Sicilian Defense: Myers Attack, with h4
Sicilian Defense: Myers Attack (5.h4 against the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon)
Definition
The Myers Attack in the Sicilian Defense is the aggressive line 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bg7 5. h4. Named after the American theoretician and master Hugh E. Myers (1930-2008), the move 5.h4 thrusts the h-pawn up the board to destabilize Black’s fianchettoed king position before it is fully developed. Although possible against several Sicilian set-ups, it is most closely associated with the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon (…g6 without …d6). Its ECO code is B27.
Typical Move-Order and Starting Position
A common tabiya (key position) arises after:
In the diagram White’s last move 5.h4 threatens 6.h5 driving the g6-pawn away from its ideal shelter and opening the h-file for a potential rook lift Rh1-h3-f3/h3-g3. The principal replies are:
- 5…h5 – Directly blocking the pawn; can lead to double-edged positions after 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.Nf3 d6 8.Bg5.
- 5…Nc6 – Continuing development; White may answer 6.Nb3, 6.Nxc6, or the uncompromising 6.h5.
- 5…Nf6 – Allowing 6.e5 Nd5 7.Nf3 when the h-pawn still menaces to advance.
Strategic Themes
- King-side Clamp: By fixing the pawn on h6 or h5, White restricts Black’s usual Sicilian counterplay based on …f5 or …d5.
- Rapid Initiative: The move h4 is a time investment; if Black fails to react precisely, lines can open toward the king before Black finishes development.
- Piece Placement: White often follows with Bc4, Qf3, and a rook lift (Rh1-h3-g3/f3) to pile up on the dark squares g6, h7, and f7.
- Central Counter: Black usually strikes back in the center with …d5 or …e5; timing is critical because an early pawn break may leave weak squares behind.
Historical Background
Hugh Myers loved oddball openings—he famously wrote “Myers’ Openings Bulletin” advocating lines such as 1.g4 (Grob) and 1.c4 g5. Around the late 1960s he began playing and analyzing 5.h4 versus the Sicilian Dragon setups, contending that the thrust was as sound as the more popular 5.Nc3. While never mainstream at elite level, the idea periodically surfaces in correspondence play, rapid events, and computer chess where surprise value is high.
Illustrative Games
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Hugh Myers – Bent Larsen, New York simultaneous, 1979
The inventor topples a world-class GM in a simul; notice how quickly the rook appears on h1 to join the attack. - Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Sergey Karjakin, World Blitz 2014 (short draw) – shows how modern elites use 5.h4 mainly as a surprise weapon to steer the game away from heavy theory.
Theory Snapshot (Summer 2024)
- 5…h5 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.Nf3 d6 → unclear, slight initiative for White; engines rate ≈ +0.20.
- 5…Nf6 6.e5 Nd5 7.h5 Nc6 8.Nf3 Nb6 9.a4 → double-edged; both sides must calculate.
- 5…Nc6 6.Nb3 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.Be2 → Black obtains a Scheveningen-style set-up; theoretical equality.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Players sometimes nickname the pawn on h4 “Harry”; hence the line is occasionally called the “Hari (Harry) Attack.”
- The earliest known printed analysis of 5.h4 in the Sicilian appeared in Myers’ self-published booklet “New Sicilian Lines,” 1979.
- Because the move 5.h4 can be played against the Pirc, Modern, Alekhine, and even some French structures, proponents enjoy a universal system that saves preparation time.
- Engines once disdained the move as “unsound”; modern NN-based engines (e.g., Stockfish 16, Lc0) now give it a healthy evaluation around equality, validating Myers’ intuition decades later.
Practical Tips
- For White: Do not rush h5 if Black can respond …d5! exploiting the open diagonal toward h1. Coordinate the thrust with piece development (Nc3, Be3, Qd2).
- For Black: Whether meeting h4 with …h5 or allowing h5, keep an eye on the key dark squares f6, g7, h6. A timely …h6 followed by …d6 and …Nc6 often neutralises the pressure.
- Over-the-board surprise value is high: according to the lichess.org Masters database (1 M+ games), 5.h4 appears in fewer than 1 % of Sicilians beginning with 2…g6.