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Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c5/2. Nf3/2...d6/3. d4/3...cxd4/4. Nxd4/4...Nf6/5. Nc3/5...e6/6. g4

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< Chess Opening Theory‎ | 1. e4‎ | 1...c5‎ | 2. Nf3‎ | 2...d6‎ | 3. d4‎ | 3...cxd4‎ | 4. Nxd4‎ | 4...Nf6‎ | 5. Nc3‎ | 5...e6
Scheveningen Variation, Keres Attack
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black kingh8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black kingd7 black kinge7 black kingf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black kingd6 black pawne6 black pawnf6 black knightg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black kingf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 black kingd4 white knighte4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 white pawnh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 white knightd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 black kingh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 black kingc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 black kingh1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
Moves: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. g4

Scheveningen Variation, Keres Attack

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White's 6. g4 begins the Keres Attack, a sharp and important line in the Scheveningen Variation.

Black's previous move, 5...e6, boxes in his light squared bishop and relinquishes control over the g4 square. Now, White advances his g pawn with the idea of following with 7. g5, pushing black's f knight back and winning more space on the kingside. Note that against the Sicilian, White often opens up a kingside pawn storm, such as in the English Attack, and 6. g4 furthers that goal well.

Black's most common response, therefore, is 6...h6, preventing the g pawn from advancing. Other responses, such as 6...Nc6, do not discourage the g pawn push, and are therefore usually followed by 7. g5 Nd7. Now black's kingside knight has been pushed back into a much more passive position and white's pawns are dangerously close to black's kingside, if black chooses to castle there. After 6...h6 Black should certainly not proceed to castle kingside quickly against this line.

Attempting to counterattack with 6...e5 is easily met by 7.Bb5+ Bd7 8.Bxd7+ Qxd7 9.Nb3. White has traded off light squared bishops, and is preparing to set up the standard English Attack. Note that this is one reason that many Scheveningen players use a Najdorf move order first and transpose to the Scheveningen. In this case, the presence of the a6 pawn discourages Bb5+, and lines here in which white plays g4 are referred to as the Perenyi Attack rather than the Keres Attack.

Theory table

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For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. g4

6 7 8 9
Keres Attack ...
h6
h4
Nc6
Rg1
d5
Bb5
Bd7
+=/=

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References

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