Fred Defence
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- This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
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The Fred Defence is a dubious chess opening characterised by the moves:
- 1.e4 f5
The Fred Defence is classified in ECO as B00a. ECO gives this continuation:
- 2. exf5 Nf6
- 3. d4 d5
- 4. Bd3
with a definite advantage for White.
It is widely regarded as an exceptionally poor response to 1. e4 and is very rarely played. According to Chessmaster, the Fred defence "should be dead." Remarkably, however, the seven games with the opening on chessgames.com show Black achieving an even score (+3 =1 -3). These include three 1938 games, evidently from some sort of exhibition match, between grandmasters Ossip Bernstein, who played White, and Oldrich Duras, who played Black, which ended +1 =1 -1. In all of the games, after 2.exf5, Duras played 2...Nf6 and followed up with ...e5 a few moves later, allowing White to remain a pawn ahead after fxe6.
A less common line, often called the "Southern Fred," follows up with
- 2. ... Kf7
In most lines, black sacrifices one or two pawns and attempts castling by hand. The most common line continues
- 3. Qh5+ g6
- 4. fxg6 Kg7
- 5. gxh7 Rxh7
- 6. Qg4+ Kh8
Although black has sacrificed two pawns, he has superior development and attacking potential on the kingside.
With careful play, white can often gain a substantial advantage by simply playing defensively and not attempting any mating attacks until the late middlegame/early endgame. White is often correct to castle queenside to avoid black's kingside development.
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