You can hardly find a more unconventional idea than pushing your g-pawn 2 squares down the board. Some may say it belongs to a backroom chess game in a café, some may say it belongs to olden times - back when the King's Gambit was the main line after 1. e4 e5. But we are seeing more and more occurrences at the top-level. Is it a coincidence
It's safe to say that g2-g4 (or ...g7-g5) is one of the most weakening moves available. As a matter of fact, the objectively worst first-move happens to be 1.g4, accompanied by an evaluation of -1.30 when running Stockfish 15 on low-depth (we did not see the point on letting it run in this position, it will probably get lower, that's not good advertising).
Now, there are quite a few positions where g2-g4 (or ...g7-g5) makes more sense and brings an interesting fight. The player has to be willing to take some considerable amount of risk, and that may be too much for some of us. The resulting positions often get messy and veer very much away from traditional paths, which means the expected number of mistakes gets higher, thus decreasing the drawing percentage.
Still, it's important to remain somewhat objective and not to get too excited by the thrill of an upcoming attack. Yes, g-pawn pushes are aggressive, but can also very quickly turn out to have disastrous consequences. "I wish I could play g4-g2", is usually a sign the experiment has gone wrong. The book is aimed at covering a wide range of chess openings. We decided to showcase the different categories of g4 (...g5) one may meet in the early stage of the opening, no matter if the idea is strong, interesting or quite unadvisable (bad, you may also say).
Most of the time, g4 (...g5) won't be the best move, but we will try to show that the value of surprise and the tendency of players to react solidly to aggression can matter as well. Also, we have decided not to include any Sicilians, as the g2-g4 push has become so frequent there, and in many variations deeply analyzed already.
Over the 50 games that we picked, the 3 main reasons why the g-pawn is being launched are: 1) Attacking a short-castled king with a hook created by h2-h3 (or ...h7-h6) 2) Challenging the stable position of a Nf3 (or ... Nf6). It becomes stronger when the knight doesn't have a good square to hop to. 3) Seizing space on the kingside.
The more you dive into the examples, the more you'll see that it's a mix of the 3, with one reason prevailing. We wish you happy reading and hope that you'll implement some of these lines into your play!
Bauer: -
French Grandmaster Christian Bauer is one of his country's leading players. He is a former national champion and has represented France in numerous international team events.
He has written many articles and books for several publishing houses: 'Play 1...b6' and 'The Philidor Files', 'Play the Scandinavian', Candidates Moves, the Modernized Nimzovitch & Alekhine Defense for Thinkers Publishing . Many of his books have been translated into other languages. This is his 11 book and his sixth for Thinkers Publishing, his third in the Modernized series.
Paoli: -
I began learning chess at a very young age and started playing competitively around the age of seven. During my early years, I wasn't considered a standout talent, typically finishing between 20th and 30th in the Youth French Championships until the U14 category. However, the 2013 U14 French Championship was a turning point for me. I had a chance to reach the podium in the final round, and although I faltered due to a simple tactical error, this experience made me realize my potential if I dedicated myself seriously.
Since then, I have focused on becoming the best version of myself. As a huge fan of the Golden State Warriors, I admire the unwavering confidence of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, two of the greatest shooters in NBA history. Their incredible dedication to their craft inspires me. While my level of dedication may not match theirs, it has certainly helped build my confidence in my abilities.
After two years of studying Statistics at university, I decided to pursue a professional chess career at the age of 20, starting with a rating of 2400. My progress since then has exceeded my expectations. Looking ahead, my next goals are to surpass a rating of 2600, become the French Champion, and play for the national team. While these goals are ambitious, I believe it's worth striving for them. They say greatness requires obsession, and although I haven't reached the pinnacle, my love and passion for chess have been key to my success.
Besides chess, I enjoy playing and watching basketball. I find similarities between the two games in their display of creativity. Playing basketball has deepened my appreciation for the skill level of the players, a sentiment that applies to all sports.
