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Train this openingAbout this opening
White develops the queen's knight first and keeps the option of f4, which makes this a slower cousin of the King's Gambit. Nf6 is the most played reply here and it is the principled one, because it attacks e4 straight away and asks White to justify the setup. Bc5 and Nc6 develop soundly but give White time for the f4 push. c6 looks passive but prepares d5, which is the freeing break in almost all of these lines. Look at the score: Black does well here, and the reason is that the knight on c3 blocks White's c-pawn and rules out the slow c3 and d4 build that the Italian depends on.
Plans
- Attack e4 with Nf6 and force White to commit.
- Prepare d5 with c6 to free your position.
- Develop the bishop to c5 or b4 and castle quickly.
- Watch for f4, and meet it by striking in the center.
Where the pieces belong
- Knight: f6, attacking e4
- Pawn: d5, the break that solves your problems
- Bishop: b4, pinning the knight that guards e4
- Knight: c6, holding e5
- King: castled short before White organizes f4
White wants f4 and a kingside attack. You want d5 and open lines. If you get the break in on time the extra space evaporates and your pieces are the better placed.