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Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. d4

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Center Game
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 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 kingd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black kingg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black pawnf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 black kingd4 white pawne4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. d4
ECO code: C21–C22
Parent: Open Game

Center Game

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The move 2. d4 by White smashes open the center by attacking Black's king pawn and allows White to develop his pieces with very great speed by opening up the d-file for the queen and bishop.

Black's responses

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The most common response is for Black to accept the Centre Game and take the pawn with 2...exd4, which White will retake with the queen. Although no pawn material is lost here, White will lose tempo in order to save the queen from Black's Nc6 knight attack. This gives Black a lead in development, which brought this opening out of favor historically by the early 20th century although the opening has been explored later from the 1980s.

Defending the e-pawn instead with 2...d6 leads to a transposition of the Maróczy Defence stemming from the Pirc Defence (1. e4 d6 2. d4 e5). The Maróczy Defence may then lead to the Philidor. However, White can choose not to transpose here since Black's 2...d6 gives White the chance now to aggressively capture the e-pawn with 3. dxe4 rather than defend their d-pawn with the Philidor's 3. Nf3 knight defence. Once the pawns are traded off, White can force off the queens as well which denies Black the ability of castling – possibly leading into an early endgame.

Instead of the normal 2...exd4, a countergambit can be tried with 2...f5?!, but this is quite a dubious move and is only reserved for unprepared players. 2...f5 gives White a good game after the threat of Qh5+ can't be stopped (the bishop can move and give a square to the king on f8), as after 3. exf5 Nf6?? loses to 4. e5!, and Black has two choices: letting a very dangerous Qh5+ happen or giving up the knight. Once again, unprepared opponents may be surprised by this and play recklessly, leading to possible, but rare wins by Black.

Theory table

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1. e4 e5 2. d4

  2 3 4 5 Evaluation Notes
Centre Game Accepted ...
exd4
Qxd4
Nc6
Qe3
Nf6
Nc3
Bb4
=
Danish Gambit ...
exd4
c3
d5
exd5
Nf6
Bb5+
Bd7
=
Nimzowitsch Defence ...
Nc6
Nf3
exd4
= Nimzowitsch sideline by transposition after 2...Nc6 (more commonly: 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5). And, can continue as a Scotch transposition if 3. Nf3 (more commonly: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4).
Maróczy Defence ...
d6
dxe5
dxe5
Qxd8+
Kxd8
Bc4
 
Also, known as the Philidor Gambit.
Philidor Defence ...
d6
Nf3
exd4
By transposition (after 2...d6, iff. White plays 3. Nf3). More commonly: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4
Petrov's Defence ...
Nf6
Nf3
Nxe4
= By transposition (after 2...Nf6, iff. White plays 3. Nf3). More commonly: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4
Beyer Countergambit ...
d5
Stemming from the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit by transposition. More commonly: 1. d4 d5 2. e4 e5.
...
f5
exf5
Bd6
dxe5
Bxe5
Qh5+
Kf8
+/- Recalls a reversed Falkbeer Countergambit but White (playing as Black) has an extra tempo.

References

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

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