Need Help Against The Bowdler Attack

The player who made the video is a grandmaster. As i said, it is practically a very strong idea, but with proper play white is just throwing away a pawn.

The reason I don't play that line against the Bowdler is that White can just ignore you and play normal moves and then you have to know what to do in the main-line Bowdler anyway. On Lichess 2000+ only 17% of people play the immediate e5. White also has a bunch of options around how to play the pawn advance, they can play e5 immediately, d3 and then e5, Nc3 and then e5, etc. These are all subtly different and go into structures I am unfamiliar with. Even if Black is somewhat better in these lines, I'd rather concentrate on learning the main lines.

There are a lot of traps in the main lines as well, for example:

Those are all the most popular White moves from people who play 3. Nc3 (and the trap also lands against 7. Nf3 and 7. f4). You do have to know the ins and outs of how to extract the knight from d1 and/or win their bishop in return (you can have a look in analysis) but I have had this on the board many times. Here are all the most popular White moves for people who play 3. Nf3:

I can land these sorts of things a lot and keep it simple without needing tons of extra lines on top of that.

Honestly you do raise a good point that I did not think of in regards to if white does not push e5 that you need to know the main line theory anyways, which results in you needing to know almost double the theory for no reason. Now that you have raised that point I honestly might consider just hard focussing on the main line. I really like a lot of the unbalanced positions out of the Nf6 line, but I don't think it is worthwhile having to store all that extra theory in my head for 0 reason. I like the traps you have shown, that is the type of thing I love to have in my theory, thank you for raising a great point that I did not think of, will probably stick to the main line now.

I guess now my only problem is needing to realise conceptual ideas in the "delayed" Bowdler, just because I am a hyperaccelerated dragon player, so if they play 3. Bc4 after 2. Nf4, then g6 is already on the board, do you have any specific recommendations against that?

The first thing I notice is that besides Bc4, white can play c3 which resembles the Alapin but not sure if it plays the same way as the Alapin. Black does need to know how to play against the Alapin.

Yeah that actually IS the Delayed Alapin, unlike this whole "Delayed Bowdler" thing I am talking about which is NOT an actual opening, the Delayed Alapin IS actually an opening. I have theory against that so I am completely covered there, it is more so a fact of that for me here as black, if I have played 2. g6 then the theory is technically very different to the standard 1. e4, c5 2. Bc4, e6. In that theory g6 is never played, now if they play Bc4 on the 3rd move, I can still go e6, and go with the kind of general plan against the Bowdler, but I imagine there is slight differences due to the pawn being on g6 that may cause problems if I follow the general plan.

I thought at a glance that e6 looked like a good option for white. Having just checked it on the analysis tool here, admittedly only for 2 minutes, it's difficult for white to hold the pawn. The analysis engine here very much agrees with me that e6 is by far the better option than trying to hold the pawn. It gives black less than a pawn advantage. In practice, white can exert a lot of pressure on it and should control the centre. White has given black quite an advantage in development. So white didn't play well and probably needs to play for a draw. Swapping the pawn for a slight positional advantage seems to be a reasonable plan.

Incidentally, 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3.e5 doesn't seem great for white. It can't be directly compared to Alekhine's, because of c5, preventing white from quickly building a centre and because the Bc4 is a target. Basically, what black has is an incredibly improved version of the French Advance variation, where black's c8B problem is solved and black has been able to play the aggressive Nf6 ... Nd7. I really think 6.e6 is white's best move. Otherwise, black gets a permanent positional advantage. So I think the GM is wrong on this occasion.

To explain it in a positive way, the only reason white should play this line is if 6. e6 is to be played, since anything else gives white a very inferior French Defence, or Caro, which amounts to the same thing in this type of position.

There is a Caro line, which I've played myself in slowplay matches, many years ago, where white plays 2. Ne2. After 2. .... d5, which definitely isn't black's strongest option (some sources recommended 2. ...c5!?) white plays e5 and if Bf5?! then Ng3. If then ...Bg6 then white plays e6!, which is the point of the variation. If fe?! then d4 by white clamps down on the position. Pretty excruciating for black. Your line above isn't nearly so good for white, though and is just an attempt to equalise. It's the way to play for white, since the resulting positions may be unfamiliar to the opponent.

Cheers for all the really thorough comments and analysis. After Strayaningen has made another comment he did open my eyes though to something which I disregarded prior, which is that even with me liking this whole Nf6 line, e5 is only played around 20% of the time, and in the 80% of other games it is transposing back into the regular main line ideas of the Bowdler, due to this I have decided instead of overloading my brain with double the theory, I may aswell do the regular theory, which results in good positions regardless, instead of learning double the theory. As is right now, in the past 2-3 weeks, I have learnt the Grand Prix theory (which I have done great with in practice), the Tal Gambit for the McDonnell which I have had 1 game and won that game, and now the Bowdler. Even though I specifically have done really well learning the Grand Prix theory, I think without me practicing the theory day after day, my brain will be overwhelmed and forget bits and pieces. So I am just going to keep it simple and refine the main lines on the Bowdler.

I use the same automatic responses with both the GP and the Bowdler. Ultra simple. I play e6 and a6, in either order, then make a decision to play either b5 or d5. d5 is usually more solid and correct. If it's the GP, I always play d5. The point of a6 is to prevent Bb5+, which is a transposition to the positional lines. Forgotten its name but it's solid for white and difficult for black. I like to keep the pieces on in the Sicilian and will only occasionally swap off a pair to create more manoeuvring space. I always like to target white's bishops with my knights and, conversely, play Qc7 Bb4 and finally Nbd7, most of the time. In the GP variations where white responds to d5 with e5 (which I haven't seen for years, actually) I like to play Nc6, Nh6, g6 and Be7. The idea is a King's Indian like K side attack, with Nh6 - f5, h5, maybe walk the K to safety on g7. Worked it out myself but have forgotten the lines because few people seem to play it as white any more.

Thanks very much for your positive comments. It's always a bit disconcerting, to disagree with GMs and what reaction you might get. It rarely happens but occasionally it's necessary.

Incidentally, I play queen's gambits as white and, perhaps weirdly, have formed similar impressions. In both, I play aggressive moves with the dark squared bishop and preserve the lsB carefully. Yet I would rather play a middle game with the dsB in both, if forced to choose, unless there are very real attacking possibilities using the lsB, for instance, as white against h7. Anyway, I'm 74 and I still find chess fascinating but I no longer try to memorise lines.

Wow, that's honestly really inspirational for you to still be playing chess at that age, even more of a reason to seriously thank you for passing down some wisdom and taking time out of your day to make these comments. I'm only 21 (22 in a week exactly) so got plenty of learning to do throughout the years, once again, really appreciate all of your comments.
And to add, yes I have noticed a lot of similar ideas between the Grand Prix and the Bowdler, obviously it is far from identical, but you do challenge the bishop on c4 in the Grand Prix (as long as they played Bc4 and not Bb5) so can definitely see how ideas would carry over and you can use very similar systems against the both of them.

I never allow a check by Bb5. I want the pieces on for as complex a game as possible.

I returned to otb chess in 2023 and played most of one season but not enough games to get away from the FIDE provisional rating. I was always bad at this time of year, probably due to not playing through our Summer. This year, I again started badly. Lost to someone about 2030, then drew against an 1800 FIDE when I really should have won, but I wasn't thinking clearly and could have lost. Then last night beat someone 2012 FIDE fairly easily. So it's still same-old but I'm perceptably getting more off form days than I used to. I'm extremely busy though and never really retired, although I'm no longer driving 35000 miles per year because I completely gave up driving, I travel by train and doregular 10 to 13 mile walks as well as the same weight training I used to do. So trying to keep fit.

You speak very intelligently about chess. I'm sending a friend request, which perhaps you will accept.