Can anyone shed some light on how to play this properly (if that's the word)? I know it involves Nh6 - Nf7, which seems to me like a good idea in the Leningrad, but is there a specific setup/move order/strategy that I should be aiming for?
Originally posted by hunterknox Can anyone shed some light on how to play this properly (if that's the word)? I know it involves Nh6 - Nf7, which seems to me like a good idea in the Leningrad, but is there a specific setup/move order/strategy that I should be aiming for?
I'd recommend "Leningrad System: A Complete Weapon against 1 d4" by Stefan Kindermann, from the Progress in Chess series. I think its a very good opening book and covers some of the ideas you're looking at, I think.
For instance, 1. d4 f5 2. Bg5 g6 3. Nd2 Bg7 4. e4 fe 5. Ne4 d5 6. Nc5 b6 7. Nb3 Nh6!? planning ... Nf7. Black leaves the a1-h8 diagonal open for his Bishop and the Knight heads to f7 where it may gain a tempo off the B on g5 and prepare the e5 thrust.
That's the start of Lerner-Malaniuk, Koszalin 1999, which I have been looking on recently, but obviously there are other move orders and ways to reach these types of positions. Kindermann's book has a nice layout; he discusses themes and plans from both the Black and White side before getting into actual games and variations. I've been playing the Leningrad for over 20 years and I've picked up a few ideas from it.
Nh6 - Nf7 is an important idea, but it doesn't surface in main line Leningrad play, where the Knight goes to f6 very early. It's mainly an option against 2. Bg5, where the Knight can go to f7 with a gain of tempo. There's no particular move order; it's relatively unexplored territory and there are lots of transpositions and options for both sides.
What you're looking for is 1. d4 f5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nf3 c6 5. 0-0 Nh6 6. c4 d6 7. Nc3 0-0... This is a rough move order for Basman's system, and the basic setup Black is trying to achieve. I find the problem with this is you have to be prepared to face 1. d4 f5 2. g3 g6 3. h4!?. White has crushed Black in this line thus far, for example 3. ... Nf6 4. h5 Nh5 5. Nh5 gh 6. e4 with a strong attack already.
I don't think I'd like this position as Black, which is why I stick with 2. ... Nf6 most of the time, and reserve the Nh6 - Nf7 idea for positions resulting from 2. Bg5, when the h4 thrust is not as dangerous. Thus I'm not really familiar with the position resulting from the above 'Basman' move order, but I'd imagine the basic idea is the same, i.e. pressuring e5.
Dutch Leningrad - Basman variation
28 Aug '08 19:471 edit
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