Englund Gambit - 4.Bf4 Lines (after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 3...Qe7)
After 3...Qe7 the opponent covers e5 again with 4.Bf4, so hit it with 4...Qb4+ and grab a pawn with Qxb2. Meet 6.Nc3 Bb4 and 7.Rb1 Qa3 to keep threatening Bxc3, reaching 9...Bxc3 10.Bxc3. Watch for 6.Bc3? and 8.Nb5?, both losing material. You aim for a queenside majority against White's bishop pair and doubled e-pawns.
Let's learn the 4.Bf4 Lines! White guards e5 again with the bishop, so we check with our queen and grab the b2 pawn. White then develops with Nc3, but we meet it with Bb4, setting a trap on White's queen. Let's begin with 1.d4.
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Scroll the moves: the board follows.
Key lines
The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.
- Main Line
… 10. Bxc3 Qc5 11. e3 Nh6 12. Bd3 Qe7
- Trap: 6.Bc3, mate on c1
… 5... Qxb2 6. Bc3 Bb4 7. Qd2 Bxc3 8. Qxc3 Qc1#
- 6. Bc3
… 5... Qxb2 6. Bc3 Bb4 7. Bxb4 Nxb4 8. Nd4 Qxd4 9. Qxd4 Nxc2+ 10. Kd2 Nxd4 11. Nc3 f6
- 8. Nb5
… 7... Qa3 8. Nb5 Bxd2+ 9. Nxd2 Qa5 10. e3 a6
- 8. Nb5
… 7... Qa3 8. Nb5 Bxd2+ 9. Qxd2 Qxa2 10. Rd1 Kd8 11. Ng5 Nh6 12. Nc3 Qa5
- Trap: 8.Nb5, you win the queen
… 7... Qa3 8. Nb5 Bxd2+ 9. Qxd2 Qxa2 10. Rd1 Kd8 11. Qg5+ Nge7 12. Qxg7 Rg8 13. Qxf7 Qxf7 14. e3 Ng6
- 8. Nb5
… 7... Qa3 8. Nb5 Bxd2+ 9. Qxd2 Qxa2 10. Rd1 Kd8 11. e4 Qa5
- 8. Nd5
… 7... Qa3 8. Nd5 Bxd2+ 9. Qxd2 Kd8 10. Qg5+ Nge7 11. Nxe7 Nxe7 12. Qxg7 Ng6 13. Qxf7 Qc5
- 8. Nd5
… 7... Qa3 8. Nd5 Bxd2+ 9. Qxd2 Kd8 10. Ng5 Nh6 11. e6 fxe6 12. Nxe6+ dxe6 13. Nb6+ Ke7 14. Nxa8 Rd8
- 8. Nd5
… 7... Qa3 8. Nd5 Bxd2+ 9. Qxd2 Kd8 10. e4 Nge7 11. Bc4 Qa4 12. Ne3 Rf8
- 9. e4
… 8... Qa5 9. e4 a6 10. a3 Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Qc5 12. Bd3 Nge7
- 9. e4
… 8... Qa5 9. e4 a6 10. Bc4 Nge7
- 9. e4
… 8... Qa5 9. e4 a6 10. Nd5 Bxd2+ 11. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 12. Kxd2 Kd8
- 9. e3
… 8... Qa5 9. e3 Nge7 10. a3 Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Qc5
- 9. e3
… 8... Qa5 9. e3 Nge7 10. Nb5 Bxd2+ 11. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 12. Nxd2 Kd8
- 9. e3
… 8... Qa5 9. e3 Nge7 10. Bc4 O-O
- 9. e3
… 8... Qa5 9. e3 Nge7 10. Bd3 Nd5
- 11. e4
… 10... Qc5 11. e4 Nge7 12. Bd3 Ng6
Other chapters
1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 4. Nc3 Nxe5 5. Nxe5 Qxe5 6. g3 Bb4 7. Bd2 d6 8. Bg2 Nf6 9. O-O O-O 10. a3 Bc5 11. b4 Bd4
4.Nc3 Lines (after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 3...Qe7)
White develops with 4.Nc3, eyeing d5. Recapture with Nxe5 and Qxe5, pin with Bb4, then follow up with d6, Nf6, and O-O. Avoid 7...Bxc3, since 8.Bxc3 wins for White. After 10.a3 Bc5 11.b4 Bd4, aim for Re8, Qf5, and d5, or grab c3 and follow with c6.
9 lines1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 4. Qd5 f6 5. exf6 Nxf6 6. Qd1 d5 7. e3 Bd7 8. Be2 O-O-O 9. O-O g5
Stockholm Variation (4.Qd5, after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 3...Qe7)
White guards the e5 pawn with 4.Qd5, defining the Stockholm Variation. Meet it with 4...f6, 5...Nxf6, 6...d5 and 7...Bd7, then castle with 8...O-O-O. Plan to centralize with Ne5 and push c5 afterward. You reach a fight of opposite-side castling where White holds a kingside pawn majority.
5 lines1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 4. Bg5 Qb4+ 5. Bd2
Other 4th moves after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 3...Qe7 (4.Bg5)
White meets your queen on e7 with 4.Bg5, so you check with 4...Qb4+. Most often White blocks with 5.Bd2, leaving its e-pawns doubled. If White tries 5.Nbd2 instead, trade bishops with ...Be7 and Bxe7, then play Ngxe5 and d5 to win back the pawn and grab central space. Aim for a lasting structural edge over White's weak pawns.
3 lines1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Bf4 d6 4. exd6 Qf6 5. Bc1 Bxd6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. c3 Nge7
3.Bf4 Lines (after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6)
After 3.Bf4 d6 4.exd6, hit the bishop with 4...Qf6, then meet 5.Bc1 with 5...Bxd6. Develop with Bf5 and Nge7, planning a6, h6, then castle. Avoid 7...O-O-O, since 8.Bg5 wins a rook for a bishop. Aim for a safe, comfortable position with easy development.
7 lines1. d4 e5 2. d5 Bc5 3. c4 d6 4. Nc3 f5 5. e4 Nf6 6. Bd3 O-O 7. Nf3 Na6
Englund Gambit Declined (2.d5)
White declines the gambit with 2.d5, steering the game into quieter waters. Build with ...d6, ...f5, ...Nf6, ...O-O, and ...Na6, aiming for ...Bb4 and ...Nc5. Aim for active pieces with White's king exposed in the center.
9 lines1. d4 e5 2. c4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd1 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 d6 7. Nf3 O-O
2.c4 Lines
After 1.d4 e5 2.c4 exd4, White grabs the gambit pawn with 3.Qxd4 and the queen gets kicked by 3...Nc6. Keep improving your pieces from a solid, comfortable setup.
7 lines
Learn 4.Bf4 Lines (after 2.dxe5 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 3...Qe7) on the board
The trainer plays the opponent's moves and waits for yours, line by line. Free to start.
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