Classical - Burn Variation 4.Bg5 dxe4!
With 4...dxe4 Black eliminates the tension and gets the bishop pair; against White's long castling it answers with ...b6, ...Bb7 and the ...c5 break.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.Qd2 O-O 9.O-O-O Be7 10.Bd3 b6 11.h4 Bb7 12.Qe2 c5
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.Nc3 – White defends e4 by developing the Knight toward the center: it is the most ambitious choice, but the Knight on c3 can be pinned by ...Bb4.
- 3...Nf6 – Classical Variation: the Knight attacks e4 and asks White to choose between e5, Bg5 and the exchange. It is more solid than the Winawer because Black keeps the dark-squared Bishop.
- 4.Bg5 – White pins the f6 Knight against the Queen instead of pushing e5: it keeps the tension and threatens e5 under better conditions.
- 4...dxe4 – Burn Variation: Black gives up the center but resolves the tension; the f6 Knight can no longer be driven away by e5.
- 5.Nxe4 – White recaptures and the e4 Knight increases the pressure on f6, already pinned.
- 5...Be7 – The Bishop removes the pin and prepares castling; after Bxf6 Black can recapture with the Bishop without doubled pawns.
- 6.Bxf6 – White gives up the Bishop to avoid the simplification ...Nxe4 and to take away a defender of Black's kingside.
- 6...Bxf6 – Black recaptures with the Bishop and gets the bishop pair: the f6 Bishop presses on d4 along the long diagonal.
- 7.Nf3 – The Knight develops and defends d4, closing the f6 Bishop's diagonal toward the center.
- 7...Nd7 – The b8 Knight develops to d7, where it supports the ...c5 and ...e5 breaks and can return to f6.
- 8.Qd2 – The Queen develops and prepares long castling: White wants to attack with the pawns on the kingside.
- 8...O-O – Black castles short: with the f6 Bishop and the d7 Knight nearby its King is well covered.
- 9.O-O-O – Opposite-side castling: White will attack with h4-h5 and g4, Black will seek the c-file and the long diagonal.
- 9...Be7 – The Bishop returns to e7 to free f6 for the d7 Knight, which from there will defend h7, and to avoid the Nxf6+ exchange.
- 10.Bd3 – The Bishop aims at h7 and completes development: White's Rooks are already connected.
- 10...b6 – Prepares ...Bb7: the light-squared Bishop will come out on the long diagonal against the e4 Knight.
- 11.h4 – White starts the attack: the h-pawn heads for h5 and prepares the Neg5 jump.
- 11...Bb7 – The Bishop settles on the long diagonal and attacks the e4 Knight, defended only by the d3 Bishop.
- 12.Qe2 – The Queen leaves d2 to defend the e4 Knight a second time and prepare Neg5.
- 12...c5 – The typical break against long castling: Black attacks d4 and opens the c-file toward the white King on c1.
How to exploit the position
Opposite-side castling: White attacks on the kingside with h4-h5 and Neg5, Black has the bishop pair and opens lines against the white King on c1.
- Open the c-file with ...cxd4, then ...Rc8 and ...Qc7: the heavy pieces arrive on c2 and at the white King.
- The b7 Bishop on the long diagonal hits e4 and, if the Knight moves, also f3 and g2.
- With ...Nf6 you trade the e4 Knight and defend h7 against Bxh7+.
- Against Neg5 do not push ...h6 without calculating: with the h4 pawn in support White can open the h-file.
Master tips
Opposite-side castling: speed matters
Against long castling open lines at once: ...c5, ...cxd4 and ...Rc8 are worth more than passive defense.