Several games reach the line via the interesting move order 1... Nc6 2. Nc3 e5

2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. e3 d6 6. Nge2 h5!

In "Ideas Behind Modern Chess Openings: Black," Gary Lane calls this "An aggressive twist in this old, established line" that allows Black "to keep in hand the possibility of ...h5-h4 to undermine the kingside" (98).

The idea o f a rapid h-pawn advance for Black has long been conceivable, as shown by this game: 6... Be6 7. d3 Qd7 8. Nd5 Nd8 9. O-O c6 10. Ndc3 h5!? 11. Ne4 (11. h4 g5!? 12. hxg5 h4 Bernstein) 11... Nf6 12. Ng5 h4 Forster - Bernstein, Manhattan - Marshall Match 1975, given in Sidney Bernstein's "Combat: My 50 Years at the Chessboard."

7. d4

The "classical" response to a premature flank attack is to fight back in the center, as John Watson points out in his discussion of this game in "Chess Strategy in Action" (p. 85 ff.)

a) 7. a3 h4 8. b4 a6 9. Bb2 Bg4 10. h3 Be6 11. Nd5 hxg3 12. Nxg3 Rh4 13. Qc2 f5 14. O-O-O Qd7 15. b5 Na5 16. d3 axb5 17. cxb5 Bxd5 18. Bxd5 Ne7 19. Ba2 Qxb5 20. e4 Ra6 21. Kb1 Rb6 22. Rd2 Bh6 23. Re2 Rc6 24. Qd1 Rc1+ 25. Qxc1 Bxc1 26. Rxc1 Qxd3+ 0-1 Aponte,E-Resende,A/Havana CUB 2006

b) 7. h4 Bg4 8. a3 Nge7 9. b4 a6 10. Rb1 Qd7 11. Nd5 O-O 12. d3 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Rae8 14. Bh3 Nd4 15. b5 axb5 16. cxb5 Ne6 17. e4 f5 18. Qc2 c6 19. O-O b6 20. exf5 gxf5 21. Nxb6 Qc7 22. a4 Nc5 23. Qd1 f4 24. Bxf4 exf4 25. Qxh5 Ng6 26. Qxg6 Re5 27. Qf6 Rxf6 28. a5 Rg6 29. Kg2 fxg3 30. fxg3 Re3 31. Rf3 Be5 32. g4 Rxf3 33. Kxf3 Rf6+ 34. Ke2 Bg3 35. Rf1 Re6+ 36. Kd1 Re3 37. Kc2 Re2+ 38. Kb1 Rh2 39. Rc1 Rxh3 40. h5 Be5 41. Rxc5 dxc5 42. Nd7 Rxd3 43. Nxe5 Re3 44. Nxc6 Re1+ 45. Kb2 Ra1 46. Kc2 Ra2+ 47. Kd1 c4 48. Ne7+ Kf7 49. Nd5 Ra3 50. g5 c3 51. g6+ Kg7 52. Ke2 Rb3 53. Ne3 Rb1 0-1 Noroozi,A-Tomashevsky,E/Denizli TUR 2003

7... h4

7... exd4 8. Nxd4 Nge7 9. Nde2 h4 10. O-O hxg3 11. hxg3 Bh3 12. Bxh3 Rxh3 13. Nf4 Rh7 14. c5 Bxc3 15. bxc3 dxc5 16. Qf3 Qd7 17. Ba3 O-O-O 18. Rad1 Ne5 19. Qe4 Qxd1 20. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 21. Kg2 N7c6 22. Nh3 b6 23. g4 Kb7 24. Kg3 f5 25. gxf5 gxf5 26. Qxf5 Rg7+ 0-1 Hansen,C-Hodgson,J/Hamburg GER 2001

8. d5 Nce7 9. e4 f5 10. Bg5 h3 11. Bf3

11. Bf1 Nf6 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. f3 Bd7!? 14. Qd2= Schlosser-Almasi, German Team Ch 1998.

11... Nf6 12. O-O O-O 13. Qd2 Nh7 14. Be3 f4!? 15. gxf4 exf4 16. Bd4!

16. Bxf4? g5! 17. Bxg5 Rxf3

16... Bh6!?

16... Be5!?

17. c5 Ng5! 18. Bh1

18. Qd3 dxc5 19. Bxc5 Nc6! Watson

18... Nf7

18... dxc5 19. Bxc5 b6 Almasi

19. cxd6 cxd6 20. Qd3 Kh7

20... g5 21. e5 dxe5 22. Bc5 g4 23. Ne4 Bf5 Almasi

21. Rfe1 Ne5! 22. Bxe5 dxe5 23. Rad1 Ng8 24. d6?! Nf6 25. Bf3 Bd7 26. Nd5 Nxd5 27. Qxd5 Bg7 28. Kh1?! Qb6! 29. Rf1 Rac8 30. Qd3 Rf6 31. Nc3 Qxb2 32. Nd5 Rf7 33. Rb1 Qd4 34. Qb3 Be6! 35. Rbd1 Qc5 36. Qd3 Qc4 37. Qb1 Rc6 38. Nc7 Bd7 39. Rg1 Bf8 40. Rc1 Qd4 41. Qb3 Rf6 42. Nd5 Rfxd6 43. Rcd1 Qxf2 44. Nf6+ Rxf6 45. Rxd7+ Bg7 46. Bd1 f3 47. Qd3 Rc3 48. Rxg7+ Kxg7 49. Qd7+ Rf7 50. Qxh3 Qxg1+ 0-1

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6

Black has successfully tried getting in the h-pawn advance himself before White can: 3... h5 4. h3 d6 5. Nf3 g6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Bg7 8. Be3 Bd7 9. Bg2 Ne5 10. O-O Nc4 11. Bc1 Qb6 12. Nb3 e6 13. a4 a5 14. Rb1 Rc8 15. Qd3 Qb4 16. Nb5 Bxb5 17. axb5 Ne7 18. Nd4 O-O 19. Kh2 Rfd8 20. f4 e5 21. c3 Qc5 22. f5 exd4 23. f6 dxc3 24. bxc3 Bh8 25. fxe7 Re8 26. Bf4 Rxe7 27. Rbd1 Be5 28. Bxe5 dxe5 29. Rf6 Nb2 0-1 Franzoni,G-Kaspret,G/Groningen 1979.

4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3

5. h4!? e5 6. h5 d6 7. d3 Nge7 8. Be3 Nd4 9. Qd2 Bg4 10. f3 Be6 11. Nge2 Qd7 12. a3 d5 13. Bg5 Nxe2 14. h6 Bf8 15. Qxe2 d4 16. Nd1 Ng8 17. Bd2 O-O-O 18. b4 Kb8 19. Nb2 f6 20. Kf2 g5 21. bxc5 Nxh6 22. a4 Nf7 23. a5 Bxc5 24. Na4 Rc8 25. Nxc5 Rxc5 26. Bb4 Rc6 27. Rab1 h5 28. Rb2 Nd8 29. f4 Bg4 30. Bf3 Bxf3 31. Qxf3 exf4 32. gxf4 Qc7 33. Ke2 Rxc2+ 34. Rxc2 Qxc2+ 35. Bd2 Ne6 36. Rc1 Qb2 37. fxg5 fxg5 38. Qf6 Nf4+ 39. Kf1 Re8 40. Qf7 Rh8 41. Qc7+ 1-0 Heimrath,R-Teslia,V/Postbauer 1997.

5... e6 6. h4!

6... Nge7 7. h5 d6 8. Bd2 Rb8 9. Qc1 Nd4 10. Nd1 e5 11. c3 Ne6 12. Nf3 d5 13. Bh6 Bf6 14. Ne3 dxe4 15. dxe4 Ng7 16. Qc2 Be6 17. Qa4+ Nc6 18. Rd1 Qa5 19. Qxa5 Nxa5 20. Nd5 Nxh5 21. Nxf6+ Nxf6 22. Bg7 Ke7 23. Bxh8 Rxh8 24. Nxe5 b6 25. b3 h5 26. Ke2 g5 27. Ke3 h4 28. gxh4 gxh4 29. Bh3 Rh5 30. f4 Rh8 31. f5 Bc8 32. b4 1-0

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 h5!?

This accelerated h-pawn push line is discussed by Maxim Notkin in SOS 2 in an article titled "When I Was Young" (28-37). I like his title, since it highlights the fact that many of these ideas come not from "predecessors" but from imaginative youngsters.

The h-pawn advance had been played several times following first 3... Bc5 4. Bg2 h5! 5. Nf3

(5. h3! h4 6. g4 d6 7. Na4 Be6 8. d3 g5 9. c3 a6 10. Nf3 f6 11. d4 exd4 12. cxd4 Bb4+ 13. Nc3 Bc4 14. Qc2 Qe7 15. Bd2 O-O-O 16. b3 Bxc3 17. Bxc3 Bf7 18. O-O Bg6 19. Nd2 d5 20. Rfe1 Qd7 21. Qb2 Nge7 22. b4 dxe4 23. Nxe4 Bxe4 24. Bxe4 Qd6 25. b5 axb5 26. Qxb5 Nd5 27. Rab1 Nb6 28. d5 Na7 29. Qa5 Kb8 30. Bd4 Nac8 31. Bc5 Qd7 32. d6 Nxd6 33. Rxb6 cxb6 34. Bxb6 Nc8 35. Bf5 Qd6 36. Bxc8 Kxc8 37. Rc1+ Kd7 38. Qf5+ Ke8 39. Qg6+ 1-0 Mieses,J-Marshall,F/Berlin 1908)

5... h4!? 6. Nxh4 Rxh4 7. gxh4 Qxh4 8. d4 Bxd4!

(8... Nxd4 9. Nd5 d6 10. Ne3 Nf6 11. c3 Bg4 12. Nxg4? (12. Qd3 Nf3+ 13. Ke2!! Notkin) 12... Nxg4 13. Rf1 Ne6 14. Qe2 Nxh2 15. Rh1 Ke7 16. Kd1 Rh8 17. f3 Qg3 18. Bd2 Bf2 19. Bf1 Rh4 20. Qd3 Nc5 21. Qe2 Nxf3 22. Rxh4 Nxh4 23. Kc2 Nf3 24. Rd1 Nxd2 25. Rxd2 Be3 1/2-1/2 Short,N-Kavalek,L, Prague 1990)

9. Qe2 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 d6 11. O-O g5!? 12. Qe3 f6 13. Qg3 Qh7 14. Bf3 Nge7 15. Re1 Ng6 16. Be3 Ke7 17. c4 b6 18. c5 bxc5 19. c3 Nf4 20. Bg4 Bxg4 21. Qxg4 Rh8 22. h4 Qg8 23. Bxf4 Rxh4 24. Qg2 exf4 25. e5 Nxe5 26. Qb7 Rg4+ 27. Kf1 Qc4+ 28. Re2 Kd7 29. Qe4 f3 30. Qxc4 Nxc4 31. Rc2 Rg2 32. Re1 f5 33. Rce2 Kc6 0-1 Hartston,W-Mariotti,S/Skopje 1972.

4. h3!

The Mieses idea, which is now seen as one of the best ways of meeting an early flank thrust of this sort in the fianchetto position.

4. Nf3 h4 5. gxh4 (5. Nxh4?! Rxh4 6. gxh4 Qxh4 Dreev - Khalifman, Kirovabad 1984) 5... Nd4 6. d3 c6 7. Nxd4 exd4 8. Ne2 Bc5 9. c3 dxc3 10. bxc3 Qxh4 11. Ng3 Ne7 12. d4 Bb6 13. Ba3 d5 14. e5 Nf5 15. Qd3 Ba5 16. O-O-O Qf4+ 17. Rd2 Be6 18. Kb2 O-O-O 19. Nxf5 Bxf5 20. Qe3 Qe4 21. Qxe4 Bxe4 22. Rg1 g6 23. h3 Kd7 24. Rg4 Bf5 25. Rf4 Ke6 26. h4 Rdg8 27. Bd3 Bd8 28. c4 Rxh4 29. Bxf5+ gxf5 30. cxd5+ cxd5 31. Rxh4 Bxh4 32. f3 Rg3 33. Rd3 Rg2+ 34. Kb1 f6 35. exf6 Bxf6 36. Bc5 b6 37. Bb4 Rf2 38. Bd2 Be7 39. Kc1 Bd6 40. a4 f4 41. Rb3 Rf1+ 42. Kc2 Ra1 43. a5 bxa5 44. Rb7 Ra3 45. Rxa7 Rxf3 46. Ra6 Rf2 47. Kd3 Kd7 48. Ra7+ Kc8 49. Bxa5 Ra2 50. Ra8+ Bb8 51. Ra6 f3 52. Rc6+ Kd7 53. Rf6 Rxa5 54. Kc3 Ra3+ 55. Kb4 Bd6+ 56. Kb5 Ke7 0-1 Pestov,S-Notkin,M/Moscow 1994.

4... h4 5. g4 Nge7 6. Bg2 Ng6 7. Nge2 Bc5 8. d3

8. Nd5 Nd4!? Notkin

8... Nd4 9. Nxd4 Bxd4 10. Ne2 Bb6 11. c3 Qf6 12. d4 d6 13. a4

13. O-O

13... a6 14. Be3?! Be6 15. a5 Ba7 16. O-O Bc4 17. Re1 Nf8 18. Qd2 Ne6 19. d5 Bxe3 20. Qxe3 Bxe2 21. dxe6 Bc4 22. exf7+ Qxf7 23. Qg5 Rh6 24. Rad1 Qe7 25. Qe3 Rf6 26. Bf1 Be6 27. Be2 Rf4 28. c4 Kf8 29. Kg2 Kg8 30. b3 Raf8 31. f3 Qg5 32. Rd3 Bd7 33. Rc3 Bc6 34. Rf1 Qf6 35. Bd3 Bd7 36. Be2 Kh8 37. Rcc1 Qg5 38. Rc3 Be6 39. b4 Bg8 40. Rd1 Qf6 41. c5 d5 42. exd5 e4 43. d6 c6 44. Rf1 Bd5 45. Rf2 g5 46. Bd1 Kg7 47. Be2 Kh6 48. Bd1 Rf7 49. Be2 Qg7 50. Qc1 Qe5 51. Bc4 exf3+ 0-1