For Black· 17 lines

Owen Defense - 2.Nf3 Lines

Play ...Bb4, ...Nf6 and ...d5, then after 7.e5 Ne4 trade on c3 and e4, leaving White doubled c-pawns. Watch the trap where 8.Bxe4 dxe4 9.Nd2 Qxd4 wins material for you. Aim for opposite-colored bishops with your knight jumping to c4 and pressure on the f-file.

Let's learn the 2.Nf3 Lines! White develops the knight toward e5, so we fianchetto with Bb7 to attack the undefended e4 pawn. White then builds a center and pins get traded off as play continues, leaving us slightly better. Let's begin with 1.e4.

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Main line

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Key lines

The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.

  1. Main Line: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Qe2 d5 7. e5 Ne4 8. Bd2 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Nc6 10. Bxe4 dxe4 11. Qxe4 Na5 12. Qg4 Qd5
    Main Line

    … 10. Bxe4 dxe4 11. Qxe4 Na5 12. Qg4 Qd5

  2. 3. d3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. d3 c5 4. Nc3 e6 5. Be2 Nc6
    3. d3

    … 2... Bb7 3. d3 c5 4. Nc3 e6 5. Be2 Nc6

  3. 3. d3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. d3 c5 4. g3 Nf6 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O e6 7. Re1 Be7
    3. d3

    … 2... Bb7 3. d3 c5 4. g3 Nf6 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O e6 7. Re1 Be7

  4. 3. d3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. d3 c5 4. Be2 e6 5. O-O Nc6
    3. d3

    … 2... Bb7 3. d3 c5 4. Be2 e6 5. O-O Nc6

  5. 4. Bc4: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bc4 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. Qe2+ Be7 7. Bb3 Nf6
    4. Bc4

    … 3... e6 4. Bc4 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. Qe2+ Be7 7. Bb3 Nf6

  6. 4. Bc4: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bc4 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb3 Nf6 7. O-O Be7 8. d4 a5
    4. Bc4

    … 3... e6 4. Bc4 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb3 Nf6 7. O-O Be7 8. d4 a5

  7. 4. Bc4: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bc4 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb3 Nf6 7. d4 Bb4 8. O-O O-O
    4. Bc4

    … 3... e6 4. Bc4 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb3 Nf6 7. d4 Bb4 8. O-O O-O

  8. 5. Bd2: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd2 Bxc3 6. Bxc3 Bxe4 7. d5 Nf6 8. dxe6 fxe6 9. Bd3 Bb7
    5. Bd2

    … 4... Bb4 5. Bd2 Bxc3 6. Bxc3 Bxe4 7. d5 Nf6 8. dxe6 fxe6 9. Bd3 Bb7

  9. 5. Bd2: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd2 Bxc3 6. Bxc3 Bxe4 7. Bd3 Nf6 8. Bxe4 Nxe4 9. Bb4 Nc6 10. Ba3 Ne7
    5. Bd2

    … 4... Bb4 5. Bd2 Bxc3 6. Bxc3 Bxe4 7. Bd3 Nf6 8. Bxe4 Nxe4 9. Bb4 Nc6 10. Ba3 Ne7

  10. 6. e5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bxe4 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Bxe4 9. O-O d5 10. exd6 O-O 11. Ng5 Bg6
    6. e5

    … 5... Nf6 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bxe4 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Bxe4 9. O-O d5 10. exd6 O-O 11. Ng5 Bg6

  11. 6. e5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxd2 8. Qxd2 Bxf3 9. gxf3 Qh4 10. O-O-O Qxd4 11. f4 Nc6
    6. e5

    … 5... Nf6 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxd2 8. Qxd2 Bxf3 9. gxf3 Qh4 10. O-O-O Qxd4 11. f4 Nc6

  12. 6. Bg5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3 Nxe4 9. Bxe4 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Bxe4 11. Qe2 Bb7
    6. Bg5

    … 5... Nf6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3 Nxe4 9. Bxe4 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Bxe4 11. Qe2 Bb7

  13. 6. Bg5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bxf6 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Qxf6 9. O-O Nc6
    6. Bg5

    … 5... Nf6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bxf6 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Qxf6 9. O-O Nc6

  14. 7. exd5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Qe2 d5 7. exd5 Qxd5 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3 O-O
    7. exd5

    … 6... d5 7. exd5 Qxd5 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3 O-O

  15. Trap: 8.Bxe4, you win material: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Qe2 d5 7. e5 Ne4 8. Bxe4 dxe4 9. Nd2 Qxd4 10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 Qxc3 12. Nb3 Nc6
    Trap: 8.Bxe4, you win material

    … 7... Ne4 8. Bxe4 dxe4 9. Nd2 Qxd4 10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 Qxc3 12. Nb3 Nc6

  16. 8. Bxe4: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Qe2 d5 7. e5 Ne4 8. Bxe4 dxe4 9. Ng5 Qxd4 10. Bd2 Nc6 11. a3 Be7 12. f4 exf3 13. Nxf3 Qg4
    8. Bxe4

    … 7... Ne4 8. Bxe4 dxe4 9. Ng5 Qxd4 10. Bd2 Nc6 11. a3 Be7 12. f4 exf3 13. Nxf3 Qg4

  17. 9. Bxc3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Qe2 d5 7. e5 Ne4 8. Bd2 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 c5 11. O-O c4 12. Bxc4 dxc4 13. Qxc4 Bxf3 14. gxf3 O-O
    9. Bxc3

    … 8... Bxc3 9. Bxc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 c5 11. O-O c4 12. Bxc4 dxc4 13. Qxc4 Bxf3 14. gxf3 O-O

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