Cook the Fried Fox/Pork Chop

I play college students, so you must be ready for the weird. This post will examine the most efficient way to coordinate an attack against the unsound Fried Fox, among the strangest of all openings.

It was recently played on Title Tuesday (3/5) with a 2200 rated player employing the Fried Fox with the White pieces. Despite a 300+ point rating advantage, White could not convert the win.

My analysis below is based on Niclas Huschenbeth’s fantastic (albeit challenging) Winning with e4 Chessable course.  He doesn’t offer any lines to unravel wildly offbeat systems, but his suggestions against the Modern Defense are the basis of my suggestions. I’ve analyzed a few games with Stockfish 17.0 and think you’ll find this helpful.

Black’s Opening Position in the Fried Fox or Pork Chop Defense

Have you seen this opening defense? Black moves f6 and Kf7 as pre-moves.

Often, they add e6 and g6 as pre-moves. It doesn't matter what White intends. The formation is so odd that White may think they are so far ahead in development they can take their time. But slowing down can lead to embarrassing losses. Here’s another recent game from the Lichess database where White fell apart.

Huschenbeth’s Modern Cooking Technique

In his section on the Modern defense (1…g6), Huschenbeth suggests White create two centralized pawns (e5 and d5) and look to develop Qd2 for a quick 0-0-0.

The Fried Fox is slow to develop minor pieces, meaning White can be even faster. Usually, White struggles to develop both Bishops, but White can add Bd3 in before expanding on the queenside. After Black’s final premove 4…g6, Stockfish suggests 5. h4 with the followup 6. h5!

Why Is This Plan Important to Remember?

If your opponent is passive and you’ve secured the center, the added attack on the flank may be just the trick. I looked at the typical moves after 6. h5 in the Lichess database. It’s easy to see that White has so many opportunities.