Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...Nf6/2. e5/2...Ne4

Mokele Mbembe B02 Alekhine's defence 2...Ne4?! · Mokele Mbembe This knight sally, unsupported and into its opponent's side of the board, is unusual. White is likely to at least gain tempo on the knight, and possibly trap it. 3. d4 takes the centre uncontested and supports the e5-pawn. It threatens f3 to trap the knight (e.g. 3...d6? 4. f3). 3...e6, the Vavra defence, defends 4. f3? because Black can answer it 4...Qh4+! 5. g3 Nxg3 (the h-pawn is pinned to the rook). 4. Bd3 is natural, but there is a better line in the surprising 4. Nh3!, where 4...d5 5. f3 Qh4+? 6. g3 Nxg3 7. Bg5! (defended by the knight) Qh5 8. hxg3. 4. Nh3 sets off a race for the g5 square. 4...h6 5. Qg4 d5 6. f3 Ng5 7. Nxg5 hxg5 8. Bxg5 f6. 3...f6 prepares to answer f3 with ...Ng5 and the knight is defended. 3. d3 drives the knight about some more while White advances their pawns. 3...Nc5 4. d4 Ne6 5. d5 Nc5 6. Nf3 e6. History Mokele Mbembe (mokèlé-mbèmbé) is a Congolese cryptid (that is, a monster of urban legend, like Bigfoot or Nessie). Stefan Bücker began playing it in the 1980s and introduced the name in his 1990 book.Groteske Schacheröffnungen Bücker Stefan Franckh Schach 1990 3-440-05770-4 Stuttgart 83-92 German Schiller & Benjamin call it the knight's tour variation (and, "such rubbish that it is relegated to our waste bin collection").Unorthodox Openings Benjamin Joel Batsford 1987 London Schiller Eric 87-88 Theory table 0 3. d4 d6 4. Nh3 h6 5. Qg4 d5 6. f3 Ng5 7. Nxg5 hxg5 8. Bxg5 f6 Mokele Mbembe References See also