In this aggressive countergambit , Black disdains the pawn offered as a sacrifice, instead opening the centre to exploit White's weakness on the kingside . After the standard capture, 3.exd5, Black may reply with 3...exf4, transposing into the King's Gambit Accepted, 3...e4, or the more modern 3...c6.
A well-known blunder in this opening is White's reply 3.fxe5??, which after 3...Qh4+, either loses material after 4.g3 Qxe4+, forking the king and rook, or severely exposes the white king to the black pieces after 4.Ke2 Qxe4+ 5.Kf2 Bc5+.
In this variation, Black's compensation for the sacrificed pawn primarily consists of his lead in development , coupled with the exposure of White's king. A typical line may run: 4.d3 Nf6 5.dxe4 Nxe4 6.Nf3 Bc5, where Black aims for the weakness on f2. In Maehrisch-Ostrau 1923, a game between Rudolf Spielmann and Siegbert Tarrasch continued: 7.Qe2 Bf5 (this was condemned by the Handbuch des Schachspiels because of White's next, though Black had already gotten into difficulties in the game Réti–Breyer, Budapest 1917, where 7...f5 8.Nfd2 Bf2+ 9.Kd1 Qxd5 10.Nc3 was played) 8.g4?! (in retrospect, prudent was 8.Nc3) 8...0-0! 9.gxf5 Re8 and Black has a tremendous position, as he is bound to regain material and White's positional deficiencies will remain.[2]
This line fell out of favour after World War II, as Black encountered difficulties, with players eventually turning to the next idea.
Nimzowitsch Variation: 3...c6
This has become the most commonly played move after 3.exd5, with its most notable advocate being John Nunn. It is usually attributed to Aron Nimzowitsch, who successfully played it in Spielmann–Nimzowitsch, Munich 1906.[3]Frank Marshall actually introduced the move to master play, however, at Ostend 1905, defeating Richard Teichmann in 34 moves. [4][5] Annotating that game in his 1914 book Marshall's Chess "Swindles", Marshall described his 3...c6 as "An innovation."[6]
Although Black won both of those games, 3...c6 languished in obscurity for many years thereafter. White can respond with 4.Qe2, despite the drastic defeat inflicted on the young Alexander Alekhine by Paul Johner at Carlsbad 1911, although 4.Nc3 exf4 is much more common. The resulting positions are analogous to the Modern Defence of the King's Gambit Accepted, in which White strives to utilise his 4–2 queenside pawn majority , with Black relying on his piece activity and cramping pawn at f4 to play against White's king. Theory has not reached a definitive verdict, but the resulting positions are believed to offer Black more chances than 3...e4.
The Latvian Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
The Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
Frank James Marshall was the U.S. Chess Champion from 1909 to 1936, and one of the world's strongest chess players in the early part of the 20th century.
The Two Knights Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
The King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
The Caro–Kann Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
Petrov's Defence or the Petrov Defence is a chess opening characterised by the following moves:
The Bishop's Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
The Scotch Game, or Scotch Opening, is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
The Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
The Ponziani Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
The Tarrasch Defense is a chess opening characterized by the moves:
A Steinitz Variation is any of several chess openings introduced and practiced, or adopted and advocated by Wilhelm Steinitz, the first officially recognized World Chess Champion.
The McDonnell Gambit is a chess opening gambit in the King's Gambit, Classical Variation that begins with the moves:
The Bishop's Gambit is a variation of the King's Gambit, a chess opening that begins with the moves:
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