Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...Nf6/2. c4/2...e5

Budapest defence A51-A52 Indian Defence 2...e5 · Budapest defence Almost a respectable opening.— Boris AvrukhAvrukh, Boris 1.d4 Volume Two Quality Chess 978-1-906552-33-6 91 2010 2...e5 is the energetic Budapest defence, aka the Budapest gambit. Black challenges White's centre straight away. Black sacrifices a pawn, but can usually recover it, in return for active play. It's one of those slightly inaccurate sort of lines that is usually described as a "good blitz/surprise weapon". 3. dxe5, accepting the gambit, is the main line. White takes the pawn and compels Black's knight to move again, either to g4 or e4. White is up a pawn but it may be a mistake to hold onto it too tightly. Returning it allows White to avoid tactical complications (in the main line continuation, it is returned after 3...Ng4 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 Qe7, and White cannot add a further defender). Declining the gambit is atypical. Surely Black shouldn't be allowed a free potshot at White's centre? 3. e3?! prepares to recapture the pawn, but allows Black to equalise. A continuation is 3...exd4 4. exd4 Bb4+ 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Bd3 d5A sample game: Ravbinovich v Mieses, 1908 - Chessgames.com 0-1 (transposition from a King's English). 3. Nf3?! to defend the pawn allows 3...e5 to drive the knight away. 3. d5?! to avoid the capture is a positional mistake, and releases the c5 square for Black's bishop. History The Budapest is first known from a 1896 game between amateur Mór Adler and Géza Maróczy (1870―1951) in Budapest.Adler v Maroczy, 1896 - Chessgames.com It was revisited in 1916, again in Budapest, by Gyula Breyer (1893―1921) as Black against Johannes Esser (1877―1946)Esser v Breyer, 1916 - Chessgames.com and came to prominence when Milan Vidmar (1885―1962) scored an upset with it against Akiba Rubinstein (1880―1961).Rubinstein v Vidmar, 1918 - Chessgames.com Theory table 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3 4 5 6 7 Fajarowicz gambit dxe5Ne4 Nf3Nc6 a3d6 Qc2Bf5 Nc3Nxf2 += Adler variation ...Ng4 Nf3Bc5 e3Nc6 Be2O-O O-ORe8 += Rubinstein variation ...... Bf4Nc6 Nf3Bb4+ Nbd2Qe7 e3Ngxe5 += ...... ...... ...... Nc3Bxc3+ bxc3Qe7 += ...... ...g5 Bg3Bg7 Nf3Nc6 Nc3Ngxe5 += Alekhine variation ...... e4Nxe5 f4Nec6 a3a5 Be3Na6 = d5Bc5 e3d6 = References See also Budapest Gambit