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Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c5/2. a3/2...Nc6/3. b4

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Mengarini Variation
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black kingc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black kingd7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 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 pawnd5 black kinge5 black kingf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 white pawnc4 black kingd4 black kinge4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 white pawnb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 black kingb2 black kingc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2 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)

r1bqkbnr/pp1ppppp/2n5/2p5/1P2P3/P7/2PP1PPP/RNBQKBNR b

Moves: 1. e4 c5 2. a3 Nc6 3. b4
Parent: Sicilian Defense
Synonym(s): Van Duijn’s Variation

Mengarini Variation

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Black can accept the gambit with 3...cxb4 but the best move is the drawish 3...Nf6.

3...cxb4 used to be the main line and is still often seen at amateur levels. The most common continuation is

4. axb4 Nxb4
5. d4 d5
6. c3 Nc6
7. exd5 Qxd5
8. Na3!

Now, Black needs to be precise: The natural moves 8...Nf6, 8...e5, and 8...e6 blunder 9. Nb5.

Theory table

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

1. e4 c5 2. a3 Nc6 3. b4

3 4 5 6 7 8
Declined ...
Nf6		 b5
Nd4		 c3
Ne6		 e5
Nd5		 =
Accepted ...
cxb4		 axb4
Nxb4		 d4
d5		 c3
Nc6		 exd5
Qxd5		 Na3 =/∞

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