Chess Opening Theory/1. b3/1...e5
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Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
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Moves: 1. b3 e5 | |
ECO code: A01 | |
Parent: Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack |
1...e5 · Modern variation
[edit | edit source]By beginning with 1. b3, White allowed Black to take the centre with 1...e5. This is the most popular and ambitious continuation for Black.
Some are dismissive of the 1. b3 move order because of this reply: White is left playing an Owen's Defence with colours reversed, "and not even an extra tempo can make that fully respectable."[1] For this reason, Nimzowitsch preferred[2] the move order 1. Nf3 (preventing e5) d5 2. b3. On the other hand, by not playing Nf3 yet, White retains the option of f4 to contest e5 later.
Having already played prepared to fianchetto with 1. b3, White's continuation is invariably 2. Bb2. 2...Nc6, to defend the e5 pawn, follows, though the timid 2...d6 is occasionally tried.
White may then play 3. c4 to prevent 3...d5, but normally, White is happy to allow Black to take over the centre with both e5 and d5, planning to later attack it with the flank c and f pawns. Instead, the typical Nimzo-Larsen plan is to continue with the more patient 3. e3, opening up their other bishop.[3]
Theory table
[edit | edit source]1.b3 e5
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
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Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack, Modern Variation |
Bb2 Nc6 |
c4 Nf6 |
e3 d5 |
cxd5 Nxd5 |
a3 Bd6 |
Qc2 0-0 |
Nf3 Qe7 |
Nc3 Nxc3 |
=[4] [3]:Ch. 3 |
... ... |
e3 g6 |
f4 Bg7 |
Nf3 d6 |
Bb5 Bd7 |
0-0 Nf6 |
fxe5 dxe5 |
Ng5 0-0 |
∞[4] [3]:Ch. 2 | |
... ... |
... Nf6 |
Bb5 d6 |
Ne2 Bd7 |
0-0 a6 |
Bxc6 Bxc6 |
d4 Qe7 |
c4 g6 |
=[4] | |
... ... |
... d5 |
Bb5 Bd6 |
[3]:Ch. 1 |
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Schiller, Eric (1998). Unorthodox Chess Openings (1st ed.). New York: Cardoza Publishing. pp. 304–306. ISBN 0 940685 73 6.
- ↑ Nimzowitsch opening collection, chessgames.com
- ↑ a b c d Jacobs, Byron; Tait, Jonathan (2001). Nimzo-Larsen attack (1st ed.). London: Everyman Publishers plc. ISBN 1 85744 286 5.
- ↑ a b c Kasparov, Gary; Keene, Raymond (1986) [First published 1982]. Batsford Chess Openings (4th ed.). London: B.T.Batsford Ltd. ISBN 0 7134 2114 2.