Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e6/2. d4/2...d5/3. Nc3/3...Nf6/4. Bg5/4...Bb4
| McCutcheon 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)
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| Moves: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 | |
The McCutcheon variation first became well-known as the result of an 1885 simultaneous exhibition game played in New York by World Champion Steinitz as White against John Lindsay McCutcheon, a lawyer from Pennsylvania. McCutcheon won convincingly in just 28 moves, and thus brought attention to the variation. It is still (2024) considered to be a completely sound defense for Black. There is no record of a previous game with this variation, so it is possible (though impossible to prove) that McCutcheon created a true novelty.
2. f4
King's gambit
King's gambit
2...exf4
Accepted
Accepted
Other
Declined
Declined
2. Nc3
Vienna
Vienna
1. e4 other
?/??
- Barnes ?
- Borg ?
- Corn stalk ??
- Duras ??
- 1...b5 ??
2. c4 other
2. other:
1. d4 ...other:
Flank
Unorthodox