The Hedgehog is a respected chess formation, usually adopted as Black, where the defender crouches behind a wall of pawns on the third rank, spines abristle, fending off any hostile aggression until the time comes to unfurl and deploy the fretful porpentine’s armoury in earnest. Since the Hedgehog is essentially a defensive ploy, it is hardly seen as White, but in the elite Dortmund tournament last month former world champion Vladimir Kramnik demonstrated that it can also be adapted for a White offensive. In the following game White’s 22nd move constitutes one of the most astounding coups I have ever seen on the chessboard. It certainly had the effect of knocking the solid and experienced former world title challenger, grandmaster Peter Leko, entirely off his balance.
Kramnik-Leko; Dortmund 2013; English Opening
1 c4 c5 2 g3 g6 3 Bg2 Bg7 4 Nc3 Nc6 5 Nf3 d6 6 0-0 e6 7 b3 At Dortmund Kramnik, with White, favoured the fianchetto of both bishops. For example Kramnik-Fridman saw 1 c4 e6 2 Nf3 d5 3 b3 Nf6 4 g3 Be7 5 Bg2 0-0 6 0-0 c5 7 Bb2. 7 … Nge7 8 Bb2 0-0 9 e3 e5 10 d3 h6 11 a3 Be6 12 Nd2 d5 13 cxd5 Nxd5 14 Rc1 Nde7 15 Nc4 Rb8 16 Qe2 b6 The basic Hedgehog structure has now been established with central pawns on the third rank. 17 f4 exf4 18 gxf4 f5 19 Rfd1 b5 20 Nd2 Qd7 21 Qf2 a6 22 Nde4 (see diagram 1) One of the most astonishing moves I have ever seen. When I first played over this game I thought that this must be a misprint, the more so since Leko declines to take the piece. But no, it is true. 22 … Qa7 This pusillanimous response permits White to take control.
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