Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...d5/2. c4/2...Nc6/3. Nc3

Chigorin Defence D07 3. Nc3 This is White's most popular and ambitious response. White decides to counter-attack Black instead of defending their d-pawn. Black has many options: /3...dxc4/ is the main line. This gives up some control of the centre, but opens up an attack on White's d4-pawn. White will have to either defend the pawn with 4. Nf3, or push it with 4. d5. /3...Nf6/ defends the d5-pawn with another piece. Depending on the following moves, the position can resemble a Queen's gambit declined (4. Nf3 e6), a Queen's gambit accepted (4. Nf3 dxc4) or a Grünfeld Defence (4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4). /3...e5/ is the unorthodox Tartakower gambit, similar in spirit to the Albin countergambit. Contrary to the Albin, White should not take the e5-pawn in this position. Instead, 4. cxd5 leads to White being able to extract a few extra tempi from Black's knight. 3...e6 leads to more Queen's gambit declined-like positions, but with the knight on c6. This is not a great place for the knight in the QGD, since Black usually has the plan of protecting d5 with c6, or to play c5 in order to attack White's centre. Theory table 3. ... dxc4 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. d5 Na5 + 3. ... Nf6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. cxd5 Nxd5 + 3. ... ... 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 e5 + Tartakower gambit 3. ... e5 4. cxd5 Nxd4 5. e3 Nf5 + References See also Chigorin Defence