Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. Bb5/3...a6/4. Ba4/4...Nf6/5. O-O/5...Nxe4/6. d4/6...b5/7. Bb3/7...d5/8. dxe5/8...Be6/9. Nbd2

Bernstein variation
	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) r2qkb1r/2p2ppp/p1n1b3/1p1pP3/4n3/1B3N2/PPPN1PPP/R1BQ1RK1
	Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Nbd2
	ECO code: C80
	Parent: Spanish game → Open Spanish → 8...Be6

9. Nbd2 · Bernstein variation

White develops their knight to d2.

This is the main alternative to 9. c3. After 9. c3, White can meet 9...Nc5 with 10 Bc2 and keep the bishop pair. Instead, 9. Nbd2 is an offer to trade bishop for knight. White allows 9...Nc5 10. c3 Nxb3!? as they can recapture 11. Nxb3 and avoid doubling their pawns.

However, on d2, White's knight obstructs the development of their bishop, so if Black doesn't take on b3, White will have to spend time untangling their position. Most common today is 9...Nc5 10. c3 Be7 (Black does not wish to trade and help White to improve their knight) 11. Bc2 (intending 12. Nb3), and the game might continue 11...d4 12. Nb3 dxc3 13. Nxc5 Bxc5 14. Be4 (attacking c6, which is pinned to a8) Qd7⩲.^[1]

10...d4 is an alternative. ...d4, before White has had chance to play Bc2, offers to trade the light-square bishops:

The old line goes 11. cxd4 Nxd4 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13. Bxe6 Nxe6 14. Qf3 Rd8.^[2] More common nowadays is 11. Bxe6 Nxe6 12. cxd4 Ncxd4= for an even game.

11. Ng5!?, the Karpov gambit, was introduced in the World Championship Match in 1978. One idea behind the knight sacrifice is to allow White's queen to come to f3 and increase pressure on Black's weak long diagonal, 11...Qxg5 12. Qf3 Kd7?! (an attempt to defend the knight on c6) 13. Bd5!±. 12...Bd7 to defend the knight allows 13. Bxf7+!. The best move for Black is 12...O-O-O 13. Bxe6+ fxe6 14. Qxc6 Qxe5, allowing White to recover the knight.^[3]

9...Be7 is the main side line: seeing that hunting down the bishop is now less appetising, Black would simply like to castle and play f5. White still would like to play the c3, Bc2, Nb3 manoeuvre to straighten out their queenside.

If 9...Bc5, which increases pressure on f2 and is the main move after 9. c3, White can trade off the knight 10. Nxe4 dxe4 11. Ng5 (not a gambit this time!) Qxd1 12. Rxd1 Bxb3 13. axb3⩲.

History

Ossip Bernstein played this line against Siegbert Tarrasch in 1914.^[4]

Theory table

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Nbd2

	9	10	11	12	13	14
Bernstein variation	... Nc5	c3 Be7	Bc2 d4	Nb3 dxc3	Nxc5 Bxc5	Be4 Qd7	⩲
	... ...	... d4	Bxe6 Nxe6	cxd4 Ncxd4			=
Karpov gambit	... ...	... ...	Ng5!? O-O-O	Bxe6+ fxe6	Qxc6 Qxe5		=
	... Be7	c3 O-O	Bc2 f5	Nb3 Qd7			⩲
	... Bc5	Nxe4 dxe4	Ng5 Qxd1	Rxd1 Bxb3	axb3		⩲

References

↑ e.g. Nakamura v Carlsen, 2021. Chessgames.com
↑ as played in Capablanca v Lasker, 1914. Chessgames.com
↑ In Kasparov v Shirov, 2001 (Chessgames.com) the game continued 15. b4 Qd5 16. Qxd5 exd5 17. bxc5 dxc3 18. Nb3 d4=. White is up a knight for two pawns but Black has full compensation.
↑ Bernstein v Tarrasch, 1914. Chessgames.com

9. Nbd2 · Bernstein variation

History

Theory table

References

See also