Different Variations (Alternatives) in the Philippine Igorot Attack versus the Indian Defense
{Philippine Igorot Attack (Elpedes Opening)}
1. d4 Nf6 2. h3 e6 3. g4 d5 4. Bg2
Bd6 5. e3 c5
6. dxc5
{Alternative #1 is preferred by some players because of its dynamism where the arising positions give good piece play.} 6... Bxc5 7. Ne2 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. Nd2 Qc7 10. g5 Nd7 11. e4 Nb6 12. Nb3 Bd6 13. Nc3 a6 14. f4 dxe4 15. Nxe4 Be7 {the resulting position is even despite the imbalance on pawn structures yet it entails good chances for both.
(6. Ne2
{Alternative #2 develops the king's knight supporting the center and preparing
for king safety.} 6... cxd4 7. Nxd4 O-O 8. Nc3 h6 9. O-O Bb4 10. f4 Nc6 11.
Nce2 Bc5 12. a4 Qc7 13. Qe1 e5 14. Nb3 Bb4 15. Bd2 Bxd2 {The resulting position
gives equal chances for both white and black.})
(6. Nf3
{Alternative #3 develops the king's knight, controls e5 square but hampers the view of bishop at g2 and blocks the f-pawn for possible f4 thrust.} 6... Nbd7 7. Nbd2 O-O 8.
O-O b6 9. g5 Nh5 10. h4 g6 11. e4 Bf4 12. Re1 Qc7 13. exd5 Bb7 14. dxc5 Bxd5
15. cxb6 axb6 {chances are even in the resulting position.})
(6. g5
{Alternative #4 attacks the black knight at f6 which guards the d5 & e4 squares
but it leaves the pawn hanging at g5.} 6... Nfd7 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Nc3 cxd4 9. exd4
a6 10. O-O O-O 11. Re1 Nb6 12. b3 f6 13. a4 Bb4 14. Bd2 fxg5 15. Bxg5 Qe8 {The
position is equal but expect activities in the half-open f & g files.})
(6. f4
{Alternative #5 aims for an early pawn storm, but it created some weak squares
at king side. Too risky you might say, but if you are a fearless attacker like Mikhail Tal then why not!} 6... cxd4 7. exd4 Ne4 8. Bxe4 dxe4 9. Be3 f5 10. Ne2 O-O 11. a3 Nc6 12. Nbc3 b6 13. d5 Na5 14. dxe6 Nc4 15. Qd4 Bxe6 {with slight
advantage to black, but he must be ready for some tricks by white.})
(6. Nd2
{Alternative #6 protects the e4 & c4 shares while developing a piece.} 6...
cxd4 7. exd4 Nc6 8.Ngf3 Qc7 9. c3 O-O 10. O-O a5 11. Re1 b5 12. g5 Nd7 13. a4 bxa4 14. Qxa4 Bb7 15. Nf1 Nb6 {an imbalanced position with possibilities of attack and counter
attack!})
(6. c3 {Alternative #7 looks passive and defensive but black must be
careful as white is silently preparing for a kingside assault.} 6... O-O 7.
dxc5 Bxc5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. O-O a5 10. Nd2 b6 11. c4 Bb7 12. b3 dxc4 13. bxc4 Qc7
14. Bb2 Rad8 15. Nc3 Ne5 {the resulting position gives attacking possibilities
to both.})
What variations have you used so far?
Why would black play 2...e6? Would White play 2.e3 on 1.Nf3 d5? No. 2...d5 or 2...c5 is critical - reversed Queens Gambit or reversed Reti. I dont think that h3 is very useful here.
As per experiment with Stockfish 10, the engine played 2... e6 in response to 2.h3 in one of its games.
[Event "Igorot Attack Experiment"]
[Site "Philippines"]
[Date "2019.03.21"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Humanoid SF"]
[Black "Stockfish 10 64"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[TimeControl "600"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Queen's pawn game"]
{Philippine Igorot Attack (Elpedes Opening)} 1. d4 Nf6 2. h3 e6 3. g4 d5 4. Bg2
Be7 5. e3 c5 6. Ne2 O-O 7. O-O cxd4 8. exd4 Nc6 9. Nd2 b6 10. c3 Qc7 11. f4 Ba6
12. Rf2 Bd6 13. Ng3 Ne7 14. g5 Ne8 15. Qg4 g6 16. Nf3 Ng7 17. h4 Nef5 18. Ne5
Nxg3 19. Qxg3 Nf5 20. Qh3 h5 21. gxh6 Kh7 22. Bd2 f6 23. Ng4 Rae8 24. Bf1 Bxf1
25. Raxf1 Qf7 26. Rg2 a5 27. Kh1 Rg8 28. Rfg1 Kh8 29. Ne3 Nxh6 30. Ng4 Nxg4 31.
Rxg4 a4 32. h5 gxh5 33. Rh4 Rxg1+ 34. Kxg1 Rg8+ 35. Kh1 Kg7 36. Rxh5 Qg6 37. f5
exf5 38. Qxf5 Qxf5 39. Rxf5 Rh8+ 40. Kg1 Rh2 41. Rf2 Rh5 42. Bf4 Bxf4 43. Rxf4
Kg6 44. Kg2 b5 45. Rf1 Rg5+ 46. Kh3 Rf5 47. Rg1+ Kh5 48. Rh1 Rf3+ 49. Kg2+ Kg4
50. Rh6 f5 51. a3 Rd3 52. Kf2 Kg5 53. Rd6 Rd2+ 54. Ke3 Rxb2 55. Rxd5 Rb3 56.
Kd2 Kg4 57. Rd8 Rxa3 58. d5 Kf4 59. Rb8 Ra2+ 60. Kd3 Ra1 61. Rxb5 a3 62. Kc2 a2
63. Ra5 Ke5 64. Kb2 Rd1 65. d6+ Ke4 66. Rxa2 Rxd6 67. Ra8 f4 68. c4 f3 69. Rf8
Rd4 70. Kc3 Rd1 71. c5 Ke3 72. Kb4 f2 73. c6 f1=Q 74. Rxf1 Rxf1 75. Kc5 Ra1 76.
Kd6 Rb1 77. c7 Rd1+ 78. Ke7 Rc1 79. Kd7 Rd1+ 80. Ke7 Rc1 81. Kd7 Kd4 82. c8=Q
Rxc8 83. Kxc8 1/2-1/2
The PlayMagnus apps (age 28) reacted that way too.
[Event "Live Challenge"]
[Site "PlayMagnus"]
[Date "2019.04.17"]
[Round "1"]
[White "RAZORHAND"]
[Black "Magnus Carlsen (Age 28)"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Queen's pawn game"]
{Philippine Igorot Attack (Elpedes Opening)}
1. d4 Nf6 2. h3 e6 3. g4 d5 4. Bg2
Bd6 5. e3 O-O 6. Ne2 c5 7. c3 Nc6 8. f4 cxd4 9. cxd4 b6 10. O-O Ba6 11. Nbc3
Rc8 12. g5 Ne8 13. Rf3 Be7 14. Ng3 Qd7 15. h4 Nd6 16. Bh3 Nb5 17. Nxb5 Bxb5 18.
f5 Bd6 19. f6 g6 20. h5 Qc7 21. hxg6 hxg6 22. Bf1 Bxf1 23. Nxf1 Ne5 24. dxe5
Bxe5 25. Rh3 Qc2 26. Qf3 Qf5 27. Qxf5 gxf5 28. Nd2 Rc2 29. Nf3 Rfc8 30. Nxe5
Rxc1+ 31. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 32. Kf2 Rc7 33. Rh6 b5 34. g6 fxg6 35. Rxg6+ Kf8 36. Rh6
Kg8 37. f7+ Rxf7 38. Nxf7 Kxf7 39. Rh7+ Kf6 40. Rxa7 e5 41. Rb7 Ke6 42. Rxb5
Kd6 43. b4 f4 44. exf4 -- {[%playeraction resign]} 1-0
Also at chess-db.com the Player Simulation of Magnus Carlsen did the same reply to 2.h3.
[Event "Chess-DB Player Simulation"]
[Date "2019.03.17"]
[White "Ferdz Elpedes"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A45"]
[WhiteElo "0"]
[BlackElo "2845"]
[Opening "Queen's pawn game"]
{Philippine Igorot Attack (Elpedes Opening)}
1. d4 Nf6 2. h3 e6 3. g4 c5 4. c3 d5 5. Bg2 Bd6 6.
e3 O-O 7. Ne2 b6 8. O-O Nc6 9. f4 Ba6 10. Nd2 cxd4 11. exd4 Qc7 12. Nf3 Ne4 13.
Ng5 Nxg5 14. fxg5 Rfc8 15. Rf2 Rab8 16. Bf4 Rb7 17. Bxd6 Qxd6 18. Nf4 Rbc7 19.
Qf3 Bc4 20. h4 a5 21. h5 Rd8 22. b3 Bb5 23. Re1 g6 24. hxg6 hxg6 25. Qh3 a4 26.
Bxd5 Nxd4 27. cxd4 Re8 28. Rh2 Kf8 29. Nxg6+ fxg6 30. Qh6+ Ke7 31. Rxe6+ Qxe6
32. Bxe6 Rc1+ 33. Kg2 Kd6 34. d5 axb3 35. axb3 Rd1 36. Qxg6 Rd2+ 37. Kg3 Rxh2
38. Kxh2 Ra8 39. Qf6 Ra2+ 40. Kg3 Kc5 41. g6 Kb4 42. g7 Rc2 43. d6 Rc3+ 44. Kh4
Rc5 45. g8=Q Bd3 46. d7 b5 47. d8=Q Re5 48. Qxe5 Bc4 49. bxc4 bxc4 50. Bxc4 Ka3
51. Qda5# 1-0
Some engine games, that doesnt prove much.
Black plays ..d5 anyway later in your lines, he can as well play it immediately which has the advantage that he can still put the bish to f5. If then for example 3.g4?! then h5! (..c5! is also very good - counter a wing attack with a center attack) g5 Ne4 followed by Bf5 and e6 and Black has an advantage.
I have 87 games with 2.h3 in my database. in 32 games black played ..d5 (17/8/7), in 24 he played ..g6 (13/3/8) and only in 17 he played ...e6 (9/5/3). Other moves include ...c5. ...b6, ...d6, ...Nc6.
Human > Computer @Klartext
I guess so @DrHack , at least they can think broader, and they can handle ambiguity better.
@Klartext , here's human versus human.
[Event "SoloAjedrez3 vs. XLXLZH"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "Apr 17, 2019"]
[White "SoloAjedrez3"]
[Black "XLXLZH"]
[Result "1-0"]
[TimeControl "1 in 0 day"]
[WhiteElo "2165"]
[BlackElo "2115"]
[Termination "SoloAjedrez3 won by resignation"]
{Philippine Igorot Attack (Elpedes Opening)}
1. d4 Nf6 2. h3 e6 3. g4 d5 4. Bg2
c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. e3 cxd4 7. cxd4 h6 8. Ne2 Bd6 9. Nbc3 a6 10. O-O O-O 11. f4 b5
12. b3 Bb7 13. Bd2 Ne7 14. Rc1 Rc8 15. Ng3 Ng6 16. Nce2 Nh4 17. Rxc8 Qxc8 18.
Be1 Nxg2 19. Kxg2 Qc7 20. g5 hxg5 21. fxg5 Ne4 22. Nxe4 dxe4 23. Bg3 Rc8 24.
Bxd6 Qxd6 25. Nf4 Qc6 26. Rf2 Qc1 27. Qxc1 Rxc1 28. g6 f6 29. Nxe6 Bd5 30. Nf4
Bc6 31. h4 Bd7 32. h5 Bg4 33. Kg3 Bf3 34. Rh2 Rg1+ 35. Kf2 Ra1 36. d5 Rd1 37.
Kg3 Rg1+ 38. Kh4 Rd1 39. Ne6 Rxd5 40. Rc2 -- {[%playeraction resign]} 1-0
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