St. George Defense
Encyclopedia
The St. George Defence, also known as the Baker Defence or Birmingham Defence, is an unorthodox chess opening
played with the black pieces. It is given the B00 ECO
code as a King's Pawn Opening. The opening begins with the moves
The St. George Defence is generally considered an inferior response to 1.e4 compared to 1...e5, 1...e6, 1...c5, or 1...c6. The St. George Defence is considered more dubious than Owen's Defence (1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7), since Black spends three moves just to develop his queen
bishop
, as opposed to two in Owen's Defence, while White occupies the center and is ready to castle
in three more moves.
The first known chess game involving the St. George was a simultaneous game between an English amateur J. Baker and the first official World Chess Champion Wilhelm Steinitz
on 11 December 1868. The game was won by Baker. The advocates of the opening are generally players willing to sacrifice the center in order to attack from the flank, and to avoid theory. Michael Basman
has been known to play the St. George, as did Tony Miles
.
In perhaps its most famous appearance, Miles defeated reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov
in the 1980 European Team Championship in Skara
, Sweden
. The opening also acquired the name of "Birmingham
Defence" at this time, after Miles' hometown.
Boris Spassky
also played the St. George Defence, albeit by transposition, in the 22nd game of his 1966 world championship
match against world champion Tigran Petrosian
. That game began 1.d4 b5 (the Polish Defence) 2.e4 Bb7 3.f3 a6 (transposing to the St. George). This was an inauspicious outing for the defence, however: Petrosian won, giving him the 12 points needed to retain his title.
The major lines in the opening start with 1.e4 a6!? 2.d4 b5 and then branch. (White can also show the defence respect by playing the strong if rarely played 1.e4 a6 2.c4 preventing blacks 2... b5 or making it into a gambit) The main line continues 3.Nf3 Bb7 4.Bd3 e6 5.0-0 Nf6. Another important line is the Three Pawns Attack, sometimes called the St. George Gambit, which continues 3.c4 e6!? 4.cxb5 axb5 5.Bxb5 Bb7.(Black can also play 3... Bb7 and offer his or her b pawn for the more valuable white e pawn) The St. George is also sometimes used to prevent a white bishop from landing on b5 and then the game follows with a French Defence
.
Much of the theoretical work on the defence was done by the English IM Michael Basman
.
-Anthony Miles, European Team Championship, Skara 1980. 1.e4 a6 2.d4 b5 3.Nf3 Bb7 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Qe2 e6 6.a4 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Nbd2 b4 9.e5 Nd5 10.Ne4 Be7 11.0-0 Nc6 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.c4 bxc3 14.Nxc3 Nxc3 15.Bxc3 Nb4 16.Bxb4 Bxb4 17.Rac1 Qb6 18.Be4 0-0!? 19.Ng5 (19.Bxh7+!? is a very dangerous sacrifice) h6 20.Bh7+ Kh8 21.Bb1 Be7 22.Ne4 Rac8 23.Qd3 Rxc1 24.Rxc1 Qxb2 25.Re1 Qxe5 26.Qxd7 Bb4 27.Re3 Qd5 28.Qxd5 Bxd5 29.Nc3 Rc8 30.Ne2 g5 31.h4 Kg7 32.hxg5 hxg5 33.Bd3 a5 34.Rg3 Kf6 35.Rg4 Bd6 36.Kf1 Be5 37.Ke1 Rh8 38.f4 gxf4 39.Nxf4 Bc6 40.Ne2 Rh1+ 41.Kd2 Rh2 42.g3 Bf3 43.Rg8 Rg2 44.Ke1 Bxe2 45.Bxe2 Rxg3 46.Ra8 Bc7 0-1.
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
played with the black pieces. It is given the B00 ECO
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
code as a King's Pawn Opening. The opening begins with the moves
Algebraic chess notation
Algebraic notation is a method for recording and describing the moves in a game of chess. It is now standard among all chess organizations and most books, magazines, and newspapers...
- 1. e4 a6!? (see diagram)
The St. George Defence is generally considered an inferior response to 1.e4 compared to 1...e5, 1...e6, 1...c5, or 1...c6. The St. George Defence is considered more dubious than Owen's Defence (1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7), since Black spends three moves just to develop his queen
Queen (chess)
The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Each player starts the game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. With the chessboard oriented correctly, the white queen starts...
bishop
Bishop (chess)
A bishop is a piece in the board game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen...
, as opposed to two in Owen's Defence, while White occupies the center and is ready to castle
Castling
Castling is a special move in the game of chess involving the king and either of the original rooks of the same color. It is the only move in chess in which a player moves two pieces at the same time. Castling consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then...
in three more moves.
The first known chess game involving the St. George was a simultaneous game between an English amateur J. Baker and the first official World Chess Champion Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz was an Austrian and then American chess player and the first undisputed world chess champion from 1886 to 1894. From the 1870s onwards, commentators have debated whether Steinitz was effectively the champion earlier...
on 11 December 1868. The game was won by Baker. The advocates of the opening are generally players willing to sacrifice the center in order to attack from the flank, and to avoid theory. Michael Basman
Michael Basman
Michael John Basman is an English chess player, chess author and International Master. He was awarded the International Master title in 1980...
has been known to play the St. George, as did Tony Miles
Tony Miles
Anthony John Miles was an English chess Grandmaster.- Early achievements in chess :Miles was born in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham...
.
In perhaps its most famous appearance, Miles defeated reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
in the 1980 European Team Championship in Skara
Skara
Skara is a locality and the seat of Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 18595 inhabitants in 2005. Despite its small size, it has a long educational and ecclesiastical history. One of Sweden's oldest high schools, Katedralskolan , is situated in Skara...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The opening also acquired the name of "Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Defence" at this time, after Miles' hometown.
Boris Spassky
Boris Spassky
Boris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
also played the St. George Defence, albeit by transposition, in the 22nd game of his 1966 world championship
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
match against world champion Tigran Petrosian
Tigran Petrosian
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...
. That game began 1.d4 b5 (the Polish Defence) 2.e4 Bb7 3.f3 a6 (transposing to the St. George). This was an inauspicious outing for the defence, however: Petrosian won, giving him the 12 points needed to retain his title.
The major lines in the opening start with 1.e4 a6!? 2.d4 b5 and then branch. (White can also show the defence respect by playing the strong if rarely played 1.e4 a6 2.c4 preventing blacks 2... b5 or making it into a gambit) The main line continues 3.Nf3 Bb7 4.Bd3 e6 5.0-0 Nf6. Another important line is the Three Pawns Attack, sometimes called the St. George Gambit, which continues 3.c4 e6!? 4.cxb5 axb5 5.Bxb5 Bb7.(Black can also play 3... Bb7 and offer his or her b pawn for the more valuable white e pawn) The St. George is also sometimes used to prevent a white bishop from landing on b5 and then the game follows with a French Defence
French Defence
The French Defence is a chess opening. It is characterised by the moves:The French has a reputation for solidity and resilience, though it can result in a somewhat cramped game for Black in the early stages...
.
Much of the theoretical work on the defence was done by the English IM Michael Basman
Michael Basman
Michael John Basman is an English chess player, chess author and International Master. He was awarded the International Master title in 1980...
.
Illustrative game
Anatoly KarpovAnatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
-Anthony Miles, European Team Championship, Skara 1980. 1.e4 a6 2.d4 b5 3.Nf3 Bb7 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Qe2 e6 6.a4 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Nbd2 b4 9.e5 Nd5 10.Ne4 Be7 11.0-0 Nc6 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.c4 bxc3 14.Nxc3 Nxc3 15.Bxc3 Nb4 16.Bxb4 Bxb4 17.Rac1 Qb6 18.Be4 0-0!? 19.Ng5 (19.Bxh7+!? is a very dangerous sacrifice) h6 20.Bh7+ Kh8 21.Bb1 Be7 22.Ne4 Rac8 23.Qd3 Rxc1 24.Rxc1 Qxb2 25.Re1 Qxe5 26.Qxd7 Bb4 27.Re3 Qd5 28.Qxd5 Bxd5 29.Nc3 Rc8 30.Ne2 g5 31.h4 Kg7 32.hxg5 hxg5 33.Bd3 a5 34.Rg3 Kf6 35.Rg4 Bd6 36.Kf1 Be5 37.Ke1 Rh8 38.f4 gxf4 39.Nxf4 Bc6 40.Ne2 Rh1+ 41.Kd2 Rh2 42.g3 Bf3 43.Rg8 Rg2 44.Ke1 Bxe2 45.Bxe2 Rxg3 46.Ra8 Bc7 0-1.