Mokele Mbembe

The Mokele Mbembe, 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4, sends the attacked knight forward rather than to d5. Some sources call it the Knight's Tour Variation, and the main name comes from a Congolese cryptid. On e4 the knight has no pawn support and few retreats, so White can chase it with gain of time and sometimes trap it. Stefan Bücker took up the line in the 1980s. It has never been popular at any level and serves mainly as a surprise. White scores well in practice, and engines give White a clear advantage.

The most common reply, 3. d4, takes the center unopposed and threatens f3 to trap the knight, so 3...d6? fails to 4. f3. The Vavra Defense, 3...e6, meets 4. f3? with 4...Qh4+ 5. g3 Nxg3, but 4. Nh3 is a strong answer, contesting g5. The Modern Line, 3...f6, prepares to meet f3 with ...Ng5, where the knight is protected. The second most frequent reply, 3. d3, keeps pushing the knight around while White's pawns advance, as in 3...Nc5 4. d4 Ne6 5. d5 Nc5 6. Nf3 e6.