Chigorin Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bg4 · D07
Starting positionWhite to move
0 / 14
White accepts doubled pawns for the bishops
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
The idea
Black develops ...Nc6 against the Queen's Gambit, accepting restricted c-pawn mobility for active piece play. In this line, ...Bxf3 damages White's pawns while conceding the bishop pair.
Main line: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.cxd5 Bxf3 5.gxf3 Qxd5 6.e3 e5 7.Nc3 Bb4
What White wants
- Use the bishop pair and central pawns after ...Bxf3
- Develop quickly and arrange a safe king position
- Challenge Black's active queen and central pieces without weakening the pawns
What Black wants
- Trade on f3 to damage White's structure and get the queen to d5
- Develop with ...e5 and ...Bb4 and keep the pieces active
- Play for the initiative, not the structure
Key idea
Understand this and the moves stop needing to be memorised.
White accepts doubled pawns for the bishops
After ...Bxf3 and gxf3, White has doubled f-pawns but both bishops. Black recovers d5 with the queen and seeks quick activity with ...e5 and ...Bb4. White's structural weakness must be weighed against central space and the long-term potential of the bishops.
Common mistake
Treating the doubled f-pawns as a reason to defend everything passively. White needs development and active bishops to compensate for the structure; Black should likewise keep the central pieces coordinated rather than assume the pawn damage decides the game.
Mistake example: Bxc3.
Representative position
The position this opening is aiming at. Copy the FEN, or open it in the analysis board and let the engine tell you what it is worth.
r3k1nr/ppp2ppp/2n5/3qp3/1b1P4/2N1PP2/PP3P1P/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 2 8
Analyze this position