A Fun Way to Deal With 1.d4 2.Nf3 Systems
If you're anything like me then you hate to play against unambitious tries after 1.d4 as black. Some of these d4 systems stem from the position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3.
If you play the Budapest defense, then I'm sure you hate this move since it's now impossible to play the Budapest! After Nf3, white is also preparing to smack down the London, Torre, or Colle systems against almost anything we can throw at them.
Except for one move in particular...
The Spielmann Indian signals to white that we do not want a boring trudge and will stop at nothing to unbalance the game. It's creator, the Austrian player Rudolph Spielmann, was one of the last players of the romantic school, never satisfied with a draw. Reuben Fine said of Spielmann, "In appearance and personal habits Spielmann was the mildest-mannered individual alive. Beer and chess were the great passions of his life; in his later years, at least, he cared for little else. Perhaps his chess became so vigorous as compensation for an otherwise uneventful life." So of course someone of his temperament would come up with such an uncompromising idea in the opening. Why is it so uncompromising? Well, black immediately attacks white's center and tries to get a Benoni or Benko Gambit style position. For example...
"But my opponent is a truly boring player!" You might moan. Maybe your opponent is really fun at parties so when it comes to chess they have to be a bastion of uninterestingness, sort of like a reverse Rudolph Spielmann. What then? Well I'll tell you, we have nothing to worry about if our opponent tries to continue playing in a boring manner.
Here's a possible blunder that white can make:
And finally here's a game by the creator himself! Spielmann's opponent tries to lead the game into calm waters, and of course mostly succeeds, but this only leads to a great position for Spielmann, who eventually invites the white king to a little stroll.
Finally where's the checkmate?
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