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Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...Nf6/2. c4/2...e5/3. dxe5/3...Ng4/4. Nf3/4...Nc6

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Budapest Gambit
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black kingc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black kingh8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black kingf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black knightd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black kingg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 white pawnf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 white pawnd4 black kinge4 black kingf4 black kingg4 black knighth4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 white knightg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 black kingd2 black kinge2 white pawnf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 black kingh1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
Moves: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Nc6
ECO code: A51-A52
Parent: Indian Defence

The 4...Nc6 line

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Nc6

Black plays this when he wants to postpone the placement of its dark-squared bishop. Now White has a wide choice:

  • 5.Bf4 transposes in the 4.Bf4 variation explained hereafter.
  • 5.Qd5 transposes in the minor line 4.Qd5 explained hereafter.
  • 5.Nc3 will transpose into the 4...Bc5 line if Black plays 5...Bc5, but Black can also wait a bit to see what White is up to, e.g. 5...Ngxe5 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.Qc2 Bb4 when both players are still hesitating to castle long or short.[1]

5.e3 Bb4+

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.e3 Bb4+

After 5.e3 the check 5...Bb4+ is not that good because White can react with the simple 6.Bd2 that does not concede anything and keeps the possibility for his Nb1 to reach the important d5-square. A game continued 6...Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 O-O 8.Be2 Ncxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.O-O d6 11.Nc3 Bg4 12.f3 Be6 13.b3 Qh4 and here Borik advises 14.Nd5 with the more comfortable game.[2]

The other reply 6.Nc3 is good only if Black makes the errors of not doubling White's pawns with the immediate 6...Bxc3+. For example in a game after 6...Ngxe5 7.Bd2 O-O 8.a3! Bxc3 9.Bxc3 d6 Black had no compensation for the loss of the bishop pair.[3] After the correct 6...Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Qe7! (important to prevent both c4–c5 and Bc1–a3) 8.a4 Ngxe5 9.Ba3 d6 10.c5 Nxf3+ 11.gxf3 Qe5! 12.Qd2 dxc5 and White had not sufficient compensation for the pawn.[4]

5.e3 Ngxe5

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.e3 Ngxe5

Better for Black is 5...Ngxe5 when Black can go into a kind of King's Indian Defence setup with g7–g6 and Bf8–g7.[5] Then the pressure along the a1–h8 diagonal can be enhanced via the quick advance a7–a5–a4–a3. For example after 5.e3 Ngxe5 6.Be2 g6 ("!?" Lalic) 7.O-O Bg7 8.Nc3 O-O 9.Qd2 d6 10.h3 ("?" Lalic) 10...a5 ("!" Lalic) 11.b3 a4 and now 12.Bb2 would have been followed by 12.a3! 13.Bc1 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 Qf6 winning the Nc3.[6]

5.Bg5

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bg5

5.Bg5 Be7 6.Bxe7 (6.Bf4 Bb4+ transposes in the 4.Bf4 variation) 6...Qxe7 7.Nc3 with the dangerous positional threat Nc3–d5. Here Borik advocates 7...Qc5 8.e3 Ngxe5, when he can react to Qd1–d5 with Qc5–e7 (and the d5-square is no more available to the Nc3), and to Nc3–d5 with Nc6–e7 (to exchange the annoying knight).[5] Black can also delay the recapture of the e5-pawn with 7...O-O 8.Nd5 Qd8 9.e3 Ngxe5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5.[7] Meanwhile, the natural 7...Ngxe5 falls into White's positional trap and after 8.Nd5 ("!?" Lalic) 8...Qd8 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Qd4 f6 11.f4 Ng6 12.Qe4+ Kf7 White got an edge.[8]

Theory table

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For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Nc6

5 6 7 8 9





References

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  1. Lalic 1998, p.91
    Hebden – Hodgson, Guernsey 1985
  2. Borik 1986, p.2
    Gutman – Shvidler, Beersheva 1982
  3. Borik 1986, p.3
    Thomas – Reti, Baden-Baden 1925
  4. Borik 1986, p.6
    Kamishov – Selyinsky, USSR 1973
  5. a b Borik 1986, p.11
  6. Lalic 1998, p.90
    Maurer – Nurkic, Imperia 1990
  7. Lalic 1998, p.92
    Polugaevsky – Nunn
  8. Lalic 1998, p.94
    Laketic – Gavric, Yugoslavian team championship 1994