Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. Bb5/3...a6/4. Ba4/4...b5/5. Bb3
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Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
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Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 b5 5. Bb3 | |
Parent: Caro variation |
5. Bb3
[edit | edit source]White saves their bishop and now pressures Black's vulnerable f7 pawn.
5...Bg7, taking advantage of having moved the b-pawn to increase the pressure on e5, was the continuation preferred by Horatio Caro and common in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. Developing the kingside bishop instead in the manner of the Classical defence, 5...Bc5 aka the Graz variation, was also common.
5...Na5 is the Norwegian variation: Black wants to hunt down White's bishop and get the bishop pair. This is the main continuation today in tournament games.
5...Nf6!?, aiming to transpose back into a mainline Spanish (e.g. 5...Nf6 6. O-O Be7 7. Re1 transposes to a mainline Closed Spanish), is possible. This is the usual idea when the 4...b5 is played at the amateur level. However, the move order with 4...b5 and 5...Nf6 is inaccurate because it affords White other options. The most critical move is 6. d4. 6. Ng5?! is sharp but unsound. Black needed to have developed their kingside more before allowing White pressure on f7.
5...g6 has been tried, most successfully by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov with Black in a blitz match against Vladimir Kramnik.[1]
Theory table
[edit | edit source]
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3
5 | ||
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Norwegian Defence |
... Na5 |
= |
Graz Defence |
... Bc5 |
= |
... Bb7 |
= | |
... Nf6 |
= |
References
[edit | edit source]- Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.
With 2...g6:
With other 2nd moves for Black: