Baltic Defense

For the Baltic Opening (1.Nc3), see Dunst Opening.

Chess opening

Baltic Defense

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Moves| 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5
ECO| D06
Named after| Paul Keres
Parent| Queen's Gambit
Synonym(s)| Grau Defense
Sahovic Defense

The Baltic Defense (also known as the Grau Defense, or the Sahovic Defense) is a chess opening characterized by the moves:

1\. d4 d5
2\. c4 Bf5!?

The Baltic is an unusual variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD). In most defenses to the QGD, Black has difficulties developing their queen bishop. This opening takes a radical approach to the problem by bringing out the queen bishop immediately, but exposes it to the latent threat of e2-e4, for example 3. cxd5 Qxd5? 4. Nc3 Qa5 5. Bd2 followed by 6. e4 hitting the bishop gives White a strong advantage.

The Baltic has not found widespread acceptance among chess masters, but some world-class players have used it including grandmasters Paul Keres and Alexei Shirov.

The ECO code for the Baltic Defense is D06.

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

## White responses

[edit]

White has several replies to this opening, including 3.Nf3, 3.cxd5, 3.Qb3, and 3.Nc3. Play might continue:

### 3.Nf3 e6

[edit]

* 4.Qb3 Nc6
* 4.e3 Nf6 5.Qb3 Nc6
* 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Qb3 Nc6
* 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Qb3 Nc6

### 3.cxd5

[edit]

3...Bxb1 4.Qa4+ Qd7 5.Qxd7+ Nxd7 6.Rxb1 Ngf6 7.Nf3

### 3.Qb3

[edit]

3...e5 4.Qxb7 Nd7 5.Nf3 Rb8 6.Qxd5 Bb4+ 7.Nfd2 (7.Bd2?? Ne7−+ Webb–Sinclair, England 1971) Ne7 8.Qf3 exd4 and Black has development and initiative for their pawn.

### 3.Nc3

[edit]

3...e6 4.Qb3?! (4.Nf3) Nc6 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Qxd5? (a mistake, as Black has 6...Nxd4, winning) Qxd5 7.Nxd5 0-0-0−+

## See also

[edit]

* Keres Defence (1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+)
* List of chess openings
* List of chess openings named after places

## References

[edit]

* Nunn, John (1999), Nunn's Chess Openings, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-221-0
* Polugajewski, Lev (1984), Damengambit, Tschigorin System bis Tarrasch-Verteidigung, Sportverlag Berlin

## Further reading

[edit]

The Wikibook Chess Opening Theory has a page on the topic of: Baltic Defense

* Baltic Defense to the Queens Gambit, by Andrew Soltis, Chess Digest, ISBN 0-87568-228-6.
* Keres Defence, by Giovanni Falchetta, 1992, ISBN 88-86127-07-3.

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