1

B06
Robatsch Defense
3...d5
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d5!? A surprising
move. Black tries to play a Scandinavian-like
system in which White already have played
Nc3.
[ 3...c5 A rather dubious system 4.dxc5
A) Due to the bad results achieved in the
main line, Black started looking for a refuge
in this line. At the cost of his fianchettoed
bishop Black worsens White's pawn
structure. Of course such an action involves
some risks. 4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3
A1) 5...Nf6 6.Bd3 ( 6.e5!? Ne4 7.Qd5
Qa5 8.Ne2 Nxc5 9.Be3 Nba6 10.f4 )
6...Qa5 7.Ne2 ;
A2) 5...Qa5
A2a) 6.Bd3!? is worth considering.
After Qxc3+ ( 6...Qxc5 7.Ne2
Flores-Dolezal, 2003 ) 7.Bd2 Qxc5
White gained compensation by either 8.
b1 or 8.f3. Likely an attacking player
will enjoy such a position. ;
A2b) 6.Qd4 Nf6 7.Qb4! Qc7 8.Bd3
Pashikian-Istratescu, 2004 ;
B) 4...Qa5 5.Bd2 Qxc5 6.Nd5!
White makes use of the exposed position of
the Black queen. The idea is 7.b4 c6 8.
b5!
B1) 6...b6 7.Bb4 Qc6 8.Nf3! Bb7
( 8...Bxb2? 9.Nd4 Bxd4 10.Qxd4 f6
11.Bb5 Qxc2 12.Bc3+- ) 9.Nd4 Qc8
10.Nb5 Bxd5 11.exd5 a6 ( 11...Bxb2
12.Rb1 ) 12.Nd4 Ceteras-Popescu F.,
1992 ;
B2) After 6...Bxb2? Black's position
immediately collapses 7.Rb1
B2a) 7...Ba3 8.Rb3! Qd6 ( 8...Kd8
9.Qf3+- ) 9.Qa1! f6 10.Rxa3 Qxa3
11.Nc7++- ;
B2b) 7...Be5 8.Nf3 Bc7 ( 8...Nc6
9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Bb4 Qc6 11.Bb5+- )
9.Rb4! Na6 10.Rc4 Qd6 11.Rxc7
Nxc7 12.Bf4+- ;
B3) 6...Nf6 7.Bb4 Qc6 8.Bb5+- ;
B4) 6...Na6 7.Nf3!? The main line. White

quickly develop his pieces ignoring the

attack over b2. (However a strong
alternative is also 7.Be3 Qc6 8.Nf3
played in the correspondence chess top
class game Elwert-Ekebjaerg, 2002 )
B4a) After 7...Bxb2 8.Rb1 Bg7 9.Bxa6
bxa6 10.0-0 White gains great
compensation for the pawn sacrified. ;
B4b) 7...Nf6? loses by force after 8.b4!
Qc6 ( 8...Qd6 9.Bf4 Qe6 10.Ng5 Qc6
11.b5 Qc5 12.Be3 Qa3 13.Bd4!+Bojkovic-Lelchuk, 1993 ) 9.Nd4 Qd6
10.Bf4 e5 11.Nb5 Qb8 12.Ndc7+!
Nxc7 13.Bxe5 Nxb5 14.Bxb8 Nxe4
15.Bxb5+- ;
B4c) 7...e6 8.Bc3 Aiming to change the
most important defensive black piece.
( 8.Bxa6?! exd5! ) 8...Kf8 ( 8...Bxc3+
9.Nxc3 White has a clear plus due to
the weaknesses of the dark squares
from Black's camp. ; 8...f6 9.Ne3
Messa-Conti, corr.1995 ) 9.Bxg7+ Kxg7
10.Nc3 Nf6 ( 10...Nb4 11.Qd2
Zifroni-Lev, 1998 ) 11.Bxa6! ( 11.Qd2
d5 12.exd5 Nb4!? ) 11...bxa6
12.Qd4! Qxd4 13.Nxd4 The endgame
favours White due to his better pawn
structure. Robatsch Defense-3...c5 ]
4.exd5 The only way to fight for an opening
advantage.
[ 4.Nxd5 c6 5.Ne3 Qxd4= ]
4...Nf6
[It is worth considering the gambit line 4...c6!?
5.dxc6 Nxc6 6.d5 Nb4 7.a3 ( 7.Bb5+ Bd7
8.Bc4 Qc7 9.Bb3 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qxc3+
11.Bd2 Qc5 Movsziszian-Schultz, 1993 )
7...Bxc3+ ( 7...Qa5 8.Bb5+ Kf8 9.Nge2 )
8.bxc3 Nxd5 9.Bb5+ Kf8 10.c4 Ngf6
11.Qd4 ( 11.Ne2!? Bf5 12.Bh6+ Kg8 13.0-0
Nc7 14.Nd4 ) 11...a6 12.cxd5 axb5 13.Bb2
Bf5 14.Ne2 Rg8 15.Rd1 Bxc2 16.Rd2 ]
5.Bc4! The strongest move. White makes it as
difficult as possible for Black to win the pawn
back.
[ 5.Nf3 Nxd5 6.Nxd5 Qxd5 7.Be2 c5 8.Be3
cxd4 9.Bxd4 0-0 10.0-0 Nc6 11.Bxg7 Qxd1
12.Rfxd1 Kxg7 13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.Rxd4 Bf5
15.c3 Rfd8= Gymesi-Banikas, 1997 ]

2
[After 5.Bb5+ Nbd7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 Nb6
Black gains the pawn back and keeps the
balance. ]
5...Nbd7! The most accurate move.
[After 5...0-0?! Black will meet difficulties to
win the pawn back. 6.Nge2! Nbd7 7.Bb3
Nb6 8.Nf4 Yudasin-Vydeslaver, 1992 ]
6.Bg5! The most aggressive move that forces
Black to sacrifice a pawn in order to gain
counter-play.
[ 6.Nf3 Nb6 7.Bb3 a5!? Black gains space
on the queenside before winning the pawn
back. ( 7...0-0 8.0-0 Nbxd5 9.Nxd5 Nxd5
10.c3 Bg4 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 c6 13.Re1
e6 Bonsch-Hennig, 1998 ) 8.a4! ( 8.a3 a4
9.Ba2 Nbxd5 10.Nxd5 Nxd5 11.0-0 0-0
12.h3 c6 13.Re1 b5= Ankerst-Vocak, 1992 )
8...Nbxd5 9.Nxd5 Nxd5 10.0-0 ( 10.h3 0-0
11.0-0 c6 12.Re1 Magem Badals - Palacios,
1989 ) 10...0-0 11.Re1 Bg4 12.h3 Bxf3
13.Qxf3 White's position is slightly better due
to his bishop pair. e6 14.Qg4 c6 15.Bg5
Qb6 16.Rad1 h6 17.Bc1 Bashkov-Vocak,
1991 ]
[ 6.Bb3 Nb6 7.Nf3 is only a transposition to
the main line. ]
6...Nb6
[ 6...0-0 7.Bb3 Nb6 8.Qf3 Sadler-Turner,
1997 ]
7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.Bb3 a5!?
[ 8...0-0 9.Nge2 Bg4 10.f3 Bh4+ 11.Ng3
Bf5 12.0-0 ]
9.a4
[ 9.a3 a4 10.Ba2 0-0 11.Nge2 c6 12.dxc6
bxc6 13.0-0 Ba6 Martin Gonzales Palacios, 1989 ]
9...0-0 10.Nge2 c6! The only way to gain
counter-play 11.dxc6 bxc6 12.0-0 Ba6
13.Re1 Nc4 (Keitlinghaus-Vokac, 1992) 14.Ne4
Nxb2 15.Nxf6+ exf6 16.Qd2