Kings Fianchetto Opening: Lasker Simul Special Variation
King's Fianchetto Opening
Definition
The King's Fianchetto Opening is the umbrella name for the move 1. g3 by White (ECO code A00). By pushing the g-pawn two squares and soon developing the king’s bishop to g2, White immediately fianchettos the bishop and contests the long a1–h8 diagonal. Because the move does not stake an obvious claim in the centre, it is sometimes classified as an irregular
or hyper-modern
opening.
Typical Move-Order and Plans
- g3 … Black is free to choose almost any set-up.
- Bg2 White solidifies control of the long diagonal.
- Nf3 / d3 / c4 White decides whether to strike at the centre with c4 or d4, or to adopt a slower king-side build-up.
Strategic Themes
- Hyper-modern Control – White invites Black to occupy the centre with pawns, aiming to undermine them later with pieces and pawn breaks (c4, d4, e4).
- Flexible Transpositions – The game can transpose to a reversed Sicilian, the King’s Indian Attack, a Closed Catalan structure, or even certain English Opening lines.
- Safety First – A quick 0-0 and solid pawn structure make the opening popular when a player wants to avoid heavy theory yet keep winning chances.
Historical Notes
Pal Benkő frequently employed 1. g3 from the 1950s onward, and the opening is therefore also nick-named the Benkő Opening.
Modern elite players such as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Richard Rapport have adopted it as a surprise weapon, particularly in rapid and blitz.
Illustrative Example
The diagram (after 6…Be7) shows a typical tabiya. White eyes d5 and b7 while keeping the king perfectly safe. Black owns more central space but must watch the a8-h1 and c1-h6 diagonals.
Interesting Facts
- Because it avoids mainstream theory, the opening is a favourite in online bullet chess where clock savings outweigh the slight loss of central space.
- In the Kasparov – Deep Blue 1997 rapid side-event, Kasparov essayed 1. g3 to sidestep the computer’s opening book, scoring an easy draw.
- In correspondence chess, the King’s Fianchetto scores surprisingly well; engines evaluate the arising structures as roughly equal out of the book, giving creative humans room to outplay opponents later on.
Fianchetto
Definition
From the Italian fianco
(flank), a fianchetto is the development of a bishop to g2, b2, g7, or b7 after advancing the adjacent pawn (g-pawn or b-pawn) one or two squares. The manoeuvre gives the bishop maximum scope along the longest diagonal.
Usage in Play
- King-side Fianchetto – Characteristic of openings such as the King’s Indian Defence (…g6 …Bg7) and the Catalan (g3 Bg2).
- Queen-side Fianchetto – Typical in the Grünfeld Defence (…b6 Bb7) and many English Opening lines.
- Players usually castle on the same wing as the fianchettoed bishop, as the pawn on g3 or b3 helps shelter the king.
Strategic Significance
- The bishop exerts long-range pressure and often supports pawn breaks in the centre.
- The pawn move slightly weakens the dark (or light) squares around the king, so accurate prophylaxis is vital.
- Opponents may try to exchange the fianchettoed bishop (e.g., via …Bh3 in the King’s Indian) to exploit those square weaknesses.
Example: Classical King’s Indian
The bishop on g7 forces White to reckon with central breaks …e5 and …c5 and can become a monster on the long diagonal if the position opens.
Interesting Tidbits
- Many beginners incorrectly spell the term as
fianCHEETO
; chess educators often joke that this is not an Italian snack! - The famous
Dragon
variation of the Sicilian is effectively a queen-side fianchetto for Black, but the pawn is on g6 rather than b6.
Simul (Simultaneous Exhibition)
Definition
A simul is an event in which a strong player—often a grandmaster—plays multiple games at once against a group of opponents, usually arranged in a large circle of boards. The exhibitor moves from board to board making one move at each before continuing the circuit.
Purpose and Occurrence
- Public relations and chess promotion.
- Fund-raising for charities or chess clubs.
- Personal challenges for titled players to test stamina and pattern recognition.
Rules Variations
- The exhibitor normally plays White on every board, but not always.
- Time controls are informal; the master must keep walking, while the opponents are allowed to think continuously.
- Some simuls are clock simuls, where each board also has a chess clock—a far tougher test.
Famous Simuls
- José Raúl Capablanca once scored +102 −1 =20 in a 123-board simul (Cleveland, 1909).
- In 2011, GM Timur Gareyev set the world blindfold simul record, playing 48 boards simultaneously—while riding a stationary bicycle!
- Emanuel Lasker’s 1911 St. Petersburg simul produced the line later dubbed the Lasker Simul Special Variation in the King’s Fianchetto Opening.
Lasker Simul Special Variation
Definition
The Lasker Simul Special Variation is an off-beat line in the King’s Fianchetto Opening that traces its roots to a simultaneous exhibition by World Champion Emanuel Lasker in 1911. The critical position arises after:
1. g3 d5 2. Bg2 e5 3. c4 d4 4. d3 Nc6 5. f4 exf4 6. Bxf4
Here White accepts structural weaknesses (isolated pawns on the f-file) in return for rapid development and pressure on c6 and d4.
Strategic Ideas
- Early Pawn Storm – The pawn lunge 5. f4! is the defining idea, challenging Black’s centre before castling.
- Piece Activity vs. Structure – White’s bishops point menacingly at the queenside, compensating for the compromised pawn skeleton.
- Unbalanced Middlegame – The line routinely leads to opposite-side castling or an open f-file, giving both sides winning chances.
The Original Game
The only surviving score from Lasker’s simul features the continuation 6…Nf6 7.Nf3 Bb4+ 8.Nbd2 Ng4 9.0-0 0-0 with a sharp fight that Lasker ultimately converted in 38 moves. Though played against an amateur, the game was annotated in Russian magazines of the time and the variation found a niche in pre-war opening manuals.
Modern Assessment
Today the line is considered objectively risky
for White; engines give Black a small edge with best play. Nevertheless, its rarity and historical flair make it an excellent surprise weapon in rapid or blitz.
Miniature Example (Annotated)
After 14…Qxd4 White has regained the pawn and destroyed Black’s queenside, illustrating how quickly the Simul Special
can spiral into chaos.
Trivia & Anecdotes
- Because the variation originates from a simultaneous display, some authors jokingly call it the
Lasker vs. Everybody
line. - Grandmaster Baadur Jobava experimented with the set-up in online blitz under a pseudonym, scoring a string of quick wins against titled opposition.
- The line is unrecognised by ECO; databases usually file it under A00 with a textual note, so it remains hidden from many opening books.