Queens Gambit Accepted Janowski-Larsen Variation
Queen's Gambit Accepted – Janowski-Larsen Variation
Definition
The Janowski-Larsen Variation is a branch of the Queen's Gambit Accepted (QGA) that arises after the moves:
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6.
Instead of the classical development with …e6 or …c5, Black plays the flexible pawn move …a6, preparing …b5 to support the c4-pawn and aiming for an unbalanced middlegame. The line is named after Dawid Janowski (a world-class master in the early 20th century) and Bent Larsen (a creative Danish grandmaster who popularised it in the 1960s-70s).
Typical Move-Order and Key Position
A common sequence illustrating the variation is:
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. a4 Nc6 6. e3 Bg4 7. Bxc4 e6
After 7…e6 the position features:
- Black still holds the extra c-pawn but has weakened the queenside with …a6.
- White enjoys a lead in development and central presence (often e3–e4 or d4-d5 break).
- The battle often revolves around whether Black can consolidate with …b5 and …c5 or whether White can regain the pawn under favourable circumstances.
Strategic Ideas
For White
- Rapid Development: Finish kingside development quickly with Bxc4, 0-0, and Qe2 or e4.
- Central Breaks: Strive for e3–e4 or d4-d5 before Black completes …e6 and …c5.
- Queenside Targets: Exploit the looseness of the …a6-pawn and the dark-squared holes on b6 and c5 if Black overextends with …b5.
For Black
- Pawn Preservation: Keep the extra pawn with …b5 and solidify with …c6, …e6, and …Bb7.
- Flexible Piece Play: The bishop may develop to g4 or f5; the queen often goes to c7 or b6 to support queenside expansion.
- Counter-Central Play: Timely …c5 (sometimes supported by …b5-b4) challenges White’s centre and frees Black’s game.
Historical Notes
• Dawid Janowski tested 4…a6 as early as 1901, seeking dynamic counterplay rather than the slower …e6 structures.
• Bent Larsen re-introduced the idea in high-level events of the 1960s, famously surprising opponents who expected more classical QGA lines.
• The variation appears in ECO code D24 and remains a playable, though less common, weapon at master level.
Illustrative Game
Lajos Portisch – Bent Larsen, Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 1967
Larsen’s enterprising …a6-b5 plan held the pawn long enough to achieve …b4 and …c3, after which his outside passed pawn proved decisive.
Typical Tactical Motifs
- The b5 Break-through: If White delays a2-a4, Black can cement the c-pawn with …b5, sometimes trapping an incautious bishop on c4.
- e4 Forks: White’s e-pawn advance (e3-e4-e5) can gain time by attacking a knight on f6 or d6, opening lines toward Black’s king.
- Queenside Pins: After 5.a4, the pawn on a6 can become a tactical liability on the a-file once White’s rook arrives on a1.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Larsen used the line to upset several Soviet grandmasters, remarking that “an early …a6 …b5 is an invitation to play chess, not to copy theory.”
- Modern engines evaluate the starting position as roughly equal, but practical results tilt slightly toward White, reflecting the initiative White obtains for the pawn.
- Because it lies off the main theoretical highway, the Janowski-Larsen Variation is a favourite surprise weapon in rapid and blitz — a niche where memorised theory often trumps objective evaluation.
Further Study
Players interested in adopting the variation for Black should study model games by Janowski, Larsen, and more recently Alexander Moiseenko and Richard Rapport, who have both employed 4…a6 successfully in grandmaster practice.