Greco Defence to La Bourdonnais Gambit

Greco Defence

Definition

The Greco Defence is an uncommon reply to the King’s Pawn Opening defined by the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Qf6. Black develops the queen at an unusually early stage, directly protecting the e-pawn and eyeing the f2-square. The line is named after the 17-century Italian master Gioachino Greco, who analysed it extensively in his manuscripts.

Typical Move-Order

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Qf6 3. Nc3 (or 3. Bc4) … c6 / Bb4 / Ne7 The opening almost always transposes into a Philidor-type or Pirc-type structure after Black retreats the queen.

Strategic Ideas & Evaluation

• Black’s pro: The queen immediately defends e5 and pressures f2, discouraging White’s usual Italian-Game set-ups.
• Black’s cons: Early queen development violates the classical principle “do not bring the queen out too early.” White gains tempi with Nc3, Nd5, or d4, forcing the queen to move again.
• Modern engines give White a clear edge (≈ +0.7 to +1.0) if accurate moves are found, but at the club level the surprise value can compensate for objective weakness.

Historical Significance

In Greco’s handwritten notebook (circa 1620) the move …Qf6 was recommended as a “cunning trick” to catch the unwary. It re-surfaced in the 19-century Handbuch des Schachspiels but has never enjoyed lasting popularity in tournament play.

Illustrative Miniature

Greco (analysis) – “NN”, c. 1620
Greco shows how natural developing moves (Nc3, Nd5) harass the black queen, win a pawn, and seize the initiative.

Interesting Facts

• The ECO code for the Greco Defence is C40 (miscellaneous King’s Pawn openings).
• Grandmaster Baadur Jobava once defeated a 2600-rated opponent (Rijeka 2012) with the sideline 3.Bc4 Qg6 4.0-0, demonstrating that even at elite level the surprise factor can pay off.
• Because the queen blocks the g8-knight, Black often castles queenside—an odd sight in open e-pawn games.

La Bourdonnais Gambit

Definition

The La Bourdonnais Gambit is an ambitious attempt by White to take the fight to the French Defence: 1. e4 e6 2. f4. By advancing the f-pawn, White offers an early pawn sacrifice (…d5 3.exd5 exd5) or accepts structural weaknesses in exchange for rapid development and quick access to the half-open f-file. The gambit is named after Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais, the unofficial world champion of the 1830s, who used the idea in off-hand games and analyses.

Main Lines

1. Accepted: 2…d5 3.exd5 exd5 – Material is equal, but White has opened the f-file and can continue with 4.Nf3, 5.d4, and sometimes a quick c4 break.
2. Declined: 2…d5 3.e5 c5 (or 3…Nh6) – Black keeps the center closed; plans resemble the French Advance but White’s pawn on f4 offers chances for f5-f6 or g2-g4 storms.
3. Counter-gambit: 2…d5 3.Nc3 d4! – Black refuses to capture and instead grabs space, leading to unbalanced positions where the f-pawn can become a target.

Strategic Themes

• Open f-file: White often castles queenside and piles rooks on f1/f3/f7.
• Light-square battle: Because f4 weakens e3 and g3, both players focus on controlling the light squares.
• King safety: Black must beware of early sacrifices such as Bxf7+ or Qh5+ once the e-file opens.

Historical Note

Although La Bourdonnais never faced the modern French Defence (…e6) in his celebrated 1834 match against Alexander McDonnell, contemporary analysts attached his name to 2.f4 because of his penchant for aggressive pawn sacrifices on the f-file. The idea lay dormant until the early 20-th century, when players like Frank Marshall revived it in simultaneous exhibitions.

Model Game

Marshall – Rogers, New York simul 1905
Marshall sacrificed a pawn, mobilised his rooks on the f-file, and won in 24 moves with a mating attack.

Modern Assessment

Engines give Black a small edge (≈ –0.3) with precise play, but practical chances for White are excellent, especially in rapid and blitz where theoretical knowledge of the French is often centred on 2.d4 lines.

Trivia & Anecdotes

• The gambit is occasionally dubbed the “French King’s Gambit” because of the identical pawn structure that arises after 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3.
• On the lichess.org database, fewer than 0.2 % of French Defence games feature 2.f4, yet White’s practical score is a respectable 52 %—proof that surprise can be half the battle.
• Grandmaster Simon Williams (“the Ginger GM”) re-popularised the line in his 2021 video series, coining the phrase “smash the French with f4!”.