: Modern engines give White a small but stable edge if he reacts accurately.
Typical Plans
- For White
- Exploit the extra tempi with 6.dxc5, 7.b4, and 8.Nf3, clamping down on the centre.
- Launch a kingside initiative via Qg4, h4-h5, and Rh3 (echoing Poisoned-Pawn motifs).
- For Black
- Counter-attack in the centre with …f6 or …cxd4.
- Shift the light-square bishop to g5 or h4, increasing piece activity.
- Castle early to avoid tactics on the e-file.
Historical & Practical Examples
The move was tested by Viktor Korchnoi in the 1960s and later by David Bronstein. In the computer era, rapid specialists such as Alireza Firouzja have sprung it as a surprise weapon.
Sample Game
(Firouzja – Gukesh, rapid play training match 2021). White’s pressure on d6 and the f-file ultimately decided the game on move 37.
Curiosities
- The ECO code for 5.a3 Be7 is C16, a rarely visited corner of the French encyclopaedia.
- A number of correspondence grandmasters have adopted the line as a drawing weapon, believing Black’s solid structure offsets the slight lag in development.