THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR GAME,... I NEVER KNEW ABOUT THE G5 IDEA OR MOST OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE KIA,.. INTERESTING

TopNotch wrote on 07/26/08 at 02:47:00:


Strongly agree. A French defence player should never travel without a Watson!

Long term, you might also check out 1 e4 e6 2 d3 d5 3 Nd2 Nf6 4 Nf3 b6, as played by Bareev and recommended by GM Stefan Kindermann in his German videos (Französisch 1 and 2 for Chessgate). These two videos are a bit outdated now in the main lines, but still pretty useful if you can understand German - good selection of repertoire lines and high-class explanation from a French expert. 

I enjoyed using this line in a correspondence game a few years ago:

[Event "PC Gibbs Trophy 2002"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.01.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Briscoe, Brian"]
[Black "Adams, Phil"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C00"]
[PlyCount "116"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[EventType "corr"]
[EventRounds "7"]

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 b6 5. c3 c5 6. g3 Ba6 7. c4 dxe4 8. dxe4 Bb7 9. Bg2 Qc7 10. e5 Ng4 11. O-O Nc6 12. Qa4 O-O-O 13. h3 Ngxe5 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. Qxa7 Nc6 16. Qa4 Nd4 17. Re1 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Qb7+ 19. f3 g5 20. Re3 h5 21. Ra3 g4 22. Kf2 Kc7 23. h4 Bh6 24. Ne4 Ra8 25. Qd1 Rxa3 26. bxa3 gxf3 27. Nc3 f5 28. Rb1 f4 29. gxf4 Rg8 30. Be3 Nf5 31. Bxc5 Rg2+ 32. Kf1 Rh2 33. Kg1 Bxf4 34.
Nd5+ exd5 35. Qxf3 Rxh4 36. Rxb6 Qa8 37. Qxd5 Qxd5 38. cxd5 Be3+ 39. Bxe3 Nxe3 40. Rc6+ Kd7 41. Rh6 Nxd5 42. Kg2 Ke7 43. Kg3 Rg4+ 44. Kf3 Rg5 45. Rc6 Nf6 46. Rc4 Rg4 47. Rb4 Kd6 48. Rb6+ Ke5 49. Rb4 Rd4 50. Rb5+ Rd5 51. a4 Ne4 52. Kg2 Nd6 53. Rb3 Kf4 54. Rf3+ Ke4 55. Rh3 Nf5 56. Ra3 Ra5 57. Kh3 Kf4 58. Rb3 Rxa4 0-1

Hello, here is one of private message I sent to forum member (I deleted his pseudo)  about opposite castling in KIA. I played some games vs KIA with various systems, including Watson  Bd6-Nge7 given in Play The French (1 o 2 ?) and looked after Bc5, but now I prefer going now for "near-closed" system with b6. Please don't judge too hard my comments (it's only my point of view):

---------

I don't mind to share my games (and my comments)...it's because I am a fan of French defence...

A recent game with KIA-opposite wings castle:

Lallemant-Laurain D
March 2008
2083 - 2035
L'iSle/Sorgue-Tournefeuille
French league N2

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Ngf3 c5 5.g3 b6 { First choice: I prefer this slow system with play for Black in the center
and in an possible kingside pawn attack. Of course, other plan is possible and for some players, play with b5 and
piece play on the queenside is better...and I have played before such plan you can view in Dvorestky book
Opening Preparation and Uhlmann book about French }

6.Bg2 Bb7 { Some unprepared White players think e4-pawn can be taken next move. Wrong! }

7.e5?! { Common mistake. Many White players and book readers have read than e5 push is premature but don't know why...
and the answer can only be known with the g5-plan for Black, and repeating the threat to take e5 pawn. 7.oo is the
good move and Black cannot grab the e4 pawn because of Ng5 } Nfd7

8.oo Qc7 { 8...Nc6 is more precise but difficult to show it in few words...I try: because of g5 pawn can be played one move earlier than in main game: 8...Nc6 9.Re1
Be7 10.Qe2 g5. In fact it doesn't matter IF AND ONLY IF White doesn't know the good plan of playing c4 at some stage }

9.Re1 Nc6 10.Qe2 { Missing the opportunity to play 10.c4! but White must be prepared to play on the queenside } Be7

11.c3 { game is at crossroads...White must take g5 seriously } g5! { With c3 a slow but many purposes move, White
want do play in the center to achieve a c3-d4-e5 solid pawn structure and sometimes a pawn attack on queenside with a3-b4. Problem: g5 threating e5 in one move.
Reference game: Nazarov-Yanderimov,URSS 1991 }

12.g4 { To prevent g4 fr Black winning e5 pawn 12.h3 h5 13.g4 same plan for Black } h5 { or 12..ooo with h5 to follow. Same plan }

13.h3 hxg4 14.hxg4 ooo { Important to note the position now on kingside: serious pawns weaknesses with f2-g4 pawns not
connected; h file for Black. In other lines, where White deviates early and plan Nf1 before, it's not the same because
White wins the g4 square for a knight. Here not the case: only h5 square is available for a knight }

15.Nf1 Ndg8 16.Ng3 Kb8 { At that time over the board, I was thinking about the exchange sacrifice 16...Rh4!?,
I have looked at when working on the KIA,...,but with few memories I preferred playing safely a good move }

17.Bd2 Qd8! { I found good plan over the board and the plan is part of my answer about strategy for Black in the KIA. Idea is of course: Qf8-Qh6 }

18.a3 { Logical. White prepares the pawn advance b4 } Qf8 19.b4 Qh6 20.d4 c4 21.a4 Qg6 22.Nh2 Rh4

23.Nh5 { White managed to block the h file, but in the assessment of position Black is already better } Rh8

24.Bf3 Bd8 25.Nf1 Bc7 { the long placement of the bishop is preparation of opening center and diagonale with f6 for Black }

26.Qd1 Nd8 27.Qc1 f5 28.exf6 Nxf6 29.Qd1 Nxh5 30.gxh5 Qf5 31.Bg2  g4 32.Qb1 Qxh5 { At this point you can compare
the attack for White on queenside and Black attack on kingside ...but now my level of play is lower near zeitnot}

33.Ng3 Bxg3 34.fxg3 Rh1+ 35.Kf2 Rh2 36.Bf4+ Ka8 37.Rh1 Qf7 38.Rxh2 Rxh2 39.Qg1 Qh7 40.Qxh2! {excellent defence } Qxh2

41.Rh1 Qxh1 42.Bxh1 Bc6 43.b5 Be8 44.Ke3 Bg6 45.Bc7 Nf7 46.Kf4 Bc2 last mistake 46...Kb7...and White wins 20 moves later


Alternatives for White:

A) 11.h4 h6 { Reference game: Benko-Seirawan,Lone Pine 1977 } 12.h5 ooo 13.a3 Rdg8 14.c4 d4
  15.b4! { game: Norwood-Marsh } g5 16.b5 Na5 17.Nh2 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Qb7+ 19.Kg1 g4  20.Nxg4 Rg5 21.f4 Rg7 unclear

  or 12.Nf1 ooo { Reference game: Bobekov-Vankov,1977 and analyzed on Neven CD about French } and for example:
     13.N1h2 Rdg8 and if 14.c3 {Reference: Filipovic-Cebalo,NoviSad 1985 } then 14...g5! or 14...Nf8!?

  or 12.c3 g5 { leads to same plan than in my game }

B) 11.c4 Nb4! { the problem with a late c4 . Reference: Yap-Smagin,Moscow 1986 }

C) 11.c3 g5! { see my game }

D) 11.Nf1 ooo { better than 11..h6 losing time as in my game Favarel-Laurain D,French League N2 january 2008 }
  12.h4 { Reference: Polzielny-Lobron,Dortmund 1980 ; 12.c3 Rdg8!} h6 { see A) }

E) 11.a3 { Reference: Eymann-Beckmann,Allemagne 1997 } g5 12.h3 h5 13.g4 hxg4 14.hxg4 ooo 15.Nf1 Rdg8 16.c3
{ position I played in game: Iglesias-Laurain D,Nancy 2003 where I played the bad plan 16...Nf8?! } Qd8! 17.b4 Qf8
18.Bd2 Qh6 transposes in my game

F) 11.Nb3h6 12.c3 g5 13.h3 a5 14.a4 Rg8 or 14...Ba6


If White plays the good plan (not pushing e5 too early then Black must delay moves like Nc6 or Qc7 because e5 target
doesnt exist): 7.oo!? Be7! { 7...Qc7 8.Re1 Nc6 9.e5 Nfd7 10.c4! : 7...Nc6 8.Re1 Be7 9.c3!? Maria Nepeina Leconte-Laurain D,simul Castelsarrasin 2002
or Dvorestky-Cook,StJohn 1988 White is threaening to build a strong center with c3-d4 and if 9...Qc7 then 10.a3!? Dom
suggestion or the 10.Nf1!? } 8.Qe2 {8.Re1 Nc6 9.h4 Qc7!? 10.Nf1 ooo 11.e5 Nd7 12.Bf4 h6 13.h5 Rdg8 14.Qd2 g5 15.hxg6
Rxg6. Reference: Belotti-Weiss,Mitropa cup 1997 } Qc7!? see Iglesias-Laurain 9.e5 { 9.Re1 Nc6 Lecureux-Laurain,rapides SteFoy d'Aigrefeuille  10.Nf1
Reference: Morozevich-Rozentalis,Lubiewice 1994 10.. h6!? } Nfd7 10.c4!? is interesting for White because after 10..d4 11.Ne4 Black has great
difficulties to take e5 pawn thus Black has to play 10...oo when the position is simply equal.

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 Bc5 is another nice idea. Play a standard French after e5 and d4 or have even more fun if white doesnt.

Hi!
I have never had chance to try this in a seriuos game but results in blitz games seem to be encouraging:

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 b6.

The idea is that the pressure on e4 will make white push on e5. The pressure on e5 will make him push on d4 losing tempo. In this way black obtains the "normal french" pawn structure with the white pieces quite misplaced.

Of course a very good possibility is playing 2...c5 as suggested, but maybe my suggestion (taken from play the french 3) is more unknown.

How do you play against the KIA? 

1.e4 e6 2.Nd2 d5 3.Ngf3 c5 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.0-0 Be7 b5 (Not sure whether this is the best)

Not sure what to play. I checked the database, and ...a5 seems to be good for White after exd5. ...Rb8 and ...Bb7 just seems to be waiting moves. Not sure what is their point respectively. I am also not sure how to conduct the queenside attack. After a5-b4-a4 etc, White can just play a3 and stop everything. Not sure what to do next. Also, I saw some games with a king march to the queenside. Therefore, should Black castle early, or should black wait?

I need some quick replies, because I will be playing a game against a KIA expert tmr, and I cannot really avoid the KIA. The moves seem so automatic...

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.