rules, tactics, strategies and history

Black's Response to King's Pawn Openings: Variation III

(3) P-c3

With this move White invites Black to lose time in winning a Pawn or two while the White pieces are rapidly developed. If Black accepts the Gambit [Footnote: A Gambit is an opening in which the sacrifice of a Pawn is offered for the sake of a speedy development of the pieces.] the continuation might be.

(3) ... Pxc3
(4) B-c4 Pxb2
(5) Bxb2

or

(4) ... Kt-c6
(5) Kt-f3 P-d6
(6) Ktxc3 or Q-b3 or o-o

In all of these cases White has by far the freer game and he remains in the possession of its center-Pawn. For this reason it is much more advisable for Black to decline the Gambit offered and to hasten its development by immediately advancing its Queen's Pawn, thus:

(3) P-c3 P-d5!
(4) Pxd5

The advance of the King's Pawn would be quite out of place, as it would not add anything to White's development so that Black need not mind the loss of the move either which he sustains from the developing point of view in gaining a Pawn by Pxc3. The future development of Black is not any longer endangered as he has a Pawn in the center and an outlet for its Queen's Bishop.

(4) ... Qxd5
(5) Pxd4 Kt-c6
(6) Kt-f3 B-g4
(7) Kt-c3 Q-h5

and Black has, no doubt, the initiative.

If White, instead of playing (2) P-d4 as assumed in the above examples, advances its f-Pawn against Black's center, Black has ample time to make all preparations necessary to maintain its center-Pawn, for White does not threaten Pxe5 as long as he is not protected against Q-h4+, followed by Qxe4. Black's best move is apparently B-c5, so that he may be able to reply P-d6 to (3) Kt-f3 without blocking the way of the Bishop. On c5 Black's Bishop is very disagreeable for White as he prevents its castling. The natural development of this opening would be about this:

(2) P-f4 B-c5
(3) Kt-f3 P-d6
(4) B-c4 Kt-f6

Although this move blocks the diagonal for Black's Queen, making impossible a check on h4, it does not enable White to win a Pawn on e5, because (5) Pxe5, Pxe5; (6) Ktxe5 would be answered by Q- d4.

(5) P-d3 Kt-c6
(6) Kt-c3 B-g4

Black has one more piece developed than White on account of the Pawn move P-f4 which is a wasted move from the point of view of development, especially as White cannot very well castle on the King's side and make use of the open f-file for its Rooks.