Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nf6/3. d4/3...exd4/4. e5

Modern attack C43 Russian game → Modern attack → 3...exd4 4. e5 White looks to unseat Black's knight. There aren't many places for the knight to go. If 4...Nd5? 5. Qxd4 and the knight must move again, while White has recovered the pawn with a development and space lead. Likewise if 4...Ng4? then 5. h3 forces the knight to move again, 5...Nh6 6. Qxd4 ++. Of course Black hardly wishes to un-develop their knight with 4...Ng8. Therefore 4...Ne4 is the main move. After 5. Qxd4 (the called the centre attack), Black can defend the knight with 5...d5 while making a useful move to open up their queen's bishop. The line continues 6. exd6 e.p. Nxd6 7. Nc3. Alternative fifth moves for White include 5. Qe2 and 5. Bb5+. 5. Qe2, the Steinitz variation, attacks the knight on e4, and White prepares to take the d4-pawn with their knight instead. Because of the x-ray, Black cannot defend the knight with 5...d4?? (6. exd6 e.p. and the knight is pinned to the king.) Wilhelm Steinitz introduced this line in his 1889 book, but after 5...Bb4+ Black equalises. 5. Bb5+, the Tal gambit, pins the d-pawn, and lures the c-pawn forward, 5...c6, to where it cannot defend d6 and where it prevents ...Nc6 from gaining time on queen after 6. Qxd4. The final fourth move to consider is 4...Qe7?!, to pin the e-pawn, but after 5. Be2 the knight is hanging again. 5...Ne4 6. Qxd4 and a difference with the main line is that Black has the move 6...Qb4+ 7. c3 Qxd4 8. Nxd4 +. 5...Ng4 moves the knight with a double attack on the e5-pawn. A line is 6. Qxd4 (attacking and defending) d6 (defends N) 7. exd6 Qxd6 8. O-O + where White recovers the material. However, better is for White to sacrifice the pawn. 6. O-O! Nxe5 7. Nxd4 and Black's position is cramped and they will have difficulty developing actively. White has the idea of Nd5! and Nb5! to pressure c7, e.g. 7...d6 8. Nc3 Nbc6?! 9. Nd5 Qd7 10. Nb5 Kd8 (best) 11. Nbxc7 +++. Theory table References See also