Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c5/2. Nf3/2...d6/3. d4/3...cxd4/4. Nxd4/4...Nf6/5. Nc3/5...a6/6. Be3/6...e6/7. g4

Sicilian Defence, Perenyi Attack rd nd bd qd kd bd rd pd pd pd pd pd pd pd nd nl pl pl nl bl pl pl pl pl pl rl ql kl bl rl Sicilian Defence, Scheveningen Variation, Perenyi Attack The Perenyi Attack is similar in idea to its cousin the Keres Attack of the standard Scheveningen Variation. White mounts an aggressive pawn storm on the kingside, castling long and supporting with Be3 and Qd2. However, it usually arises from a transposition from the Najdorf rather than the normal Scheveningen move order. Compared to the Keres, white has his bishop already developed to the e3 square while black has a pawn on a6 rather than a7. The differences are subtle but critical. Now, the standard line of the Perenyi attack follows with 7...e5. This puts two attackers on the advanced g4 pawn (which only has the queen defending) and threatens the d4 knight. If this were the Keres, white could play the intermediate sequence 7. Bb5+ Bd7 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7, eliminating black's light squared bishop, a potential defender of the weak d5 square, and removing the guard from the f6 knight. White then continues with 9. Nf5, getting the knight out of danger and cutting off the queen's attack on the g4 pawn. Here, black would love to play 9...g6, chasing away the knight and then grabbing the g4 pawn, but it doesn't work. White could respond with either 10. Bg5, counterattacking the now undefending f6 knight, or 10. Ne3, defending the g4 pawn, and increasing white's hold on d5. However, 8. Bb5+ is not an option here because of the a6 pawn. Therefore, white usually plays 8. Nf5, with the same idea of saving both the the knight and the g4 pawn. But here black plays the critical line 8...g6, which comes with much greater effect in this version, since now neither of the above-mentioned resources from the Keres attack are available. The knight on f6 is protected by the queen, so 9. Bg5 is ineffective, and 9. Be3 is impossible, since that square is occupied by white's bishop. At this point, play becomes very complex and sharp. White cannot move the knight away without losing the g4 pawn, and so usually chooses to sacrifice it. White can try to win back a knight with 9.g5 gxf5 10.gxf6, or sacrifice it with 9.g5 gxf5 10.exf5 Ng8 11.f6, boxing in black's kingside pieces. Alternatively, white can develop with 9.Bg2. This leads to a very complex line mostly found in top level chess: 9...gxf5 10. exf5 d5 11. Qe2 d4 12. O-O-O. References Sicilian Defence, Scheveningen Variation