Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...Nf6/2. Nc3

Indian defence A45 Indian defence 2. Nc3 This is a less common move, with lots of transpositional possibilities. Developing the queen's knight this early is unusual in 1. d4 openings because it prevents White from playing c4. The knight supports playing e4 next. This usually forces Black to play 2...d5, to prevent 3. e4. If White plays 3. e4?! anyway, the game transposes into a Blackmar-Diemer gambit position after 3...dxe4. However, the main ways for White to continue are 3. Bg5, the Richter-Veresov attack, or 3. Bf4, the Rapport-Jobava London system. An advantage of these systems is that they may be played against 1...Nf6 or 1...d4. Other moves allow White to play 3. e4 and transpose into a 1. e4 opening. 2...e6 3. e4 d5 transposes into a French defence. 2...g6 3. e4 d6 transposes into the Pirc defence. 2...c5?! is a Benoni-style move, although the game plays out differently because of White's knight's position, preventing c4 but supporting e4. After 3. d5 e6, 4. e4 is now possible, and if Black continues to approach this like a modern Benoni, they may blunder 4...exd5?? 5. e5!4...exd5?? is the main move in the Lichess amateurs database; having been played over 350,000 times as of September 2026. (one line is 5...d4 6. exf6 dxc3? 7. Qe2+ Be7 8. fxe7 Qc7 9. bxc3 +++). Theory table 2...d5 3. Bg5 Nbd7 4. Nf3 h6 5. Bh4 e6 6. e3 Be7 Richter-Veresov attack 2... ... 3. Bf4 e6 4. Nb5 Na6 5. e3 Be7 6. Nf3 O-O Rapport-Jobava London system 2... ... 3. e4?! dxe4 Blackmar-Diemer gambit(by transposition) 2...e6 3. e4 d5 French defence(by transposition) 2...g6 3. e4 d6 Pirc defence(by transposition) 2...c5 3. d5 g6 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. a4 O-O Reversed Chigorin defence 2. ... ... 3. ... e6 4. e4 exd5?? 5. e5 (illustrative trap) References See also Queen's Pawn Game