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Benko Gambit Declined

Hjørring Countergambit

A57gambittacticaloffbeat

  1. 1.d4Nf6
  2. 2.c4c5
  3. 3.d5b5
  4. 4.e4
270 games44%53%

Benko Gambit Declined line in which White answers 3...b5 with 4. e4, offering the e-pawn and setting traps for automatic replies.

Train it in Theoria

About the Hjørring Countergambit

The Hjørring Countergambit, 4. e4, leaves the b5-pawn alone and offers the e-pawn instead. Automatic replies are risky: 4...b4 or 4...bxc4 allows 5. e5, driving the knight back to g8. The usual answer is 4...Nxe4, after which 5. Qf3 x-rays the a8-rook; 5...Nf6? 6. d6 uncovers an attack on it, and after 6...Nc6 7. cxb5 Bb7 8. bxc6 White is a knight ahead. Engines rate the position roughly level, and Black scores well in practice.

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