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Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e6/2. d4/2...d5/3. Nc3/3...Nf6/4. Bg5/4...Be7

< Chess Opening Theory‎ | 1. e4‎ | 1...e6‎ | 2. d4‎ | 2...d5‎ | 3. Nc3‎ | 3...Nf6‎ | 4. Bg5
Classical variation
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black kingg8 black kingh8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black kinge7 black bishopf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black kingd6 black kinge6 black pawnf6 black knightg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black pawne5 black kingf5 black kingg5 white bishoph5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 black kingd4 white pawne4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 white knightd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 black kingc1 black kingd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)

rnbqk2r/ppp1bppp/4pn2/3p2B1/3PP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R2QKBNR w

Moves: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7

Classical variation

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Because Nf6 is no longer pinned, Black threatens to win the e4-pawn.
The attempt to defend the e4-pawn, e.g. by 5.f3?! or 5.Bd3?!, will still lose the pawn, because White's Bg5 is not defended, so Black can simply play 5...Nxe4! and win a pawn (6. Bxe7 Nxc3 7. Bxd8 Nxd1 8. Bxc7 Nxb2 -/+).
That's why White either plays the e4-pawn to a safe square (Main Line - 5.e5), or eliminates an attacker of e4 (5.Bxf6). A safe alternative is a transposition to the Exchange Variation (5.exd5).

Theory table

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

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7
5
Main Line e5 =
1 Bxf6 =
2 exd5 =

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References

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Wikipedia has related information at French Defence

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