Explore from here
Train this openingAbout this opening
Black supports d5 with a pawn and accepts a cramped but very sound position. The whole game turns on one piece: the bishop on c8 is now behind its own pawns and has no obvious way out, and freeing it is Black's central problem for the next twenty moves. Nc3 is the most played move here. It adds a third attacker to d5 and keeps every plan open. Nf3 and e3 build the same structure more slowly. Your long-term plan is usually the minority attack, pushing on the queenside to create a weakness in Black's pawn chain rather than hunting the king.
Plans
- Play Nc3 to pile a third piece onto d5.
- Pin the knight with Bg5 to increase pressure on d5.
- Trade on d5 and start a minority attack with b4 and b5.
- Keep the bishop on c8 shut in for as long as you can.
Where the pieces belong
- Knight: c3, the third attacker on d5
- Bishop: g5, pinning the knight that guards d5
- Pawn: b4, the start of the minority attack
- Rook: c1, on the file the queenside play will open
- Knight: f3, covering e5
A long structural game. You push on the queenside to create a weak pawn, and Black tries to free the bad bishop and trade pieces to relieve the cramp.
Variations
Queen's Gambit Accepted
3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4
Queen's Gambit Accepted
3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. Bg5
Queen's Gambit Declined
3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O
Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Classical Variation
3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Rc1 c6 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O Nxc3 12. Rxc3 e5 13. Qb1
Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Junge Variation
3. Nf3 c6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 b5 7. Bd2 Qb6
Queen's Gambit Declined: Spielmann Variation
3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 c6 5. Nbd2 g6