Englund Gambit - 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.
Let's learn the Englund Gambit Declined! White pushes a pawn to d5, steering play into this line. Our bishop goes to c5, eyeing both f2 and d4. Let's begin with 1.d4.
Learn this chapter freeMain line
Scroll the moves: the board follows.
Key lines
The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.
- Main Line
… 5. e4 Nf6 6. Bd3 O-O 7. Nf3 Na6
- 3. e4
… 2... Bc5 3. e4 d6 4. c4 f5 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Bd3 O-O 7. Nf3 Na6
- 3. e4
… 2... Bc5 3. e4 d6 4. Nc3 a6 5. Nf3 Ne7
- 3. e4
… 2... Bc5 3. e4 d6 4. Nf3 f5 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Bg5 O-O
- Trap: 7.Bg5, you win a piece
… 2... Bc5 3. e4 d6 4. Nf3 f5 5. Bd3 fxe4 6. Bxe4 Nf6 7. Bg5 Bxf2+ 8. Kxf2 Nxe4+ 9. Kg1 Nxg5 10. h4 Nxf3+ 11. Qxf3 Nd7
- 4. e4
… 3... d6 4. e4 f5 5. Bd3 fxe4 6. Bxe4 Qh4 7. Qe2 Bxf2+ 8. Qxf2 Qxe4+ 9. Qe2 Nf6 10. Qxe4 Nxe4 11. Ne2 O-O
- 4. e4
… 3... d6 4. e4 f5 5. Bd3 fxe4 6. Bxe4 Qh4 7. Qf3 Bxf2+ 8. Qxf2 Qxe4+ 9. Qe2 Nf6 10. Qxe4 Nxe4 11. Ne2 O-O
- 4. e4
… 3... d6 4. e4 f5 5. f3 Nf6 6. Bd3 fxe4 7. fxe4 Ng4
- 4. e4
… 3... d6 4. e4 f5 5. f3 Nf6 6. Nc3 O-O
- 4. e4
… 3... d6 4. e4 f5 5. exf5 Bxf5 6. Nf3 Nf6
- 4. e4
… 3... d6 4. e4 f5 5. exf5 Bxf5 6. Bd3 Qh4 7. g3 Qd4
- 4. e4
… 3... d6 4. e4 f5 5. exf5 Bxf5 6. Nc3 Nf6
- 4. e4
… 3... d6 4. e4 f5 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Bd3 O-O 7. Nf3 Na6
- 5. e3
… 4... f5 5. e3 Bd7 6. Bd3 a5
- 5. Nf3
… 4... f5 5. Nf3 a5 6. Bg5 Nf6
- Trap: 7.Bd3, you win a rook
… 5... Nf6 6. Bg5 O-O 7. Bd3 fxe4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Bxd8 Bb4+ 10. Qd2 Bxd2+ 11. Kd1 Nxf2+ 12. Kxd2 Rxd8 13. Ne2 Nxh1 14. Rxh1 Na6
Other chapters
Main Line (4.Bf4)
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.
26 linesMain Line (4.Nc3)
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 linesStockholm Variation (4.Qd5)
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 linesOther 4th moves (4.Bg5, 4.e3)
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.
7 linesOther 3rd moves (3.Bf4)
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 linesOther 2nd moves (2.c4)
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.
10 lines
Learn Englund Gambit Declined (2.d5) on the board
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