Keres Defence

History

This opening was known since the 1840s and was played by Henry Thomas Buckle in his fourth match game with Johann Löwenthal, London 1851. The standard reply today, 3.Bd2, was recommended by Howard Staunton.

Discussion

White can respond 3.Nc3, 3.Nd2, or 3.Bd2. The game often transposes to a Nimzo-Indian Defence, a Dutch Defence, a Queen's Gambit Declined, an English Defence, or a Bogo-Indian Defence. 3.Nc3 is likely to transpose into one of those openings: 3...Nf6 (Nimzo-Indian), 3...f5 (Dutch; Korn gives 3...Bxc3+ 4.bxc3 f5!,{{cite book |author-link=Walter Korn

After 3.Bd2, Black can continue with 3...Bxd2+ into a line of the Bogo-Indian, and 3...a5 will also usually transpose to a Bogo-Indian when White plays Nf3. Or Black can allow White to play e4: 3...Qe7 4.e4 d5 (Black obtained a good game in Llanos–Hoffman, San Luis Clarin 1995 with 4...Nf6 5.a3 Bxd2+ 6.Nxd2 d6 7.Bd3 e5 8.d5 0-0) 5.Bxb4 (5.e5 Timman–Spraggett, Montpellier 1985) Qxb4+ 6.Qd2! Qxd2+ (if 6...Nc6 then 7.Nc3!) 7.Nxd2 with slight advantage for White.{{cite book |author-link1=Garry Kasparov |author-link2=Raymond Keene

References

Bibliography

• {{cite book |editor-last=Matanović |editor-first=Aleksandar |editor-link=Aleksandar Matanović
• {{cite book |author-link=Eric Schiller |url-access=registration

References

1. (1996). "[[The Oxford Companion to Chess]]". [[Oxford University Press]].
2. [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1269234 Löwenthal vs. Buckle, London 1851] Chessgames.com
3. Schiller (1998), p. 227
4. [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1131294 Timman vs. Spraggett, Montpellier 1985] Chessgames.com
5. Matanović 1996 (Vol A), p. 295, note 73