MacCutcheon, 5.exd5 Qxd5 – Orthodox Line

French: MacCutcheon

Definition

The MacCutcheon is a sharp branch of the French Defence that arises after the moves 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4. Black immediately pins the knight on c3 and prepares to increase pressure on the e4-pawn, often at the cost of rapid piece activity and a double-edged struggle.

How it is used in chess

• 4…Bb4 is a direct alternative to the more positional 4…Be7 and the dynamic 4…dxe4 • It invites highly tactical play, forcing White to decide between the main lines 5. e5, 5. exd5 and 5. Bd3. • The MacCutcheon is favoured by players who enjoy initiative-based chess and are not afraid of entering complex, theory-heavy positions where accurate calculation is vital.

Strategic Significance

• King-side tension: Black’s bishop on b4 accelerates piece play and can sometimes sacrifice itself on c3 to shatter White’s structure.
• Central imbalance: Black delays …c5 in many lines, keeping the centre fluid. Both sides often castle on opposite wings, leading to pawn storms.
• Theoretical depth: Because it is less common than the Classical French (4…Be7), surprise value is high, especially at club level.

Historical Notes

The variation is named after Scottish amateur John Lindsay MacCutcheon, who introduced 4…Bb4 during a simultaneous exhibition against Wilhelm Steinitz in London, 1885. The idea quickly caught on, and by the early 20th century it was tried by world champions Emanuel Lasker and José Capablanca. Modern exponents include Alexander Morozevich, Etienne Bacrot and Ding Liren.

Illustrative Game

Emanuel Lasker – Frank Marshall, St Petersburg 1909 (annotated excerpt):

Interesting Facts

• The spelling alternates between “MacCutcheon” and “McCutcheon” in literature; the former is more common in English chess texts.
• Because the line can transpose to Winawer structures if Black later plays …Bb4xc3 and …b6, some openings databases index games in both sections.
• Quite a few famous attacking queenside castling vs. kingside castling races stem from the 5.e5 main line.

5.exd5 Qxd5 (MacCutcheon, Orthodox Line)

Definition

The move sequence 5. exd5 Qxd5 occurs in the MacCutcheon after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. exd5 Qxd5. White exchanges in the centre, and Black recaptures immediately with the queen, maintaining material balance while exposing the queen to possible tempo-gaining attacks.

Typical Ideas for Both Sides

• White:
  • Attack the queen with 6.Nf3, 6.Bxf6 or 6.Bd2, gaining tempi for development.
  • Create long-term pressure on the isolated pawn that can appear on d5 if Black mis-coordinates.
  • Quickly castle queenside and launch a kingside attack.
• Black:
  • Accept the slight loss of time with the queen in exchange for an open e- and c-file, plus the possibility of rapid piece activity with …Ne4 and …c5.
  • If White’s bishop retreats passively, Black can equalise with …Ne4 followed by …c5.

Strategic & Historical Significance

Chess theory long considered 5.exd5 a quieter, “positional” alternative to 5.e5, yet modern engines reveal critical attacking resources for both sides. The line gained attention when Garry Kasparov resurrected it in the late 1980s, and it has since appeared in the repertoires of Vishy Anand, Hikaru Nakamura and Ding Liren.

Representative Game

Ding Liren – Ian Nepomniachtchi, Wijk aan Zee 2019

Funny Tidbit

In an online blitz session (2021) Magnus Carlsen played 5.exd5 Qxd5 and then deliberately repeated moves with 6.Bd2 Qxd4 7.Nf3 Qd8 8.Bd2 to test his opponent’s familiarity. He later admitted on stream that he “just wanted to see how long Black would keep biting.”