Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...d5/2. Nc3/2...c5

Irish gambit D00 Chigorin variation 2...c5 · Irish gambit Black attacks White's d-pawn with their c-pawn. This reaches a queen's gambit-style position in reverse (Black is essentially playing the White side of the Chigorin defence but down a tempo). Accepting the gambit, 3. dxc5?! is uncommon. White gives up a central pawn and the space in the centre they have taken. Black expects to be able to recover the material shortly, ideally with ...Bxc5, developing their bishop as soon as they have moved their e-pawn. Black cannot play 3...e5? immediately because their d-pawn is attacked twice. 3...Nf6 defends d5 while developing a piece, and after 4. e5 d4 (4...dxe4?, wasting time recovering the material, lets White get a strong lead. 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 Nc6 8. O-O-O+ ++ there are a few possible continuations. 5. Bc4 sets a classic trap (5...dxc3?? 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Qxd8 +++). 5. e5 and Black gets the material back and leaves White with doubled, isolated c-pawns after 5...dxc3 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8 7. exf6 exf6 8. bxc3 Bxc5 -. If 3...e6, defending d5 and preparing ...Bxc5, White has 4. e4!. 4...Bxc5? and White wins the pawn back after 5. exd5 exd5 6. Qxd5 ++. If 4...dxe4? then 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 6. Nxe4 also gets White the pawn back. Black needs to play 4...d4 5. Nb5 Nc6 6. Nf3 e5 before they can think about recapturing the c-pawn. Since White's d4-pawn is defended, they may decline the gambit and allow the capture. 3. Bf4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 + and White should be quite happy. Finally, White may offer a gambit of their own in return. 3. e4 dxe4 reaches the reversed Albin countergambit line otherwise seen in the Blackmar-Diemer gambit. History The earliest published game in this line is Seligo versus von der Lasa, 1837. von der Lasa delivered a swift knockout in only fourteen moves.Seligo v von der Lasa, 1837. Chessgames.com The association with Ireland may come from a game between Irish masters James Porterfield Rynd and Ernest Harvey, played in Dublin, 1893.Game in database 15 Million Games Chess Database Files https://sourceforge.net/projects/codekiddy-chess/files/ codekiddy2 Sourceforge References See also