Noteboom Variation

The Noteboom Variation is available to Black only through the triangle order 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6, and only if White chooses 4. Nf3. Black then takes on c4 at once, accepting doubled c-pawns, and intends to keep the extra pawn with ...b5. The point is often a pin: after 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 b5 7. axb5 cxb5, the knight on c3 cannot take on b5. The plain 5. e3 b5 6. a4 Bb4 tends to transpose. In the Abrahams Variation, 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 b5 8. axb5 cxb5, Black surrenders the bishop immediately. The variation takes its name from Daniël Noteboom, who used it at the 1930 Olympiad.

A characteristic continuation is 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 b5 7. Bd2 a5 8. axb5 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 cxb5 10. b3 Bb7 11. bxc4 b4. Black ends up with a pair of linked queenside passers, while White holds the bishop pair and the center. The most frequent fifth moves are 5. a4 and 5. e4. White can sidestep the main lines with 5. Bg5, the Anti-Noteboom Variation, which scores well for White, or with 5. g3, the Anti-Noteboom Gambit. The engine gives White a slight edge.