Advance - Main Line 5...Qb6
The classical siege of the d4 center: the school of Nimzowitsch and Botvinnik
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 c4 7.Nbd2 Na5 8.Be2 Bd7 9.O-O Ne7 10.Rb1 Qc7 11.Re1 Nc8 12.Nf1 Nb6
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.a3 – White prepares b4: the push would gain space on the queenside and close the black Queen's diagonal.
- 6...c4 – Black closes the queenside before b4: the c4 pawn takes b3 and d3 away from White's pieces and fixes b2 as a target.
- 7.Nbd2 – The Knight develops to d2, from where it controls c4 and b3 and can continue toward f1-g3 on the kingside.
- 7...Na5 – The Knight approaches b3, a square weakened by the c4 pawn: from there it would hit the c1 Bishop, supported by the c4 pawn.
- 8.Be2 – Cautious development: on d3 the Bishop would be attacked by the c4 pawn, so it goes to e2 and prepares castling.
- 8...Bd7 – The Bishop develops and connects the pieces; from d7 it can go to b5 or a4 to support the c4 pawn.
- 9.O-O – White castles: with the queenside closed, its plan will be to bring the pieces to the kingside.
- 9...Ne7 – The g8 Knight enters the game: on e7 it has no prospects behind the white chain and will continue via c8 toward b6.
- 10.Rb1 – The Rook goes behind the b2 pawn and prepares b3 or b4 to open lines on the queenside.
- 10...Qc7 – The Queen moves to c7, from where it watches e5 and the c-file, and frees the b6 square for the Knight.
- 11.Re1 – The Rook supports e5 and frees the f1 square for the d2 Knight, headed for g3.
- 11...Nc8 – The Knight continues the maneuver toward b6, the square from which it will support the closed queenside.
- 12.Nf1 – The d2 Knight goes to f1 to continue toward g3 or e3, on the kingside where White has space.
- 12...Nb6 – The Knight arrives on b6: together with the a5 Knight it controls a4 and c4 and prepares ...Nb3, supported by the c4 pawn.
How to exploit the position
Blocked structure: White has space on the kingside, Black controls the queenside with the c4 pawn and the Knights on a5 and b6.
- ...Nb3 installs itself in White's camp, protected by the c4 pawn, and attacks the c1 Bishop: the Queen cannot take it because c4xb3 would win it.
- The black King can castle long behind the closed queenside, or stay in the center.
- Against Ng3 and h4-h5 keep the ...h5 push ready, which slows down White's pawns on the kingside.
- If White breaks with b3 or b4, capture only when the open c-file serves your Rooks.
Master tips
Do not exchange on c3 unless strictly necessary
Keeping the pawn tension on d4 forces White to keep its pieces tied to the passive defense of the pawn. Play ...cxd4 only when you can exploit the open c-file.