Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. d4/2...exd4/3. Nf3

Kieseritzky variation C21 Center game accepted 3. Nf3 · Kieseritzky variation White brings another attacker to Black's d4 pawn. This often transposes to other openings, though independent lines exist. 3...Nc6 is the most common move, transposing to the Scotch game, more normally seen from the move order 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4. 3...Bc5 is another normal move, developing the bishop. This can go two ways; 4. Nxd4 Nc6 transposes into the Classical Scotch game, while 4. c3 is the Lanc-Arnold gambit, an independent option. History Lionel Kieseritzky (1806-1853) was a German chess master. Kiesertizky played this line in a blind simul in 1851, and annotated and published the game in La Régence, the chess journal he edited.Parties entre les plus forts joueurs de l'epoque La Régence; journal des échecs https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_UBRBAAAAYAAJ 5 137-154 1851 (Game is No. CLXXI pp 149-150)Kieseritzky v Witcomb, 1851. Chessgames.com Sample game Lionel Kieseritzky vs Henry Witcomb 21 April 1851. Blind simul. 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 c5 4. Bc4 d6 5. Ng5 Nh6 6. c3 Nc6 7. f4 Na5 8. Bd5 Bg4 9. Qa4+ Bd7 10. Qc2 dxc3 11. Nxc3 f6 12. O-O In this position, Black plays 12...fxg5? and loses. 1 right 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 White prepares to recapture the pawn with the knight instead of the queen. This gives Black the opportunity to defend and hold on to the pawn. 3...c5 4. Bc4 d6 5. Ng5 Nh6 White makes an attack on the f7 square with knight and bishop; Black defends. 6. c3 Nc6 7. f4 "A necessary move to prevent the Knight from moving to d5," Kieseritzky explains (translated). 7...Na5 8. Bd5 Bg4 9. Qa4+ Bd7 10. Qc2 dxc3 11. Nxc3 f6?? A mistake to give up control of the e6 square. In addition, the pawn is not really threatening to take the knight yet (see game continuation). 12. O-O This sets a trap by allowing Black to take the knight. An alternative is 12. Ne6, attacking the queen. 12...Bxe6 13. Bxe6 and the bishop dominates Black's king and is difficult to dislodge (13...Qe7 14. Nd5! prevents ...Qxe6 due to Nc7+ winning the queen. 13...Nc6 intending ...Nd4 is stymied by 14. Be3.) 12...Qc8 13. f5 secures the outpost for white. 13...fxg5? 13. fxg5 Black now must move or lose the defender of the f7 square. Black could have limped on if they had instead given room to their king: 13...Qe7 14. Nf3 +++. 13...Ng4?? 14. Bf7+ Ke7 15. Nd5# "Capital error," writes Kieseritzky of 13...Ng4??. He advises Black should have given up the piece with 13...Qb6 14. gxh6 O-O-O to allow the game to continue and "conditions would be equal for both sides." Kieseritzky underestimates his position: material may be equal but White is completely dominant. Theory table 3...Nc6 4. Nxd4 Nf6 Scotch game, Schmidt variation(by transposition) 3...Bc5 4. Nxd4 Nc6 Scotch game, Classical variation(by transposition) 3. ... ... 4. c3 Lanc-Arnold gambit References See also