Indeed, such is the fearsome reputation of both these rather direct opening systems that one might think that fianchettoing a Bishop isn't such a good idea after all. The purpose of this article is to try and see if all the fuss is justified.

A) The 150 (or U1800 for outside UK ) Attack

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be3 0-0 6.Qd2

So named by the hustlers because only a 150 could play with such a lack of subtlety, ignorant of the colossal counterpunching potential of the Black position.

Put bluntly, White aims to play Bh6 as quickly as possible and then either get on with it immediately using h2-h4 or to finish development with Bd3 and 0-0-0 after which e4-e5 can often just blow Black away. To a confirmed Pirc/Modern fan like myself it has been shocking to see just how effective these ideas are.

Put on your dark glasses for Hebden - Felecan, Cappelle la Grande, 1993

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be3 Ng4 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 c6 8.Qd2 g5 9.Bg3 Nd7 10.0-0-0 b5 11.e5!

11...b4 12.Nb1 dxe5 13.dxe5 Qa5 14.h4 Ngxe5 15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.hxg5 hxg5 17.Rxh8+ Bxh8 18 Bb5!! Bg4 19 Rh1 Bf6 20 Bxe5 Rd8 21.Bxc6+ 1-0

Of course White is gaining in virtually every line you can think of because he hasn't wasted time on h2-h3. It seems to me that Black has to start his counterplay immediately eg 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be3 and now 5...a6!

This is a move in the best traditions of the opening.  Rather than castle into it, Black creates a meaningful diversion and invites White to change his plan or indeed, get carried away. I believe this is a good answer to White's brutality.

Anguix - Z.Franco, Spain, 1994

6.Qd2

Following the programme. White may switch to a more positional type of game with 6.a4 as in Kosten-M.Gurevich France 1991 but at least now Black isn't getting mated. That game went 6...0-0 7.Be2 b6 8.0-0 Bb7 9.Nd2 Nc6 10.d5 Nb8 11.f4 Nbd7 12.Bf3 e6! (see diagram)

with mutual chances.

White could choose the natural 6.Bd3 but in Kristiansen - B.Larsen, Esbjerg, 1997 the old master demonstrates that Black can fight eg 6...0-0 7.0-0 b5! 8.a3 Bb7 9.Qe2 Bb7 10.Rad1 Qc8 11.e5 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 dxe5 13.d5 Ne8 14.Qg3 f5 15.f4 e4 16.Be2 Nd6 when it was very doubtful whether White had enough.

My guess is that most opponents will go 6.Qd2.

6...b5!

Yes sir! The 150 attack meets with the 120 defence. You do your thing baby and I'll do mine..........

But Black may have more than one good move in this position.   Consider Conlazo-Dolezal,
Argentina, 1993:

6...Ng4!? 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 b5 9.0-0-0 Bb7 10.h3 Nf6 11.e5 dxe5 12.dxe5 Qxd2+ 13.Nxd2 Nh5 14.Re1 g5 15.Bg3 Nxg3 16.fxg3 e6 (see diagram)

Senor Conlazo came second some forty moves later.

7.Bd3 Bb7 8.a3

If White has to play this move the objective is acheived.But as 8 e5 must have looked very loose after either 8...Ng4! or even 8...Nd5 Monsieur Anguix was worried about the threat of 8...b4

8...Nbd7 9.d5

No more mating attack.

9...c6

It would have been unwise to let White play Nd4 freely.

10.dxc6 Bxc6 11.Nd4 Bb7

With a very nice Sicilian-type position for Black. It's worth reviewing what has happened:

White's attacking scheme is dangerous, but a little one-dimensional. Signor Franco has thwarted the idea by a) not castling too quickly and b) developing queenside counterplay . He goes on to score a nice victory eg

12.f3 Rc8 13.0-0 0-0 14.Bf2

Not the greatest. Safety with 14.Kh1 or 14.Rad1 would have been preferable.

14...Ne5 15.Be2 Nc4 16.Bxc4 Rxc4 17.Nce2

Juan Francisco Anguix Garrido goes back to bed. He has had enough.

17...Nd7 18 Nb3 Bxb2 19 Ra2

A feverish search through my database reveals that there are no other games with this position. Furthermore FRITZ 5 declares that White is -1.87 here,whatever that means.

Chess has changed.

19...Bg7 20.Ned4 Qc7

A computer out of a Corn-Flake packet could see what is going on here.

21.a4? bxa4 22.Na5 Bxd4 0-1

B) The Barry (bullshit for outside UK) Attack

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5! 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3

It's amazing how popular this idea has become. As far as I can see White has restricted his freedom of movement by leaving his c pawn at home. However, White's grip on e5 and the possibility of Ne5, followed by h4-h5 or maybe g4 has scared the living daylights out of hapless Black players on the circuit. Once again it is Hebden who is responsible - he really is a terrorist.

I recommend an easy-to-learn solution which takes the sting out of White's play.

Blatny - E.Ragozin, Vienna, 1991

5...Bg4! (see diagram)

The plan comes together nicely.  The Knight on f3 will be eliminated, a path is opened up to the Queenside for the Black Queen with c7-c6! and e7-e5 comes later on. This was what I thought in 1989 in 'Winning with the King's Indian' and I still think it's a valid view today. Certainly the game you are about to see is excellent propaganda.

6.Be2

As Black will take on f3 anyway there wasn't much point in playing 6.h3, yet this was the course of Welling - Van der Wiel, Dutch Ch, 1985. The sequel was sharp and interesting eg 6...Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6 8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.g4 (9.0-0 Nh5! 10.Bh2 e5! =) 9...0-0 10.h4 e5!? 11.dxe5 Ne8 12.Qg3 Qe7 13.Bg5 Qb4 14.f4 f6! 15.exf6 Qxb2 16.fxg7 (see diagram)

and now 16...Qxc3+ was safest, giving Black good chances.

6.Qd3 is also interesting as played by guru Hebden and recommended by Aaron Summerscale in a recent GM Video release. The idea is typically deep eg 6...Bxf3? 7.Qb5+!

and, yes, White really does win a pawn. At first sight,I couldn't believe it either.

But if Black sticks to his guns with 6...c6! then I believe White's Queen could end up misplaced eg 7.Ne5 Bf5, 7.Be2 Nbd7, or 7.0-0-0 Bxf3 8.gxf3 Nbd7, in each case with something quite playable .

6...Bxf3! 7.Bxf3 c6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 Nbd7 (see diagram)

Phase one completed, development over.  Just before I pull the plug and rediscover the sledgehammer, FRITZ's 1 through 5 are showing 0.00.

10.g4 Nb6 11.h4

HERE HE COMES................however Black is in good shape whatever White tries.

Crafty,Genius 6 and the Mephisto Calcutta like the two White Bishops, but the English School of Chess prefers the Knights.They are better for cheapos.

11...Nc4 12.Qd3 e5

Nice move. Black is slightly better.

13.Bxe5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Nd7 15.Be2 Nxe5

White's pieces have suddenly been made to look clumsy.  As played the Kingside 'barry' attack never gets off the ground.

16.Qd2 b5! 17.f4 Nd7 18.Kb1 Nc5 19.Rdg1 b4 20.Nd1 Rb8

Black's conduct of the attack is excellent. This move tees up for Na4-c3.

21.h5

He feels he must try this.  Of course White's position looks quite ludicrous if he doesn't. But the fact is that the Black King is much the safer of the two.

21...Na4 22.Qc1 Qa5 23.Bd3 Nc3+!

Energy and accuracy are the hallmarks of Ragozin's finely played attack. Blatny struggles to regain the initiative,but it's all in vain.

24.Nxc3 bxc3 25.b3 c5 26.hxg6 hxg6 27.e4 c4! 28.Be2 cxb3! 29.cxb3 (see diagram)

29...c2+!!

Nice!

30.Qxc2 Rfc8 31.Qd1 dxe4 32.Rh3 Rd8 33.Qc1 Rd2 34.a3 Rb2+ 0-1

Very often one or two good-looking games by top players influence the whole course of topical opening theory.  I hope that you now feel that Black can fight successfully against both of these dangerous systems and that the picture is not so bleak.

Please contact me at amartin@wizard2.demon.co.uk with any chess queries or points of interest and I will endeavour to present them in this column. Until next time, good luck!