The Fianchetto Opening

Important variations are animated at the bottom of the page.

This can be a favorite opening for little kids who are afraid of attacks.  In my opinion, fianchettoes aren't necessarily bad, but there are some strict rules I follow when I fianchetto.

1. Never fianchetto both bishops.  You can use one for defense or one for attack, but never both.  You should always have an active bishop.  These are very important for pins, forks, skewers, and most important, eating up pawns.
    
2. It is great to castle into a fianchetto.  These are powerful defenses.  However, if you fianchetto kingside and the other person castles queenside, do not castle into the fianchetto.  This rule also applies when you haven't yet castled.  Many people think that the bishop is what holds the defense together.  This is not true.  The whole purpose of the fianchetto is for pawn structure.
    
3. If you choose to castle into a fianchetto, do not sacrifice or exchange the bishop.
    
4. Do not wreck the pawn structure.  The fianchetto is very strong if challenged by other pieces, but not if you pull the threads out of the defenses.  This means that you cannot move the pawns or the bishop away from protecting the king.  The only exception is if the queens have been exchanged.
    
5. Never open with a fianchetto.  Always open with center pawns.  This gives you more options on where to move your pieces.  This leads to slow development if you open this way.  You can get checkmated quickly, but cannot checkmate the other person until the endgame because most early checkmates involve bishops.

So now you have heard the rules about fianchettoing.  Many people break these rules, and that is how they get checkmated.  There are 2 simple strategies to defeating the fianchetto / fianchettoed king.  I have found that if you use these correctly, you will win most of your games.  Most lead to checkmate for the un-fianchettoed person.  The others lead to draws.  Rarely do you see the fianchettoed person win.  When I write about the fianchetto opening, there must be a double fianchetto.  A single fianchetto is fine helpful, a double is harmful.

The first strategy is pawn storming.  The most important part of a fianchetto is its pawn structure.  If you can ruin that, you have a very good chance of winning.  Most people believe that it is the bishop that keeps the defense together.  It is the pawn structure.  The other strategy is a technique I call a "stormline." 

The Formation of a Stormline   A B C D E F G H 8     7     6         5                 4         3             2         1

The stormline is not for storming the kingside.  This is more for before the enemy king has castled.  It is for storming all of your pieces down the center almost forcing the king to castle.  It creates open files, sets many traps, and leaves your options completely open.  You will see how intimidating this is.  If you follow the moves on your own board, you should reach the position on the left.  Many say that if you can get 2 pawns in the center, do so.  I count the c and f pawns as center pawns, and with good reason.  1. e4, g6  2. d4, Bg7  3. c4, b6  4. f4, Bb7  5. Nc3, e6  6. Nf3, d6.

The Stormline Technique   A B C D E F G H 8       7   6         5                 4         3         2         1

This is a long line, but look at white!  The reason black moves e6 and d6 is to put the knights in front of his king and queen.  He doesn't want to block his bishops in.  Next, 7. Bd3, Ne7  8. Be3.  By this time your stormline is complete, so black finds it best to castle leaving you with the position on the left.  8...0-0.  White's setup looks pretty intimidating.  Black has castled kingside.  Now, white should castle queenside so that he can pawnstorm the king.  This looks too open, but where can black attack?  He cannot challenge any of white's center pawns.  Plus, if any pawn moves, the bishops are ready for a trap.  Black has no space and no good way to challenge the pawn center.

The Winning Stormline   A B C D E F G H 8         7     6         5               4       3         2           1

You would be surprised at how easy it is to win after this.  Two tricks to fianchettoes:  Make a stormline and castle in the opposite direction of the enemy king.  Pawnstorms are the easiest way to beat a fianchetto.  You will also find that people who fianchetto normally castle kingside.  This is just for some knowledge so that you know which way you want to castle.  On the diagram on the left, a person broke 4 out of the 5 fianchetto rules.  The only thing he didn't do is sacrifice or exchange the bishop.  Do you notice how blown open black is?  It is pretty obvious who will win this game.  As a separate note, Paul Morphy, the composer of the Opera House Massacre, had his own set-up for the double fianchetto.  It was d4, e4, Bd3, Be3, Nd2, Ne2.  My variation is longer, but from experience, more useful.  I have only ever lost one game as white, and that was from a blunder rather than a defeat of the set-up.