Accelerated London System, Steinitz Countergambit

The Steinitz Countergambit is Black's reply 2...c5 to 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4. It counts as a countergambit because the c-pawn can formally be taken with 3. dxc5. The move contests d4 immediately and makes use of the bishop's early departure from c1: with b2 no longer guarded, Black can follow with ...Qb6, often combined with ...Bf5 before developing the kingside. The name recalls Wilhelm Steinitz, who defeated James Mason with it in 1883.

White has no need to protect d4 directly, since the queen already covers it. After 3. Nc3 cxd4 4. Qxd4 the d5-pawn is attacked, and 4...Nc6 runs into 5. Qxd5 Qxd5 6. Nxd5 with an edge for White; after 4...e6 5. Bxb8 Rxb8 no knight remains to dislodge the queen from d4. In practice White mostly plays the standard London moves, which happen to reinforce d4 anyway. 3. e3, chosen in well over half of games, supports the center and frees the light-squared bishop; 3...Nf6 then returns to the main lines that arise after 2...Nf6. 3. c3 and 3. Nf3 generally transpose. The engine rates the position as balanced and favors e3, Nf3 and c3. When White has set up c3 and e3, Black can exchange on d4, and the recapture exd4 leads to a Caro-Kann type of structure.

Accepting with 3. dxc5 is considered dubious. White gives up central influence, and Black wins the pawn back without difficulty. Mason's game against Steinitz went 3. dxc5 Nc6 4. Nf3 f6 5. e3 e5 6. Bg3 Bxc5, with Black having regained the material and built a broad center. In online play Black scores slightly better than White after the capture, which is a minor choice compared with the quiet developing moves.

The Morris Countergambit, 3. e4, is a rare sideline in which White offers the e-pawn in order to push the d-pawn to d5 and restrict Black's position, a reversed-color version of the Albin Countergambit; 3...dxe4 is the Morris Countergambit Accepted. Overall the position is common, ranking among the more frequently reached named positions, and results on Lichess are close to even. Black fares better against 2...c5 than against the other principal replies to 2. Bf4.