Queen's Gambit & Slav Defense

16. QGA - Immediate Central Occupation with 3.e4

White takes the whole center at once with the pair of pawns e4-d4.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 Nc6 6.O-O Be6 7.Bb5 Bc5 8.b4 Bb6 9.a4 a6 10.Bxc6+ bxc6 11.a5 Ba7 12.Bb2 Nf6

Move by move

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 2...dxc4 – Queen's Gambit Accepted: Black takes the c4 pawn, knowing he cannot keep it, to develop freely and hit d4 with ...c5.
  5. 3.e4 – White takes the center at once with two pawns: the c4 pawn will be regained with Bxc4. It is the most ambitious answer to the QGA.
  6. 3...e5 – Black strikes at the center at once: it attacks d4 and opens the f8 Bishop's diagonal. It is the most direct reaction to e4.
  7. 4.Nf3 – The Knight attacks e5 and develops. If ...exd4, White can recapture with the Queen or continue in gambit style.
  8. 4...exd4 – Black captures on d4 and has a temporary extra pawn. The d4 pawn takes the c3 and e3 squares away from the white pieces and cuts their game in two.
  9. 5.Bxc4 – White regains the c4 pawn and develops the Bishop on the diagonal toward f7, Black's weak point with the King still on e8. The black d4 pawn remains to be regained.
  10. 5...Nc6 – The Knight defends d4 and develops toward the center. Black wants to keep the extra pawn and complete development before White regains it.
  11. 6.O-O – White castles instead of recapturing d4: it relies on development and leaves the pawn as a temporary gambit.
  12. 6...Be6 – The Bishop opposes the c4 Bishop to exchange it and take pressure off f7, Black's weak point with the King still on e8.
  13. 7.Bb5 – The Bishop avoids the exchange and pins the c6 Knight, the defender of the d4 pawn. This way White prepares Nxd4 without the Knight being able to intervene.
  14. 7...Bc5 – The Bishop defends d4 a second time and develops on the a7-g1 diagonal, toward the castled white King.
  15. 8.b4 – White offers another pawn to lure the c5 Bishop away from the defense of d4: if ...Bxb4, White gains tempo and open files.
  16. 8...Bb6 – The Bishop retreats to b6 and keeps defending d4 along the same diagonal. Black declines the second pawn.
  17. 9.a4 – The pawn threatens a5, which would trap the b6 Bishop with no retreat squares. White gains space on the queenside with tempo.
  18. 9...a6 – Black creates the a7 escape square for the Bishop and attacks the b5 Bishop, which must decide whether to exchange on c6.
  19. 10.Bxc6+ – White exchanges the Bishop for the c6 Knight, one of the defenders of d4, and leaves Black with doubled c-pawns.
  20. 10...bxc6 – Black recaptures with the b-pawn: the c6 and c7 pawns are doubled and isolated, a defect that will last until the endgame.
  21. 11.a5 – The pawn chases the b6 Bishop to a7, where it stays far from the King and dependent on the diagonal toward d4.
  22. 11...Ba7 – The Bishop retreats to a7 and keeps defending d4. It is the only square from which Black keeps the extra pawn.
  23. 12.Bb2 – The Bishop attacks d4 a third time together with the f3 Knight and the d1 Queen, while Black defends it only twice.
  24. 12...Nf6 – The Knight develops and attacks e4 to create counterplay. Black wants to castle before the center opens.

How to exploit the position

White is a pawn down, but the d4 pawn is attacked three times and defended only twice; Black's pawns on c6 and c7 are weak.

Master tips

The d4 pawn cannot be held

In the 3.e4 exd4 variation Black has a temporary extra pawn on d4.

Model games