8. QID 5...c5 6.d5: the d5 Pawn Gambit

After 5...c5 White pushes 6.d5 and offers a pawn. Black exchanges on d5 and takes it with the knight, supported by the b7 bishop, then develops and castles to neutralize White's initiative.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 c5 6.d5 exd5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.O-O Be7

Move by move

1.d4 – White occupies the center with the d-pawn, protected by the queen, and frees the c1 bishop. This is the move that starts Queen's Gambit, Catalan and Nimzo-Indian games.
1...Nf6 – Black develops the knight toward the center and immediately prevents 2.e4. With Nf6 Black stays flexible: he can choose between the Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian, King's Indian or the Queen's Gambit Declined.
2.c4 – White gains space on the queenside and attacks the d5 square from a distance. White now threatens Nc3 and e4 to build a big pawn center.
2...e6 – Black opens the diagonal for the f8 bishop and prepares both d5 and Bb4. Compared with 2...d5, Black stays elastic: he waits to see whether White plays Nc3, which allows the Nimzo-Indian.
3.Nf3 – White develops the kingside knight instead of Nc3 and avoids the Nimzo-Indian: without the knight on c3, ...Bb4 can't pin anything, but White controls e4 less.
3...b6 – The Queen's Indian Defense: Black prepares Bb7 or Ba6 to control e4 and the light squares. Without a knight on c3, ...Bb4 would have no pin.
4.g3 – White prepares the fianchetto to oppose Black's bishop on the long diagonal. However, the f1 bishop will no longer defend the c4 pawn.
4...Bb7 – The bishop goes to the long diagonal, where it will oppose the g2 bishop and control e4. It's the classical line of the Queen's Indian.
5.Bg2 – White completes the fianchetto: the two bishops face each other on the long diagonal. White prepares castling and Nc3.
5...c5 – Black attacks d4 before White castles and plays Nc3: he wants to exchange the central pawn and open the b7 bishop's diagonal.
6.d5 – White pushes d5 and offers a pawn to close the b7 bishop and gain space. It's a gambit: White seeks rapid development in exchange for the pawn.
6...exd5 – Black exchanges on d5 and opens the b7 bishop's diagonal. By accepting the challenge Black wins White's central pawn.
7.cxd5 – White recaptures with the c-pawn and offers the d5 pawn: Black can take it with the knight, but must be careful with the d-file and White's development.
7...Nxd5 – Black takes the d5 pawn with the knight: the knight is defended by the b7 bishop and Black is a pawn up. He must now complete development quickly.
8.O-O – White castles and prepares Rd1, Nc3 or e4 to attack the d5 knight and exploit the lead in development.
8...Be7 – Black develops the bishop and prepares castling, the priority when you're a pawn up and the king is still in the center.

How to exploit the position

Black is a pawn up; White has better development and prepares Rd1, Nc3 or e4 against the d5 knight. Black must finish development and give the pawn back only if needed.

Castle at once: with the king on e8 the open d-file and e-file are dangerous.
Develop the b8 knight to c6 and the d5 knight stays defended by the b7 bishop: if e4 chases it away, retreat it to c7 or b4.
Against Rd1 and Qd2, keep the d7 pawn defended with ...Nc6 and ...Qc7 and look to exchange pieces, which favors the side that is a pawn up.
The b7 bishop isn't defended by any piece: when the d5 knight moves and the diagonal opens, protect it or exchange it with ...Bxf3 or ...Bxg2.

Master tips

Castle with the extra pawn

When Black has won a pawn in the center, the danger is keeping the king on e8.