A rarely played move against the Queen's gambit, which has similarities with whites London-system. This move develops the light-squared bishop to control the e4 square with a piece and therefore wants to deny the e4 push from white. This declines the gambit in a way, where black can't reinforce his pawn on d5 and isn't able to control the e4-square with a pawn after cxd5.

This is less common as white has no problems to seize an advantage in the game.

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

1. d4 d5 2. c4 Bf5

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Wikipedia has related information at Baltic Defence

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