Advance - 6.Be2 Nh6: the Punishment of 7.Bxh6?!

After 6.Be2 Black develops the Knight to h6, headed for f5. If White exchanges at once with 7.Bxh6, the intermediate move ...Qxb2 wins a pawn before recapturing the piece.

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Be2 Nh6 7.Bxh6 Qxb2 8.Nbd2 gxh6

Move by move

1.e4 – White takes the center with the pawn and frees the Queen and the f1 Bishop. Against 1.e4 this course answers with the French Defense, which prepares an immediate attack on the e4 pawn.
1...e6 – The French Defense: the e6 pawn prepares ...d5 and supports it, so after exd5 Black can recapture with a pawn. The price is the c8 Bishop, shut in behind the e6-d5 chain.
2.d4 – White brings the d-pawn alongside e4 and builds the classical center: neither pawn is attacked yet and White gains space.
2...d5 – Black attacks e4 at once. White must choose: defend it (Nc3 or Nd2), push it (e5) or exchange it (exd5). Each choice leads to one of the course's chapters.
3.e5 – Advance Variation: White closes the center and gains space. The d4-e5 chain limits the c8 Bishop and takes the f6 square away from the black Knight.
3...c5 – The immediate lever: Black attacks the base of the chain, d4, before White consolidates it.
4.c3 – White supports d4 with the c-pawn: after ...cxd4 it will recapture cxd4 keeping the chain intact.
4...Nc6 – Second attack on d4: the Knight joins the c5 pawn against the base of the chain.
5.Nf3 – The Knight defends d4 and supports e5: now White's center is protected by the c3 pawn, the Knight and the Queen.
5...Qb6 – The Queen lines up on d4 behind the c5 pawn and attacks b2: the c1 Bishop cannot come out without leaving b2 undefended.
6.Be2 – Quiet development: the Bishop prepares castling and leaves the defense of d4 to the c3 pawn and the f3 Knight.
6...Nh6 – The Knight goes to h6 to reach f5, from where it will attack d4, without blocking the f8 Bishop as ...Nge7 would.
7.Bxh6 – White trades the Bishop to double Black's pawns, but leaves the b2 pawn undefended.
7...Qxb2 – Intermediate move: before recapturing the piece the Queen takes b2 and attacks the b1 Knight, the a1 Rook and the c3 pawn.
8.Nbd2 – The Knight comes out and leaves the d1 Queen to defend the a1 Rook; the h6 Bishop is still attacked by the g7 pawn.
8...gxh6 – Black recaptures the piece: it has an extra pawn and the bishop pair, even though the h-pawns are doubled.

How to exploit the position

Black has an extra pawn and the bishop pair; in exchange it has doubled h-pawns and the Queen on b2 must be brought to safety.

Against Rb1 the Queen takes on c3 or retreats: do not let it get trapped on the queenside.
The g-file is open: ...Rg8 and ...Bd7 prepare pressure on g2.
...cxd4 cxd4 and then ...Bb4 pins the d2 Knight to the King.
With the doubled h-pawns short castling is inadvisable: the black King is better in the center or on c8.

Master tips

Intermediate move before recapturing

When the opponent captures one of your pieces, check whether there is a capture with tempo before recapturing: here ...Qxb2 wins a pawn.