Baltic Defense, Queen Attack
- 1.d4d5
- 2.c4Bf5
- 3.Qb3
1,375 games
A rare early queen sortie against the Baltic Defense in which 3. Qb3 attacks b7 and d5 at once, punishing Black's early ...Bf5.
Train it in TheoriaAbout the Queen Attack
The Queen Attack, 3. Qb3, makes immediate use of the bishop's early departure from c8. It strikes at the unprotected b7-pawn and the d5-pawn together, before White has developed any minor piece. The most common reply is 3...b6, which covers b7 directly. The main alternatives are 3...dxc4 and 3...e6. The engine gives White a slight edge. In online games White scores well, and draws are rare.