Queen Pawn Opening & Veresov Opening
Queen Pawn Opening (1.d4)
Definition
The term Queen Pawn Opening refers to any chess opening that begins with White advancing the queen’s pawn two squares: 1.d4. By contrast, openings beginning with 1.e4 are grouped under King Pawn Openings. Although 1.d4 does not immediately open lines for the queen and bishop the way 1.e4 does, it lays firm central control, prepares harmonious piece development, and often leads to a slightly slower, more strategic struggle.
Typical Move Orders & Families
- Closed Games: 1.d4 d5 (e.g., Queen’s Gambit, Colle System, London System).
- Indian Defences: 1.d4 Nf6 (e.g., King’s Indian, Nimzo-Indian, Grünfeld, Benoni).
- Dutch Defence: 1.d4 f5.
- Others: 1.d4 c5 (Old Benoni), 1.d4 e6 (preparing a French set-up), etc.
Strategic Themes
The pawn on d4 is locked in place by its own pawn on e2, creating a solid central spearhead. Games that start with 1.d4 often feature:
- Pawn chains & breaks: ...c5, ...e5 or c4 for White.
- Piece pressure on the long diagonal once White plays c4 and Black fianchettoes a bishop (e.g., King’s Indian, Grünfeld).
- Minor-piece battles for the e4 and c4 squares.
- Slightly lower forcing quotient: Tactics exist, but they usually stem from earlier strategic choices, not immediate gambits.
Historical Significance
The Queen Pawn Opening became fashionable in the late 19th century when players such as Wilhelm Steinitz and Emanuel Lasker realized the strategic richness of closed centers. In the 20th century it became the weapon of choice for many World Champions—Capablanca, Botvinnik, Karpov, and especially Kasparov—who wielded 1.d4 to avoid opponents’ extensive King-Pawn preparation.
Illustrative Games
-
Botvinnik – Capablanca, AVRO 1938: A classical Queen’s Gambit where Botvinnik’s central break c4-c5 created a winning passed pawn.
- Kasparov – Kramnik, Linares 1994: Kasparov unleashed a novelty in the Semi-Slav Meran and scored a dynamic win.
Interesting Facts
- The earliest known recorded game with 1.d4 is from 1497 in the Göttingen Manuscript.
- Statistically, 1.d4 scores fractionally better for White than 1.e4 in modern databases—though the difference is less than 1 percentage point.
- In rapid and blitz, 1.d4 is valued for sidestepping heavily analyzed forcing lines like the Sicilian Defence.
- Many “system” openings (London, Colle, Trompowsky) stem from 1.d4 and allow White to avoid theoretical duels altogether.
Veresov Opening (Richter-Veresov Attack)
Definition
The Veresov Opening arises after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 (or 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5). Similar in spirit to the Trompowsky (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5) and the Jobava-London (1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bf4), it develops the queen’s bishop early to pin the f6-knight and exerts pressure on the center.
Key Ideas & Plans
- Rapid Development: White brings out the queen’s knight before playing c2-c4, reserving flexibility.
- Pressure on f6 & d5: The pin Bg5 can provoke ...e6, leaving the c8-bishop passive.
- Central Pawn Break e2-e4: Often prepared by f2-f3, Qd2, or Nf3 to seize space.
- Queenside Castling: If Black plays ...e6 and ...Be7, White may castle long and launch a pawn storm on the kingside.
- Transpositional Weapon: Depending on Black’s replies, the game can transpose to French-style positions, the Colle, or even certain Slav structures.
Historical Background
Named after the Belarusian master Gavriil Veresov, who successfully employed it in Soviet championships during the 1930s–1950s. The German master Kurt Richter popularized similar ideas earlier, hence the double-barrelled name Richter-Veresov Attack.
Theory Snapshot
- 3...Nbd7 A solid choice aiming for ...c6 and ...e5.
- 3...Bf5 Immediate counter-development, unpinning the knight.
- 3...e6 Classical; may transpose to a French with colors reversed after e4.
- 4.Bxf6 exf6 5.e3 The Rubinstein Variation—White saddles Black with doubled f-pawns, planning Qf3 or g2-g3.
Sample Game
Veresov – Ragozin, USSR Ch 1936 — a pioneering encounter where White crashed through on the kingside.
Modern Appearances
- Magnus Carlsen used the Veresov against Arkadij Naiditsch (Dortmund 2014) to avoid Kramnik’s Petroff preparation and won a smooth game.
- Hikaru Nakamura has adopted it in blitz and bullet as a surprise weapon.
Interesting Facts
- The Veresov was once dubbed the “poor man’s Trompowsky”; today, its surprise value at elite level makes it a “rich man’s shock weapon.”
- Engine assessments hover around equal (≈0.20) after best play, but practical winning chances are high because theory is lighter than mainstream 1.d4 systems.
- IM Jovanka Houska’s book “Play the Veresov” (Everyman 2015) sparked a renaissance in club play.
- Because early Nc3 blocks the c-pawn, traditional Slav or Queen’s Gambit structures are avoided—frustrating opponents who rely on those defenses.