King's Pawn Opening: Goldsmith Defense

King's Pawn Opening: Goldsmith Defense (1. e4 h6)

Definition

The Goldsmith Defense is an irregular reply to the King’s-Pawn-Opening in which Black answers 1. e4 with the edge-pawn push 1…h6. It is catalogued under ECO code C20, the catch-all section for off-beat answers to 1. e4. Because the move does not stake a claim in the center, delays development, and slightly loosens the kingside, mainstream theory rates the defense as dubious.

Typical Move-Order

The opening can arise in only one way:

e4 h6

After 1…h6, White usually seizes the center with 2. d4 or 2. Nf3. Black may try:

2…d5 – the most logical central strike, though delayed by a tempo.
2…g5 – heading for a “Reversed Grob” set–up (sometimes called the Borg or Bogey System), hoping for surprise value.
2…e6 / 2…c6 – structures that resemble the French or Caro-Kann, reached under slightly worse circumstances.

Strategic Ideas & Evaluation

• Center Neglect: 1…h6 does nothing to contest d4 or e4, allowing White a free hand in the center.
• Tempo Lost: The pawn on h6 rarely plays an early, concrete role; Black is effectively playing a middlegame a tempo down.
• Prophylaxis vs g5: One redeeming feature is the control of the g5-square, preventing White’s minor pieces (especially a knight from f3) or bishop from harassing Black’s kingside.
• Transpositional Freedom: Black can still choose almost any pawn structure (…d6–…Nf6–…g6 for a Pirc-flavored setup, or …c6–…d5 for a Caro-Kann type), but always under the shadow of that wasted tempo.

Modern engines give White an objective advantage of roughly +0.7 to +1.0 after simple, principled play such as 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3, when Black’s queen is awkwardly placed and White is well ahead in development.

Historical Notes

The line is named after the 19th-century American problem composer and enthusiast Bernard R. Goldsmith (1845-1900), who reputedly enjoyed surprising club opponents with early rook-pawn thrusts. A handful of casual games survive where Goldsmith essayed 1…h6 with mixed success. Despite its poor reputation at master level, the defense occasionally surfaces in blitz or bullet, most memorably when Magnus Carlsen toyed with it in an online 1-minute game in 2020, winning on time from a worse position.

Illustrative Mini-Game

The following short encounter shows the typical dangers Black can face:

Diagram after 10…Nxd5:

White already threatens tactics on f7, while Black’s misplaced queen and lack of development spell long-term trouble.

Practical Advice

If You Face It as White: Grasp the center with 2. d4, develop quickly, and keep an eye on tactics arising from Black’s weakened dark squares.
If You Want to Try It as Black: Be ready for an uphill positional battle. Your best chances lie in fast, unbalanced play—consider …g5 or …c5 to break up White’s structure before the developmental deficit starts to hurt.

Interesting Facts

The Goldsmith Defense is illegal in Chess960 starting positions that place a rook on h1—there, the pawn cannot advance two files at once!
Some databases erroneously merge 1…h6 with the Carr Defense; in fact 1…h6 versus 1. d4 is the Carr, while against 1. e4 the same move carries Goldsmith’s name.
In online bullet pools, 1…h6 scores far better than its theoretical value—proof that surprise and time pressure can momentarily outweigh objective soundness.

King's Pawn Opening: Goldsmith Defense