A Secret Weapon - The Queen's Gambit Declined, Vienna Variation with 5... b5
This newsletter is a bit of a departure from the norm. I have been thinking about how to motivate myself to study chess openings more effectively, and I've decided to create a newsletter focused on a specific opening line as a way to do some active learning.
As Feynmann said, "If you want to master something, teach it."
The Queen's Gambit Declined, Vienna Variation with 5. e4 b5
I have noticed that the Indian superstar Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has played Vienna Variation in the Queen's Gambit Declined with the surprising move 4…dxc4 5. e4 b5.
As well as Hikaru Nakamura, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Parham Maghsoodloo, Alireza Firouzja, and many other top players. That made me wonder why they play it and why it is so rarely seen on the amateur level.
First, let us start with some background knowledge about the Vienna. The variation arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4
4…dxc4 is rarely played on the amateur level. In the Lichess database among 1800-2200 (rapid/classical), it is the 7th most common move and is often seen as an overly complicated and difficult opening to understand.
However, with the right knowledge and understanding, it can be an incredibly powerful tool for players of any skill level. With the right moves, it can lead to some exciting and dynamic positions that can be difficult for your opponents to navigate.
You might think that this is some super modern engine line, but actually, we have to go all the way back to the 1886 World Championship match between Steinitz and Zukertort to find the first time it was played!
Johannes Zukertort vs Wilhelm Steinitz
Steinitz - Zukertort World Championship Match (1886), St. Louis, rd 9
The opening theory has advanced a bit since 1886, but it is still instructive how Steinitz dismantles Zukertorts center which becomes a liability.
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 White has 3 main options:
a) 5. e4 - Three Knights, Vienna Variation - the mainline
b) 5. e3 - Quiet Variation (does not give Black that many problems hence the name)
c) 5. Bg5
In this article, I will focus on the line with 5. e4 the sharpest continuation and the Black reply 5…b5.
5. e4 b5 - Three Knights, Vienna Variation
In this position, the main line is 5…Bg5 pinning the Knight and directly putting pressure on the e4-pawn. Club players often play 5…Be7, which is too passive for the position since White’s center is not challenged in any way while White can recapture on c4. Stockfish gives White +1.2 after Be7!
A move that has been gaining popularity in recent years is 5…b5. On Lichess it is the no. 7 move in the position, so it is a good way to take your opponent out of the book early (also scoring 43% for Black).
In an article for New in Chess from 2017 IM Robert Ris wrote:
“The sub-line 5...b5 in the Vienna is a new field to be explored. It's fresh, and a clear path to a white advantage has not yet been demonstrated in practice. It seems to me that White's best chance is to follow the main line with 7. Nxb5 Nb6 8. Be2 Be7 9. O-O Nc6 10. Be3 O-O 11.Rc1, so check the notes to the game Sychev-Grandelius and try to refine the play for both sides.”1
As you can see the Knight is overloaded, so If black captures on b5 Black can take on e4.
Example 6. Nxb5 Nxe4 7.Qa4 c6 8.Nc3 Now Black can simplify and reroute the Bishop to b5. In an online game between Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi, the Knights were traded on c3 and Carlsen traded Bishops on c4. The game ended in a draw.
8…Nxc3 9.bxc3 Ba6 10.Ne5 10.Bxc4 Bxc4 11.Qxc4 Bd6 12.O-O O-O Carlsen, M.. - Nepomniachtchi, I.., 1/2-1/2, Magnus Carlsen Inv KO, 2021,
The mainline is to play 6. e5 pushing the Knight away Nd5 7. Nxb5
Where should the Black pieces go?
Overall you might not like that strange-looking c4-pawn, but it actually restricts the Bishop and might enable a Knight to jump to b3 or d3 in the future.
The plan for Black is to get the Knight on d4 to b6 to protect the c4-pawn. The other Knight goes on a tour to c6-b4-d5. While the LSB goes to b7 (maybe a6 if needed to protect c4). The DSB goes to e7 and with short castling. While the Rook goes on b8 to put pressure on b2.
If you want to see how IM Kostya Kavutskiy reacted to the opening watch this instructional video:
If we look at the main line after 6. e5 Nd5 7. Nxb5 Nb6, White has several options:
8.Be2
This is the main move. The Bishop goes to e2 in order to quickly castling short. In the game:
Esipenko, Andrey - Maghsoodloo, Parham 0-1, D37, Aeroflot Open A, 2019
Maghsoodloo managed to develop the Black pieces after the described plan, while White goes for an interesting plan of playing Qd2-Qf4-Qg3 to attack the Kingside. This however fails after Maghsoodloo gets the chance to open the g-file.
8. Nc3
This is a natural move since White’s Knight at some point has to reroute back to c3 and then maybe to e4-g5. This line will most likely transpose into one of the other lines.8. a4
The move protects the Knight on b5, but also opens up for an a5-push. Nakamura won a very complicated game against Carlsen in this line back in 2020. To guide you through the complications I have found a video recap from GM Daniel King.
Carlsen, Magnus - Nakamura, Hikaru, 0-1, D37,, chess24.com, INT, 2020.08.15
8. Bg5
Is also a popular candidate move. White tries to trade off the dark-squared Bishop in order to help the Knight to maneuver to c5 via g5-e4.
I have found an interesting game where GM David Anton undermines Whites's center in a very well-played game.
8. Be3
This was the move from the Candidate’s tournament that gave rise to an interesting round 1 game between Radjabov and Firouzja. Firouzja gave the exchange, but had to defend in the end in an interesting game.
Training Puzzles
In order to practice the opening I played some training games against the engine. And instead of showing you a lot of lines, I thought it would be more instructive to give some puzzles to get a feel of the positions that can arise.
After 8. Be2 Nc6 9. O-O Be7 10. Be3 O-O 11. Rc1 Nb4 12. a3 N4d5 is it safe for White to capture the pawn?
After 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. Be3 Be7 10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O Rb8 12. Ne4 Bb7 13. Nc5 White tries to win the Bishop pair and weaken the defense of the c4-pawn if Black captures. What is the best move for Black?
Conclusion
The line presents some intriguing unbalanced positions that often lead to tactical play. It can be easy to make a mistake, especially if you're not familiar with the structure and position. The line typically favors the player who knows it well. I haven't reached the mainline yet because I've been facing a lot of London systems and a few games with 5. e3 and 5. Bg5, which provided me with a good game. In the meantime, I've played some practice games against the engine.
In conclusion, the line offers exciting opportunities for tactical and dynamic play and it's worth exploring if you're interested in this type of position. I will definitely try to use it in the future.
Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more chess tips and insights. Thanks for reading!
/Martin
A new road in the Vienna, QO Early Divergences
by Robert Ris Yearbook 124 (2017)
Sorry for the ridiculously late comment but I dug up this post after this exact line was played in Game 3 of the Women’s World Championship. Daniel King made a video and his analysis of Black’s surprising amount of compensation in the opening agrees with yours. Just thought I’d share!
Great work and breakdown, as an e4 player I learned a lot!