[Event "French Mac McCutcheon: 7... Kf8"] [Date "2019.01.24"] [White "French MacCutcheon"] [Black "4....,Bb4"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C12"] [Opening "French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Janowski Variation"] [StudyName "French Mac McCutcheon"] [ChapterName "7... Kf8"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/rZO3ab0D/7bpaxomd"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/SoftwareChess"] [UTCDate "2019.01.24"] [UTCTime "07:43:19"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 { This is a sharp variation that produces positions closer to the Winaver line. } 5. e5 { This is the main line: white accepts weak pawns in c2-c3 in order to weaken the dark squares on the kingside. } (5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bxf6 gxf6) (5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 dxe4 7. Qe2 Qd5 8. Bxf6 gxf6) (5. Ne2 dxe4 6. a3 Be7 7. Bxf6 Bxf6 8. Nxe4 O-O 9. Qd3 b6) 5... h6 6. Be3!? { This is an interesting possibility. White's idea is to play against the knight e4 which lacks of square. The play is now characterized by a wild fight in the first moves. White will often ends up with weak pawns in c5 and e5, and will try to get the initiative while black tries to capture them. I decide to make it my favorite variation, because the lines with Bd2 often become too schematic, with fixed pawn structure and easy play for black. } (6. exf6 hxg5 7. fxg7 Rg8 8. h4 gxh4 9. Qg4 Qf6 10. Nf3 Rxg7 11. Qxh4 Qxh4 12. Rxh4 $10) 6... Ne4 7. Qg4 (7. a3 Nxc3 8. Qg4 (8. Qd2?! Ba5! $17) 8... Bf8 9. bxc3 c5 10. dxc5 Nc6 11. Nf3 Qa5 12. Bd2 Bd7 13. Bd3 Qxc5 14. O-O Na5) 7... Kf8 { this is the main alternative to check out. Now that there no weakness in g6, black has at his disposal the resource f5, which, respect to the main line, allows black to play c5 under favourable conditions. } 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 { White follows a similar strategy that in the main line: place bishop in d3 to control most squares, develop the knight f3, puh the Nc3 on the edge with Bd2. In this case, however, the position of the black king suggest the plan for white, i.e., Nh4, f4,f5. } 9... Nxc3 (9... c5 10. Bd3 Nxc3 (10... cxd4 11. cxd4 Qa5+ 12. Kf1 Nd2+ 13. Ke2 $14) 11. dxc5 { transposes }) 10. Bd3 Nc6 (10... c5!? { in this line this is good. } 11. dxc5 Nc6 12. Nf3 f5! 13. exf6 Qxf6 14. Nh4 e5 15. Ng6+ Kg8 16. Qf3 Rh7 (16... e4 17. Qxf6 gxf6 18. Kd2 exd3 19. Kxc3 dxc2 20. Nxh8) (16... Qxf3 17. gxf3 Rh7 18. Kd2 e4 19. Bf1 $16) 17. Nf8 Rh8 18. Ng6 Rh7 $10 19. a4 e4 20. Qxf6 gxf6 21. Bb5 $13 { with a very complex endgame. }) 11. Nf3 (11. Ne2 { this is the other possibility of development for white, to remove the most active black unit and develop quietely, despite being a pawn down. } 11... Nxe2 12. Qxe2 Ne7 13. O-O Bd7 14. Rab1 $13) 11... Bd7 12. Bd2 Na4 13. Rb1 Nb6 14. O-O Ne7 15. Nh4 a6 16. f4 Nc4 { and now white has a choice. } (16... g6? 17. Bxg6 Rg8 (17... fxg6 18. Nxg6+ Nxg6 19. Qxg6 $18) 18. f5 Nxf5 (18... exf5 19. Bxh6+ Ke8 20. Bxf7+ Kxf7 21. Qh5+ Ke6 22. Nxf5 $18) 19. Nxf5 exf5 (19... Rxg6 20. Bb4+ Kg8 21. Nxh6+ Kh8 22. Nxf7+ Kg7 23. Qxg6+ Kxg6 24. Nxd8 Rxd8 25. Rf6+ Kh7 26. Rb3 $18) 20. Rxf5 Bxf5 (20... Rxg6 21. Qxg6 Bxf5 22. Qxf5 $18) 21. Qxf5 Rxg6 22. Rf1 Rg7 23. Bxh6 $18) 17. Bc1 (17. Bxc4 dxc4 18. Bb4 (18. Rxb7?! Bc6 $15) 18... Kg8 19. Bxe7 Qxe7 20. f5 Qg5 { with a complex endgame }) 17... b5 18. f5 (18. Qg3 g6 19. Bxg6?? { without the possibility of Bb4 it does not work. }) 18... exf5 19. Qf3 g6 20. g4 Qc8 21. gxf5 Bxf5 (21... Nxf5 22. Qxd5 Be6 23. Qc5+ Kg7 24. Nxf5+ Bxf5 25. Bxc4 bxc4 26. d5 $14) 22. Nxf5 gxf5 $13 23. Kh1 (23. Bxf5? Nxf5 24. Qxf5 Qxf5 25. Rxf5 Ke7 $17) *