Queen's Pawn Opening: Mason Attack

Queen's Pawn Opening: Mason Attack (1.d4 d5 2.Bf4)

Definition

The Mason Attack is a sub-variation of the Queen’s Pawn Opening in which White follows 1.d4 d5 by fianchettoing the queen’s bishop one square to f4 on move 2. The full name therefore appears in databases as “Queen’s Pawn Opening: Mason Attack.” The line is named after the 19-century Irish-American master James Mason, who was one of the first strong players to champion early Bf4 systems.

Typical Move Order

The signature position arises after the first two plies:

• 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4

White can also reach the Mason Attack by delaying Bf4 for one move: 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4, but the pure Mason occurs on move 2.

Strategic Ideas for White

• Rapid development outside the pawn chain. The bishop on f4 is developed before White commits to e3. This mirrors the spirit of the London System but is even more flexible.
• Eyeing the e5-square. The bishop on f4 supports potential e2–e4 breaks and helps to discourage …c5 followed by …Qb6 hitting b2.
• Low-theory setup. There are fewer forcing main lines than in the Queen’s Gambit or King’s Indian, making the Mason attractive to players who want to leave preparation early.
• Possible transpositions.
  • To a London System if White plays e3 and Nf3 without c2–c4.
  • To a Torre or Trompowsky if Black first plays …Nf6 and White later pins it with Bg5.

Common Black Responses

1. 2…Nf6 – the most natural move, leading to flexible Queen’s-Pawn positions. White often continues 3.e3, 3.Nf3, or 3.c4.
2. 2…c5 – an immediate strike in the center. After 3.e3 Nc6 4.c3, play can resemble a Caro-Kann Advance reversed.
3. 2…e6 – heading for French-like pawn structures after …c5 or …c6.
4. 2…Bf5 – mirroring White’s idea and daring White to prove a first-move advantage.

Historical Significance

James Mason (1849–1905) employed 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 in an era dominated by gambits and the classical Queen’s Gambit lines. His experiment introduced an early-bishop-developing scheme that would later resurface in the 20th-century London System. Although the line never became mainstream at elite level, it has periodically appeared as a surprise weapon; for example:

• Magnus Carlsen used a Mason-style move order against Sergey Karjakin in the 2012 World Blitz Championship (Carlsen won).
• Hikaru Nakamura has played it repeatedly in online rapid events to avoid heavy theory.

Illustrative Example

The following instructive game shows typical plans for both sides.

[[Pgn| 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.Bg3 O-O 8.Bd3 b6 9.O-O Bb7 10.Ne5 Qc7 11.f4 Ne7 12.Qf3 Nf5 13.Bf2 Be7 14.g4 Nd6 15.Bh4 Nfe4 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Qh3 f6 18.Nef3 a5 19.Rae1 Ba6 20.Bxa6 Rxa6 21.Nxe4 Nxe4 22.g5 fxg5 23.fxg5 Nxg5 24.Nxg5 Qxg5+ 25.Kh1 Raa8 26.Qxe6+ Kh8 27.dxc5 bxc5 28.Rg1 Qh5 29.Qg4 Qxg4 30.Rxg4 Rf2 31.Rg2 Rxg2 32.Kxg2 Rb8 33.Re2 Kg8 34.Rd2 Kf7 35.Kf3 Ke6 36.e4 dxe4+ 37.Kxe4 a4 38.Rg2 g6 39.Kd3 Kd5 40.c4+ Ke6 41.Kc2| fen|8r/5pkp/p4p2/2p5/2P5/P2K1P2/6R1/8 b - - 0 41| arrows|d4d5,e3e4|squares|f4,c3]]

After the early development of the f-bishop, White mobilised the central pawns with e3–e4 and d4-d5, leaving Black with backward weaknesses.

Typical Middlegame Themes

• Minor-piece pressure on the c- and e-files. The Bf4 often combines with Rc1/Qc2 to create x-ray tactics on c7.
• Kingside pawn storms. Because White’s dark-squared bishop is already outside the pawn chain, pawn advances g2–g4–g5 are easier to launch (as in the illustrative game).
• French-type structures. If Black answers with …e6 and …c5, the resulting structure shares ideas with the French Defence but with colors reversed.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• James Mason’s book The Principles of Chess (1894) praised Bf4 systems for their “deliberate yet vigorous” character.
• The Mason Attack sometimes bears the playful nickname “Pocket London,” hinting that it is a cut-down, early-revealed version of the London System.
• In correspondence databases, 2.Bf4 scores close to 55 % for White—comparable to main-line Queen’s Gambit statistics despite its off-beat reputation.
• The opening is popular in bullet and blitz chess because White can play the first five moves almost instantly, pressuring opponents on the clock.

Practical Tips

1. Be ready to transpose. If Black plays …Nf6 and …e6, you can shift into London-style setups with Nf3, Nbd2, and c2–c3.
2. Against an early …c5, consider answering c2–c3 to maintain the d4-pawn and keep the center closed until your development is complete.
3. Don’t forget the b2-pawn. Without the queen’s bishop protecting it, b2 can become a tactical target after …Qb6 or …Qa5.
4. Use your lead in development for timely pawn breaks (e4 or c4) before Black fully equalises.