German Defense

After 1. b4 d5 2. Bb2, Black brings the queen to d6, where it hits the b4-pawn along the d6-b4 diagonal and also supports the d-pawn. The trade-off is an early queen move that can become a target. White usually defends with 3. a3, which is by far the most common choice, or sidesteps the attack with 3. b5 and gains queenside space. Engines rate the position as level, and the line is rarely seen.