For Black· 23 lines

Owen Defense - 3rd moves after 2.d4 Bb7 (3.Nc3, 3.Bd3, 3.d5, 3.f3)

White defends e4 with 3.Nc3, eyeing d5, then develops with 4.Nf3, eyeing e5. You reply 3...e6, closing a key diagonal and keeping White's knight off d5, with your bishop on b7 already eyeing e4. From here keep developing and aim to strike the centre with d5, building a solid, flexible setup.

Let's learn White's main 3rd moves! White develops the knight to c3 to defend the e4 pawn. We reply with e6, keeping White's knight out of d5. Let's begin with 1.e4.

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Main line

Scroll the moves: the board follows.

Key lines

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

  1. Main Line: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Nf3
    Main Line

    … 1... b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Nf3

  2. 3. Bd3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Ne4 6. O-O f5 7. exf6 Nxf6 8. Nc3 Bd6
    3. Bd3

    … 2... Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Ne4 6. O-O f5 7. exf6 Nxf6 8. Nc3 Bd6

  3. 3. Bd3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4
    3. Bd3

    … 2... Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4

  4. 3. Bd3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Qe2 d5 6. e5 Nfd7 7. c3 c5 8. O-O Be7
    3. Bd3

    … 2... Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Qe2 d5 6. e5 Nfd7 7. c3 c5 8. O-O Be7

  5. 3. Bd3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Qe2 d5 6. e5 Nfd7 7. O-O c5 8. c3 Be7
    3. Bd3

    … 2... Bb7 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Qe2 d5 6. e5 Nfd7 7. O-O c5 8. c3 Be7

  6. 3. d5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Bd3 c6 5. c4 cxd5 6. exd5 e6 7. Nc3 exd5 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Bxd5 10. Nf3 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Nc6
    3. d5

    … 2... Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Bd3 c6 5. c4 cxd5 6. exd5 e6 7. Nc3 exd5 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Bxd5 10. Nf3 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Nc6

  7. 3. d5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Bd3 c6 5. c4 cxd5 6. cxd5 e6 7. Nc3 exd5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Bxd5 10. Nf3 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Nc6
    3. d5

    … 2... Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Bd3 c6 5. c4 cxd5 6. cxd5 e6 7. Nc3 exd5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 Bxd5 10. Nf3 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Nc6

  8. 3. d5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Bd3 c6 5. c4 cxd5 6. cxd5 e6 7. dxe6 dxe6 8. Bb5+ Nbd7 9. Nc3 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 Bxe4 11. Nf3 a6 12. Be2 Bc5
    3. d5

    … 2... Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Bd3 c6 5. c4 cxd5 6. cxd5 e6 7. dxe6 dxe6 8. Bb5+ Nbd7 9. Nc3 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 Bxe4 11. Nf3 a6 12. Be2 Bc5

  9. 3. d5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. f3 e6 5. c4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Bc5 7. b4 Bd6
    3. d5

    … 2... Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. f3 e6 5. c4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Bc5 7. b4 Bd6

  10. 3. d5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bc4 b5 6. Bb3 b4 7. Na4 Nxe4 8. Qd4 Nf6
    3. d5

    … 2... Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bc4 b5 6. Bb3 b4 7. Na4 Nxe4 8. Qd4 Nf6

  11. 3. d5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 cxd5 6. Bxf6 exf6 7. exd5 g6
    3. d5

    … 2... Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 cxd5 6. Bxf6 exf6 7. exd5 g6

  12. 3. d5: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. dxc6 Nxc6 6. Nf3 d6
    3. d5

    … 2... Bb7 3. d5 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. dxc6 Nxc6 6. Nf3 d6

  13. 3. f3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. f3 d5 4. Nc3 e6
    3. f3

    … 2... Bb7 3. f3 d5 4. Nc3 e6

  14. 3. f3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. f3 d5 4. e5 e6 5. c3 c5 6. Be3 Nc6
    3. f3

    … 2... Bb7 3. f3 d5 4. e5 e6 5. c3 c5 6. Be3 Nc6

  15. 3. f3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. f3 d5 4. e5 e6 5. Bd3 Ba6 6. Ne2 Bxd3 7. Qxd3 c5
    3. f3

    … 2... Bb7 3. f3 d5 4. e5 e6 5. Bd3 Ba6 6. Ne2 Bxd3 7. Qxd3 c5

  16. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. O-O dxe4 7. Nxe4 Nd7
    4. Bd3

    … 3... e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. O-O dxe4 7. Nxe4 Nd7

  17. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. e5 Bf8 7. O-O Ba6 8. f4 g6
    4. Bd3

    … 3... e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. e5 Bf8 7. O-O Ba6 8. f4 g6

  18. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Nf3
    4. Bd3

    … 3... e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Nf3

  19. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Bd2 f5 6. exf5 Bxg2 7. Qh5+ Kf8 8. fxe6 Qe7 9. O-O-O Bxh1 10. Nge2 Nf6 11. Qh3 Bxc3 12. Nxc3 Bb7
    4. Bd3

    … 3... e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Bd2 f5 6. exf5 Bxg2 7. Qh5+ Kf8 8. fxe6 Qe7 9. O-O-O Bxh1 10. Nge2 Nf6 11. Qh3 Bxc3 12. Nxc3 Bb7

  20. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Bd2 f5 6. Qe2 Nf6
    4. Bd3

    … 3... e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Bd2 f5 6. Qe2 Nf6

  21. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Bd2 f5 6. f3 Qh4+ 7. g3 Qh5 8. Qe2 Nc6 9. d5 Ne5
    4. Bd3

    … 3... e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Bd2 f5 6. f3 Qh4+ 7. g3 Qh5 8. Qe2 Nc6 9. d5 Ne5

  22. 4. f4: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. f4 Bb4 5. Bd3 f5 6. exf5 Bxg2 7. Qh5+ Kf8 8. fxe6 Qe8 9. Qf5+ Nf6
    4. f4

    … 3... e6 4. f4 Bb4 5. Bd3 f5 6. exf5 Bxg2 7. Qh5+ Kf8 8. fxe6 Qe8 9. Qf5+ Nf6

  23. 4. f4: position after 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. f4 Bb4 5. Bd3 f5 6. Qe2 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Qh4+ 8. g3 Qg4 9. Qxg4 fxg4 10. h3 Nf6
    4. f4

    … 3... e6 4. f4 Bb4 5. Bd3 f5 6. Qe2 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Qh4+ 8. g3 Qg4 9. Qxg4 fxg4 10. h3 Nf6

Other chapters

All chapters of the Owen Defense

Learn 3rd moves after 2.d4 Bb7 (3.Nc3, 3.Bd3, 3.d5, 3.f3) on the board

The trainer plays the opponent's moves and waits for yours, line by line. Free to start.

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