Chigorin Variation, Alburt Defense

The Alburt Defense meets 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 with 2...Bf5. Black brings the light-squared bishop out before ...e6 can shut it in, and the bishop adds pressure on e4, the square White's knight was developed to support. This differs from the usual 2...Nf6, which stops e4 by blocking it with a piece. Instead, Black accepts a looser setup to keep the bishop active. The line is very rare in master practice but is played far more often online, where results are close to even and draws are uncommon. Engines rate the position as roughly balanced.

White's most frequent reply by a wide margin is 3. Bf4, which places the dark-squared bishop actively in the same way. 3. Nf3 is the main quieter alternative and scores slightly better for Black. 3. f3 is the most direct attempt to force e2-e4 despite the bishop's pressure, and it gives White the best results of the three main moves. Engines also consider 3. e3 a reasonable choice.