Baltic Defense

The Baltic Defense arises after 1. b4 d5 2. Bb2 Bf5. Black has already occupied the center with the d-pawn and now brings the queen's bishop to f5 before any ...e6 can shut it in. This is the approach familiar from the Slav and London structures. From f5 the bishop watches the b1-h7 diagonal and the c2 and b1 squares, which makes White's natural queenside development less comfortable. Black usually completes development quietly, ceding the long diagonal to the b2-bishop but keeping a firm central presence.

White most often replies 3. e3, opening the f1-bishop and preparing central play. Next in frequency is 3. Nf3, with 3. d3 a distant third. Engines also suggest 3. c4, which challenges d5 directly, and 3. a3, which secures the b4-pawn against harassment. The engine rates the position as roughly balanced. In online games White scores somewhat better than Black, and draws are rare. The line is a mainstream answer to 1. b4, though it sees only modest use overall.