DDG 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.f3

This is the "orthodox" DDG. By playing f3, White does not even try to recapture the sacrificed pawn, but aims at opening the f-file for the rook and getting a nice d3-square for the bishop.

Black should attack d4 and delay the exf3 capture. The best replies are popular 5...Bb4 and extremely dangerous 5...c5. White should be happy to meet any other move.


B
  • 5...Bb4 (Kmoch Variation)
  • 5...c5 (Keres Variation)
  • 5...exf3 (Exchange Variation)
  • 5...Nc6
  • 5...e3
  • 5...Various

5...Nc6

5...Nc6 6.d5 exd5 7.cxd5 Nb4 8.fxe4 Bc5 9.a3 Na6 10.Bb5+ Bd7 11.Qe2 O-O 12.Bg5 Bxb5 13.Qxb5 h6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bf2 Bxf2+ 16.Kxf2 Ng4+, 0-1 in 29, Heikkinen - Kytöniemi, 1991 !. This is my most dreadful loss with the DDG -- and the only one in a 90 minutes game so far. Black immediately returned the pawn, and took the initiative. This was a good lesson.

6.Be3

B

6...exf3 7.Nxf3 Bb4 8.Bd3 O-O 9.O-O

6...Bb4 is clearly the most important line here. This position can be reached in various ways: any order of the last two moves -- White's f3 and Be3, Black's Nc6 and Bb4 -- is common.

A) 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3

B) 7.Qc2! O-O (7...Nxd4? 8.Bxd4 Qxd4 9.Qa4+ Nd7!? 10.Qxb4 Nc5 11.Nxe4 Qe3+ 12.Kd1! +/-) 8.O-O-O

C) 7.Qd2!? O-O 8.a3 Bxc3 9.Qxc3 Ne7 10.O-O-O Nf5 11.g4 with good attack, Heikkinen - Laucius, corr. 1996. Unfortunately, that game was never finished. Maybe a3 is not necessary, but it almost forces Black to exchange the bishop to the knight, thus giving White the bishop pair. If Black plays something else, like 8...Be7, White has good game after 9.fxe4: the open f-file and even material.

Alternatives are

5...e3

5...e3 is a simple way to give the pawn back immediately. White does not get the half-open f-file, but material is even.

6.Bxe3

The Winckelmann-Reimer Gambit can also transpose to this line: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3! e3?! 7.Bxe3 Nf6 8.Bd3 Nd5 9.Bd2 Nd7 10.Ne2 O-O 11.O-O e5 12.c4 N5f6 13.c3 b6 14.Bg5 Bb7 15.Qc2, 1-0 in 31, Oeller - Pohl, corr. 1993.

The line is similar to the Langeheinecke Defence of the BDG, which arises after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 e3, and may continue 5.Bxe3 e6 6.Bd3

Various