Owen Defense

Challenge White's center from the flank with 1...b6. One trap wins a pawn.

1...b6 puts your bishop on course for b7, where it pressures White's center while you keep your pawn breaks flexible. Learn when to challenge the center with ...d5 or ...c5 and how to punish loose pawns. Two traps, 8 model games and 27 puzzles give you practice.

What you'll learn

3.Nc3 Lines (after 2.d4 Bb7)

1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Nc3

White defends e4 with 3.Nc3, so we meet it with 3...e6, shutting out Bg5 and covering d5. The main line continues 4.Nf3, developing toward e5, while we also cover 4.Bd3 Bb4 setups where you follow up with Ngf6 or Nf6 and castle short.

3.Bd3 Lines (after 2.d4 Bb7)

1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Bd3

We push 5...d5, and after 6.e5 Nfd7 7.O-O c5 8.c3, we finish development with 8...Be7, planning Nc6, O-O and a strike with cxd4.

3.d5 Lines (after 2.d4 Bb7)

1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.d5

White grabs space with 3.d5, so we strike back with 3...Nf6 and 4...c6, challenging the pawn. After 5.dxc6 Nxc6, our knight recaptures and the c-file opens for us, and we round out development with 6.Nf3 d6, planning Bg7 and e6 to use that half-open file.

Other 3rd moves after 2.d4 Bb7 (3.f3)

1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.f3

White shores up e4 with 3.f3, and we strike back with 3...d5, claiming central space. After 4.e5 e6 5.Bd3 Ba6, we trade light-squared bishops with 6...Bxd3 7.Qxd3, then play 7...c5 and plan Nc6 with a kingside pawn push using h5 and h4.

2.Nf3 Lines

1.e4 b6 2.Nf3

White develops naturally with 2.Nf3 and 3.Nc3, so we pin the knight with 4...Bb4 before White defends e4 again with 5.Bd3 and 6.Qe2. After 6...d5 7.e5 Ne4, we trade down with 8...Bxc3 9.bxc3 and 10...dxe4, leaving White with doubled c-pawns and opposite-colored bishops, and 11...Na5 wins a tempo on White's queen before we centralize with 12...Qd5.

2.Nc3 Lines

1.e4 b6 2.Nc3

White develops the knight first with 2.Nc3, and we prepare d5 with 2...e6. After 3.d4 d5 4.exd5 exd5, central pawns disappear and the e-file opens, so we meet the pin 6.Bg5 with 6...Be7, planning to castle short and answer h5 with Nbd7.

2.Bc4 Lines

1.e4 b6 2.Bc4

White eyes f7 with 2.Bc4, and we answer with 2...e6 before striking the bishop with 3...d5. After 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bb3 Nf6, White pins our knight with 6.Bg5, so we expand with 6...a5 and plan Be7, h6 and a timely recapture on f6.

2.f4 Lines

1.e4 b6 2.f4

White grabs space with 2.f4, and if White slips with 5.e5, we strike with 5...d4, kicking the knight. The trap continues 6.Ne2 Bxf3 7.gxf3 Qh4+ 8.Ng3 Qxf4, winning a pawn, and after 9.Qe2 Nc6 we plan to trade queens on e5 and keep a strong knight outpost on f5.

What's inside

• 2 traps featured as priority lines, so you learn the tricks that win games first.
• 8 master games played in these lines, linked from the moves where they leave the course.
• 27 puzzles from real games of this opening.

Why this repertoire?

• Built for club players. You'll meet every common White try from club games, from 2.Nf3 and 2.Nc3 to 2.Bc4 and 2.f4.
• Not much to memorize. The course covers lines across 8 chapters, with two concrete traps that punish common mistakes.
• Recurring plans carry the load. Fianchetto your bishop to b7, challenge the center with d5, and aim for knight outposts like e4 or f5 once trades happen.
• Understanding over memorizing. Each line explains what a move does, so you can find the right idea even when your opponent deviates.
• Real games and practice. Master games and puzzles let you see the plans played out and test your grasp of them.