Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...b6

Owen's Defence
a b c d e f g h 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) rnbqkbnr/p1pppppp/1p6/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w
Moves: 1.e4 b6
ECO code: B00
Parent: King's Pawn Opening

1. e4 b6 Owen's Defense

1...b6

The Owen's Defence, named after John Owen, is a very rare and uncommon response to the King’s pawn game as white can easily control the center with 2. d4.

Black usually fianchettos the light-squared bishop in this opening.

Owen’s Defence is still popular among club players and this opening can be transposed to an English opening or other lines.

White generally responds to Owen's Defence with 2. d4, preparing to take over the centre.

Theory table

1.e4 b6

	2	3	4
	d4 Bb7	Bd3 Nf6	Qe2 e6	=

Wikipedia has related information at Owen's Defence.

References

• Nunn's Chess Openings. 1999. John Nunn (Editor), Graham Burgess, John Emms, Joe Gallagher. ISBN 1-8574-4221-0.

• Modern Chess Openings: MCO-14. 1999. Nick de Firmian, Walter Korn. ISBN 0-8129-3084-3.

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.

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Chess Opening Theory

1. e4 e5
Open games

2. Nf3

2...Nc6

3. Bb5
Spanish

• Berlin →
  • Anti-Berlin
  • Beverwijk
  • L'Hermet → Berlin Wall

• Morphy →
  • Exchange
  • Closed →
    • Marshall
    • Chigorin
    • Flohr
  • Open
  • Arkhangelsk
  • Anderssen
  • Mackenzie

• Bird
• Classical
• Cozio
• Old Steinitz
• Schliemann

3. Bc4
Italian

• Giuoco Piano →
  • Evans gambit
  • Giuoco pianissimo
  • Rosentreter
  • Jerome ??

• Two knights defence →
  • Open
  • Knight attack →
    • Fried liver
    • Polerio

• Anti-fried liver ?!
• Blackburne shilling ?

3. Nc3
Three knights

• Four knights →
  • Glek
  • Italian
  • Scotch → Belgrade
  • Spanish
  • Naroditsky !?
  • Halloween ?!

• Steinitz
• Schlechter

Other

• Ponziani
• Scotch game
• Konstantinopolsky !?

2...Nf6
Russian

• Classical
• Kholmov
• Modern
• Boden-Kieseritzky !?
• Stafford ?
• Damiano trap ??

2...d6
Philidor

• Exchange
• Philidor countergambit
• Nimzowitsch
• Hanham

Other

• Busch-Gass gambit ?
• Elephant gambit ?
• Greco defence ?!
• Latvian gambit ?
• Damiano defence ??

2. f4
King's gambit

2...exf4
Accepted

• King's knight →
  • Kieseritzky
  • Schallop
  • Modern
  • Fischer
  • Lolli ?
  • Muzio ?
• Bishop's →
  • Cozio

Other
Declined

• Classical
• Queen's knight
• Falkbeer

2. Nc3
Vienna

• Falkbeer →
  • Mieses
  • Stanley
  • Frankenstein-Dracula
  • Vienna gambit
• Max Lange

Other

• Bishop's opening →
  • Berlin
  • Boi
• Centre game →
  • Danish
• Leonardis
• Parham ?!
• Portuguese ?!
• Bongcloud ?

1. e4 c5
Sicilian

2. Nf3

2...Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4

• Accelerated dragon →
  • Maróczy bind
• Classical
• Godiva
• Kalashnikov
• Sveshnikov

2...Nc6 other

• Rossolimo
• Delayed Alapin

2...d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4

• Dragon →
  • Levenfish attack
  • Yugoslav attack
• Dragondorf
• Kupreichik
• Najdorf →
  • 6. Bg5
  • English attack
  • Opocensky
• Scheveningen

2...d6 other

• Moscow
• Chekhover
• Delayed Alapin

2...e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4

• French, Normal
  • American attack
  • Four knights
  • Pin
• Kan
• Kveinis
• Paulsen-Basman
• Taimanov →
  • Bastrikov →
    • English attack
  • Szén →
    • Garry Gambit

2...e6 other

• Kramnik
• Delayed Alapin

Others

• Hyper-accelerated dragon
• Katalymov
• Nimzowitsch
• O'Kelly

Anti-Sicilians

• Alapin
• Bowdler
• Closed Sicilian →
  • Carlsen
  • Grand Prix
  • Fianchetto
• McDonnell
• Mengarini
• Smith-Morra
• Snyder
• Staunton-Cochrane
• Wing gambit

1. e4 e6
French

• Advance
• Classical
• Exchange
• Tarrasch
• Rubinstein
• Winawer

1. e4 c6
Caro-Kann

• Classical
• Advance →
  • Short
  • van der Wiel
• Exchange
• Panov-Botvinnik Attack
• Accelerated Panov
• Two Knights
• Fantasy
• Hillbilly ?!

1. e4 other

• Alekhine
• Czech
• Modern
• Nimzowitsch
• Owen's
• Pirc →
  • Lion
  • Austrian
  • 150
• Scandinavian →
  • Classical
  • Modern
  • Blackburne-Kloosterbooer gambit !?
  • Tennison gambit ?!

• Barnes ?
• Borg ?
• Corn stalk ??
• Duras ??
• 1...b5 ??

1. d4 d5
Closed games

2. c4
Queen's gambit

• Albin countergambit
• Austrian
• Chigorin
• Marshall
• Queen's gambit accepted
• Queen's gambit declined
• Slav →
  • Semi-Slav

2. Nc3

• Richter-Versov
• Irish gambit
• Jobava London

2. other

• Accelerated London
• Colle
• Levitsky !?
• Amazon ?!
• Blackmar-Diemer ?
• Mason ?
• Zurich ??

1. d4 Nf6
Indian

2. c4 e6

• Bogo-Indian
• Catalan
• Nimzo-Indian
• Queen's Indian
• Seirawan
• Devin gambit !?

2. c4 g6

• King's Indian →
  • Classical
  • Four pawns attack
  • Sämisch
• Grünfeld

2. c4 other

• Accelerated queen's Indian
• Modern Benoni →
  • Benko
• Budapest
• Mexican
• Old Indian

2. Nf3

• Spielmann Indian
• Torre

2. other:

• Trompowsky →
  • Edge
  • Raptor
• London system (Indian)
• Paleface ?!
• Bronstein gambit !?
• Omega ?

1. d4 f5
Dutch

• Hopton
• Korchnoi
• Leningrad
• Staunton
• Stonewall →
  • Bladel

1. d4 ...other:

• English defence
• Australian defence ?!
• Englund gambit ?
• Horwitz
• Old Benoni
• Polish
• Rat

1. Nf3
Zukertort

• Réti
• King's Indian defence (d5)
• King's Indian defence (Nf6)
• Lisitsin gambit !?
• Lemberger gambit ?
• Ross gambit ?
• Herrstrom gambit ?

Flank

• Bird's (1. f4)
• English (1. c4)
• Grob (1. g4)
• King's fianchetto (1.g3)
• Larsen (1. b3)

Unorthodox

• a3
• Na3
• a4
• b4
• c3
• Nc3
• d3
• e3
• f3
• h3
• Nh3
• h4