Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. Bb5/3...a6/4. Ba4/4...Nf6

Morphy defence
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Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6
Parent: Morphy defence
Responses:

4...Nf6

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4...Nf6 develops a knight and threatens White's e-pawn. White can defend it directly, or focus on development knowing that, in the long term, the pawn is not really at risk.

Defend the pawn

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White has several ways to directly defend the pawn.

5. d3 is the Anderssen variation. By defending with a pawn, White essentially eliminates any option of ...Nxe4. This also means White renews the threat of Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe4, as Qd4 no longer forks White's knight and pawn. This variation is an option for White to avoid learning the extensive theory after 5. O-O.

5. Nc3 is the Tarrasch variation. This develops a piece and defend e4. White usually ends up play d3 as well after 5...b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. d3.

Both these options are playable but, compared to the mainline, both interfere with the plan of playing c3 and d4. Without playing c3 and d4 to create some central tension, it will be difficult to generate open files for the rooks; additionally White's star attacker currently residing on a4 is risks get swapped off if it does not have the option of retreating to c2.

Defending e4 with 5. Qe2, the Wormald attack, retains the option of c3 and d4 and introduces the medium-term plan of shifting the king's rook across to d1 in a single move after White castles kingside. The downside is that it places the queen on a file that's very likely to get opened, or at least half-opened. Put your rooks on open files and your queen on a closed one!

Realise the truth: the pawn doesn't need to be defended

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5. O-O is the mainline. White castles their king to safety and is ready to bring their rook to e1. Black can take the pawn with 5...Nxe4, the Open Spanish, but White can get Black's e-pawn back in exchange (6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5).

This is the most subtle way to maintain material equality: Black makes no net gain in material and White gets to spend time on a developing move instead defending the pawn. Moreover, opening up the e-file while White is castled and Black is not creates tactical opportunities for White. Therefore, Black in fact usually does not capture. The most common line is 5...Be7, the Closed Spanish, leaving the pawn and preparing to castle.

Other moves

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  • 5. d5 is the Mackenzie variation. White opens up the centre early. This sideline avoids facing Closed Spanish positions: Black must either take the e4 pawn, 5...Nxe4, transposing into the Open Spanish after 6. O-O; or take the d4 pawn, 5...exd4, then 6. O-O Be7 7. e5 kicks the knight before White recaptures the pawn on d4.
  • 5. Bxc6 is the Bayreuth variation. White wastes time compared to capturing the knight on turn four.
  • 5. c3 is the Jaffe gambit. c3 is a thematic move in the Spanish to prepare d4. In this position it allows 5...Nxe4 and 6. O-O? is too slow to recover the pawn. White may play 6. Qe2 Nc5 7. Bxc6 dxc6 8. d4 (the e5-pawn is pinned) Ne6 9. Nxe5 instead.

Theory table

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For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6

5 6 7 8 9
Closed Spanish (mainline) O-O
Be7
Re1
b5
Bb3
d6
c3
O-O
h3
Open Spanish ...
Nxe4
d4
b5
Bb3
d5
dxe5
Be6
Anderssen variation d3
b5
Bb3
Bc5
O-O
d6
c3
Wormald attack Qe2
b5
Bb3
Bc5
c3
d6
Tarrasch variation Nc3
b5
Bb3
Bc5
O-O
O-O
d3
d6
Bg5
h6
Mackenzie variation d4
exd4
O-O
Be7
Re1
b5
Bb3
d6
Bd5
Nxd5
Bayreuth variation Bxc6
dxc6
d3
Bd6
Jaffe gambit c3
Nxe4
Qe2
Nc5
Bxc6
dxc6
d4
Ne6
Nxe5

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References

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See also

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v · t · e
Chess openings quick reference
1. e4
2. Nf3
With 2...Nc6:
Four knights: ()
Italian game: ()
Spanish game: ()

With other 2nd moves:
2. Other
1... other
1. d4
Flank
Unorthodox