Modern Defense, North Sea Variation

Modern Defense, North Sea Variation

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Moves	1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6 3.e5 Nh5
ECO	B06
Parent	Modern Defense

The North Sea Variation is an opening variation in the game of chess. It is a variation of the Modern Defense complex, which occurs after the moves:

1. e4 g6

2. d4 Nf6!?

3. e5 Nh5

Discussion

According to Jim Bickford,^[1] one of the characteristics of this defense is the "cork-screw" maneuver the knight makes by traveling to the second rank via f6 and h5. In the introduction to his monograph, Bickford quotes the late Tony Miles as saying "The black knights are better on the second rank – a shame it takes two moves for them to get there." This joke is a reference to the fact that black knights on the second rank would likely occupy the squares d7 or e7, however, in the uncommon openings favored by Miles they tend to wind up on less characteristic squares along that rank, such as f7, g7, c7 and d7.

This variation may have received a wave of attention recently after Magnus Carlsen employed it against Michael Adams at the 2010 Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk.^[2]

See also

• List of chess openings
• List of chess openings named after places

References

1. The North Sea Variation of the Modern Defence, ECO BO6, Jim Bickford. Syzygy Publishing, 2007.
2. "Michael Adams vs Magnus Carlsen". ChessGames.com. Retrieved 18 December 2010.

External links

• The Modern, North Sea Variation on Brooklyn64
• Chessville Reviews – The North Sea Variation of the Modern Defense