Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...f5/2. Qd3

Alapin variation A80 Dutch defence 2. Qd3 · Alapin variation A rarer line. White develops their queen aggressively to an active square and attacks the vulnerable f5 pawn. 2...e6 is the most common way of defending the pawn and the second most common move. Black goes into a Stonewall setup and makes the queen seem misplaced. However, the unique line that can arise from 2. Qd3 is 3. g4!?, the tricky Manhattan gambit. 2...Nf6!? is the most popular move, the so-called Pretzel gambitDutch Defense: Alapin Variation, Pretzel Gambit - Chess Openings https://www.chess.com/openings/Dutch-Defense-Alapin-Variation-Pretzel-Gambit 2026-05-31 Chess.com en-US. Black ignores that their pawn is hanging and hopes that kicking the queen around after 3. Qxf5 d5 is sufficient compensation. References See also