46. Evans Declined with 5.b5
After 4...Bb6 White pushes 5.b5: the knight goes to d4 and is exchanged, the bishop is driven away with c3 and White occupies the centre with 8.d4.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 5.b5 Nd4 6.Nxd4 Bxd4 7.c3 Bb6 8.d4
Move by move
- 1.e4 – Occupies the centre and frees the queen and the f1-bishop, which in the Italian Game goes to c4 to aim at the weak f7 point.
- 1...e5 – Black contests the centre at once: the e5 pawn controls d4 and f4 and opens the diagonal for the f8-bishop and the queen.
- 2.Nf3 – Development with an attack: the knight hits the e5 pawn, controls d4 and prepares quick kingside castling.
- 2...Nc6 – Defends e5 while developing and adds control of d4, the square White wants for a pawn.
- 3.Bc4 – The Italian Game move: the bishop aims at f7, defended only by the king, and controls d5, making ...d5 harder to achieve.
- 3...Bc5 – The Giuoco Piano: Black replies symmetrically, aiming at f2 and controlling d4 to hinder the d2-d4 advance.
- 4.b4 – The Evans Gambit: White offers the b-pawn to deflect the c5-bishop. After ...Bxb4 it will play c3 with tempo and then d4, building the centre with a lead in development.
- 4...Bb6 – Black declines the gambit: the bishop stays on the a7-g1 diagonal, but the b4-pawn gains space on the queenside.
- 5.b5 – The pawn drives away the c6-knight, which was defending e5 and controlling d4.
- 5...Nd4 – The knight jumps to d4 instead of retreating: it is defended by the b6-bishop and the e5-pawn, and attacks b5 and the f3-knight.
- 6.Nxd4 – White immediately exchanges the central knight.
- 6...Bxd4 – Black recaptures with the bishop, which is now centralised but exposed to the c3 push.
- 7.c3 – The pawn drives away the d4-bishop with tempo and prepares d4, to build the centre.
- 7...Bb6 – The bishop returns to b6, on the diagonal towards f2.
- 8.d4 – White occupies the centre with e4-d4 and attacks e5, with the b5-pawn restricting Black's queenside.
How to exploit the position
Equal material: White has the e4-d4 centre and space on the queenside with b5; Black has the active b6-bishop and still has to develop the kingside.
- If ...exd4 cxd4, the d4-pawn is attacked by the b6-bishop: support it with Be3 or Qd3.
- Ba3 prevents short castling, exploiting the free a3-f8 diagonal.
- a4-a5 drives away the b6-bishop, Black's most active piece.
- O-O, Nd2 and Qb3 or Qf3 increase the pressure on f7.
Master tips
The centre after 5.b5
After 5.b5 Nd4 the exchange Nxd4 and the c3 push gain tempi: White builds the e4-d4 centre.