The Berlin Defense: An Overview for Black

Also known as the Berlin Wall, the Berlin Defense is one of the most solid openings in chess. Make use of this article to learn the opening that Kramnik used to take Kasparov's world champion title.

Part 1: 4. 0-0 Variation. 

Familiarize yourself with the Berlin Defense by taking the time to review the big picture. 


Part 2: 4. 0-0 Variation, Critical Position. 

Here we look at the strategical aspects of the critical position (after 8 ... Kxd8). 

White will win the game in one of two ways: 
1. By gaining the initiative (e.g., opening up the center by sacing a pawn) and capitalizing on it. 
2. By calculated exchanges and slowly creating a passed pawn. 

Black will win the game in only one way: 
1. By blockading and then playing against the White pawn majority. 

Part 3: 4. d3 Variation.

The most popular reply among the elite. 

The Smith-Morra Gambit: An Introduction

After 4. Nxc3 (the starting position of the Smith-Morra Gambit):

• White's position is free--his pieces can come to active and natural squares. 
• White's has a strong e-pawn and has control over the d5-square. Combined, this gives him a strong center. 
• Black will not have an easy time developing actively. 
• In the Sicilian, Black uses the semi-open c-file to create play. But in the Smith-Morra Gambit, the c-file is open (there is no White c-pawn) and Black will have a harder time creating counter-play. White will make use of the open c-file. 

After 8. Qe2!:

• Key move. The plan is to play 9. Rd1 and then develop the c1-bishop to f4 (sometimes to g5 or e3). This set-up puts pressure on Black's weakest point: the d6-pawn. Note: This set-up is common, but there are instances where this set-up is not a correct course of action.  
• White has plans of playing the e4-e5 break.

After 9 ... Qc7:

• Black moves to c7 because White has plans of playing the e4-e5 break. 
• The Queen now controls the important e5-square. 

 After 10. Bf4!:

•  More pressure on d6.

 After 15. Rc7!:

• The threat is to play Qc4 or Rdc1 and win the c8-bishop. 

Conclusion:

One important reason to consider studying the Smith-Morra Gambit is that not many 1 ... c5 players will prepare for it as they will be studying the overwhelming amount of theory that the Sicilian Defense has. In other words, you will be familiar with the ideas of the Smith-Morra Gambit and your opponent will not. For the attacking player or the tactician, the Smith-Morra is a dream to play.

Important Notes:

• White is a pawn down and should play aggressively. The idea is not to give your opponent time to consolidate.  Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.
• Theory is important. It is important to know how to deal with different Black set-ups because against the unprepared player (which will be many), this will mean easy wins. 
• It is important to be able to calculate long variations accurately. The Smith-Morra Gambit will improve this ability. 

Common Motifs:

• The e4-e5 advance. 
• The Knight sacrifice on d5. 
• The piece sacrifice on b5.  

The following games represent these ideas in the order listed.

King's Indian Defense: The Main Lines

                   The first two diagrams represent the Classical Variation (one with 7. 0-0 and the other without 0-0). The third diagram is the Samisch Variation (5. f3). The fourth diagram is the Fianchetto Variation (4. g3) and the fifth diagram is the Four Pawns Attack (5. f4).

Ruy Lopez Exchange: Theory and Main Lines

A few years back I wrote an article about the Bobby Fischer's success playing the Ruy Lopez Exchange. Click here to see that article!

White's Strategy:

• Reduce material and transpose into an advantageous ending. 

Reach the following pawn structure:



The pawn structure guarantees White an easy victory because White can obtain a passed pawn on the kingside but Black cannot do the same on the queenside (his c-pawns are doubled!). 

Black's Strategy:

• After White plays d4, Black will need to exchange queens to prevent trouble. But he should prevent further reduction of material.
• Maintain the bishop pair and open the position so that the bishops become more powerful. 
• Keep in mind the idea of attacking the e4-pawn. 
• Try to take advantage of the extra pawn on the queenside. He can gain extra space and sometimes create weaknesses for White here. 

 5 ... Ne7 [Not too popular, but very interesting and sharp. This is Magnus Carlsen's move!]




5 ... Qe7 [Smyslov made this move popular in the 1970s. Idea is to protect the e-pawn--duh!--and he wants to play Bg4. The overall plan also includes f6, g5, Nh6, and 0-0-0. This is a move worth exploring.]




5 ... Bg4 [A good starting point is to memorize the main line.] 




5 ... Bd6 [Goes back to the 19th century. Natural move that allows for natural development.] 

 
5 ... Qd6 [David Bronstein's idea from 1965. Has been popular since then. At d6, the queen defends e5, develops his queen, and prepares to castle long. According to Panczyk's & Ilczuk's book: "Black obtains an interesting dynamic middlegame, as transposing into an ending doesn't give White many chances of obtaining an advantage." That latter feature is unique to the Exchange. Both sides can fight for the win. The idea of 6. Na3 is to play Nc4, threatening to win the pawn and the queen. Black's next move makes perfect sense.] 


 


5 ... Qf6 [Black defends the pawn without blocking the dark-squared bishop.] 

 


5 ... Be6 [An untested move. Panczyk & Ilczuk's book gives the following line.]

 


5 ... f6 [The most popular reply. Protects the pawn and then continues development. The two most popular lines involve 6 ... Bg4 and 6 ... exd4.] 

 

Getting Started with the Maróczy Bind

Introduction
 
The Maróczy Bind is named after Géza Maróczy (1870-1951), a Hungarian grandmaster. White plays c4 to stop Black's main ideas for counterplay: b5 and d5. For a long time, c4 has been considered the most uncomfortable idea for Black. An unprepared player will have serious difficultly freeing his position and a prepared player will struggle too. While Black deals with that problem, White can continue with his own plans. Smith-Morra Gambit players can play the Maroczy Bind when Black declines the gambit.

Ways to Reach the Maroczy Bind

The Maróczy Bind can be reached in many number of ways. For that reason, the ideas associated with the Maróczy Bind are important to know. 

[Note: 5. c4 is played in the first diagram below.]

   
 
Pawn Structure



General Theory 
White: 

• Nd4-c2-e3
• Fianchettoing 1 or 2 bishops
• Maroczy hop (Nc3-d5 followed by e4xd5 with pressure on the e-file)
• Kingside attack
• c4-c5 and e4-e5 breaks
• b6 can serve as an outpost for a knight (when a6 or a5 is played)

Black:

• b7-b5 break
• f7-f5 break (esp. with a fianchettoed king bishop)
• d6-d5 break (preapred with e7-e6) 

Instructive Games 

King's Gambit Accepted: Captain Quaade Style (4 ... g4)

ECO C37: King's Gambit Accepted, Quaade gambit

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Nc3

Captain Quaade was a 19th century Dutch sea captain who played the move 4. Nc3 instead of the more popular 4. h4.  Here, we look at important lines when move 4 ... g4 is played and one insane game that arose from that variation.

Destroying the Falkbeer Counter-Gambit: A Repertoire for the Player Who Appreciates the Initiative

• Looks at the strongest lines and the most common lines. 
• Chess engine tested (mostly Stockfish and Rybka).
• Written for players who have an appreciation for the initiative. 

Introduction and the Main Line
 

Players faced with King's Gambit will often play 2 ... d5 to try and throw White off his game by trying to put him in territory he is not used to. Accepting the gambit with 2 ... exf4 will leave White knowing exactly what he wants to do. But King's Gambit players should be prepared to deal with 2 ... d5 because a little preparation will go a long way in this opening since chances are your opponent did not spend time developing their own 2 ... d5 repertoire.

This article ambitiously tries to present a repertoire for White. Familiarity and, maybe some (if not all) memorization of the lines that follow will allow you to have the winning edge against your opponent.

1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 



We have arrived at the starting position of the Falkbeer Counter-Gambit. Do not even think about playing fxe5 since it loses to the move Qh4+.

Although our repertoire consists of playing the move exd5 in this position, the move Nf3 is also a playable option. It might serve as a surprise weapon against lower rated players, but against higher rated players it will allow Black to transpose into familiar territory with moves like exf4.

3. exd5 e4 

 

The e-pawn is pushed to prevent White from developing his knight to the natural f3-square. Since White cannot capture the e4-pawn, he is, more or less, forced to spend time dealing with it.

4. d3 Nf6 

 

White threatens to take Black's e-pawn and thereby allow himself more space to develop more effectively and naturally. Taking the d3-pawn would only allow White to take back and develop a queen or bishop at the same time. Black's best bet instead is to defend with the knight.

5. dxe4 Nxe4 



White takes care of the e4-pawn, but is now has to deal with the d4-knight being too close to the White king.

6. Nf3 Bc5 



Nf3 is a commonly played early on in the Falkbeer Counter-Gambit. Black Bc5 looks scary because of the possibility of Bf2+, but this is not something White should worry about as we shall see below.

7.  Qe2 Bf5 

 

The queen pins the e4-knight and Black replies by defending it with the bishop. The main line ends after Black's 7th move. I have chosen two more moves that we will count as the main line for the purposes of this article.

8. Nc3 Qe7

 

White attacks the pinned piece and Black removes the pin on the king.

9. Be3 Nd7

 

Developing the bishop opens the potential to castle queen-side while developing and attacking at the same time. I chose the move Nd7 as the best move in this position because it protects the bishop and develops at the same time.

10.  Bxc5 Ndxc5 




And we reach the final position of our main line.
 

Chapter 1: Black's 3rd Move Alternatives

Section 1: 3 ... c6 is the Nimzowitsch Counter-Gambit and requires its own article. I will only do brief analysis of this opening here. Experience in this line is most important for dealing with it properly.

Section 2: 3 ... exf4 is the 2nd most popular reply and transposes into the Modern Variation of the King's Gambit Accepted.

Section 3: 3 ...  Qxd5?! is the move I have seen played often in online chess. The problem is that it gives White a slight advantage after the move 4. Nc3 as we will see below. In practice it does even better since it wins for White 69% of the time in a database of 143 games.

Section 1: 3 ... c6 is the Nimzowitsch Counter-Gambit

 

I have seen this a couple of times in online blitz games.

White is left with a position of many options. That itself is one of the drawback of playing the Nimzowitsch Counter-Gambit for Black: Black needs to be prepared for many different lines. In analyzing this position, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to continue is 4. Nc3, with 4. Qe2 coming in as a close second. Grandmaster John Shaw has called 4. Qe2 a "greedy and clumsy" move: Although White gets to keep an extra pawn, Black gets play.

4. Nc3 has great practical results. Black has two choices: 4 ... cxd5?! and 4 ... exf4. After 4 ... cxd5?!, play will continue 5. fxe5 d4 6. Bb5+ Nc6 7. Ne4 Qd5 8. Qe2 Bf5 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. d3 Bxe4 11. Qxe4 Qxe4+ 12. dxe4. Here, White will have an extra pawn and even though the e-pawns are doubled, the e-pawns are easily defended (while it is difficult for Black to attack them). White is left with an advantage that he can convert into victory.

4 ... exf4 is the best continuation for Black. The main line consists of the following moves: 5. Nf3 Bd6 6. d4 Ne7 7. dxc6 Nbxc6 8. Bc4 0-0 9. 0-0.

 

The position offers both sides chances. As for king safety, Black's king is more safe since White only has the cover of two pawns. Thus, White should seek to trade the queens off the board and minimize the chance Black being successful in attacking the White king. But that is a look at the potential of the position. At the moment, White's king is just fine and there are no obvious ways for Black to attack it other than launching a pawn storm (which of course would weaken Black's own king).

Section 2: 3 ... exf4

4. Nf3 should be played and, as we will see, this is the common move we will see early on in many Falkbeer Counter-Gambit games. It is easy to see why. The queen check could cause White problems. After Nf3, Black is left with many playable moves. We take a look at three.

A) 4 ... Qxd5 5. Nc3 and now the queen will move and White will develop a third piece compared to Black's one piece (the queen itself). The Black queen has many moves: Qe6+, Qd8, Qd7, Qh5, Qf5, Qd6 (not a complete list). If the Black queen checks, White should block and develop by playing Be2. With other queens, White should look to play d4. 5 ... Qh5 6. d4 (an interesting variation would be 6. Nb5 Na6) 6 ... Bd6 7. Nb5 Qh6 8. c4!? White could play 8. Nxd6 and have decent game after 8 ... Qxd6 9. Ne5. But c4 is an interesting move because it has ideas of gaining space, gaining a tempo, and restricting Black's dark-squared bishop. Black does not have effective ideas and might try 8 ... a6 but will find itself having to play c6 after White's Qa4 move. So White should just play 8 ... c6 the first time. 9. Nxd6+ Qxd6 and we see that Black's b8-knight will have to develop on d7 and when the pieces come off the board, White should be able to easily create a passed d-pawn. 10. Qd2 is a crude and simple looking plan that works. 10 ... Bf5 developing the bishop on the open diagonal. 11. Qxf4 Qxf4 12. Bxf4. White has a slight advantage due to a superior center, better development, and the bishop pair.

B) 4 ... Be7!? 5. Bb5+ (5. Nc3 would be interesting to analyze, but 5. Bb5+ is the move I would recommend). 5 ... c6 6. dxc6 Nc6 (Analysis of 6 ... bxc6 and 6 ... Bh4+ below). 7. Nc3 Bh4?!. Your opponent will be eager to play this move, but it is not as good as it looks for Black. 8. Kf1 Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. d4. In this position, Black has to play 10. Nge7 because of the threat of d5. 10 ... Nge7 11. Bxf4 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 and White will start to push that d-pawn. The position is slightly better for White due to that pawn. 12 ... Qxd4? loses to the following moves: 13. Rd1 Qb6 14. Be3 Qc7 15. Qe4 Bf6 16. Nd5 Qe5 17. Qxe5 Bxe5 18. Nxe7 Kxe7 19. Bc5+ and Black will be chased around the board. White's initiative, his bishop pair, and the open files soon to be used by the rooks will be decisive in favor of White: Clear advantage for White.

1) 6 ... bxc6 7. Bc4 Bh4+ 8. Kf1 Bf6 9. Nc3 Bxc3 10. bxc3 Qe7 11. Qe2 Qxe2+ 12. Kxe2 Nf6 13. Ba3. White has a clear advantage because of his developed position, active pieces (initiative!), bishop pair, Black's struggle to castle, and soon to be active White rooks.

2) 6 ... Bh4+ 7. Kf1 bxc6 8. Bc4 Bf6 and as we can see we have transposed into the above line 6 ... bxc6 line.  

C) 4 ... Nf6 (Modern Variation) may be Black's best attempt and would require an article of its own. We take a brief look here. You will definitely see 4 ... Nf6 from higher rated players and/or prepared players. If Black is allowed, he will take the d4-pawn and defend his f4-pawn. Deciding which moves to play in this position is a journey because there are many different approaches. What are the candidate moves? Bb5+, Bc4, c4, d4, Nc3, Be2, and Nc3. Hungarian GM Richard Rapport has played 5. Be2 and that may be an interesting way of throwing Black off his prepared lines. Although 5. Bb5+ can be criticized for allowing Black a small lead in development, I believe it is the best approach. The game might continue with the following strong moves: 5 ... c6 6. dxc6 Nxc6 7. d4 Bd6 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Nbd2!?. Both sides will have chances in this variation.

 Section 3: 3 ...  Qxd5?!

This move is an indication that your opponent is not fully prepared to play the Falkbeer Counter-Gambit. Does this mean that White wins? No! But White does get a decent advantage. The move that must be played to get this advantage is 4. Nc3. Black is left with many moves and here we cover a few of the most important ones.

A) 4 ... Qe6 5. fxe5 Qxe5 6. Be2 Nc6 7. Nf3 Qa5 8. 0-0. White will be looking to play d4 very soon and have a slight, but definitive, advantage due to his better development.

B) 4 ... Qa5 5. Nf3 exf4 6. d4 Bd6 7. Bd3 Nf6 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Nb5! Qb6 10. c4! White has a much better position because of threats of playing c5 (forking the queen and bishop) and piece activity. Black's bishop can be kicked away and White's rook and dark-squared bishop will come into the game.

C) 4 ... Qd6 5. Nf3 exf4 6. d4 Nf6 7. Bc4 Nc6 8. Qe2+ Qe7 9. Qxe7+ Bxe7 10. Nb5 Bd6 11. Nxd6+ cxd6 12. Bxf4. Here, material is even, but White has better development and pawn structure. Slight advantage to White.

Chapter 2: Black's 4th Move Alternatives

Section 1: 4 ... Qxd5 looks a little tricky because Black can pin the knight should White decide to play Nc3. But knowing exactly what to do will give White a slight edge in this line. Ultimately, White must decide between 5. Qe2 or 5. Nc3. It is a close call.

Section 2: 4 ... exd3 is a strange variation that happens to be fairly rare. Still, it is important to know how to deal with it. White has to decide between recapturing between the queen or the bishop. One allows for the d-pawn to be protected and the other allows for more natural development.

Section 3: 4 ... Qxh4+ is nothing scary. 

 Section 1: 4 ... Qxd5

 

5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 and now Black is forced to play Bxc3 because a queen move gives White a clear advantage. For example, 6 ... Qe6 7. dxe4 Bxc3 8. Bxc3 Qxe4+ 9. Qe2 Qxe2+ 10. Nxe2. 6 ... Bxc3 7. Bxc3 with the threat of taking on g7 and then taking the Black rook. 7 ... exd3 fails to 8. Bxg7 which follows a sharp variation that is very good for White. If White wants to avoid that, he can play 8. Bxd3 but the advantage is not as strong as the 8. Bxg7 line. The strongest continuation in our original line is 7 ... Nf6 8. Bxf6 (also effective is 8. dxe4). The following line is instructive and leads to a slight advantage to White: 8 ... gxf6 9. dxe4 Qxe4+ 10. Qe2 Qe6 11. g3 0-0 12. Qxe6 fxe6 13. 0-0-0 e5 14. Bg2 exf4 15. gxf4 with at least a slight advantage to White because of White's ability to develop quicker and more naturally. 

Section 2: 4 ... exd3 

 

5. Qxd3 Na6 6. a3. White's last move is multipurpose. Besides the idea of preventing the knight and bishop from coming onto the b4-square, White wants to be able to play defend the c2-pawn without having to play a move like Na3. Overall, it is about being able to play the natural Nc3 move. 6 ... Nf6 7. Nc3 Nc5 8. Qe2 Be7 9. Be3 0-0 10. Qc4 b6 11. 0-0-0 Ba6 12. Qa2 Bxf1 13. Rxf1 is probably the strongest continuation. Stockfish gives White a slight advantage.

Section 3: 4 ... Qxh4+  

5. g3 Qe7 6. Ne2 Bf5 7. Bg2 exd3 8. cxd3. White will not try too hard to defend that d5-pawn since he is already up a pawn. Clear advantage for White. 

Chapter 3: Black's 5th Move Alternatives

Section 1: 5 ... Bc5? is the only other move that is ever seen in this position. However, even 5 ... Bc5 is super rare. Thus, this will be a short chapter.

Section 1: 5 ... Bc5?

6. Nc3 c6 7. Nf3 0-0 8. dxc6 Qe7 9. e5 Nxc6 10. Qe2 is one of many possible lines. The point is that White is up two pawns. The plan is simple: trade and maintain king safety. An endgame with two extra pawns will give White the winning edge. 

Chapter 4: Black's 6th Move Alternatives

Section 1: 6 ... c6 is an interesting move because it is same move that is played in the Nimzowitsch Counter-Gambit. White will be able to maintain a slight advantage in this line.

Section 2: 6 ... Be7 has ideas of castling and checking on h4. The latter idea does not work.

Section 3:  6 ... Bd6 attacks the f4-pawn, but this pawn is already protected by the c1-bishop. Thus, the bigger idea for Black is bringing out the bishop so he can castle.

  

Section 1: 6 ... c6 

7. Bd3 cxd5 8. Bxe4 dxe4 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Ng5 Ke8 11. Nxe4. This lines leaves White a pawn up and better king. White with a slight advantage going forward. 

Section 2: 6 ... Be7

7. Bd3 Qxd5 8. Qe2 Qa5+ 9. c3 Nd6 10. 0-0. Further study needs to be done in this line. At worst, the game is even. At best, White has a slight advantage. Obviously, 7 ... Bh4+?? loses to 8. g3 since both the bishop and knight are being attacked. 

Section 3:  6 ... Bd6

7. Bd3 and as we can see this move has become a theme at this point. We are looking to develop and attack at the same time. 7 ... Qe7 8. Qe2 (another common move that White should be looking to be play). 8 ... Nf6 9. Qxe7+ Bxe7 10. c4 0-0 11. Be3 with the idea of preventing Bc5. White has a slight advantage. 

Chapter 5: Black's 7th Move Alternatives

Section 1: 7 ... Qxd5? loses tactically to Nfd2. 

Section 2: 7 ... 0-0? gives White a strong advantage after Qxe4. 

Section 1: 7 ... Qxd5?

 8. Nfd2 f5 9. Nc3 Qf7 10. Ndxe4 fxe4 11. Qxe4. White has a complete advantage.

Section 2: 7 ... 0-0?

8. Qxe4! Re8 9. Ne5! f6 10. Bd3 g6 11. Nc3 fxe5 12. fxe5 Bf5 13. Qf4 Rf8 14. Qc4. White has a clear advantage given his two extra pawns and domination of the center. 

Chapter 6: Black's 8th Move Alternatives

Section 1: 8 ... Bb4?? loses to a simple tactic. 

 Section 1: 8 ... Bb4??

9. Qb5+ Nd7 10. Qxb4 with no compensation for the lost knight. 

  
Chapter 7: Black's 9th Move Alternatives

Section 1: 9 ... Nxc3 is an important move that is played fairly often. 

Section 2: 9 ... Bxe3 is not that much of a problem for White. 

Section 1: 9 ... Nxc3

10. Bxc5 Nxe2 11. Bxe7 Nxf4 12. Ba3 and White gets a fine position. If Black takes on c2, White will play Rc1 and capture on c7. 

Section 2: 9 ... Bxe3

10. Qxe3 Nxc3 11. Qxe7 Kxe7 12. bxc3 and despite the doubled c-pawns, White is just fine in this position.

Chapter 8: Black's 10th Move Alternatives

Section 1: 10 ... Nexc5? a move that will be played if your opponent gets confused. It gives White a complete advantage.

Section 1: 10 ... Nexc5?

 11. Nd4 Qxe2 12. Bxe2 g6 13. g4 Be4 14. 0-0 and White's extra pawn should be decisive for him.

Chess Theory: King's Gambit Accepted, A Mini-Repertoire

Overview: 

• A repertoire for White covering the first 10 moves of the Classical Variation (3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5).
• Useful for getting started, improving on what you already know, and as a surprise weapon in tournament play. 
• Tested with the strongest computer engines (i.e., Stockfish and Rybka). 
• Important lines and ideas are explained. 

Our starting position: 

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 (...) 

 

Let's do a full analysis on this key position. Players with experience in this opening can consider skipping the analysis and start with Part A.

In terms of material:

• Black is up one pawn. However, White is threatening to take the g4 pawn since it is being attacked twice and defended zero times. 

In terms of king safety:

• Black's kingside pawn structure (analyzed separately below) leaves him vulnerable to attack which is, of course, the idea behind the King's Gambit. 
• White knight is already attacking f7 and there are ideas of bringing the light-squared bishop to c4. 
• The White king is only slightly safer (but White has the initiative!) 
• One idea to keep in mind is that Black can, at some point, play Be7 and create Bishop + Queen battery to infiltrate White's king by taking on h4. 
• If White castles kingside, he needs to be prepared to deal with the move g3 (usually by putting the knight on f3). 

In terms of pawn structure:

• Black's f4 pawn cannot be defended by any other pawn and cannot (and should not) be saved. 
• Should Black's g4-pawn come off the board, Black will be left with an isolated h-pawn and doubled isolated f-pawns. 
• White's kingside pawns are slightly better than Black's because there is not a real threat that he will be left with both isolated and doubled isolated pawns. 
• The g2-pawn is awkwardly placed and the e4-pawn is not defended. 

In terms of piece activity (and development):

• Black has two developed pawns: g4 and f4. These two pawns can cause trouble for White, but it should also be kept in mind that White is on the attack and there is very little time. 
• The Black queen has an open diagonal towards the h4-pawn and the Black bishop has both diagonals open. 
• White has a developed knight on e5, but this knight can be attacked in several different ways. 
• White also has two developed pawns: e4 and h4. 
• The White light-squared bishop has an open diagonal and can be developed on c4. 
• The White queen is attacking the g4-square, but taking with the queen would allow Black to play a move like d6 (double attack), attacking both the knight on e5 and the queen on g4. 

In terms of threats:

• Black is threatening to play Be7 and attack the h4-pawn with check. 
• Black can take advantage of the e-file and the pin against the White king by playing a move like Qe7. 
• White's threats are to mount a powerful attack against the Black king. Certain ideas, like Bc4, can force Black to defend in an awkward manner (e.g., Nh6 in response to Bc4).   

Now we will look at specific variations.

Part A: 5... Bg7
Part B: 5... Be7 
Part C: 5... Qe7 
Part D: 5... d6
Part E: 5... Nf6

Part A: 5... Bg7

 

A decent move, but not the best move. With correct play, White can come out of this with an advantage. White chooses between 6. d4 and Nxg4. Although 6. Nxg4?! looks correct, it is not because it leads to Black turning the tables on White as demonstrated by the following line: 6... d5! 7. exd5?? Qe7+ 8. Qf2 Bd4+ 9. Qf3. 

Below is our repertoire main line (for 5... Bg7) which we will work with. We will start with the main line in each of the five parts, A through E. From there, we will look at spots where Black can try something different and how White should respond to those moves. 

6. d4 d6 7. Nxg4 Bxg4 8. Qxg4 Bxd4 9. Nc3 Nf6 10. Qxf4 Qe7

Section A1: 6... Nf6

Section A2: 6... f5 

Section A3: 6... d5 

Section A4: 6... Bxe5 

Section A1: 6... Nf6

Allows White to take the initiative or have natural development as many lines demonstrate. 

6... Nf6 7. Nxg4 Nxg4 (7... Nxe4 is analyzed in Section A11) 8. Qxg4 Bxd4. In this position, it is not so important that White take the f4-pawn immediately. For one thing, a move like Qxf4 can lead to the Black rook taking the g-file. Of course the bishop cannot take that pawn because Black will play Bxb2 and win the a1-rook. 9. Nc3. Here, White is not worried and even welcomes BxN because it opens up the board with White having the bishop pair. 9... d6. Why not play this when it is a free tempo? Here, White has a very interesting move which I am going to recommend realizing how confusing it might look on first look. The move is 10. Qf3!. I gave this move an exclamation mark because of the idea behind it. White is defending the knight on c3 so that if Black captures, White can avoid doubling his c-pawns. It is not like Black can defend his f4-pawn successfully. 10... Rg8. Black takes the g-file.

In this position, White's plan is to try and target the f7-pawn. Black can delay this by taking on c3 but, again, that will leave White with two bishops (and this time White will not double his c-pawns). White will probably delay playing Bc4 and continue with 11. Bxf4 in order to avoid his queen being kicked from the 3rd rank.

Section A11

An important side variation of the above repertoire line we will look at is 7... Nxe4. The reason this line is important is because that you may encounter it more than NxN since it takes material instead of exchanging material. White must decide between Nc3 and Bxf4. 8. Bxf4 is the move I would recommend. Here, if Black plays anything other than 0-0, White will have a slight advantage with moves like Nc3 and Ne3 (if Qe7) in mind. After 8... 0-0, White should play 9. Nc3 and if Black takes he will be giving up one of the two developed pieces (not counting his king and rook) and a piece which he moved several times for knight that only moved once. 9... Re8 is the only move that arguably does not give White a small but clear edge. 10. Ne3 is the best reply and Black will respond with 10... Ng3. 

After White plays Rh3, he will have good initiative. Think of the position this way: If White manages to castle queenside, he will have a safe king and the Black king will be an easy target. What all this means is that Black has to respond with NxB. White will not mind giving up his h-pawn: 12... d6 13. Rg3 Qxh4 14. Qf3 with a clear advantage for White since his pieces are super active and eyeing the Black king. Moves like Bg5 will be a little annoying for Black. 

Section A2: 6... f5?! 

  

Rare and strange. This move does defend g5 since it is better for Black that White take the f-pawn rather than the g-pawn--taking the g-pawn will leave Black with neither doubled nor isolated pawns. The two most important points for this position: (1) White can get a clear initiative and advantage with correct play and (2) White should not get greedy and try to collect as many pawns as possible. 

6... f5?! 7. Bc4. In the spirit of the King's Gambit, White chooses initiative over collecting pawns. 7... Nf6 is the best reply and it still arguably gives White a clear advantage. 8. Nc3 Nxe4 9. Nxe4 d5 10. Nc3 dxc4. In this position, White must play Qe2. The White queen is threatening a discovered check and taking on c4 will be with check if Black castles. 

Section A3: 6... d5 

Black opens up the diagonal for the light-squared bishop and attacks the e4-pawn. 

6... d5 7. Bxf4 Nf6 8. Nc3. Should Black decide to play exd4, the juicy c4-square will be open to the light-squared bishop. Perhaps even exd5 will do the same job. 8... 0-0 is the best move. 9. Qd2, one idea being the castling to the queenside which would make the White king very safe. 9... Nxe4 10. Nxe4 dxe4. White will castle queenside either immediately or after first playing Qe3 or Bc4. 

Section A4: 6... Bxe5??

Just to cover more bases, we will quickly look at this blunder move. 

6... Bxe5 7. dxe5. Black gives up the bishop pair in an open game. Also, both pawns are attacked and White has everything ready to comeout: queen, both bishops, and the knight. We will look at two attempts here: (1) 7... f3 and (2) 7... Nc6. 

(1) 7... f3 8. Nc3 (Note: 8. Bg5 is also winning) 8... Nc6 9. Bg5 Nce7 (9... Nge7 10. Nd5 and if Black does nothing, White is threatening Nf6 check and then Bh6 checkmate). The g8-knight controls the f6-square and, thus, Black chooses to move the other knight. 10. Nd5 0-0 and after a move like Qd2, White is ready to make the game 1-0. White is looking to play moves like Bf6 (very important idea) and then Qg5--a simple idea that is very difficult or impossible to stop. 

(2) 7... Nc6 8. Bxf4 f6 9. Qxg4 threatening Qg7. 9... Qe7 preventing Qg7. 10. Nc3 fxe5 and White should be able to force a queen trade which will be to his benefit since the board is open and he he has the bishop pair. 

Part B: 5... Be7

 

Black wants that h4-pawn and, to add insult to injury, capturing is with check. White can defend by Qxg4 but that leads to draws. 

  

6. Bc4! Nh6 7. d4 d6 8. Nd3 Bxh4+ 9. Kf1 Nc6 10. Bxf4 Ng8. 

Section B1: 6... Bxh4?

Section B2: 6... d5?

Section B3: 6... f3?

Section B4: 7... Bxh4+ 

Section B5: 8... f3 

Section B6: 9... g3 

Section B7: 10. Na5 

Section B1: 6... Bxh4?

6... Bxh4? 7. Kf1 Nh6 8. Nxg4 Nxg4 9. Qxg4 threatening the bishop on h4. 9... Bf6 (if 9... d5, then 10. Bb5+ c6 11. Qxh4 Qxh4 12. Rxh4 cxb5 13. exd5. White will go on to take the f4-pawn and promote the passed d5-pawn in the endgame). 10. Qxf4 Qe7. White will play Nc3 and if Black trades the bishop for knight, it will be two bishops versus bishop and knight on an open board. White will have the winning advantage. 

Section B2: 6... d5?

A common move in the King's Gambit, only it is not so good here. 

6... d5? 7. Bxd5 Nh6 8. d4 c6 9. Bb3 Bxh4+ 10. Kf1 Bg5. 

Generally, White's pieces are better placed. The following lines leads to tripled pawns and a clear advantage for White: 11. Nc3 f6 12. Nd3 Qxd4 13. g3 fxg3 14. Rxh6 Na6 15. Bxg5 fxg5.   

Section B3: 6... f3?

6... f3? 7. gxf3 Bxh4+ 8. Kf1 Nh6 9. d4. The knight on h6 is attacked. 9... d6 10. Nd3 Bg5. After the exchange of bishops, White should play Qd2 which forces a queen exchange since the knight on h6 is threatened. Black will be forced to play the horrible looking Ng8 at that point. 

Section B4: 7... Bxh4+ 

7... Bxh4+ 8. Kf1 d6 9. Nd3 g3 10. Nd2 with the idea of putting the knight on f3 and creating safety for his king. 10... Ng4. The d3-knight is protecting the f2-square and the f3-knight is protecting the h2-square. 

Section B5: 8... f3 

A move that opens the White dark-squared bishop attack on h6. White should not fall for the bait and hand Black the initiative. 

8... f3 9. gxf3. The position looks messy, but White will walk away from this mess with a solid advantage because now one of the only ways to protect the h6-knight is to play the ugly Ng8 move. At that point, we can play 10. fxg4 and have a very solid position. Let's see what happens if Black tries something else. 9... Bxh4+ 10. Kf1 Bg5 and the extent to which the h6-knight is badly placed becomes evident. Here, I like the move f4 and, after Black plays Bh4 (and awkward way to protect that knight), I would play f5 to renew the attack on the knight. This can get tricky it is important to be aware of defenses (should Black sacrifice his knight on f5) such as Nf4. Also, it is important to be aware of counter-attack tactics such as Nd5 if the queen moves to squares like f6. 

Section B6: 9... g3 

A move with vague ideas of playing Nf2 or making something happen with the move f3. Although all of that seems it will not work, g3 move has to be dealt with carefully and the first move in response should be Nd2 to occupy the f3-square. 

9... g3 10. Nd2 Bg5. The following moves are instructive 11. Nf3 Ng4 12. Qe1 to protect e4, get out of the possible fork, and further protect the e3-square, and attacks the f3-pawn which is relevant should the f4-pawn come off the board. 

Section B7: 10. Na5 

A move that counter-attacks the c4-bishop while the h6-knight is under attack--Black really does not want to play the passive and ugly Ng8. After 10... Na5, I would recommend messing up Black's structure future: 11. Bb5+ c6 12. Bxh6 cxb5 13. Nc3 and if Black plays something like a6, play 14. Nf4 with the idea of occupying the d5-outpost. 

Part C: 5... Qe7 

 

Looks strong, but leads to a specific line that can easily be familiarized with. 

6. d4 d6 7. Nxg4 Qxe4+ 8. Qe2 Qe7! 9. Qxe7+ Bxe7 10. Nf2 Nc6. 

Section C1: 6... Nf6 

Section C2: 6... f6

Section C3: 6... Nxe7

 

Section C1: 6... Nf6 

6... Nf6 7. Bc4 d6 8. Bxf7+ (not Nxf7) 8... Kd8 9. Bb3 dxe5 10. dxe5 Nbd7. White will go on to play Bxf4 (slightly better than exf6) with the threat to play e6 at some point and win that knight instead of the f6 one. 

Section C2: 6... f6

Not exactly sure why someone would play this move over d6 which opens up lines for the bishop. This move even takes the knight's f6 square. But the point is to break open the e-file and it does accomplish that goal. But White has a bold and crazy idea that will shock your opponent: 7. Nc3!. 

6... f6 7. Nc3! fxe5 8. Nd5. Threatening Nxc7+ and the queen on e7. If Black plays 8... Qd8, White plays 9. Qxg4 d6 10. Qh5+ Kd7 11. dxe5 and since White has a ton of initiative, Black will try and trade with 11... Qe8 12. Qxe8+ Kxe8 13. Nxc7+. White gets a rook and 2 pawns for the knight. White is clearly winning, it is all technique from here on out. 8... Qd6 9. dxe5 Qxe5 10. Bxf4 Qxe4+. Game will go on 11. Qe2 Qxe2+ 12. Bxe2 Bd6 13. Bxd6 cxd6 14. Nc7+ Kd8 15. Nxa8+ b6 16. 0-0 Ne7 with an advantage for White. 

Section C3: 6... Nxe7

Black is saying he is intending to develop the bishop on g7. 

  

10. Nf6+ Kd8 and White will go on to develop and mount an attack on the uncastled king. 

 

Part D: 5... d6 

 

This is a move that can lead to many draws. 

6. Nxg4 Nf6 7. Nxf6+ Qxf6 8. Nc3 Nc6 and White is left with a tough decision on what move to make with no absolutely clear idea what is best. Here, I recommend 9. Nd5 Qg6 10. d3 Qg2+. Although it looks bad for White, it is not as bad as it looks. White is threatening the rook on a8 with a king and rook fork on c7. Also, White's king will have plenty of escape squares on the queenside. Additionally, White can force (i.e., Qf3) Black to trade queen or retreat his queen. 

Part E: 5... Nf6 

 

6. Bc4 d5 7. exd5 Bd6 8. d4 0-0 9. Bxf4 Nh5 10. g3 f6. 

Section E1: 7... Bg7 

Section E2: 8... Nh5 

Section E1: 7... Bg7 

7... Bg7 8. d4 Nh5 9. 0-0 Qxh4 10. Qe1 Qxh4. Black has to trade queens or concede a clear advantage to White. Now White's king is safe and he can move on to develop his last three pieces. 

Section E2: 8... Nh5 

8... Nh5 9. 0-0 Qxh4 10. Qe1 Qxe1. Again, if Black does not exchange White will get the advantage.

Chess Tactics 3: The Discovered Attack

"Chess Tactics from Scratch: Understanding Chess Tactics 2nd edition" by Martin Weteschnik:

"The discovered attack has a strong schematic resemblance to the pin. As in the pin there are three pieces in a row. But in contrast to the pin there is a fourth point. The first piece and he discoverer are pieces of the same side; the third point or square of the other side. The fourth point is taken or occupied by the discoverer."

"A discovered attack is a simultaneous attack against two points where one attack against the first enemy piece is discovered by the attack on the second." 

"Chess Tactics for the Tournament Player" by Lev Alburt & Sam Palatnik:

"A discovered attack involves three pieces which are positioned on the same line (rank, diagonal or file). If the obstructing piece can move with a powerful threat (such as a check) then the piece it uncovers is free to capture an enemy piece."

"303 Tricky Chess Tactics" by Fred Wilson & Bruce Alberston:

"The discovery, another three piece lineup, illustrates the idea of a masked attack. A piece moving off an open line, unmasks an attack by a piece stationed in the rear. The attack by the stationary piece has to be dealt with immediately; this is particularly true if it is a discovered check to the King. But meanwhile, the moving piece is free to roam and inflict maximum damage."

Wikipedia:

"In chess, a discovered attack is an attack revealed when one piece moves out of the way of another. Discovered attacks can be extremely powerful, as the piece moved can make a threat independently of the piece it reveals. Like many chess tactics, they succeed because the opponent is unable to meet two threat at once. While typically the consequence of a discovered attack is the gain of material, they do not have to do this to be effective; the tactic can be used merely to gain a tempt. If the discovered attack is a check, it is called discovered check."


Here is an example in the Advance Variation of the French Defense, as shown by Wikipedia:

1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3. e5 c5
4. c3 cxd4
5. cxd4 Qb6
6. Bd3 Qxd4??
 

7. Bb5+ Winning the queen.

Ghitescu - Fischer, Leipzig 1960



1. dxc5?? Bxh2+!
0-1

Fischer - Spassky, World Championship 1972



1 ... Nd7?
2. Nd5! Qxd2
3. Nxe7+ Kf8
4. Rxd2 Kxe7
5. Rxc4

"Chess Tactics for the Tournament Player" explains "And White won a pawn and now has an extra exchange, which was sufficient to win."

Weteschnik's book does a good job of further explaining the elements of a discovered attack. He uses this position as an example:



The obvious move is 1. Bh7+ winning the queen. The discovered attack has four elements:

1. Principal attack (rook).
1. The principal attacker can never be a king, knight, or pawn. Only the queen, rook, and bishop can be the principal. 
2. Discoverer (bishop).
1. The discoverer can be any piece. "The discoverer need not only gain material at its target, but can also perform all kinds of tactical tricks from there afterwards." (Weteschnik). 
3. Victim point (victim piece/victim square) (queen).
1. "Nothing is better than an attack against the king. Even if your opponent gained your whole queen's wing, if you could find a mate all his material advantages will not matter. The strongest pieces, if pinned against the king, lose all their power, and even a check by a feeble little pawn has to be answered." (Weteschnik). 
2. "It is a little more difficult with other pieces." (Weteschnik).
4. Discoverer's target (king/h7).
1. "The victim does not necessarily have to be a piece: quite often it is an important square. For example, a strategic point of a double attack, or a square you need to occupy in order to give mate." (Weteschnik). 

Keep those in mind, as you try to solve these puzzles:

Marshall - Kupchik, USA 1926
White to play


Katalymov - Muhin, USSR 1976
White to play
  

Spindler - Deilitz, Correspondence 1973
White to play


Sliwa - Tarnowski, Poland 1952
White to play


Thiamann - Felbecker, Correspondence 1968
Black to play (Remember: "The discovered attack may be used to defend a piece indirectly")