From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hedgehog (chess)
Hedgehog (chess)
a b c d e f g h target White’s kingside (in conjunction with a queen on
b8). There are also situations where Black can create a
8 8
kingside attack, by playing ...Kh8, ...Rg8, and ...g5, often
followed by doubling rooks on the g-file and pushing the
7 7
g-pawn to g4.
Traditional chess strategy would have frowned upon
6 6
Black’s setup, since his pieces have little room in which to
5 5 manoeuvre. In the early 1970s, "’hedgehog’ was a generic
term for any setup that was cramped, defensive and diffi-
4 4 cult to attack", but today refers specifically to this forma-
tion.[1] The Hedgehog first became extensively analysed
3 3 in the 1970s, when players began to appreciate the rich
variety of strategic ideas that arose from it. While Black’s
2 2 position is cramped, it is also relatively free of weakness-
es. There is no obvious way for White to attack Black’s
1 1 pawn structure, but as outlined above, Black has several
methods at his disposal for creating counterplay. Thus
a b c d e f g h the Hedgehog has retained its popularity as a system of
Black’s basic Hedgehog formation development in modern praxis.
In chess, the Hedgehog is a pawn formation adopted usu- Early history
ally by Black that can arise from several openings. Black
The ideas behind the Hedgehog were originally devel-
exchanges his pawn on c5 for White’s pawn on d4, and
Defence,
oped in the English Opening. The Hedgehog Defence in
then places pawns on squares a6, b6, d6, and e6. These
particular, refers to a variation in the Symmetrical Eng-
pawns form a row of "spines" behind which Black devel-
lish (1.c4 c5) where Black adopts this setup: 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3
ops his forces. Typically, the bishops are placed on b7 and
Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.Nc3 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4
e7, knights on d7 and f6, queen on c7, and rooks on c8 and
d6. Other openings where Black often uses the setup in-
e8 (or c8 and d8). Although Black’s position is cramped,
clude the Queen’s Indian Defence, and the Taimanov and
it has great latent energy, which may be released if Black
Kan Variations of the Sicilian Defence.
is able to play ...b5 or ...d5 at some point. These pawn
It is also possible for White to adopt a Hedgehog set-
breaks are particularly effective because White usually
up, but this happens more rarely. However this did occur
places his own pawns on c4 and e4 (the Maróczy Bind).
in Fischer–Andersson, Siegen 1970, one of the first games
to feature this method of development. Fischer’s crush-
ing victory in this game, in which the Kh1/Rg1/g4
Black manoeuvring method of attack was vividly demonstrated, so impressed
Andersson that he later became one of the foremost
Once the basic Hedgehog structure is in place, and de-
Hedgehog exponents himself.[2]
pending on how White responds, Black has various ways
of reorganizing his pieces. The knight on d7 often hops to
c5, where it attacks a white pawn on e4; or to e5, where it See also
attacks a pawn on c4. The knight on f6 can go to e8 (when
• List of chess openings
Black placed his rook on d8) to defend the d6 pawn, or
• List of chess openings named after animals
to d7 or even to h5, if unoccupied. The black queen can
be moved to b8 (unmasking the rook on c8 and perhaps
supporting ...b5) or a8 (eyeing d5). A rook placed on d8 References
serves to defend the d6 pawn and support its push to [1] De Firmian, Nick (1999). Modern Chess Openings:
d5. Sometimes Black plays ...Bf8, ...g6, and ...Bg7 (or more MCO-14. New York: David McKay Co.. pp. 664,
simply ...Bf6 if f6 is vacant) to exert some influence over 695–696. ISBN 0812930843.
d4. Or the same bishop can be brought to c7 (via d8) to
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hedgehog (chess)
[2] Kasparov, Garry (2004). My Great Predecessors, part • Suba, Mihai (2000). The Hedgehog. Batsford. ISBN
IV. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1857443950. 978-0713486964.
• Zeller, Frank (2000). Sizilianisch Im Geiste des Igels.
Further reading Schachverlag Kania. ISBN 978-3-931192-15-0.
• Shipov, Sergey (2009). The Complete Hedgehog, Vol. 1.
Mongoose Press. ISBN 978-0-9791482-1-7.
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Categories:
• Chess openings
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