The Franco-Indian Defence (also Horwitz Defence) is a chess opening defined by the moves:
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| Moves | 1.d4 e6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECO | A40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | 19th century | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Queen's Pawn Game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Synonym(s) | Horwitz Defence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This response to White's 1.d4 is so named "because it may lead to the French Defence, or to one of the Indian Defences; it may, however, take a different course."[1] Alternatively, author Eric Schiller has proposed the name "Horwitz Defence", after the German chess master and writer Bernhard Horwitz (1807–1885), who played it against Daniel Harrwitz between 1849 and 1852.[2][3]
The opening has little independent significance and is likely to transpose into other openings. English grandmaster Simon Williams often uses 1.d4 e6 as a way of playing for the Dutch Defence while avoiding the Staunton Gambit (1.d4 f5 2.e4!?).[4][5] One of the few independent lines is the Keres Defence (1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+), where White usually plays 3.Bd2, avoiding a transposition to the Nimzo-Indian Defence; however, transpositions to other openings such as the Bogo-Indian Defence are still possible.
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings code for the Franco-Indian Defence is A40.
Common transpositions
edit- 2.e4 (French Defence)
- 2.c4
- 2...d5 (Queen's Gambit Declined)
- 2...Nf6 (Nimzo-Indian Defence, Queen's Indian Defence, Bogo-Indian Defence etc)
- 2...f5 (Dutch Defence)
- 2...b6 (English Defence)
- 2...Bb4+ (Keres Defence, may transpose to several openings)
- 2...c5
- 3.d5 (Benoni Defence)
- 3.Nf3 (English Opening, Symmetrical Defence)
- 2.Nf3 leads to a similar range of transpositional possibilities while avoiding 2...Bb4+
- 2.g3 may also transpose into the above openings, as well as the Catalan Opening
- 2.Bf4 is usually played with the intention of playing a London System
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1996) [First pub. 1992], "Franco-Indian Defence", The Oxford Companion to Chess (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 144, ISBN 0-19-280049-3
- ^ "CHESSGAMES.COM * Chess game search engine". Chessgames.com. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- ^ Schiller, Eric (1998), Unorthodox Chess Openings (1st ed.), Cardoza Publishing, p. 196, ISBN 0-940685-73-6
- ^ "Review: The Aggressive Classical Dutch". Chess News. 2019-01-22. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- ^ Williams, Simon (2003). Play the Classical Dutch. London, England: Gambit Publications. ISBN 978-1901983883.