Baltic 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 Template:Chessgloss. 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. Template:AN chess

White responses

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

3.Nf3 e6

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

3.cxd5

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

3.Qb3

3...e5 4.Qxb7 Nd7 5.Nf3 Rb8 6.Qxd5 Bb4+ 7.Nfd2 (7.Bd2Template:Chesspunc Ne7Template:Chesspunc Webb–Sinclair, England 1971) Ne7 8.Qf3 exd4 and Black has development and initiative for their pawn.

3.Nc3

3...e6 4.Qb3Template:Chesspunc (4.Nf3) Nc6 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Qxd5? (a mistake, as Black has 6...Nxd4, winning) Qxd5 7.Nxd5 0-0-0Template:Chesspunc

See also

• Keres Defence (1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4Template:ChessAN)
• List of chess openings
• List of chess openings named after places

References

• Polugajewski, Lev (1984), Damengambit, Tschigorin System bis Tarrasch-Verteidigung, Sportverlag Berlin

Further reading

• Baltic Defense to the Queens Gambit, by Andrew Soltis, Chess Digest, Template:ISBN.
• Keres Defence, by Giovanni Falchetta, 1992, Template:ISBN.