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Hello and welcome to the page that details the heatseeker position on a chessboard.
This position is fairly uncommon and difficult to achieve, but may offer substantial
rewards if it is achieved. Do not go out of your way to achieve this position. However,
sometimes the opportunity presents itself, and then you could possibly attain a similar
position to this one. |
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Advantages
- The double diagonal thrust onto Black's Kingside seriously discourages Kingside
castling, while White oppresses the Queenside with the pawn structure.
- d4 is expandable, and Black must waste time removing this thorn, which then reveals a
the castled Rook behind it, seeking to control the file.
- The "Heatzeaker" is the Bishop on a3, exerting a strong influence on the diagonal, and
immediately threatening to prevent Kingside castling. Fianchettoing the opposing Bishop
does not worry White because of c3-d4-e3, and ...Rf8 is also a risky proposition.
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Disadvantages
- Until the "heatzeaker" Bishop is installed, the opening effectively lacks sting.
- The c3 pawn is very weak, and having both the Queen and King behind it raises a
possibility of a future Rook skewer.
- Fianchettoing Ba3 depends heavily on 1... d5, without which ...d6 effectively ends the
threat of the heatseeker especially with the backing of e7.
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Move Sequence
- d4. To discourage the e Pawn from moving.
- b3. Threatening to fianchetto the Bishop.
- Ba3. This is assuming your opponent did not play 1...e5 or 1...e6.
- e3. Backing up d4 and allowing the other Bishop to enter the fray.
- Bd3. dxc4 must occur in response to ...c5.
- Nd2. Shielding the King against check.
- c3. Avoids a pin on Nd2 and allows the Queen to take c2.
- Qc2. Threatens the h7 pawn and clears the way for Castling long.
- 0-0-0. castling to safety on the unexpected side.
- Ne2. Positioning the Knight for Nf4, or as a backup to f4.
- Clearing the d file allows strong Rook pressure to follow. Meanwhile, the other Rook
is free to operate on f, g, and h. The worst thing for Black to do is to castle on the
Kingside as usual, as this variation is particularly potent on the a3-f8 and the b1-h7
diagonals.
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Pitfalls
Throughout the entire opening sequence, black can give white trouble with these moves:
- 2...e6 by Black prevents your 3. Ba3
- The Bishops are relatively safe, but the Knights are mostly defensive in this game
- ...c5 messes the game up, and Queenside castling must then be abandoned
- Kingside castling relegates the a Rook to defensive duties, as breaking up the Pawn
structure is not a good option early in the game
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Similar Openings
1. d4 is the Queen's Pawn Opening.
The Queen's Pawn Gamefollows with 2... d5.
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Heatzeaker