Theoria
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Benoni Defense

Woozle

A43offbeat

  1. 1.d4c5
  2. 2.d5Nf6
  3. 3.Nc3Qa5
321 games47%47%

Offbeat Old Benoni line in which Black meets 3. Nc3 with an early 3...Qa5, pinning the knight; engines clearly favor White.

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About the Woozle

The Woozle is an offbeat branch of the Old Benoni, 1. d4 c5 2. d5, in which Black answers 3. Nc3 with 3...Qa5, pinning the knight against the king along the a5–e1 diagonal. The early queen sortie costs time, and engines give White a clear advantage. The most common reply, 4. Bd2, breaks the pin. The second choice, 4. e4, has scored poorly for White in Lichess games, while 4. Nf3 has scored well.

Popular continuations