Falkbeer Countergambit, Nimzowitsch-Marshall Countergambit

In the Nimzowitsch-Marshall Countergambit, Black meets 3. exd5 with 3...c6 instead of the older 3...e4 or the modern 3...exf4. This offers another pawn to remove White's extra d-pawn and open lines. If White accepts with 4. dxc6, the most common reply in practice, Black gets a large lead in development, and White's kingside is loosened by f4. A bishop on c5 can also stop White from castling short until it is driven off the diagonal. Theory regards the capture as dubious, and Black scores heavily after it in online games. The other greedy try, 4. fxe5, does even worse for White.

The more measured 4. Nc3 exf4 5. Nf3 Bd6 leads to equal play, and 4. Nf3 gives White the best practical results. The engine's first choice is 4. Qe2. It ties down the e5-pawn, and after 4...cxd5 5. fxe5 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 the position is again level. The engine rates the starting position as roughly balanced, though Black's results are well above average.