22. Avoiding the Elephant Trap (6.e3 and the Carlsbad Structure)
After 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.cxd5 exd5 the d5 pawn seems free, but 6.Nxd5?? Nxd5! 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ costs a piece. With 6.e3 White enters the Carlsbad structure with a clear plan.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.cxd5 exd5 6.e3 c6 7.Bd3 Be7 8.Qc2 O-O 9.Nf3 Re8 10.O-O Nf8
Move by move
- 1.d4 – White takes the center with the queen's pawn, already defended by the Queen, and opens the diagonal for the c1 Bishop. The repertoire plan is c4 next move to attack Black's d5 pawn at once.
- 1...d5 – Black answers symmetrically: the d5 pawn prevents e4 and contests the center. White can now hit it from the side with the c-pawn.
- 2.c4 – The Queen's Gambit attacks d5 with a flank pawn. It is not a real sacrifice: after 2...dxc4 White regains the pawn with e3 and Bxc4, or takes the center with e4.
- 2...e6 – The Queen's Gambit Declined: Black supports d5 with the e-pawn. The structure is rock solid, but the c8 Bishop stays shut in behind e6: this will be Black's main problem throughout the chapter.
- 3.Nc3 – The Knight attacks d5 a second time and controls e4. It prepares Bg5 to pin the future f6 Knight, the main defender of d5.
- 3...Nf6 – Black defends d5 for the third time and gets closer to castling. White now chooses between 4.Bg5, which keeps the tension, and 4.cxd5, which fixes the structure at once.
- 4.Bg5 – White pins the f6 Knight, the main defender of d5, and keeps the tension in the center instead of exchanging. This is the Orthodox Variation: e3, Nf3 and Rc1 will follow.
- 4...Nbd7 – Black develops the Knight to d7 instead of Be7 and prepares ...c6 and ...Qa5. The d5 pawn seems less defended, but it is bait: after 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Nxd5?? Nxd5! 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ Black wins a piece.
- 5.cxd5 – White exchanges on d5 and fixes the Carlsbad structure. Careful: the d5 pawn will seem poorly defended, but it must not be taken.
- 5...exd5 – Black recaptures with the pawn. Now 6.Nxd5?? is a mistake: after 6...Nxd5! 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ 8.Qd2 Bxd2+ 9.Kxd2 Kxd8 Black is left with an extra piece.
- 6.e3 – The right move: White develops normally instead of falling into the Elephant Trap. The pawn supports d4 and opens the f1 Bishop.
- 6...c6 – Black reinforces d5 and opens the diagonal for the Queen: we are back in the classical Carlsbad structure.
- 7.Bd3 – The Bishop goes to the b1-h7 diagonal, where it aims at Black's castled position and controls f5, the natural square for the c8 Bishop.
- 7...Be7 – Black develops the Bishop and breaks the pin on f6, preparing short castling.
- 8.Qc2 – The Queen forms a battery with Bd3 against h7 and controls e4, preventing ...Ne4.
- 8...O-O – Black castles. The position now coincides with the classical Exchange Variation: after Nf3 we reach line 1.
- 9.Nf3 – Natural development: the Knight controls e5, supports d4 and allows short castling. The alternative Nge2, with the plan f3 and e4, is covered in line 6.
- 9...Re8 – The Rook goes to the semi-open e-file, where it presses on e3, and frees the f8 square for the d7 Knight.
- 10.O-O – White's King is safe and the f1 Rook enters the game. White can now prepare the minority attack with Rab1 and b4.
- 10...Nf8 – The typical Carlsbad maneuver: the Knight defends h7 against the Bd3-Qc2 battery and heads for e6 or g6 to chase away the g5 Bishop. It also frees d7 for the c8 Bishop.
How to exploit the position
The position is the classical Carlsbad: White has avoided the trap and is ready for the minority attack.
- Play h3 and Rab1, then b4-b5 to create a weakness on c6.
- Against ...Ne6 or ...Ng6 decide whether to keep the g5 Bishop (Bh4, Bh6) or exchange it on f6.
- Why 6.Nxd5?? does not work: after 6...Nxd5 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ White must give up the Queen on d2 and is left a piece down.
Master tips
The fake weak pawn on d5
With the Knight on d7 the d5 pawn seems defended only by the f6 Knight, but Black has the check Bb4+ ready.