1…Nf6 2.Bf4: …e6, …b6 and …c5
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 Black has extra choices. …e6 with …c5 or …b6 (a Queen's Indian set-up) keeps things calm. The sharp 2…c5 is met by 3.d5, gaining space — but watch the b2 pawn: …Qb6 is coming, and grabbing b2 is often poisoned. If Black plays …d5, you are back in the main line. Against the Old Indian (…d6, …Nbd7, …e5) remember the pawn grab dxe5 and Nxe5, and an early …Ne4 is simply challenged with Nd2.
- 15 min
- 1 step
- Lesson 97 of 132
Picking up where you left off.
Nine lines, three of them core:
- …e6 and …c5 with …Qb6 (core)
- Queen’s Indian style: …b6 and …Bb7 (important)
- 2…c5 3.d5 …Qb6: the poisoned b2 pawn (core)
- 2…c5 3.d5 …d6: build the centre (important)
- 2…c5 3.d5 e5: take the pawn (important)
- 2…c5 3.d5 e6: open the centre (important)
- 2…c5 3.d5 b5: a Benko-style gambit (deeper)
- Old Indian: …d6, …Nbd7 and …e5 (core)
- Early …Ne4: challenge it with Nd2 (important)
Learn takes up to five new lines at a time, core lines first. When the chapter is learned, practise it from memory.
Lesson complete
Nice work.
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