1

B06

Robatsch Defense
3...d5

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d5!? A surprising

move. Black tries to play a Scandinavian-like
system in which White already have played
Nc3.

[ 3...c5 A rather dubious system 4.dxc5

A) Due to the bad results achieved in the

main line, Black started looking for a refuge
in this line. At the cost of his fianchettoed
bishop Black worsens White's pawn
structure. Of course such an action involves
some risks. 4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3

A1) 5...Nf6 6.Bd3 ( 6.e5!? Ne4 7.Qd5
Qa5 8.Ne2 Nxc5 9.Be3 Nba6 10.f4

ƒ )

6...Qa5 7.Ne2

² ;

A2) 5...Qa5

A2a) 6.Bd3!? is worth considering.

After Qxc3+ ( 6...Qxc5 7.Ne2

²

Flores-Dolezal, 2003 ) 7.Bd2 Qxc5
White gained compensation by either 8.
¦b1 or 8.¤f3. Likely an attacking player
will enjoy such a position. ;

A2b) 6.Qd4 Nf6 7.Qb4! Qc7 8.Bd3

²

Pashikian-Istratescu, 2004 ;

B) 4...Qa5 5.Bd2 Qxc5 6.Nd5!

White makes use of the exposed position of
the Black queen. The idea is 7.

¥b4 £c6 8.

¥b5!

B1) 6...b6 7.Bb4 Qc6 8.Nf3! Bb7
( 8...Bxb2? 9.Nd4 Bxd4 10.Qxd4 f6
11.Bb5 Qxc2 12.Bc3+- ) 9.Nd4 Qc8
10.Nb5 Bxd5 11.exd5 a6 ( 11...Bxb2
12.Rb1

± ) 12.Nd4± Ceteras-Popescu F.,

1992 ;

B2) After 6...Bxb2? Black's position

immediately collapses 7.Rb1

B2a) 7...Ba3 8.Rb3! Qd6 ( 8...Kd8
9.Qf3+- ) 9.Qa1! f6 10.Rxa3 Qxa3
11.Nc7++- ;
B2b) 7...Be5 8.Nf3 Bc7 ( 8...Nc6
9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Bb4 Qc6 11.Bb5+- )
9.Rb4! Na6 10.Rc4 Qd6 11.Rxc7
Nxc7 12.Bf4+- ;

B3) 6...Nf6 7.Bb4 Qc6 8.Bb5+- ;
B4) 6...Na6 7.Nf3!? The main line. White

quickly develop his pieces ignoring the
attack over

§b2. (However a strong

alternative is also 7.Be3 Qc6 8.Nf3
played in the correspondence chess top
class game Elwert-Ekebjaerg, 2002 )

B4a) After 7...Bxb2 8.Rb1 Bg7 9.Bxa6
bxa6 10.0-0

± White gains great

compensation for the pawn sacrified. ;

B4b) 7...Nf6? loses by force after 8.b4!
Qc6 ( 8...Qd6 9.Bf4 Qe6 10.Ng5 Qc6
11.b5 Qc5 12.Be3 Qa3 13.Bd4!+-

Bojkovic-Lelchuk, 1993 ) 9.Nd4 Qd6

10.Bf4 e5 11.Nb5 Qb8 12.Ndc7+!
Nxc7 13.Bxe5 Nxb5 14.Bxb8 Nxe4
15.Bxb5+- ;
B4c) 7...e6 8.Bc3 Aiming to change the

most important defensive black piece.

( 8.Bxa6?! exd5!

„ ) 8...Kf8 ( 8...Bxc3+

9.Nxc3

± White has a clear plus due to

the weaknesses of the dark squares
from Black's camp. ; 8...f6 9.Ne3

±

Messa-Conti, corr.1995 ) 9.Bxg7+ Kxg7

10.Nc3 Nf6 ( 10...Nb4 11.Qd2

²

Zifroni-Lev, 1998 ) 11.Bxa6! ( 11.Qd2

d5 12.exd5 Nb4!?

„ ) 11...bxa6

12.Qd4! Qxd4 13.Nxd4

² The endgame

favours White due to his better pawn
structure. Robatsch Defense-3...c5 ]

4.exd5 The only way to fight for an opening

advantage.

[ 4.Nxd5 c6 5.Ne3 Qxd4= ]

4...Nf6

[It is worth considering the gambit line 4...c6!?
5.dxc6 Nxc6 6.d5 Nb4 7.a3 ( 7.Bb5+ Bd7
8.Bc4 Qc7 9.Bb3 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qxc3+
11.Bd2 Qc5

÷ Movsziszian-Schultz, 1993 )

7...Bxc3+ ( 7...Qa5 8.Bb5+ Kf8 9.Nge2

± )

8.bxc3 Nxd5 9.Bb5+ Kf8 10.c4 Ngf6
11.Qd4 ( 11.Ne2!? Bf5 12.Bh6+ Kg8 13.0-0
Nc7 14.Nd4

ƒ ) 11...a6 12.cxd5 axb5 13.Bb2

Bf5 14.Ne2 Rg8 15.Rd1 Bxc2 16.Rd2

© ]

5.Bc4! The strongest move. White makes it as

difficult as possible for Black to win the pawn
back.

[ 5.Nf3 Nxd5 6.Nxd5 Qxd5 7.Be2 c5 8.Be3
cxd4 9.Bxd4 0-0 10.0-0 Nc6 11.Bxg7 Qxd1
12.Rfxd1 Kxg7 13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.Rxd4 Bf5
15.c3 Rfd8= Gymesi-Banikas, 1997 ]

2

[After 5.Bb5+ Nbd7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 Nb6

Black gains the pawn back and keeps the
balance. ]

5...Nbd7! The most accurate move.

[After 5...0-0?! Black will meet difficulties to

win the pawn back. 6.Nge2! Nbd7 7.Bb3

Nb6 8.Nf4

± Yudasin-Vydeslaver, 1992 ]

6.Bg5! The most aggressive move that forces

Black to sacrifice a pawn in order to gain
counter-play.

[ 6.Nf3 Nb6 7.Bb3 a5!? Black gains space

on the queenside before winning the pawn
back. ( 7...0-0 8.0-0 Nbxd5 9.Nxd5 Nxd5

10.c3 Bg4 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 c6 13.Re1
e6

² Bonsch-Hennig, 1998 ) 8.a4! ( ‹8.a3 a4

9.Ba2 Nbxd5 10.Nxd5 Nxd5 11.0-0 0-0
12.h3 c6 13.Re1 b5= Ankerst-Vocak, 1992 )
8...Nbxd5 9.Nxd5 Nxd5 10.0-0 ( 10.h3 0-0
11.0-0 c6 12.Re1

² Magem Badals - Palacios,

1989 ) 10...0-0 11.Re1 Bg4 12.h3 Bxf3

13.Qxf3 White's position is slightly better due

to his bishop pair. e6 14.Qg4 c6 15.Bg5

Qb6 16.Rad1 h6 17.Bc1

² Bashkov-Vocak,

1991 ]

[ 6.Bb3 Nb6 7.Nf3 is only a transposition to

the main line. ]

6...Nb6

[ 6...0-0 7.Bb3 Nb6 8.Qf3

² Sadler-Turner,

1997 ]

7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.Bb3 a5!?

[ 8...0-0 9.Nge2 Bg4 10.f3 Bh4+ 11.Ng3
Bf5 12.0-0

± ]

9.a4

[ 9.a3 a4 10.Ba2 0-0 11.Nge2 c6 12.dxc6
bxc6 13.0-0 Ba6

© Martin Gonzales -

Palacios, 1989 ]

9...0-0 10.Nge2 c6! The only way to gain

counter-play 11.dxc6 bxc6 12.0-0 Ba6

13.Re1 Nc4 (Keitlinghaus-Vokac, 1992) 14.Ne4
Nxb2 15.Nxf6+ exf6 16.Qd2

±