If I'm not mistaken, Yevseev's approach leads to standard IQP positions a tempo down for white.

Thank you all, interesting thoughts. Maybe I should start by exploring the lines of the Italian game, as it fits better my current repertoire as a 2nd choice in a number of situations.

The Yevseev's aproach to IQP is sub-optimal IMHO, but ofcourse playable in club play. The Scotch Gambit also leads to an IQP and was the main weapon of GM D.Mastrovasilis up his GM title and so a nice weapon for any of us who is up to trying those positions in practice.

Bresando wrote on 02/21/14 at 14:33:33:


Oh yes of course, with 5...ed 6.cd Bb4+ 7.Bd2.  For some reason I only thought of 7.Nc3, but I knew there was some line in there. 

There are many 1.e4 lines that lead to IQP positions, and Lev Alburt gave a lot of them in his Test and Improve Your Chess, a nice little book that I don't have with me, sadly.  Just a few that I can think:

1) Various French lines.  You can try the Exchange with 4.c4 or 4.Nf3 and a later c2-c4, but I don't think they give much; better might be Yevseev's book Fighting the French: a New Concept.

2) The Panov-Botvinnik Attack in the Caro-Kann, obviously.

3) The Alapin Sicilian will get you an IQP just about every time Black goes 2...d5, and sometimes after other moves as well.  I don't know what the best move order would be for White, but 2...Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cd 5.cd d6 6.exd6 e6 will give an IQP.  I don't recommend that move order, just showing the moves that lead to that structure.   

4) Alekhine's: Lev Alburt gave a very plausible-looking move order to lead to an IQP for White, but I can't seem to remember it...probably something like 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.c5 Nd5 5.Bc4 e6 6.d4 d6 7.cxd6 cxd6 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.0-0 Be7 10.exd6.

1.e4 e5 is about the only response you won't see an IQP in, though even here there is the Petroff, and maybe some 2...Nc6 stuff that I'm not thinking of...

Hello chess friends!

I always opened with 1. e4 and felt like missing a lot in my chess education when it comes to IQP positions, especially from the point of view of the attacker.

As Black I have studied ...d5 vs. the Alapin and also Nimzo-Karpov line vs. the Panov Attack of the Caro-Kann. But in both cases I take the side of the defender. I have also checked a couplle of primers in strategy for the ABC of the IQP, but this will not offer you a good feel of it.

Is there a way to add this to ones repertoire with 1. e4? Was a bit bored to start a research on this, so thought to ask here. One line that springs to mind is Tarrasch vs. the French, though iirc Black is the one to choose the position.

Thanks, chk