Alas, I would have loved to play 32...bxa4 at the end the game, but because of 30.axb5 it was against the rules.

JEH posted the link to this thread after I commented in another thread that "How to Open a Chess Game" is one of my all time favorite books.  The Portisch variation was my inspiration to try the French Defense for the first time over 35 years ago (mostly Kan Sicilians before that time) and the following game was my first foray in a tournament game.  While not theoretically valuable due to some early inaccuracies, it was an example to me of the practical value of the unusual (at the time) queen move which threw my much higher rated opponent off track.  

White A. Todd
Black WSS

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qa5 7. Bd2 Qa4 8. Qg4 Ne7 9. Qxg7 Rg8 10. Qxh7 cxd4 11. Be2 Nbc6 12. f4? dxc3 13. Bxc3 Qxf4 14. Nh3 Qf5 15. Qxf5 Nxf5 16. Kf2 d4 17. Bd2 Nxe5 18. Rhe1 Ng4+ 19. Bxg4 Rxg4 20. Nf4 Bd7 21. h3 Rg8 22. g4 Nd6 23. Ne2?? Ne4+ and White Resigned

Reverse wrote on 05/28/10 at 03:59:00:


thanks for video link   

Select: "Live Kasparov : calling Kasparov in Moscow"

from 06:26 to 07:26 (if you want to skip the intro)

It should also be mentioned that Viktor Moskalenko devotes a 24-page chapter of The Flexible French to the 7...Qa4 blockade.  Moskaleko  focuses on complete thematic games, with excellent coverage not, however, intended to be encyclopedic. He credits the variation to Portisch and  Hook, including photographs of both men in the chapter, but with typical enthusiasm and ingenuousness names  the variation the "Black Queen Blues," with a picture of Ella Fitzgerald! (?!). I suppose we are fortunate that the French Defense as a whole is not represented by Aimé Césaire.
 

Accolon wrote on 05/24/10 at 16:39:25:


11.c4 might be an improvement although after 11...Qd1 12.Rd1 dc4 13.Bc4 Nd5 Black shouldn't be any worse.

My recommendation would be 11.Bd3 Nd4 12.Rb1, aiming for an improved version of Nakamura's sacrifice. Need to Fritz it, though. 

@Accolon: 

I just looked at the game...according to chessbase website, Nakamura played the opening quickly...maybe that's why I don't understand Nakamura did'nt play the 8.Qb1 or 8.Rb1 moves while Shulman played with classical "french" style.

9...cxd4!? leads directly to Kasparov's gambit variation, where I don't know the move 9...h6 (9...Ndf5!? is one system biven by Watson) but 14...b6! is very clear cut strategy from Black

Hook after Qg4 always played ...Kf8, while Portisch preferred ...g6 - and the latter already did so in the 50's.

The Great Lajos's name would be on a lot of variations if he had all the credit that was due to him.  But maybe if we agree here to call this the Portisch Variation, some writers and editors will take notice.

What´s the refutation of 6...Bd7 actually?
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Bd7 with the idea 7. ...Ba4

Move Bd7 can be one original idea in other lines of Winawer, for example, in the Geller variation:
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Bd3!? (Geller) Qa5 8.Bd2 c4 (8...Bd7 9.Qg4 c4 10.Be2 oo 11.Nf3 Qa4 12.Ra2 Nbc6 13.oo f6 14.exf6 Rxf6 +=) 9.Bf1 (9.Be2 oo=) and now 9...Bd7!? (instead of 9...Nd7 Glass-Golz 1956 (Watson) or 9...Qa4!?) with the idea, White has no better move than 10.Nf3 because if 10.Qg4 oo 11.Nf3 (11.Nh3 f6) Qa4 12.Ra2 Qb5 -/+

MNb wrote on 01/03/10 at 03:26:20:


Yes. He does it in a version of the classical main line of the Winawer as well (1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a5 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Nf3 Bd7 8. Bd3/Be2 Ba4).

Both ideas prevents a4, and inhibits c4, in the case of Qa5-a4. There's also the awkward pressure on c2 that's created.

a very interesting variation. A bit offbeat but fully playable. I think I will take a closer look.

I am not sure if I am satisfied with the answer "the future of that bishop lies on d7." I have also looked at 8.Qg4 and Kf8 9.Qd1 (9.c4 is Psakhis' suggestion) b6 10.h4 Ba6 looked reasonable to me, of course because the question "what to do with Bc8" has been answered.

I second this suggestion. The line 8.Qb1 c4 9.Ne2 Nc6 10.Nf4 worries me quite a lot though. The black queen may have found a nice square, but what about the infamous Bc8 ?

I suggest this be called the Portisch variation.

Lajos Portisch wrote Chapter 4, "Developing an Opening Repertoire," for the 1974 RHM Press book "How to Open a Chess Game".

Portisch recommended solid defenses with the virtues of simplicity and economy. Of the ...7. Qa4 variation, Portisch said 

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Portisch then uses his games-Berger-Portisch 1956, Parma-Portisch 1961, Uusi-Portisch 1957 and Dely-Portisch 1957- to further illustrate the variation.

A very few played the variation before Portisch and many have played it more often. After all, Portisch usually defended e4 with e5 or the Sicilian. But recommending an almost unknown defense in a classic chess book, surely played a big part in influencing people to look at and perhaps try out the variation.

In case you are interested, Portisch also recommended the ...4. b6 variation against the Winawer. The Guimard was his choice against the Tarrasch. He gave no analysis for the Advance or Exchange variations. The chapter was just 40 pages long. His comments were:

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and: 
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