Queens Pawn Opening, BDG Declined, Elbert Countergambit
Queen's Pawn Opening
Definition
The Queen's Pawn Opening is the family of openings that begin with the move 1. d4. White advances the pawn in front of the queen two squares, immediately contesting the center and opening lines for the c1-bishop and the queen.
How it is Used in Chess
After 1. d4 Black has several typical replies:
- 1…d5 – leading to closed games such as the Queen’s Gambit, Colle System, London System, and more.
- 1…Nf6 – heading for Indian Defences (King’s Indian, Grünfeld, Nimzo-Indian, etc.).
- 1…f5 – the Dutch Defence.
- 1…e6, 1…g6, and other flexible setups.
The opening is valued by players who like long-term spatial advantages and rich strategic positions, often with fewer early tactical landmines than open 1.e4 games.
Strategic and Historical Significance
Since the late 19th century the Queen’s Pawn Opening has been the main alternative to King’s Pawn games. World Champions from Emanuel Lasker through Magnus Carlsen have relied on 1. d4 in match play because it can steer the game into a nearly limitless variety of structures while avoiding some of the most forcing 1. e4 theory.
Example
One of the cleanest illustrations of the opening idea is the model game Capablanca – Janowski, New York 1916:
Interesting Facts
- The move 1. d4 was considered "closed and drawish" by many 19th-century romantics, but Steinitz and later positional thinkers demonstrated its latent attacking potential.
- 1. d4 leads to more pawn breaks involving c-pawn thrusts (c2-c4 or c7-c5) than any other opening family.
- Modern engines rate 1. d4 and 1. e4 almost identically, but human statistics show 1. d4 produces slightly higher drawing percentages in master play.
Blackmar–Diemer Gambit (BDG)
Definition
The Blackmar–Diemer Gambit is an enterprising line that arises after
1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3
White sacrifices a pawn (or sometimes two) to accelerate development and launch an early attack against Black’s king.
How it is Used in Chess
The gambit is favored by club players, correspondence enthusiasts, and streamers because it produces sharp, tactical positions with chances for brilliant sacrifices. Black can:
- Accept the gambit with 4…exf3, holding the extra pawn at the cost of time.
- Decline in various ways (4…e3, 4…c6, 4…g6, etc.).
- Counter-gambit immediately (4…e5, 4…f5), leading to specialized sub-variations.
Strategic and Historical Significance
Arising from Armand Edward Blackmar’s 19th-century gambit idea 1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. f3, the line was refined by German master Emil Diemer in the 1950s. While engines consider the BDG objectively dubious, practical results are respectable—especially at faster time controls—because the positions are difficult to defend precisely.
Example
A classic miniature is Diemer – Schwarz, Baden-Baden 1956:
Interesting Facts
- In 1965 Diemer wrote a book titled “Das Blackmar–Diemer-Gambit,” proclaiming “++0–0–0!” as the evaluation—his way of saying White stands checkmatingly better.
- Modern names for BDG sidelines—Lemberger, Ziegler, Bogoljubow, Gunderam—come from analysts who tried to refute the gambit but ended up lending their names to additional theory.
- Several online arenas host regular BDG thematic tournaments, keeping the gambit vibrant in the internet age.
Declined (in the Context of Gambits)
Definition
When a player offers a gambit—the intentional sacrifice of material, usually a pawn—the opponent can either accept (take the material) or decline. A gambit is said to be declined when the offered pawn or piece is ignored or immediately returned.
How it is Used in Chess
Declining a gambit often aims to:
- Maintain structural integrity.
- Sidestep an opponent’s home preparation.
- Transition into quieter or more familiar territory.
Common examples:
- Queen’s Gambit Declined – 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 (Black does not take on c4).
- King’s Gambit Declined – 1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5 or 2…d5 instead of 2…exf4.
- Blackmar–Diemer Gambit Declined – after 1. d4 d5 2. e4 Black chooses 2…e6, 2…c6, or 2…c5 rather than 2…dxe4.
Strategic and Historical Significance
Many “Declined” systems have become full-fledged openings in their own right—with rich theory and numerous sub-lines—because refusing a gambit can still leave both sides with dynamic possibilities.
Example
In the BDG, the Ziegler Defence (a principal declined line) continues:
1. d4 d5 2. e4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7. Here Black never accepted the e-pawn and heads for French-like structures.
Interesting Facts
- The word “declined” first appeared in opening names in the 19th century chess literature, formalizing what casual players already practiced.
- Engines sometimes recommend declining gambits in ways that were historically dismissed, breathing new life into supposedly “quiet” lines.
Elbert Countergambit
Definition
The Elbert Countergambit is an audacious line against the Blackmar–Diemer Gambit Declined, most commonly reached by:
1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 f5 4. f3 e5!?
Named after the American analyst George H. Elbert, Black counters White’s pawn sacrifice with a pawn sacrifice of his own (e5), trying to seize the initiative and open the center while White’s king is still in the middle.
How it is Used in Chess
Practical objectives of the Elbert Countergambit:
- Disrupt White’s smooth development by forcing early tactical decisions.
- Open lines for the queen and bishops, especially toward the e1-square.
- Create asymmetrical pawn structures, reducing White’s attacking “prepared lines” in the main BDG.
If White grabs pawns indiscriminately, Black’s pieces explode into the center with …Nc6, …Qh4+, and long diagonals for the dark-squared bishop.
Strategic and Historical Significance
The line is viewed as objectively risky but practically venomous. Early database statistics show Black scoring better than in most other anti-BDG attempts below master level. The countergambit remains a specialty weapon, often surprising opponents who thought they had “safe” anti-BDG preparation.
Illustrative Line
After 10…O-O-O, Black has completed development, possesses strong attacking chances on the g- and h-files, and often regains material with interest.
Interesting Facts and Anecdotes
- George Elbert first published the idea in Chess Life in the early 1970s, challenging BDG expert Ken Smith to a correspondence mini-match. Each side won one game.
- Because 4…e5 returns the pawn immediately, some authors jokingly call it the “I’ll-see-your-gambit-and-raise-you-another” variation.
- The Elbert Countergambit has inspired several engine vs. engine thematic events; modern neural-net engines judge the resulting positions as dynamically equal, contradicting earlier table-based evaluations that favored White.