Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c5/2. f4

McDonnell attack rd nd bd qd kd bd nd rd pd pd pd pd pd pd pd pd pl pl pl pl pl pl pl pl rl nl bl ql kl bl nl rl B21 Sicilian defence 2...d5 · Tal gambit 2. f4 · McDonnell attack With 2. f4 White begins an aggressive attack against Black's kingside. This is the McDonnell attack, aka a(n accelerated) Grand Prix. 2...d5, the Tal gambit, lets Black thwart the attack before it gets started. If White declines with 3. e5, Black can play Bf5 and e6, achieving a superior French defence structure without the lousy French bishop. If White accepts, 3. exd5, Black can recover the pawn and get a development lead: 3...Nf6 4. Nc3 Nxd5 5. Nxd5 Qxd5. For this reason the attack is often played in the move order 2. Nc3 followed by 3. f4, the (conventional) Grand Prix, where if e.g. 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 e5 can be met with Nxe5. Quieter second moves for Black, continuing however they would against an Open or Closed Sicilian--2...Nc6, 2...e6, so on--are also very playable, but don't capitalise on the position as much as the Tal Gambit. History 2. f4 was played many times by Alexander McDonnell as White against La Bourdonnais in their 1834 match series. La Bourdonnais was considered the strongest player of his generation, and their confrontation a precursor to the modern world chess championship. His success with the Sicilian defence in these matches was later credited with reviving the interest in the opening. Theory table . 1.e4 c5 2.f4 2 3 4 5 f4d5 Nc3d4 Nce2Nc6 = ...Nc6 Nc3g6 Nf3Bg7 Bb5Nd4 = ...d6 Nc3Nc6 Nf3g6 Bc4Bg7 = ...e6 Nf3d5 Bb5+Nc6 = ...g6 Nf3Bg7 Nc3Nc6 = ...Nf6 Nc3d5 e5d4 = References Sicilian Defence External links