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Why is this particular iteration of the "French Defense, Winawer Variation" called the "Fingerslip Variation"?

[fen "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bd2

1 Answer 1

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According to "The Batsford Guide to Chess Openings" by Leonard Barden and Tim Harding:

"This move had its introduction into master play as the result of a fingerslip by Alekhine against Flohr, at Nottingham in 1936. He had intended 4 P-K5 P-QB4 5 B-Q2, but played the moves in the wrong order"

The game is at

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1008345

2
  • 2
    There were earlier occurrences in master play: Marshall-Chigorin, Monte Carlo (1901) and Speijer-Alekhine(!), Hamburg (1910). Aug 31, 2015 at 10:27
  • 15
    In algebraic notation, that's 4.e5 c5 5.Bd2.
    – JiK
    Aug 31, 2015 at 11:24

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