Baltic Defense
The Baltic Defense (also known as the Grau Defense, or the Sahovic Defense) is a chess opening characterized by the moves
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| Moves | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | D06 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Paul Keres | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Queen's Gambit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Synonym(s) | Grau Defense Sahovic Defense | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This defense is an unusual variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD). Since Black usually struggles to develop his queen bishop in most responses to the QGD, this opening takes a radical approach by developing the queen bishop immediately.
The Baltic has not found widespread acceptance among chess masters, but some world-class players have employed it, including grandmasters Paul Keres and Alexei Shirov.
The ECO code for the Baltic Defense is D06.
White's responses
Following ...Bf5, White has a number of potential responses, including:
3.cxd5 (Main line)
- 3...Bxb1 4.Qa4+ Qd7 5.Qxd7+ Nxd7 6.Rxb1 Ngf6 7.Nf3
3.Nf3 e6
- 4.Qb3 Nc6
- 4.e3 Nf6 5.Qb3 Nc6
- 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Qb3 Nc6
- 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Qb3 Nc6
3.Qb3
See also
- Keres Defence (1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+)
- List of chess openings
- List of chess openings named after places
References
- Nunn, John (1999), Nunn's Chess Openings, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-221-0
- Polugajewski, Lev (1984), Damengambit, Tschigorin System bis Tarrasch-Verteidigung, Sportverlag Berlin
Further reading
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The Wikibook Chess Opening Theory has a page on the topic of: Baltic Defense |
- Baltic Defense to the Queens Gambit, by Andrew Soltis, Chess Digest, ISBN 0-87568-228-6.
- Keres Defence, by Giovanni Falchetta, 1992, ISBN 88-86127-07-3.
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