The Chigorin Defense is a chess opening named for 19th century Russian grandmaster Mikhail Chigorin. An uncommonly played defense to the Queen's Gambit, it begins with the moves This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... This image is originally from xboard. ... The first moves of a chess game are the opening moves, collectively referred to as the opening or the book. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Russian Federation (Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ... The title International Grandmaster is awarded to superb chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. It is a lifetime title, in chess literature usually abbreviated as GM or IGM (this is in contrast to WGM for Woman Grandmaster and IM for International Master). ... Mikhail Chigorin (12 November 1850 - 25 January 1908) was a leading Russian chess player and the first grandmaster from Russia. ... Algebraic chess notation is the method used today by all competition chess organizations and most books, magazines, and newspapers to record and describe the play of chess games. ...

1.d4 d5

2.c4 Nc6

(Chigorin has another important opening named for him that is also sometimes called the Chigorin Defense. The Chigorin Variation is a popular defense to the Ruy Lopez. See Ruy Lopez for details.) The Ruy Lopez, sometimes known as the Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves 1. ...

The Chigorin Defense violates several classical principles: Black does not maintain the center pawn at d5, the c-pawn is blocked, and Black must be willing to trade a bishop for a knight. (Chigorin was unusual among chess masters in strongly preferring knights to bishops in all positions.) In return Black gets quick development and piece pressure on the center. A bishop moves only diagonally. ... Knights possible moves The knight (♘♞) (or, colloquially, horse) is a piece in the game of chess, representing a knight (armoured soldier) and often depicted as a horses head. ...

Although opening assessments change as improvements are found for each side, the Chigorin seems to be playable for Black and it is useful as a surprise weapon against the Queen's Gambit. Alexander Morozevich is perhaps the only modern grandmaster who regularly plays the Chigorin Defense. Alexander Morozevich (Александр Морозе́вич) (born July 18, 1977) is a Russian chess player. ...

Main variations

The Chigorin Defense has the ECO classification D07. Because the Chigorin is an unusual defense, theory of this opening is not as well developed as that for more popular openings. Here are some sample lines: The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) is a book collection (now also a computer database) describing chess openings. ...

After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6,

• 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 e5 7.d5 Nb8
• 3.cxd5 Qxd5 4.e3 e5 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.bxc3 Qd6
• 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.cxd5 Bxf3 5.gxf3 Qxd5 6.e3 e5 7.Nc3 Bb4

References

• Ward, Chris (2002). Unusual Queen's Gambit Declined. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1857442180.