1
B06 quickly develop his pieces ignoring the
Robatsch Defense attack over żb2. (However a strong
3...d5 alternative is also 7.Be3 Qc6 8.Nf3
played in the correspondence chess top
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d5!? A surprising class game Elwert-Ekebjaerg, 2002 )
move. Black tries to play a Scandinavian-like B4a) After 7...Bxb2 8.Rb1 Bg7 9.Bxa6
system in which White already have played bxa6 10.0-0ą White gains great
Nc3. compensation for the pawn sacrified. ;
B4b) 7...Nf6? loses by force after 8.b4!
[ 3...c5 A rather dubious system 4.dxc5 Qc6 ( 8...Qd6 9.Bf4 Qe6 10.Ng5 Qc6
A) Due to the bad results achieved in the 11.b5 Qc5 12.Be3 Qa3 13.Bd4!+-
main line, Black started looking for a refuge Bojkovic-Lelchuk, 1993 ) 9.Nd4 Qd6
in this line. At the cost of his fianchettoed 10.Bf4 e5 11.Nb5 Qb8 12.Ndc7+!
bishop Black worsens White's pawn Nxc7 13.Bxe5 Nxb5 14.Bxb8 Nxe4
structure. Of course such an action involves 15.Bxb5+- ;
some risks. 4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 B4c) 7...e6 8.Bc3 Aiming to change the
A1) 5...Nf6 6.Bd3 ( 6.e5!? Ne4 7.Qd5 most important defensive black piece.
Qa5 8.Ne2 Nxc5 9.Be3 Nba6 10.f4ł
) ( 8.Bxa6?! exd5! ) 8...Kf8 ( 8...Bxc3+
6...Qa5 7.Ne2� ; 9.Nxc3ą White has a clear plus due to
A2) 5...Qa5 the weaknesses of the dark squares
A2a) 6.Bd3!? is worth considering. from Black's camp. ; 8...f6 9.Ne3ą
After Qxc3+ ( 6...Qxc5 7.Ne2� Messa-Conti, corr.1995 ) 9.Bxg7+ Kxg7
Flores-Dolezal, 2003 ) 7.Bd2 Qxc5 10.Nc3 Nf6 ( 10...Nb4 11.Qd2�
White gained compensation by either 8. Zifroni-Lev, 1998 ) 11.Bxa6! ( 11.Qd2
Śb1 or 8.ńf3. Likely an attacking player d5 12.exd5 Nb4!? ) 11...bxa6
will enjoy such a position. ; 12.Qd4! Qxd4 13.Nxd4� The endgame
A2b) 6.Qd4 Nf6 7.Qb4! Qc7 8.Bd3� favours White due to his better pawn
Pashikian-Istratescu, 2004 ; structure. Robatsch Defense-3...c5 ]
B) 4...Qa5 5.Bd2 Qxc5 6.Nd5!
White makes use of the exposed position of 4.exd5 The only way to fight for an opening
the Black queen. The idea is 7.Ąb4 Łc6 8. advantage.
Ąb5! [ 4.Nxd5 c6 5.Ne3 Qxd4= ]
B1) 6...b6 7.Bb4 Qc6 8.Nf3! Bb7 4...Nf6
( 8...Bxb2? 9.Nd4 Bxd4 10.Qxd4 f6 [It is worth considering the gambit line 4...c6!?
11.Bb5 Qxc2 12.Bc3+- ) 9.Nd4 Qc8 5.dxc6 Nxc6 6.d5 Nb4 7.a3 ( 7.Bb5+ Bd7
10.Nb5 Bxd5 11.exd5 a6 ( 11...Bxb2 8.Bc4 Qc7 9.Bb3 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qxc3+
12.Rb1ą ) 12.Nd4ą Ceteras-Popescu F., 11.Bd2 Qc5� Movsziszian-Schultz, 1993 )
1992 ; 7...Bxc3+ ( 7...Qa5 8.Bb5+ Kf8 9.Nge2ą )
B2) After 6...Bxb2? Black's position 8.bxc3 Nxd5 9.Bb5+ Kf8 10.c4 Ngf6
immediately collapses 7.Rb1 11.Qd4 ( 11.Ne2!? Bf5 12.Bh6+ Kg8 13.0-0
B2a) 7...Ba3 8.Rb3! Qd6 ( 8...Kd8 Nc7 14.Nd4ł
) 11...a6 12.cxd5 axb5 13.Bb2
9.Qf3+- ) 9.Qa1! f6 10.Rxa3 Qxa3 Bf5 14.Ne2 Rg8 15.Rd1 Bxc2 16.Rd2� ]
11.Nc7++- ; 5.Bc4! The strongest move. White makes it as
B2b) 7...Be5 8.Nf3 Bc7 ( 8...Nc6 difficult as possible for Black to win the pawn
9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Bb4 Qc6 11.Bb5+- ) back.
9.Rb4! Na6 10.Rc4 Qd6 11.Rxc7 [ 5.Nf3 Nxd5 6.Nxd5 Qxd5 7.Be2 c5 8.Be3
Nxc7 12.Bf4+- ; cxd4 9.Bxd4 0-0 10.0-0 Nc6 11.Bxg7 Qxd1
B3) 6...Nf6 7.Bb4 Qc6 8.Bb5+- ; 12.Rfxd1 Kxg7 13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.Rxd4 Bf5
B4) 6...Na6 7.Nf3!? The main line. White 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.Nf4ą 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� Bonsch-Hennig, 1998 ) 8.a4! ( 9 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� 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� 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� Sadler-Turner,
1997 ]
7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.Bb3 a5!?
[ 8...0-0 9.Nge2 Bg4 10.f3 Bh4+ 11.Ng3
Bf5 12.0-0ą ]
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.Qd2ą